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!
Go to filters
-
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.) -
Soundscapes (one-act version)
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 9-30+ actors (suggested casting: 5F, 2M, 9 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Iris has synesthesia. She has no idea. At first, she simply thinks that everyone sees colors and shapes when music plays, but by the time she's a teenager, it's clear that others don't understand. Struggling to downplay the way she experiences the world, and worrying what it might mean to be different, the young artist is at war with herself until she meets a new friend - and he sees the colors to... -
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... -
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. -
Barn Wood and Blue Roses
Length: 30-40 minutesCast Size: 7-20 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 7 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
When Devon learns that best friend Chelsea has cystic fibrosis, Devon creates a fantasy world for the two of them to live in. They live in their new imaginative world as L'Sea, a woman who becomes a dragon twice a day, and D'Nova, renowned artisan of comical barn wood signs and a magician's apprentice. But Devon has kept a secret, too. And it is about to bring their whole fantasy world crashing do... -
The Secret Garden
Length: 45-55 minutesCast Size: 12-48 actors (4F, 5M, 3 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Orphaned young Mary Lennox finds herself in the charge of a mysterious uncle, in a mysterious house, on the desolate moor in England. Bored and lonely, she starts exploring the gardens and uncovers a secret that has been kept for ten years. But why is everyone here keeping secrets? And who is crying in the house late at night? As spring arrives, the power of nature begins to unlock a beautiful new... -
Eating Crayons
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 3 actors (2F, 1M)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Growing up, we shared their classrooms. We may have even judged them. Now it's their turn to speak. Eating Crayons is a delightful ode to the beautiful misfits who dared to taste the many colors of every kid's world. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Comedies. -
Happy Birthday To Me
Length: 10Cast Size: 2 actors (2F)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It's Chelsea's 14th birthday at midnight tonight - but until then, her older sister, Andrea is in charge. The sleepover guests are due any minute... aren't they? Unless something else is going on... This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Comedies. -
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... -
The Lost Art of Finding
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 15 any)Genre: Dramedy, ComedySynopsis:
Say what you will about Sophie, she is focused. On Something, a crucial Something, and she won't give up until she has It. A pushy salesman, a mob of celebrity hounds, the celebrity himself, even a well-meaning, potential friend will not distract Sophie from her quest. This large cast, gender-flexible one-act will both entertain and intrigue, inviting viewers to question what their particular Some...