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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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... -
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 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... -
So You Think You Can Date
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-25 actors (suggested casting: 7F, 7M)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
The one where two exes go head to head to find replacement dates for prom...and #spoileralert: it doesn't go well. Warning: this play contains the use of hilariously ridiculous characters. -
The Trojan Women
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 13-21 actors (suggested casting: 10F, 3M, 3 non-speaking men)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
Euripides' classic tragedy follows the fate of the women of Troy after their devastating loss in the Trojan War. Brought to the stage by theatrical master Jon Jory, this taut, accessible adaptation with a flexible, large female cast is the perfect one-act drama for competition. -
The Semi-Amazing, Sort-of-Sensational, Almost Unbelievable Christmas Spectacular!
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 15-48 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 3M, 14 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
What happens when a school tries to put on a Christmas Spectacular for the bargain price $11.50? You get a ton of elves, a spirit of Christmas, a visit from the little match girl, Jacob Marley and a partridge in a pear tree. It may be low on budget, but it's high on laughs as we watch the Christmas characters we know and love hilariously collide in this Christmas disaster for the ages. -
Margaret Cradmeier's Catalogue of Minor Yet Helpful Uncanny Abilities
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 16-30 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 13 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Margaret Cradmeier may not be the easiest person to get along with, but her message about people is ultimately hopeful: We do not need superheroes or magicians to accomplish the important tasks in life; we need people with “myhuas”--minor yet helpful uncanny abilities. With her limited supply of patience and barely-contained temper, Maggie attempts to work with her Ensemble to explain myhuas.�... -
A Christmas Carol (one-act version)
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 12-40 actors (suggested casting: 11F, 9M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
A hit seasonal favorite at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jon Jory and Marcia Dixcy Jory's spirited adaptation of the classic Christmas tale will surely make for a lively holiday season. Charles Dickens himself narrates Ebenezer Scrooge's magical night’s journey as he visits his past, present, and future before discovering life's true gifts. A lean and theatrical adaptation with a large, flex... -
Romeo & Juliet & Aliens
Length: 40-45 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 3M, 8 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
There’s something rotten in Verona High School, students mumble in robotic unison, the faculty keeps talking about “plotting something,” and the janitor…well okay he’s always like that. Nevertheless, resident student conspiracy theorist Benvolia Bobbins takes it upon herself to expose the truth, and uncovers a secret of interstellar proportions! But, of course, that’s all going to have... -
Morning Announcements
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 12-25 actors (suggested casting: 7F, 3M, 4 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Another school day begins, and our seemingly stalwart student heroes are torn between anxiety and apathy. Will Craig ever tell Amber he likes her? Will Marcy convince anyone to help with the school beautification project? Does any of it really matter? Yes! And no! Maybe? A goofy-poignant look at youthful ambivalence and the agonies and ecstasies of teen life. (If you like 10 Best/Worst Things...