K-12 Theatre: Your 2026 Guide to Season Planning

It’s time to plan your next school theatre season, and Concord Theatricals is here to help! We’ve created a hand-picked selection of plays and musicals to fit your needs, from well-known hits to hidden gems. Explore the list to find crowd-pleasing musicals, challenging contemporary plays and engaging competition material.

Happy season planning!

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MUSICALS

 

2023 Pioneer Valley High School production of Chicago: Teen Edition (Sandra Cortez)

Classic Musicals (Comedy)

42nd Street by Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Bradford Ropes and Gower Champion
(Short Musical, Comedy / 7w, 6m + ensemble)
Come along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway! 42nd Street celebrates Broadway, Times Square and the magic of show biz with wit, humor and pizzazz. The score is chock-full of Broadway standards, including “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” “We’re In the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” and the title song. Also available in a Youth Edition.

Anything Goes (2022 Revision) by Cole Porter, P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, Timothy Crouse & John Weidman
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 4m + ensemble)
An updated revision of the hilarious shipboard romp! This crowd-pleasing classic features one of Cole Porter’s most magical scores, including the hits “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top” and “Friendship.” It’s delightful, delicious and de-lovely! Also available in a Youth Edition.

Bye Bye Birdie by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 5m + ensemble)
A loving send-up of the 1950s, small-town America, teenagers and rock & roll, Bye Bye Birdie remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. Teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie has been drafted, so he chooses All-American girl Kim MacAfee for a very public farewell kiss. Featuring a tuneful high-energy score, plenty of great parts for teens, and a hilarious script, Birdie continues to thrill audiences around the world. Also available in a Youth Edition.

Chicago: Teen Edition by Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse and John Kander
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 10w, 9m)
Kander & Ebb’s legendary and award-winning musical about fame, fortune and acquittal is now widely available to be performed by high schools around the world. Specifically designed to be content-appropriate and flexible, Chicago: Teen Edition has been adapted to remove overtly sexual references and adult language, and can be performed by larger and smaller casts.

Crazy For You: Youth Edition by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ken Ludwig, Mike Ockrent, Guy Bolton, John McGowan
(Short Musical, Comedy / 5w, 4m + ensemble)
A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy! In Deadrock, Nevada, young New York banker Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker. Bobby vows – through cunning, razzmatazz and a hilarious case of mistaken identity – to win Polly’s heart and save the town’s failing theatre. Memorable Gershwin tunes include “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Full-Length Version also available.

Grease: School Version by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 8w, 9m + ensemble)
The hit musical, specially designed for young actors or audiences! Shorter and more suitable in content for teens and preteens, this abridged version of the Rydell High musical retains the fun-loving spirit and immortal songs that make Grease a favorite among rock ’n’ roll fans of all ages. Original Version also available. 

Hello, Dolly! by Michael Stewart, Jerry Herman and Thornton Wilder
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 4m + ensemble)
This blockbuster musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play The Matchmaker bursts with humor, romance, energetic dance and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. You’re lookin’ swell, Dolly!

Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun by Irving Berlin, Herbert Fields, Dorothy Fields and Peter Stone
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 6m, 2 girls, 1 boy + ensemble)
There’s No Business Like Show Business! This classic Irving Berlin musical captures the spirit and energy of a Wild West performance as Annie Oakley, the best sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill’s show, falls in love with her leading man.

Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn by Irving Berlin, Gordon Greenberg & Chad Hodge
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 1 boy + ensemble)
Based on the 1942 film, this joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy and a parade of hit Irving Berlin songs, including “Blue Skies,” “Easter Parade,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” “Heat Wave,” “White Christmas,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Shaking the Blues Away” and many more. 

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas by Irving Berlin, David Ives and Paul Blake
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 6m, 1 girl + ensemble)
Based on the beloved, timeless 1954 movie, this heartwarming musical adaptation features 17 Irving Berlin songs and a book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Featuring well-known standards including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting musical worthy of year-round productions. 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 16m)
One of the most enduring shows of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a reimagining of the Biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers, their father Jacob and the coat of many colors. Appropriate for all audiences and groups, Joseph is ideal for a large cast.

Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter, Sam Spewack & Bella Spewack
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 7m + ensemble)
The battle of the sexes takes center stage as former spouses Fred & Lilli feud onstage and off during a musical presentation of The Taming of the Shrew. Sophisticated, romantic and hilarious, Kiss Me, Kate provides theatrical fireworks as the Golden Age of Broadway clashes with the Bard of Avon. 

Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play by Lance Arthur Smith and Jon Lorenz
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 2m, 1 any gender + ensemble)
When a department store Santa claims he’s the real Kris Kringle, his case gets taken all the way to the Supreme Court. With live Foley effects and a score of holiday carols, this radio play adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street will melt even the most cynical of hearts.

Nice Work If You Can Get It: Teen Edition by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and Joe DiPietro
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 5m + ensemble)
This screwball comedy is a surefire crowd-pleaser, with classic Gershwin tunes, romance, exuberant production numbers, and a hilarious script poking fun at class snobbery in the Prohibition era. Original Version also available.

Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition by Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w, 6m + ensemble)
Winnifred the Woebegone is just a simple swamp princess looking to win the heart of Prince Dauntless. But can she pass the impossible test Queen Aggravain has in store for her? This is a one-hour adaptation of the beloved musical designed for young performers. Original Version also available.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway Version) by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Douglas Carter Beane
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 4m + ensemble)
This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside an up-to-date, hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane. Concord Theatricals is proud to license several versions of Cinderella, including a Youth Edition. Learn about the other versions here.

Snoopy!!! (Original) by Charles M. Schulz, Larry Grossman, Hal Hackady, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw and Michael L. Grace
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 1 any gender)
Based on the beloved Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, Snoopy!!! sparkles with wit and warmth as it depicts life as seen through the eyes of the Peanuts gang, from Snoopy and Charlie Brown to Peppermint Patty and Woodstock. The toe-tapping score features “Just One Person,” “Poor Sweet Baby” and “Don’t Be Anything Less (Than Everything You Can Be).” Also available: The World According to Snoopy.

Something’s Afoot by James McDonald, David Vos, Robert Gerlach and Ed Linderman
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 6m)
This zany, entertaining musical takes a satirical poke at Agatha Christie mysteries and the musical style of the 1930s English music hall.  

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised) by Charles M. Schulz, Clark Gesner, Michael Mayer and Andrew Lippa
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 4m, expandable cast)
Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship. Original Version also available.

Classic Musicals (Drama)

110 in the Shade (Revised) by N. Richard Nash, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 5m + ensemble)
This beautiful, touching musical adaptation of Nash’s stage play The Rainmaker explores love, hope and redemption in a small southwestern town during the Great Depression. In the tiny, drought-stricken town of Three Point, traveling con man Bill Starbuck swears he can conjure some much-needed rain. Local Lizzie Curry, who thought her chance at love had passed, blossoms as she pursues a romantic relationship with the charismatic stranger. 

