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Comedy
Short, 30-60 minutes
14 females, 14 males, 12 either
(15-67 actors possible: 5-65 females, 2-62 males)
$45.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
This is a play about not being in a play, ironically expressed through a hilarious series of monologues, duets, and ensemble scenes. From early traumas involving a glory-seeking elementary school teacher to possible disturbances in the global climate, 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play keeps the audience guessing just what scenario will be next.
(This play has a sequel called 18 More Reasons Not To Be in a Play. For a full-length version that includes material from both short plays, see 30 Reasons Not To Be in a Play.)
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
25 females, 27 males, 30 either (15-82 actors possible: 2-80 females, 2-80 males)
$40.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Our children are under the threat of a horrible plague today -- commonly known as Drama. This sequel to 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play provides another 18 incentives to make one think twice about auditioning for anything. From Abraham Lincoln and overripe zucchini to fire-obsessed techies and Great Aunts obsessed with posture, get ready for more hilarious examples of how in theater, anything and everything can go wrong.
(For a full-length version that includes material from both short plays, see 30 Reasons Not To Be in a Play.)
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Comedy
Full-length, 80-100 minutes
21 females, 20 males, 4 either (20-68 actors possible: 10-38 females, 10-30 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Welcome to the first annual Achadamee High awards show recognizing the "finest" moments of the past year -- from best will-you-be-mine moment to best proposal for a new mascot. Join this year's crowd-shy host as she gets a little (unwanted) help from offstage, as well as a range of presenters including the Prom King and Queen. Featuring music from the Achadamee High Band, this awards show illustrates one fact: Achadamee High should win top honors as the quirkiest, most dysfunctional, and downright hilarious school in the nation! (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
20 females, 10 males, 3 either (15-50 actors possible: 10-25 females, 5-25 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Welcome to the first annual Achadamee High awards show recognizing the "finest" moments of the past year -- from best will-you-be-mine moment to best proposal for a new mascot. Join this year's crowd-shy host as she gets a little (unwanted) help from offstage, as well as a range of presenters including the Prom King and Queen. Featuring music from the Achadamee High Band, this awards show illustrates one fact: Achadamee High should win top honors as the quirkiest, most dysfunctional, and downright hilarious school in the nation! (A full-length version of this play is also available.)
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Comedy
Full-length, 75-85 minutes
39 females, 33 males (20-132 actors possible: 3-129 females, 3-125 males)
$75.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
Stage kisses, pinkeye, inciting World War III -- these are only a few of the many things that can go wrong during the production of a play. From the author of 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play comes a full evening of the horrors and hardships that befall those who feel the call of the stage. In a series of hilarious examples, this play proves that drama can be a very dangerous thing and it must be avoided at all costs.
(This play includes material from both 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play and 18 More Reasons Not To Be in a Play.)
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$14.95 per book
Looking for the perfect monologue? Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens is here to help. From hilarious comedy to cutting-edge drama and everything in between, an exciting selection of monologues is at your fingertips. Unlike other monologue books, the source of every monologue is easily accessible -- each play is available through one website (www.playscripts.com), where you can read nearly the entire published script online for free. From classwork to competitions to auditions, this book has you covered!
Also in this series:
Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Women
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Men
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| "This is an excellent monologue book for middle and high school students with applications for competition as well as use in drama, speech, or English classes." |
| --Terrilyn Fleming, The Midwest Book Review |
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$14.95 per book
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens, Volume 2 continues the Actor's Choice series with a brand-new selection of unique contemporary monologues. From hilarious comedies to moving dramas and everything in-between, this book has you covered. Unlike other monologue books, the source of every monologue is easily accessible -- each play is available through one website (www.playscripts.com), where you can read nearly the entire published script online for free. Whether you're looking for a monologue for classwork, competitions, or auditions, you'll be sure to find a perfect fit in this collection.
Also in this series:
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens
Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Women
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Men
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| "For the theater teacher who wants to challenge their students, Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens, Volume 2 is a strong addition to drama education reference collections, highly recommended." |
| --The Midwest Book Review |
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Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens
by Liz Duffy Adams, Janet Allard, Yuri Baranovsky, et al.
