One-Act Plays

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  The Collective Featured Production

Fantasy by Brent Holland

32 pages

12 roles. While 10 roles are flexible, 2 of them are better played by females.


The Collective has called an Inquiry for Inclusion to decide if all of humanity is to be allowed into their enlightened community. Seven representatives for all of humanity are questioned by opposing sides to see if we are indeed worthy of being considered an advanced and enlightened species. About 35-40 minutes.

  The Cheater New Release

Comedy by Brent Holland

34 pages

2 m, 2 w


When high school student Garrett pays his best friend to see if his girlfriend will cheat on him, they all become entangled in a web of lies and deception, and a series of changing allegiances. Sierra, Hope, Garrett, and Nick have been friends for years, but will any of their relationships survive? Most importantly, who will end up with the Chipotle gift card?

  Alistair in Wonderland New Release

by Patti Veconi

48 pages

3 m, 3 w, 18 flexible, extras, doubling possible


The Queen of Hearts has demanded a rematch with Alice on the croquet lawn, but instead of fetching the girl back to Wonderland as instructed, the easily addled Dormouse has returned with a very confused boy named Alistair. Luckily, Alice has also arrived, having learned of the Queen’s summons from the Cheshire Cat, and it becomes her mission to get Alistair safely home while also enjoying a new adventure herself. Approximately 45 minutes.

  The Election New Release

Comedy one-act by Jonathan Turner Smith

40 pages

6 m, 9 w, and ensemble of 10, doubling possible


Eight diverse candidates who are running for student body president have two minutes to present their platform and to convince fellow Roosevelt High students to vote for them. From the narcissistic varsity cheerleader, to the disdainful brainiac, and from the star quarterback to the tongue-tied farm boy, every candidate is unique. Their speeches veer from the serious to the hilarious and, with several mimed action scenes, even reach the absurd! During the question-and-answer segment of the forum, however, one student asks the candidates to do something about ...

  E-Scape New Release

by Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm

27 pages

1 w, 3-10 flexible


Dee has recently come out to his entire school as transgender. After his former friend Riley harasses him about his trans identity on social media, Dee uses an undercover pseudonym to post embarrassing secrets about her. The revealing post quickly circulates among the student body. Soon, Dee and Riley realize they have said more than they can take back. In this interactive performance, students will be prompted to think about the unintended consequences of cyberbullying and the ways that social media can strain relationships. This show can be produced using a...

  An Ode to Juliette New Release

Drama by Emilio Regina

46 pages

21 characters; 10 m, 11 f, extras, doubling possible


A high school drama teacher directs her students in rehearsing a version of Romeo and Juliet. A creative writing teacher encourages her students to compose poems that reflect their personal lives. And a man, the narrator, weaves these school experiences –and his own– into a play he has written. The result is a beautiful mosaic of the familiar lives of students and culture inherent in high schools. The play deals with tragedy, bullying, sexuality, grieving, and perseverance with vital sensitivity. A mix of ...

  Maneuvering Purgatory New Release

Drama by Ken Ruddiman

22 pages

2 m, 3 w, 2 flexible


After a car accident that killed her best friend, Lucy Taber is trapped in a coma. In her hospital bed Lucy hears her family discussing the severity of her situation. Unable to distinguish reality from fever dreams, Lucy must maneuver her very own purgatory in hopes of uncovering the truth. Luckily, she does not have to face it alone. A visiting ghost or a figment of her imagination, Lucy’s best friend Milo aids her in overcoming his death, and then accepting her own. With family and friends by her side, Lucy will face reality and exit purgatory. Approximate ...

  Aftermath New Release

Drama by Jonathan Turner Smith

44 pages

6 m, 5 w, 2 flexible


Time and time again, we hear about ordinary people who become extraordinary human beings in the face of traumatic experiences, placing others before themselves in selfless and fearless acts of courage. During two simultaneous therapy sessions, one for students and one for staff, and guided by two grief counselors, we experience the events of a school shooting through those who experienced it firsthand. Blue stage lights mark flashbacks, and ensemble casting allows each character to tell their story. This one-act play allows directors to address the importance...

