- 52 Pick-up by TJ Dawe and Rita Bozi
Comedy-Drama/ 2 characters, 1 woman, 1 man, but can be cast with 2 male actors, 2 female actors, or non-binary actors in either role/ One Act
Synopsis: The story of a romantic relationship in 52 scenes, performed in a different order with every performance.
From Mooney on Theatre : “It’s not a linear tale. Every performance is different…. Two actors take the stage; they throw a deck of cards in the air. Each card has the name of a scene written on it. They pick up a card and perform the scene. And so it goes through all 52 cards.”
“Wonderful.” – ...
Read more . . . - Tinkertown: Where Creativity Comes To Life by Coni Koepfinger & C. Michael Perry
Musical/ 3 characters (1 woman, 1 man, other any gender) + 6-9 ensemble/ One Act
Synopsis: Tinkertown is a place of ideas … For in this imaginary land we meet three very creative characters: Travis Tee, inventor, tinkerer, thinker, and toymaker extraordinaire; and his two assistants, Gadget, the engineering mastermind, and Sprocket, the mechanical genius.
It seems that Travis has forgotten how to think! How will anything get done? Everything has stopped! Nothing can being made anymore if Travis can’t think! For everyone knows you must be “a thinker if you want to tinker!” Help arrives via a rocket fueled by children’s ...
Read more . . . - Tug of War by Alan Rossett
Drama/ 6 characters, 3 men, 3 women/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: France in the 1960s. “Pursued by ghosts,” Liliane, a wealthy woman and survivor of a concentration camp, flees to her country house. She discovers two charming young intruders have already made themselves at home, and, over the objections of her companions, welcomes them to stay. The visitors’ naive facades, however, mask a devotion to Nazi ideology, and a capacity for murder.
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Alan Rossett
rossdoal@aol.com
Ph: (33) 1 73 75 57 65
About the Playwright: “Cocteau meets Woody Allen” was film-director Jean Delannoy’s comment ...
Read more . . . - Colloquia by David Zarko
Drama/ 2 characters, 2 men/ Full Length, 75 mins.
Synopsis: The waning days of the Second World War; as the advancing Allies bomb targets in Italy and the retreating German army follows a scorched earth policy, an Italian bishop and a German commander are thrust into their own conflicts in the town of Orvieto.
Struggling to communicate in Latin, their one shared language, they grapple with perplexing and constantly shifting dilemmas, but it is when they discover a shared love for the music of Bach that they begin to develop trust — even a friendship — that allows them to declare Orvieto ...
Read more . . . - The Shadow Dancers by C. Michael Perry and Coni Koepfinger
Musical/ 5 characters (2 women, 3 men) + 8-12 ensemble/ Full Length, Two Acts.
Synopsis: Set in the year 2112, The Shadow Dancers: A Musical for the New Millennium tells the story of three artists who live in three different artistic worlds. Jonathan was once a very prosperous painter, the darling of society and a prodigy of the university scene. Carl is a priest and choral composer who feels the undying passion of the divine spirit being slowly snuffed out of every human being. Sharon is an actress who has given her very heart and soul to the stage, only to ...
Read more . . . - Garrett, the Blue Giraffe by Coni Koepfinger
Drama/ 2 characters, any gender/ One Act
Synopsis: Dubbed the Velveteen Rabbit for adults, Garrett, the Blue Giraffe is a gentle drama about a sad and lonely giraffe who is in turmoil because he wants to be a rhino. He considers molecular reconstruction, but when he makes a divine appointment with Israfel, his heavenly counselor, he learns just who he really is and why it’s important to be true to himself.
“An endearing story with philosophical and metaphysical implications” — Opera Magazine
“Every adult can identify with Garrett’s search for identity and his need for counseling, divine or otherwise” — Opera News
Performance rights ...