Edited by Jason Pizzarello
With "Tips for Student Actors" by director Jon Jory |
 
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$14.95 per book
Looking for the perfect scene? Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens is just what you need. From hilarious comedy to cutting-edge drama, this collection offers 40 exciting 2-person scenes with plenty of fascinating characters for young actors. Unlike other scene books, the source of every scene is easily accessible -- each play is available through one website (www.playscripts.com), where you can read nearly the entire published script online for free. From classwork to competitions to auditions, this book has you covered!
Also in this series:
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Women
Actor's Choice: Monologues for Men
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| "The acting bug doesn't care what age you are. Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens is a collection of simple yet fun scenes aimed at younger teen actors who want to embrace drama as a hobby or even a potential career. Designed for two actors with themes and times easily doable for any would be teen thespian, Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens is a resource no drama teacher should miss." |
| --The Midwest Book Review |
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| And by Alan Haehnel |
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Drama
Short, 30-40 minutes
10 females, 4 males (12-17 actors possible: 5-12 females, 2-10 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Aaron has something big on his mind, and he's having trouble getting it off his chest. He grapples with the fact that billions of different moments are happening simultaneously -- the comic next to the tragic, the life-changing next to the mundane. Ultimately, he goes through this mental exercise to try to come to terms with the fact that he was playing a video game at the same time his sister was being raped in the room right next to him.
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Science fiction comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
9 females, 6 males, 13 either
(20-28 actors possible: 4-18 females, 2-24 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
On the surface, Andromeda is an average teenager. Few realize that, influenced by her name and watching too many Star Trek episodes as a child, she filters all the events of her life through hilarious sci-fi scenarios. When her cheating boyfriend returns, it's not just Andromeda's pride at stake, but her whole starship. With her shields down and her weapons inoperable, will Andromeda prevail against the onslaught of "The Brad"?
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
12 females, 9 males, 5 either
(23-26 actors possible: 5-23 females, 5-23 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
The ill-prepared set crew for a one-act competition is attempting desperately to construct the set in time. When a scorned former contestant shows up as a time-keeper bent on disqualifying the school, things get really dicey. Will the set crew navigate an unscrupulous director, overzealous actors, and a rabid time-keeper? Or will the one-act be disqualified?
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Comedy/Drama
Full-length, 90-100 minutes
25 either (15-25 actors possible: 0-25 females, 0-25 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
A class arrives at school to find their teacher replaced by a mysterious talking box, and before they know it, they're off on an interdimensional adventure. Their mission? Save the world.
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Comedy
Short, 25-35 minutes
10 females, 10 males (10-40 actors possible: 2-38 females, 2-38 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
When Brook's vacation cruise ship goes down in high seas, she awakens in a strange land inhabited by people so obsessed with rushing and working and earning that they've forgotten the reason for their frantic pace. Under the tutelage of the Stranger, the one person who refuses to join the race, Brook finally escapes. This Seuss-esque, rhyming large-cast one-act satirizes the American drive for the almighty More -- more speed, more money, more possessions, more prestige -- and challenges us to examine how we live our lives.
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Comedy/Drama
Short, 25-35 minutes
25 either (10-25 actors possible: 0-25 females, 0-25 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A group of students ask themselves the simple question, "Why not do all the things we possibly could?," and soon find that the answer is anything but simple. An unconventional and intriguing exploration of desires and hesitations.
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Drama
Short, 35-55 minutes
4 females, 6 males, 8 either
(12-25 actors possible: 2-17 females, 2-17 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Alex Hansen awakes to find himself on trial for his life. His legal representation is terrible; he's already been deemed guilty; the courtroom proceedings are chaotic to the point of dark comedy. All seems lost, except when Alex gets the momentary sense that someone, somewhere, is advocating for him. In the play's surprising climax, Alex experiences a profound and moving redemption.
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Drama
Short, 35-45 minutes
15 either (10-15 actors possible: 0-15 females, 0-15 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Five spelunkers find themselves trapped in an invisible cage within a cavern. Suddenly, mysterious creatures emerge from the rocks and require the captors to state one absolute truth in order to free themselves and make it out alive. With each wrong answer, the invisible cage shrinks. Can the prisoners pull it off without killing each other first?
