Social Issue Plays for High Schools / Middle Schools
Our website lists all of our plays with social issue themes but it struck me that they’re only lumped as “issue plays” without a good guide to sorting out which title addresses which issue. So I’ve categorized them for you to hopefully give you a helping hand in your quest to find the perfect script for your school.
Check them out. As usual, all of the titles have extensive free sample pages for you to read. I think you’ll find the writing honest, fresh, and believable – three qualities sadly lacking from a lot of “teen-issue” plays out there in the world.
Alienation / Feeling Alone in the World
- Anonymous by Allison Green
- The Art of Rejection: Two One Act Plays by Christian Kiley
- A Box of Puppies by Billy Houck
- Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck
- Huge Hands by Billy Houck
Body Image
- Body Body by Lindsay Price
- The Four Hags of the Apocalypse Eat Salad at their General Meeting by Lindsay Price
- The Battle of Image vs. Girl by Johanna Skoreyko
- Hoodie by Lindsay Price
- Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin
Censorship
- Censorbleep by Lindsay Price
Human Rights
- Look Me in the Eye by Lindsay Price
- Sweep Under Rug by Lindsay Price
Racism
- Flaky Lips by Lindsay Price
- With Liberty and Justice For All by Jeyna Lynn Gonzales
- Not Going Anywhere by Emma Fonseca Halverson
- The Burgundy Letter by Kirk Shimano
- Let Me In by Sholeh Wolpe
Rumours and Lies
- Have You Heard? by Krista Boehnert
- The Redemption of Gertie Greene by Taryn Temple
Individuality
- Hoodie by Lindsay Price
- Virtual Family by Christian Kiley
- The Happiness Shop by Lindsay Price
- A Deep, Poetic Journey Into Something by Forrest Musselman
- Carrying the Calf by Shirley Barrie
- Monster Problems by Lindsay Price
- Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr
- Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward
- Nice Girl by Amanda Murray Cutalo
- Pressure by Lindsay Price
- They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras by Dara Murphy
- The Super Non-Heroes by Taryn Temple
- Smarty Pants by Bradley Hayward
Identity
- Box by Lindsay Price
- Labeled by Lindsay Price
- We Are Masks by Lindsay Price
- Stressed by Alan Haehnel
- Anonymous by Allison Green
- Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck
- The Super Non-Heroes by Taryn Temple
School Violence
- Huge Hands by Billy Houck
- Power Play by Lindsay Price
- Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville) by Christopher Evans
- The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley
- Life and Death in an Empty Hallway by Christopher Evans
- Water. Gun. Argument. by Alan Haehnel
Sexual Abuse
- The Waking Moment by Bradley Hayward
- Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin
Substance (alcohol & drug) Abuse
- Bottle Baby by Lindsay Price
- Floating on a Don’t Care Cloud by Lindsay Price
- One Beer Too Many by Billy Houck
Suicide
- The Bright Blue Mailbox Suicide Note by Lindsay Price
- Chicken. Road. by Lindsay Price
- The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley
Teen Pregnancy
- The Pregnancy Project by Lindsay Price
- Among Friends and Clutter (one scene) by Lindsay Price
Illness/Health
- Chemo Girl by Christian Kiley
- The Other Room by Christian Kiley
- Red Rover by Christian Kiley
- Waiting Room by Christian Kiley
- Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin
- Shreds and Patches by Robert Wing
- Inanimate by Christian Kiley
- Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck
Depression/Anxiety
- darklight by Lindsay Price
- Fidget by Bradley Hayward
- Among Friends and Clutter (one scene) by Lindsay Price
- Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck
- who are we, who we are by Forrest Musselman
Bullying
- Finishing Sentences by Scott Giessler
- Funhouse by Lindsay Price
- Power Play by Lindsay Price
- The Redemption of Gertie Greene by Taryn Temple
- Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward
- Carrying the Calf by Shirley Barrie
Divorce
- Split by Bradley Hayward
Gender
- Life, Off Book by Scott Giessler
- Anonymous by Allison Green
- Baalzebub by Rachel Atkins (Baalzebub – One-Act Version here)
- Completely, Absolutely Normal: Vignettes About LGBTQ+ Teens by Bradley Walton
- Finding Jo March by Laramie Dean
- Thought Traps by Lindsay Price
Empathy
- Discovering Rogue by Christian Kiley
- Boat by Lindsay Price
- We Are Masks by Lindsay Price
- The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley
Dependence on Technology
- Virtual Family by Christian Kiley
- Inanimate by Christian Kiley
Products Referenced
Among Friends and Clutter
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
This character-driven piece explores the most important relationships in life: friends, family, and love.