Cabaret (1998 Version) by Joe Masteroff, John Van Druten and Christopher Isherwood
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 3w, 4m + ensemble)
Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. See also: Cabaret (Original 1966) and Cabaret (Revised 1987). 

Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 6m + ensemble)
The heartbreaking and inspirational Tony Award-winning musical, based on Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote, celebrates one man’s refusal to give up his impossible dream.

Titanic by Peter Stone and Maury Yeston
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 14w, 23m)
Epic and majestic, with moments of heartbreaking intimacy, this powerful Broadway hit captures the triumph and tragedy of the hopeful passengers on the ill-fated Ship of Dreams. Also available in a flexible cast-sized Ensemble Version.

Classic Musicals (Dramatic Comedy)

A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol by Walton Jones, David Wohl and Faye Greenberg
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 6m)
It’s Christmas Eve, 1943. The Feddington Players, broadcasting from a hole-in-the-wall studio in Newark, NJ, are set to present their contemporary “take” on Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Whether it’s the noisy plumbing, missed cues, electrical blackouts, or the over-the-top theatrics of a veteran actor, this musical captures the mayhem and madness of a live radio show.

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz, Bill Melendez, Lee Mendelson and Eric Schaeffer
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m, 1 any gender)
The classic animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang discover the true meaning of Christmas. 

A Chorus Line: Teen Edition by Michael Bennett, James Kirkwood, Nicholas Dante, Marvin Hamlisch & Edward Kleban
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 9w, 10m)
A stunning concept musical capturing the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus audition, this Teen Edition of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical explores the inner lives and bittersweet ambitions of professional musical performers at a high-stakes audition. Original Version also available.

Nine (Ensemble Version) by Arthur Kopit, Maury Yeston
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 22w, 1m, 4 boys, flexible casting)
This new flexible-casting version of the Tony Award-winning musical – a sterling stage adaptation of Fellini’s 8½ – has an updated score and can be performed by a smaller cast. This musical portrait of celebrated but impetuous film director Guido Contini features one man and the dozens of women in his life. The ensemble can include performers of any gender or, like the original Broadway cast, consist only of women. Original Version also available.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!: Youth Edition by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Agnes de Mille and Lynn Riggs
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w, 5m + ensemble)
This exuberant classic is a lively, tuneful musical full of cowboys, farmers, young love and fearless optimism. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for romance, song and dance in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination and the promise of a new land. Full-Length Version also available.

The Sound Of Music by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 4m, 5 girls, 2 boys + ensemble)
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s final collaboration features several great roles for women, from the plucky, determined heroine to a naïve teenager, a jaded countess, a wise Mother Superior and a variety of charming children and nuns. The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, has won the hearts of fans all over the world, and continues to delight audiences more than six decades after its premiere. Also available in a Youth Edition.

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition­ by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg, Herbert Stothart and Timothy Allen McDonald
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m, 10 any gender)
We’re off to see the wizard! This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations. This one-hour adaptation of the classic MGM musical was specially tailored by iTheatrics for elementary and middle school-aged actors. Full-Length RSC Version also available.

2025 Jordan High School production of Water for Elephants (High School Edition) (Joy Knight)

Contemporary Musicals (Comedy)

10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: The Musical! by Billy Recce and Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 7w, 5m, 3 any gender)
When zombies attack, a ragtag group of survivors are thrown into a chaotic fight for their lives. Enter Jimmy, Christy, Susan, and Sam: four not-so-qualified heroes who stumble through ten outrageous methods to survive the zombie apocalypse. With a cheeky score, sarcastic narrators, and undead mayhem, this hilarious story turns the end of the world into a show-stopping, brain-eating, laugh-out-loud adventure! 

Alienne by Jim Colleran
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 12 any gender + ensemble)
A rollicking parody of a timeless classic, Alienne transports Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid into the wacky world of outer space. With plenty of audience participation and goofy humor, this spaced-out adventure is ideal for young audiences and their families.

Be More Chill by Joe Iconis, Joe Tracz and Ned Vizzini
(Full Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 6m + ensemble) 
Based on the contemporary best-selling novel, Be More Chill is the story of Jeremy Heere, an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about “The Squip,” a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk?

Cyrano de BurgerShack JV by Jeremy Desmon and Edmond Rostand
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 12w, 7m plus ensemble)
Cyrano is king of the local BurgerShack, but he can’t seem to win the love of his best friend, Roxanne. When Roxanne confesses her crush on the new burger-flipper, Christian, Cyrano decides that playing Cupid is better than sitting out of the game. 

Dreamland by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / Large, flexible cast)
Dreamland (or a musical riff on Shakespeare’s Midsummer set during the declassification of Area 51) is a hilarious, hijinks-filled retelling of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy featuring honor students, aliens, and a show choir.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: Teen Edition by Tom MacRae, Dan Gillespie Sells & Jonathan Butterell
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 10m)
Everybody’s talking about this ebullient, life-affirming musical! Supported by his brilliant, loving mum and surrounded by his friends, 16-year-old Jamie New of Sheffield overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness into the spotlight. 

Head Over Heels (High School Edition) by The Go-Go’s, Sir Philip Sidney, Jeff Whitty and James Magruder
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 3m, 1 any gender + ensemble)
A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, this bold musical comedy follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction – only to discover the key to their realm’s survival lies within each of their own hearts. This version has been adapted specially for high school performers! Original Version also available. 

Heathers The Musical: Teen Edition by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy
(Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / 9w, 8m)
Based on the classic 1989 film, this hit off-Broadway musical features a strong female protagonist and several great female roles. Sardonic and edgy, it’s the darkly delicious story of the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High.

Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville (High School Edition) by Jimmy Buffett, Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m + ensemble)
This laid-back, island-time, laugh-a-minute musical comedy features the most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano” and many more. Specially adapted for high school groups, this hilarious, heartwarming musical is the party you’ve been waiting for!

Mystic Pizza by Sandy Rustin, Amy Holden Jones and Carmel Dean
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 8m)
Based on the beloved 1988 MGM rom com, this high-spirited new musical is about three working-class girls who navigate the complexities of life, love and family in a small-town pizza joint. The infectious score features megahits of the 80s and 90s, from “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” 

Orphie and the Book of Heroes by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 5m)
Spunky and curious Orphie, a young girl in Ancient Greece, sets out to save storyteller Homer and his Book of Heroes on a quest that takes her from the heights of Mt. Olympus to the depths of the underworld. A fun, family-friendly take on Greek mythology created by the writing team behind the hit children’s TV shows Vampirina and Doc McStuffins.

Punk Rock Girl! by Joe Iconis, Rob Rokicki and various composer/lyricists
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 4m + ensemble)
This rockin’ new musical features a score of popular songs written and made famous by female artists and female-fronted bands, including Blondie, Pat Benatar, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, P!nk, Gwen Stefani, and more. A musical about a young person finding a community and creating her tribe, Punk Rock Girl! is a noisy celebration of all things raw and ragged, trashy and heartfelt, familiar and alien.

