One-Acts

42 pages

9 m, 9 w

What happens when a sympathetic teacher slips an advance copy of the algebra midterm exam to a struggling student and warns him not to share it with the rest of the class? In two words: cheating scandal! Come sort out the vagaries of honor, friendship and the straight skinny with the 18 members of Mr. Bolton's fourth-period algebra class. Join them as they discover the value of truthfulness, morality and higher math in a way that is at times hilarious, touching, and provocative. The one-act play is chockful of vividly drawn characters, generously explored eth...

36 pages

5 m, 7 w, 3 flexible, extras, doubling

From short stories by H.H. Munro (Saki). "The Mouse and The Storyteller" are two hilarious tales which take place aboard a train traveling from Philadelphia to Boston. In Philadelphia two architects board the train and sit next to a frail, elderly sleeping lady. They have checked out a dilapidated building so full of mice, that they inadvertently bring one onboard the train. Their quest to catch the mouse, which they both fear, without waking the sleeping passenger is outrageous. After they detrain in New York, a woman and her four horrible children share the...

14 pages

2 m, 2 w

John and Sharon begin talking about breaking up except unseen voices feed them lines of opposite intentions. They look around for the intruders. Two people emerge claiming to be the writer and director of this scene. They declare that John and Sharon are ruining this script, which was carefully prepared especially for them! About 20 minutes. 

34 pages

3 m, 2 w, 1 puppet.

Y’all know of Pecos Bill, the first Texas cowboy! He was raised by coyotes, made the first lasso out of a rattlesnake, broke a cyclone down to a gentle breeze, tamed the longhorn cattle and almost married Slewfoot Sue, who caught his attention by riding a giant catfish. Unfortunately, this Pecos Bill is a little confused. Ya see, the setting is in the present at a performance of “Pecos Bill's Wild West Show,” patterned after the Wild West shows of the late 19th century. But Bill and the other performers still live in the past. They believe everyone comes to t...

20 pages

1 m, 6 w

The ladies meet at Suzie's home for a game of poker which they know little if anything about. Suzie's husband, Willoughby, sticks his two-cents-worth in and the game disintegrates into a sharing of make-up and poker-bridge. As usual men are a part of the discussion!  Also join the ladies in these other comedies: "Ladies at Lunch" (#1648) "Ladies on Vacation" (#1649)

33 pages

4 m, 4 w, 6 flexible, doubling possible

Charleston, South Carolina, sometime after the Civil War. A poor woman borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend to wear at a party. She hopes that this outing will change the circumstances of her life and fortune, and that the other guests will see that she and her husband really belong within the ranks of the upper classes. But things go awry, and she loses the necklace. Pride will not allow her to tell her friend of the loss. Instead, she has another necklace made to match the one that was lost, and she and her husband spend the next 12 years paying...

16 pages

5 flexible parts

Ever worry about leaving your car in a parking lot? Then here's the play for you! Beamer, who owns a nice car, is tired of being pushed about by fate and circumstance. When Ford accidentally bumps Beamer's nice car door with his not-so-nice car door, followed by the grocery store clerk who adds another bump with the carts, Beamer practically becomes apoplectic. A police officer and store manager soon add to the flaring tempers. But don't worry, Beamer soon gets his revenge! A hilarious play with a real bang!

51 pages

4 m, 8 w, 2 flexible

When Chris, a popular, straight-A student, suffers the loss of his younger sister in a hit-and-run accident, he is left to struggle through the remainder of his high school career. But Jake Simmons, the star quarterback and class bully, won’t leave him alone and begins to torment Chris about his personal tragedy while taking bullying to a whole new level. Haunted by his sister and reeling in his pain, Chris decides to take matters into his own hands. In Our Own Backyard tells a story of profound loss, personal tragedy, teen angst and violence amongst a group ...

30 pages

5 m, 3 w, 15+ ensemble

Death and Strife, along with the Chorus of Darkness, serve as narrators in this foreboding tale, the story of Romeo and his first love, Rosaline. Although their families have been at war with each other for centuries, the young couple are so enamored with each other, they are ready to defy their families and face the inherent danger. But Death and Strife will cleave their tentacles onto the dreams and aspirations of this mortal pair. Filled with moments of bittersweet tenderness and joy, the play unexpectedly turns dark when Rosaline betrays Romeo and arrange...

24 pages

3 m, 3 w, 6 flexible, extras

Terry Barker, an ambitious newspaper reporter, agrees to spend the night alone in a wax museum to write a Halloween feature. The small, family-owned museum is facing tough competition for tourists dollars from other local attractions, so this publicity is critical. But before the sun rises on the following day, there is a dead body and an unusual list of suspects. Could the murderer be the owner himself or his brother, who never speaks because he has a "condition"? Perhaps the two over-zealous young employees are guilty. Everyone, it seems, has a secret...per...

