One-Act Plays
Stage Partners is home to some of the best one-act play scripts for high schools, middle schools, and theatres. From large cast comedies to intimate dramas for competition, Stage Partners' exciting collection of short plays features some of the most popular playwrights in the world.
Browse our selection below and READ EVERY PLAY SCRIPT FOR FREE!
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Tara, Shaped by the Figures
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 11 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 3M, 2 any)Genre: Dramedy, DramaSynopsis:
After Tara's best friend Clara dies from a heart condition, she is afraid to get close to the group trying to befriend her at her new school. The figures from history and fiction who Tara loves (including Anne Frank, Annie Oakley, Churchill, Sherlock Holmes, and Captain America) are joined by Clara in guiding Tara through her grief, until she tells her new friends about her loss. -
No Substitutes
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-25+ actors (suggested casting: 16 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It's usually a pretty low-key day when you get a substitute teacher, but not so for Miss Florence's class. The "cool" assistant principal is using them as guinea pigs to try out a series of new prospective subs, from a wannabe inspirational teacher, to a conspiracy theorist, to a border collie. It's almost enough to make you want to quietly finish your work! You never know who's going to sho... -
What Happens in Neverland Stays in Neverland
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 6-17 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 2M, 7 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
You thought you knew Neverland... Take an inside look at what is really going on with your favorite characters. Tinkerbell explains her unrequited love for Peter, Captain Hook wants you to know the real him, and Peter Pan gives a commencement speech worthy of a TED Talk. “In Neverland, fun is a little gory.” -
Mascots
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 6-18 actors (suggested casting: 16 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Drysdale High School has a problem. For the first time in their fifty-year history, they need to replace their beloved (but also deeply problematic) school mascot, Cujo. So Principal Gurgins turns to the student body to submit and select a new mascot, one that can represent (and fire up!) Drysdale for the next fifty years. During the play, we’ll see new mascots ranging from an ordinary house cat... -
Adapted & Destroyed: A Tale of Storytelling Gone Wrong
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-28 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It started as a bedtime story. A story about a bunny that Mary’s mom used to tell her every night. And it was a pretty weird one (with way more digressions about mortgage rates than you’d ever expect in a children's story). But when her mom died, Bouncy Bunny became a way for Mary to remember her. So one day she decided to write it all down. And then, to her great surprise... it took... -
The Sisters Grimm
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 9-35 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 2M, 6 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It’s 2020, and sisters Jo and Riley have just moved into Grandma and Grandpa’s spare bedroom. Dad is deployed overseas and Mom is suddenly working 24/7 as an E.R. nurse. Spring Break has been extended indefinitely, the end-of-the-year musical has been canceled, and Grandpa hasn’t turned off the news in days. Follow along as Jo tries to get her younger sister's mind off of the chaos around th... -
Murder by the Book
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 9 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 3M)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
When mystery writer Mary Graves is found dead, it's up to a detective with anger issues to figure out who among Graves' guests is a murderer. Is it the oil tycoon, the scientist, the Shakespearean actor, the countess, the psychic, or the maid? ...Say, this is starting to sound like a mystery novel! A hilarious one-act whodunnit brimming with larger-than-life characters. -
Holiday Party
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 3-15 actors (suggested cast size: 3F, 3M, 3 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Make yourself at home—Evelyn’s annual holiday party is always warm, welcoming, and full of surprises. You might meet a pair of wallflowers finding connection in the corner, a pair of elves whose friendship is devolving into bitter rivalry, or a couple sharing a guest room with their host’s improbable menagerie of pets. A sweet one-act treat for the holidays. -
Zombie Boyfriend
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 6-30 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 5M, 5 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Melissa's best friend has a crush on the new guy, but Melissa's not so sure about Arghn. Maybe it's the grunting, or the insatiable desire for brains. Nobody but Melissa seems to notice as the horde of zombies starts to spread through the school - or if they do, they don't want to rock the boat. Can a zombie hunter and an awkward doctor help Melissa save the staggering population from themselves?... -
My First Lockdown
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 10-20 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 5M, 5 any)Genre: Dramedy, DramaSynopsis:
Inspired by true events, a group of theater students have just finished performing a play when the unthinkable happens - the school goes under lockdown. Caught in various rooms throughout the school, the students have to figure out what to do, who to trust, and if they're ever going to feel safe again. (There is a version with more roles available. Contact Stage Partners for details.)