Ride the Cyclone: Teen Edition by Jacob Richmond & Brooke Maxwell
(Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / 7 any gender)
In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other — the chance to return to life. This popular musical is a funny, moving look at what makes a life well-lived! Original Version also available.

Rock of Ages: Youth Edition by Chris D’Arienzo
(Short Musical, Comedy / 7w, 6m, 11 any gender)
Adapted by industry leaders iTheatrics for performance at elementary, middle and high school levels, this squeaky-clean adaptation of the winning Broadway rock musical is everything teachers, parents and kids love: a classic boy-meets-girl musical story set to an exciting and fun ’80s rock soundtrack. What could be better? Teen Edition also available.

School of Rock: Young Actors Edition by Mike White, Julian Fellowes, Glenn Slater and Andrew Lloyd Webber
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 9m, 6 girls, 5 boys)
Rock got no reason, rock got no rhyme! Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock – The Musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn an extra bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A pupils into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school’s headmistress finding out? Original Version also available.

The Marvelous Wonderettes by Roger Bean
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w)
This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where four teenage friends have hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Featuring over 30 classic ’50s and ’60s hits, The Marvelous Wonderettes will keep you smiling in this must-take musical trip down memory lane. For more adventures with the Wonderettes, visit The Wonderettes Collection. 

The SpongeBob Musical by Kyle Jarrow and Tina Landau
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 16 any gender)
The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world. Also available in a Youth Edition.

The Wiz by William F. Brown, Charlie Smalls and L. Frank Baum
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 6m, 4m any gender)
This smash Broadway musical sets Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz to a lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music! A dazzling, contemporary adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz is a fun, family-friendly musical and a guaranteed audience pleaser. 

We Are The Tigers by Preston Max Allen
(Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / 10 any gender)
The Tigers’ high school cheerleading squad is meeting for their annual sleepover at captain Riley’s house – and they’ve brought their teenage troubles with them. However, love triangles, a lustful boyfriend and hurt feelings won’t compare to the untimely death of one of their own in the front yard. Will that be the only murder? Who did it? With a pop-driven, belty score and a seriously silly book, We Are the Tigers will have audiences cheering for the Tigers as the Tigers learn to cheer for themselves. 

Yo, Vikings! by Sam Willmott and Marcus Stevens
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 8m + ensemble)
Adapted from Judith Byron Schachner’s acclaimed book of the same name, Yo, Vikings! is the mini-saga of 10-year-old Emma Katz, the fiercest Viking in Swarthmore, PA, and her quest for real adventure. Yo, Vikings! combines sweeping melodies, thrilling Viking chants, and funky rock ‘n’ roll with a beautiful, heart-warming story to engage and excite every member of the family. 

Zombie Prom by John Dempsey, Dana P. Rowe, Mac Tumminelli and Hugh M. Murphy
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 5m + optional ensemble)
This girl-loves-ghoul rock ’n’ roll off-Broadway musical is set in the atomic 1950s at Enrico Fermi High, where the school bad boy returns from a nuclear waste dump glowing and determined to reclaim the heart of his girlfriend, Toffee. He may be a zombie, but he still wants to graduate – and take Toffee to the prom.

Contemporary Musicals (Drama)

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill: The Musical by Diablo Cody, Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 7w, 5m + ensemble)
Based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music, this Tony and Grammy Award-winning new musical about a perfectly imperfect American family is brimming with joy, strength, love, courage and life. 

Carrie: The Musical by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, Lawrence D. Cohen and Stephen King
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w, 2m + ensemble)
Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she’s an outcast who’s bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she’s at the mercy of her loving but cruelly over-protective mother. But Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it. Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel, Carrie. 

Chaplin: The Musical by Thomas Meehan and Chris Curtis
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w, 6m + ensemble)
This moving Broadway musical is based on the real-life story of Charlie Chaplin, the iconic film actor, writer, producer and director. The show spans the entertainer’s full career, from his first performance as a child in 19th-century London to his tearful acceptance of an honorary Academy Award in 1972.

Floyd Collins by Tina Landau and Adam Guettel
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 11m)
This haunting musical, featuring a glorious folk and bluegrass-inspired score, tells the transcendent tale of a true American dreamer. In 1925, while chasing fame and fortune by turning a Kentucky cave into a tourist attraction, Floyd Collins himself becomes the attraction when he is trapped 200 feet underground.

Fun Home by Lisa Kron, Jeanine Tesori, Alison Bechdel
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 4w, 2m, 1 girl, 2 boys)
When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile and brilliant man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. A refreshingly honest musical about love, family, grief and acceptance.

Hadestown: Teen Edition by Anaïs Mitchell
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w, 2m, 1 any gender + ensemble)
This full-length Teen Edition of Anaïs Mitchell’s haunting, jazz-inflected folk opera follows Orpheus’ mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the favor of his one true love, Eurydice. This intriguing and beautiful folk opera invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. 

Monstersongs by Rob Rokicki
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 7 any gender, expandable)
Something wicked this way rocks! Monstersongs puts audiences in a synthesized world of graphic novels, rock musicals, live performance and new technology. Following the journey of a child who opens a portal into the psyches of often misunderstood creatures, Monstersongs flips the switch on the monster narrative, inviting audiences to explore the humanity that binds us all. 

Contemporary Musicals (Dramatic Comedy)

21 Chump Street by Lin-Manuel Miranda
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 5m)
A 14-minute musical based on a true story as reported in the series This American Life. 21 Chump Street is a cautionary tale of Justin, a high school honors student who falls for a cute transfer girl. Justin goes to great lengths to oblige Naomi’s request for marijuana in the hopes of winning her affection – only to find out that his crush is actually an undercover cop planted in the school to find drug dealers.

35mm: A Musical Exhibition by Ryan Scott Oliver
(Full-Length Musical / 2w, 3m)
Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In 35mm, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre. 

Amélie: Teen Edition by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé & Nathan Tysen
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 7m, 1 girl +Ensemble)
Amélie lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy and mayhem. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes she’ll have to risk everything and say what’s in her heart. Original Version is also available. 

Anastasia: The Musical (Youth Edition) by Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 5m, 10 any gender)
A 60-minute adaptation, specially tailored for young actors, of the spectacular Broadway musical about discovering who you are and defining who you’re meant to be. This dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Full-Length Version also available!

Children’s Letters to God by Stuart Hample, David Evans and Douglas J. Cohen
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
Based on the international bestselling book, this heartwarming musical follows the lives of five young friends as they voice beliefs, desires, questions and doubts common to everyone, but most disarmingly expressed by children. Sixteen tuneful songs and assorted scenes explore timeless issues such as sibling rivalry, divorce, holidays, the loss of a beloved pet and first love. 

