School

75 pages

6-12 m; 9 w; 6 or more women as extras

By itself, the sweetness and wholesomeness of "Little Women," the story of a tomboy and her three sisters coming of age during the Civil War, might be a little too saccharine for a cynical modern audience. But this warm, intelligent play is grounded by scenes from Alcott's real life, as a daughter of an abolitionist father, as a published author in a male-dominated business world, as a volunteer nurse during the war, and as a suffragette. Woven into her novel, we see just how radical these independent girls were for their time.

39 pages

3 m, 4 w

Ashley, one of the hottest girls in school, is shocked when, on their first date, Peter doesn't respond to her overtures. Peter, a pastor's son, knows the reason why: he thinks he is gay. He’s still hoping it’s not true, that no one will ever have to know he even suspected it. But what about Ashley? After storming out of his house, will she tell the whole school? Then there’s Craig, the youth leader at church, who saw Ashley rush out. He thinks Peter tried to go too far. How could he possibly understand Peter’s fears? But bit by bit Peter’s secret is revealed...

59 pages

14 m, 13 w, much doubling possible

It's the 1880s and Dot Dallrimple and her friend May Fielding are Christmas shopping. A miserly store owner, Mr. Tackleton, has eyes for May and has her fiance Edward kidnapped and sent off to sea, never to return to England. Ten years pass with no word from Edward. Poor May has remained single, even though Tackleton has continued to court her. Meanwhile, Dot has married John Peerybingle and his delivery business has prospered. Two days before Christmas he brings home a ragged, mute stranger. In one awkward moment, John see his wife throw her arms around the ...

46 pages

5 m, 4 w, 1 flexible, extras

This tale of King Arthur's boyhood opens with a band of medieval actors arriving at a village. The role of Arthur falls to an inexperienced apprentice, unsure of his abilities. The play follows Arthur as he grows up in Sir Ector's castle with Merlin the Magician as his teacher. Morgan le Fay, with her servant Niniane, attempt to break through Merlin's protective barrier to harm Arthur before he ever becomes king. On his way to the climactic tournament where the new king will be crowned, Arthur must undertake a perilous journey through the forest where he meets a dragon, a damsel in distr...

36 pages

4 m, 5 w, 3 flexible, doubling possible

Like Moliere's original “Tartuffe,” a supposed holy man enters the life of affluent but naïve family and almost succeeds in cheating them out of their home. Now set in current-day Dallas, the wily opportunist is finally exposed, but not before a series of humorous misunderstandings and some rollicking good fun. Grandma Perkins has nothing but praise their boarder, Tartuffe, because he is a man of such holiness and zeal. Father even wants his daughter Maryanne to break her engagement and marry Tartuffe! The siblings agree they must expose Tartuffe's hypocrisy....

66 pages

4 m, 7 w

The Dark Harbor Lighthouse, abandoned by Sheriff Wilde after his wife's mysterious disappearance, sat empty for over ten years. Now the Hanson family has moved in, but before long, strange things begin to happen in their dream house: lit candles in the windows, eerie music from the piano room, moving furniture, and a shadowy figure who walks the lighthouse tower at midnight. As Raven, the disaffected teenage daughter, and Ethan, a next-door neighbor, try to discover what dark secrets Aunt Rosemary is keeping and the true identity of little Penny's imaginary f...

36 pages

6 m, 9 w

An ensemble group of outlandish zany actors seek to answer this question: "Why do we have a social order in which we rank ourselves from the most dominant to the least?" They attempt to do this by acting out both hilarious and serious life situations. They do this in order to answer questions presented by the all powerful Voice. Using the Socratic Method the Voice teaches by asking questions, never answering them. In trying to answer the first question they are actually delving into the most awesome question of all, "What is the meaning of life?" The answer: ...

