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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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... -
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?... -
The Heart and Soul of Thomas Elegie
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 7 actorsGenre: DramaSynopsis:
Thomas is a very precise pianist who's being pushed by his mom to win competitions for scholarships, he's losing his love of music in the process and it shows in his playing. He meets a new friend at school who reminds him how to have fun with the piano, but when it turns out she's terminally ill he freaks out - this is a relationship he can't "win" - but ultimately decides to prioritize love of... -
Too Many Daughters: A Jane Austen Parody
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 12-25 actors, gender flexibleGenre: ComedySynopsis:
In this Jane Austen parody, the Ashworth daughters (of which there are twelve - or is it thirteen?) struggle to find suitors that will meet their mother's high standard. Her standard, of course, being that they must be filthy rich. Their task is made all the more difficult because their choices are so limited, due to the high number of potential suitors who have been killed when their horses fell... -
Yellow Wallpaper
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 6-30+ actors (suggested casting: 2M, 10F)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
When Eleanor stumbles upon a hidden diary, she unlocks a family secret - and finds that danger lives closer to home than she possibly could have imagined. An ensemble of trapped spirits crack open the door between generations in a theatrical adaptation that wraps the classic psychological horror story The Yellow Wallpaper in a Hitchcockian thriller. -
Don't Wake the Dragon
Length: 30-40 minutesCast Size: 12-35 actorsGenre: ComedySynopsis:
A mundane school day is hilariously upended in this wild homage to Eugene Ionesco’s classic Rhinoceros. When a fierce and deadly dragon flies over a school, the teachers are rightly alarmed. However, thanks to social media and other influences, the dragon inspires a mass popular movement. Soon students and faculty alike are wearing tails, roaring, and inciting chaos! The only person who seems to... -
The Inexplicable Chaos Factor of Mia Gregory
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-20 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 3M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Liv is one of the most brilliant teenage mathematicians in the country, but she does not understand her best (and only) friend Mia. Like, at all. And now, she's doing this stupid play to try to figure it out. An incredibly moving and empowering story about the chaos we create, and the order we can find in it. -
The Real Story of Alice in Wonderland
Length: 45-60 minutesCast Size: 13-30 actorsGenre: ComedySynopsis:
Was Alice really the sweet, innocent little girl the storybooks made her out to be, or was she actually a nasty piece of work? Two Narrators battle as they show the audience contrasting versions of Lewis Carroll's classic story. Cuttings are permitted for competition time restrictions - email Stage Partners for details. -
Dracula (one-act)
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 11 actors (suggested casting 7F, 3M, 1 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
A swift one-act adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic horror novel that is easily staged for the most-effective frights. Eva Van Helsing, the vampire hunter, has decided to confront and kill Dracula before he bites again. Lucy is already wandering the asylum as an undead, and it isn’t long before more victims fall prey. Mina is willing to be human bait to lure Dracula out of hiding, but will Van H...