Read more . . . - An Enchanted April: The Musical by Elizabeth Hansen & C. Michael Perry
Based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim
Musical/ 8 Characters, 5 Women, 3 Men (no doubling)/ Full Length, Three Acts
Synopsis: London, 1922. It’s a miserable, rainy, dreary day and LOTTY WILKINS, a dowdy woman of about 30, is miserable and dreary in it. Longing for a respite from the rain, Lotty finds refuge in her women’s club where she happens upon an ad in the “Agony Column” of the London Times that reads: “To Those who Appreciate Wisteria and Sunshine. San Salvatore, a small medieval Italian castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be let furnished for the month of April.” Lotty ...
Read more . . . - Who Do They Think They Are? by Liz Tait
Comedy-Drama/ 4 characters, 4 women/ One Act
Synopsis: Things are off to a rocky start as three former college friends reunite for a Spice Girls-themed dance workshop. Marion, the organizer, invited 20 people, but only two have shown up — the squabbling sisters Kim and Sarah. Kim thought the reunion would be a nice birthday surprise for her sibling, but Sarah is feeling her menopause and just wants to get it over with. And then the choreographer, Pippa, swans in, wearing a posh exercise outfit and expecting to teach a routine designed for 20 dancers.
What the hapless Marion hoped would be ...
Read more . . . - Heart of Fairy by LaurA! Force Scruggs
Comedy, Fantasy, Fairy Tale/ 14+ characters, minimum 5 actors, more possible, doubling possible, all roles open to all genders/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: In the Fairetasma Forest lives Sparkletasia, a well-meaning fairy orphan who just doesn’t fit in. Will the Dark Fairies ever accept her? Will meeting Deke the Dragon change everything? In this wondrous, wonderfully inventive tale, only her Fairy Godmother Funful knows for sure.
Written for adults, Heart of Fairy offers roles for young actors and rewards and insights for younger audiences too.
“Full of energy, excitement, comedy, imagination.” – Chicago Sizzle
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and ...
Read more . . . - Flight From The Sticks by Alan Rossett
Comedy-Drama/ 2 characters, 1 man, 1 woman/ One Act
Synopsis: Liane and Jean’s spouses have driven off to pick up a fancy dessert at an all-night takeout service, and mysteriously disappeared. Their left-behind mates — who seem born not to get along — spar, commiserate, and exchange marital notes. As midnight turns into dawn, they are thrust into a new period of their lives, somewhere between idyll and nightmare.
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Alan Rossett
rossdoal@aol.com
Ph: (33) 1 73 75 57 65
About the Playwright: “Cocteau meets Woody Allen” was film-director Jean Delannoy’s comment on Alan Rossett, the ...
Read more . . . - You Can Try It by George Freek
Comedy/ 6 characters, 3 men, 3 women/ One Act
Synopsis: You Can Try It is a brisk comedy set in the eccentric Manion household, where the domineering presence of the late Judge Ezra Manion looms large—literally, in the form of an oversized portrait.
Widow Christine is convinced Ezra still haunts her, while her grown children, Lorraine and Delmore, struggle to exorcise his grip on the family. Lorraine’s fiancé Peter devises a faux séance, hoping to free them all from the Judge’s psychological stranglehold, but chaos—and hypnosis—ensue.
Daisy, Peter’s spunky sister, manipulates both minds and hearts, while Captain Ole Olsen, a bumbling suitor from ...
Read more . . . - Doctor J’s Magic Spray by Jay Rehak
Comedy/ 3 characters, 1 female, 2 male, others various/ Short play
Synopsis: A young couple, Connor and Kristen, gets more than they bargain for when they make fun of a carnival barker, Doctor J., for selling a magic spray which forces people to speak the truth.
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Jay C. Rehak
2225 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
Ph.: 312-343-6273
jaycrehak@gmail.com
Twitter @jaycr1
About the Playwright: Jay Rehak’s essays and articles have appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, New York Habitat Magazine, City Sports Los Angeles, Tables Magazine, and Lerner Newspapers. A member of the Writers Guild, Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, ...
