It's All an Act

Book By: Carl L. Williams
Play #: 2136
Pages: 32 pgs
Cast: Flexible casting

Here's a delicious trio of short plays about the theatre.

 

In "Must the Show Go On?" (3 m, 1 w) everything goes wrong on opening night. The four actors persevere despite a drunk in the tech booth, a "costume failure," a prop gun that doesn't fire and a sneezing corpse!

 

In "Can't You See We're Acting?" (2 m, 3 w) three older people create havoc from their front-row seats as they unwrap pieces of hard candy, snore, and make loud comments in the midst of a dramatic play. Will the distraught actor's offer of a ticket refund help save the show?

 

In "Final Curtain," (3 m, 2 w) an old actor on his deathbed keeps waking and eloquently delivering lines of Shakespeare as his adult children argue in front of him. He ultimately proves, "All's well that ends well."

Product tags
Sample Now
Perusal Only
Delivery Method
All orders with downloads must be paid by credit card
Single Copy for Perusal Only - $8.95
Perusal copies are limited to one per customer.
Buy Now
Delivery Method
All orders with downloads must be paid by credit card
Production Script - $8.95 each
Must order at least one per performer.
Royalty Licenses - $45.00
Royalty Licenses are required even if you do not charge admission.
Performance beginning date

Productions

MT. VERNON COMMUNITY THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
MILLER, MO 10/18/2024
GENERATIONS THEATER COMPANY 3 Performance(s)
JUNCTION CITY, OR 8/23/2024
RIVERTON PARKE JR SR HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
MONTEZUMA, IN 5/18/2024
NORTH CALLAWAY HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
KINGDOM CITY, MO 4/26/2024
--NONE-- 2 Performance(s)
WATERBURY CENTER, VT 3/28/2024
REEDY POINT PLAYERS 3 Performance(s)
BEAR, DE 10/14/2023
WAYNE COMMUNITY THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
WAYNE, NE 7/21/2023
ST COLUMBA ANGLICAN SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
PORT MACQUARIE, AUSTRALIA 6/15/2023
UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE, REDLAND 1 Performance(s)
CAPALABA, AUSTRALIA 6/1/2023
VL PLAYERS 3 Performance(s)
WIMAUMA, FL 3/25/2023
THIEF RIVER FALLS COMM THEATER 3 Performance(s)
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN 11/17/2022
CURTAIN CALL THEATRE COMPANY 4 Performance(s)
KIRKSVILLE, MO 10/12/2022
LAWRENCE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 9/8/2022
ORTANVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 3 Performance(s)
ORTONVILLE, MN 4/8/2022
HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
HOOVER, AL 1/28/2020
MIB DRAMA DEPARTMENT 1 Performance(s)
CHISHOLM, MN 11/10/2019
TRILOGY THEATRICAL CLUB 2 Performance(s)
REDMOND, WA 10/18/2019
BENNETT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
MARTIN, SD 11/2/2018
THIEF RIVER FALLS COMM THEATER 2 Performance(s)
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN 9/28/2018
WILGERIVIER HOERSKOOL 2 Performance(s)
FRANKFORT, FS 8/1/2018
SODA 1 Performance(s)
NIAGARA FALLS, ON 6/23/2018
ANNA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ANNA, OH 11/2/2017
FORGE THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
PHOENIXVILLE, PA 7/20/2017
LAMAR MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LAMAR, MO 3/15/2017
HENDERSON COUNTY PERFORMING AR 2 Performance(s)
ATHENS, TX 1/20/2017
MANTECA HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
MANTECA, CA 3/4/2016
FAMILY YOUTH COMMUNITY CONNECT 4 Performance(s)
ALBERTVILLE , MN 10/26/2015
KEOTA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
KEOTA, IA 10/15/2015
PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
PAW PAW, MI 4/18/2015
THEATER IN THE PARK 1 Performance(s)
BUTLER, PA 2/22/2015
ANTHEM RANCH PLAYERS 3 Performance(s)
BROOMFIELD, CO 11/6/2014
EAST PENNSBORO HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
ENOLA, PA 11/16/2012
USD 286 1 Performance(s)
SEDAN, KS 11/2/2012
AFTER HOURS THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
VAVENBY, BC 7/4/2012
LCCT 4 Performance(s)
RUIDOSO, NM 12/9/2011
PATRICK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
STUART, VA 11/17/2011
MADISON HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
MARSHALL, NC 5/23/2011
ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ROYALTON, MN 4/8/2011
GRIGGSVILLE/PERRY HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
GRIGGSVILLE, IL 3/25/2011
MCQUEEN HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
RENO, NV 3/25/2011
MARTIN LUTHER HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
NORTHROP, MN 11/19/2010
HARPETH HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
KINGSTON SPRINGS, TN 11/19/2010
GILLETTE COMMUNITY THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
GILLETTE, WY 11/15/2010
MAVERICK PLAYERS 10 Performance(s)
MIDLAND, TX 8/6/2010
UPPER SANDUSKY HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
UPPER SANDUSKY, OH 1/17/2010
GILLETTE COMMUNITY THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
GILLETTE, WY 5/8/2009
MANDAN HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
MANDAN, ND 4/7/2009
EARL GREY DRAMA CLUB 1 Performance(s)
EARL GREY, SK 3/28/2009
STEUBEN COUNTY THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
ANGOLA, IN 3/15/2009
POST MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ARLINGTON, WA 1/12/2009
TRINITY ISD SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
TRINITY, TX 12/15/2008
SECRET ROSE THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
N HOLLYWOOD, CA 9/27/2008
DUNCAN LITTLE THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
DUNCAN, OK 9/12/2008
WEST MIFFLIN AREA HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
WEST MIFFLIN, PA 5/9/2008
CHURCHILL ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
MONTGOMERY, AL 5/8/2008
GILLETTE COMMUNITY THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
GILLETTE, WY 4/26/2008
DUNCAN LITTLE THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
DUNCAN, OK 2/1/2008
PORT SUSAN MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
STANWOOD, WA 1/22/2008
MISSOURI SHOWBOAT 2 Performance(s)
MOBRIDGE, SD 1/11/2008
DUNDEE CENTRAL SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
DUNDEE, NY 1/7/2008
THEATRE GROUP 5 Performance(s)
LOS ANGELES, CA 8/25/2007

Behind The Scenes

Playwright Carl L. Williams Talks About

"It's All an Act"

 

Q.: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THESE PLAYS?

A.: My experiences in theater provided the inspiration for "Must the Show Go On?" and "Can't You See We're Acting?" In a similar way, "Final Curtain" portrays an actor so devoted to the theater, no matter the effect upon his family, that he's still acting on his way out of life.

 

Q.: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN ANY OF THEM? WHY?

A.: Richard's angry speech in "Can't You See We're Acting?" When he breaks character and addresses the disruptive audience members is one of my favorite parts, since I've wanted to make that same speech many times myself. And in "Must the Show Go On?" I'm fond of the sneezing corpse. A line in "Final Curtain" that sticks with me is "We needed more than a road company father."

 

Q.: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?

A.: The characters aren't based on specific people, but rather on certain types of people I've observed, especially among actors and audience members.

 

Q.: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THESE PLAYS?

A.: My primary goal is to entertain. "Final Curtain" mixes in a bit of a message about the importance of family relationships and how they can be damaged by misplaced priorities.

 

Q.: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?

A.: These three short plays provide quite a bit of fun for the actors involved, and I hope they have the same effect on the audience.