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Drama
Short, 40-50 minutes
13 females, 6 males, 11 either
(21-30 actors possible: 10-25 females, 4-23 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Set in the harsh era of Beowulf, the decimated tribe of Albin flees for its life from Hrothgar's ruthless army. When they reach a seemingly impassable chasm, the tribe members are faced with an awful choice. Do the stronger members scale the chasm, leaving the weak behind, or do they all sacrifice themselves to die together with honor? An engrossing tale of loyalty, faith, and perseverance.
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| "A strong, meaningful and memorable world...a marked maturity, complexity and depth." |
| --Steve Stettler, Vermont State Drama Festival |
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Comedy
Short, 40-60 minutes
29 females, 24 males, 5 either
(10-60 actors possible: 5-45 females, 5-45 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Unlike the megapopular book series it parodies, Chicken Bones for the Teenage Soup is a comic ode to pessimism. In a series of short scenes, diverse characters illustrate various sentimental moments from everyday life, only to be repeatedly crushed by sardonic twists of cruel fate.
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Comedy
Short, 40-55 minutes
6 females, 8 males, 20 either
(25-40 actors possible: 0-40 females, 0-40 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
In this Seuss-esque send-up of the college application process, written entirely in verse, young Greenies from the town of Platterville must vie for the privilege of attending one of the four most prestigious planets. When the pompous Choosers descend on their town, demanding endless tests and qualifications, the Greenies and their parents will stop at nothing to get an acceptance...
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Drama
Short, 30-45 minutes
2 males, 5 either (7 actors possible: 0-5 females, 2-7 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Rick has been manipulating his teachers and classmates using a top-secret machine called Compumind, which lets him forecast their future behavior. Rick's best friend Dan accompanies him to see the Compumind late one night, only to discover that Rick has a terrifying plan in store...
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
31 females, 17 males (20-48 actors possible: 3-46 females, 2-45 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Alternating between music, monologues, and pure fantasy, The (Dis)Concert(ed) Choir journeys behind the angelic facade of a high school choir concert, with everyone's inner thoughts on display: the conductor can't wait to retire; the accompanist can't seem to hit the right notes; Jason is desperately in love with Marsha; the gaseous output of Josh's big pizza dinner is starting to make itself known; and Dad, being a dad, feels utterly trapped...
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Drama
Full-length, 100-120 minutes
4 females, 3 males, 2 either (7-11 actors possible: 3-5 females, 4-6 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Two readers tell us the story of a play, its actors, and its audience as they move through the everyday moments that have life-and-death consequences for their participants. Gwen, a young actress, finds herself manipulated by her former high school drama teacher when he casts her in a community theatre production. Jack Boddiker has control over Gwen and the rest of his cast, but what's controlling all of them? Find out as the readers unspool the thoughts and events of a dark and mysterious universe.
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Drama
Short, 25-30 minutes
12 females, 4 males (16 actors possible: 12-16 females, 0-4 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Mary is anxiously attempting to finish her chores when a mysterious stranger enters the room with an enticing but frightening proposition: Push the button on this box I have. If you do so, I will give you a large sum of money. The catch? Someone -- you will not know who, and the action will never be traced to you -- will die. Four different Marys, arrayed in four different countries, deliberate over this choice with highly theatrical, simultaneous action.
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| "Intellectual, suspenseful, compelling, riveting..." |
| --Paul Griffith, Vermont State Drama Festival adjudicator |
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Comedy
Short, 30-40 minutes
16 females, 1 male, 8 either (15-25 actors possible: 5-24 females, 1-10 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
In this vignette-style satire, teenage customers come to the FFLEA Market: Fashion For Life's Every Aspect. Here, they can buy the most fashionable moods, attitudes, and phases so they can be up-to-date not just in appearance, but in every facet of their being. But are these purchases really worth the price?
