School Plays

The Hope and Heartache Diner by Lindsay Price is a wonderful character piece with parts for everyone – available in full-length and one-act versions. Diners are a special place. You can get your coffee, fall in love, and find light when the world is dark. Duke’s is a family business – four generations strong. Felix wants one last hurrah before leaving for college. She’s doing the full run – open to close – just like her grandpa did when he was a teenager. But why? Everyone knows Felix can barely wipe tables. Why is she trying so hard to connect? And what happens when Felix’s parents announce they’re selling the diner? The super-talented student performers at Strack Intermediate School in Klein, Texas had more hope than heartache in their production of the play and teacher, Jennifer Paske , was thrilled to share their photos and let us know all about it: “It was such a great experience for the kids. The characters were so fun to play and our UIL judge really liked it.”

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras by Dara Murphy takes the expected and turns it upside-down. The field believes in uniformity. Lovely rows of blades all the same height. Lovely rows of blades exhibiting standard behaviour of green grassness. Nothing stands in the way of their orderly life. Until they wake up one morning to see a yellow dandelion in their midst. Sunny (that’s the dandelion) is bright and warm and just wants to be friends. The field wants nothing to do with her nonstandard, non-green ways. A dandelion will turn their orderly way of life upside-down. A dandelion must be destroyed. Isn’t that what you do when something is different? Why did we publish this play? Dara Murphy loves looking at the dark side of life, always with a twist of humour. We love that about her writing. Also, personification is a must at the high school level. It’s one of the best ways to get students out of their shells to take on a character that just doesn’t exist in real life. Personification is one of my favourite theatrical techniques. Who doesn’t want to see talking grass? Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? When I was younger, my family owned a cabin in BC and we would visit fairly often. It had a large yard and every summer my mom and I would spend time pulling out dandelions. After digging up flower after flower, I started to feel bad for the dandelions. I thought the yellow flowers were pretty. I wondered why some plants were labeled weeds and some plants weren’t. Another part of me found the job tedious. Why spend time digging out healthy plants? Who was I to decide if they could live or die? I started to daydream about the dandelions and what their characters might be like. I ended up writing a short story about them, and eventually I adapted that story into this play. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. This play is a comment on the fear and misunderstanding that can occur when someone different moves into a community. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I see a field of grass standing perfectly at one uniform height. The threat of the lawnmower has caused the blades of grass to continuously strive for order and perfection. Then I see Sunny, the funky, yellow dandelion. Sunny is an individual who is different in many ways. The field glares at Sunny and does its best to make Sunny feel completely unwelcome. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? The field of grass should be very lively and active. Instead of just waiting for lines, actors can mumble, cheer, shout out, and gossip about what’s going on. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? I think this play is great for a lot of reasons! • It has a large cast, gender doesn’t matter, and every character gets a moment to shine. • If there are students who don’t want lines, they can still join in as blades of grass and have fun reacting with the rest of the field. • The actors are on stage for the entire time, so there are opportunities for students to learn about ensemble acting. • The costumes and the set can be simple, yet there is a lot of room for creativity. • The theme is topical and this could lead to important discussions.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Hamlette by Allison Williams is a fantastic competition piece for student performers that takes Shakespeare and turns it on its ear. Imagine if you will that “Hamlet” was not “Hamlet” at all, but “Hamlette” – a woman! This play is a twisty-turny interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Why spend four hours telling the story when five actors can get the job done in thirty minutes? Elsinore has never been this funny! Why did we publish this play? We first published Hamlette in 2001 and we’ve been a fan of Allison’s work ever since. She knows how to twist Shakespeare into a pretzel and make you look at the text in a new light. For example, what if Hamlet was played by a girl? Turns out it fares quite well and not only that, Hamlette takes 30 minutes to tell the story instead of four hours. Love it! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I first wrote Hamlette for a cast of apprentice performers at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival. I needed something short, that an audience would find funny enough to sit and watch for 30 minutes in the hot sun. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. What Hamlette is about, in a lot of ways, is insisting on one’s own identity. Not just in terms of gender, but the idea that young people are at a time to “try on” different identities and explore who they really are. Often, parents dismiss this as “going through a phase” (as Gertrude does to Hamlette!) but I think it’s valuable to experience different ways of relating to one’s peers, different interests and hobbies, and it builds empathy for others, even the groups we end up not staying part of. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I just love the Laertes/Ophelia switch, and what a fun moment that is for the actor to whip around and do a completely different characterization. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Talk slower and pick up your cues faster. This feels like a contradiction, but comedy is all about timing, and it’s important for actors to react quickly, but speak distinctly and while being in their moment. With comedy, if you miss a cue, it looks like someone forgot, where in drama you can pass it off as a moment of deep thought. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Because it’s a small cast and a short play, it’s easy to rehearse in a class period. Plus, Hamlette’s concerns are so identifiable: I’m not happy about my parent remarrying, I’m sad someone died, I think my significant other is insincere, I’m worried my best friend is going to betray me, I keep getting advice from adults who don’t know me very well. Totally the student experience.