20 pages

6 m, 6 w, 1 flexible

As auditions for the school play begin, members of the drama club hear a voice from the back of the auditorium claiming to be the director, Mr. John Shakespeare - a character they made up to get permission to put on the play! The plot is complicated by the unrequited love of several of the students, a club member who lapses into characters from plays mentioned and the possibility the Mr. Shakespeare might be the ghost of Alice's father! Since some of the exits, entrances and character positions are in the rear of the auditorium, the audience is drawn quickly ...

22 pages

2 m, 3 w

As his teenaged daughter readies for her first date, George Masters must decide whether to act like a father with great wisdom...or allow his imagination to run completely amok. Is his daughter's boyfriend a wild surfer dude, a tough biker hood or even a nose-in-the-air intellectual? Each fantasy sequence between George and the boyfriend is funnier and more disastrous than the last. Even the level-headed mom and cute younger sister get added to the mayhem. Great fun and great roles, especially for the one actor playing all three boyfriends.

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.

52 pages

3 m, 7 w (With optional extended ending: 7 m, 8 w)

Penny Ramsey is a young woman who, like all of us, has different sides to her personality. They are personified in the story by comically stereotypical characters, collectively known as the Egos. The five Egos make up her decision-making process, which gets a lot more complicated when Penny overhears only one side of her boyfriend Matt’s phone conversation and believes he has betrayed her. It’s a stressful time for Penny, made even more confusing by the introduction of a potential new suitor named Rick and the nosy involvement of Penny’s mother (and Matt’s bo...

28 pages

4 m, 2 w, 1 flexible; genders flexible

Mark, an eccentric scientist, is attempting to make things right with his cousins, Jason and Nina, after accidently putting their parents into a coma the previous Thanksgiving. During their stay with him, he has taken them on fun adventures such as apple picking, swimming with sharks, and betting on turkey fights. But when he takes them piranha fishing, they decide to head back to Aunt Helen’s house even if she’s still healing from her hip surgery. Mark decides to create a storm to prevent his family from leaving, all while trying to hide a genetically mixed-...

33 pages

8 w, 6 flex, extras, doubling possible

This is the story of a killer, her relationship to the family of the victim and her relationship to her own conscience. The play opens in a courtroom with the murder victim’s blind sister, Whitney, giving a family impact statement. Her personal sentence seals the fate of Cheek, the defendant, far worse than any court punishment of “life in prison” could ever do. “I sentence you...to see the image of my sister's face in your hands. I want your hands to be the constant reminder of the horror you saw in her face as you squeezed the life out of her...I want this ...

26 pages

6 m, 7 w, additional cast possible

The dashing, fleet-footed Gingerbread Man has gotten loose at Baker Street School, proud home of the Spatula Flippers. Now it’s up to a comical assortment of nerds and cheerleaders to put the bite on him. Principal Linzer Macaroon, cafeteria lady Muffin Topp and janitor Roland Butter enlist science teacher Newton Figg’s Mad Science Club and Lorna Doone’s pom squad to use their skills, talents and knowledge to capture the slick-sneakered cookie. This fast-paced show is filled with jokes, gags, slapstick humor, chases, and a riotous climax that will have audien...

29 pages

3 m, 3 w, 1 flexible

Stumbling onto their perfect home is a dream come true for newlyweds Jim and Clara. Keys in hand, they bring a picnic into the house and begin to plan a bright future together… when in come Chris and Allison who also have keys in hand and a picnic basket! Of course the real estate agent is long gone with the money. Just as the two competitive couples think they might have a plan that will allow them all to stay, in come Roger and Lucy with - you guessed it - a picnic basket.

28 pages

Widely flexible cast of 12

Two writers poke fun of the pitfalls and perils of producing problem plays while The Problem with Problem Plays Players act out the comical conundrums. They explore the challenges of censorship, the madness of metaphors, and the awkwardness of adults who tackle teen dialogue. All is well and witty until unexpected guests and unearthed secrets send things amusingly awry. Realizing they have become trapped in a problem play of their own, the cast and crew must scramble to escape. Will they perish in the predicament or persevere and produce a positive payoff? Th...

24 pages

3 m, 3 w

Pat White and Pat Gray have come to the local television set of Rise and Shine, a morning news/entertainment show, to tape a public service announcement for their groups' national convention of crocheters, called the Happy Hookers. When an accident knocks the young, ambitious and somewhat egotistical news anchors out of commission just after the show begins, the two elderly Pats are called on as emergency replacements. Laughs abound as they struggle to read the news, discuss their passion for hooking, and deal with the two anchors whose inhibitions have been ...