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
18 females, 6 males, 33 either (20-70 actors possible: 18-43 females, 6-27 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Norm has seen one too many Greek plays. So when he finds himself watching an intoning chorus and typical Greek characters once again take the stage, he takes a stand! His complaint triggers a surprising turn of events as the chorus strives to entertain using Marcy (another audience member) as their source for a modern story. Watch as the simple tale of Marcy falling off her bike becomes an epic struggle featuring a brand-new Greek Goddess named Marcyonome and her arch enemy, Terrefeces.
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Comedy
Short, 30-40 minutes
25 either (15-25 actors possible: 0-25 females, 0-25 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Top student Mindy desperately wants to do well on a major exam, but her classmates are erupting into total chaos around her. The teacher, Mrs. Mock, doesn't believe her and insists that the classroom is absolutely quiet and orderly. Is Mindy losing her mind? Or is she being secretly subjected to another, top-secret kind of test?
(This play can also be performed as part of the full-length collection Testing, Testing.)
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
7 females, 7 males, 21 either
(20-51 actors possible: 0-51 females, 0-51 males)
$45.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
For science teacher Douglas Kobekeaneski, there's nothing greater than "The Hour of Desperation," that magical hour before his immensely important, grade-devastating assignment is due. Each year, his students frantically scramble to come up with their method of escape -- and this year is no exception, as they trot out a litany of outrageous excuses, including the greatest of them all: My homework ate my dog.
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Drama
Short, 25-35 minutes
2 females, 2 males, 12 either (10-14 actors possible: 2-14 females, 2-14 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
If only Scott can do well enough on this final exam, his future will be set: He'll be able to graduate and join the service according to plan. When he realizes he won't be able to pass the test on his own, though, Scott begs his classmates to help him cheat, violating their teacher's trust and the honor code. After a startling revelation from his girlfriend, Scott must decide what matters most to him: his personal plans or his integrity.
(This play can also be performed as part of the full-length collection Testing, Testing.)
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
22 females, 12 males, 6 either (10-40 actors possible: 6-34 females, 4-36 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
While waiting for a ride home from school one evening, Mallory and Cindy discover a mysterious new television network with channels reminiscent of regular crime dramas, cooking competitions, soap operas, and game shows -- but featuring their fellow students and teachers in outlandish situations. Before long, Mallory and Cindy find themselves sucked into the network as well, where their strained relationship is put to the test, Jerry Springer-style.
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Comedy
Full-length, 75-90 minutes
1 female, 1 male, 20 either
(15-38 actors possible: 1-37 females, 1-37 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Earl is an idiot. Everybody says so, including his own mother. Undeterred, Earl decides that this title uniquely qualifies him to host an informative guide to high school with the assistance of his friend Shirley (another well-known idiot). Earl and Shirley lead us through hilarious interactive chapters on everything from the true purpose of high school to crafting the perfect excuse, illustrating the topics with the help of fellow students. But with trouble brewing between Earl and Shirley, will they be able to make it to the end without the entire presentation (and Earl's definition of an idiot) falling apart?
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Comedy
Short, 30-60 minutes
6 females, 6 males (12 actors possible: 0-12 females, 0-12 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
All Tom wanted to do was take a short-cut through the auditorium so he could sign out for a dental appointment. Halfway across the bare stage, though, he finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a strange platoon fighting The Eighth Great War of the Singleterry Alliance. In the optional Act II, the tables are turned so that one of the soldiers becomes the stranger, suddenly adrift on a regular high school stage. This absurd battlefield comedy keeps the characters and the audience alike wondering what, indeed, is reality.
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| "Directing In a Strange Land was an absolute delight. Because of the stark, simple staging and bizarre premise, the challenge to director and actors to create a whole world on a bare stage was as daunting as it was fun. Every rehearsal was a new exploration and discovery as we built that world." |
| --Steve Hodgman, Souhegan High School |
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Comedy
Short, 25-35 minutes
3 females, 3 males, 14 either (12-20 actors possible: 3-17 females, 3-17 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
When Morty and his friend Dwindle save magnate Captain McFee from a plane crash, they get the chance to achieve their dream -- becoming filthy rich. McFee offers to set them up in a fail-proof business -- selling the very air they breathe -- and the friends struggle with the ethics of profiting from a product nobody needs. Written in Seuss-esque rhymed couplets, this large-cast comedy satirizes the quest for wealth and power, and the sacrifice of integrity to make a morally suspect buck.
