What Play Do I Do Now?

Some drama teachers have their whole production year figured out before the first day of school. If you’re doing a big musical, you need to get that paperwork started way in advance. Or maybe you need to coordinate using the theatre space with other departments – you need to know what you’re doing and when. Or, if you’re lucky, you have an engaged drama club and they’re reading the plays and deciding what they want to do ahead of time.

But sometimes all that planning goes out the window. You choose a play, hold auditions and the actors you think you’re going to have don’t show up. Or you choose a small cast play and are faced with a flood of wonderful auditions.

And sometimes, just the act of choosing a play is the issue. It can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. Auditions loom and you still haven’t chosen a script.

If you’ve stared at a stack of play catalogues with panic in your eyes, we here at Theatrefolk are ready to come to the rescue!

Ok. We’re not a superhero. But we can give you some guidance to what we have available and how you can swiftly navigate our catalogue. If you’re frustrated with your search, or if you have to make a last minute decision NOW, have a look at the following plays. With each play there’s a link to the website page where you can read free sample pages. Enjoy!

Top Sellers

Want something popular? Try these!

Hoodie by Lindsay Price
Hands down, our most popular one act. Hoodie is a middle school play about self image and appearance. Great for classes, and the kind of play that lets you cast every kid who auditions.

Shuddersome: Tales of Poe_ by Lindsay Price
Popular and cross curricular! Theatrical adaptations of several Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems.

Sixteen in 10 minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward
What’s it like to be 16? This play looks at this difficult age, ten minutes at a time. The collection is designed to be performed as a full length play or as individual pieces.

Flexible Casting

These plays feature gender neutral characters. Perfect when you have the numbers but not the right balance of male/female actors.

Smarty Pants by Bradley Hayward
Every character can be played by either a girl or guy in this twisty look at one approach to education.

The Absolutely Insidious and Utterly Terrifying Truth About Cat Hair by Bradley Walton
Cat hair is absolutely a character in this piece, and totally gender neutral.

The Art of Rejection by Christian Kiley
A collection of two one acts, both of which have flexible casting. If you want something that’s a little off centre, check it out.

Challenge

Having trouble finding something to challenge your kids? Look no further.

Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price
The most unique play we sell - it has no dialogue.

Tuna Fish Eulogy by Lindsay Price
This play is written in the ladder play format. Actors read their lines in vertical columns for fuller choral work.

Have You Heard? by Krista Boehnert
A play about secrets, lies and rumours in monologue form.

Too Many Kids Audition

All of these plays have over 20 parts.

Myth-o-logues by Janice Harris
Every actor gets a monologue in this trip down mythology lane. 14m/17w

The Pauper Princess by Holly Beardsley
A retelling of Mark Twain’s story The Prince and the Pauper. 10m/28w and 34 either gender roles.

Rebootilization by Alan Haehnel
SynCryn has the original narrative DNA for every story on ice and a plan to save the world from story obliteration… so long as nothing goes wrong. 13m/15w and 25 either gender roles.

Not Enough Kids Audition

Sometimes good things come in small packages.

Better Than The Movie by Jeffrey Harr
First dates can be the best… or the worst. Will the giant soda help or hurt this relationship? Combine this piece with other small cast shows by the same author: If you can’t make ’em laugh, Make ‘em cry and Master of Puppets.

Hamlette by Allison Williams
What if Hamlet were played by a girl? And why spend four hours telling the story when five actors can get the job done in thirty minutes?

ellenalicemonajune by Colleen Neuman
Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other.

But what if none of these solve my problem?!

No problem! Check out our easy-to-filter play catalogue or vist our Live Chat and explain what you’re looking for in detail (hint! “I want a funny play” is not detailed. Neither is “a good play.”) Write about your situation, your students and your limitations and we’ll offer specific suggestions or point you in the right direction.

Don’t know where to start to get the details in order?

Check out our free Play Concierge Service. Just answer a few quick questions about your group and what you're looking for (if you know!) and we'll send you a curated list of perusal plays selected specifically for you!

Good luck with your search!