The Bright Blue Mailbox Suicide Note
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Jake finds a suicide note in his mailbox. Is it real? Is it a joke? Jake is determined to find out but instead learns a secret he didn't want to know.
Pressure
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Four teenagers struggle with pressures. The Refugee, the newbie, the perfectionist and the less than perfect. Everything comes to a head the week before prom.
Carrying the Calf
by Shirley Barrie Canadian Author
A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class.
Body Body
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Madeline has body issues. So much so that her different body parts are coming to life and talking back. But Madeline is tired of feeling bad about her body.
Look Me in the Eye
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
In the future teenagers are obedient and polite. But this behaviour comes at a price. A thought-provoking harrowing tale.
Power Play
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
The realities and the stereotypes of school violence. Not just the school shooting, but harassment and bullying. Violence is about power. So is high school.
Flaky Lips
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Two girls live in two communities that have been separated by a wall for a hundred years.
The Waking Moment
by Bradley Hayward Canadian Author
Julie would do anything to be just like her best friend Rhonda. But she soon finds out Rhonda's perfect world is a nightmare. Deals with sexual abuse.
Stressed
by Alan Haehnel
Stress is driving a teen quartet crazy - so much so they can't stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character.
The Four Hags of the Apocalypse Eat Salad at their General Meeting
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
A black comedy about female self-image.
Have You Heard?
by Krista Boehnert Canadian Author
This monologue-based play explores what happens when rumours and secrets spin out of control. What makes a secret more powerful: when it's true or a lie?
Bottle Baby
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Beeb is a young recovering alcoholic. But the recovery isn't going so well.
The Pregnancy Project
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
A pregnancy project turns real when Lucy's test turns pink. No statistics. No preaching. Just well-drawn characters and an engaging story.
Sweep Under Rug
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
In the future the issue of poverty is solved through separation and subserviance. A teen causes trouble simply because she wants to better herself.
A Box of Puppies
by Billy Houck
We can all relate to feeling small in a big world. The characters in A Box of Puppies share their insecurities, their frailties and how they cope.
Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time
by Billy Houck
A young girl examines the backpack of her life.
Huge Hands
by Billy Houck
A scrawny teenaged boy envisions the perfect way to fight back.
One Beer Too Many
by Billy Houck
Skip writes from the heart, but uncovers something no one wants to read.
The Art of Rejection: Two One Act Plays
by Christian Kiley
R is a letter stuck in a world of numbers. Potential is too scared to get out of the chair. Two one-acts about rejection, fear, and the everyday courage it takes to keep going.
Floating on a Don't Care Cloud
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
An emotional tug of war between a sister and brother and what really happens in the world of teenage marijuana use. A vivid personification of drugs.
Anonymous
by Allison Green Canadian Author
Anonymous is a story of every teenager: trying to fit in, trying to belong, trying to fall in love. It's hard to be an individual when you're trying to survive.
Censorbleep
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
The Bleep Bleep Girls know how teenagers are supposed to behave and how to deal with those who don't. An absurd look at censorship and independent thought.
Virtual Family
by Christian Kiley
A look at a soothing world where complete dependency on technology takes away all ills. But is everything really perfect?
Smarty Pants
by Bradley Hayward Canadian Author
Dallas is a real smarty pants and can't wait to show off. But he's in for a shock. His new class is very different. A fantastic competition piece.
Split
by Bradley Hayward Canadian Author
Children of divorce are united through humor in this honest and theatrical look at the day to day reality of growing up in a family that's been torn apart.
Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less
by Bradley Hayward Canadian Author
The lives of seven teenagers become intertwined in this humorous and oftentimes bittersweet collection of ten minute plays. Multiple lengths available.