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
4 females, 4 males, 22 either
(15-32 actors possible: 1-32 females, 1-32 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A newspaper reporter is determined to get an interview with Shelley Mackerel, the director of the strangest version of King Lear he's ever seen. As the interview illuminates Shelley's bizarre artistic choices, we see her Lear in all of its pseudo-Eastern glory -- complete with dubbing, karate battles, giant pancakes, and flying forks.
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| "...a perfectly balanced evening of inspired lunacy." |
| --Judge, Vermont Regional Festival |
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Comedy
Short, 45-60 minutes
5 females, 5 males, 11 either
(15-30 actors possible: 2-18 females, 2-18 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
The show at amusement park Whoopee Kingdom may have a less-than-enthusiastic cast backstage, but everyday they entertain children under the careful supervision of Sam, their overenthusiastic assistant junior manager. Sam has been striving to win the park's employee scholarship, but when the owner of Whoopee Kingdom announces the grounds have been sold, Sam finds himself out of a job and money for college. Out for vengeance, it's now up to him and the cast to manufacture a hilarious and shocking final show to end their careers.
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| "As an audience, we were WOWED! Pacing was quick -- kept us guessing at times, expecting at others. Fantastic!" |
| --Judge, Vermont State One-Act Competition |
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
7 females, 2 males, 21 either
(9-35 actors possible: 7-33 females, 2-28 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Sam is a woman on the run. What started as an innocent search for self-improvement becomes a nightmare at the local Help Store, whose status-obsessed representatives insist on radical alterations to Sam's body image (both natural and surgical), her finances, and her romantic life. Will Sam be seduced by this impossible quest for perfection? Unfolding in Seuss-esque rhymed couplets, this large-cast comedy questions the modern assumption that something's got to be wrong with everyone.
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Drama
Short, 40-60 minutes
10 females, 11 males (15-21 actors possible: 5-15 females, 5-12 males)
$40.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
On a seemingly ordinary day, an explosive fight occurs at a high school when Travis, a bully, confronts his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Nate. Though the actual encounter lasts only a moment, the effects of the incident linger in the memories and lives of all those who witnessed it. Through a series of short scenes and monologues, this powerful play explores the repercussions, both short term and long, of a single event in a young person's life. At the play's end, the physical confrontation is illustrated once more, but now with a much broader perspective.
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| "A vivid, excruciatingly honest rendition of a slice of American life... Overall, one of the most beautiful dramatic pieces of its time. It's moving, honest, disturbing, gritty, sad, hopeful and always real." |
| --Michael J. Curtiss, Vermont State Festival Adjudicator |
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Comedy
Full-length, 80-100 minutes
6 females, 6 males (12 actors possible: 6-8 females, 6-8 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
It's 1948, it's the dead of winter, and it's time for "Loving Lives," a radio soap opera on its last legs. A pompous romantic lead, an incapacitated announcer, an obnoxious kazoo-tooting child star, and multiple off-the-air seductions all contribute to the hilarious demise of the radio show.
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Comedy/Drama
Short, 40-45 minutes
5 females, 4 males, 11 either
(18-20 actors possible: 5-16 females, 4-15 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Medieval knights, a middle-aged cook, a Greek chorus, a General, a sleep-walking woman -- why is this motley crew of characters crowded together in a small city apartment? To wait for the one person they all have in common: Samantha, their creator. She's stopped writing and unless they can convince her to continue, they may remain unfinished fragments forever. Meeting Sam explores the depths of a writer's imagination and what might magically happen when writer's block sets in.