Read more . . . - Noah’s Ark by Jay Rehak & Susan Salidor
Children’s Musical / 34 characters, 3 male, 3 female, remainder any gender. Some doubling possible/ One Act
Synopsis: Noah’s Ark is a humorous retelling of the famous biblical story, featuring five memorable songs. Harry and Lucille, two ducks who need a vacation, get wind of a free “cruise” on Noah’s Ark. They quickly pack and head for the dock (“Gotta Fly”). Sneaking onto the ship (“We Made It”), they find the voyage difficult (“Are We There Yet?”), though they do meet some travelers who are grateful to be on board (“Along Came Noah”).
Due to shortages of food and shelter, Noah sends Harry ...
Read more . . . - The Specialty by Alan Rossett
Comedy-Drama/ 3 characters, 1 man, 2 women/ One Act
Synopsis: The Specialty is a bittersweet comedy that explores the passage of time and the evolution of human relationships. Set in a provincial French restaurant, the play spans decades, with scenes set in 1956, 1971, and 1983. It follows the interactions between Marielle, the restaurant owner, and a visiting couple, Alain and Dédette, whose lives intertwine with hers across these years.
In the 1950s, young and idealistic, Alain and Dédette stumble into Marielle’s eatery during a cycling trip, encountering her warmth and wisdom. Over time, their visits to the restaurant mirror their personal ...
Read more . . . - Wangle Dangle by L.R. Ring
Comedy-Farce/ 10 characters, 5 male, 5 female (1 role can be doubled)/ Full Length, Three Acts
Synopsis: Labeled an angry shrew after a disastrous marriage to British rocker Izzy St. Claire, Jessica is given a chance to revive her once promising acting career by way of an important TMZ interview. Friends Greg and Chloe arrive for the weekend. Presumed dead after a plane crash, Izzy decides to hide out at Jessica’s Florida home — without telling Jessica — in hopes of boosting his flagging record sales.
Greg is all too willing to help the rock star. He stashes Izzy on the Wangle ...
Read more . . . - Double Dreamburger by Alan Rossett
Comedy/ 7 characters, written for 5 actors, 3 men, 2 women (some doubling)/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: Double Dreamburger is a nostalgic comedy that explores the cultural shifts and tensions between two bygone eras — the early 1950s and the late 1960s. Set in the Midwest, it alternates between a domestic living room and the surreal realm of dreams, blending sharp humor with poignant family dynamics.
At the heart of the story are siblings Ron and Milly, whose coming-of-age struggles mirror the era’s generational clashes. Ron’s scientific ambitions and Milly’s romantic entanglements with the eccentric Harvey challenge their overbearing mother Vera’s ...
Read more . . . - Echoes Through Time: The Story of Care
Drama/ 7+ actors, various genders (flexible), doubling possible/ One Act
Synopsis: Developed by the British children’s charity Coram, Echoes Through Time: The Story of Care centers on a group of young people weaving through the care system, between present and past. Focused on Britain’s historic Foundling Hospital, a home for babies whose mothers were unable to care for them, the play explores resonances and differences between life in care today and the lives of real children who grew up at the Hospital in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Writer Brian Mullin created the script in collaboration with a group of care-experienced youth. ...
Read more . . . - Punk Grandpa by LaurA! Force Scruggs
Comedy/ 6 characters, 3 men, 3 women/ One Act
Synopsis: Punk Grandpa is a modern-day Auntie Mame with the genders switched. It’s all about being different, being yourself, and the value of the grandparent/grandchild relationship.
The story takes place one magical weekend when 8-and-3/4-years old Laura stays over with her grandparents. She’s a misfit and very serious young lady. Grandpa is an uninhibited prankster with a . . . unique sense of humor. Together, they’re an irresistible duo.
Using storytelling, dance, music, a little bit of puppetry, and vintage family movies and photos to tell its tale, Punk Grandpa also touches on ...
Read more . . . - All Dolled Up by Shannon and Paige Underwood, music and lyrics by Will Hegarty
Comedy/ 26+ character, 13 female, 4 male, others various/ One Act
Synopsis: Darbie dolls have a pretty good setup. A dream house, endless wardrobe, and non-stop dance parties. Until, that is, a squad of third-graders set out to destroy everything.
But they’re no match for Darbie and her sisters. Move over mean girls, the original Plastics are back.
