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Catalog of Plays & Musicals College Edition

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SECTION 1 | NEW PAGE 3

New110 Stories | BUY

Sarah TuftDrama | Full-length5 males, 3 females | 8-26 actors possible

110 Stories captures the grief and resilience of New York City in the wake of September 11th through the words of those who ex-perienced it directly—not only the firefighters and police, but the ironworkers, chaplains, K9 handlers, nurses, photojournalists, and the homeless who witnessed the horrific events and saved lives that day, too. Together these unflinching first-person testimonials offer catharsis by revealing the hope, humor, and compassion that emerged in the midst of this tragedy. Memorializing 9/11 by shar-ing the stories no one saw on the news, this play is a powerful and humanizing account of New York City's darkest day.

1984 by George Orwell | BUY

Michael Gene SullivanDrama | Full-length5 males, 1 female | 6 actors possible

Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 brings us the story of Winston Smith, a cog in the giant machine state of Oce-ania. Physically and mentally under the omnipresent eye of Big Brother, Winston has been caught struggling for scraps of love and freedom in a world awash with distrust and violence. With the brutal "help" of four Party Members, Winston is forced to con-fess his Thoughtcrimes before an unseen inquisitor, and the au-dience—which acts as a silent witness to his torture. A ferocious and provocative adaptation of one of the most prescient works of literature of the last century.

"Sullivan's adaptation of 1984 is a chilling reminder that some of the political excesses set forth in George Orwell's novel are painfully evident in today's increasingly monopolistic media." —Melinda Schupmann, Backstage

25 Questions for a Jewish MotherKate Moira Ryan and Judy Gold | BUY

Memoir/Comedy | Full-length4 females | 1-21 actors possible

Part memoir and part stand-up routine, this hilarious and affecting play breaks down just what makes Jewish mothers so lamentable, laughable, and lovable. Comedienne Judy Gold and playwright Kate Moira Ryan seamlessly weave actual interviews with Jewish mothers across the United States together with memories from Gold's childhood and her own experiences as a Jewish mother in order to create a performance piece that explores it all: from rugelach to rabbis, matzoh to marriage, Ann Landers to Anne Frank, and guilt to G-D.

"...fiercely funny, honest and moving." —The New York Times

Judy Gold in 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, Ars Nova, New York, NY. Photo: Carol Rosegg

ABOUT THIS SECTION | The plays and musicals in the following section were chosen for publication in the past year, and meet the unique needs of college theaters.


NEW | Full-Lengths

A Bright Swarm of Beetles | BUY

Don ZolidisDrama | Full-length6 males, 4 females | 10-40 actors possible

Based on actual events, A Bright Swarm of Beetles follows the breathtaking career of the greatest writer of the Soviet Union: Mikhail Bulgakov. From his beginnings in the Red revolution as a nearly homeless opium addict to the dizzying heights of liter-ary stardom, Bulgakov struggles to write in a world fraught with madness and betrayal. After his work is denounced and banned, Bulgakov is offered a chance at redemption by the sinister dictator Joseph Stalin—but he must choose between his art and his sur-vival. A wild, fast-paced journey through fifteen years of one of the darkest periods of modern history.

A Commedia Christmas Carol | BUY

Matthew R. WilsonHoliday Comedy | Full-length4 males, 1 female, 4 either | 7-40 actors possible

Ebenezer Scrooge gets a Commedia dell'Arte makeover in this zany take on the classic Dickensian tale of redemption. On Christ-mas Eve, a Pantalone Scrooge receives a visit from his old friend Dottore Marley, launching a series of quirky visitors and unfore-seen capers. Masks, acrobatics, and holiday cheer abound in this madcap physical romp.

"A Commedia Christmas Carol crackles and amuses with abandon...high-spirited revelry...emotional depth." —Jane Horwitz, The Washington Post

Consider the Oyster | BUY

David MacGregorComedy | Full-length2 males, 3 females | 4-5 actors possible

When Gene breaks his leg after proposing to girlfriend Marisa, he begins to feel some odd changes. It turns out the oyster shell that the doctor left in his leg to assist with his healing is causing him to slowly transition into a female—just the way an oyster does. Can Gene learn to live his life as a different gender, and will he—or she—be able to feel the same for his fiancee? Consider the Oyster is a funny and surprising exploration of gender and our change-able human nature.

"Consider the Oyster is David MacGregor's terrific new comedy... Some smart producers have an off-Broadway 1,000-plus performance hit ahead of them." —Theatermania

Crazytown | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | Full-length2 males, 2 females | 4-71 actors possible

Crazytown is a low-tech evening of comedy designed to be per-formed by a cast of four, but expandable to over 70 actors. Take a tour of the most messed up town in America, from the police in-terrogation room where the nicest guy in town is issued a strange ultimatum, to the elementary school for a heated political debate on critical issues like tater tots. Welcome to Crazytown, where our motto is: Welcome to Crazytown.

Current Economic Conditions | BUY

Don ZolidisComedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 6-12 actors possible

After losing her low-level job in the publishing industry, 26-year-old Lily has no choice but to move back in with her well-meaning but neurotic parents. A series of disastrous interviews and her parents' strict house rules have Lily feeling more like a troubled teenager than an employable young woman—and the Justin Beiber posters in her old bedroom aren't helping. Will she find a job before she loses both her sanity and her dignity?

Paul Reisman, Michael Sprouse, Joel David Santner, and Julie Garner in A Commedia Christmas Carol, Faction of Fools Theatre Company, Wash-ington, DC (2012). Masks: Waxing Moon Masks. Photo: Second Glance Photography.

PAGE 4


NEW | Full-Lengths

Elvis Has Left the Building | BUY

V. Cate and Duke ErnsbergerComedy | Full-length3 males, 2 females | 5 actors possible

It's December 20th, 1970, and Elvis Presley has disappeared. No one, not even his wily manager, "The Colonel", knows of his where-abouts. But the Colonel is all shook up because he has racked up a secret debt—and with the King himself missing, the only way to pay it off is to find an Elvis impersonator within 24 hours. Hijinks ensue as the Colonel takes desperate measures to replace a man who is irreplaceable, all while keeping the prying eyes of a nosy reporter at bay and figuring out what happened to the real Elvis.

"Unpretentious fun!" —Lexington Herald-Leader

Float | BUY

Patricia KaneComedy/Drama | Full-length5 females | 5 actors possible

The industrious members of the Budapest Women's Club (pro-nounced "Bu-DAP-est") come together for an annual tradition: the

crafting of the holiday parade float. But under the surface of this pleasant gathering, the women find themselves grappling with sexuality, betrayal, and their own hard and fast notions of right and wrong. In this ode to the complicated undercurrents of Midwestern morality, you'll meet Marty, Luce, Char, Arletta, and Doodee—five women who face the tests life presents to them with laughter, love, and a lot of fake snow.

"A rare and wonderful accomplishment... This is just plain excellent theatre; great characters, engaging script, generous humor and compelling conflict." —Chicago Stage Review

How We Got On | BUY

Idris GoodwinComing of Age Drama | Full-length2 males, 2 females | 4 actors possible

Hank, Julian, and Luann are three talented, determined suburban teens coming of age in the 1980s. Dreaming of fame and fortune in the new Hip-Hop music scene, they must overcome cultural isolation, familial dysfunction, and ruthless rivalries to make the music that de-fines their lives. A sultry DJ spins their stories with her own meta-the-atrical perspective in this contemporary ode to the roots of rap.

Bryan Pridgen, Mary Lucy Bivins, Eugene Wolf, and Dan Folino in Elvis Has Left the Building, Barter Theatre, Abingdon, Virginia (2011). Photo Courtesy of Barter Theatre.

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NEW | Full-Lengths

The Lily's Revenge | BUY

Taylor Mac and Rachelle GarniezPlay with Music | Full-length3 males, 4 females, 25 either | 32-100 actors possible

An uprooted Lily falls in love with a blushing bride, much to the dismay of The Great Longing Deity, a malicious stage curtain hell-bent on spreading nostalgia and institutionalized narrative. Tasked with becoming a real man in order to wed its beloved, the Lily attempts to hijack the story and create its own kind of narrative. What follows is an epic dismantling of theatrical norms and an inspiring, raucous ode to storytelling in all its myriad forms. Part Noh play, part musical, part verse play, part dance-theater, part silent film, and part party, The Lily's Revenge is a one-of-a-kind extravaganza of theater, love, and community.

"In its bravery, scope, creativity, extremity and sheer generosity of spirit, The Lily's Revenge, to my mind, surpasses any American theater in New York this year. [Taylor Mac] is one of the most exciting theater artists of our time." —Adam Feldman, Time Out New York

The Lost Boy | BUY

Ronald Gabriel PaolilloDrama | Full-length4 males, 3 females | 7-18 actors possible

Despite finding success and fame as a writer, James M. Barrie is dissatisfied with his work and his life. He returns to his hometown in Scotland to visit his mother, who still blames him for the long-ago death of his older brother in a skating pond. Haunted by the tragic accident and his mother's harsh words, James slowly begins to confront his family's tragic past with the help of an unexpected friendship and his own gift for storytelling. This fictionalized ac-count of the birth of Peter Pan will warm the hearts of audiences everywhere who remember the magic and mystery of The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.

"An important and entertaining work." —Bob Heisler, The Journal News

Love at First Bite | BUY

Jodi Picoult, Jake van Leer, and Ellen WilberMusical Comedy | Full-length11 males, 17 females, 7 either | 35-48 actors possible

A new school and a new girlfriend: things are looking good for teen vampire Drake. Except, of course, that his sweetheart's mom is not only the school principal—she's also a vampire hunter. Can Drake outwit Principal Stake and Lucy's vengeful ex-boyfriend? Only with the help of new friends like an exchange student named Frank N. Stein and Scrappy, the unusually hairy basketball player with a thing for howling at the moon. With a hilarious cast of misfit characters and catchy songs, Love at First Bite is a monstrously good time.

A Perfect Likeness | BUY

Daniel Rover SingerComedy/Drama/Historic Fiction | Full-length2 males | 2 actors possible

Reclusive writer and photographer Charles Dodgson (also known as "Lewis Carroll") invites celebrity author Charles Dickens to his Oxford home to pose for a portrait. Dickens is so intrigued by the whimsical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that he accepts. What ensues is a baring of two creative souls, the one private and fas-tidious, the other boisterous and irreverent. As Dodgson struggles to capture a "perfect likeness" of Dickens, Dickens craftily pries into Dodgson's personal life to get a handle on one of the most curious men he has ever met. The result is a hilarious and reveal-ing conversation between two quirky, fascinating, and completely different men.

"So lovely and entertaining that you want it to be true." —Lynn Felder, Winston-Salem Journal

Jeff Berg and Joseph Lee Gramm in The Lost Boy, Helen Hayes Theatre Company, Nyack, New York (2005).