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Comedy
Full-length, 100-120 minutes
19 females, 15 males, 2 either (18-70 actors possible: 10-40 females, 8-30 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Do not be fooled. This is not a play; it's a scientific exploration. With the help of an unsuspecting audience member named Rick, two verbose scientists attempt to uncover one of the greatest mysteries known to man (and woman) -- why do people fall in love? In this hilarious play, various versions of Sarah, one of the world's most educated teenagers, explore the steps that resulted in this genius weeping on her bed over a boy. Will they be able to discover how this most heinous mistake was perpetrated? (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
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Comedy
Short, 45-55 minutes
14 females, 7 males, 12 either (10-46 actors possible: 7-26 females, 3-20 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A scientific exploration is taking place into one of the greatest mysteries known to man (and woman) -- how could Sarah Hillsbury, one of the world's most educated teenagers, have become so stupid as to fall in love? Two scientists delve into this experiment, complete with various iterations of Sarah to comically uncover whether intelligence is powerful enough to make one invulnerable to love. What will be the final analysis? (A full-length version of this play is also available.)
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Drama
Short, 35-45 minutes
12 females, 6 males, 7 either (15-25 actors possible: 8-20 females, 5-20 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Debilitated by Alzheimer's disease, Nora Blodget follows the vision of her late husband into the woods on a cold night. Nora's life flashes before her -- revealing her former life as a dynamic teacher, a caring wife, and a loving mother. Will Nora's daughter find her mother in time? This poignant large-cast one-act explores the nature of memory and familial love, fractured by the onset of dementia.
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Comedy
Short, 25-35 minutes
25 either (10-50 actors possible: 5-25 females, 5-25 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Nuther, an other; tomato, tomahto -- no matter how you say it, hilarity ensues when a young stand-up comedy troupe prepares to enlighten audiences on different subjects from their perspective. Who needs a superhero to save the world from aliens when there are more pressing problems like gross dinners and teachers piling up homework? And what's the secret behind those parental "when-I-was-your-age" stories? These cleverly witty kids have the answers and more!
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Drama
Short, 35-45 minutes
11 either (11 actors possible: 0-11 females, 0-11 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A group of students gather in a mysterious location, each carrying a personal artifact to present as an offering to an ominous voice. As each person presents their object, from a sincere reminder of a deceased sister to a fake story about a magical conch shell, it quickly becomes apparent that there is no rhyme or reason behind the selection process. How will these students cope in this situation where they don't know what acceptance will mean or how they can achieve it?
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Drama
Short, 25-35 minutes
17 females, 7 males, 21 either
(10-55 actors possible: 6-35 females, 4-20 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Mirror girl, mirror girl on the wall, who is the most perfect girl of all? At age four, Bethany believes that it is her. Yet as she grows up, the pressures of her life begins to turn her innocent confidence into self-doubt. By the time she's a teenager, Bethany is sickened by her own image in the mirror. With warmth and humor, this play explores the forces that can erode confidence and the journey Bethany takes back towards self-acceptance.
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Drama
Short, 40-55 minutes
4 females, 4 males, 13 either
(12-30 actors possible: 2-30 females, 2-30 males)
$45.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Kyle Macmanus has invested millions in a high-tech work of art -- fifteen human-figure sculptures programmed to perform thousands of movements, monologues, dialogues, and more. But just when Kyle is about to sell the sculpture, it malfunctions; the figures are alive. As each one struggles to achieve autonomy, they begin a fatal race against their desperate owner's destructive plan.
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| "A powerful piece! Original and thought-provoking. Wonderful work!" |
| --Tracy Wesley, Vermont Regional Drama Festival |
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
10 females, 5 males (12-15 actors possible: 5-12 females, 3-12 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Fed up with impossible directors and egocentric actors, Jan has just quit her job as the sound engineer of a recording studio. Now she sits in a park relishing the outdoors and remembering an especially painful (if amusing) experience involving a lunatic director, a dysfunctional cast, and a sub-par children's play about the water cycle.
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| "Comedy is easy to pick up, yet hard to master. Random Acts of Comedy is a collection of assorted plays that range in many types of humor from outright parody to twisting of classics to meta humor on the art of theatre. For anyone seeking to teach their students the art of humor, [this] is quite the excellent source for inspiration." |
| --Midwest Book Review |
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Drama
Short, 30-40 minutes
8 females, 8 males, 3 either (16-25 actors possible: 6-11 females, 8-15 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Saundra is acting very strangely -- she wears her prom dress to school, stands up to a tyrannical teacher, hugs her younger brother, and even tries to join the boys' wrestling team. In a series of monologues,
Saundra's friends and family open up about how her odd behavior has affected them, with reactions ranging from bafflement to anger, frustration to admiration. It's only after Saundra's sudden death that her motives are revealed, and everyone is left to ponder their own rare condition.