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Letters by Mrs. Evelyn Merritt is an excellent and challenging Reader’s Theatre script for high school and middle school student performers. For many wars, letters home were the only form of communication between soldiers and their loved ones. Letters is thought-provoking and character-driven. It’s not hard to see Marie, Jim, Caleb, Sarah, Harriet and Robert reaching out with pen and paper. Why did we publish this play? What’s great about the script is its focus on the characters. Each character expresses specific emotions about their place in their particular war. The play also has oral elements such as overlapping speech, unison speech, and repeated patterns. The words speak for themselves. A thought-provoking piece. Why is this play great for online platforms? Because this play is set up as Reader’s Theatre, it’s easy to transfer to an online platform. The montage sections can be presented in a gallery setting and will take a little practice to get the timing – but they would in a traditional production too. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted a way to allow students to remember the past in a theatrical way. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Remember the human face of war. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The letters. Even though it’s readers theater, try to have the type of letter each of these characters would have as a prop. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Reader’s Theatre doesn’t mean you can’t act – each character should be brought to life as much as possible, even though you have a script in your hand. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a chance for students to put a face to the past and also connect to history. Experiencing history is always better than just reading about it.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. _Apostrophe’s _by Bradley Hayward is a hilarious show with an extremely flexible cast, audience participation, and really fun staging opportunities. It begs to be performed by silly students with a million clever ideas. You’ll never look at apostrophes the same way again! Are you sometime’s amazed at how many apostrophe’s s’ome people manage to fi’t into s’entence’s? Then you’re not the only one. That’s just the problem that needs to be solved in this outrageous comedy. Why did we publish this play? There’s so much to like about this show. The casting is gender-neutral, there’s audience participation, and the staging holds a challenge or two – there’s a scene that is played forward, then backward, then forward again. A great physical exercise for your students! Add to all of this, Bradley is a wonderful writer for the student voice. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to write a super goofy play with a deeper meaning than all the silliness might suggest. Hidden among the wacky pantomime, comedic fast forward/rewinding action, and audience participation is actually a sad story about very real people searching for a place where they belong in this world. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The things that separate people can ultimately become the reasons people make connections. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Early in the play, the characters enter alone and stand at a distance. They are afraid to get too close. Yet as the play progresses, they begin to break down the barriers between them. This emotional distance is reflected by physical distance, when we see the characters get closer and dance with each other. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Rehearse in front of an audience! Gather a few friends together to watch the scenes as you practice them. So much of this play is about the connection between the characters and the audience, so rehearsing with people watching will help eliminate the proverbial fourth wall that exists on a stage. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? The script is overflowing with possibilities for physical comedy, character development, and vocal experimentation. All of the roles are non-gender specific, so it can be tailored to suit your cast. In addition to student performers, I think this play is perfectly suited for student directors because it is made up of short vignettes that make the play easy to rehearse in small bites.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Nice Girl by Amanda Murray Cutalo is a great play for female performers that asks the question “Is there such a thing as being ‘too nice?’” Mia, a teenage girl at an all-girls school, 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. In Mia’s reality, she is the kind of girl who does her friends’ homework, lets people cut in front of her in line, and pretends to be someone she’s not in order to get a boy to like her. As she repeatedly learns, being the “nice girl” requires a great deal of sacrifice and, often, frustration. As Mia eventually nears her breaking point, she decides the time has come for her fantasies to become reality. Why did we publish this play? This is such a relevant middle school topic: Girls who think being nice means you get more friends, especially when being “nice” means you don’t stand up for yourself. The main character in Nice Girl has quite the dilemma and it’s the reason we chose the play. We want to show middle school-aged characters going through middle school problems. Not high school problems adapted down. Not only do the characters have to face the dilemma of sacrificing character to be “nice” they also make mistakes, and deal with those mistakes. All in a lovely theatrical package. A great show. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I am an English teacher, so I’ve taught many “nice girls” over the years. The inspiration for this play came from a conversation that I had with one of my students. She approached me at the end of a group assignment, feeling frustrated that she had done the bulk of the work and that her friends had taken advantage of her. She felt voiceless and powerless. I related to this struggle, specifically the pressure that girls and women often feel to be nice, or risk being called shrill, aggressive, difficult to get along with, or other words that I’m not sure I’m allowed to write here. To demand respect means to be unlikeable. I wrote this play because I wanted to explore what it looks like to confront these pressures and redefine a healthier sense of self, which leads to healthier relationships with others. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. It’s a play about redefining female identity by challenging the mask of the “nice girl” that girls and women often feel pressured to wear. 3. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Have fun with the fantasy scenes! (When Mia says exactly what she’s thinking, completely unfiltered, and in one instance even punches Jen and grabs Maggie by the hair). Besides using different lighting to distinguish between fantasy and reality, it definitely helps for the acting to be as over-the-top and exaggerated as possible in these scenes. 4. Why is this play great for student performers? I hope that student performers will see pieces of themselves in each of these characters and be able to think more about what it really means to be a “nice girl” and what it means to be friends with one.

Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us. One Hundred Lies by Alan Haehnel, is so much more than a “game show” play. Prepare for something deeper, more poignant, and by the end, heart breaking. In this poignant comedy, teenager Liz Nostrand presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: To dramatize, in only 30 minutes, 100 significant lies told by and to Liz. By the final buzzer, though, we see that the most crucial lies in Liz’s life are those she has told herself. One Hundred Lies brings you in laughing and sends you out thinking. David Lubin, Sarah Rappaport and the drama group at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, Florida took their production of One Hundred Lies to new heights, with an award-winning performance: “We used this one-act for our Junior Thespian District competition and were lucky enough to be selected for State Competition at the Florida State Junior Thespian Festival. We received a Superior for the show, as well as recognition for how great the scoreboard was. This one act is challenging, however, with rehearsal and hard work it is a great show. If you are looking for a one act that is different than the ‘norm’ this is a good choice. TIPS: Have fun and be creative with the use of a scoreboard and running clock. It can be as fancy or as simple as you’d like-just make sure you are clear with the score. Make sure you cast a strong, experienced actor for Liz. Memorizing all those lines is challenging!”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Tick Talk by Lindsay Price is a wonderful technical exercise for high school student performers that also serves as a fantastic starting point for discussions. The teenagers in Tick Talk have a lot to say, but no way to say it. Most characters are limited to only ONE WORD for the whole play. A fascinating challenge for actors: What happens when a character has just one word to express hopes, fears, and frustrations? What if they have something terribly important to say but can’t? They’d better find a way soon: Time is running out. Why did we publish this play? “What If” questions are great questions to explore in theatre – “what if” characters only had one word or phrase to share their story and their experience? That is the world of the play in _Tick Talk. _ How do we encourage students to find ways other than dialogue to create a three-dimensional characterization? Plays that challenge form, challenge students, and challenge the audience are important and that’s why Tick Talk is in our catalogue. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I love writing challenges. What if wrote a play where the characters have only one word or phrase to tell their story? What would that look like on the page? What would that look like in performance? 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The teenagers in this play have much to say but no way to say it. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? There is a character named Great Dance, who puts on the visual of being completely “happy” but we learn that she is also bulimic. The idea that people often hide darkness behind a positive face is something we often miss. We only focus on what we see. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s all about the subtext. Every single line a character says in the play, even though it’s the same line over and over, has a different subtext. It’s important for students to figure out the meaning behind each line in order to help them know how to say it. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a great challenge for students to take characters their own age who are limited in their dialogue. How will they make a three-dimensional character out of one word?

