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
-
Shakespeare, Clearly: Twelfth Night (one-act version)
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 5M, 10 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
This playful comedy centers on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck, and the courtship, mistaken identities, and hijinks that follow. This straightforward adaptation mixing contemporary and classical language emphasizes story and character rather than the poetry. Master director and acclaimed playwright Jon Jory has reimagined the classic tale to serve as an early introd... -
Shakespeare, Clearly: Romeo and Juliet (one-act)
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-30 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 4M, 10 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
In Shakespeare's most well-known tragedy, two young star-crossed lovers’ deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. This straightforward adaptation mixing contemporary and classical language emphasizes story and character rather than the poetry. Master director and acclaimed playwright Jon Jory has reimagined the classic tale to serve as an early introduction for younger audiences and a... -
Some Assembly Required
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 3 actors (suggested casting: 1F, 1M, 1 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
While attempting to assemble a dresser from a certain Swedish furniture company, a long-married couple inadvertently activate a plot to end the world. Some Assembly Required is a comedy for all those who have battled unintelligible instructions. This play is part of the short play collection Ten(ish): Comedies. -
Shakespeare, Clearly: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-35 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 6M, 9 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Shakespeare’s most-popular comedy of adventure, marriage, and forest creatures is boiled down to a brisk 30 minutes in this one-act adaptation. This straightforward adaptation mixing contemporary and classical language emphasizes story and character rather than the poetry. Master director and acclaimed playwright Jon Jory has reimagined the classic tale to serve as an early introduction for yo... -
Justice for Pluto
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 21-45 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 1M, 16 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
It’s time for the “Save Our Solar System” celebration! Tonight, experts from the Globex Corporation will show you how to clean up the planet Saturn by recycling your napkins. You’ll also get to sign a petition to preserve Neptune’s Great Dark Spot, and even sing along to a new pop song demanding a stop to Venus’ acid rain! But nothing compares to the biggest quest of all: reinstating P... -
You've Reached Justin
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 2 actors (2M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Daniel only planned for a night out of clubbing with his best friend and crush, Justin. But before they can meet, monsters fall from the sky and begin attacking the city. When Justin won't answer his phone, Daniel starts out through the carnage and chaos to rescue him, leaving voicemails along the way. Part sci-fi/horror, part romance, You've Reached Justin will keep your heart pounding... -
A Talkback
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 6 actors (6 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Once in a while, after the actors have taken their final bows, the audience of a play is given the opportunity to interact with an actual, living playwright. But talkbacks don't always go as planned, and sometimes a writer can face difficult questions, and hungry theatregoers that demand more than the playwright is willing to give. A Talkback is a comedy about the absurdity of facing your aud... -
The Job Interview
Length: 10 minutesCast Size: 3 actors (suggested casting: 2F, 1M)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Interviewing for a new job is never easy. It's especially awful when you're called in to interview alongside your competition. It's even more anxiety-inducing when the job you are interviewing for has been known to demolish the spirits of those who have worked there - at a certain establishment that specializes in the construction of stuffed animals. This play is part of the short play collection... -
101 Breakups
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 10-50 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 4M, 8 any)Genre: Dramedy, ComedySynopsis:
You'll feel all the feelings, but most especially, you'll feel hilariously moved in this dram-com that's bound to break your heart. 101 times. -
Assembly
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 16-50+ actors (suggested casting: 30, any gender)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Put on your listening ears, it's a completely normal school assembly! You know how these go: a visit from a Man With a Tie who is important for unknown reasons; the usual bear attack survival tips from safety experts; and as always, the mysterious disappearance of students who cause trouble, who are never seen again. (Wait... what?) Don't worry about it. Just follow directions! Your school's...