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Drama
Full-length, 80-95 minutes
9 females, 4 males, 10 either
(13-33 actors possible: 9-19 females, 4-14 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Esther knows that God has a plan for everyone. She has assumed leadership of the family after her husband's death, and her older daughter has quit school to financially support them. But Esther remains unclear on the purpose of her two mentally-disabled daughters...until she discovers they display psychic abilities in which they find what people have lost. While this gift brings happiness and hope to many, it also carries a curse. What will happen when the interests of individuals clash with the needs of the greater good?
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
20 females, 10 males, 5 either
(15-40 actors possible: 8-30 females, 5-30 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A few minutes into a painful production of a Greek tragedy, a mysterious sign suddenly flashes the word "Bored?" The "real" play quickly disintegrates into chaos, as the flashing sign continues to undercut the lead actors while the chorus attempts to keep the show going with hand puppets and a rock band. The Siege of Eshteb revels in satirizing theatrical conventions, backstage politics, and the awesome power wielded by techies.
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Comedy
Short, 30-45 minutes
17 either (7-17 actors possible: 0-17 females, 0-17 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Empie has a simple first assignment at her new job: Retrieve a box of merchandise for the Boss. But what do you do when the box is blocked by a parade of confusing characters, your Boss keeps changing identities, and your whole career starts to feel absurd?
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
9 females, 5 males (12-14 actors possible: 5-12 females, 2-12 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Mike uses his grandmother's endowment to form SKAT (Story is King Acting Troupe), a group of actors trained and dedicated to dramatizing clients' personal stories. But he doesn't foresee one major problem: no clients. On the verge of failure, SKAT's secretary realizes she missed the one email from their first customers -- who will arrive in five minutes, expecting an immediate dramatization of their son's story about his cat, Gwendolyn. Chaos ensues as the desperate troupe improvises theatrical treatments including Shakespeare, a musical, absurdism, and more.
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
10 females, 6 males (5-25 actors possible: 3-23 females, 2-22 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Reverse the title of this large-cast comedy and what do you get? A fast-paced parody and exploration of reversals in seven short scenes. A stereotypical villain plays the part of the innocent victim. The stage lighting in a Chekhov scene directly opposes everything the three actresses are saying. And a play runs completely backwards from end to beginning, including the actual words...
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Comedy
Short, 30-40 minutes
11 females, 8 males, 19 either (16-38 actors possible: 8-33 females, 5-30 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Stress! Donna has to lose weight by prom; Andrew has to find the perfect gift for his girlfriend; Jack has to get his college applications in (none of which he has started); and Karen has a huge paper due the next day. But whoever said high school was easy? A hilarious look at high-pressure dilemmas and impending doom.
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
8 females, 8 males (10-28 actors possible: 2-14 females, 2-14 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
The pressure is on. With the deadline for her make-up assignment looming, Mary is at a complete loss for inspiration. She's tried everything from hitting her head to staring into space with no luck. Her friends and classmates try to help with a variety of strategies ranging from practical to outrageously cosmic. In the end, will Mary just stay stuck, or is it possible that being stuck is actually the solution?
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
2 females, 13 either (10-20 actors possible: 2-20 females, 0-18 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Teesha never seems to have to do any work to be successful, which frustrates her friend Mel to no end. Then the truth comes out: Teesha's got elves. They do her work for her. Mel believes that she is more deserving and wants her own elves, even if it means stealing Teesha's.
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Comedy/Drama
Full-length, 90-120 minutes
2 females, 2 males, 65 either
(15-69 actors possible: 2-67 females, 2-67 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
NOTE: Book contains three short plays
Each act of this full-length play explores different aspects of school testing: High Stakes, a comedy about a student surrounded by inexplicable chaos during a major exam; Honor Bright, a drama dealing with the complexities of cheating; and Wendy's Tale, a comedy about a brilliant student who doesn't test well, and lets her imagination run wild instead.
