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Comedy
Short, 25-35 minutes
8 females, 8 males (4-16 actors possible: 2-8 females, 2-8 males)
$45.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Best friends Guy and Girl used to be a couple. Desperate to buck singlehood, they decide that even considering their atrocious blind dating track record, it's worth another shot. But after struggling through dates with a wannabe rock star, a vote-starved politician, and the guy who does those intense movie trailer voice-overs, there's the inevitable question: Which is better -- staying single the rest of your life, or suffering through a series of the worst dates in history?
(See also Check Please and Check Please: Take 2. This play can be read or performed without any knowledge of the other two versions.)
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Romantic comedy
Full-length, 120-130 minutes
8 females, 6 males (13-40 actors possible: 8-20 females, 5-20 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation. Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all? (A one-act version of this play, Darcy and Elizabeth, is also available.)
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| "Jory, the former longtime producing director at Actors Theatre of Louisville and founder of its famed Humana Festival of New American Plays, has crafted an exceptionally clear, funny and moving version." |
| --San Francisco Chronicle |
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Comedy
Short, 30-40 minutes
4 females, 7 males, 13 either
(10-24 actors possible: 5-18 females, 5-20 males)
$45.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A whimsical reinvention of Dickens' most beloved Christmas story in wacky rhymed couplets. With zoot fruited juices and binka bird geese, from Bed-Headed Fred to Timmy Loo Hoo, this tale of glorious holiday cheer is similar to something Dr. Seuss might have come up with -- if he ever had his way with the story... (A full-length version of this play is also available.)
"A Seussified Christmas Carol" is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
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Comedy
Short, 45-55 minutes
3 females, 4 males, 17 either
(12-24 actors possible: 3-22 females, 2-21 males)
$45.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Goldilocks is on trial for breaking and entering. Will she be found guilty and sent to prison, or will the truth come out? It's up to Judge Wallabee and some very silly jurors to decide, after hearing testimony from Goldee, the bickering Three Bears, and surprise witness Merwin the Big Bad Wolf, among others...
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Comedy/Drama
Full-length, 150 minutes
3 females, 4 males
$100.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
In that most idealized period of 20th-century America, the Eisenhower years of the 1950s, the Pazinski family has a lot going on in their cramped Buffalo apartment. The youngest of the bunch, 12-year-old Rudy, is a smart, wise-cracking kid who's starting to question family values and the Roman Catholic Church. When Rudy goes up against the ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and announces that instead of being confirmed he'd rather shop around for a more "fun" religion, all hell breaks loose. A warm and hilarious look at family, growing up, and God.
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| "A hilarious and touching depiction of 1959 Americana. Absolutely enchanting...a little bit of heaven!" |
| --Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune |
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Comedy
Full-length, 90-120 minutes
8 females, 8 males, 5 either
(13-40 actors possible: 7-20 females, 5-20 males)
$85.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Forget all your dusty misconceptions about the traditions of commedia dell'arte as The Love of Three Oranges, based on a scenario by Carlo Gozzi, provides a wild, raucous slapstick comedy that is completely retooled and revised for today's audiences. Prince Tartaglia's life is filled with misery until an evil witch and her equally evil henchmen curse him to search for three giant oranges. But this quest proves more fruitful than anyone could have imagined as a once-lonely prince discovers love, friendship, and laughter when he encounters wizards, monarchs, and a wild narrator who isn't sure how far removed from the story he really is.
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| "...the cast members appear to be having so much fun on stage that it's hard not to get caught up in their playful spirit." |
| --Lisa Millegan, Modesto Bee (California) |
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Romantic Comedy
Full-length, 140-160 minutes
14 females, 10 males (23-26 actors possible: 13-14 females, 10-12 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Marriage is an inevitable fact of life for the five Bennet sisters -- Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. With the family estate entailed away to their closest male cousin, their only hope to advance in life is to find a rich and single man -- and one has just arrived in the form of the very handsome and very well-off Charles Bingley. The kindhearted and beautiful Jane seems poised to make a match, but must contend with her overly zealous mother, his snobbish sister, and a slippery social ladder. And when Bingley's taciturn friend Fitzwilliam Darcy shows an interest in the opinionated and spirited Elizabeth, the situation becomes more complicated than either of them expect. The fire and wit of Jane Austen's classic 1813 romance shines through in this vibrant new adaptation.