Family Album: Teen Edition by Joe Iconis and John Simpkins
(Musical Revue, Dramatic Comedy / 10 any gender)
This dynamic, contemporary song cycle is a collection of character songs from the point of view of criminals, monstrous creatures, house pets, automatons, artists and other various weirdos. 

Footloose: Youth Edition by Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie, Tom Snow, Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 8m, 10 any gender)
The explosive movie musical bursts onto the live stage with thrilling results. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top 40 score, Footloose celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening to one another, and the power of forgiveness. Full-Length and 90-Minute Versions also available.

In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 6m)
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music.

Island Song (Large Cast Edition) by Sam Carner, Derek Gregor and Marlo Hunter
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 9w, 6m)
The energy and passions of New York City explode with a percussive, soaring pop score in this show about 20- and 30-somethings navigating city life. As the city spins around them, they get lost, fight back, fall in love, face setbacks, and, most importantly, come alive with the strength that comes with conquering the Big Apple. Also available for 5 actors in Island Song (Small Cast Edition) or 10 actors in Island Song (Medium Cast Edition). 

SIX: TEEN EDITION by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 6w + ensemble)
A full-length adaptation of the international phenomenon, modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of 21st-century girl power!

String (Large Cast Edition) by Sarah Hammond and Adam Gwon
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 2m + ensemble)
After angering Zeus, the Fates – the goddess sisters who spin, measure and snip the strings of life – are banished to a modern office building, where they continue their glorious, mysterious work. But when eldest sister Atropos falls for Mickey, the security guard, she begins to disrupt the natural order. An original, uplifting and belty musical about fate, love and the imperfections that make us human. Original Version also available. 

The Old Man and the Old Moon (Large Cast Edition) by PigPen Theatre Co.
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  7 any gender + ensemble)
The Old Man has served as sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he can remember. When his wife, the Old Woman, is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man follows her in an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts – as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change. Original Version also available.

The Spitfire Grill by James Valcq, Fred Alley & Lee David Zlotoff
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 4w, 3m)
Based on the hit 1996 film, The Spitfire Grill is a heartwarming and inspirational musical tale of redemption, perseverance and family. Set in a small Wisconsin town, the show features a gorgeous, soulful score and several strong roles for women. 

Water for Elephants (High School Edition) by Rick Elice, PigPen Theatre Co. and Sara Gruen
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 5m, 1 any gender (adult) + ensemble)
A dazzling, heart-filled musical based on the bestselling novel by Sara Gruen. In this adventure, a man escapes his past by jumping aboard a train, joining a traveling circus, and caring for their animals. When Jacob develops an unspoken attraction to the star performer who happens to be the ringmaster’s wife, the struggle to save the circus becomes personal. Original Version also available. 

Well-Behaved Women by Carmel Dean
(Musical Revue, Drama / 9w)
This contemporary song cycle for 4 to 20+ women is a celebration of many historic women who fought to have their voices heard and bravely made their mark on the world. Women such as Billie Jean King, Frida Kahlo, Harriet Tubman, Cleopatra and Malala Yousafzai bring their incredible stories to life through powerful, emotional and often hilarious songs.

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PLAYS

 

Classic Plays (Comedy)

Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 11m)
This hilarious Broadway hit is a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family. Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat. Between his aunts’ penchant for poisoning wine, a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother hiding from the police – not to mention Mortimer’s own hesitancy about marriage – it’ll be a miracle if he makes it to his wedding. 

Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 4m)
Neil Simon’s charming romantic comedy is a sure-fire audience pleaser. Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic, Velasco. Of course, everything that can go wrong does, to hilarious effect. 

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 2m)
A smash comedy hit on London and Broadway stages, this much-revived classic from the playwright of Private Lives offers wit, conflict and big laughs as a fussy, cantankerous novelist finds himself haunted by the ghost of his late first wife. 

Harvey by Mary Chase
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 6m)
This Pulitzer Prize-winning hit – one of the longest-running comedies in Broadway history – charmingly presents the friendship between amiable Elwood P. Dowd and a tall white rabbit named Harvey… which only he can see.

Noises Off by Michael Frayn
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 5m)
Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. 

Play On! by Rick Abbot
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 3m)
Perfect for any performing group, this dynamic farce is the hilarious story of a theatre group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script. 

Plaza Suite by Neil Simon
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 7m)
Hilarity abounds in this portrait of three couples successively occupying a suite at the Plaza Hotel. A suburban couple take the suite in which they honeymooned 23 (or was it 24?) years before. A Hollywood producer, after three marriages, calls up a childhood sweetheart. Finally, a mother and father fight about the best way to get their daughter, a bride-to-be, out of the bathroom and downstairs to the her wedding. 

The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow and John Buchan
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 1w, 1m, 2 any gender)
Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs and over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four). Also available in Abridged Version and Even More Abridged Version.

The Man Who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 9w, 15m plus ensemble)
In this classic, large-cast American comedy, critic and curmudgeon Sheridan Whiteside breaks his hip while dining at the Stanleys’, forcing him to stay at their home for a tumultuous – and hilarious – six weeks of confinement. 

The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 9m)
Wilder’s uproarious farce about love and money stars the irrepressible busybody Dolly Gallagher Levi, who inspired the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! Through Dolly’s subtle machinations, several unlikely couples come together to find happiness in 19th-century New York.

The Royal Family by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 11m)
A bittersweet ode to Broadway’s lasting charms, Kaufman and Ferber’s classic comedy portrays the offstage antics of the Cavendish clan, the most famous theatrical family on Broadway. 

You Can’t Take It With You by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 9m, 3 any gender)
One of the most popular and successful plays of the 20th century, You Can’t Take It With You is Kaufman and Hart’s hilarious, delightful portrait of a charmingly eccentric family. 

Classic Plays (Drama)

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 7m, 1 boy)
Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking drama, a searing and timeless portrait of a family on Chicago’s South Side, is an American classic. This portrait of one family’s struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.  

August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 5m)
In this haunting, luminous play set in 1930s Pittsburgh, Berniece and her brother Boy Willie clash over the fate of the family piano; she treasures it as a precious connection to their ancestors, and he sees it as the means to a more prosperous future.

Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson and William Berney
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 12w, 10m)
Based on the haunting Scottish folk song “The Ballad of Barbara Allen,” this earthy and imaginative Broadway hit – a unique blend of Appalachian storytelling and gothic spiritualism – takes place in a Smoky Mountain community, where a strange “witch boy” falls in love with a beautiful human girl, raising anger and fear among their superstitious neighbors. 

Our Town by Thornton Wilder
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 7w, 17m)
Wilder’s masterwork was described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, Our Town depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually – in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre – die. 

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 9w, 11m, 1 girl) 
One of the most acclaimed plays in the American theatrical canon, this exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is a gripping and timely parable of contemporary society, as well as a studied historical tale.