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NEW | Full-Lengths

Play Dates | BUY

Sam WolfsonComedy | Full-length2 males, 2 females | 4-11 actors possible

Love is hard at any age. In Kindergarten, five-year old Sam falls for Stacey, a tough Girl Scout who wants to be a cowboy when she grows up—just like he does. But Stacey eventually breaks Sam's heart, and instead of growing up to ride the range, he becomes a jaded radio show host. As "Dr. Love," Sam (not-so-secretly) pines for the long-lost Stacey, and dishes out cynical advice to frustrated couples like Mike and Katie, whose relationship has grown stale after 5 years together. When Mike and Katie cross paths with a grown-up Stacey in a TGI Fridays, she is thrust back into Sam's life with hilarious and touching results.

"Highly recommended." —LA Weekly

Pride and Prejudice: A Romantic Musical | BUY

Jon Jory and Peter EkstromMusical Comedy | Full-length6 males, 8 females | 14-22 actors possible

Jane Austen's timeless love story is given new life in this faithful and fresh musical adaptation. Strong-minded Elizabeth Bennet is not out to find a husband, and the snobbish Mr. Darcy certainly wouldn't be her first choice. But first impressions are not always what they seem, and soon both Elizabeth and Darcy must look beyond their pride to discover their true feelings. When talk of marriage is everywhere and family expectations are high, can these two overcome their prejudices to make a more meaningful connection? A lively score and moving songs add richness and warmth to this classic story of wit and romance.

Pride@Prejudice | BUY

Daniel Elihu KramerComedy | Full-length2 males, 3 females | 5 actors possible

Watch Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fall in love all over again—this time filtered through the world of the internet. Modern voices interject and build on this classic love story in the form of blog posts, chat room discussions, quotes from film adaptations, and even letters from Ms. Austen herself to create a delightfully post-modern view of 19th century England. Written for five actors to play every role, Pride@Prejudice is a hilarious and moving hom-age to Jane Austen's most beloved novel, as well our love affair with reading.

"I can't think of another new work staged in Columbus in my 24-plus years as a Dispatch critic that has displayed so much promise or polish... This play seems destined to be seen and celebrated across the country." —Michael Grossberg, Columbus Dispatch

Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending | BUY

Ann Fraistat and Shawn FraistatComedy | Full-length4 males, 2 females | 6-14 actors possible

What if Romeo had stayed helplessly in love with Rosaline instead of Juliet? Or if Mercutio and Tybalt hadn't died...but had gotten to-gether instead? In this Shakespearean take on the "Choose Your Own Ending" model, the audience casts votes throughout the per-formance to determine which course true love will take; ultimately deciding whether everybody lives or everybody dies. With eight dramatically different possible endings, this isn't the tale of star-crossed lovers that you read in high school. An irreverent, madcap reimagining of Shakespeare's most beloved romance.

"Whip-smart and hilarious... A fantastic, unexpected comedic gem." —Fiona Zublin, The Washington Post

Six Characters in Search of an AuthorSteve Moulds | BUY

Comedy/Drama | Full-length4 males, 4 females, 2 either | 10-13 actors possible

Six fictional characters, abandoned by their creator, invade a re-hearsal in progress and demand to be brought to life by a new au-thor. But the characters' existential agenda collides with the more lighthearted ambitions of these theatre artists, whose open rehears-al "audience engagement event" becomes darkly entangled with the characters' tragic story. This intimate adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's absurdist classic foregrounds the comedic contrast between melo-drama and the contemporary sensibilities of the acting company—all the while asking us to consider just what we believe to be real.

"Fresh, insightful and a great deal of fun." —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, DC (2010). Photo: Joe Flood.

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NEW | Full-Lengths

The Tell-Tale Farce | BUY

Don ZolidisFarce | Full-length5 males, 4 females | 9 actors possible

It's 1848, and Edgar Allan Poe is just coming off the spectacular suc-cess of "The Raven." Unfortunately, it's only earned him a grand total of nine dollars. So when a wealthy dowager commissions him to write her a poem for the vast sum of one hundred dollars, he leaps at the chance. Only problem: the man who shows up to write the poem isn't Poe, he's Poe's mailman, and he's on a quest to woo the dowager's spinster niece. Playing Poe is harder than it looks, though, especially when your mustache keeps falling off, the teenage grand-daughter of the house is lusting after you, and Poe's arch-nemesis, Rufus Gris-wold, just happens to be dropping by to settle old scores. A freewheel-ing, door-slamming farce with a touch of the macabre.

Toil and Trouble | BUY

Lauren GundersonBlack Comedy | Full-length2 males, 1 female | 3 actors possible

Underemployed friends Adam, Matt and Beth are desperate to beat the recession any way they can—like combining forces to take over a small island in South America. But when a fortune cookie tells Matt that he will rule and Beth gets a little too handy with a dagger, plans go awry. This hilarious adaptation of Shake-speare's Macbeth pits friend against friend, ambition against fate, pet-sitting against miniature vicuna mogul-dom.

The Two Musketeers! | BUY

Jon JoryComedy | Full-length4 males, 2 females | 6 actors possible

When a small acting company eliminates one Musketeer from their production of The Three Musketeers due to budget constraints, the rest of the cast must sally forth bravely with only two. The classic tale of d'Artagnan and his sword-fighting friends is presented by a hilariously self-aware cast of six, with romance, wit, and derring-do to spare. This low-tech, high-comedy adaptation is a witty send-up of Alexandre Dumas' beloved adventure.

Two Jews Walk Into a War... | BUY

Seth RozinComedy | Full-length2 males | 2 actors possible

Ishaq and Zeblyan are the last remaining Jews in Afghanistan. They share the only remaining synagogue that has not been de-stroyed by the Taliban. They share a mission to repopulate the Jewish community in Kabul. But they also hate each other. Can this Middle Eastern odd couple commit to one incredible act of faith to keep the diaspora alive without killing one other? A modern vaudeville full of schtick, sorrow, and survival.

"An uproarious comedy with a twist of faith. Through a humorous story and unforgettable characters, playwright Seth Rozin poignantly explores issues of faith, commitment and perseverance that keeps audiences laughing and thinking long past curtain call." —The Jewish Ledger

The Walk Across America for Mother Earth | BUY

Taylor Mac and Ellen MaddowComedic Play with Music | Full-length6 males, 4 females, 2 either | 10-12 actors possible

Political activism meets bedazzled drag show in this story about two young friends who flee their suburban upbringing in "Real America" to join a ragtag group of activists on a protest march from D.C. to Nevada. On the road, the group attempts to establish a no-madic utopia, but the marchers continually find themselves divided by cancer, unrequited affections, indecision, and a secret hunger for power. Whimsically blending commedia dell'arte influences with song and dance, The Walk Across America for Mother Earth explores how the idea of community sometimes fails to unite us, and sometimes brings us together in the most unexpected ways.

"With this new play, a sweet and satiric meditation on the beautiful folly of idealism, Taylor Mac establishes himself as a writer and artist of serious consequence." —Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

Musicals for any budget and any cast size.

PAGE 8

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NEW | One-Acts

10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse | BUY

Don ZolidisComedy | One-act3 males, 5 females, 2 either | 8-24 actors possible

It's the end of the world and hordes of rampaging zombies are about to kill you. What do you do? Try your hand at kung fu against the un-dead? Attempt to reason with creatures that would rather eat brains than use them? Turn to this handy and hilarious guide to survive the apocalypse! (Hint: sacrifice the weak is step number one.)

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Being a Zombie | BUY

Jason PizzarelloDramedy | One-act2 males, 2 females, 14 either | 5-45 actors possible

In today's chaotic, challenging world, we often don't know where to turn for help. Little did we know that life's most valuable lessons lie within the undead. Finally, zombies engage us with musings on life, death, and everything in between. They show us that brains aren't everything...you are what you eat...and what doesn't kill you makes you...more alive.

Apocalypse or Bust | BUY

Davis AlianielloComedy | One-act5 males, 2 females, 12 either | 9-19 actors possible

It's doomsday, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have been called into action. Unfortunately, it turns out they're com-pletely unprepared and have accidentally killed their horses. Luck-ily, the four contentious personalities (Conquest, War, Famine, and Death) meet Phyllis—a recently deceased Midwestern woman and their human liaison for the End of Days. Together, they hitch-hike their way to Earth, but various forgotten cultural figures keep delaying their progress. Will the Horsemen reach their destination in time to cause the end of the world?

Brief Interviews with Internet CatsPatrick Greene | BUY

Comedy | One-act7 males, 9 females, 6 either | 8-30 actors possible

Celebrity interviewer Ian McWorthy has a dream line-up for tonight's episode of the World Wide Window: a veritable litterful of felines whose internet antics have catapulted them to fame. In this fast-paced series of hilarious interviews, Ian uncovers the story behind Tuffy's first dramatic foray into a cardboard box, learns just what makes Nelson the Grouchy Cat so very, very grouchy, contends with the diva-like antics of Kitty Boo Boo and her entourage, and so much more. So stay tuned! Things are bound to get a little...hairy.

Finding Love In The 21st CenturyJim Garvey | BUY

Comedy | One-act3 males, 3 females | 6-30 actors possible

With over 7 billion people currently living on planet Earth, finding love in the 21st century can be more than a bit daunting. When a boy named Oliver and a girl named Elliot miraculously hit it off on their first-ever online date, their friends push them to date other people before committing. But after a series of dates that includes a guy who treats marriage as something to check off his bucket list and a girl who livestreams her entire life, they realize they may have had it right the first time. But is it too late for these star-crossed lovers to reconnect?

The Future Is In Your Tiny HandsJonathan Rand | BUY

Comedy | One-act2 males, 2 females | 4-11 actors possible

Kaitlyn Parker and Eddie Grantwood square off for the political de-bate of the century: student president of their elementary school. No topic is off-limits, be it cootie prevention, kickball roster justice, or—most critically of all—tater tots. Presented in a town hall for-mat, all the hard-hitting questions come from fellow students in the audience. Who will win? America's very freedom hangs in the balance. Or at least a decision as to whether Santa is real.

Rebecca Hurd and Brian Duranleau in Apocalypse or Bust, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland (2012). Photo: Teresa Pearson.

PAGE 9


NEW | One-Acts

Jane Eyre | BUY

Gerald MurphyComedy | One-act4 males, 6 females, 1 either | 9-11 actors possible

The classic Gothic tale of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is deconstruct-ed and transformed into a comedy in this hilarious and fast-paced one-act. Despite a gruesomely unhappy younger life, Jane ascends from lowly orphan to governess at the strange and mysterious Thornfield Hall, where she falls for the brooding master of the house. Narrated by Jane's sassy and spoiled cousins, Georgiana and Eliza, and complete with a talking dog, imaginary horses, and, of course, the agonizing pain of unspoken love, you've never seen plain Jane like this before.

May the Best Fan Win | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | One-act4 males | 4 actors possible

Welcome to the thrilling world of watching dudes watch sports. Finally, the match-up the entire nation has been waiting for: the historic showdown between veteran slacker Donald Baxter and rookie sensation slacker Michael Felton. Legendary sportscasters Merv Johnson and Tim Bixby are there to break down all the exhil-arating action, LIVE from that couch by the TV.

Meet the Roommates | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | One-act8 males, 8 females | 7-16 actors possible

Two friends discover an incredible online simulator that shows them exactly what their future college roommate experiences will look like. Yet after a few minutes with a raging narcoleptic, a world-class procrastinator, and a children’s party clown, it may be time to seriously consider living alone.

