February Reading List: Plays with 'Emotional' Titles

As February unfolds, we're shifting our focus to a collection of plays enriched with emotion-laden titles, each one carefully crafted to deliver nothing but the best for your stage or classroom.

So, grab a comfy spot, settle in, and dive into our February reading list. Let these plays be an emotional thrill ride that deliver unforgettable experiences. Get ready to ride the emotional wave!

Three middle school students find themselves in an odd curiosity shop. They don’t know what it is, where they are, or how they got there. But that’s no surprise. The Happiness Shop is not like any other. It is filled with Roppets.

A Roppet is not quite a robot and not quite a puppet. A Roppet is completely happy all the time. Full of smiles, hugs and hi-fives. Isn’t that all it takes for a middle school student to be happy? They’re too young to have problems.

Blake, Melanie and Wally know that’s not true. They all have pretty big problems. But in the shop they have one question to answer and one question only: What would you do to be completely happy?

With up to 28 speaking parts and easy staging The Happiness Shop is perfect for a class project.

For Alex, it's school. For Josh, it's his girlfriend. For Carmen, it's dealing with her coach. And Mindy's frustrated with her parents. Stress is driving this quartet crazy - so much so they can't stop talking about it.

Stressed is a symphony of sound and character.

A challenging but incredibly fun piece.

Jane has a problem with jealousy, so much so it's turned into a life-sized monster by her side. Jealousy follows Jane wherever she goes whether she likes it or not.

Jane tries to dismiss the monster's presence, but it's ruining her social life, her school life, and refuses take the hint. Jealousy is here to stay.

Will the monster take control of Jane's life? Or will she figure out how to ditch her demon? Read Jealousy Jane to find out!

Diners are a special place. You can get your coffee, fall in love, and find light when the world is dark. Duke’s is a family business - four generations strong.

Felix wants one last hurrah before leaving for college. She’s doing the full run - open to close - just like her grandpa did when he was a teenager. But why? Everyone knows Felix can barely wipe tables. Why is she trying so hard to connect? And what happens when Felix’s parents announce they’re selling the diner?

The Hope and Heartache Diner is wonderful character piece with parts for everyone - available in a one-act version too.

The military has its own language, with many short ways of saying long things. PCS means Permanent Change of Station, or “to move.”

The young teens in Home of the Brave PCS a lot. How do the children of military families deal with the constant moving, worrying about deployed parents, best friends who PCS overseas, and never knowing how long they’ll be in a particular school? Sometimes, you have to make a home wherever you end up.

Home of the Brave is an excellent character-driven piece for middle school students.

Inspired by interviews with hundreds of military dependents and their families, teachers, principals, counselors as well as active duty and veterans from all branches of the service.

Four teenagers struggle with life. Alex is a refugee. Tera is faced with an unpopular decision when all she wants to be is popular. Penny is getting up at five in the morning just so she can accomplish all she has to do in a day. And Kyle can't live up to his parents' expectations. It is the week before the prom and for these four characters, everything is coming to a head.

Pressure is candid and uncompromising, with no easy answers or neat and tidy endings. The script is ideal for groups who have varying degrees of ability. There are parts for both novice and advanced actors.

Sadie wishes to leave her life on the high seas to pursue her true passion: theatre. But there’s a problem. She’s not just Sadie; she’s The Dread Pirate Sadie, the most feared pirate in all the land. And there’s another problem. She’s a horrible pirate.

Not only that, Sadie’s lost her boyfriend, her last play was attended by approximately no one, and Blacklegs, the world’s second-most-feared pirate, is after her.

Will Sadie ever open that little theatre in the woods? Or will she find herself at the wrong end of Blacklegs’ sword?

Yes, girls can be pirates too. Your cast will love this comedic swashbuckling adventure.

Jamie Peel is a pothead. He lives in his own world, a bubble, a cloud that calls his name and reaches out to him.

His sister TJ has watched him slowly drift away and doesn't know what to do. Is she overreacting? Is it in her imagination? Should she tell somebody what she sees? Will Jamie ever talk to her again if she does? Will everyone see her as a snitch? Is it just pot?

Floating on a Don't Care Cloud is an emotional tightrope between a sister and a brother and what really happens in the world of teenage marijuana use.