School

62 pages

3 m, 11 w, doubling possible

Ivy McEwin, a college history major, is so intrigued by a photograph of a young woman who lived during the Civil War that she travels to the woman's home, Ravensgate, an old Southern plantation. Ivy hopes to unlock the secrets of the woman's life, but instead meets the woman in death. The current owners, who are trying to restore the house into a bed and breakfast, have already noticed a number of strange things going on: the mournful sounds of a woman weeping at night; the frequent, unrelenting beating of a heart, and the rocking of an empty chair. As ghosts...

76 pages

6 m, 8 w, 1 flexible

Trudy, new to the theatre scene, has just been hired as stage manager for an upcoming play at a small community theatre. The problem is Trudy is inept, clumsy, and more than that, she's a jinx. The cast agrees that Trudy is a modern-day gremlin who is cursing the show and that she must go once and for all. So, why doesn't the director fire her? Because Trudy is the theatre owner's only niece. Realizing that throwing her out isn't an option, they resolve to de-hex her instead in order to make the theatre a safe haven once again. An old book of theatre supersti...

60 pages

6 m, 7 w, 10 flexible, doubling possible

The Untold Story of Rapunzel and her Twelve-Story Prison.  Not many folks know the TRUE story of how the beautiful, golden-haired Rapunzel ended up alone, locked in a tower …until now! You see, her parents promised their first-born child to a witch (who preferred to be called an enchantress). But little did the witch know that Rapunzel had an ugly twin sister Ethel. By stealing the witch’s glasses, the parents are able to switch babies. Years later, the witch discovers the truth, gets the now spoiled, self-centered Rapunzel back, and hides her in a tower with...

59 pages

3 m, 5 w

Lord and Lady Lexington have picked a rather beastly night to throw a haunted house party in their newly acquired home, Foxworth Manor. Oddly, the guest list appears to be made up of disparate and desperate strangers. There's the pretty secretary, the acerbic gossip columnist, the local physician, the flighty real-estate agent and a handsome, but somewhat surly young man. Foxworth Manor has a tragic history, and this evening will prove to be no exception. As the storm rages on outside, the guests suddenly discover that not everyone is quite the stranger they ...

67 pages

4 m, 9 w, 6 flexible, extras, much doubling possible

Faerie Tale, keeper of the stories of the wood, begins this classic tale, retold with a bit of an Irish twist. It’s the beloved story of a kind-hearted prince, cursed to live as a beast, and the girl who comes to love him. Due to the scheming by the family business manager, a devoted father believes he and his three daughters are destitute and move to a rundown cottage. They are unaware that the land is under an enchantment until Father encounters the Beast nearby. For having picked a rose from the Beast’s garden, Father is forced to make a promise to return....

73 pages

8 m, 8 w, 11 flexible parts

Laura Armbruister is posing as her own substitute teacher because the school administration wants to put an end to all this drama nonsense, but they can't close down the upcoming play until they find Ms. Armbruister to fire her. Meanwhile, a fellow teacher and admirer, Steve Clarkson, is doing what he can to help Laura keep her job. But one of the students gets the wrong idea and thinks the two teachers are eloping at lunchtime! The students decide to come up with their own plan to save the show, which includes having the lead, Dave, dress as Ms. Armbruister....

73 pages

7 m, 11 w (doubling possible)

Originally commissioned and produced by the Dallas Children's Theatre, this full-length play is a faithful adaptation of the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Young Sara Crewe arrives at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies in Victorian London. There the young, beloved heiress shines as the star pupil - until the death of her wealthy father completely reverses her fortune. The greedy headmistresses allow Sara to become a servant at the academy and live in a cold, miserable attic room. Sara uses her vivid imagination to overcome adversity and even br...

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.

61 pages

8 m, 14 w, extras

The students of Hilltop High are excited! They're going to put on a performance of "Romeo and Juliet." But the drama director, Miss Peggy Donahue, pressed into service by a principal eager to please his superintendent, is horrified. Twenty years before, when she was a student at Hilltop High, she starred in a disastrous musical version of Shakespeare's "Scottish Play," and she believes the curse lingers on. Sure enough, everything that can go wrong does. The set for the balcony scene collapses, the actress playing Juliet breaks her leg in a freak accident, he...

71 pages

11 m, 10 w, 3 flexible, 1 boy, extras

Ah, what fools these mortals be! Whimsically adapted from Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, this musical features the usual magical forest and spellbound lovers, but also an upstart Puck who decides to liven things up by modernizing the dialogue and adding song and dance numbers. It's all fun and games until William Shakespeare, fresh from spinning in his grave, leaps onto the stage, demanding to know what on earth is going on! The 13 songs capture a wide range of emotions, including the enchanting "Moonbeams," sung by Titania and her Fairies; the hilari...

56 pages

4 m, 6 w

Cliff Rundle accompanies his on-again, off-again girlfriend Jackie to an old Hollywood Hills mansion where she has been hired to kick a few lingering spirits out of the house. While Cliff claims he's gone along for moral support, he's really scouting the place as a potential site for a pilot episode of his TV show, "Mansion Makeover." Jackie has brought along her video man, audio girl, and a psychic to help her banish any ghosts. Unfortunately, the only one who ends up seeing any ghosts is Cliff. He finds film star Natalie Fairchild and four others, a directo...

72 pages

12 flexible roles

Based on the short story by Kenneth Grahame. What happens when a gentle, Shakespeare-loving dragon meets a town badly in need of some diversion? St. George, a semi-retired dragon slayer, has been summoned to rid the town of a terrible threat. Of course neither the villagers, who will do anything for a work holiday, or the wanna-be mayor with his faux French accent, have actually seen the fearsome beast! Only Jack, a sensible, bookish young man, has met and befriended the timid, peace-loving dragon. Join the villagers as they sing “There’s a Dragon Loose!” Jac...

58 pages

6 m, 6 w, 16 flexible, extras if desired

Follow Prince Tamino in this hilarious tale as he travels to the castle of the evil Sarastro to save the princess Pamina. Along his magical journey he meets a wild cast of characters including Papageno, the three muses, the Greenbird, the spirits, and the fabled Queen of the Night. Armed with a magic flute given by the queen, Tamino is ready to take on Sarastro. Once inside the castle our prince and his friends face monsters, magic, and a test to free his beloved Pamina. Fast-paced dialogue and hysterical characters enchant this large-cast play based on the o...

41 pages

13 m, 11 w, 4 flexible, extras, much doubling possible

Every month many look to their calendars and start counting down the days until the next holiday. But what about those who are working behind the scenes to make these holidays great? What about the everyday problems of Cupid, leprechauns, and the New Year's Baby? Do we ever stop to think about their needs? Their wants? No! And that's why they're on strike. Journey through the bizarre, strange, and riotously funny underbelly of the holiday world as the icons we all know and love go on strike in this comedy. See what happens when hunters try to shoot down Rudol...

51 pages

2 m, 2 w, 10 either (expandable to 20)

Magic, mayhem, and madness unfold in this classic story of love, revenge, and forgiveness. Based on The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Bitterroot is a modern adaptation set in the American West. Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been stranded in the Montana wilderness for twelve years. When fate brings Prospero’s evil brother to Montana, Prospero must decide whether to exact his revenge or forgive his enemies. But can Prospero accept that his daughter wants to marry the son of an enemy? And can he forgive himself for th...