No More, Mister Nice Guy | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | One-act4 males | 4 actors possible

Meet Sheldon Grimes, the nicest guy in town. Unfortunately for Sheldon, in this town, being a nice guy is prohibited by law. But after a crash course from a pair of local police detectives and a very special specialist, Sheldon might just learn to be a jerk fast enough to stay out of prison.

Orientation | BUY

Ian McWethyComedy | One-act10 females | 6-10 actors possible

Two college RAs are tasked with matching up 8 incoming freshmen as roommates. By crafting the perfect pairings, their year could be worry-free! But if they fail, they may ruin the students' lives forever (according to a study they read, getting along with your freshman roommate means you are 80% more likely to have a productive and meaningful life). But with an extreme germaphobe, an intru-sive podcaster, an over-excited Alaskan, and other neurotic new-bies, this is one assignment that deserves some extra credit.

PAGE 10

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Being a Zombie, Irondale Ensemble, Brooklyn, New York (2013).



AdaptationsAjax in Iraq | BUY

Ellen McLaughlinDrama | Full-length5 males, 7 females | 11-30 actors possible

Past and present collide in Ellen McLaughlin's mash-up of Soph-ocles' classic tragedy Ajax with the modern-day war in Iraq. The play follows the parallel narratives of Ajax, an ancient Greek military hero, and A.J., a modern female American soldier, both undone by the betrayal of a commanding officer. Athena, goddess of war, cool-ly presides over the whole. Inspired by material collected from inter-views with Iraq war veterans and their families, Ajax in Iraq explores the timeless struggle soldiers face in trying to make sense of war.

"Ms. McLaughlin has carved out a career as a playwright of fierce moral conviction." —Anita Gates, The New York Times

Anon(ymous) | BUY

Naomi IizukaDrama | Full-length5 males, 6 females | 11-35 actors possible

Separated from his mother, a young refugee called Anon journeys through the United States, encountering a wide variety of people—some kind, some dangerous and cruel—as he searches for his family. From a sinister one-eyed butcher to beguiling barflies to a sweatshop, Anon must navigate through a chaotic, ever-changing landscape in this entrancing adaptation of Homer's Odyssey.

"Anon(ymous) is [a] stunning retelling of an epic quest." —Dominic P. Papatola, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Dracula | BUY

William McNultyHorror | Full-length7 males, 7 females | 12-14 actors possible

Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades must hunt down and destroy the profoundly evil Count Dracula. But the Count is exceedingly resourceful, employing superhuman strength, psychic powers, and shape-changing to confound and frustrate his antag-onists. Culminating in a wild and shocking confrontation between the King of Vampires and those who would rid the world of him, this adaptation is an action-packed, blood-soaked retelling of Bram Stoker's classic tale of horror.

Frankenstein, A New Musical | BUY

Mark Baron, Jeffrey Jackson, and Gary P. CohenMusical | Full-length7 males, 4 females, 3 either | 9-35 actors possible

With earnest ballads and soaring ensemble numbers, this compel-ling new musical brings the suspense and romance of the classic tale to life in a uniquely faithful, yet thoroughly innovative adaptation of Mary Shelley's original novel. In his quest to discover the secret of life, Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant young scientist, creates a human of his own design that turns out to instead be a horrifying beast. This is no "Hollywood monster," but a flesh-and-blood man who, while terrifying in appearance, grows to become articulate, cunning, and thirsting for revenge upon the creator who abandoned him. A tragic love story and exploration of humanity, Frankenstein, A New Musical breathes new life into the world-renowned story of man and creator pitted against one another in epic battle.

"...brings the classic story thrillingly to life." —Julie Reed, Associated Press

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ABOUT THIS SECTION | The source materials for the plays listed below are well-known pieces of literature or popular myths. From Jane Austen to Sophocles, these adaptations are sure to engage students and faculty in the classroom or on stage.


ADAPTATIONS PAGE 12

Hedda Gabler | BUY

Christopher ShinnDrama | Full-length3 males, 4 females | 7 actors possible

This Broadway adaptation of Ibsen's timeless drama presents a sym-pathetic, yet striking and powerful, Hedda in the classic tale of her struggle to find a means of escape from a loveless, ordinary exis-tence. Beginning with the return from her honeymoon, Hedda finds herself bored of her husband, and longing for the days when she was free to exercise her wild and independent whims. With the return of an old flame and a proposition from an amorous judge, she begins a dangerous game, amusing herself by manipulating and destroying everyone around her in an attempt to regain control of her life.

"Shinn's new adaptation nudges Ibsen into modern passion without disrespecting him." —Newsday

Is He Dead? | BUY

David IvesComedy | Full-length7 males, 4 females | 11-16 actors possible

Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius, is in love with Ma-rie Leroux but in debt to a villainous picture-dealer, Bastien An-dre. Andre forecloses on Millet, threatening debtor's prison unless Marie marries him. Millet realizes that the only way he can pay his debts and keep Marie from marrying Andre is to die, as it is only dead painters who achieve fame and fortune. Millet fakes his death and prospers, all while passing himself off as his own sister, the Widow Tillou. Now a rich "widow," he must find a way to get out of a dress, return to life, and marry Marie.

"A ripely enjoyable confection! An elaborate madcap comedy that registers high on the mirth meter and reaches especially giddy comic heights!" —David Rooney, Variety

It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (full-length version) | BUY

Joe LandryHoliday drama | Full-length3 males, 2 females | 1-25 actors possible

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. (A short version of this play is also available.)

"One of the best holiday shows around. This is a fresh and inventive way of reconnecting with a classic story of love and redemption." —Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times

Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-FiveEric Simonson | BUY

Comedy/Drama | Full-length12 males, 3 females | 12-23 actors possible

Based on Kurt Vonnegut's classic novel, Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes "unstuck in time" after he is abducted by aliens. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all the phases of his life. Concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experi-ence as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebomb-ing of Dresden, this satirical and horrifying anti-war story carries a unique poignancy—and humor.

"The show moved me so much I couldn't speak for ten minutes after." —The Chicago Reader

Little Women | BUY

Marisha ChamberlainDrama | Full-length4 males, 7 females | 11-24 actors possible

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.)

John McMartin and Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz in the Broadway production of Is He Dead?, Lyceum Theatre, New York City (2007). Photo: Joan Marcus.


ADAPTATIONS PAGE 13

Check out our newest plays at playscripts.com.

The Love of Three Oranges | BUY

Hillary DePianoComedy | Full-length8 males, 8 females, 5 either | 13-40 actors possible

Forget all your dusty misconceptions about the traditions of com-media dell'arte as The Love of Three Oranges, based on a sce-nario 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.

Lysistrata: A Woman's TranslationDrue Robinson | BUY

Comedy | Full-length14 males, 14 females | 20-40 actors possible

Lysistrata: A Woman's Translation is the only modern adaptation of Aristophanes' classic comedy written entirely in rhyme. Lysistrata, an Athenian woman fed up with war, rallies together the women of Greece to seize the Treasury, stage a sex strike, and force the men of each warring faction to come home and sign a truce. This makes for a fast-paced and bawdy affair, including the pompous Magistrate's antics of male domination, and the celibacy-sworn Myrrhine's relentless teasing of her sex-starved, phallus-laden husband. Meanwhile, the Chorus of Old Men and Chorus of Old Women square off in a hilarious battle of wits and guts, ultimately resulting in a reunion of genders, ages, and political positions. Moliere Impromptu | BUY

Rinne GroffComedy | Full-length7 males, 5 females | 12-13 actors possible

In 1665 Versailles, the members of Moliere's Illustre Theatre have gathered to rehearse a new play commissioned by the King for a performance this very night. Everything is fine, except that the script is in horrible shape, the straight man wants to leave the troupe, marital spats are ripping the company apart, the intern is lobbying for a bigger part, and Mademoiselle Du Croisy can never remember her lines. A wickedly funny look at the magic of theater, translated and adapted from three short plays by Moliere.

"[Moliere Impromptu] satirizes as it sashays, slyly infusing pop-culture references even as it honors Moliere's 17th-century playwriting achievements...it crackles with entertainment and energy..." —Gina Perille, Boston Globe

Nightfall With Edgar Allan Poe | BUY

Eric CobleDrama | Full-length3 males, 2 females | 5-9 actors possible

Edgar Allan Poe stands alone in the flickering darkness of his mind, trying desperately to convince himself—and us—that he's not mad. The spell he weaves brings us a highly theatrical adaptation of four tales Poe himself considered his best: "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Tell-Tale Heart." Enter the world of Poe and check your heartbeat at the door. Orestes: An Antic Tragedy | BUY

Anne WashburnDrama/Comedy | Full-length2 males, 1 female, 5 either | 8-12 actors possible

The Trojan war is over. Orestes and Electra have killed their moth-er. The city wants them dead. Just when it seems like they have nowhere to turn, their best friend comes up with a plan... Ironic, desperate, humorous, and highly entertaining, this potent satire on the Oresteia myth brings this marvelous play to new life.

"Anne Washburn has a way of laser-targeting her language that makes the material explode, even at a distance of 3,000 years." —Helen Shaw, Time Out New York

Pride and Prejudice | BUY

Jon JoryRomantic comedy | Full-length6 males, 8 females | 13-40 actors possible

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 enig-matic 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 prolifer-ate, 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.)

"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


Sense and Sensibility | BUY

Jon JoryRomance | Full-length8 males, 8 females | 13-16 actors possible

Sisters Elinor and Marianne find themselves captivated by two very different men in this lively and dynamic adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel. Sensible Elinor is charmed by the quiet, bumbling goodness of Edward, while passionate Marianne is swept off of her feet by the dashing and mysterious Willoughby. But when Willoughby's scandalous past and Edward's secret fian-cee come to light, the sisters are forced to rely upon themselves and one another to weather their heartache—and learn that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.

Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Jersey Lily | BUY

Katie ForgetteMystery/Comedy | Full-length5 males, 2 females | 7-11 actors possible

The wit of Oscar Wilde meets the cunning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when Wilde brings his dear friend, Lillie Langtry, to Baker Street. Someone has stolen the highly intimate letters Lillie ex-changed with the Prince of Wales, and now she is being black-mailed. Only Holmes can solve the case, going so far as to dis-guise himself as an early version of Lady Bracknell from Wilde's latest play, The Importance of Being Forthright, while Watson falls head-over-heels for the Jersey Lily and a wicked professor at-tempts to bring the Crown to its knees.

The Spoon River Project | BUY

Tom AndoloraPlay with Music | Full-length6 males, 5 females | 10-18 actors possible

In this beautifully haunting play based on Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, the former residents of Spoon River ex-amine life and the longing for what might have been. As the citi-zens 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.

ADAPTATIONS PAGE 14

The Spoon River Project, Hallberg Theatre, Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton, CA (2012). Directed by Mark Ramont; Department Head Bruce Goodrich. Lighting Design: AmyAnne Tafolla; Scene Design: David Corigliano; Costume Design: Theona White.

NOW AVAILABLE: eScripts

to read and print.