30 pages

7 m, 4 w (or with doubling, 4 m, 3 w)

Adapted from the original play by Moliere. Monsieur Argan is an imaginary invalid. Indeed, he is a hypochondriac suffering pains in every part of his body. He wants his daughter, Angelique, to marry the stupid son of a doctor, and not Cleante, the man she truly loves. Argan's second wife, Beline, would like to put Angelique in a convent. But through the tricks and hijinks of Toinette, the maid, and Beralde, Argan's brother, all of the schemers are exposed and in the process the cast and the audience have had a rollicking good time.

76 pages

7 m, 6 w, 3 flexible, doubling possible

After being part of the richest family in Boston, the adult Webb kids try to adjust to sudden poverty when crazy brother Elwood is given total control of the fortune. But they just don't know how to be poor. They try everything from renting rooms in the mansion to taking a job as a clown for children's parties. Their luck changes with the reappearance of their mother, whom they thought dead; their cranky butler, Fenwick; and the surprise introduction of Fenwick, Jr. Junior is a boorish, obnoxious lout, but is also now the sole heir to the Webb fortune. The ex...

29 pages

5 m, 5 w, 6 flexible, extras, doubling possible

How students cope with the death of classmates due to drinking and driving is poignantly brought home in this one-act. On one side, Lisa is consumed with guilt because she didn't take away her brother's car keys, even though she knew he drank. On the other, Kurt is racked with pain because if he hadn't been drinking, he wouldn't have needed his sister to pick him up and she wouldn't have been in Lisa's brother's car. Then the football team wants to erect a roadside cross in memory of Lisa's brother right next to a cross the girls are planning in memory of Kur...

25 pages

3 to 5 w

Things are seldom what they seem in the world of theatre. That is never truer than in "The Audition" (3 w). On the morning of a (maybe) life-altering audition, three (maybe) actresses come early to scope out the theatre and immerse themselves into the needs of the (maybe) director. As Phoebe, Celia and Rosalind vie for the chance of lifetime, secrets are revealed and plans unravel in this one-act that is never exactly as you think it to be. The play gives three actresses their own shining moments in the spotlight. Running time is about 20 minutes. In the seco...

71 pages

6 m, 10 w

When April McKay inherits the Smuggler's Little Theatre, her dream of launching a career on stage comes true. But no sooner does April arrive at the small tourist town to open her box office, when the dream turns into a nightmare. Her boyfriend, Grant, wants her to return to New York, where he works on Wall Street. The owner of an auto repair shop wants the Little Theatre demolished so he can expand. A mysterious teenager appears and disappears at the back of the house. During the first night of try-outs for the season opener, one of the actors drops dead. Fo...

70 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 8 m, 14 w, extras

Teenager Jane Hastings inherits remote and creepy Wolfbane Abbey. It's a combination school and clinic for students who have trouble "adjusting." No wonder - they're werewolves! The doctor who runs the Abbey decides Jane must be driven out of her mind so he can be trustee. This isn't as easy as it sounds - even though the place is filled with more horrors than a wax museum. With two friends, Jane does her best to sort out the Abbey's problem and "curse." The characters are great fun to play in this fast-paced spoof, including bewildered police, a werewolf hun...

61 pages

9 m, 6 w extras

Wilhelm Frankenstein, last remaining heir of Victor Frankenstein, has come into the possession of Victor's notes. Having recently suffered the loss of his young wife, he becomes obsessed by the idea of re-creating her by following Victor's methods. A young medical student, Jurgen Bruchner, discovers Wilhelm's plans and begs to help him. However, as the task nears completion, Jurgen begins to have second thoughts about the morality of their work. In a dramatic laboratory scene, the "bride" is created. Having been made of many different parts and memories, Wilh...

45 pages

3 m, 11 w

What happens when a high schooler brings a pistol to biology class? In this tense drama, Wesley, a 17-year-old boy with a handgun, holds 13 of his fellow students as voluntary hostages as he tries to come to grips with the events that brought him there. In the 24 hours that follow, the tension of the stand-off outside mixes with the casual attitude of the students inside. By the end, we see these rich characters relate their own experiences with violence, parental authority, peer pressure, high school and the pains of outgrowing childhood. Finally, too, we le...