The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 6m)
In 1880s London, John Merrick is a horribly deformed young man – a victim of rare skin and bone diseases. Under the care of celebrated physician Frederick Treves, Merrick slowly evolves from an object of pity to an urbane gentleman, desperate to be recognized as a man like any other.

The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca, translated by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata
Also available in translation by James Graham Lujan and Richard O’Connell
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 10w)
The greatest of modern Spanish tragedies is realistic and lyrical. Bernarda, a stern, widowed matriarch obsessed with family honor, announces to her five daughters that they will enter a traditional eight-year period of cloistered mourning. The result is a tragic climax that is unrelenting in its severity and terror.

The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 7w, 7m)
Immortalized on screen by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, this Tony Award-winning play is the story of Annie Sullivan and her student, Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing at the age of 19 months. With compassion, humor and dramatic tension, The Miracle Worker explores the volatile relationship between a lonely teacher and her headstrong charge. 

The Spoon River Project by Tom Andolora and Edgar Lee Masters
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 6m, flexible casting)
In this beautifully haunting play based on Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, the deceased former residents of Spoon River examine life and the longing for what might have been. As they reflect on the dreams, secrets, and regrets of their lives, they paint a gritty and honest portrait of their town.

Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 9m)
This Agatha Christie classic, based on her short story, is a thrilling courtroom drama of murder and passion in three acts. Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high, with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose. Widely regarded as one of Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspense thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end. 

Classic Plays (Dramatic Comedy)

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry and Philip van Doren Stern
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m, flexible casting)
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. 

Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman, based on the myths of Ovid
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 5m + ensemble)
Called by Time the “theatre event of the year,” Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses brings Ovid’s tales to stunning visual life, juxtaposing the ancient and the contemporary to reflect the variety and persistence of narrative in the face of inevitable change. Nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Shakespeare in Love (High School Edition) by Lee Hall and Tom Stoppard
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 18m)
Young Will Shakespeare has writer’s block and the deadline for his new play is fast approaching. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity and backstage theatrics, Will’s love Viola cleverly schemes to succeed as an actor, inspiring Will to write his greatest masterpiece.

Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w)
This charming dramatic comedy celebrates the power of female friendship. All the ladies in Chinquapin, Louisiana come to Truvy’s beauty salon for new hairdos, rounds of hilarious repartee and several acerbic verbal collisions. But when one of the women risks her life to pursue a dangerous pregnancy, the others must draw together to find strength – and love – in the face of tragedy.

Treasure Island by Mary Zimmerman and Robert Louis Stevenson
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 11m + ensemble)
Adventure beckons! Armed with only his wits against a dastardly crew of cutthroat pirates, young innkeeper’s son Jim Hawkins sets sail with the larger-than-life Long John Silver and a crew of swashbuckling rogues as Treasure Island explodes like a cannon ball onto the stage in a tale both epic and intimate, hilarious and harrowing.

 

Contemporary Plays (Comedy)

10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse by Don Zolidis
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m, 2 any gender + ensemble)
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 undead? 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.) 

12 Incompetent Jurors by Ian McWethy
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 6m)
When a man is accused of abducting half a dozen cats, it’s a simple open-and-shut case, even for a jury that’s filled with oddballs like a dim-witted PR guy, a bickering couple and a man obsessed with french fries. A hilarious parody of 12 Angry Men. 

High School Bake-Off by Ginna Hoben
(Short Play, Comedy / 7w, 3m)
Place the cookies here, the cupcakes here and bars over there! It’s the high school bake-off, and everyone is putting their best cake forward. Confessions, confections, and a sweet, warm play topped with drama and dipped in comedy abound in this young actor-led show set at a bake-off. Once all the votes are counted, the results of this bake-off are full of surprises! 

Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard by Ken Ludwig
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 4m)
You know Holmes and Watson. You know Nick and Nora. Now, meet Peg and Molly, two brilliant detectives from Scotland Yard. A simple murder investigation leads Molly and Peg deep into the British WWII effort, launching a high-octane, laugh-out-loud race against time. Saving the world has never been so much fun. 

Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 5m)
In this hilarious comedy, two down-on-their-luck English Shakespearean actors masquerade as “Maxine and Stephanie” to claim an old American lady’s fortune. Despite their best efforts to maintain composure, romantic entanglements abound. 

Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Soprano by Ken Ludwig
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m)
It’s 1934, and the clever and combustible Lucille Wiley, Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is ready to welcome world-class soprano Elena Firenzi for her one-night-only starring role in Carmen. Alas, Elena arrives late, her impassioned husband Pasquale has a fit of jealousy, and it remains to be seen whether Mrs. Wiley’s mousy but determined assistant Jo can save the day. Based on the Tony Award winner Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor, this madcap screwball comedy features ladies in the leading roles and is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.  

Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m)
This hilarious backstage farce centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s. As they attempt to play Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York, everything that can go wrong does. The increasingly dire stakes continue to rise in this sidesplitting, kinetic show-biz romp. 

La Gringa by Carmen Rivera-Tirado
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
Rivera-Tirado’s contemporary comedy concerns a young woman’s search for her identity. When Mari­a Elena Garcia goes to visit her family in Puerto Rico she realizes she’s considered a Puerto Rican on the mainland and an American in Puerto Rico. Available in English or Spanish.

Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood: Teen Edition by Adam Szymkowicz
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m, 6 any gender)
A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale. Robin Hood is, and has always been, Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 6m, 3 any gender)
Accident-prone Cornley Drama Society attempts their most ambitious production yet with their own version of Peter Pan. What ensues is two acts of hysterical disaster, battling technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes. Will they ever make it to Neverland? One-Act Version also available.

Snow Day by Tracy Wells
(Short Play, Comedy / 8 any gender, flexible casting)
In the dead of winter, when the temperature drops below freezing and the days drag on, there are two words that every student longs to hear: SNOW DAY! In this collection of snowy scenes by Tracy Wells, we’ll see what students get up to when school gets cancelled. 

The Awesome 80s Prom by Ken Davenport
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 8w, 12m)
This hilarious blast-from-the-past party is set at Wanaget High’s Senior Prom… in 1989! From the captain of the football team to the brain to the hottie head cheerleader, all of your favorite ’80s movies characters are here, competing for prom king and queen. And the audience decides who wins! Travel back in time and join the break-dance circle, or just sit back and watch the ’80s drama unfold. 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 4m, 9 girls, 8 boys)
In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

The Best School Year Ever (Expanded Cast) by Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner and Barbara Robinson
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 8w, 2m, 7 girls, 9 boys + ensemble)
In this hilarious stage play adapted from the bestselling novels, the beloved Bradleys are starting another school year with their notorious classmates, the Herdmans. When Miss Kemp assigns the students to think of compliments for their classmates, an unforgettably riotous school year commences – complete with a tattooed baby, a mysterious teachers’ lounge and a surprisingly compassionate discovery. Also available for nine actors: The Best School Year Ever.

The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition) by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m, 4 any gender)
From Mischief, Broadway masters of comedy, comes this smash-hit farce that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter! Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things quickly go from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show: an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines).