ADAPTATIONS PAGE 15

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | BUY

Noah SmithScience fiction thriller | Full-length5 males, 3 females | 8-21 actors possible

Dr. Henry Jekyll is a brilliant scientist frustrated by dull "respect-able" life in 1888 Victorian London. He creates a formula to un-leash his inner bestial nature, transforming him into the brutish but oddly compassionate Edward Hyde. Hyde lives the high life while Jekyll's middle-aged normalcy continues—until Hyde's passions begin to turn up a body count. This intimate, easy-to-stage ver-sion of Robert Louis Stevenson's science fiction classic features two haunting chorus characters, who speed along the action, play many supporting roles, and speak to Jekyll as the voices in his head, spurring him toward triumph and tragedy.

Tartuffe | BUY

Timothy MooneyComedy | Full-length5 males, 5 females, 2 either | 12-15 actors possible

When the religious hypocrite Tartuffe ingratiates himself into the good graces of Orgon and his mother Mme. Pernelle, he is taken into their home and promised Orgon's daughter's hand in marriage (even as he secretly attempts to seduce Orgon's wife, Elmire). Everyone else in the family sees through Tartuffe's pose, and his machinations and hypocrisies are eventually exposed, but is it too late to save the family from eviction and to keep Orgon from being

thrown in prison? Moliere's classic comedy satirizes religious hy-pocrisy, blind piety, and deceit, and this adaptation captures these themes in playful irreverent rhyme. (A short version of this play is also available.) The Three Musketeers | BUY

Linda Alper, Douglas Langworthy, and Penny MetropulosDrama | Full-length17 males, 7 females | 14-40 actors possible

Alexandre Dumas' classic novel gets an adventurous update as this tale of friendship and romance follows young D'Artagnan as he arrives in Paris in seek of fame, fortune, and a place among the King's Musketeers. He is quickly taken under the wing of Athos, Aramis, and Porthos, and D'Artagnan soon finds himself helping the Queen hide an affair with a British Duke and making enemies with the Cardinal Richelieu. When D'Artagnan's love, Constance Bonacieux, is kidnapped out of revenge, D'Artagnan and the rest of the Musketeers must work together to rescue Constance and restore honor in the kingdom.

"For sheer action-packed, beguiling melodrama...there's nothing like this latest version of the oft-dramatized Musketeers." —San Francisco Examiner

Troy Women | BUY

Karen HartmanDrama | Full-length3 males, 9 females | 12-20 actors possible

Hecuba and the women of Troy mourn and celebrate their city on the morning after its destruction. Together, they grieve the deaths of their husbands and children as they await their fates at the hands of their Greek captors. With modern elements adapted into Euripides' classic, Troy Women is a chilling, brutal, but accessible portrait of women during war.

Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play | BUY

Joe LandrySuspense | Full-length3 males, 2 females | 2-30 actors possible

Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast of the master of suspense's earlier films. With The Lodger, Sabotage and The 39 Steps, Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play is a triple feature, complete with vintage commercials, that recreates a daring train chase, a serial killer's ominous presence, and a devastating explo-sion through the magic of live sound effects and musical under-scoring. This spooky, exciting piece is perfect for any space, large or small. (A one-act component of this play, The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play, is also available.)

Sense and Sensibility, Orlando Shakespeare, Orlando Florida, (2013). Photo by Tony Firriolo.

Actor's Choice monologue books are unlike other monologue books. The source material of every monologue is available through our website, 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.


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From New York

COMING SOON! 14Below: A Collection of New Plays from New York’s Downtown Theaters

ABOUT THIS SECTION | Below you’ll find a curated selection of plays and musicals from Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway. Challenging and provocative, these plays are examples of the compelling voices being cultivated in the New York theater scene.

The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide | BUY

Sean GraneyDrama/Comedy | Full-length2 males, 5 females | 7 actors possible

When 4th grader Johnny shoots himself, he leaves behind a play as a suicide note that the kids in his class are forced to perform as a memorial. As friends and bullies assume the roles of Johnny and his classmates, a heartbreaking, darkly curious story emerg-es, offering a glimpse into the motivation behind Johnny’s actions.

“...an idiosyncratically clever one-act, as precisely tooled as a Swiss music box.” —John Beer, The Village Voice

Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party | BUY

Aaron LoebComedy | Full-length

4 males, 3 females | 7 actors possible

Illinois schoolteacher Harmony Green has told her fourth grade class that Menard County’s most beloved homegrown hero, Abraham Lin-coln, was gay. When Honest Abe is “outed” in a reimagined Christ-mas pageant, controversy and chaos engulf the town. As the trial of the century begins, big-city reporters and Congressional candidates descend, and family skeletons are forced out of the closet. Top hats and beards abound in this hilarious, poignant, and timely look at prej-udice past and present.

Act A Lady | BUY

Jordan Harrison and Michael FriedmanComedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 6 actors possible

When the men of a small Prohibition-era town decide to put on a play dressed in “fancy-type, women-type clothes,” the whole community is affected: gender lines blur, eyebrows raise, identities explode, and life and art are forever entangled. A thoughtful and exuberant Midwestern fable about the woman in every man, the man in every woman and the power of theatre to uncover both. Accompanied by accordion.

Anna Bella Eema | BUY

Lisa D’AmourDramatic comedy with music | Full-length3 females | 3-6 actors possible

Ten-year-old Anna Bella and her hermetic mother Irene live in a ratty trailer on the edge of town. When their trailer park is slated for demolition because of interstate highway expansion, Irene refuses to leave. In this moment of crisis, Anna Bella creates a new girl out of the mud behind their trailer home. This mud-girl helps Anna Bel-la and Irene channel the supernatural and face the life they must live in the world outside their trailer home. A richly imagined tale of a fierce mother/daughter bond, spoken and sung by three women.

“Its beauty and its depth are almost beyond language other than its own.” —The Austin Chronicle


FROM NEW YORK PAGE 18

Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake) | BUY

Sheila CallaghanComedy/Drama | Full-length2 males, 3 females | 5 actors possible

It’s Christmas, and a year has passed since the untimely death of Janice’s father. Struggling to cope, Janice is holding spiteful conver-sations with her dolls, and Mother is suffering from panic attacks, with only her baking skills to keep her busy. In their deteriorating Apartment that incessantly begs for repairs, their only comforts are visitations from their respective celebrity crushes—Justin Timber-lake and Harrison Ford. With the support of Justin’s affection, Janice begins to craft a plan that will mend the chasm in their lives. Mean-while, the Apartment is developing murderous plans of its own...

Glory Days | BUY

Nick Blaemire and James GardinerRock Musical | Full-length4 males | 4 actors possible

A year after graduating high school, four best friends reconnect on their old school’s football field. Will has called the boys together with a mission: to hack into the sprinkler system so that it goes off when the jocks who bullied them in high school take the field for a charity game. But as the guys wait for instructions on how to break into the system, they quickly realize how dramatically their lives have grown apart. With a soaring pop-rock score, Glory Days is a poignant and witty coming-of-age story about friends searching for understanding and validation as they face the consequences of growing up.

“This charming little pop musical about adolescent innocence comes from two experts on the subject... [it] should register with legions of like-minded souls on the threshold of adulthood...” —Paul Harris, Variety

Goodbye Cruel World | BUY

Robert Ross Parker, freely adapted from Nikolai Erdman’s The SuicideComedy | Full-length4 males, 2 females | 6-14 actors possible

Semyon Semyonovich has a problem: he thinks his life isn’t worth living. Unfortunately, everyone he knows agrees with him! But when he decides to end it all, he finds himself the center of attention, urged to blame his misery on love, philosophy, and even politics. When a glorious death is the most popular commodity in town, how much will a simple suicide cost? A saucy Soviet satire. Seriously.

This rarely produced gem is a door-slamming farce wrapped inside a humanist attack on the Soviet regime... As comedies about mortality go, this one is rather joyful. —Jason Zinoman, New York Times

In Darfur | BUY

Winter MillerDrama | Full-length3 males, 4 females | 7-12 actors possible

In Darfur is the provocative account of three intertwined lives at a camp for internally displaced persons in Darfur. The story follows an aid worker’s mission to save and protect lives, a journalist’s pursuit to deliver a “Page One” story and a Darfuri woman’s quest for safety. It is a searing story of urgency and international significance. (A portion of the royalties from In Darfur will be donated to an anti-genocide organization.) Winner, “Two-Headed Challenge,”

“Winter’s play is an urgent and passionate response to a crisis unfolding at this moment.” —Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director, the Public Theater

Irena’s Vow | BUY

Dan GordonDrama | Full-length6 males, 4 females | 10-23 actors possible

Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy. 19-year-old Irena Gut is promot-ed to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the Ger-man commandant’s house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them in the midst of countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.

Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), Moving Arts, Los Angeles (2005). Photo: Paul Amendt.



Juvenilia | BUY

Wendy MacLeodComedy/Drama | Full-length2 males, 2 females | 4 actors possible

Bored of frat parties and second-run movies, a group of college friends challenge each other to have a three-way with the Chris-tian who lives next door. (“It could be the new Survivor.”) In this undergraduate world of irony and internet porn, sex is common but love is the thing that dares not speak its name.

“Cleverly written...it’s the playwright’s way with language that does the trick, her understanding of the versatile uses these sharp kids find for the idiomatic speech of their generation.” —Marilyn Stasio, Variety

Love Child | BUY

Daniel Jenkins and Robert StantonComedy | Full-length2 males | 2-13 actors possible

Joel, a neurotic, down-on-his-heels actor/playwright, is opening his new adaptation of an obscure Euripides comedy in a smelly former sausage factory in Brooklyn. Unknown to him, there’s a big-

time Hollywood casting director in the house, as well as his crazy mother (who’s also his agent) and his crazy aunt (who’s really his mother). When one of the actors takes sleeping pills and passes out mid-performance, and the leading lady quits, Joel’s relatives leap over the footlights to rescue the show. Realities collide, and his family’s wild stories out-Greek the script, in a horrifically hilari-ous night of truth-telling. Just two actors can play all of the outland-ish characters in this stripped-down, high-octane farce.

Memory House | BUY

Kathleen TolanComedy/Drama | Full-length2 females | 2 actors possible

One winter night a woman bakes a pie as a girl tries to finish her college essay. As the deadline looms, unexamined issues of the girl’s adoption from Russia, the rupture of her parents divorce, and the fear of leaving home break through the surface as the mother cajoles, deflects, and maneuvers around her own feelings of sad-ness and loss. Unfolding in real time, Memory House is about a young and an older woman who are forced to grapple with the past as they face an uncertain future. A funny and moving story about the complexity of living in the world today.

“This glowingly written play by Kathleen Tolan may remind you of why we go to the theater in the first place.” —Journal News

Natalia Zvereva and Dianne Wiest in the New York Premiere of Memory House, Playwrights Horizons, New York City (2005). Photo: Joan Marcus.