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| "This adaptation of Jane Austen's masterpiece honors the source material through a contemporary theatrical lens... Set within an elaborate social fabric, this adaptation may well be the best of many for stage or film that have emerged in recent years." |
| --The Durango Herald (Colorado) |
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Comedy
Full-length, 90-120 minutes
1 female, 1 male (2-24 actors possible: 1-12 females, 1-12 males)
$75.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: Each piece in this anthology can be licensed and performed separately.
Romantic Fools consists of 12 two-character comedies examining love, lust, dating, and romance -- from a date with a caveman (Find Me a Primitive Man) to the joys of dull sex (One Man's Secret Desire) to the surprise frustrations of having a perfect mate (The Stepford Guy). With influences of Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, Jules Feiffer, the Marx Brothers, and classic vaudeville comedy, these sketches vary in style but all celebrate the inherent comedy of male-female relationships.
To purchase this book of 12 plays, click "Order this play" above. To perform an individual play, click on its title below:
Find Me a Primitive Man
Nightmare with a Sexy Skirt
One Man's Secret Desire
At the Orgy
The Sheep (or Much Ado About Mutton)
The Stepford Guy
Nice Tie
Power Is the Greatest Aphrodisiac of Them All
Vegetarians in Lust
Spaghetti Overture
The Wedding Planner
Bride and Gloom
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| "A side-splitting new comedy. You'll ache from non-stop laughing." |
| --Show Business Weekly |
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
4 females, 9 males, 7 either (20 actors possible: 4-11 females, 9-16 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
The Bard's most beloved comedy gets the full Seuss treatment in this playful adaptation. Two madcap Narrators chronicle the tale of the mixed-up lovers as they wander through a forest full of whoosh bush tush beasts and fairies dueling with bumballoon swords. Told in rhyming couplets, this reimagining is how Shakespeare's magical tale might have played if Dr. Seuss had gotten his hands on it... (A full-length version of this play is also available.)
"The Seussification of A Midsummer Night's Dream" is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
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Comedy/Drama
Short, 10-15 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$40.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Great Short Comedies: Volume 2.
In this homage to Love Letters, an actor and actress read the Post-It notes between a couple that span the duration of their lives together. Hilarious and moving, Post-Its explores the ups and downs of a relationship that were unexpectedly captured on scraps of paper.
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Comedy
Full-length, 75-85 minutes
4 females, 6 males, 15 either
(10-47 actors possible: 4-30 females, 6-39 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
To sell out or not to sell out? Not really much of a question. After their budget is slashed, the drama club turns to Shakespeare's greatest tragedy to raise cash, but it's not tickets that are going to fund this year's show: It's sweet, sweet corporate sponsorship and mid-play commercial advertising. The sponsors demand changes in the stodgy old script, but who cares if Shakespeare never wrote musical numbers with back-up dancers or post-apocalyptic zombie battles? He's dead and he can't complain. Or sue. A lightning-quick, hilarious perversion of the greatest play in the English language. (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
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Comedy
Short, 35-45 minutes
7 females, 7 males, 15 either
(14-47 actors possible: 7-21 females, 7-26 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
To sell out or not to sell out? Not really much of a question. After their budget is slashed, the drama club turns to Shakespeare's greatest tragedy to raise cash, but it's not tickets that are going to fund this year's show: It's sweet, sweet corporate sponsorship and mid-play commercial advertising. The sponsors demand changes in the stodgy old script, but who cares if Shakespeare never wrote musical numbers with back-up dancers or post-apocalyptic zombie battles? He's dead and he can't complain. Or sue. A lightning-quick, hilarious perversion of the greatest play in the English language.
(A full-length version of this play is also available.)
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Farce
Full-length, 100-110 minutes
5 females, 3 males
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Accusations, mistaken identities, and romances run wild in this traditional, laugh-out-loud farce. Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent's doors open, but Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancees, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves.
