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.
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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... -
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... -
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... -
Identity Play; or Who You Are If You Think You Are
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 10-30+ actors (suggested casting: 5F, 5M, 5 any)Genre: Dramedy, DramaSynopsis:
A series of comedic and dramatic vignettes exploring who we are and who we want to be. With endless choices and expectations, do our actions define us or do our intentions? What about our words? What about the way we dress, the friends we keep, or how we act online? Is who we think we are different than how other people see us? In such a complex, face-paced world, it's vital to slow-down, reflect.... -
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 Hound of the Baskervilles (one-act)
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-11 actors, gender flexibleGenre: DramaSynopsis:
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
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-13 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 5M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
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
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-10 actors (suggested casting: 5F, 2M)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
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 8 Ways Pokemon Go is Destroying Your Life
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-40 actors (suggested casting: 15 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
The most popular app may just be your doom. Sure everyone is playing it. But whether it leads you off a cliff, into a volcano, or into the waiting arms of super-criminals, this play explains the perils and pitfalls of Pokemon, including old people, mind control, hallucinations, and people who are just a little bit too into it. Also featuring the terrors of upcoming apps like Poke-Cupid, Sonic the...