Pressure by Lindsay Price is not your average “teen angst” play. It’s theatrical. It’s character driven. Some of the teenagers succeed with dealing with their pressure, and some don’t. That’s the way life works. Four teenagers struggle with life. Alex is a refugee. Tera is faced with an unpopular decision when all she wants to be is popular. Penny is getting up at five in the morning just so she can accomplish all she has to do in a day. And Kyle can’t live up to his parents’ expectations. It is the week before the prom and for these four characters, everything is coming to a head. This play is candid and uncompromising, with no easy answers or neat and tidy endings. The script is ideal for groups who have varying degrees of ability. There are parts for both novice and advanced actors. David Heywood and the students from Black Hills High School in Tumwater, WA didn’t feel the pressure when it came to their production of Pressure. Student director, Logan Hyer-Long shared thoughts on the group’s interpretation of the play and the successes and challenges of bringing one’s own ideas as a student director to a production: “Copyrighted in 1997, Pressure’s themes still resonate with today’s teenagers. Typically a phrase like “still resonates” would be used in reference to a classical piece of literature (or something at least written more than 22 years ago), but nowadays, society is changing quickly and drastically. This play was written before social media. Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even Myspace had not been injected into teen culture at this time. The clear theme of this piece is pressures, but when I read it I knew it was missing today’s biggest one: social media. I was not initially drawn to this play, but when I saw the part of “The Mob”, I started to envision the possibilities: Incorporating phones as light sources that only revealed part of an actor; having a sound that is both random and cacophonous; people moving in patterns, with the same motions, but never crossing paths. All of these ideas reflected my opinions of social media. The Mob started to turn into a metaphor for the world that happens on our phones: incomplete, chaotic, and impersonal. While the general narrative can be seen as taking place in the pre-digital-age, our direction of “The Mob” is our way of incorporating the digital era. We suggest as you watch scenes from Pressure to ask yourself, “Would this interaction happen in person today?”. Or try, “Would this monologue instead be a post to social media?”. How would this narrative be different if people had not reached out to someone else? In some instances, how would it be different if someone had? In general, how would this story be different in 2019? Unfortunately not all of my ideas made it into the show. Some ideas made it, but did not happen how I had hoped. Others made the cut, but changed as rehearsals went on. Art is seldom complete; artists simply decide when their work is ready enough to be presented. I find it hard not to cling onto the frustrations throughout this process. This is what Alex and I have created. We created something, and that alone is something anyone should be proud of.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price is one of our most unique plays, based solely on action and no dialogue. Suitable for performance and in-class work, the play focuses on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement. Seven strangers meet in a train station. Instead of luggage, they all carry their “emotional baggage.” They must confront themselves and one another. Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours? Why did we publish this play? Emotional Baggage is one of our most unique plays. There is no dialogue and so the play’s story is told through the physical action of the characters. This presents a wonderful creative challenge for students and directors. We’ve seen many different productions of the show over the years and each one is different than the next. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I love a challenge. So why not write a play in which there is a clearly defined story, but none of the characters have any words to express that story. It went through a number of workshops to get the description just write on the page so that anyone picking up the script would know what they were supposed to do, and convey with an action. This is one of the plays I’m most proud of. 2. Decribe the theme in one or two sentences. Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The heaviness of the “baggage” each character carries with them. It doesn’t matter the size of the baggage (one character carries a small purse), the weight is enormous. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Know exactly what each character is “saying” with each movement. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? What a great challenge for students! How do you tell a story when you don’t have any words? Also, all of the characters are archetypes so there’s a lot of fun to be with costume, hair, and make-up.

What happens when the orderly way of life gets turned upside down? Find out in the perfect comedy for high school and middle school students, They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras by Dara Murphy. The field believes in uniformity. Lovely rows of blades all the same height. Lovely rows of blades exhibiting standard behaviour of green grassness. Nothing stands in the way of their orderly life. Until they wake up one morning to see a yellow dandelion in their midst. Sunny (that’s the dandelion) is bright and warm and just wants to be friends. The field wants nothing to do with her nonstandard, non-green ways. A dandelion will turn their orderly way of life upside-down. A dandelion must be destroyed. Isn’t that what you do when something is different? Under the direction of Tammy Roth , the talented student actors at Morris Area High School in Morris, MN were able to immerse themselves in the story line and deliver a powerful message to cast members and audience alike: “They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras is a wonderful play to do with beginning actors! The story sends a message that is applicable to all from elementary age to adults. After casting the students were pleasantly surprised to know that they wouldn’t be dressed as a flat cutout blade of grass but as characters wearing green steampunk punk fashion. Sending a subtle message that even grass with a creative alternative lifestyle has conformity. There are many genres a director could choose from to convey this message.