Buckle up for this wild ride through childhood in our modern world. A campy, witty, fun show with a record number of female and male lead roles for all ages.
Character Descriptions
“I loved being in this play. It was happy and funny and I wish it ...
Read more . . . - Magic Lady by Alan Rossett
Comedy-Drama/ 3 characters, 2 women, 1 man/ One Act
Synopsis: A young man – would-be writer – gets invited to the apartment of his “idol” Anna de Klar. Her personal life is as mysterious as the baroque stories she writes. The young man tries to seize – or steal, rather – the secrets of her creativity, and solve the mystery of who she really is.
“Singular, imaginative, very original.” – Aspects de la France
“A discovery, a world of its own, a gem. This show has real magic.” – France Culture
“Rossett has a startling sense of humor” – Humanité
Performance rights must be ...
Read more . . . - Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, adapted by Lee Wilson
Drama/ 22 characters, all characters may be any race/ethnicity and gender, doubling possible and encouraged/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, adapted by Lee Wilson from Agatha Christie’s novel, is set in the tranquil English village of King’s Abbot, primarily at Fernly Park, the estate of the wealthy Roger Ackroyd. The story begins with the mysterious death of Mrs. Ferrars, rumored to have committed suicide after being blackmailed. Soon after, Roger Ackroyd is found murdered in his study. The local doctor, James Sheppard, discovers the body and narrates the events that follow. Sheppard’s sister, Caroline, is a ...
Read more . . . - My Own Personal Mermaid by David Steven Simon
Drama/ 1 character, 1 woman any age/ One Act
Synopsis: My Own Personal Mermaid is a one-act, one-woman play (for an actress of any age) that navigates themes of loss, grief and renewal in a style of magical realism. The story is seen through the eyes of writer Mags Prescott as she reads a selection from her newly-published, autobiographical novel, that takes us back to when she was a brilliant eight-year-old living on Park Avenue, and about to lose her enchanted mother to cancer. Mag’s only coping mechanism is the extraordinary imagination that will guide her through her harrowing, heart-of-darkness journey, ...
Read more . . . - Life on the Moon by Anna Tatelman
Drama/ 4 characters, 2 women, 2 men/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: Life on the Moon is a family drama about Spencer, a young infantryman in the U.S. army, returning home for Christmas to visit his parents and Piper, his 18-year-old sister with autism. As Spencer and his parents struggle to celebrate the holiday, it’s Piper who notices what everyone else misses, but is unable to communicate her observations or frustrations.
…
From Encore Michigan: “Tatelman doesn’t shy away from portraying the challenges faced by a person with disability and those who live with her. This is not a sappy Hallmark story filled ...
Read more . . . - The Not-So-Secret Life of Rowena Riddle (Superhero) by Zoe Henderson
Comedy/ 1 character, 1 woman/ One Act
Synopsis: Meet Rowena Riddle: middle-aged superhero and irrepressible raconteuse. She is on a mission. The only problem is … she can’t remember what it is! Can the audience help her?
In the meantime, sit back and listen to tales about her thrilling adventures and watch her demonstrate her (very) unusual superpower.
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Zoe Henderson
heyzoehend@gmail.com
Ph: (647) 667-0182
About the Playwright: Zoe Henderson is a multi-disciplinary artist/educator living in Nanaimo, B.C., Canada. She is Artistic Director of Nanaimo Young People’s Theatre.
The Not-So-Secret Life of Rowena Riddle (Superhero) was first produced by ...
Read more . . . - The Lovers of Cealg by Serjio Castrellon
Drama/ 11 characters (doubling is recommended), 6 women, 5 men/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: Charming, up-and-coming actor Ted Cealg is about to hit it big; he’s the star of the new movie The Jester’s Plight. But when three former lovers come forward with stories about their relationship with Ted and how he left a scar for each of them to carry, he begins to face the consequences of his past. Ted’s pride becomes his armour against remorse during an era where accountability is demanded of all of us.
As Ted’s team of Hollywood agents tries to mitigate the scandals coming his ...
Read more . . .
