Mystery/Suspense/Horror
From murder mysteries to gothic horror, Stage Partners has an exciting collection of suspenseful plays by some of the most exciting playwrights working today. From high schools and middle schools to community and professional theatres, Stage Partners has chilling new plays for every stage.
Browse our selection below and READ EVERY PLAY SCRIPT FOR FREE!
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In the Forests of the Night
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 13 actors (suggested casting: 13 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Thirteen students are compelled by their dreams to play a game in the woods to keep a mysterious monster at bay. Not everyone gets to play it again. (If you like The Giver consider In the Forests of the Night.) -
Beware the House on Haunted Hill!
Length: 85-90 minutesCast Size: 9 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 3M, 3 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Come to the party…stay if you dare. An eccentric millionaire promises six guests a mysterious prize if they can survive the night at the only truly haunted house in the world. Everyone invited has a few skeletons in their closets though, and screwball scares lurk around every corner. The classic 50s horror movie House on Haunted Hill becomes a campy whodunnit in this low-tech stage adaptation. J... -
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Length: 90-100 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 7F, 8M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
America’s first great ghost story, Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow follows the quirky and superstitious antics of schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, who is haunted by the dreaded Headless Horseman. This imaginative adaptation stays true to the world that Irving creates in this American gothic tale, but adds a lyrical quality that further enhances the humor, the magic, and the ter... -
Night of the Macabre
Length: 90-100 minutes (but can be shortened - see description)Cast Size: 11-36 actors (suggested casting: 9M, 11F, 14 any gender)Genre: Comedy, DramaSynopsis:
A hunt for horror finds four friends at the Museum of the Macabre…a wax museum displaying scenes from short stories by great authors of Gothic Horror like Poe, Hawthorne, and Irving. But as unnerving as the exhibits - and the stories behind them - are…the real terror for the fearless four comes when the exhibits start to come to life! This easy-to-stage play celebrates great short stori... -
Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion (full-length)
Length: 90-100 minutesCast Size: 10-20 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 9M, 3 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Sure, you think you've seen this type of murder mystery before. A cast of eccentric characters meet at a mansion, only to become suspects of a murder that a singular genius detective will eventually solve. But what happens when all the suspects are the detectives? Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, and Batman are just a few of the guests. Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion is a... -
Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion
Length: 30-45 minutesCast Size: 14-24 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 7M, 5 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Sure, you think you've seen this type of murder mystery before. A cast of eccentric characters meet at a mansion, only to become suspects of a murder that a singular genius detective will eventually solve. But what happens when all the suspects are the detectives? Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, and Batman are just a few of the guests. Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion is a... -
Pick Your Poison
Length: 100-120 minutesCast Size: 9 actors (suggested casting 3F, 5M, 1 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Pick Your Poison is a murder mystery farce in the style of the “country house murder.” Sir Nicholas Blackburn invites his old friends, acquaintances, and one stranger to visit him at his country estate, but some of them may not live through the weekend. In this audience-interactive play, the audience votes at intermission on which of the eight main characters is the murder, and the winning vot... -
The Visitors
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 7-14 actors (suggested casting: 7F, 4M, 3 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
KB is in a coma. How she got there, no one knows. As she lies unconscious on a hospital bed, family, friends, and other well-wishers reflect on KB and how she has affected their lives. But as KB's physical condition worsens and her visitors struggle with their grief, KB embarks on a mysterious journey that will change her forever. (If you like The Lottery consider The Visitors.) -
A Place to Rest Your Head
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 4 actors (3M, 1F)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
The residents of a run-down flophouse are transients, haunted in more ways than one. But a deeper mystery unfolds: who are the ghosts, and who are the haunted? This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Horror. -
Peace and Quiet
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 4 actors (suggested casting: 2F, 2M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
A support group for individuals suffering from tinnitus takes an eerie turn when they discover the cause of the ringing in their ears might be more sinister than actual science. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Horror.