MilkMilkLemonade | BUY

Joshua ConkelComedy | Full-length5 either | 5 actors possible

Emory is an effeminate 11-year-old boy who lives on a farm with his chain smoking Nanna and his only friend, a depressed chick-en about to be processed. Nanna wishes Emory would get his head out of the clouds, stop choreographing ribbon stick dance numbers, and be more like Elliot, the boy down the road with a penchant for burning things. But Emory and Elliot have a relation-ship—just not one Nanna would expect or approve of. With absurd, poignant dialog and brutal characterizations, MilkMilkLemonade is a bitterly funny exploration of gender, sexuality, life, death, and the human body.

“Conkel and director Isaac Butler are unafraid to go for the belly: They want you laughing, nauseated or both. It’s proof of how desperately comedy needs audacity: Here, as on your average chicken farm, only the plucky survive.” —TimeOut New York

The Pied Pipers of The Lower East SideDerek Ahonen | BUY

Drama/Comedy | Full-length4 males, 2 females | 6 actors possible

An extraordinary gathering of young idealists lives above a vegan restaurant in NYC. Billy, Dawn, Dear and Wyatt are an extended sexual family battling their fears and addictions in order to live their utopian dream. The Pied Pipers of The Lower East Side is a cel-ebration of love and the search for human grandness—and what happens when bohemian paradise begins to crumble.

“Brings to mind the vitality that distinguished the early Off-Off Broadway work of artists like Sam Shepard only a generation ago.” —The New Yorker

punkplay | BUY

Gregory S. MossComedy/Drama | Full-length3 males, 1 female, 2 either | 4-6 actors possible

A history of America in the 1980s, an idiosyncratic genealogy of punk rock music, and a personal narrative of growing up as an outsider, punkplay is a mix tape tribute to the excesses and ener-gy of adolescence. Mickey, a thirteen-year-old suburban misfit, is befriended by an angry runaway named Duck. Together, the boys attempt to reinvent themselves using punk rock, but as reality threatens to crash in on them, their fabricated world of amped-up music and shocking band names becomes just as oppressive as the society they’re desperate to reject.

Self Defense, or death of some salesmen | BUY

Carson KreitzerDrama | Full-length3 males, 5 females | 8-24 actors possible

Seven white men have been found dead along I-95 in Florida. A prostitute is arrested and charged with their murders. The po-lice say she’s a serial killer. She claims seven separate acts of self-defense. Inspired by the true story of Aileen Wuornos, Self Defense, or death of some salesmen is a whirlwind seven acts in 95 minutes. The play is fast and furious, shocking and funny, and at its center, a portrait of a very complicated human being. She is complex, charismatic, dangerous, damaged, full of love and an-ger; above all else, she is alive. An investigation of capital punish-ment, destitution, violence against (and by) women, and whether a prostitute is considered a person under our justice system, Self Defense gives a long, hard look at an America most of us don’t want to admit exists.

“The play moves like lightning, cutting through a series of brief scenes that illuminate the story in puzzle-piece fashion...smart and surprisingly funny... Insightful, engaging, witty, earnest...Self Defense is socially-conscious drama at its best.” —Brooke Pierce, TheaterMania

Max Posner and Sam Alper in punkplay, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (2008). Set & Photo: Sara Ossana



Seven Minutes in Heaven | BUY

Steven LevensonComedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 6 actors possible

It’s a Friday night in 1995 and Monday morning homeroom is a million miles away. Six over-stimulated, under-supervised high school students are gathered in Margot’s basement to meet her mysterious boyfriend from summer camp—though none of them have even seen a picture of him and he has yet to show up. As the teens keep themselves busy with rounds of party games, the night gives way to stolen kisses, malicious gossip, and broken hearts. This heartbreaking, hilariously real play showcases the absurd and terrible ecstasy of being young in America.

“Wildly charming... Spot-on teen dialogue. The show paces itself as parties do, with what-should-we-play-next aimlessness punctuated by sudden moments of abruptly adult pain.” —Helen Shaw, Time Out New York

She Like Girls | BUY

Chisa HutchinsonDrama | Full-length3 males, 6 females | 8-11 actors possible

Kia Clark has dreamt of Marisol Feliciano since the start of the school year, but always assumed that she was staunchly hetero-sexual (like everyone else in their neighborhood). While supporting Marisol through a health crisis, the two share a forbidden kiss that starts a fulfilling—but challenging—romantic relationship. Strain-ing to keep their involvement a secret from their conservative mothers and their gay-bashing classmates, harassment from even their closest friends escalates, forcing Kia to choose between her newfound sexuality and societal acceptance.

“Ms. Hutchinson has a sharp ear for dialogue...and shows clearly the web of prejudice and hostility woven by peers and parents.” —The New York Times

Swimming in the Shallows | BUY

Adam BockComedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 6 actors possible

Barb finds out that Buddhist monks in Thailand only own eight things—and wonders if that is all she wants. She starts giving away her things but her husband Bob keeps buying her new ones. Donna wants Carla Carla to marry her, but Carla Carla doesn’t like that Donna smokes. Nick meets a shark at the aquarium—they go on a date to the beach and Nick tries not to sleep with the shark too fast. Plus dream sequences. Plus a wedding.

“Bock tells his fairy tale in a surreal idiom that shows wit and imagination. Working with a loose-limbed structure of episodic scenes, [he] focuses on cute characters caught up in winsome gay love stories deriving considerable charm from their oddball humor.” —Marilyn Stasio, Variety

Vampire Cowboy Trilogy | BUY

Qui Nguyen and Robert Ross ParkerComedy | Full-length2 males, 3 females, 2 either | 7-25 actors possible

This live comic book anthology contains three irreverent comedies that hilariously skewer well-beloved genres. Hard-boiled paranormal detective Jake Misco takes on the case of a mysterious stranger who is haunted by her dead husband; a Cold War-era crime-fighting duo struggles to save America from the throes of Communism while ques-tioning their own principles; and a teenage warrior princess named Tina must fight evil Zombie cheerleaders and the tedium of French class.

roger&tom | Coming SoonJulien SchwabComedy/Drama | Full-length

A fast paced, mind bending, quasi romanti-tragi-dramedy that obliter-ates the fourth wall before building it back up again. Penny is Penny. But her ex-husband Richard is actually William. And Roger? Well, he’s just here to watch his brother’s play roger&tom. Or is he? Trevor | Coming SoonNick JonesComedy/Drama | Full-length

Inspired by true events, Trevor is a subversive comedy about fame, success, and the lies we tell ourselves in order to keep peo-ple from taking away an erratic, 200-pound chimpanzee. At the center of this hilarious and heart-wrenching play are two individu-als fighting against a world unable to understand their love: Trevor, a chimpanzee who once performed in commercials with the likes of Morgan Fairchild, and his owner Sandra, who swears he would never hurt a fly...at least not on purpose. A moving exploration of family, flawed communication, and humanity.

Seven Minutes in Heaven, HERE Arts Center, New York City (2010). Photo: Adrienne Campbell-Holt



Female LeadsAloha, Say the Pretty Girls | BUY

Naomi IizukaComedy | Full-length5 males, 4 females | 9-11 actors possible

A man moves to write the great American novel. A woman moves to Alaska to start a new life. Babies, wild dogs, komodo dragons, and hula dancers abound in this play about finding your tribe in a world gone haywire.

Anne of Green Gables | BUY

Peter DeLaurierComedy/Drama | Full-length3 males, 8 females | 11-13 actors possible

When aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert send to the orphanage in Nova Scotia for a boy to help them on the farm, they get more than they bargain for. Due to a mix-up, they are instead left with 11-year-old Anne Shirley. Over the course of six years, this romantic, hot-headed, and energetic girl wins their hearts and turns the stodgy, rural Canadian community into a bright world of "kindred spirits." This swift yet theatrical adaptation of the classic novel is an all-ages crowd-pleaser.

Dog Act | BUY

Liz Duffy AdamsPost-apocalyptic comedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 6 actors possible

Post-apocalyptic wilderness was never funnier. Follow the adven-tures of Zetta Stone, a traveling performer, and her companion Dog (a young man undergoing a voluntary species demotion) as they wander through the former northeastern United States. Zetta, Dog and their little troupe are on their way to a gig in China, assuming they can find it...and survive the journey. A theatrical, darkly comic variation on the classic doomsday genre, with five original songs.

DollHouse | BUY

Theresa RebeckDrama | Full-length3 males, 3 females, 2 either | 7-8 actors possible

A contemporary adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House that sheds a fresh new light on Nora's struggle to reclaim herself. In the tony suburbs of Connecticut, Nora's children are cared for by a Jamai-can nanny, her husband's best friend is in love with her, and her stifling marriage is crumbling. Nora also has a secret, the revela-tion of which irrevocably sets her life on a new course.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear | BUY

Lauren GundersonRevenge Comedy | Full-length2 males, 2 females | 4 actors possible

Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With the help of her friend Simon (acting as her emotional—and actual—cheerleader) and a stripper named Sweetheart, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenacts scenes from their painful past. In the piece de resistance, they plan to cov-er the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear. Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this smart, dark revenge comedy.

"Gunderson's script not only makes each character adorably quirky but engenders empathy for all four as well. This show contains enough offbeat and grisly—no pun intended—humor that the Bard's immortally funny line is a fitting title." —The Week Magazine

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ABOUT THIS SECTION | Covering the classics as well as new plays, this section lists plays that feature strong female leads. From Lysistrata to Nora, and everything in between, the lead roles in these plays are perfect for college-age women.


FEMALE LEADS PAGE 23

Finger Foods: An Evening of Short Plays | BUY

Nina ShengoldComedy/Drama | Full-length3 males, 5 females | 8-45 actors possible

These seven short comedies and dramas provide a lightly surre-al romp for actors, who play everything from ex-boyfriends in a police lineup (Forty to Life), to abandoned suitcases (Emotional Baggage), to four women of uncommon zen wisdom (Lives of the Great Waitresses). Together these pieces serve up a satisfying assortment of life experiences that are sometimes mysterious, sometimes hilarious, and always surprising. Heddatron | BUY

Elizabeth MeriwetherComedy/Drama | Full-length6 males, 4 females, 2 either | 10-14 actors possible

A pregnant housewife is abducted by robots and taken to the rain-forest and forced to perform Hedda Gabler by her robot captors. Meanwhile, her family is back home in Michigan trying to find her, and Henrik Ibsen is in Norway attempting to write Hedda Gabler, as Strindberg taunts him. A hilarious and savage journey to freedom.

"Strangely moving... Achieves true, and truly original, theatrical transcendence... Magical... Brings to mind the heady fall down the rabbit hole that begins Alice's Adventures in Wonderland..." —Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Hiding in the Open | BUY

Kira ObolenskyDrama | Full-length4 males, 6 females | 8-14 actors possible

An adaptation of Sabina Zimering's memoir, Hiding in the Open tells the true story of two Jewish sisters from Poland who assume false Catholic identities and work in a Nazi hotel during World War II. Living in constant fear of having their identities revealed, the sisters bravely face danger and the challenges of growing up while keeping their heritage a secret. Thrilling and heart-warming, this story of survival and teenage courage examines the bonds of fam-ily and human kindness in the face of great atrocities. Iphigenia and Other Daughters | BUY

Ellen McLaughlinDrama | Full-length1 male, 9 females | 9-21 actors possible

This three-play cycle is a modern retelling of the fall of the House of Atreus. It follows the children of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, siblings who are both players in the family tragedy and victims of it. The cycle of blood and vengeance seems inescapable until the final reunion of a lost sister and brother brings the bloody family saga to its mystical and unlikely end.

