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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How to Survive Being in a Shakespeare Play
Length: 30-60 minutesCast Size: 10-50 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 5M, 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Some day it’s going to happen: You’re going to find yourself on stage, wearing tights, and saying things in iambic pentameter. Face it, you’re in a Shakespeare play, and that means it’s a pretty good bet you’re going to DIE. The Bard is out for blood, but this play is here to stop him! How could Romeo and Juliet survive? Julius Caesar? A nameless soldier in Henry the Fifth? What if King... -
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.) -
12 Angry Villains
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 12-14 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 7M, 2 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
The one that debates Peter Pan's alleged murder of an innocent pirate named Captain Hook. A jury of twelve of the most famous villains will decide Pan's fate, if only they could stop arguing long enough to take a vote. (If you like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, consider 12 Angry Villains.) -
Will You Be My Nemesis?
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 5-30 actors (suggested casting: 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It's hard to find your perfect match, someone you really connect with; someone who will dedicate their life to destroying you at all costs. Yes, sometimes it feels like you'll NEVER meet your nemesis. But Captain Battle and Dr. Nightmare are willing to try out every hero and villain in town to find the enemy of their dreams. Of course, you're going to meet a few weirdos along the way... An ultra-f... -
Home Shopping Studios Live!
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 6-19 actors (suggested casting: 7F, 7M, 5 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Home Shopping Studios, hosted by Billy Happerly and Diane St. John, is a premiere home shopping channel - and it's live! Unfortunately, their last producer was fired, and has plotted his revenge by scheduling the worst products imaginable. From stuffed animals filled with human hair, to used trash bags, to live snakes, Billy and Diane have to sell everything, all while dealing with the, ah, creati... -
How (Not) to Be A Wizard
Length: 35-45 minutesCast Size: 8-25+ actors (suggested casting: 18 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It's a (magical) disaster! A school of wizardry needs a new professor...and classes start tomorrow. Everyone's coming through the portal for an interview, from a suspiciously fake-looking centaur to this one guy from Oz who can't even DO anything. Can anybody save the day? A spellbinding comedy that has created the completely new concept of a school for wizards and is definitely not making fun of... -
Silenced on Barbour Street
Length: 40-50 minutesCast Size: 21-35 actors (suggested casting: 15F, 7M, 5 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
On July 6, 1944, a fire roared across the top of the 48-foot high tent during the matinee performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, claiming the lives of 144 spectators. In this ensemble driven drama, 15 victims of this tragedy must face their guilt and deepest fears in order to escape from a sadistic ringmaster who has trapped them in a mysterious circus purgatory. Part h... -
Every Novel You Read in High School (in 25 Minutes or Less)
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 8-40 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 4M, 6 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
The one where a theater group attempts ATTEMPTS to present all those novels you read in high school before school lets out for the summer. Pray for them. They're gonna need it and so are you. (If you like Shakespeare Abridged… consider Every Novel You Read in High School.) -
What Happens in Neverland Stays in Neverland
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 6-17 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 2M, 7 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
You thought you knew Neverland... Take an inside look at what is really going on with your favorite characters. Tinkerbell explains her unrequited love for Peter, Captain Hook wants you to know the real him, and Peter Pan gives a commencement speech worthy of a TED Talk. “In Neverland, fun is a little gory.” -
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...