School

65 pages

8 m, 17 w, doubling possible

Ah, the glories of Camelot! Knights in armor, damsels in distress, and...girls on motorcycles!? King Arthur has been forced to retreat through a portal to the future created by Merlin when Camelot was captured by the forces of evil. Arthur and the ladies-in-waiting must remain in this century until he can enlist a new band of knights to retake his rightful throne. Unfortunately, the pickings are quite slim. His knights-in-training consist of three college guys who practice horsemanship on a riding lawn mower and fencing with sticks and trash can lids. Just wh...

71 pages

10-15 m, 10-18 w, doubling possible

It's the 1950s and you're all set for a big night at the drive-in movie! Roll down your car window, hook up the speaker, and hear the movie manager, Mr. Gleason, announce the rules to enjoy yourself, "in the comfort of your own car!" Upcoming attractions are acted out onstage, including "Time Travelers in Space Suits," as is the latest installment of a Western serial "The Adventures of Rocky Rhode." But not all the drama is coming from the big screen. Young lovers Tony and Gloria are arguing about the main feature, the scary "The Vampire's Hickey," and countr...

59 pages

10 m, 15 w

There are a few little obstacles with the prom this year. First, it's taking place at an abandoned inn, which not only needs to be fixed up (with a bulldozer!) but is inhabited by the ghosts of a gangster and his moll who are not happy about being disturbed. Next, the kids on the prom committee have dates with all the wrong people and can't stop playing dating roulette. And finally, the love-starved janitor who has been dreaming for 20 years to marry Miss Gray, their teacher, is holding everyone hostage. And you thought not knowing how to dance was a problem!...

52 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 11 m, 14 w, extras, doubling possible

This play forces us to examine the points in our lives when we make decisions - right or wrong, good or bad - that will define our own future as well as the lives of others. Built upon a series of monologues and scenes, the play depicts young adults dealing with the reality of HIV and AIDS. For some it's simply a threat -something not to be let out of its cave. For others, the monster has become an unwanted part of their daily existence. This uncompromising drama uses vivid and timely dialogue. A perfect competition piece, it features minimal staging, a choru...

59 pages

7 m, 8 w, extras

   El Fuego, a hot sauce empireowned by the Cienfuegos family for generations, has recently been falling victim to the newer, sleeker Hielo Azul, a corporate giant that wants to crush El Fuego for personal reasons. The Cienfuego family includes Violeta, the matriarch with dark family secrets; Hector, the wandering vagabond who left the family and the business many years ago but has suddenly returned; Julio, the playboy son and heir to the empire; and Margarita, his brilliant and bookish twin sister. They, along with Julio’s supermodel girlfriend and Margarita...

68 pages

13 m, 13 w, and Bear, Time Chorus & Musicians

A beautiful adaptation especially written for secondary school students to perform. Here is the story of good versus evil and the power of time to heal all wounds. Leontes, without warning, suddenly believes his visiting boyhood friend, Polixenes, is in love with Leontes' wife Hermione. Leontes even goes so far as to order his friend poisoned and Hermione thrown in jail where she has a baby girl. It never occurs to Leontes he could be wrong, even though the Oracle of Apollo showed the couple's innocence. Sixteen years later the child, Perdita, who has been ra...

69 pages

9 m, 16 w, and extras

Wealthy but ditzy Patricia Smitherton-Smatherton and her granddaughters realize something is very wrong when movers begin to repossess the furniture. Perkins, the perfect butler, tries to tell madam the problem lies with Stan D. Mann, her unscrupulous business manager. They don't believe him until they learn Stan plans to sell their house to a flashy Hollywood producer. The girls decide the only way to come up with the mortgage money is to send their grandmother away and turn the mansion into "Disco Dawg." They decorate the place in the current "groovy" `70s style, and everyone who's any...