Kate Crackernuts | BUY

Sheila CallaghanConvoluted fairy tale | Full-length4 males, 5 females, 10 either | 9-19 actors possible

Kate's sister Anne, a ravishing beauty, wakes up one morning to discover a sheep's head between her shoulders. Thus begins the journey of the two sisters in their quest to return Anne's true head to its proper place. The journey is sidetracked, however, by Kate's ob-session with a slim raver-boy who has a nasty little addiction. Based loosely and lyrically on the British fairy tale "Kate Crackernuts." Kid-Simple: a radio play in the fleshJordan Harrison | BUY

Comedy | Full-length3 males, 3 females, 1 either | 6-11 actors possible

Moll, a girl who invents things, wins the science fair with a machine for hearing sounds that can't be heard. But when a shapeshifting Mercenary steals the invention (and her heart), she must embark on a quest to save noise as we know it. Accompanied by the last boy-virgin in the eleventh grade, Moll crosses chasms and rafts riv-ers into a world where sound is always more than what meets the ear. A quirky fable of innocence and experience, featuring live sound effects, mutinous onomatopoeia, and a host of woodsy temptations.

Hiding in the Open, History Theatre, St. Paul, Minnesota (2010).



Little Women | BUY

Jacqueline GoldfingerComedy/Drama with music | Full-length2 males, 5 females | 7 actors possible

In this affecting, delightful adaptation of Alcott's classic novel, the four spirited March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—endeavor to sustain their family in the absence of their father, who is away fighting the Civil War. Led by their devoted Marmee and accompa-nied by music from the period, each girl struggles to overcome her own limitations to become the best version of herself, even in the midst of disease, jealousy, and poverty.

Lysistrata | BUY

Ellen McLaughlinComedy | Full-length7 males, 13 females | 13-26 actors possible

This fresh, fast-paced comedy, inspired by the Aristophanes play, follows Lysistrata, an Athenian housewife, who calls for the wom-en of Greece to help end the Peloponnesian War. She proposes a radical plan: all Greek women must refuse to engage in love making until the men see reason, lay down their arms and come home to lay down with their wives in peace. The women agree to make the sacrifice and all hell breaks loose as men wander the country in an agony of unsatisfied lust. Will Lysistrata and her crew accomplish what the politicians could not?

Miss Julie | BUY

Craig LucasDrama | Full-length1 male, 2 females | 3 actors possible

In this new adaptation of Strindberg's classic drama, mistress of the house, Miss Julie, and her servant play a dangerous game of seduction in an effort to relieve themselves of their trapped exis-tences. Using everything in their arsenals from sex to money, the two battle each other in a struggle for power and escape.

"Craig Lucas' mission in adapting Strindberg's Miss Julie was to remove the fussy Victorian attitudes that have hampered previous translations and are not faithful to the original. He has succeeded admirably in this new version." —Victor Gluck, Backstage

Pride and Prejudice | BUY

Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. SullivanRomantic Comedy | Full-length10 males, 14 females | 23-26 actors possible

Marriage is an inevitable fact of life for the five Bennet sisters—Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. With the family estate en-tailed 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 Bing-ley. 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 opinionat-ed and spirited Elizabeth, the situation becomes more complicated than either of them expect. The fire and wit of Jane Austen's clas-sic 1813 romance shines through in this vibrant new adaptation. Quake | BUY

Melanie MarnichComedy/Drama | Full-length3 males, 3 females | 5-17 actors possible

Lucy is on a cross-country mission, looking for the love of her life. Her journey takes her across the American landscape, through hi-larious and eccentric relationships in which time and emotion pass in a warped instant. When her quest becomes intertwined with that of a quirky female serial killer (an astrophysicist gone bad), the landscape changes once again, as they cross state lines and faultlines, exploring the geography of the human heart. Schoolgirl Figure | BUY

Wendy MacLeodComedy | Full-length1 male, 4 females | 5-11 actors possible

Welcome to a high school where the in-crowd is the thin-crowd. The death of the uber-anorexic Monique, queen of the Carpenters, kicks off a scramble for the crown, and the school's hottest hottie, The Bradley. Renee, with the help of her bulimic best friend Patty, is determined to claim the crown by out-foxing her rival Jeanine and taking her body back to its pre-puberty contours. Let the diet wars begin!

"Playwright Wendy MacLeod's bitter black comedy is...sick. It's perverse. It's irreverent. And it's hilarious." —The Washington Post

Not sure what you’re looking for? Find A Play right now.



Asa Somers and Lia Aprile in Tallgrass Gothic, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky (2004). Photo: Harlan Taylor.

The Big Book of Moliere Monologues:

Hilarious Performance Pieces from Our Greatest

Comic Playwright

Tallgrass Gothic | BUY

Melanie MarnichDrama | Full-length4 males, 2 females | 6 actors possible

The longing, isolation, desire and fear of the classic Jacobean tragedy The Changeling are transported to the Great Plains of the Midwest in this haunting tale. At the center of the story is Laura, whose need to leave her small, rural home and controlling hus-band is ignited when she falls in love with a man who offers her escape and a future. But in this place where history and its ghosts populate the landscape, Laura's hunger for a new beginning sets off a violent chain of events that leads her not out of town, but to a profound (and terrifying) understanding of her true nature.

"In Tallgrass Gothic, her lyric and strangely engrossing play...Marnich has sharply drawn some characters who may give the denizens of Wisteria Lane a run for their scandals... But the play is most exciting because of Marnich's promise as a writer. She has found a poetic, natural cadence for characters, and this heightened language is part of what makes Eugene O'Neill and August Wilson enduring figures." —Rohan Preston, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The Trojan Women | BUY

Ellen McLaughlinDrama | Full-length2 males, 12 females | 12-40 actors possible

In the wake of their devastating defeat, the women of Troy, all now widows, wait on the beach below the ravaged city to be claimed by their Greek conquerors as slaves and concubines. Though the war is over, exile and degradation lie ahead and the fates of these women, including Queen Hecuba, her daughter Cassandra, the doomed, mad prophetess, and her daughter-in-law Andromache, widow of the great Hector, are still in the balance.



One-Acts 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College

Interview | BUY

Ian McWethyComedy | One-act6 males, 7 females, 3 either | 4-16 actors possible

When two college recruiters at a prestigious university need to fill one last spot to keep their jobs, thirteen eccentric, dimwitted and slightly-insane high school seniors are eager to come in for an interview. What seems like a simple task turns into a nightmare when the applicants turn out to be a reality TV star, a practicing vampire, an amateur magician, and others that are much, much worse. Each applicant’s interview hilariously illustrates what NOT to do at a college interview.

15 Reasons Not To Be in a PlayAlan Haehnel | BUY

Comedy | One-act14 males, 14 females, 12 either | 15-67 actors possible

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.

Antigone Now | BUY

Melissa CooperDrama | One-act1 male, 3 females | 4-11 actors possible

In the midst of a bombed-out city still feeling the aftershocks of war, the rebellious and intense Antigone defies her uncle to bury her disgraced brother. This contemporary response to the myth of Antigone brings powerful, modern prose to an ancient and uni-versal story.

“This deeply stirring adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone ...proved the starkest, most electrifying and inspired piece the company has produced in years... It’s great for kids to see ancient theater connect so electrifyingly with their own world. But adult audiences deserve to see this superb experiment as well.” —Dallas Morning News

The Auditioners | BUY

Doug RandComedy | One-act3 males, 11 females | 3-14 actors possible

This audition was supposed to be simple: prepare one classical monologue and one contemporary monologue. But when this challenge is taken up by a beauty queen, a stand-up comic, a slam poet, an Esperanto-speaking mime, and a parade of other crazies—most of whom insist on doing the same Lady Macbeth piece very badly—what’s a director to do?

Antigone Now, Dallas Theater Center (2003).

ABOUT THIS SECTION | Listed in this section are our most popular one-acts for college-age actors and directors. From a modern adaptation of Antigone, to scenes from the wackiest dates you’ve ever seen (Check Please), the short plays below are perfect for study, in class performance, or studio shows.


ONE-ACTS PAGE 27

Bake Off | BUY

Sheri WilnerComedy | One-act2 males, 1 female | 3 actors possible

Last year, the largest cash prize in Bake Off history was awarded to a man; this year, one female contestant will make sure that the male entrants get their just desserts...

“Top honors go to Sheri Wilner’s Bake Off, a devastatingly funny riff on the Pillsbury Bake-Off, in which contestant Rita, furious that a man won the previous year’s grand prize for the first time, goes to any lengths to keep well-meaning Paul from repeating the other man’s win.” —CurtainUp

Boy Meets Girl: A Young Love StorySam Wolfson | BUY

Comedy | One-act1 male, 1 female | 2-4 actors possible

Follow Sam and Katie as they go through the trials and tribulations of love at the tender age of five in this hilarious and sweet take on young romance. From the decision to check the “yes” box on their boyfriend/girlfriend contracts to more serious conversations about past nap part-ners, Sam and Katie find themselves entering into a genuine relation-ship, all in the midst of worrying about the spelling bee, selling Girl Scout cookies, and figuring out what they want to be when they grow up.

“A non-stop 30-minute laughfest!!!” —The Los Angeles Times

Check Please | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | One-act7 males, 7 females | 4-26 actors possible

Dating can be hard. Especially when your date happens to be a raging kleptomaniac, or your grandmother’s bridge partner, or a mime. Check Please follows a series of blind dinner dates that couldn’t get any worse—until they do. Could there possibly be a light at the end of the tunnel?

Down Came the Rain | BUY

Burgess ClarkDrama | One-act2 males | 2 actors possible

Eighteen-year-old Michael and his fourteen-year-old brother Brucie—who has been considered mentally “slow” since birth—venture out on a camping trip together. Brucie’s never-ending curiosity becomes increasingly unbearable to Michael, especially when the questions involve the death of their mother. Down Came the Rain is a touching, sad, and ultimately hopeful exploration of two vastly different broth-ers, and how they navigate the delicacy of family and truth. I Dream Before I Take the Stand | BUY

Arlene HuttonDrama | One-act1 male, 1 female | 2 actors possible

A defense lawyer cross-examines a woman during her testimony in a sexual assault case—and in doing so, horribly distorts her perfectly innocent walk in the park. Kissing Scene | BUY

Carl MartinComedy | One-act1 male, 1 female | 2 actors possible

An hour before acting class, Ashley and Richard meet to rehearse their scene. It calls for them to kiss five times, but whenever they get to the first kiss they break character to argue—about Richard’s late-ness, about Ashley’s attitude, about who chose this scene and why. Does one of them have a secret crush on the other? They’ll have to rehearse the entire scene to find out—if they can make it that far.

Meet the Roommates | BUY

Jonathan RandComedy | One-act8 females, 8 males | 7-16 actors possible

Two friends discover an incredible online simulator that shows them exactly what their future college roommate experiences will look like. Yet after a few minutes with a raging narcoleptic, a world-class procrastinator, and a children’s party clown, it may be time to seriously consider living alone.

