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The Perils of Modern Education by Matthew Webster play script cover

The Perils of Modern Education

by Matthew Webster

The Perils of Modern Education are many! From standardized theatre tests that call for an exact number of steps in a scene, to trying to eat green in the cafeteria, to dealing with caffeine withdrawal, to giving Shakespeare advice on his college application essay. That’s right. Shakespeare. Spoiler alert, Willy is not college material.

A comedic romp through the stresses and struggles of making it through the school day. Gender flexible casting, doubling possibilities, and easy to stage.

Comedy Vignettes

Average Producer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is a vignette play!

Recommended for High Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 35 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
22 Characters
3 M 19 Any Gender
Set
Simple set
Length
39 pages
Production Tips
Read production tips for this play
Free Excerpt

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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

22 Characters

3 M, 19 Any Gender

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

Wendy [A] 8 lines
Bradley [A] 7 lines
Holly [A] 8 lines
Chip [A] 13 lines
Emma [A] 50 lines
Seth [A] 32 lines
Morgan [A] 27 lines
Jess [A] 27 lines
Shakespeare [M] 29 lines
Anne [A] 11 lines
Don [A] 11 lines
Donna [A] 65 lines
Katelyn [A] 57 lines
Mrs. Walakowski [A] 26 lines
Ms. White [A] 62 lines
Jules [M] 32 lines
Tiff [A] 27 lines
Perry [M] 20 lines
Megan [A] 27 lines
Clair [A] 13 lines
Tony [A] 13 lines
Silent Student [A] 1 line
Mostly mime

Praise for The Perils of Modern Education

5 out of 5 stars
Christine Vitale
Oberoi International School Mumbai,India
The students loved performing this play. The scenarios were very relatable. We were able to Skype with Matt which was a great experience for the kids!
4 out of 5 stars
Claire Moulds
Bristol Academy of Drama
A really fun play which really taps in the farce genre, especially the standardized scene toward the end.
4 out of 5 stars
Helena Hill
Platte Valley High School
The setting was simple and easy. Props were minimal because the students already had them naturally in the school setting. Characters were believable and fun.

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