School

61 pages

Widely flexible cast (14 or more)

Rudyard 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 musical. Mr. and Mrs. Kipling and their two bubbly yet unpretentious daughters serve as narrators. The story weaves from 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. The show opens with the song, "When the Worl...

28 pages

6 w, 11 flex

Bethany, a stressed out student, is trying to complete a school project with two less-than-helpful classmates. The three students are taken by surprise when Bethany’s phone and all of its widgets come to life. The trio soon finds themselves trapped inside of a bizarre video game filled with talking widgets, not-so-magical creatures, and a friendly chicken. Can they beat the game, return to reality, and learn how to work together more effectively along the way?

60 pages

From a large cast of 24 or more to an ensemble cast of 5-6 m, 5-6 w.

Adapted from a novel by John Bennett. Here is an excellent picture of the Shakespearean era from a young person’s point of view without being about the Bard himself. Young Nick is so enamored of the theatre that when his strict father forbids him from attending, Nick runs away from his home in Stratford-upon-Avon. When a disreputable actor, just released from jail, discovers Nick’s beautiful voice, he calls him Master Skylark and forces him to perform with his troupe. Nick's captors treat him well, but he longs for freedom and his home. His voice eventually b...

51 pages

6 m, 6 w, 1 flexible

This beloved tale from Hans Christian Andersen gets an original spin when set in the kingdom of Pilsenferfer! The King and Queen think it’s high time their son Prince Albert found a bride and settled down. But shy Albert can’t stop collecting butterflies for his conservatory long enough to find and woo a royal maiden. And really, who needs to go to all that trouble when the lovely Anne, one of the Queen’s maids, shares his passion for butterflies AND sews the buttons on his coat. If only she were from royal linage like the other candidates, including the food...

64 pages

5 m, 4 w, 6 children

Inspired by the short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Whatever became of that pale, lanky school teacher Icabod Crane after a Headless Horseman threw a pumpkin at him? Ichabod is either really angry at the way he was treated or he's dead. Or, because this is Sleepy Hollow, he may be both! This Agatha Christie-like adaptation is set in the present. The first act is a faithful retelling of the story by Washington Irving with a contemporary Ichabod living in secluded Sleepy Hollow that has not changed in three hundred years. Still consi...

30 pages

2 m, 4 w, 7 flexible

Janet is about to celebrate her sweet sixteenth birthday, but little does she know it's going to be the worst day of her life. Things start spiraling downward from the moment she wakes up and gets toothpaste all over her shirt. This sets off a chain reaction of misfortune as she faces a variety of kooky characters insistent on ruining her big day. From her manic-depressive English teacher and a hot-headed driving instructor, to an overly sensitive drama coach and a super-creepy mortician, Janet is up to her ears in craziness. She's determined to put an end to...

25 pages

9 m, 7 w, extras

Get a glimpse of the Civil Rights Movement in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, through the eyes of young Sandra. This play reveals the realities of segregation that prompted ordinary people to risk their security and sometimes their lives in pursuit of justice. Despite her father's disapproval and her mother's reluctance, Sandra skips school to attend Movement rallies, marches with adults to seek voting rights, and participates in "Bloody Sunday," the infamous failed march from Selma to Montgomery. A realistic but upbeat drama that can be a life-changing experience fo...

73 pages

6 m, 9 w

An international film star is found drowned in the swimming pool at his remote island estate and his houseguests make excellent suspects. But fog prevents the police from getting to the island to investigate the murder so Jeff Burke, a young private investigator serving as a consultant on the star's latest film, takes over. But before Jeff gets very far he is shot and killed. As a spirit he is physically helpless, but he can communicate with one person, his girlfriend Jennifer, also a guest. Normally a sensitive, quiet woman, Jennifer deliberately sets hersel...

36 pages

5 m, 7 w, 4 flexible. Some doubling possible.

Forget the school yard bully! There's always one teacher who can intimidate us! Will, an average high school freshman, used to love going to school…until he stumbled upon the terror of gym class under the formidable Mr. Breakwater's rule. Will's coddling mother and nervous wreck of a father (who hides out in the bathtub) are worried. Will's friends, who call themselves the Geek Squad, want to devise a plan to take Mr. Breakwater down. Can Will find a way to stop being afraid of his gym teacher? With a romance novel-obsessed principal, a jock chorus, and an un...

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...

44 pages

Approx. 7 m, 4 w, 1 flexible plus ensemble.

As Lord of the Underworld, Hades’ life is perpetually dark and dismal. His only companions are an ensemble of the dead composed of many of the Greek heroes of the Trojan War as well as the bitter and resentful queens, Helen, Cassandra, and Clytemnestra. They are all tortured souls, especially after being in the lowest dregs of hell for centuries. Then Hades kidnaps Persephone, the goddess of spring, who is young and carefree. Although initially she is desperately unhappy, Hades works hard to make her comfortable, and they learn the intricacies involved in dea...

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 ...