37 pages

7 m, 8 w, 3 flexible (minimum with doubling: 2m, 3 w, 3 flexible)

This one-act comedy in four scenes chronicles the different stages of the stage. In elementary school, a frustrated teacher deals with stage fright while trying to direct young children in a play about jackrabbits and a mean old dog. In middle school, two students who've been cast as Romeo and Juliet realize that the play is a love story, and that kissing may be involved! In high school, a teacher is holding auditions for a production of "Anne of Green Gables." Actors audition with a rather violent monologue from "Titus Andronicus," a rap version of the solil...

29 pages

3 m, 7 w, 4 flexible

Movie audiences can often be as entertaining as the film itself. This imaginative one-act comedy takes place during the waiting period before a movie begins, offering a rare look at the personalities and idiosyncrasies of typical teen audience members. Alice only wants to enjoy the movie alone but someone's always invading her space. Kent doesn't know how much he wants to flirt with his date Maria, and she is shocked at her reactions. Mindy is a social outcast and just ripe for snotty Laura's tricks. Meanwhile, Ben continues to chow down, while two latecomers...

32 pages

7 m, 9 w, 4 flexible

Fed up with the unruliness of his school, hard-nosed Principal Wolfenstein hires Janitor Patton and his top-notch cleaning crew to fix the problem. But it’s not enough against Bobby Franko, leader of the pranksters for all of his six years of high school, and his mafia-like group of friends. When the war reaches new heights, Wolfenstein calls for the return of someone so horribly cruel and void of any joy that she was previously banned from ever setting foot in the school again --The Funsucker! She literally sucks the fun out of every student she encounters, ...

20 pages

2 m, 1 w

Two class-clown type guys are playing a video basketball game and discussing one of their girlfriends. When one of the guys loses the game, along with his temper, the illusion of the fourth wall gets broken. The two young men, now exposed for being merely actors in a play, argue and debate about what to do next. When the character "Jessica" enters and proves to be trapped in the world of the play, things go more than haywire. The play is set in real time, able to be adapted to whatever stage or competition in which it is performed.

25 pages

6 m, 4 w

Edgar Allan Poe is called an American literary genius and here are three of his short stories dramatized for Reader's Theatre. “The Masque of the Red Death" is a fantastic tale of how, after half the people of his country have died, Prince Prospero gathers knights and ladies to his castle and locks the doors to avoid the devastating “red death” disease. In "The Cask of Amontillado" we find that if a man seeks revenge, there are many ways to do it. In "Lionizing" Poe mocks authors who get recognition when they write nothing but trivia and nonsense in flowery a...

16 pages

4 m, 1 w, 2 flexible

This play is written in the tradition of the great Marx Brothers movies and plays of the ‘30s and ‘40s. The not-so-famous lawyer Julius P.Milksop (Groucho) is defending Luigi and Adolph (Chico and Harpo) in court. They turn the courtroom into a circus of hilarious gags. The two are on trial for stealing jewelry from the famous Buckwalter estate. (Mrs. Buckwalter is a Margaret Dumont-type.) The stage directions for this play could never be complete, so it is up to each production to come up with business, bits, gags, etc., to fill in the gaps, thereby making e...

20 pages

2 m, 1 w

Part of The Half-hour Classics Series. This adaptation of "The Marriage Proposal" shows how hilarious and ridiculous a situation can become when the excitable and "ailing" Lomov comes to propose to the attractive, but equally excitable, Natalia. They soon enter into rowdy quarrels about land boundaries and hunting dogs. Will they marry? Will they fight their way through life? This adaptation has been created especially for high school students.

29 pages

4 m, 3 w and 1 m, 2 w

Here are two short, comic plays that have won high school state festivals and competitions: THIEF BETWEEN THE FLOORS (4 m, 3 w) What would you do after the elevator stopped, the door locked, and someone said "Hands up!"? A thief robs everyone in the elevator, but they talk him out of keeping their money and valuables. They then use the same possessions to bribe the thief into saying they were the heroes. About 15 minutes. THREE IN AN ELEVATOR (1 m, 2 w) A man and his wife are stuck in an elevator with the man's first wife. The problem is that he never told hi...

24 pages

5 m, 4 w, extras if desired.

Inspired by a true story, "Carl" tells of a young man's experience with being teased and bullied throughout school. The play opens with a 10-year reunion, then flashes back to his high school days, episodes in the lunchroom and classroom. We even see a brief bit of Carl's home life. Through the moving portrayal of Carl's life and ultimate suicide, members of the audience are compelled to examine their reactions to people who may be different. "Carl" is the winner of Minnesota's "Arc of Excellence Community Media Award."

20 pages

3 m, 11 w

Take seven inept campers who must win a variety show competition on which the whole camp's reputation is based and what have you got? Instant disaster! Luckily for the campers, Jo White, who would rather sing than whistle while she works, has escaped to their cabin. Hilarity and confusion follow, but the camp's reputation is saved!