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Puzzle Pieces by Krista Boehnert is a monologue-based play that is a fantastic vehicle to introducing monologues to your student performers. Puzzle Pieces explores teen issues through a series of monologues. The characters speak frankly about their fears, their futures, and their day to day life. The serious dramatic scenes are balanced with humour, and the play is ultimately uplifting. The characters choose to embrace life and all its struggles, rather than shy away from it. Why did we publish this play? Monologues are a challenge. They are also inherently theatrical – they don’t often happen in real life. This is exactly why you should be tackling monologues in the classroom and in your theatre. Puzzle Pieces is an excellent play to introduce monologues to your student because the entire play is made up of monologues. Characters talk frankly about their fears, their futures and their day-to-day lives. I’ve loved this piece since I first read it for it’s characters, it’s structure, and it’s message. Why is this play good for online platforms? Because this play is written in monologue form, it adapts really well to a virtual performance format. Characters connect directly to the audience, and this will work whether they are on stage, or they are staring right into their computer camera. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to experiment with format and write a monologue-based play. The characters in Puzzle Pieces each share their own story – the plotlines of the characters don’t intersect. This is both challenging and liberating for the director and actors when producing the play. Puzzle Pieces is instead woven around a common theme all characters are grappling with, which allowed me to explore a multitude of storylines rather than diving into just one topic. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Growing up is complicated. You can try to be picture perfect, but real life is messier than that. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Each character brings their own experience and story to the play. They each embody a puzzle piece for how a life can take shape, and for how to navigate life. The variety in their approaches is my favourite visual in the play. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Although the play is monologue-based, it should be a collaborative experience both in the rehearsal and performance. Because the characters’ worlds don’t intersect, there is lots of rooms for character development that can be tackled by the individual actors, or as a collective. The staging can also be more collaborative than solitary. Actors can support each other with the monologue performances whether that be direct contact, like holding their hand or comforting them while they speak, or acting out scenes they describe in their speech. It’s very open to experimentation and interpretation, so don’t be shy about trying different ways to bring the play to life. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a great opportunity for practising character development, for learning how to prepare and perform monologues, and for experimenting with creative staging – both with their own monologues, and in supporting their fellow cast members as they perform their pieces. 6. Do you have any tips for those looking to perform this play online? Both Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces? lend themselves nicely for online performance. As a monologue-based play, it allows for that intimate connection between the audience and a single performer. Settings in the performance space provider (such as Zoom) can be set to highlight the speaker, which results in the performer filling the whole screen, rather than the audience seeing all actors at once, if the director wishes to present it this way. The plays are flexible, however, and do lend themselves to an ensemble performance as well. While actors are performing their monologues, the remaining actors can support the performances in a variety of ways. The director and cast can choose if all actors participate, or if only a select number do. If not all actors are participating in the scene, the director can ask them to simple turn and face their back to their camera, or walk out of frame thus “leaving the stage.” Using the example of Jamie from Puzzle Pieces, talking about playing football, some staging options for supporting cast in a virtual environment include: • Mime – actors can silently act out playing football, crowd members cheering, etc. • Tableaux – actors can strike various poses that indicate a football game or game attendees • Props – actors can hold up football themed props – jerseys, pompoms, football, foam fingers, cowbells, popcorn buckets, etc. • Costume add-ons – team jackets, jerseys, ball caps – to help set the “game day” scene • Virtual Backgrounds – actors can turn on virtual backgrounds that mimic signs people hold up at football games to cheer the team on • Reaction Buttons – actors can engage their “applause” or “Thumbs up” reaction buttons to indicate crowd cheering the football team on The staging for Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces is flexible regardless of the staging environment – live, virtual, live-streamed. In their simplest form, each scene can be performed with only the actor(s) in the scene who are speaking being “on stage” (or on screen depending on the scenario). The bulk of both plays are monologues, so for the majority of the play, you could have a single actor on stage/screen. To enrich the performance experience for the audience, I would recommend engaging cast members to enhance the monologues by employing tactics such as mime, tableaux, use of props and costume add-ons, virtual backgrounds and reaction buttons. This creates a space where the audience and the cast are all part of each “monologue moment” and heightens the impact of each characters’ story/experience by bringing it more fully to life.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * A Box of Puppies by Bill Houck is a collection of four short plays that all take a look the fragility and resilience of being a teenager. It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles. We can all relate to feeling small in a big world. The characters in A Box of Puppies share their insecurities, their frailties and their coping mechanisms with that big bad world. This collection holds four short plays. Each are fresh, honest, and true. You know each of these characters. Perhaps they mirror your own insecurities and frailties. Each play can be performed independently, or perform all four together for an outstanding competition piece. Why did we publish this play? The characters in these plays and monologues speak so clearly in the teen voice. That’s what we want for our plays. We also want characters who ask the same questions of themselves as any teen in the audience would – In every one of these plays characters ask “What’s wrong with me?” When we see our own questions verbalized by someone else, it lets us know we’re not alone in our struggles. Another important reason why we needed to publish this collection. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? CONSTANTLY, INCESSANTLY, ALL THE TIME: My sister is a physician. She told me school age kids were developing serious back problems because their backpacks were so heavy. I surveyed a few of my students – What did they have in their backpacks? Why did they feel a need to carry all those things around? Is it really that hard to haul all that stuff around (it is!) So I created a play that put all these different things into one backpack, carried by one overloaded kid. DIATOM: Another play inspired by real life. There’s a lot of tedium in waiting for the bus. It’s amazing what young people will do to fill the void. The bit with the kid wrapped in foil who runs down the street in front of one of those traffic-calmer radar signs to figure out how fast he can go? It’s true. I had a couple of kids who did this. I have also always liked that word “diatom.” HUGE HANDS: This was inspired by a prop. When one of the first Hulk films came out (I think it was the one Ang Lee directed) there were these fun “Hulk Hands” that were sold everywhere. You slip your hands into them, then hit things. The hands roared, made smashing sounds, and said “Hulk smash!” I recommend them to anybody who is feeling stressed. They’re very therapeutic. About the same time, there was a wide ranging discussion in educational circles, especially educational theatre circles, about bullying. I thought the hands would be a great symbol for the helplessness that bullied people feel. Instead of trying to get permission from Marvel to use the name “Hulk Hands,” I changed the title to “Huge Hands.” Since then, Disney purchased Marvel, and thanks to the success of all the Avengers movies, you can still find big green hands online and at stores everywhere. ONE BEER TOO MANY: Many years ago I found myself with some free time between events at the California Thespian Festival. I pulled out a notebook and started with what had been drilled into me: Write what you know. This is probably my most personal play. I relate to the Skip. I relate to the Skip’s father and mother. I relate to Skip’s English teacher, and even that self-righteous Drama teacher. Who are all these people? They’re all me. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. CONSTANTLY, INCESSANTLY, ALL THE TIME: Beware the burdens you place on people who only weigh 112 pounds. DIATOM: Even tiny creatures are important. HUGE HANDS: There’s a ferocious courage that hides inside. ONE BEER TOO MANY: It’s a play about alcoholism, but not completely. It’s also about what we do to the creative spirit of young people. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? CONSTANTLY, INCESSANTLY, ALL THE TIME: Little kid. Big bag. DIATOM: Two kids in a big empty space. HUGE HANDS: The important thing about the hands is that Sparky really believes in them. Sparky and his Huge Hands. ONE BEER TOO MANY: This can be done entirely in a sad pool of light, but I always imagine it with flashbacks. Projections would work. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? CONSTANTLY, INCESSANTLY, ALL THE TIME: Get the biggest, most cumbersome backpack you can find. Use real props. DIATOM: Allow Robin and Dale to create their universe. HUGE HANDS: You can do this show with a huge cast. Create a world for Sparky with as much detail as possible. ONE BEER TOO MANY: This one too, is a one character play, but you can add a large chorus to fill out the other characters. It also works well as a solo piece 5. Why are these plays great for student performers? These plays have all been written with the student performer in mind. Whenever possible, I use gender-neutral names. With very few exceptions, all the characters in all these plays could be played by anyone. That, and the flexible cast size, makes them useful for classroom use and character work. You know what I’d really like to see? It would be great if somebody put together all four of these plays and performed them under the title “A Box of Puppies“. What if all these kids went to the same school? What if all their stories intersected on one crazy day? Stranger things have happened.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Stressed by Alan Haehnel is a symphony of sound and character that is a true theatrical experience. A challenging but incredibly fun piece, this vivid character play is an excellent competition piece. For Alex, it’s school. For Josh, it’s his girlfriend. For Carmen, it’s dealing with her coach. And Mindy’s frustrated with her parents. Stress is driving this quartet crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. Why did we publish this play? Alan describes Stressed as a Teen Symphony. I love this description and it’s so accurate! Characters blend and crash, emotions swell like strings. It’s a fantastic piece to teach students not only how to create a character but how to listen to each other. Add to that, the structure is monologue-based, so you’re also teaching students the craft of preparing multiple monologues. This play has gone on to great success in competitions and I’m thrilled we were able to publish it. Why is this play great for online platforms? This play is written in monologue format, and each character is in their own space – so it easily transfers to an online format. There is some unison speaking and some sound exploration under text, so that will take some creative thinking and problem solving. But if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s drama teachers and students! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? Because stress has been increasing lately for everyone, and I wanted to give students a humorous way to express their feelings about it. 2. Decribe the theme in one or two sentences. Well, the theme is in the title. But an important sub-theme is that we are all in this stress-filled world together. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? This is more an exploration of rhythm and vocal variety than it is a visual play, but I think a creative director could have a lot of fun with costuming and lighting to enhance the different characters and the quick pace of the piece. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Remember the sub-title of the play: “A Teen Symphony.” The vocal work has to be tight and musical. The voices should truly interplay like instruments in a quartet. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Besides relatable subject matter, this play gives four student performers a ton of juicy lines, lots of stage time, a full range of emotional states, and great chance to put together a tour de force entry for any drama contest.

