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One-Act Comedies

From large cast original play scripts to adaptations of classic works, Stage Partners has an exciting collection of one-act comedies by some of the funniest playwrights working today. These plays are perfect for high schools, middle schools, and theatres. 

Browse our selection below and READ EVERY PLAY SCRIPT FOR FREE!

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  • When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors - Stage Partners

    When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors

    Written by Jason Pizzarello and Ian McWethy
    Length: 25-30 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 3M, 10 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    A simple one-act production of The Wizard of Oz gets derailed by missed cues, forgotten lines, and a renegade sound board op who refuses to play anything but dinosaur noises. A comedy that proves, when it comes to live theatre, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and it will be hilarious.
  • Will You Be My Nemesis? - Kathryn Funkhouser - Stage Partners

    Will You Be My Nemesis?

    Written By: Kathryn Funkhouser
    Length: 35-40 minutes
    Cast Size: 5-30 actors (suggested casting: 10 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    It's hard to find your perfect match, someone you really connect with; someone who will dedicate their life to destroying you at all costs. Yes, sometimes it feels like you'll NEVER meet your nemesis. But Captain Battle and Dr. Nightmare are willing to try out every hero and villain in town to find the enemy of their dreams. Of course, you're going to meet a few weirdos along the way... An ultra-f...
  • Masterclasses

    Masterclasses

    Written By: Patrick Greene
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 8-25 actors (suggested casting: 1F, 9 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    Acting. Is. Life. If you are going to be a student at The Morley Buck School of Serious Acting for Extraordinary Actors, you need to commit to your craft. But acting isn't all soliloquies and dramatic scenes; to be a true Actor (with a capital "A") you need to perfect moments such as being Startled Awake, Underwater Thinking, or being hit by a laser B.E.A.M. These are just some of the hyper-specif...
  • The Cast List - Stage Partners

    The Cast List

    Written By: Jason Pizzarello and Rocco Natale
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 12F, 3M, 5 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    Ah, the cast list. Oh, the drama. The casting would be simple if it weren't for constant script cuts, actor trade agreements, backstabbing, helicopter parents, hysterical prima donnas, and the Assistant Director could figure out how to incorporate the songs of Grease into Romeo & Juliet without getting sued. This is a show for any student who has ever been cast or miscast in a school play or a...
  • Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion one-act murder mystery comedy play script by Ian McWethy - Stage Partners

    Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion

    Length: 30-45 minutes
    Cast Size: 14-24 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 7M, 5 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    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...
  • Places in Five - Stage Partners

    Places in Five

    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 5M, 5 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    The one where an actress stumbles into the role of a lifetime...if only she can figure out what play she's doing. Meta-theatricality knows no bounds in this wacky comedy. (​If you like The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang, consider Places in Five.)
  • All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Being in a Bad Christmas Play - Stage Partners

    All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Being in a Bad Christmas Play

    Written By: Werner Trieschmann
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-25 actors (suggested casting: 2F, 1M, 12 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    A lovable yet inept drama crew -- with a director wired on Frankenstein energy drinks -- attempts to tackle a traditional Christmas show but with more energy. A mash-up of A Christmas Carol and Death of a Salesman with cheerleaders might just work. The put-upon stage manager is trying to get into the spirit of the season by not yelling at the lazy actors, the Narrator is forced to dress as Santa C...
  • Superhero Issues - Stage Partners

    Superhero Issues

    Written By: A.M. Dittman
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 8-28 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 4M, 8 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    The one where it's hard to be a superhero, whether dating a school of eels or applying for a job at a fast food restaurant or letting your therapist alter your memories. Robots from outer space and dastardly plots collide with superfans and a girl who is terrific. What else do you need in a play?
  • Margaret Cradmeier‚Äôs Catalogue of Minor Yet Helpful Uncanny Abilities - Stage Partners

    Margaret Cradmeier's Catalogue of Minor Yet Helpful Uncanny Abilities

    Written By: Alan Haehnel
    Length: 25-30 minutes
    Cast Size: 16-30 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 13 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    Margaret Cradmeier may not be the easiest person to get along with, but her message about people is ultimately hopeful: We do not need superheroes or magicians to accomplish the important tasks in life; we need people with “myhuas”--minor yet helpful uncanny abilities. With her limited supply of patience and barely-contained temper, Maggie attempts to work with her Ensemble to explain myhuas.�...
  • Captain Theatre Nerd and the Magnificent Techies

    Captain Theatre Nerd and The Magnificent Techies

    Written By: Jon Jory
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 15-40 actors (suggested casting: 10F, 10M)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    Let Captain Theatre Nerd take you on a whirlwind tour of the history of theater from ridiculous melodramas to sweeping musicals. Everything on stage happens just as it's supposed to, except when it goes horribly and hilariously wrong. Actors on strike, indecisive directors, wrong cues and costumes... But the show must go on! Right? Leave it to the techies to save the day. 
10 Items