The Suffragette’s Murder by Sandy Rustin
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 5m) 
It’s the morning of July 5, 1857, and the tenants of the Mayhew Boarding House on New York’s Lower East Side are getting ready for a busy day. As they prepare to host an important gathering, they receive an unexpected visit from a constable. One of the tenants has been murdered. Hilarious hijinks ensue amidst the backdrop of a murder mystery as the tenants band together to conceal their involvement in the suffrage movement and improvise an elaborate ruse to throw the constable off their scent. 

Contemporary Plays (Drama)

100 Things I Never Said to You by Adam Szymkowicz
(Short Play, Drama / 25 any gender, flexible cast size)
This powerful play – a poetic exploration of death, loss and grief through the lens of teenagers whose classmate has died – can be presented by a cast ranging from 4 to 110 actors. At a school assembly after the death of their classmate Julie, students share memories as their community attempts to heal. 

26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 2m, flexible cast size)
On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 innocent souls before taking his own life. Playwright Eric Ulloa conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event.

Antigone Now by Melissa Cooper
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 1m)
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 universal story. Bringing the ties that bind us to our homes and our families into sharp focus, Cooper’s sharp adaptation breathes new life into an ancient classic. 

Blood at the Root by Dominique Morisseau
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 3m, flexible cast size)
Based on a true story, this poetic and realistic drama tackles the issue of racial tension in a modern American high school. Scalable for a variety of production, reading, and casting circumstances. Ideal for high school, colleges, and youth organizations.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Nathan Alan Davis
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 3m)
Eighteen-year-old Dontrell Jones the Third decides that it is his duty and destiny to venture into the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor lost during the Middle Passage. Blending poetry, humor, wordplay and ritual, this present-day hero’s quest explores the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history’s wrongs. 

Hope Springs: Youth Edition by Richard Conlon
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 13 any gender, +ensemble)
In this tale exploring big issues for young people, two educational inspectors get more than they bargained for when they investigate a private facility claiming to provide “behavior modification” for teens. The text sparks debate about rights and wrongs – inspiring readers and performers to ask the question: “What would I have done?” Original Version also available.

The Tall Girls by Meg Miroshnik
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 1m)
Sometimes basketball is the only way out. Even for a girl. Even in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Featuring a strong ensemble of female characters, The Tall Girls examines issues of class and gender in Depression-era America.

These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 2m)
This powerful play chronicles the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their roles working at the Radium Dial Company. Catherine and her friends are dying, it’s true, but theirs is a story of survival in its most transcendent sense, as they refuse to allow the company that stole their health to kill their spirits – or endanger the lives of those who come after them. 

They Promised Her the Moon by Laurel Ollstein
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 3m)
This compelling drama is based on the true story of Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb, a barrier-breaking, world record-holding pilot and almost the first American female astronaut. Jerrie steps into an isolation tank for a record-breaking nine hours as her memories unfold before her, from learning to fly a plane as a child in Oklahoma to testifying in Congressional hearings about the under-the-radar all-female Mercury 13 space program. 

Trap by Stephen Gregg
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 12w, 10m, 5 any gender)
An incomprehensible event: Every person in the audience of a high school play falls unconscious – every person but one. Using interviews with witnesses, loved ones, first responders and the investigators pursuing the case, a theatre ensemble brings the story of the strange event to life, documentary-style. But as the strands weave together into an increasingly dangerous web, it becomes clear that this phenomenon might not be entirely in the past. 

We Are the Sea by Laura Lundgren Smith
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 1m, 10 any gender + ensemble)
In this poetic and striking historical drama set during the famine of the 1850s, Norah, Una and Iseult set sail from Ireland to escape the ravages of hunger, only to find a new set of dangers on their ocean voyage. When faced with an angry sailor all seems lost, but the hypnotic sea surrounds them, listening and demanding justice. 

White Buffalo by Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 3m, 4 any gender)
Based on actual events, this compelling drama tells the story of the miracle birth of a white buffalo calf on a small farm in southern Wisconsin, which fulfills an ancient prophecy believed by the Sioux to bring peace on earth and unity to all mankind.

Contemporary Plays (Dramatic Comedy)

100 Love Letters I Never Sent by Adam Szymkowicz
(Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 25 any gender, flexible cast size)
With an open-ended structure and an adaptable cast ranging from one to 106 actors, Adam Szymkowicz’s 100 Love Letters I Never Sent is a flexible choice for any theatre group. The play explores the kaleidoscope of ways people love one another, from the sweet to the bitter to the hilarious to outright confusing. 

Almost, Maine by John Cariani
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of the tiny town of Almost, Maine find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend – almost – in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.

Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 3m)
Ernestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it’s her 18th birthday. Then her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. This poignant and funny play journeys through the joys, heartbreaks and extraordinary moments that make up one woman’s ordinary life. 

Darker the Night Brighter the Stars by John Cariani
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 2m)
In a small town in far Northern Maine, young people are wishing on shooting stars and wondering what’s to come. A hopeful, funny, sad and true collection of short plays about love, loss, and learning that there’s light even when it’s really, really dark.

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2f, 5m)
Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love.

She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition by Qui Nguyen
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 3m)
A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters is a high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and ’90s pop culture. Original Edition also available.

The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 10w)
From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, a girls’ indoor soccer team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with the vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. The Wolves is a portrait of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.

This Is NOT a Teen Movie by Jane B. Jones
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 6m, 2 any gender, 2gnc + ensemble)
At Golden Valley High, prom season means one thing: over-the-top prom-posals. But when news breaks that recent grads have been expelled from college for sexual misconduct, a group of students begins to question what their culture is really promoting. Led by the principal’s outspoken daughter, they launch a bold campaign to take prom back – and spark a conversation the whole school can’t ignore. 

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind by Greg Allen 
(Collection of Short Plays, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m + ensemble, flexible casting)
Opening in 1988 and still playing today as the longest-running show in Chicago history, Too Much Light… is an ensemble experiment in presenting “30 Plays in 60 Minutes.” Each two-minute play is performed in random order with an interactive audience. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest. This collection of 90 comic, tragic, political, personal and abstract plays gives you the chance to program your own evening of 30 Neo-Futurist plays to reflect the lives and experiences of your own ensemble. Go!

 

PLAYS & MUSICALS

Shows Based on Literature

Anne Of Green Gables – The Musical by Norman Campbell, Donald Harron and L.M. Montgomery
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 1m, 1 girl, 1 boy + ensemble)
Precocious and imaginative Anne captures the hearts and minds of a small farming community – and her newfound family – with pluck and personality. This original, glorious adaptation – now firmly embedded in Canadian national culture and musical theatre canon – continues to enrapture audiences across the world with its rich score and a rare, affecting story for all ages.