Sadness. Hopelessness. Irritability. Anger. Hostility. Angst. Doubt. With teenage depression and anxiety rates on the rise, plays like darklight by Lindsay Price are more relevant than ever. darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope. This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore. Under the direction of Debbie Hornback , the amazing drama team at Montesano Jr/Sr High School in Montesano, Washington had an incredibly successful journey with their production of darklight. Their journey was truly a springboard for discussions and sharing for both the cast and their audience: “It was a learning experience for both myself (director) and the cast. The issues prompted thoughtful conversations and some insight for those not familiar with all aspects of the illnesses. Hit home with many in the audience as well, and we had tears at the end. The cast really wanted to make sure the message of hope was loud and clear to all who saw it.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark by Chris Stiles is a gruesomely comic adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. It blends the original text with new, zombified dialogue, with much of the new text written in the iambic tradition of Shakespeare. Denmark is plagued with zombies led by Hamlet’s uncle/step-father, the current king of Denmark. When Hamlet learns from his zombified father the plot of his uncle – a plan to turn Denmark into a land of the undead – Hamlet knows he must stop him! Or not. If he could only be sure… Why did we publish this play? If you want to open the door to Shakespeare, sometimes you need to use a zombie or two…. and the fabulous thing about this play is that the zombies aren’t just shoe-horned into the story because its trendy. Chris has made them work within the existing story. It’s amazing how the zombie theme fits into Hamlet – the undead already has a presence with Hamlet Sr roaming the castle walls. Further to that, Chris has put a lot of work into blending the original text with new zombified dialogue. All grunts and groans are in iambic pentameter, of course. It didn’t take us more than a few pages to know this was a great play. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I had spent a week at an event for English and Drama teachers called Camp Shakespeare at Kansas State University. It was 12 hours a day of Shakespeare for five straight days, and we did a ton of Hamlet. It was so packed into my head, I had no choice but to sit down and write something Shakespearean. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. “How to deal with your stupid parents, when one of them is not your real dad and is also a zombie.” 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I think, like the real Shakespeare plays, set is secondary. And while a zombie costume is important – I’ve seen some incredible zombie pics from productions around the world – the most important visual is to act like a zombie, move like a zombie, walk like a zombie. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Take liberties with Yorick! If you stick to the script, he is funny, but he can be outrageously funny. I had the privilege of playing Yorick myself in one production. Being the playwright, I didn’t have to worry about going too far off script. I gave Yorick props, and at any point in the script Yorick was given the stage, he took advantage of it, performing all sorts of zombie jester acts. The best part was after Hamlet dies, I had Yorick kill himself in grief, only to rise from the dead to announce (in Zombie talk) that he had staged his suicide as a big practical joke. And while demonstrating how he fooled everyone, he accidentally stabs himself and dies. I encourage anyone who takes on Yorick to go crazy with improvisation. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a great introduction to the greatest play of all time, and it’s a way to see that iambic pentameter isn’t necessarily Shakespearean. And it’s fun!

Both hilarious and touching, Football Romeo by Lindsay Price will appeal to those who love Shakespeare, those who fear Shakespeare, and those who’ve never heard of Shakespeare. The new drama teacher at Verona Beach High is directing Romeo and Juliet. Nicola is certain she will be the perfect Juliet and her linebacker boyfriend the perfect Romeo. Too bad life isn’t perfect! Sparks fly when Danny, the self-professed drama geek, is chosen over the linebacker. Nicola cries foul and demands the play be recast. Not only must Danny fight his insecurities as a performer and his brother treating him as a science experiment, he must also fight to keep the role of a lifetime. Director Julie Patrick from Johnston City High School in Johnston City, Illinois was thrilled to share the success of her talented group with their production of Football Romeo: “I would say our performance was a hit; we had a nice crowd both nights of the show. I directed it back in 2008 and chose to put it on again this spring. The references to Romeo and Juliet and Lord of the Flies are wonderful since my freshmen read both of those pieces. We have no actual theater or auditorium or even civic center in our town, so we convert our commons/cafeteria into a little theater, but we make it work!”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Get ready to challenge your students physically with the futuristic tale, The Factory by Lindsay Price. The Factory is efficient. The Factory runs like clockwork. The Time to Begin song always begins at 7 am. The official Greeting always takes place at 7:02. The Factory workers follow the rules and do their jobs to the letter. Why shouldn’t they? They are humanoid robots programmed to be efficient and follow the rules. Robots will always do their jobs better than real people. And rules are what make the Factory productive. Or do they? Rules come with red tape. And red tape can act like a wrench in the works… Why did we publish this play? Any time we can offer a script that gives a different style of character, that’s a good thing for us to publish. And as we push further into the 21st century the notion of rules, when to follow them, why we follow them and when to break them continues to be a relevant issue. Students are always going to be pressured to conform and to explore that concept in a theatrical form offers a great starting point for discussion. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I had just come back from Japan, which while being an inspiring place, is also a place that has an interesting relationship with rules. I’m all about exploring interesting relationships. That was the starting point, and then I went down the road of exploring non-human characters as robots, typically, are programmed to stick to the rules. