School

62 pages

6 m, 17 w, 1 flex.

Based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll is back for a second year of teaching science at Devon Academy after leaving his position as head of surgery at Guy’s Hospital under mysterious circumstances. He continues with his private research at the school, enlisting Head Girl Jackie Utterson as a lab assistant. Frightening things begin to happen, beginning with an attack on a student who was sneaking off the school grounds. Utterson is dismayed to find that another person is also assisting in the lab— the terrifying Mr. Hyde. When beloved...

23 pages

4 w

A one-act play about cyber-bullying. For two weeks Amy’s life has been unbearable. An intimate conversation she had online with a boy she likes has been shared so many times that she is now the laughingstock of the school. To make matters worse, she has been receiving threatening text messages, and her family has been plagued by a series of anonymous phone calls which have been intimidating and offensive. The play opens as Amy sits alone in a classroom. She is soon joined unexpectedly by Kara, who is apparently looking for a prom committee meeting. However, w...

47 pages

2 m, 3 w

Barrett is an outstanding musician and songwriter. Due to his talents his band is growing in popularity. This would-be great news but Barrett is on the spectrum and in addition to the normal teen pressures, he must manage his autism. He is most comfortable expressing himself with music. He is struggling with the fact that he is in love with Sarah, his best friend, and the lead singer of the group. Although his songs are written about her, Barrett has changed the lyrics so that she has no clue. When she finds out, Barrett must figure out what to do to save his...

88 pages

4 m, 4 w, 14 flexible, extras, doubling possible

It is the winter of 1859 and scarlet fever is rife in New England. As two children, Frances and Julianne Beale, are recovering together, they amuse themselves by playing a game of chess. But it is no ordinary game. Frances is following a historical chess book and convinces Julianne to turn their chess pieces into imaginary characters who come alive on the stage. What follows is a melodrama of sword fighting, murder, betrayal, love, and sacrifice, all against the background of a large chess board and moveable pieces. The Alabaster king has died and his widow, ...

54 pages

4 m, 3 w

Hailed by George Orwell as “the wittiest play” G.B. Shaw ever wrote, Arms and the Man is a true classic in the history of theater, blending social commentary, romantic comedy, fun and lively characters, and crackling dialogue that leaps off the page! We are in the 1880s, and Raina Petkoff is a young Bulgarian woman, worried about the war her father and fiancé are currently fighting. No sooner is she warned that enemy soldiers may be nearby, than Captain Bluntschli, a war-weary enemy, breaks in and holds her hostage. To their surprise, and the audienc...

46 pages

21 characters; 10 m, 11 f, extras, doubling possible

A high school drama teacher directs her students in rehearsing a version of Romeo and Juliet. A creative writing teacher encourages her students to compose poems that reflect their personal lives. And a man, the narrator, weaves these school experiences –and his own– into a play he has written. The result is a beautiful mosaic of the familiar lives of students and culture inherent in high schools. The play deals with tragedy, bullying, sexuality, grieving, and perseverance with vital sensitivity. A mix of ...

34 pages

2 m, 2 w

When high school student Garrett pays his best friend to see if his girlfriend will cheat on him, they all become entangled in a web of lies and deception, and a series of changing allegiances. Sierra, Hope, Garrett, and Nick have been friends for years, but will any of their relationships survive? Most importantly, who will end up with the Chipotle gift card?

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...

34 pages

Flexible cast of 19

Students with behavioral issues have been volunteered to be subjects in a government-sponsored experiment. Paid for their time and participation in the study, they will play games in an attempt to be the last team remaining. The purpose of these challenges is to test territorial and personal boundaries when placed under external duress. What happens when teammates must turn on their own? How far will they go to protect their territory? When a knife is introduced, the stakes become real… but so does the prize money. 

33 pages

Ensemble of 10 (5 m, 5 w), 40+ roles with no doubling

On the eve of the 1954 closing of Ellis Island, two teenagers, an Italian-American and an Irish-American, sneak inside the main building to see it for themselves. They meet an older man, now a janitor after serving as an inspector on the island since the early 1900s. The teens are drawn into his stories from the past and his memories come alive with an ensemble of people from all nationalities and backgrounds. Some of the immigrants are already famous, some will become famous and many, many others are “famous” only within their own families. But they all shar...

36 pages

2 Actors

David Radman, a young journalist, must write a story about The Vaudeville Theatre, which has recently been designated for destruction.  He reluctantly arrives at the building for an appointment with the President of the Theatre Rescue Society, but is instead greeted by Charles Grimm, the janitor.  Grimm shows Radman the magic of theatre.  During a series of theatrical explorations—in which they dance a soft-shoe, eat lunch on the backdrop, explore the props cabinet, and fence—Grimm and Radman peel away years of heartache and ang...