One-Acts

36 pages

Minimum 4 m, 2 w, 2 flexible, 1 offscreen voice. Maximum 9 m, 7 w, 2 flexible, 1 offscreen voice.

Join this hilarious family as they struggle to endure being stuck at home – together! How many family game nights can teens endure? How are the pets holding up? Can mom convince the kids to do their schoolwork or will they be doomed to a fifth year of high school?  How do first dates and book clubs work while social distancing? And really, who is strong enough to endure more than one Dad joke?

This show is perfect at providing both laugh-out-loud humor as well as flexibility in stagin...

25 pages

1 m, 10 w, 16 flexible, doubling possible, extras

Tallulah, an over-the-top director extraordinaire at her high school, hasn’t gotten the recognition she believes she deserves. It might be because the school principal doesn’t let the drama students perform. Nevertheless, she and her loyal sidekick and stage manager, Calista, build sets for plays that are never done, and the actors rehearse plays that never open!

All is about to change when Tallulah is nominated for High School Drama God of the Year. This all-girls high school has les...

40 pages

2 m, 6 w, 3 flexible, and extras

Ethan is a typical high school junior, well ... typical with the exception of the fact that an attack three years ago left him as one of the undead.  Previously discriminated against, zombies (such an ugly word) have been now given the chance to attend public school, with Ethan being chosen as the first openly undead student in his state to do so.  As he chronicles his journey on YouTube, Ethan learns the ins and outs of fitting in when you're obviously different. This humorous story has an inclusive theme and tackles the difficulty of not feeling normal duri...

38 pages

3 m, 5 w, 5 flexible, ensemble, doubling possible

It’s the final stages of a television talent competition. The show’s immoral and unscrupulous presenter and executive producer Jools wants a particular contestant to win, and he goes to great lengths to influence the public into thinking his way. However, things do not go according to plan. With the pressure mounting under the harshest of spotlights, an unexpected twist shows that in the cutthroat television business, few can be trusted. The play explores how the media can manipulate public opinion, an important theme in today’s unpredictable world. The show ...

32 pages

Widely flexible cast of 9 - 24

When a stray kitten turns up at her sister’s wedding reception, Avery decides to give it a temporary home in her family’s laundry room. When she checks in on the kitten later that night, Avery discovers that a portal to outer space has opened in the wall, a T-Rex is trying to eat the washer and dryer, and the kitten can breathe fire. Then a unicorn shows up. And some aliens. And a few mythological deities. Avery is convinced it has to be a dream—but it’s not. Her life is about to get a whole lot more interesting, and she may never be able to complete another ...

23 pages

4 m, 4 w, 2 flexible

Eleven-year-old Robert, with help from his little sister Sally, has built a flying machine in their backyard. On launch day, he is hassled by his older brother Bryan, as well as the local neighbor kids. When the machine fails to operate as Robert expects, he is laughed at and ridiculed by those who have come to watch. Little Sally comes to his rescue, and together they fly. About 35 minutes.

48 pages

18-19 roles (2 m, 1 w, 15-16 flexible)

When a pirate ship inadvertently sails over the lost city of Atlantis, an adventure-seeking girl – who happens to be the granddaughter of Poseidon himself – makes friends with a charmingly naïve sailor, causing their two worlds to collide. As the pirates continue to arrr-gue and the Atlanteans ask an endless series of questions with no answers, new friends Duffle and Pana explore strange new worlds they have never seen before. With the help of a Narrator giving advice and a friendly dog who just wants to play, and with Poseidon’s undersea magic adding to the ...

22 pages

2 m, 1 w, 2 flexible.

Here is a dark, suspenseful play that follows the life of Tiburtius Gerhardt, the gravedigger. As the cemetery he has worked in all his life fills up and comes to its end, Tiburtius tries to cope with his demanding and demeaning boss; his deceased uncle; and two other denizens who should or should not really be there. It’s enough to drive a man to his grave. Approximate running time is 35 to 45 minutes.

30 pages

6 m, 8 w

A group of students from the late '60s are suffering through "time-out" suspension in school. A dreaded teacher, Miss Pruette (who is never seen on stage), lectures them on the seriousness of their infractions. If they only knew the consequences of their actions, they would act differently. She'd sure like to show them their future. Suddenly, a group of students from the '90s enters for in-school suspension and they bear a striking resemblance to the first group. It soon becomes apparent to the first group that these social renegades are their children! As th...

17 pages

1 m, 5 w

Several new cheerleaders are having a picnic in the park to meet each other. There is bitter rivalry between Joyce and Kathleen over a boyfriend. Most of the girls are jealous of Kathleen, since she is rich and gets everything she wants - even down to ousting another girl for the cheerleading position. The girls have a plan to scare Kathleen, but she, in the meantime, has learned of their plan and plots retribution. A spine-tingling play.

30 pages

5 m, 5 w

A series of short scenes tells an unusual tale of love. A young woman named Vanesa endures unsuccessful dates that include a mummy, a ghost, and a zombie. Across town, Zack, a vampire, encounters a series of human women with equally monstrous results. Are the characters fated to search fruitlessly or destined to discover their hearts’ desire? Find out if romance rules…or if love bites!

38 pages

With doubling, 10 m, 8 w, many extras.

The Civil War was unlike any other war our country has ever endured. It not only severed our nation, it severed our nation’s families. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters were torn apart by politics, beliefs, distance, and death. Evidence of this bitter separation can be found in the abundant journals, diaries, poetry, songs, and letters of the day. This play, a one act with music, draws from these sources to provide a glimpse into the joys and struggles of “loving” during this turbulent period. The characters are based on real people, th...

52 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 11 m, 14 w, extras, doubling possible

This play forces us to examine the points in our lives when we make decisions - right or wrong, good or bad - that will define our own future as well as the lives of others. Built upon a series of monologues and scenes, the play depicts young adults dealing with the reality of HIV and AIDS. For some it's simply a threat -something not to be let out of its cave. For others, the monster has become an unwanted part of their daily existence. This uncompromising drama uses vivid and timely dialogue. A perfect competition piece, it features minimal staging, a choru...

26 pages

8 m, 3 w, extras

A complex and moving play as a soldier serving overseas "celebrates" a birthday by militarily taking a hill while his twin sister back home celebrates their birthday with the family and her twin's fiancée. The surreal setting and movement of the action lead to a shocking conclusion. About 30 minutes.

23 pages

1 m, 3 w

Danny's journey into the world of high school romance begins with Laurie, a girl who shares his enthusiasm for videos and hanging out at the neighborhood shopping center. But when a hot number named Brooke blows in from Hollywood, things start to fall apart as Danny shifts from hometown girl to movie star "gonnabe." The girls plunge into a fight over Danny that has all the intensity of a professional wrestling match. As a matter of fact, that's how it's presented in this play of love, and love and hate, and then love, and then hate again. Enemies become frien...