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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Instructions for Hugs
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 7-25 actors (suggested casting: 1F, 20 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
After isolating at home for what feels like forever, Sunny is finally ready to go out into the world again to see a friend’s play. Except...maybe she’s not. Maybe she has forgotten how to do simple things like smile, and greet a friend, and hug someone. Maybe she should just stay inside on her comfy couch, and eat beef jerky with Brandon, the embodiment of her need to isolate. Fortunately for... -
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... -
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 Chips are Down
Length: 35-40 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 3M, 5 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
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. -
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... -
How to Win at Life
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 8-25+ actors (suggested casting: 2F, 2M, 8 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Sure technology has made some things easier, but has it really made everything easier? Now, with a new mobile home system of drones from Amazon-Google-Microsoft-Apple, technology can truly help you win at life. Do you need your food chewed and regurgitated into your mouth like a baby bird? Done. How about all that pesky parenting that takes so much of your time? Solved. Think about all the wasted... -
15 Minutes of YouTube Fame
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 9F, 9M, 8 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
The one where a kid falls on his butt and becomes a viral video a la Charlie Bit My Finger. A biting satire that explores the bizarre world of being a celebrity in the Internet age. -
The Art of Being Vague
Length: 30-35 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 3F, 4M, 3 any)Genre: ComedySynopsis:
Colby learns from a young age that he can find success by being vague with the people in his life. Colby’s “art" of being vague continues to grow throughout his life as he convinces his classmates he’s cool, persuades an interviewer he’s best for the job, and rises to the top of the top. Although this seemingly fantastic art initially brings him great success, it ultimately comes at the... -
The Lost Art of Finding
Length: 25-30 minutesCast Size: 10-30 actors (suggested casting: 15 any)Genre: Dramedy, ComedySynopsis:
Say what you will about Sophie, she is focused. On Something, a crucial Something, and she won't give up until she has It. A pushy salesman, a mob of celebrity hounds, the celebrity himself, even a well-meaning, potential friend will not distract Sophie from her quest. This large cast, gender-flexible one-act will both entertain and intrigue, inviting viewers to question what their particular Some... -
The After (one-act version)
Length: 45-60 minutesCast Size: 14-30 actors (suggested casting: 8F, 4M, 8 any)Genre: DramaSynopsis:
One bright, blue fall afternoon a shooter walks in Three Roads High School and kills five students and two adults. During the shooting, students in one section of the school put up a makeshift barrier of desks, chairs, music stands -- and a photo of the wall goes viral. In the hours, weeks and months after the wake of another tragedy, students and teachers deal with grief, the media frenzy and unc...