Robert Frankel

Rob attended the University of Michigan where he studied acting, but graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science. An avid professional actor for over 30 years, he has spent the last 20 writing. He has written over thirty published plays, and is most at home writing wild comedy with lots of verbal wit. His comedy has been influenced by such comedians as Woody Allen and Steve Martin. He uses his computer background to spice his plays with very topical themes, and also enjoys exploring what happens when plays become "aware of themselves"! A native Chicagoan, he now resides in Rochester, Minnesota. He enjoys fatherhood with his sons Andrew and Tommy, and daughter Lizzie. Other "lifetime roles" have included radio d.j., ranch hand, singing telegram messenger, folk guitarist, magician, and bridge player. He is very open to discussing his plays and makes every effort to attend productions he is aware of that are near his home.

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  Football Theatre

Comedy by Robert Frankel

72 pages

9 m, 16 w, 7 flexible, 6-12 optional


When millionaire Peter Graham dies, he leaves most of his estate to his daughter, Popper; something for his two sisters and brother, and a whopping $5 million endowment to the football program run by his old friend, Coach Cougher. There's a catch, though: Coach must successfully steward Peter's beloved Blue Skies Community Theatre for one year in order to earn the money! Coach's first job is to direct the first play, "Frankenstein." And what would you do when the locals don't turn out for tryouts, er, auditions? That's right, Coach brings in football players ...

  First in Line... and Other Traumatic Life Experiences

Comedy by Robert Frankel

80 pages

Flexible cast of 20 (min. 5 m, 5 w)


Remember your first day of high school, your first zit, your first blind date? Relive them all with this collection of 15 scenes ranging from the sadness of encountering one's first taste of prejudice to that wonderfully primal feeling of being first in line! And to glue the scenes together is the ultimate high-brow poet. This play will provide your cast and audience with many chances to reflect on their own experiences, from the warm and fuzzy, to the downright embarrassing, to the poignant and touching. Casting, sets, and costumes are very flexible.

  Camp Paradise

Comedy Drama by Robert Frankel

77 pages

Flexible cast of 20 (doubling possible)


It's called Camp Paradise and no wonder - it's a fine arts, a computer, and a nature camp all rolled into one! Join the artistic, the scientific, and the plain ol' back-to-nature types for a unique summer in the deep woods. Custom-design this play to your specific needs and tastes with the 21 different scenes ranging from campfire ghost stories to a first summer love. All the feelings that camp can generate - from homesickness to hilarity - can be found here. The play ends with a feeling of camaraderie as the cast sits around a campfire on their last night to...

  Games People Play

Comedy Drama by Robert Frankel

71 pages

Flexible cast from 10 to 40


If drama has always taken a back seat to athletics at your school, it's time to bring all those sports nuts into your theatre. From baseball to football to tennis to chess and beyond, you'll find scenes about every aspect of sports -and life - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the funny! Pick and choose from 18 scenes to create a show that's just right for your team. You'll laugh at scenes like "Competition," "Coaching School," and the hysterical new game show, "Face Off." You'll be taken by scenes as "Teamwork," "Finding Time," and the offbeat "Adult Games," ...

  Acting Rich

Farce by Robert Frankel

63 pages

6 m, 7 w


See the butler and maid help the Cummings pack. See the butler and maid escort the Cummings out the door. See the butler and maid turn to each other and embrace because they are actually two aspiring actors, Billy and Wendy, who now have the Cummings estate to themselves! One week of acting rich! Unfortunately for them, they won't be alone and they aren't the only ones acting. For all kinds of weird and hilarious reasons, the neighbor is posing as a cleaning lady; the Cummings' daughter is acting like a family friend; the jewel thief is acting like a long-los...

  Family Album

Comedy Drama by Robert Frankel

68 pages

Flexible cast, 10 to 50


Picture yourself in your own family album with this incredibly funny, sometimes touching, always entertaining play. Pick and choose from some 20 different scenes about family life to design a play that makes your drama family unique. The scenes are in four groups, "Getting Along," "Bustin' Loose," "Problems and Opportunities," and "Life and Death." Some of the scenes are just plain fun, like "TV Wars" and "Name That Stress." Other scenes capture the heart, as "The Funeral" and "Senior Split." Rap numbers bridge your acts while an opening and closing family "p...

  Dear Santa

Holiday Play by Robert Frankel

69 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 6 - 8 m, 6 - 8 w


"Dear Santa" is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen - from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief - and disbelief! Santa and his helpers shed light on many of the mysteries surrounding him, including why you don't always get the gift you ask for, how Santa delivers all those gifts in one night, how he finds children spending Christmas away from home, and how his power transc...

  Virtual Soap

Comedy by Robert Frankel

65 pages

8-12 m, 12-15 w, 6-15 either.


Several years ago, Professor Flitcraft, a band of his college students, and his nephew Charlie discovered how to make holographic characters appear lifelike. They began using them in a local TV soap opera but now the college is getting set to close his lab down unless the Professor can come up with something new -- and soon. The pressure builds when his wife Aunt Tilde, (well, not really his wife but that's another soap opera) has been seen doing weird things, and a social worker wants to declare her crazy. Charlie and the other students hit upon their newest...

  Just Kidding!

Comedy by Robert Frankel

42 pages

4 m, 5 w, 10 or more optional


Brian and Sarah are making life miserable for the other students with their constant kidding, everything from switched homework to joy buzzers. Carefree Brian and Sarah apologize with a flippant, "Just kidding," but their jokes are fast becoming not funny. Their science teacher, Mrs. Keller, arranges a little sting operation. It's a beautiful plan created by a master, but little does anyone know the final practical joke is Mrs. Keller's alone! Three self-contained sections of optional dialogue among the class president contenders (the Nerd, the Babe, and the ...

  First In Line (Musical)

Musical by Robert Frankel Scott Keys

74 pages

Flexible cast of 20 (minimum with doubling, 5 m, 5 w)


Remember your first day of school, your first date, your first zit? Doesn't it make you want to...sing out loud! By popular demand, Rob Frankel's play "First in Line" is now a rousing musical revue! This collection of songs and scenes ranges from the hilarious to the heartwarming to the downright humilating. From the upbeat opening number, "Break New Ground," to the poignantly tender song, "How Do I Go On?" the score is varied and tuneful. Other numbers include "Friendly Skies," which has the agonizing beat of a first airplane trip; "Having a Crush," which ex...

  Ho Hum High

Comedy by Robert Frankel

72 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 9 m, 13 w


At Hollister Hummelforth High, better known as Ho Hum High, the geeky trigonometry teacher carries around a rubber chicken, the science teacher talks to her pet shrimp, and the principal is straight from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. No wonder the kids only show signs of life when they're placing bets on who will fall asleep first. So when Hal, the slowest, most naive student in school, assumes Pete's flat 7-UP is really "smart juice," Pete plays along. When the principal sees the "effects" of the juice on Hal and other students, he thinks the spark of learning h...

  Mother Nature's Revenge

Comedy by Robert Frankel

35 pages

Flexible cast of about 15. Doubling possible, extras if desired.


Mark Polluter is an environmental disaster, and Mother Nature's overseer, a former school teacher, plans a little revenge. With a smile on her face, she turns him into a tree, then a fish, and finally a bird. In each transformation, Mark is visited by a few of the species, like Sally Starfish, an actress, and St. Louee Cardinal, a baseball-playing bird. As one of them, Mark learns firsthand the nasty effects of his human carelessness. Easy, fun costuming and lots of comedy makes this topical play perfect for touring.