Big River: Theatre for Young Audiences Edition by Roger Miller, William Hauptman and Mark Twain
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 5m, expandable casting)
Adapted for a smaller cast performing for today’s young audiences, this version of Twain’s classic, propelled by Roger Miller’s award-winning score, sweeps down the Mississippi in a brilliantly theatrical celebration of friendship against all odds. Created with the support of over 100 consensus organizers (individuals and organizations serving the Black community). Original Version also available.

Bridge To Terabithia by Steve Liebman, Katherine Paterson and Stephanie S. Tolan
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 1m, 5 girls, 4 boys, 3 any gender)
This powerful adaptation, supported by a lyrical score, focuses the humor, warmth and emotional intensity of Katherine Paterson’s Newbery Award-winning novel. In rural Virginia, Jesse and Leslie create Terabithia, a fantasy kingdom where they are safe from those who don’t understand them. When tragedy strikes, the strength gained in Terabithia takes Jesse forward and lets him share the magic of his dreams.

CATS: Young Actors Edition by Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 24 any gender)
A 60-minute adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster meow-sical, designed especially for young performers. CATS is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with purr-fect felines who’ve come out to play on one special night of the year – the night of the Jellicle Ball. Original Version also available.

Crime and Punishment, A Comedy by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5 any gender)
Dostoyevsky’s turn-of-the-century masterpiece is reimagined as a 90-minute romp of a morality tale, with five actors playing over 50 zany characters. Riffing on the famous novel – and all of Russian literature – this classic story follows Raskolnikov, an impoverished student who becomes a murderer to save his family. Based on the book you didn’t actually read in high school, this is literature retold as you’ve never seen it before. 

Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Kevin del Aguila, Michael Mahler, Alan Schmuckler and Jeff Kinney
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  3w, 3m, 4 girls, 6 boys, 4 any gender youth + ensemble)
Middle school, ugh. It’s the worst. But Greg is determined not to be at the bottom of the popularity chart. Jeff Kinney’s popular character takes center stage as Greg’s cartoon diary becomes a hilarious and heartfelt musical. Will Greg’s plans to become popular lead him to sacrifice his one true friend? Can anyone avoid the dreaded Cheese Touch? Grab a hall pass and don’t be late for an adventure familiar to anyone who actually survived middle school. Also available: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: 60-Minute Version. 

Emma! A Pop Musical JV by Eric Price
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 9w, 5m + ensemble)
Emma, a senior at Highbury Prep, is certain she knows what’s best for her classmates’ love lives. But will Emma’s relentless matchmaking get in the way of finding her own happiness? Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, this sparkling new musical features the hit songs of legendary girl groups and iconic female singers from The Supremes to Katy Perry. Girl power has never sounded so good! Original Version also available.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (High School Edition) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
(Full-Length Play with Music, Dramatic Comedy / 14w, 16m, 4 any gender)
Nineteen years after Harry, Ron, and Hermione saved the Wizarding World, they’re back on a most extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Harry Potter’s headstrong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all – with the power to change the past and future forever. Prepare for spectacular spells, a mind-blowing race through time, and an epic battle to stop mysterious forces, all while the future hangs in the balance. 

James and the Giant Peach by David Wood and Roald Dahl
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 4m)
Roald Dahl’s classic tale is brought to life with live action, puppetry and storytelling in David Wood’s masterful adaptation. Narrated by James and the insect characters, the play begins in Central Park, where James and his friends are living in the giant peach stone. A tour guide brings a party of tourists (the audience) to see this major attraction, and James and his friends tell the beguiling tale of how they journeyed to the big city.

Peter Pan and Wendy by Lauren Gunderson and J.M. Barrie
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 5m, 6 any gender + ensemble)
J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan is reimagined for a new generation of theatregoers as a bright, charming, feminist, anti-colonial, empowering play for all ages. Bold, budding scientist Wendy Darling dreams of earning a Nobel Prize. When Peter Pan arrives at her bedroom window, she takes a leap and leaves finishing school behind, chasing adventure among the stars. Facing down fairies, mermaids and the dastardly Captain Hook, Wendy, Peter, and their friends discover the power of standing up together for what’s right.  

Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ The Musical by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 1 girl, 3 boys)
Based on the classic bestselling novel by Sue Townsend, this critically acclaimed West End musical brings Britain’s best-loved spotty teenager’s story to life for a new generation of theatregoers. Adrian Mole is a 13¾ year-old misunderstood intellectual living with dysfunctional parents, ungrateful elders and a growing debt to school bully Barry Kent. .

The BFG by Roald Dahl and David Wood
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m)
This stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book about the 24-foot-tall Big Friendly Giant and a little orphan called Sophie brings some of Dahl’s most memorable characters to life. Assisted by the Queen of England and the heads of the military, the BFG and Sophie team up to save the children of England from child-eating giants.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by John Heimbuch and Jon Ferguson
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 2m, 7 any gender)
A dynamic ensemble-based retelling of the famous Washington Irving short story. In the quaint village of Sleepy Hollow, the legend of a mighty headless Hessian haunts humble schoolteacher Ichabod Crane as he pursues the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical by Joe Tracz, Rob Rokicki and Rick Riordan
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7 any gender +Ensemble)
This dynamic musical adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling book is a guaranteed audience pleaser! When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods. The kinetic and hilarious tuner, which opened on Broadway in 2019, features a thrilling, energetic pop-rock score. Theatre for Young Audiences Version also available.

The Odyssey by Mary Zimmerman
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 8w, 13m + ensemble)
This dramatic adaptation of Homer’s epic myth begins with a modern young woman struggling to understand Robert Fitzgerald’s translation of The Odyssey. A classical muse appears, and the young woman becomes the goddess Athena. With her trademark twist on classic works, Zimmerman brings to life the story of Odysseus’ ten-year journey home, depicting his encounters with characters such as Circe, the Cyclops, Poseidon, Calypso, the Sirens and others. 

The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman, Lucy Simon and Frances Hodgson Burnett
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 7w, 8m, 1 girl, 1 boy +ensemble)
The enchanting, Tony Award-winning musical, based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel, is a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magical garden and spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life. Also available in a 70-minute Spring Version.

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5 any gender + ensemble)
The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil’s Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. A wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun. One-Act Version also available. 

Tuck Everlasting by Claudia Shear, Tim Federle, Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen and Natalie Babbitt
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 6m, 1 girl + ensemble)
Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster is torn between going on an infinite adventure with the magical Tuck family and rejecting her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to possess eternal youth. Based on the bestselling children’s classic by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting features a gorgeous score and a variety of dynamic roles. Theatre for Young Audiences Edition also available.

Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers

Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express adapted by Ken Ludwig 
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m)
Ken Ludwig’s clever adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic boasts all the glamour, intrigue and suspense of Dame Agatha’s celebrated novel, with a healthy dose of humor to quicken the pace. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – before another victim is taken. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 8m)
Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, the bloodbath begins and one by one they are brutally murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme. 

