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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The Quiz That Almost Killed Me
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 11-30 actors (suggested casting: 2F, 4M, 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
A student journeys through space, time and a hilariously idiotic Dickensian theatrical landscape to discover the importance of studying for a quiz. Entertaining for students from the past, present, and future. School was never so terrifying. (If you like This is A Test by Stephen Gregg, consider The Quiz That Almost Killed Me.) -
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 Hauntings at Cedar Park
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 16 actors, gender flexibleGenre: DramaSynopsis:
Shifting between multiple time periods, we follow two groups of students as they search for a mysterious ghost in blue. They've all heard the legend. And though some don't believe it, for all of the teens who venture into Cedar Park, the legend sure does believe in them. In the end, that's all that matters. -
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... -
Capsule
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 3 actors (2M, 1 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
When a beloved park is scheduled to become a parking lot, three friends are forced to dig up their time capsule a bit earlier than they had planned. What they dig up about their shared past will change them all forever. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Horror. -
A Stitch Here or There: A Sock Tragedy in One Act
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 3-6 actorsGenre: Dramedy, ComedySynopsis:
What happens to the socks that disappear in the laundry? What about the ones left behind? When Cotton loses the other half of her pair, she looks for answers. A Stitch Here or There is a soulful comedy about loss... with sock puppets. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Comedies. -
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... -
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 Surviving Christmas App
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 10-20 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 1M, 5 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Sisters Sam and Shelly’s blissful Christmas of violent video games and selfies is interrupted when their sentimental mother wants the family to watch the legendarily awful Christmas dog movie Santa Woofs! That’s when a mysterious Surviving Christmas App is uploaded on Shelly’s phone. Then, even though there is a blizzard, mysterious people keep showing up at the house with unfinished school... -
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...