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. When conformity becomes consuming. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? That each character has a specific action related to the product the factory makes as well as a specific action that relates to their specific job, 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Physicality is key! It would be a mistake to put the characters in a straight line across the front of the stage. Lines are static, shapes are active. Put shapes into your staging. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Non-human characters give students the opportunity to be creative with physical gestures, and movements. Encourage students to extend and exaggerate their characters!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Claque Attack by Lindsay Price is a fantastic class play that truly deserves a round of applause! The standing ovation. The regram. The cheer. The boo. The slow clap. The post like. The lengthy applause. How do you show your appreciation? How do you get the applause you want? How do you make the audience applaud? Do you control the audience or does the audience control you? Join us and find out the answers to all this and more… Why did we publish this play? When I was researching this topic, I was surprised to learn how far back the nature of applause, and the need for applause, actually goes. Who knew that Emperor Nero actually had a team of people follow him around applauding! We all need to be told we’re doing a good job. The need for applause is a great character trait and that makes it inherently theatrical. And being theatrical is always a good reason to publish a play. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I’m fascinated by the nature of applause and the audience. Especially in this day and age where everyone seems to be asking for applause in some form or other through Instagram post likes or YouTube subscribers. There are some folks who will take down a post if it doesn’t get enough likes. Who is in control – the person asking for the applause or the person giving it? 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A clapping contemplation on the nature of applause. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? There’s one scene where a group applauds for the whole scene because they’re afraid to be the first one to stop. This was the first scene I wrote – it’s based on a story from the Stalin years where an audience applauded for 15 minutes and the first person who stopped was arrested. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? No blackouts! This is a vignette play so each scene is independent of the other. Use music and creative transition staging to keep the play flowing and fluid. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? The scene work makes it great for a class – everyone can rehearse at the same time, it’s easy to stage and costume.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * We Open Tomorrow Night?! by Michael Wehrli is a scripted talent show where you are the stars. Each production can insert their own acts (dance, comedy, singing – the choice is yours) for an hilarious and entertaining evening for all – available in full-length and one-act versions! It’s the dress rehearsal for the Belvedere student-run talent show and things aren’t running smoothly. The PTA mom is being very pushy. The British act can’t get a grip on the accent. Ian wants to air guitar on pogo sticks, and what happened to the lights? As they say, the show must go on! Why did we publish this play? We often get groups telling us they were so inspired by a play that they wanted to add their own material. While that’s not possible with published scripts, it’s always been in the back of our minds to have a piece where student input was not only welcome but encouraged! So when We Open Tomorrow Night?! came across our desks we were delighted. It’s a talent show inside of a scripted piece – the best of both worlds. Your students can develop pieces that showcase their talents, and at the same time develop interesting and full of life characters. If you like what you read, there’s also a one act version! Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I was working with a group of middle school students at a local school here in Portland Oregon. For years they had done a yearly talent show as a way to give a nice “send off” to those going on to high school, and also to celebrate the school year. Parents and teachers let me know that in previous years, the talent show was incredibly long, very disorganized, and there wasn’t anything for those interested in acting to do. So, I worked with the group of students to come up with ideas for possible stories to tie everything together. It was decided that a dress rehearsal would work. Then, I worked with all of the actors doing a variety of games, exercises, and group discussion to get to know them really well–and thus somewhat base the characters in the play on their personalities and strengths/qualities. We also discussed school memories and decided that they should be shared as part of the play, but exaggerated. Lastly, they all shared at least one memory of something odd or difficult that had happened in previous year’s shows. With all this fabulous information, I went off and wrote the play, making sure to leave room for the actual “acts” in the “talent show”. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The power of overcoming obstacles by finding the strength & support of community and working together. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Two visuals: Most poignant – When Mrs. Whistlestop (a PTA mom) truly sees her daughter Katherine for who she is and hugs her. Most fun – Katherine’s wonderful Cart of many things. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Play it honestly! Yes, there are high-comedic moments in the play, but they must be played honestly and real. Also keeping in mind that all the characters want the best show possible. However, they all have a different idea of how to achieve this goal, and sometimes are too attached to the way they think things should be. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? We all know and/or have seen many talent shows over the years. The play is a fun way to explore what goes on to make such an event possible with all its challenges. It gives opportunities for actors to participate along with the talent “acts”. Having openings in the play to insert actual “acts” into the “talent show” gives a wide range of choices as to the size of the cast. Those who are not actors can still participate!