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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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  • Shakespeare, Clearly: Romeo and Juliet, one-act version, adapted by Jon Jory - Stage Partners

    Shakespeare, Clearly: Romeo and Juliet (one-act)

    Written By: Jon Jory
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 8-30 actors (suggested casting: 4F, 4M, 10 any)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    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...
  • Shakespeare, Clearly: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Stage Partners

    Shakespeare, Clearly: A Midsummer Night's Dream

    Length: 25-30 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-35 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 6M, 9 any)
    Genre: Comedy
    Synopsis:
    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...
  • The Search for Delicious (one-act version) - Stage Partners

    The Search for Delicious (one-act version)

    Adapted by Mark Frattaroli from the novel by Natalie Babbitt
    Length: 45-55 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-22 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 5M, 8 any)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    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 Hound of the Baskervilles (one-act) - Stage Partners

    The Hound of the Baskervilles (one-act)

    Adapted by Jon Jory from the story by Arthur Conan Doyle
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 7-11 actors, gender flexible
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    The game is afoot in this swift one-act adaptation of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most beloved novels. When the body of Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moors, surrounded by the footprints of a gigantic hound, his friend Dr. Jenna Mortimer fears an old family legend has returned to terrorize the countryside. Concerned for the safety of the heir to the Baskerville estate, Mortimer...
  • Sherlock's Best: The Adventure of the Six Napoleons - Stage Partners

    Sherlock's Best: The Adventure of the Six Napoleons

    Adapted by Jon Jory from the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 7-13 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 5M)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    Join famous sleuths Holmes and Watson as they uncover the truth behind London's most recent unsolved mysteries. In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons case, they must catch a murderer who may be a lunatic, a thief, or really just hate Napoleon. In Sherlock is Dead, Holmes himself is at the center of a poisonous crime and must rely on a trusted doctor...as long as it's not Watson. Performed together...
  • Sherlock's Best: Sherlock is Dead - Stage Partners

    Sherlock's Best: Sherlock is Dead

    Adapted by Jon Jory from the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
    Length: 30-35 minutes
    Cast Size: 7-10 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 2M)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    Join famous sleuths Holmes and Watson as they uncover the truth behind London's most recent unsolved mysteries. In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons case, they must catch a murderer who may be a lunatic, a thief, or really just hate Napoleon. In Sherlock is Dead, Holmes himself is at the center of a poisonous crime and must rely on a trusted doctor...as long as it's not Watson. Performed together...
  • The Chips are Down - Stage Partners

    The Chips are Down

    Written By: Don Zolidis
    Length: 35-40 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 3M, 5 any)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    In 1951, the Red Scare is in full swing, and it migrates to a private girls’ school in New Hampshire when one teacher is suspected of being a Communist. Charged by the administration to find out the truth, Rachel, the daughter of the cafeteria manager, must challenge her own beliefs to figure  out the meaning of justice.
  • The Scarlet Letter (one-act version) - Stage Partners

    The Scarlet Letter (one-act version)

    Adapted by Carrie McCrossen from the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Length: 35-40 minutes
    Cast Size: 10-25 actors (suggested casting: 6F, 6M, 1 any)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    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 - Stage Partners

    The Jungle Book

    Adapted by Jon Jory from the stories by Rudyard Kipling
    Length: 35-40 minutes
    Cast Size: 15-30 actors (suggested casting: 20 any)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    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...
  • The Trojan Women - Stage Partners

    The Trojan Women

    Adapted by Jon Jory from the play by Euripides
    Length: 25-30 minutes
    Cast Size: 13-21 actors (suggested casting: 10F, 3M, 3 non-speaking men)
    Genre: Drama
    Synopsis:
    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.
Items 21 - 30 of 38