Matt Craig and Lucy Luedeke in Boy Meets Girl: A Young Love Story, Huntington University, Huntington, Indiana (2012)


The Most Massive Woman Wins | BUY

Madeleine GeorgeComedy/Drama | One-act4 females | 4 actors possible

Challenging, brutal and hilarious, four women of various shapes and sizes sitting in the waiting room of a liposuction clinic explore their perceptions of body image. The women reveal their experi-ences dealing with their weight issues through monologues, short scenes, and even schoolyard rhymes. From painful childhood memories to frustrations with the opposite sex, these experiences both haunt and empower these women as they imagine their way to a new vision of themselves as beautiful and whole.

“...a thought-provoking glimpse at the anguished consequences for women trying to conform to society’s often unattainable image of female beauty.” —Martin Hernandez, LA Weekly

Poof! | BUY

Lynn NottageComedy | One-act2 females | 2 actors possible

When a housewife comes to the end of her rope with her abusive husband, she doesn’t expect him to spontaneously combust. Now she has a pile of ashes on the floor, and a life to reclaim.

The Role of Della | BUY

John WootenComedy | One-act3 females | 3 actors possible

An eager young actress has her eye set on the role of Della, but can she convince a cold, sarcastic director that she’s right for the part? A riveting and riotous look at the contemporary audition process, giving new meaning to the term “stealing a scene.”

“Wooten has come up with a very witty ending. Give the playwright a candy bar—and make sure it’s an O. Henry.” —Peter Filichia, The Newark Star Ledger

The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet | BUY

Peter BloedelComedy | One-act6 males, 6 females, 12 either | 12-24 actors possible

A whimsical reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragic love story, com-plete with rhymed couplets, creative wordplay, and fantastical ma-chines—similar to something Dr. Seuss might have come up with if he ever had his way with the script...

The Siren Song of Stephen Jay GouldBenjamin Bettenbender | BUY

Comedy | One-act1 male, 1 female | 2 actors possible

A man lands on a woman after trying to throw himself off a bridge in a botched suicide attempt. On the quiet riverbank, as he attends to her minor injury, he learns that she too was planning to end her life over a broken heart. An argument ensues over the relative se-riousness of their respective losses, the nature of existence, and the harmful effects of the essays of biologist Stephen Jay Gould. Will this unexpected collision lead each of them back to the dark place where they started, or will they start anew?

The Whole Shebang | BUY

Rich OrloffComedy | One-act1 male, 1 female, 4 either | 6 actors possible

This play asks the question, “What if the entire universe was just some nerd’s science project?” In a classroom in a dimension far be-yond 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.)

“It’s a witty, whimsical, charming one-act play.” —New York Daily News

SUPERHEROES: With Great Power Comes Ordinary ResponsibilitiesIan McWethy | Coming SoonComedy | One-act

For superheroes, saving the world is tough, but the time spent away from work is tougher. The Hulk has to do taxes, sidekicks form a support group, and Batman goes stir-crazy without enough crime to fight. Superheroes is a funny, fast-paced series of vi-gnettes that explores how the caped crusaders deal with life in street clothes.

ONE-ACTS PAGE 28

Discover adaptations of your favorite

children’s books.



Anthologies24 by 24: The 24 Hour Plays Anthology | BUY

Will Eno, Tina Howe, David Ives, Terrence McNally, Adam Rapp, Theresa Rebeck, and more

In 1995, a group of writers, directors and actors gathered on Manhattan’s Lower East Side for what was supposed to be a one-time-only event: write, direct, pro-duce and perform new plays within the span of 24 hours. More than a decade

and just over 300 plays later, The 24 Hour Plays have been pro-duced on Broadway, in London, Los Angeles, Chicago and across the globe.

Funny, Strange, Provocative: Seven Plays from Clubbed Thumb | BUY

Adam Bock, Sheila Callaghan, Erin Courtney, Lisa D’Amour, Rinne Groff, Ann Marie Healy, and Carson Kreitzer

This anthology includes seven plays produced by Clubbed Thumb, the Obie Award-winning downtown New

York City theater company that burst onto the new play scene in 1996. Edgy and thought-provoking, each play is funny, strange, and provocative in surprising, widely varying ways—including an apartment that both adores and despises its inhabitants in Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), a metropolitan housewife who senses that something is watching her in 16 Spells to Charm the

Beast, and a group of traveling freak show performers who reveal a deep humanity underneath their crowd-drawing deformities in Freakshow, among other uniquely inventive stories. For over a decade, Clubbed Thumb has had its finger firmly planted on the pulse of new work, and these plays prove it. California Scenarios | BUY Luis Alfaro, Rick Coca, Joann Farias, Anne Garcia-Romero, Jose Cruz Gonzalez, and Octavio Solis

Rich in history, fantasy, triumph, and longing, this collection of short plays captures aspects of Latinos in California, from a group of women waiting in the night to be swept away by their bandit-boy-friend (Desert Longing or Las Aventureras by Anne Garcia-Romero), to a young monk who finds introspection in the form of a skeleton (The Seven Visions of Encarnacion by Octavio Solis). Inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture garden “California Scenario,” each play reveals a complex view of the California landscape as it has never been seen before.

Great Short Comedies, Volumes 1-6 | BUY

Lucy Alibar, David Lindsay-Abaire,Werner Trieschmann, Daryl Watson, and more

Fast and funny, these volumes con-tain short comedies that will split your side as you roll down the aisle bust-ing a gut. From four young business-men handling delicate negotiations over whether to like girls (Controlling Interest by Wayne S. Rawley),to a

blue-collar family coming to terms with their absurd prejudices (How We Talk in South Boston by David Lindsay-Abaire), and many more these collections will make audiences laugh till it hurts.

ABOUT THIS SECTION | Playscripts offers a wide selection of anthologies from some of today’s most renowned theater companies, festivals, and playwrights. From modern classics to the best 10-minute plays, these anthologies are perfect for classroom study and performance.


ANTHOLOGIES PAGE 30

Great Short Plays, Volumes 1-10 | BUY

Liz Duffy Adams, Trista Baldwin, Taylor Mac, Elizabeth Meriwether, John Walch, and more

With a diverse blend of themes, styles, and cast requirements, Great Short Plays contain extraordinary comedies and dramas. From the oldest living hu-man with exactly ten minutes left before the end of the world (The Last Woman

on Earth by Liz Duffy Adams), to a marriage reconciled with puppet therapy (The Rebirth of Beautiful by John Walch), these collections deliver a little bit of everything in half the time.

Humana Festival: The Complete Plays (2006-2013) | BUY

Idris Goodwin, Lucas Hnath, Greg Kotis, Lisa Kron, Allison Moore, A. Rey Pamatmat, and more

Each anthology brings together all ten scripts from the year’s Humana Festival of New American Plays, staged at Ac-tors Theatre of Louisville. These unique compilations feature an exceptional ar-ray of work by some of the most exciting

new voices in the American theatre, including Adam Rapp, Anne Washburn, A. Rey Pamatmat, Sharr White, Adam Bock and many more. These diverse compilations of plays are must-haves for any-one searching for challenging, captivating, and bold theater.

Naked Angels Issues Projects: Collected Plays | BUY

Lee Blessing, Warren Leight, Kenneth Lonergan, Craig Lucas, Jon Robin Baitz, and more

Since 1989, New York City’s Naked Angels has collaborated with some of America’s most beloved playwrights to create exciting, topical plays for their

time-honored tradition: The Issues Project. The short plays within this collection respond to resonant themes from gun control to the environment, faith to human rights.

Random Acts of Comedy: 15 Hit One-Act Plays for Student Actors | BUY

Julia Brownell, Ian McWethy, Ed Monk, Qui Nguyen, Rich Orloff, Jonathan Rand, Don Zolidis, and more

Home of the most popular one-act plays for student actors, Playscripts, Inc. presents 15 of their very best

short comedies. From a blind dating debacle to a silly Shake-speare spoof, from a fairy tale farce to a self-hating satire, this anthology contains hilarious large-cast plays that have delighted thousands of audiences around the world. Snapshot | BUY

Tanya Barfield, Lynn Nottage, Dan O’Brien, Craig Wright and more

A photograph captures and documents a single moment in time and space—a snapshot of history, of a reality bounded by the pho-to’s frame. But what lies outside, beyond, behind the photograph? And what stories, memories, or associations does an image of place inspire? In this multi-writer project from Actors Theatre of Louisville, a diverse assortment of talented playwrights encounter and transform Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 1969, a compel-ling image of the monument by renowned photographer Lee Fried-lander. Their thought-provoking scenes and monologues range from delightful comedy to utterly serious tragedy, each approach-ing the photo’s themes through a new lens.

Act a Lady (Humana Festival 2006: The Complete Plays), Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky (2006). Photo: Harlan Taylor.


ANTHOLOGIES PAGE 31

Ten-Minute Plays from the Guthrie Theater Volumes 1-3 | BUY

Joan Ackermann, Carson Kreitzer, Melanie Marnich, Kira Obolensky, and more

Since its founding in 1963, the Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis has pioneered the American regional theater movement, bringing to life both the traditional classical repertoire and a diverse body of new works. The ten-minute plays in this series were commissioned by the theater for its Guthrie Experience summer acting conservatory. Each volume includes plays by outstanding playwrights, every one expanding the possibilities of the ten-minute form. The Civilians: An Anthology of Six Plays | BUY Neal Bell, Steven Cosson, Michael Friedman, Anne Washburn, and The Civilians

Collected for the first time in one volume are six inventive theater pieces created by Obie Award-winning theater company The Civil-ians. Based on the creative investigation of actual experience, and often intertwined with experimental cabaret, their pieces are bold-ly theatrical and always unique—from a story about a Hollywood movie and a lost flock of geese (Canard, Canard, Goose?); to a tale about things lost and found, charting a musical landscape of loss (Gone Missing); to a dark ride through the landscape of Amer-ican public culture, asking a thorny question: how do we know what we know when everyone in power seems to be lying? ((I Am) Nobody’s Lunch). Thornton Wilder’s Playlets: Short, Short Plays for 3-5 Persons | BUY Thornton Wilder

This anthology by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Thornton Wild-er is a collection of twenty-two very short plays, three of which are published here for the very first time. These snapshots of the creative spirit at play explore a variety of complex characters that range from the ordinary to the biblical, the haunted to the mysti-cal. From the tale of a conflicted composer with a strangely fa-miliar tune stuck in his head (The Song of Maria Bentedos), to a pair of newlyweds who find themselves bizarrely affected by the color of their hotel’s tea room (Flamingo Red: A Comedy in Danger), all these tales—many told with great wit and humor—ask the thought-provoking questions of mortality, morality, and faith that Thornton Wilder is famous for asking.

