School

45 pages

11 principal roles, numerous supporting. Doubling possible.

Magic, morals and music highlight Pinocchio's many adventures in this hour-long show. When Geppetto carves a wooden puppet which magically springs to life, the old toy maker is thrilled by the prospect of having a real son. But the innocent Pinocchio needs to learn so many thing, and he learns them all the hard way! First he meets Sly Fox, who steals his coins then the greedy carnival master Calzoni, who tries to keep him a prisoner. He escapes only to encounter the thieving Rachel Weasely, followed by the evil witch Consuella on Party Island where playful ch...

68 pages

14 m, 3 w, and courtiers, attendants and servants.

One of Shakespeare's greatest "Breeches Parts" plays. Viola finds herself shipwrecked on a strange coast where she must disguise herself as a young man to get along in society. An intricate plot that retains its intricacy but not its confusion. This tale of love and courtship, mistaken identity, pride, and practical jokes is edited to 90 minutes. The actions flows quickly and the archaic terms are eliminated. This is a fine version for actors from junior high school through college to perform.

18 pages

3 m, 3 w, extras

According to his uncle's will, Bob, a carefree young man, must spend $1,000 within 24 hours and give an account of how it was spent to the lawyer. First he almost buys a necklace for his greedy girlfriend, then he almost gives it to a con man. Finally he gives it to his uncle's ward, Linda, and the orphans she cares for. Bob then learns if he spent his $1,000 wisely he would receive another $50,000; if not, it would go to Linda. In true O. Henry style where coincidence affects character, Bob tells the attorney he lost the money at the race track.

24 pages

1 w, 1 flexible

This is the story of two displaced people: Esther, an escapee from a nursing home, and Nathan, a young runaway who is fresh to the streets. They break into an apartment and she feeds Nathan a meal he will never forget. Together they create memories, making up events that they each wish would have happened, from merry Christmas holidays to lazy summer days at baseball games. The more they pretend, the more we see that Esther misses her family members who have passed away and that Nathan is deeply hurt by his divorcing parents. The memories they create will tak...

38 pages

With doubling, 10 m, 8 w, many extras.

The Civil War was unlike any other war our country has ever endured. It not only severed our nation, it severed our nation’s families. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters were torn apart by politics, beliefs, distance, and death. Evidence of this bitter separation can be found in the abundant journals, diaries, poetry, songs, and letters of the day. This play, a one act with music, draws from these sources to provide a glimpse into the joys and struggles of “loving” during this turbulent period. The characters are based on real people, th...

27 pages

2 m, 2 w

The road to freedom for people of diversity has not been easy in American History. Students will learn of the struggles for acceptance of a wide range of minority groups through poetry, drama, and song. Hear the stories that made America and that continue to shape our nation today. From immigration to oppression to acceptance listen to the stories of bravery and determination from the likes of heroines like Rosa Parks and brave individuals who represent Asian, Italian, Latino, Jewish and Native Americans. It has been no easy road, but students can see that hi...

19 pages

1 m, 2 w

The government has banned it, so people are buying it on dark and hazardous city streets, using it in the secrecy of their own cellars, in airplane bathrooms, in dark closets, and rebelling by the threes and fours. What is this dangerous and outlawed substance? It's chewing gum! And secret agents are everywhere. In a back alley, John, Jane, and Janice arrive to pursue their passion of gum chewing. But what secret does each hold, and why are they really meeting like this? This screaming, madcap comedy adventure is an excellent choice for competitions. About 20...

35 pages

15 m, 7 w, extras, much doubling possible

The survivors of the Titanic disaster tell you in their own words about their escape to lifeboats in this adaptation of the 1912 Senate hearings, which began just one day after they arrived from their fateful trip. "We have nothing to conceal," proclaims White Star Lines President Bruce Ismay, but then has to explain why he was able to get in a lifeboat. Hear Fifth Officer Lowe's report why some lifeboats were not completely filled when they departed and why he fired a pistol to control the crowds. As parts of their testimony are re-enacted, we begin to see t...

63 pages

Flexible cast. Approx. 9 m, 9 w, 10 or more flexible

The Reporters Grimm bring you the news scoop of the year: True Love Conquers All! Set in the middle of the Great Depression, the familiar story of Cinderella has been given a vibrant twist. Cinderella Fitzgerald once led the perfect life, until her father loses everything when the stock market crashes. Shocked at the news, the poor man remains frozen at the dinner table and Cinderella and her conceited stepsisters and her vengeful, gold-digging stepmother, must live and move around him. This Depression really is depressing! Sure, Cinderella still has her frie...

42 pages

Flexible cast 20 - 60

Here are three comic plays based on the work of the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. The first play is "The Pot of Gold," in which Euclio, a miser, goes to great lengths to hide a secret fortune from his family and neighbors. In "The Brothers Menaechmus," identical twins who were separated at birth cause confusion when one of them coincidentally arrives in their hometown on the day of his brother's wedding. The collection concludes with "The Haunted House" as a clever servant concocts a tale of the supernatural to aid his master in marrying a slave who...

41 pages

5 m, 6 w, 3 flexible, many extras

Karen is in training her first day on the job at a mortuary. While waiting for Karen to finish, her two hippie friends, Lindsey and McKenna, decide to embalm themselves. Other friends soon arrive, including punk rockers Blake and Barry, and the nerds, Ryan, Ryan 2, and Erin. When they discover what the two girls have done, they get Mike, the mortuary owner, who then calls the doctor next door for help. Already Lindsey and McKenna have no pulse. What's even worse, all the bodies in the nearby graveyard have turned in to zombies and are trying to enter the mort...

41 pages

7 speaking parts, extras

The adventures of the resourceful Rat, trusty Mole, gruff Badger, and the ever frivolous Toad from the popular story, "The Wind in the Willows," are brought to stage in this entertaining, hour-long musical. Rich Mr. Toad steals a car and ends up in jail. The story's villains, the Weasels and Foxes, take over Toad's estate in his absence. Badger, Rat, and Mole come to the rescue, conquer the Weasels, and save Toad Hall from ruin. Beautiful, melodic music makes this program unforgettable. Ideal for community theatres. (Song sample: "Rat and Mole Duet.")

42 pages

3 m, 4 w

In this hour-long play, timid and somewhat nerdy Arthur Miller (no relation to the playwright) has inherited a century-old mansion from a distant cousin. On arrival he finds more than he bargained for - the ghosts of three relatives who died there more than 70 years ago, and the ghost of their killer, the schizophrenic Uncle George. But these ghosts are not content to rattle chains. They enjoy "life" by re-enacting their deaths, sometimes two or three times a night, each time funnier, faster, and more melodramatically than the last! As they explain to Arthur,...

24 pages

Flexible casting

The effects of drunk driving are brought home in these two very short one-acts combined under one title. In "Only Seventeen" (3 m, 4 w, 2 flexible), Corey Martin is dead from drinking and driving. At his funeral he desperately calls out to his family and friends,"I can't be dead. I'm only 17!" but no one hears him. A fellow student delivers a eulogy full of irony as Corey's friends and family think aloud about the senselessness of his death. In "The Waiting Room" (3 m, 6 w, 4 flexible), young people find themselves in a dark room, unsure of where they are or ...

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...