Hoodie
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
This middle school vignette play examines self-image and appearance.
Funhouse
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
This middle school play looks at the bullied, the bully, and the bystander through mostly non-verbal vignettes.
Discovering Rogue
by Christian Kiley
Rogue lives in a cardboard box but she doesn’t mind. Others want Rogue to leave but she isn’t budging. It's a showdown of stereotypes and self-identity.
Chicken. Road.
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
A group of teenagers grapple with unanswered questions as they try to understand why someone who has it all would kill themselves. Powerful monologues.
Red Rover
by Christian Kiley
A young girl is pulled out of her history class to go to the hospital where she discovers she has cancer. She befriends Lucy (who is chemotherapy personified) and she and Lucy prepare to take the disease.
Waiting Room
by Christian Kiley
A group of teenage cancer patients wait to hear about their progress. A bond is created as they discover their similarities and eccentricities.
The Other Room
by Christian Kiley
Dad is recovering from cancer and heavy chemotherapy treatments in the other room. It has become a dark corner of the house, especially for Mary, who rarely goes in there.
Chemo Girl
by Christian Kiley
Camille is pulled into the video game world that mirrors her fight against cancer.
Monster Problems
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
The transition from middle school to high school can be filled with problems. Monster problems.
Nice Girl
by Amanda Murray Cutalo
Mia knows how to be a confident and assertive young woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself; the only problem is she can only act this way in her fantasies.
Stereotype High
by Jeffrey Harr
High school is full of stereotypes – or is it?
A Deep, Poetic Journey Into Something
by Forrest Musselman
Jane wants to break out of her box. Colour cows green and the sky purple. She wants a deep poetic journey into something. The problem is she has no idea where to start.
Inanimate
by Christian Kiley
Life is a little different for Ani. She talks to inanimate objects and the object talk back. Is she living in a happy, carefree kids’ show or is it something more serious?
The Happiness Shop
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
Why aren't middle school students full of smiles, hugs and hi-fives? They’re too young to have problems.
They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras
by Dara Murphy Canadian Author
Nothing stands in the way of the green grass. Until they wake up one morning to see a yellow dandelion in their midst.
The Butterfly Queen
by Christian Kiley
A touching ensemble piece where sacrifice is as simple as a pair of wings.
The Redemption of Gertie Greene
by Taryn Temple
Is Gertie really what everyone calls her: a freak, strange, stupid, clumsy, and mean?
Box
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
A middle school vignette play about the boxes we find ourselves in.
Finishing Sentences
by Scott Giessler
A sharp, funny summer-camp dramedy that looks at bullying from an unexpected perspective: the bully’s.
Breathless
by Wendy-Marie Martin
A beautiful character piece with three strong female leads.
Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville)
by Christopher Evans
The question everyone’s asking is “Am I walking out alive today?”
We Are Masks
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
We all wear a mask. What will happen when the world sees who you really are?
Shreds and Patches
by Robert Wing
A re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Boat
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
In this one-act middle school vignette play, characters come face-to-face with the fact that there are other people in their boat. Some are different. Some only seem different.
Life, Off Book
by Scott Giessler
What happens when Ophelia and Jeb have to tear themselves away from the script and live life off book?
Baalzebub
by Rachel Atkins
Will they establish civility or fall apart?
Baalzebub - One Act Version
by Rachel Atkins
Will they establish civility or fall apart?
The Super Non-Heroes
by Taryn Temple
Charlie may not be a superhero, but when she digs deep she discovers her unique talents to save the day.
Labeled
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
We label people every day. We’ve done it in the past, we’ll do it in the future.
darklight
by Lindsay Price Canadian Author
An examination of depression and anxiety in teens.
Fidget
by Bradley Hayward Canadian Author
Kids are constantly being told to hold still. But that’s impossible when all they want to do is move forward at warp speed.
The Battle of Image vs Girl
by Johanna Skoreyko Canadian Author
One Girl. One Mirror. Against the world.
Life and Death in an Empty Hallway
by Christopher Evans
An intense and honest drama with excellent character opportunities.
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