City of Angels by Cy Coleman, Larry Gelbart, David Zippel
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 8m + optional ensemble)
A smart and stylish film noir musical, City of Angels captures the gritty sights and sounds of Hollywood’s classic detective movies, all set to a brilliant, bluesy jazz score. The Tony-winning Best Musical features two dynamic male leads and a great supporting cast.

Clue: High School Edition by Jonathan Lynn, Sandy Rustin, Hunter Forster, Eric Price and Michael Holland
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 6m) 
It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well… dead. So whodunit? Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, and now adjusted for young performers and appropriate for all ages, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist. 

How to Get Away with a Murder Mystery by Don Zolidis
(Short Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m, 9 any gender + ensemble)
Five mysterious color-coded guests. A mansion. A murder. Can the killer get away with it? And how will the sleuths bring them to justice? A handy guide to escaping the law when one happens to be a prime suspect in a mysterious murder. Told through vignettes, this show hilariously skewers the tropes of the murder mystery: an airtight alibi, a long-winded monologue by a detective with an accent and even an impossibly complicated Rube Goldberg murder device.

Silent, But Deadly by Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 11w, 3m, 4 any gender)
The set of the silent thriller Das Vampyr, Scourge of the Night is in desperate trouble. The director is a perfectionist, the actors are in revolt, the producers are about to pull the plug, and everyone seems to be plotting to murder the lead actress. But when one of the conspirators ends up dead instead, it’s up to famed detective Valentina Caravelli to unravel the mystery. 

The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids by Jim Colleran
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 22 any gender youth + optional ensemble)
In this witty musical whodunit, Candy Krunch and her team of crime-solving friends leap into action when a masterpiece is stolen during their town’s art competition. With a flexible cast size and 22 speaking roles, this family-friendly mystery offers plenty of opportunity for every actor in its youth cast.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 4m)
In this thrilling stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s ingenious 1926 novel, the tiny village of King’s Abbot is rocked by scandal when Roger Ackroyd, the wealthiest man in town, is found dead shortly after the apparent suicide of his fiancée. 

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 7m + optional ensemble)
Based on Charles Dickens’ final unfinished novel, this hilarious whodunit invites the audience to solve its mystery by choosing the identity of the murderer. The tale is presented as a show-within-a-show, as a delightfully loony Victorian theatre company presents Dickens’ brooding mystery.

Pieces for Competition

15 Reasons Not to Be in a Play by Alan D. Haehnel
(Short Play, Comedy / 36 any gender + ensemble)
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… is perfect for anyone who has ever held dreams of being on stage, or been horrified at the very thought. 

365 Days/365 Plays (One-Act) by Suzan-Lori Parks
(Collection of Short Plays / flexible cast size)
This collection of 365 impeccably crafted pieces, each with its own distinctive characters and dramatic power, is a complete work by an artist responding to her world, each and every day. “One Act”
refers to a presentation of 30 or fewer plays from the collection.

A Company of Players by Ed Monk
(Short Play, Comedy / 3w, 6m, 2 any gender)
A struggling theatre company catches a big break when they’re invited to perform at the royal court. The bad news is, it’s Prince Hamlet’s castle, and he wants them to perform a weird new play he wrote himself. The company bickers about everything from who gets what part to the correct way to pour prop poison in somebody’s ear. A fun and fast-paced comedy with a Shakespearean twist.

Bad Auditions by Bad Actors by Ian McWethy
(Short Play, Comedy / 7w, 4m, 3 any gender)
This hilarious comedy will bring you to the last place you’d ever want to be… behind the doors of a casting session for a community theatre production of Romeo and Juliet, where the pool of actors includes extreme method actors, performers who just don’t know what to do with their hands, and one particular woman who may or may not think she’s a cat.  Full-Length Version also available.

Bleachers by Noah Haidle
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 2m + ensemble)
It’s high school football season in America! While the team plays under the bright lights, four tuba players stuck in the back row wrestle with everything that doesn’t fit into a halftime show: ambition, grief, friendship, faith, love and the strange cruelty of small-town “normal.” Equal parts marching band comedy and raw confession, this funny, ferocious and flexible play is built for schools and young actors to adapt, using your own school’s name, mascot, fight song and rivals. 

Flip Turn by Madeleine George
(Short Play, Comedy / 4w, 6m)
A fantastic blending of the under- and above-water worlds at a public pool, when an ordinary day calls for extraordinary feats of daring and trust.

Going Left by Kristoffer Díaz
(Short Play, Drama / 2w, 14m)
Two high school boys (on opposing basketball teams) ask one another out on a date, causing ripples and tensions among their friends. But teens being gay is not the real issue. 

Horse Girls by Jenny Rachel Weiner
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 7w)
A dark comedy of middle school deception and lies, Horse Girls is a play about pre-teens: their obsessions, their insecurities, their desperate need to find a place in the world. (Competition version available.)

Kodachrome (One-Act Version) by Adam Szymkowicz
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 2m)
A one-act adaptation of Adam Szymkowicz’s play about love, nostalgia, the seasons, and how we learn to say goodbye. Welcome to Colchester, a small town where everybody knows each other, and the pace of life allows the pursuit of love to take up as much space as it needs. Full-Length Version also available. 

Lost Girl by Kimberly Belflower
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 6m, flexible/expandable casting)
Lost Girl examines Wendy’s coming of age after the classic story of Peter Pan. Featuring flexible casting and a strong female protagonist, the play runs 90 minutes. A separate 40-minute competition version is available upon request.

The Barbarians Are Coming by Luigi Jannuzzi
(Short Play, Satire / 3m)
An excellent competition piece with Monty Python humor and a terrific message. Two feudal lords trying to decide what type of tea to drink are interrupted by a serf who babbles hysterically about barbarians laying siege to the castle. When the barbarians arrive, will raw muscle rule over culture and etiquette?

The Lost Girl (Or First Chair) by Lauren Yee
(Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 5m)
When a school’s first violinist disappears, parents and students humorously navigate the rocky waters of high school orchestra politics. This short play, running 30 minutes, is ideal for competitions.

Thornton Wilder One-Act Series: The Ages of Man by Thornton Wilder
(Short Plays, Drama and Comedy / Various Cast Sizes)
This collection features Thornton Wilder’s last plays, a series of short works inspired by the Ages of Man. The plays are: Infancy, Childhood, Youth and The Rivers Under the Earth.

Thornton Wilder One-Act Series: The Seven Deadly Sins by Thornton Wilder
(Short Plays, Drama and Comedy / Various Cast Sizes)
This collection features Thornton Wilder’s last plays, a series of short works inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins. The plays are: The Drunken Sisters (Gluttony), Bernice (Pride), The Wreck on the 5:25 (Sloth), A Ringing of Doorbells (Envy), In Shakespeare and the Bible (Wrath), Someone From Assisi (Lust) and Cement Hands (Avarice).

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For more great plays and musicals, visit ConcordTheatricals.com! And don’t forget to check out our guide to K12 licensing, show selection and more.