School

62 pages

5 m, 9 w, 1 flexible.

The story is really a question of belief. Does one believe in the tale of a galloping Hessian who rides through the woods ever searching for his lost head? Will the world end when a comet streaks the sky or a meteor falls to Earth? And what is it about the town of Sleepy Hollow that its residents are "given to all sorts of marvelous beliefs, the people are subject to trances and frequently see strange sights and hear music ... voices in the air." Come visit this enchanted region of the Hudson River Valley and decide for yourself if this is a place of dreamers...

76 pages

5 m, 8 w

Who killed Osgood Buckely-Lodge? His widow admits her actions killed her husband. But she says it was a trap and anyone who had stepped into the room that night would have been the murderer. Is she telling the truth or setting yet another clever trap? Perhaps the murderer is Osgood's eccentric sister, Olga, or the spoiled, lazy children, Simon and Jasmin. Then there's still the eerie butler and his sarcastic wife. To add more confusion, not one but two mysterious strangers in trench coats appear at the mansion during a thunderstorm. To catch the murderer amon...

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...

62 pages

4 m, 3 w

What do you do to prepare for a visit from your parents? Plenty, when you're the daughter of strict Italian Catholic parents who expect to meet your female roommate, who is actually a guy. John was hoping to celebrate his and Maria's two-year anniversary as housemates by proposing to her. Instead he finds himself as "Suzanne" wearing a dress and trying to cope with Maria's cranky father, her overbearing mother and her wild younger sister. Then there's Maria's old childhood friend who tries to make his move on Maria as well as "Suzanne." Add John's trouble-mak...

58 pages

Flexible casting: Minimal 3 m, 3 w.

By beginning the play with the arrival of the merchant and his daughter at the Beast's castle, this adaptation of the familiar fairy tale focuses on the many variations on the theme of love. Once the character referred to as “Beauty”' agrees to stay at the castle, the audience becomes involved in the changing relationship of the two central characters, leading to a bond of love that goes beyond surface appearances -- and that will outlast even death. It's a tale of happiness and sadness, of growing and changing. But in this version Beauty discovers her own co...

57 pages

5 m, 4 w

Dr. Frank N. Stein, the crusty great-grandson of the original monster-maker, has developed a magic clone box for "a brighter tomorrow." But his pretty daughter, Julie, who possesses one hair from the head of the King, wants an Elvis clone! Unfortunately, the guy with blue suede shoes and guitar who pops out can't sing a note. And it doesn't get any better when he and the doctor go back into the clone box and their personalities are switched. Add in an ambitious young TV reporter; a psychoanalyst; a crusty housekeeper; a patient with multiple personalities, an...

73 pages

9 m, 11 w

Several guests go to a remote ski lodge for a mystery weekend during which actors, posing as other guests, simulate a murder which the real guests try to solve. The event is barely under way when the host is murdered, the cable car is sabotaged, and the phone lines are cut, stranding everyone with a killer. Suddenly, a thrilling weekend becomes the height of danger. Among the guests are a famous mystery writer, a former TV detective and his starlet girlfriend, a Texas millionaire and his beauty queen wife, a couple on their honeymoon, and a mysterious bandage...

64 pages

5 m, 14 w, 1 flexible part

If you're ready for some hard-nosed action, spying, deceit involving a stolen painting, a shady real estate deal, and an auto repair shop that's more a chop shop, stop in at the convent of St. Fermilda. The Sisters of Faith, Hope, and Charity are in the midst of all kinds of intrigue and they're not even sure how they got there! But don't think because they took vows of reverence and poverty that they'll let some hard-nosed hoods get the best of them. After all, the Sisters have work to do for the poor in this rundown neighborhood, and they're bound and deter...

31 pages

From 5 - 13 actors.

Speed dating is a great way for singles to meet other people. Each "date" only lasts a few minutes, and if it doesn't work out, you can hope the next one will be better. For Cindy, those minutes feel like an eternity as she is subjected to a seemingly endless parade of jerks and losers. First there’s Marcus, whose questions seem more like an interrogation; then Trevor, whose career motivation extends only to getting the next new video game. Third is Scissor, an artistic man with an inflated sense of ego, followed by Ernest, a socially awkward guy who thinks s...

41 pages

6-16 m, 5-15 w, flexible casting, some doubling possible.

This one-act version of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth maintains the Bard’s original dialogue but changes the setting to a post-apocalyptic world affected by nuclear fallout. The setting allows for many opportunities for creative staging, props, music, and lighting. Three witches arise from piles of mannequin parts, looking as if they were just pieced together. Use of a shadow scrim intensifies the violent and edgy nature of the play. About an hour.

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...

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...

55 pages

4 m, 6 w

Ivory Keyes, the sharp-tongued, shoot-from-the-hip piano player from the "Calamity Gulch" trilogy, is back in her own brand-new adventure. When Ivory learns that her uncle, Lord Ebony Keyes, has died, she and Sheriff Prettyfoot travel to England to claim the inheritance. The family solicitor, Basil Q. Wainscoting, Esquire, plots to keep the estate to himself by proving Ivory to be "unvirtuous." His plans are foiled when his handsome nephew, Heathcliff, a poet, falls instead for pretty secretary, Paisley Fairfax. Before too long, a storm is raging outside and ...