  Pandora and the Sickle Moon New Release

Drama Greek by Jessica Chipman

24 pages

2 m, 3 w, and unlimited ensemble


Pandora, the first woman created by Greek gods, has opened a box releasing all the evils of humanity. She can't undo the deed so she decides her penance must be to observe the evil play out in the world. She serves as the audience's narrator in this tragic fairy tale told out of time and place. Pandora tells of Freya, a young princess who has been captured in a battle that killed her family. A classically evil queen, Skadaas, is plotting a way to stay in power. Her first-born son, Brono, does not speak and, therefore, cannot be king. Her second-born son, Vol,...

  Ellis Island Ahead! New Release

Drama by Nora Louise Syran

33 pages

Ensemble (6 m, 8 w), 40+ roles with no doubling


On the eve of the 1954 closing of Ellis Island, two teenagers, an Italian-American and an Irish-American, sneak inside the main building to see it for themselves. They meet an older man, now a janitor after serving as an inspector on the island since the early 1900s. The teens are drawn into his stories from the past and his memories come alive with an ensemble of people from all nationalities and backgrounds. Some of the immigrants are already famous, some will become famous and many, many others are “famous” only within their own families. But they all shar...

  What Party? New Release

one-act by Emilio Regina

36 pages

4 m, 9 w, 4 flexible, doubling possible


Chelsea is throwing a party while her parents are away, or so she thinks she is. When uninvited guests start showing up including her grandma with gout-ridden episodes, a stern police officer with neighborhood complaints, Bonnie and Clyde-like outlaws, and even last year’s grads, you end up with a different type of bash all together. And that’s not even including a sleepwalker and paranormal activities. This wild and crazy party is 35 minutes of escalating, nonstop hilarity!

  A Little Misunderstanding New Release

one-act by Kendall Krueger

39 pages

13 Actors


Little is a local weatherman who is about to give his first ever TV weather report. While he is on the air, the intern, McGee, trips. Trying to help him, Little yells, “This guy is falling!” While trying to save his friend, the station’s camera breaks causing a broadcast blackout. Audiences at home believe Little, as a weatherman, has claimed that the “SKY” is falling. Suddenly Little becomes an internet sensation! And the news station viewership booms at the cost of thinking Little is a crazy reporter. Chaos ensues as Little tries to tell people the truth, a...

  Antigone New Release

Classic by David Alberts

26 pages

2 m, 4 w, 5 flexible, extras


Two brothers lie dead at the gates of the ancient city of Thebes, each killed by the other in the final battle of a bloody civil war fought for the throne of Thebes.

 

King Creon decrees that one brother, Eteocles, defender of Thebes, is to be given a hero’s burial. The other brother, Polyneices, leader of the rebel forces, is to be left lying where he fell outside the city gates, unburied, and unmourned. Anyone who violates Creon’s decree will be stoned to death.

 

  Dad-Joke Intervention New Release

Comedy by Wade Bradford

23 pages

2 m, 4 w, plus 3 optional roles for the flashback scenes


The play opens with a typical living room scene: a good, old-fashioned dad sitting in a comfy chair reading a good, old-fashioned newspaper. However, things quickly take a turn for the absurd when Mrs. Wright, a professional and serious-looking person, enters the room and is subjected to a barrage of cheesy jokes and puns from the dad. As the rest of the family enters, it becomes clear that they've called Mrs. Wright in for a "Dad-Joke Intervention." But will she be able to help? Or is this family doomed to be forever subjected to the dad's endless supply of ...

  An Experiment

Fantasy by Brent Holland

28 pages

6 Actors


Portrayed in a fantasy world, five confused participants wake up with no memory of their past life … with only one word, a personality descriptor (such as compassionate, courageous or orderly) written in type on their shirts.  The doctor explains that each is here willingly, and that they are all being compensated for their participation in a research study. Will the assigned attribute of each participant affect their behavior when under extreme duress? Once the experiment begins and they find out that to lose is to die, all five do what they must to survive ...