56 pages

Flexible cast of about 30

This delightful adaptation updates the action to 20th century New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration! It has been edited for time and archaic expressions, but otherwise the language is the same. The through-line is still very evident as Shakespeare's comment on the classes and pastoralism. Included in the oversized script are four original songs, New Orleans jazz style, which use Shakespeare's poems as the lyrics, with the suggestion of a grand finale of "When the Saints Go Marching In." The costumes are modern day but still very much in the style of Shakespeare ...

45 pages

7 m, 8 w, 5 flexible

Finding a prom date is tough in a normal world, but in a world dominated by the Queen and King of Teens and all their teen spirits, it's nearly impossible. In this side-splitting send-up of the Shakespearean classic, four teenagers only want to attend the prom with the teen of their dreams. Mia wants to go with Lyle but her father insists she go with Dean. Mia detests Dean but her best friend Helen adores him. Yet Dean wants nothing to do with Helen. Mia and Lyle decide to sneak off to attend another school's prom but to do so must sleep in the woods overnigh...

70 pages

7 m, 15 w, 6 or more flexible, doubling possible

Nurse Betty has been bumped off because somebody at County General doesn't want the world to read her novel "ER Confidential." But whose secret has she uncovered? Surely not the two candy stripers who earn extra money by smuggling in fast food to the patients. Maybe it's bossy Nurse Rackett, who longs for the good old days. Or could it be Dr. Nan Jeffries, hoping to escape her mother's clutches and marry Orderly Dan...the guy who once had a fling with Nurse Betty. What about Will Bates, the multigazillionaire computer genius who's supposed to be recovering up...

54 pages

27 characters, extras, much doubling possible.

The bored Sultan thinks Sahara Scheherazade is auditioning for the new position of Royal Entertainer, but what she's really trying to do is get her friend Aladdin out of the dungeon. A quick thinker, she creates captivating stories to gain time. "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" becomes "Ali Baba and the Forty-Niners," with a disgruntled football team as some of the characters; "The Adventures of Sinbad" becomes a Star Trek-inspired spoof with Captain Kork and Mr. Spork; and lastly, the "Emperor's New Clothes" deals with the "King" himself, Elvis, and his advi...

73 pages

Widely flexible cast from 28 to 41

The classic and timeless tale of Shakespeare's two star-crossed lovers takes on new life in this clear and concise adaptation. Audiences will understand and love this show with its lack of archaic phases or dated references. Reduced to two acts, this version makes our greatest play more accessible for modern audiences. Actors new to Shakespeare will appreciate the added stage directions as well. This is a Romeo and Juliet for today. Running time is between 90 minutes and 120 minutes, depending on further optional cuts clearly explained in the script.

74 pages

16 m, 4 w + extras

Here is Shakespeare's classic story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, with all of the psychology, guilt and tragedy that one is accustomed to in the original story. Nothing vital has been cut, but the play has been shortened, maintaining an incredible through-line of action. This version sails along. Perfect for high school and college theatre departments. A special CD of music and sound effects is available to enhance your production. (Music sample at right is "Ophelia's Theme.") About 2 hours.

65 pages

Large, flexible cast. Approx. 10 m, 10-13 w, 1 flexible, extras

"If music be the food of love, play on!" In this modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's beloved comedy, the sounds of disco, swing, gospel, Latin and hip-hop music propel an outrageous assortment of characters into each others' arms. A terrible shipwreck strands young Viola on the beaches of Illyria. Desperate to support herself as she searches for Sebastian, her lost twin, she disguises herself as a man named "Cesario." Soon she is working for Duke Orsino, taking his love messages to the Countess Olivia. But the Countess' estate is a tropical madhouse cramme...

67 pages

15 m, 13 w, 7 flexible, extras, doubling possible

Adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens. A coming-of-age story of a boy in 19th century. A young hero battling a difficult youth, we see David's struggles from his childhood days at the family's estate in Blunderstone, to his early life of poverty and misery, to his final, joyful success. Many of our favorite Dickens' characters are present: David's gentle mother, Clara; the loving housekeeper, Peggoty; his cruel stepfather, Murdstone; his schoolmates Steerforth and Traddles; the amusing, ever-on-the-run Micawbers; the lovely Agnes Wickfield, and the despic...