School

59 pages

10 m, 12 w, 6 flexible, extras, doubling possible

Adapted from the original Grimm fairy tale, "The Six Swans." Good King Edmund is tricked into marrying the daughter of the evil wizard. The king finds to his horror that his new bride, Lilith, wishes to dispose of him and all his children so that she and the wizard can steal the magic Edmund guards. Lilith succeeds in turning all the children, except Princess Elizabeth, into swans. Elizabeth must remain silent for five years and weave five shirts from thorny starflowers to free her siblings. Sad, lonely, but brave, she remains silent and withstands the onslau...

72 pages

3 m, 3 w, 2 flexible (one non-speaking)

A madman is on the loose and college student Penny, somewhat flighty, has gotten a gun for protection over the objections of her brainy roommate Janice. The objections prove all too true when Penny accidentally shoots her boyfriend, Glen. Granted, his sense of humor often makes people want to shoot him, but this was truly an accident. Fortunately, Janice is a pre-med genius and she is able to use a very unorthodox method to save Glen’s life...kind of. His head at least, but only temporarily. While Glen protests to being stored in the TV cabinet, Penny is conc...

74 pages

5 m, 6 w

"I wasn't expecting anything to happen," intones detective Ace Baxter, "and that's just when anything CAN happen!" And happen it does, as Ace finds himself in a locked room standing in front of the only exit with a murder victim who was shot in the back ... and with Ace's own pistol. Shadows loom large when you're on the lam, as Ace finds out, whether he's disguising himself as a cleaning woman to inspect the scene of the crime, or ducking Sergeant Flint, who's chomping at the bit to clamp the cuffs on Baxter. The Professor helps out when he can, vowing to al...

72 pages

From 14 to 26 speaking roles, extras. (5 m, 5 w, 4 flex)

Inspired by the life and works of Rudyard Kipling. Celebrated author Rudyard Kipling is shocked after receiving news that his only son John is missing in action in WW I. Kipling bottles his grief, throwing his focus on a new book. Suddenly he’s interrupted by a mysterious little girl named Priyam. Charmed by her innocence, he shares his famous story “The Jungle Book” with her. As the tale of Mowgli springs to life, Kipling’s own memories of how John became a soldier start to intertwine. As truth blends into fiction, Rudyard’s memories shift to nightmares. He ...

55 pages

6 m, 6 w

A mysterious stranger, swathed from head to toe in clothes and dark glasses, seeks a room at a peaceful English inn. He claims to be a scientist. When the curious innkeeper's wife spies upon him, she is terrified to find he has no face. The stranger then reveals he is indeed invisible and proceeds to menace the countryside. A young, handsome doctor must finally stop him. Special effects are no problem. When the Invisible Man speaks but is not seen, he is behind a screen. The fight scenes "between" the Invisible Man and the other lodgers is action your actors ...

72 pages

5 men, 5-6 women, 2 boys, 1 girl, 2 extras

Eddy is a struggling playwright and also a dad in charge of taking care of the house, the kids, and the mother-in-law while his wife works the daytime shift at a fast-food restaurant. And boy, does he have his hands full! The house is a disaster, and as far as taking care of the children, what can he really do? Rambunctious triplets and an adventurous teenage daughter are not meant for the inexperienced! Then there is his mother-in-law whose age seems to be affecting her mind, and a neighbor lady with opinions, but without manners. Toss in a couple of FBI age...

67 pages

13 m, 15 w, and extras

The women of Blue Butte are worried that their men are too ready to feud and fight. In an effort to stop them, the women go on strike, refusing to cook, clean or kiss them unless they sign an agreement to stop carrying guns! The men are reluctant and try to convince their women to go back to things as before. The women, in an effort to stay strong, decide to stay together at Colleen’s restaurant. Soon the deputy and his friends find out Custer Tarnation, a dangerous villain, is headed their way. They get an idea: one of their buddies will dress up as the infa...

64 pages

3 m, 9 w, 1 voice.

Miles off Northern California's rugged Mendocino seacoast, St. John's School for Girls is located on a small island: it is an exclusive private academy which caters to troubled rich girls. However, it seems that a series of grisly murders occurring on the mainland are now taking place on this nearly deserted campus during Spring break. With the "storm of the century" quickly approaching, the eight girls who remained, as well as three faculty members, find themselves cut off from communicating with the outside world, and only have hours to find the killer befo...

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...

60 pages

7 m, 5 w, many supporting roles and extras, doubling possible

The Dumas classic “The Three Musketeers,” set in 17th century France, tells of the adventures of three heroic musketeers who are close comrades. This, sadly, is not a dramatization of that beloved story. Instead it’s a prequel…of sorts. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are in training to become musketeers, and they are bumbling rivals, casting humorously snide remarks to each other and practicing outlandish one-upmanship. When the queen is abducted under their watch, they each try to find a way to save her and save the throne. Their attempts land them in a laughing...

64 pages

5 m, 5 w

"I wish just once we could have a family get-together without somebody getting tied up!" This plaintive request, yelled at the top of her lungs by Aunt Clarise, gives you a pretty good idea of how family reunions go for this particular gang. Peri has taken her husband Graham to the family lake house to finally meet the clan. And Graham was looking forward to it. That is, until he gets overcharged by the taxi service, takes a large swig from the Major's private stock and has a wax apple stuck in his mouth, only to be dislodged by a slap on the head. It's littl...

51 pages

Widely flexible cast (14 or more)

Kipling's dramatic and entertaining stories about how the Camel got his hump, how the Elephant got his nose, how the Whale got his spout, and other richly woven tales come to life in this engaging full-length play. Mr. and Mrs. Kipling and their two bubbly yet unpretentious daughters serve as narrators. The story weaves from several animal tales to the final human one, how Man-or in this case an enterprising young girl!--wrote the first letter. Especially engaging is the two-person whale which is a great theatrical device. Easy to produce, this whimsical play...