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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When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 3M, 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
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. -
Queens (one-act)
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 9-35 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 2M, 7 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
King Henry VIII is trapped in purgatory, bound to his throne by a sinister Fool and the ghostly Women in White. Here in his gilded cage, he is forced to relive the sins he committed against his queens, mistresses and people of the court, over and over again, for an eternity. (A full-length version of this play is also available.) -
Wild Strawberries
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 11-20 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 3M, 4 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
“My brother has been shot dead!” And so begins our tale of lies, love, and lunch. It’s a bright morning on the di Nikoli estates and the loyal maid Truffledina just wants to eat breakfast. But her mistress, Nikolette di Nikoli, wants to disguise herself as her supposedly dead brother and go into the city to take care of his will and her inheritance. Nikolette and Truffledina head off to the... -
Masterclasses
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-25 actors (suggested casting: 1F, 9 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
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... -
I Quit! - A Guide To Leaving Your Job in Style
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 5-30+ actors (suggested casting: 15 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Are you ready to leave that horrible job, but you want to go out in style? Well, you've come to the right place. Join Gayle Staverson and her group of players as they teach you a variety of fun ways to quit your job with a flourish. From bringing your own audience, to singing the perfect "I quit!" song, Gayle and company will show you how to leave your job and never be forgotten. So come on down t... -
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... -
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. -
Baby Yoga
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 7 actors (7F)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Some mothers always seem to have it all together, and others... not so much. When Chaos Mom and Chaos Baby arrive in a community yoga class for babies and mothers, all pretenses and expectations of what motherhood should be quickly fall apart. Baby Yoga is a hilarious ode to all those moms who are just trying to get through the day. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish...