Wade Bradford

Wade Bradford says... I grew up in Washington state, but I moved to California in the early '90s. That's when I got the opportunity to write my first children's play, "Sahara Nights." After writing and directing my own show, I was hooked on theater. Today, I write plays, children's books, and the occasional graphic novel. My first picture book, "Why Do I Have to Make My Bed?" was published by Tricycle Press / Random House. My next book "Around the World in a Bathtub" comes out June 2017. I currently teach literature and writing classes at Moorpark College. I am currently a board member at my local playhouse, the Canyon Theatre Guild.

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  Mermaid in Miami

Comedy by Wade Bradford

56 pages

4 m, 6 w, 17 flexible, extras, doubling possible


Ernie is a lonely old fisherman, without much joy in his life, until he meets an unlikely friend: a mermaid named Breeze. She has just escaped from the cruel underwater kingdom of the idiotic Emperor Tropico and hopes to enjoy her newly found freedom. But just hanging around in Ernie's lagoon isn't enough for her. When she spies Rico, the local heart-breaker, practicing for an upcoming dance competition, Breeze decides to become human and pursue her dream of becoming a dancer. However, there are many obstacles in her way. For one, she must make a deal with th...

  Valhalla

Fantasy by Wade Bradford

52 pages

7 m, 5 w, 7 flexible


Norse myths come alive in this amusing and highly entertaining hour-long play. When Baldur, the god of nature, is killed, he has a chance to come back to life, but declines because he feels his life wasn't very important. And it's up to Siggy, a fast-talking coward, to change Baldur's mind! We see Baldur's life and all the heroic acts he's done. But instead of getting respect from everyone, all he earned was the wrath of Loki, the god of mischief. When Baldur is accidentally killed, his mother bargains with Death, that if all things on Earth will shed tears f...

  A Midsummer Night's Dream - Musical (Bradford)

Shakespeare by Wade Bradford Rachel Green

71 pages

11 m, 10 w, 3 flexible, 1 boy, extras


Ah, what fools these mortals be! Whimsically adapted from Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, this musical features the usual magical forest and spellbound lovers, but also an upstart Puck who decides to liven things up by modernizing the dialogue and adding song and dance numbers. It's all fun and games until William Shakespeare, fresh from spinning in his grave, leaps onto the stage, demanding to know what on earth is going on! The 13 songs capture a wide range of emotions, including the enchanting "Moonbeams," sung by Titania and her Fairies; the hilari...

  Camp Omigosh

Comedy by Wade Bradford

67 pages

5 m, 10 w, and 5 - 10 flexible


Connor's summer is off to a rough start: the camp bus almost crashes, his cabin mates don't trust him, and the girls on the other side of the camp constantly outsmart him. But when he and his friends Tasha, Parker, and Kimberly investigate the mystery surrounding the "Ghost of Dead Billy," they begin a hilarious adventure that is worlds away from a typical campfire story. This haunted camp comedy with a sci-fi twist has it all: ghosts, aliens, robots, plant zombies and, of course, dodgeball.

  Sahara Nights

Comedy by Wade Bradford

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...

  Cinderella in New York

Comedy by Wade Bradford

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...