(High Stakes, Honor Bright, and Wendy's Tale can also be purchased and performed separately.)
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Drama
Short, 30-40 minutes
14 females, 7 males (20-21 actors possible: 14-20 females, 3-8 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Morgan is home from her visit to India, but she's having a hard time reconciling the wealth surrounding her at Thanksgiving with the poverty she saw on her visit. This conflict becomes particularly poignant when her family gathers for the Thanksgiving prayer and Morgan attempts to express her frustrations.
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Drama
Short, 35-45 minutes
12 females, 5 males, 2 either (17-19 actors possible: 9-14 females, 3-10 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Jan and her daughter Leah sit at the kitchen table and have a brief conversation while eating ice cream. Leah leaves, and we then rewind to the beginning of their meeting, but this time in those familiar lapses of silence, their true feelings and memories are heard. With a twist of humor, audiences are given an honest glimpse into the difficulty of parent and child relationships -- the practice of letting go, not getting too close, and ultimately, the process of understanding one another.
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Comedy
Short, 40-60 minutes
14 females, 8 males, 5 either
(22-30 actors possible: 3-23 females, 3-20 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
When will she finish us? This is the lament of the Writer's characters who wait in limbo, hoping that the Writer will continue creating their lives and eventually allow them to exit the Writer's mind and move on to the larger world. Just when the characters are on the verge of destruction, the Writer invents a way to free them all.
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Drama
Short, 40-50 minutes
5 females, 2 males, 10 either
(12-17 actors possible: 5-15 females, 2-12 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Liza's family is getting boring -- and unless ratings improve, the network is going to pull the plug on their non-stop reality TV show. Living in a futuristic world of relentless exposure, Liza struggles to convince her family that life is meaningless unless it is validated by the camera. When she films her fiance against his wishes, the results are dark and disastrous. Validation questions our society's obsession with voyeurism and celebrity, as they threaten to consume everyday reality.
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
15 females, 15 males (15-30 actors possible: 0-30 females, 0-30 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
Wendy is brilliant, but she doesn't test well. From her toddlerhood to her high school years, we see how Wendy gets bored with tests and lets her imagination win out over knowledge. Inside this fun, slightly absurd window into the mind of a "bad test taker," test answers turn into characters, vocabulary words duke it out, and no high school guidance counselors are spared.
(This play can also be performed as part of the full-length collection Testing, Testing.)
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Drama
Full-length, 80-90 minutes
20 either (5-76 actors possible: 0-76 females, 0-76 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
If you could say anything you wanted, without any consequences or judgment, just what would you say? Based on student responses from around the country, What I Want to Say But Never Will explores this simple but intimate question, offering a glimpse into teenagers' most private thoughts. Told through monologues and anecdotes from the playwright himself, these confessions range from a hilarious rant on an art teacher's bad breath to a touching piece of advice from a brother leaving for the Navy.
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Comedy
Short, 40-45 minutes
9 females, 2 males, 2 either (11-13 actors possible: 5-13 females, 4-12 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
High school sophomore Sandra Malcher is called into her guidance office where her parents, teacher, and boyfriend act out scenarios in which she failed herself -- quitting soccer, failing a Shakespeare assignment, resisting intimacy, and breaking curfew. Each person insists on bringing in another Sandra "option" with them -- a girl that looks like Sandra and replays the scene behaving perfectly. Enter the CEO of NYE (New You Enterprises), who informs Sandra that her loved ones don't want to change her; they want to replace her completely. A dark, comic exploration of teenage identity and perfection itself.
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Winning Whiners
by McKenna Bovey, Alan Haehnel, Noah Lowenthal and Vanessa Mae |
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Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
2 males, 21 either (23 actors possible: 0-21 females, 2-23 males)
$40.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Four high school teams are pitted against each other in the ultimate competition: the Unified Regional All American Gripe Championships. The best whiners from across the country face off to see who can grumble with the most style and vigor, whether lamenting the perkiness of morning radio DJs or the perils of a snoring bunk mate at summer camp. With the reigning champs scoring poorly and the contest announcers holding a bickering match of their own, the outcome is anyone's guess. A lively send-up of high school debate and our culture of complaining.
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