Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Plays About Friendship

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About….

Friendship. Bonds are important. Community is important. Having someone to rely on is important, so is being that person for someone else. What does it mean to be a good friend? We’re talking support, empathy, and thinking about someone other than yourself. There’s no better way to start that conversation than with a play.

Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think.

All the best with your search!

One Hundred Lies
In this poignant comedy Liz presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: to dramatize 100 lies told by and to Liz with the help of her friends. But what about the lies she tells to herself? And which of her friends are lying when they say they are her friends?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Jealousy Jane
Jane has a problem with jealousy, so much so it’s turned into a life-sized monster by her side. Her family and friends try to make her see the error of her ways, but she’s refuses to see. 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.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Shreds and Patches
Shreds and Patches is a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The location is a “wellness facility” for disturbed teens. With the help of his friends, Dane, our anti-hero, confronts his bullying step-father and self-centered mother. The play fuses Shakespearean speech with modern dialogue, reinforcing the notion that the teens and adults speak different languages. An excellent easy-to-stage competition piece!
Read an excerpt and order now.

The Super Non-Heroes
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Powerless Charlie sticks out like a sore thumb in a school full of superheroes. A fabulous middle school play that looks at friendship, acceptance and discovering yourself. Who doesn’t want to be a superhero?
Read an excerpt and order now.

ellenalicemonajune (in Malled)
Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other. A lovely four actor piece that dives deep into character. If you have student directors who need to work on bringing out a three dimensional character in their actors, this is the piece
Read an excerpt and order now.

Nice Girl
Mia does her friends’ homework, lets people cut in line and pretends to be someone she’s not. Being nice requires a lot of sacrifice and frustration. Mia reaches her breaking point as she tries to find the balance between being her true self and being “the nice girl.”
Read an excerpt and order now.

We Are Masks
We all wear a mask. What will happen when the world sees who you really are? Will your friends accept you, reject you, or worse? Four teenagers wear a variety of masks: Imposter Foster. Persona Paloma. Nolan No-Try. Macy Maintains. Who will reveal themselves? Who will stay in the shadows?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Life, Off Book
Ophelia and Jeb have a relationship that’s like a well-built theatre set. It looks great on the outside, but an empty shell on the inside. Ophelia is a phenomenal dancer and actress who’s constantly afraid. Jeb is Ophelia’s mild mannered fake boyfriend who is also a closeted gay man. What happens when they have to tear themselves away from the script and live life off book?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Monster Problems
Starting high school can be nerve-wracking and problem-filled. Am I going to fit in? Am I going to be popular? Are my friends the right friends? Will I have the right reputation? Olivia, Sam and Brooke are overwhelmed with these questions all day, every day. This play was designed for a high school class to perform for middle school students and would be an excellent “intro to high school” project.
Read an excerpt and order now.

The Gift
In this play the main character goes through a transformation after she sees what happens to her family once her father loses his business. When she changes, her friends change. A wonderful holiday play inspired by The Gift of the Magi.
Read an excerpt and order now.