Twas the Night Before | BUY

Christopher Durang, Len Jenkin, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, and Mac Wellman

A collection of five Christmas-themed short plays from New York City’s acclaimed Flea Theater. From a family sitting down to read “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with unexpected results (Not a Creature Was Stirring), to elves rapping about bloody films (Holiday Movies), to an irreverent take on the story of Jesus’ birth (Away in the Manger), these comedies and dramas take on the holiday season like never before. Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes): 90 Plays from the First 25 Years of the Neo-FuturistsGreg Allen | Coming Soon

The longest-running show in Chicago history, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind comprises 90 1-minute plays from the Neo-Fu-turists, the ensemble that dares to attempt “30 Plays in 60 Minutes,” letting the audience choose which plays will be performed, and in what sequence. Comedy, tragedy, social consciousness, and me-ta-theatrical mayhem are all represented in this unique collection that presents the ultimate challenge: how many plays can you per-form once the 60-minute timer starts to tick?

Enjoy free script samples and free music clips on playscripts.com.

Canard, Canard, Goose? (The Civilians: An Anthology of Six Plays),HERE Arts Center, New York City (2002). Photo: Leslie Lyons.



Sleep By Adam Szymkowicz

CAST OF CHARACTERSBRIAN, 18 years old | MELISSA, 18 years old | DARLA, 18 years old | EM, 18 years old

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSSleep was first performed at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting Teen Rehearsal and Performance Program on August 13th and 14th, 2010 in New York City. It was directed by Melissa Ross and starred Shaina Ferguson, Minou Clark, Hugh Smith and Annie Rasiel.

It was subsequently produced by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater as part of TheatreJam June 2, 2013 in New York City. It was directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and starred Emma Galvin, Pico Jogalla, Emily Perkins, and Marie Polizzano.

PLEASE NOTE: To perform this play you must obtain performance rights at playscripts.com.

(BRIAN, MELISSA, DARLA and EM speak to the audience from separate spaces. Their speech may overlap.) DARLA. Where am I?

BRIAN. All I want is to be taken seriously. Is that so much to ask?

MELISSA. I just— It doesn’t make sense.

EM. The truth is, there are a limited number of happy people in the

world at any given time.

DARLA. Where am I?

MELISSA. I just…give me a minute.

BRIAN. Look at me. See me.

EM. The more people that are aware of how many unknowable

things there are, the more people are unhappy. But of course more

people are being born all the time. The number of happy people on

the earth is a constant. I can show you the math.

DARLA. Where am I?

BRIAN. On Saturday—

DARLA. On Saturday—

EM. On Saturday—

MELISSA. It was a day like any other. I woke up early to run.

BRIAN. I woke up at ten.

EM. I woke up at noon.

DARLA. I didn’t wake up.

(Beat.)BRIAN. On Monday—

EM. On Monday—

MELISSA. On Monday—

EM. They told us.

(A shift.)

ADAM SZYMKOWICZ’s plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania.

Published full length plays include Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Clown Bar, The Why Overhead, and Nerve.

Adam received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writer’s Guild of America, Primary Stages’ Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer’s Group, the MCC Playwright’s Coalition and was a founding member of the Ars Nova Play Group.

His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Playscripts, Original Works Publishing, Indie Theater Now and featured in New York Theatre Review ’07 and ’09, NYTE’s Cino Nights, and numerous Smith and Kraus books.

He has written articles for Howlround, New York Theatre Magazine and The Brooklyn Rail and has interviewed over 600 playwrights on his blog. He also has a web series called Compulsive Love and a comic strip called Toys In My House Comics. For more, www.adamszymkowicz.com.


FREE PLAY | Sleep, by Adam Szymkowicz PAGE 33

BRIAN. I am her best friend. Why would they not tell me? No, I’mnot her boyfriend. But that’s just something we decided. As adults.Don’t diminish my friendship with her. Don’t diminish me. Youcould have told me. Sure I was surprised not to hear from her overthe weekend and was surprised that she didn’t answer the phone or text me back, but it wasn’t alarming. I didn’t think it was alarming.EM. Darla and I haven’t been friends in a while. And there are lotsof reasons for that, none of them entirely clear. And it makes mesad, but that’s how it is. Still when they had an assembly to tell usabout her, it hit me hard, and when they said you could go talk tothe school psychiatrist if you wanted, I found that I wanted. Orsomething. I want something.MELISSA. I don’t want to talk to some ass clown school shrink.What does she know about Darla? What could she possibly know?Who the hell even falls into a coma for no reason? It just doesn’thappen. I mean she’s eighteen, not eighty. She didn’t have headtrauma or a drug overdose she just went to sleep and kept sleeping.Someone explain it to me!(Beat. No one explains it.)BRIAN. Last week. At the West End Diner.(BRIAN sits at a table with DARLA.)BRIAN. Do you know what you want?DARLA. I don’t know.BRIAN. Because—DARLA. Stop.BRIAN. No, I was just going to say—DARLA. Please, Brian. Sometimes it’s just so tiring.BRIAN. What is?DARLA. You have to be sick of it too.BRIAN. Sure. (Beat.) Wait, what?DARLA. Just all the stupid things we’re expected to do in a normalday. Everything wants something from you, all the time. I’m just soexhausted of the whole thing.BRIAN. I don’t know what you mean.DARLA. You know what I mean.BRIAN. I don’t want anything.DARLA. That’s exactly wrong. You’re a good example. I mean youand I are great.BRIAN. Yeah.DARLA. What we have is great.BRIAN. Right.DARLA. But you want something more.BRIAN. Well—DARLA. You know it’s true. You’re going to ruin our friendship. Youchave to stop.BRIAN. Stop what?DARLA. Stop sending that kind of energy my way. It’s only causingme pain.BRIAN. Pain?DARLA. Irritation!

BRIAN. But I love you.

DARLA. See, why’d you have to go and say that?

BRIAN. I didn’t have to.

DARLA. Then don’t. I think we should just be friends. Don’t you?

BRIAN. I guess.

DARLA. Good. That’s a relief.

BRIAN. Yeah. I mean—

DARLA. I’m glad we decided this like adults.

BRIAN. (Defeated:) Yeah.

DARLA. What are you having? I’m going to have a grilled cheese.

(BRIAN gets up from the table. DARLA lies down on the table, inher coma. BRIAN talks to MELISSA in the present.)MELISSA. You’re not going to the shrink, are you?

BRIAN. I don’t know. We could go to the hospital.

MELISSA. Is she even in there?

BRIAN. I don’t know.

MELISSA. It doesn’t make any sense.

BRIAN. I know.

MELISSA. Just last week we were waiting for a ride after cross

country and she said—

DARLA. (Sitting up and moving into MELISSA’s space:) Melissa,

I don’t know.

MELISSA. What?

DARLA. I just can’t handle the weight of it any more.

MELISSA. The weight of what?

DARLA. There are so many terrible things happening in the world

at any given time. Mass murders, destructions of virgin forests, the

creation of more plastic, people dropping out of school, not enough

drinking water, oppression, home schooling, unemployment,

focus groups, yellow number five, the push to ignore science, the

lack of understanding, diseased animals, unsafe farming, the lack

of justice, general assholery.

MELISSA. Oh.

DARLA. Doesn’t it bother you?

MELISSA. I try not to think about it.

DARLA. It makes me so tired.

MELISSA. Yeah. I’m going to get a bottle of water. You want one?

DARLA. Melissa, don’t be part of the problem.

(DARLA lies back down.)MELISSA. (To BRIAN:) Do you think I’m part of the problem?

BRIAN. No. I mean, you didn’t put her in a coma.

MELISSA. I didn’t, did I? It’s not my fault.

BRIAN. No. It’s my fault.

(EM approaches.)EM. Um, hi. Sorry, um. You guys are friends with Darla, right?

MELISSA. What do you care?

BRIAN. (Scolding:) Melissa. (To EM:) Yeah we are.

EM. I used to be friends with her.

BRIAN. Oh. Cool.


FREE PLAY | Sleep, by Adam Szymkowicz PAGE 34

EM. I was just wondering. Are you going to visit her? In the hospital, I mean?MELISSA. Yeah. I think so.(Pause.)BRIAN. You want to come?EM. Can I?MELISSA. Do you have a car?EM. Sort of.(They go to her “car.” EM opens the doors.)EM. Sorry it’s such a mess. Just put all that crap on the floor.(The three get in EM’s car.)EM. St. Thomas’?BRIAN. Yeah.(EM drives. They are all silent.)MELISSA. This sucks.BRIAN. Yeah.MELISSA. I mean, what the hell, Darla!?(Silence.)BRIAN. How did you know her?EM. When we were kids, we played a lot.(DARLA gets up and becomes her younger self. She reveals dollswhich she puts to sleep in various places on the stage.)EM. She lived right down the street from me so we would play. Sheliked to put all the dolls to sleep. One by one, we would put them all down. And she would always say—DARLA. Goodnight. Enjoy your rest. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.Sleep.EM. Then she would do it again. And again. Until all of the babieswere asleep.(DARLA does this.)BRIAN. I bet she was real cute when she was a kid.(The others say nothing. They arrive at the hospital. DARLA liesback down. They get out of the car, go to her.)EM. I hate hospitals.

MELISSA. Yeah.EM. The smell.MELISSA. Yeah.(They get to DARLA.)BRIAN. I’ve never seen her so calm.MELISSA. It’s unnatural.EM. I wonder what she’s thinking.BRIAN. Should we say something?MELISSA. What? Like a eulogy.BRIAN. No, like, “Hi?” I don’t know.(EM steps up.)EM. Darla, it’s Em. Hi. I know we haven’t talked in a while but weused to be good friends. And I miss you. I hope that when you come out of this we can be friends again. If you want. I promise to not ignore you in the halls and I will be there for you, in various ways, if you want me to… Just so you know. So…OK.(EM kind of steps away and BRIAN steps up.)BRIAN. Hey, it’s me. Hey. How’s it going in there? You feel rested?(Beat.) Sorry. I know I’m part of the problem. So, sorry about that.What can I say? I love you. I can’t help it. You’re different. You seethings other people don’t see. I wish I was more like you. Come back, will you? I promise I won’t bother you. I’ll try not to.(BRIAN steps back. MELISSA’s turn.)MELISSA. Listen, I’m sorry so much of the world sucks. I am. Butdropping out doesn’t help anyone. It makes it a little harder for theworld when you’re not around. So wake up, OK? Stop screwingaround. I’m serious. I’ll kick your ass if you don’t come out of thatcoma right now!(Does DARLA shift slightly or do they just act like she did?)EM. What was that?MELISSA. Did she move? I think she moved.BRIAN. Darla?(They watch her. DARLA doesn’t move. Blackout.)END OF PLAY

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CAPTIONSFRONT PAGE CAPTIONS FROM TOP LEFT: Pride@Prejudice, Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, New York (2012). Photo: Joe Schuyler.

How We Got On, Humana Festival of New American Plays, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky (2012). Photo: Alan Simons.

The Lily’s Revenge, HERE Arts Center, New York, New York (2009). Photo: Ves Pitts.

FROM THE INSIDE FRONT COVER:Randolph Curtis Rand and Kim Stauffer in Dracula, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky (2009). Photo: Harlan Taylor.

FROM THE TABLE OF CONTENTSRuth Hornemann, Martine Schrey, Serdar Ilbuga and Wolff von Lindenau in Unsinkable, Grenzlandtheatre, Aachen, Germany (2008).

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