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| "...a delightful comedy with a touch of silliness...a zany and funny story with plot twists galore." |
| --Patricia L. Garcia, Las Cruces Sun-News |
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Comedy
Full-length, 65-85 minutes
6 females, 11 males, 22 either
(11-39 actors possible: 5-28 females, 6-33 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
A whimsical reinvention of Dickens' most beloved Christmas story in wacky rhymed couplets. With zoot fruited juices and binka bird geese, from Bed-Headed Fred to Timmy Loo Hoo, this tale of glorious holiday cheer is similar to something Dr. Seuss might have come up with -- if he ever had his way with the story... (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
"A Seussified Christmas Carol" is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
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Drama
Full-length, 100-110 minutes
7 females, 4 males (11-24 actors possible: 7-12 females, 4-12 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Under the guidance of their beloved mother, the four young March sisters -- tempestuous Jo, motherly Meg, shy Beth, and spoiled baby Amy -- struggle to keep their family going while Father's away in the Civil War. In this beautifully dramatized adaptation of the classic novel, even as privation, illness, and sibling rivalry cast their shadows, each girl strives to find her true self. (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
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| "The story, as revealed in Chamberlain's deft adaptation, is a warm tale of love, family, and individuality during the American Civil War." |
| --Peter Vaughan, Minneapolis Star and Tribune |
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Play with Music
Full-length, 85-95 minutes
5 females, 6 males (10-18 actors possible: 5-10 females, 5-10 males)
$8.99 per book
Other prices can be calculated by clicking "More Info"
In this beautifully haunting play based on Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, the former residents of Spoon River examine life and the longing for what might have been. As the citizens reflect on the dreams, secrets, and regrets of their lives, they paint a gritty and honest portrait of the town as all of their pasts are illuminated.
For more information, visit the playwright's page for The Spoon River Project.
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| "We may live in a very different world than that of Spoon River, but Masters' truths about the human condition are eternal. The Spoon River Project delivers them with love, care, and rich, enveloping atmosphere. To paraphrase Sally Durant Plummer, I'm so glad I went." |
| --Erik Haagensen, Backstage (Critics' Pick) |
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Comedy
Full-length, 70-80 minutes
4 females, 9 males, 7 either (20 actors possible: 4-11 females, 9-16 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
The Bard's most beloved comedy gets the full Seuss treatment in this playful adaptation. Two madcap Narrators chronicle the tale of the mixed-up lovers as they wander through a forest full of whoosh bush tush beasts and fairies dueling with bumballoon swords. Told in rhyming couplets, this reimagining is how Shakespeare's magical tale might have played if Dr. Seuss had gotten his hands on it... (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
"The Seussification of A Midsummer Night's Dream" is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
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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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It's a Wonderful Life adapted by Doug Rand
from the screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, and Jo Swerling |
 
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Comedy/Drama
Full-length, 90-110 minutes
18 females, 18 males, 15 either
(20-70 actors possible: 6-35 females, 5-35 males)
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
This faithful, fast-moving stage adaptation of the classic film features fluid scene changes, reasonable set requirements, and scores of beefy roles, particularly for women. It's not only a joyful Christmas tale -- it's the gorgeous love story of George and Mary Bailey, a vivid portrait of the Greatest Generation, a descent into the darkest hour of a man trapped by circumstance, and a powerful meditation on what makes a meaningful life.
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Comedy
Short, 45-50 minutes
1 female, 1 male, 4 either (6 actors possible: 2-4 females, 2-4 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
This play asks the question, "What if the entire universe was just some nerd's science project?" In a classroom in a dimension far beyond ours, a student striving for a "Master of the Universe" degree gives an oral presentation on an unusual thesis -- the creation of the heavens and the earth. Two professors and a dean interrogate the student and his two visual aids, a "typical" man and woman. (This play can also be performed as part of the full-length collection HA!)
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| "Rich Orloff's charming and whimsical comedy about the creation of the universe delivers impish fun, along with a thoughtful and provocative message. Orloff brings a witty and engaging innocence to the excellent script." |
| --Variety |
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