One-Act Dramas
From intimate dramas for competition to large cast historical plays, Stage Partners has an award-winning collection of exciting dramatic play scripts for high schools, middle schools, and theatres from some of the most popular playwrights working today.
Browse our selection below and READ EVERY PLAY SCRIPT FOR FREE!
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The Red House Monster
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 4-5 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 1M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
The story of Hannah Gold, a young lady living on an island off the coast of Massachusetts in the late 1800s, and the night that changed her life. Filled with small town lore, haunted houses, spirits, monsters, pistols, pie, and mysteries, it is a play that will keep you guessing just what is in the Red House, and who, in fact, you should be afraid of. Inspired by the myth of Geryon and Hercules, a... -
Getting to the Bottom
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 2 actors (1M, 1 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Ben has nowhere to hide from his intense fear of clowns when best buddy Jordan takes it upon himself to rid Ben of his phobia once and for all in this immersive, nightmare of a play. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Horror. -
The Search for Delicious (one-act version)
Length: 45-55 minutesCast Size: 10-22 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 5M, 8 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
In this magical adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s classic tale, a troupe of actors recreate a mythical medieval kingdom in the midst of a fierce disagreement over the most “delicious” food. To avoid a civil war, the kingdom sends 12-year-old Gaylen (and his loyal horse, Marrow) on a journey to settle the definition once and for all. On their quest, Gaylen and Marrow must face the evil Hemlock... -
Dear Anne, From Nina (one-act version)
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 7 actors (5F, 2m)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
In February 1940, a young girl in Iowa pulled the name of a pen pal out of a hat. That name was Anne Frank. There was a brief correspondence before the Nazis invaded The Netherlands. The play is a coming-of-age reflection of that time from 1940-1942. While Nina and Jeannie strive to be “citizens of the world” in their tiny town of Danville, Anne and Margot try to live their lives in a world th... -
The Hound of the Baskervilles (one-act)
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-11 actors, gender flexibleGenre: DramaSynopsis:
The game is afoot in this swift one-act adaptation of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most beloved novels. When the body of Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moors, surrounded by the footprints of a gigantic hound, his friend Dr. Jenna Mortimer fears an old family legend has returned to terrorize the countryside. Concerned for the safety of the heir to the Baskerville estate, Mortimer... -
Sherlock's Best: The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-13 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 5M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Join famous sleuths Holmes and Watson as they uncover the truth behind London's most recent unsolved mysteries. In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons case, they must catch a murderer who may be a lunatic, a thief, or really just hate Napoleon. In Sherlock is Dead, Holmes himself is at the center of a poisonous crime and must rely on a trusted doctor...as long as it's not Watson. Performed together... -
Sherlock's Best: Sherlock is Dead
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-10 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 2M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Join famous sleuths Holmes and Watson as they uncover the truth behind London's most recent unsolved mysteries. In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons case, they must catch a murderer who may be a lunatic, a thief, or really just hate Napoleon. In Sherlock is Dead, Holmes himself is at the center of a poisonous crime and must rely on a trusted doctor...as long as it's not Watson. Performed together... -
The Chips are Down
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 3M, 5 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
In 1951, the Red Scare is in full swing, and it migrates to a private girls’ school in New Hampshire when one teacher is suspected of being a Communist. Charged by the administration to find out the truth, Rachel, the daughter of the cafeteria manager, must challenge her own beliefs to figure out the meaning of justice. -
The Scarlet Letter (one-act version)
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 10-25 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 6M, 1 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
In this new and theatrical retelling of the classic tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet letter on her chest as punishment for committing adultery in Puritan New England. Throughout time, The Scarlet Letter has endured as a way to examine societal expressions of shame, guilt, and ultimately, redemption. (A full-length version of this play is als... -
The Jungle Book
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 15-30 actors (suggested casting: 20 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
This thrilling and fun-filled adventure is brought to the stage by the theatrical master Jon Jory who has crafted an accessible, flexible, and easily-staged version for all ages! When a human child named Mowgli is taken and raised by a family of wolves, he must learn the ways of the jungle. Fortunately he has the wise panther Bagheera and friendly Baloo the bear by his side. But soon Mowgli finds...