Vignette

Relevant themes, easy-to-connect-to characters and fun, fun, fun! Hoodie by Lindsay Price examines appearance and image in middle school, allowing students to immerse themselves in subject matters and issues that they deal with every day. Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The incredible middle school student performers at Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, New Jersey had an amazing experience with their production of Hoodie. Director Todd Ross shared how the show and performance really resonated with the entire cast – starting with a unique casting experience that really started off things on the right foot: “Some of the interesting and unique things I did with this show was to “audition” by having all 18 kids pick a character out of a hat. They were all like WHAT???? Are you serious??? To tell the truth, it is amazing how certain people got characters that were exactly like them, I don’t think I could have cast it better that what happened randomly. Several kids came to me after the show and told me that at first they didn’t like the play but by the end they loved it. They felt awkward at first (too close to reality) but through the process gained the confidence and comfort to be in those type of places. Wow, we (you, me, the show) did our job. The head of the middle school thinks this show should be on tour at schools all the time.”

If you need a holiday show that’s great for beginners, can accommodate almost any sized cast and has lots of room for audience participation, then you need The Merrie Christmas Show by Lindsay Price. A group of lively traveling players are at your service as they take you on a spirited adventure through Christmas past and present. They have searched the globe for Christmas stories and songs that will amaze, thrill, and delight children of all ages. Director Colleen Mahan from Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn, Maine shared how the student performers were both fun and festive in their production of The Merrie Christmas Show. She also shared some of their tips for staging the play: “It was flexible enough for me to be able to change casting in an environment where students come and go at will. It was also very silly, which is a plus for this crowd. We started the show with the cast winding through the audience, some members playing rhythm instruments, others with stockings, garlands and tinsel to decorate the stage with, and two carrying a steamer trunk full of props and costume pieces. It was fun and effective.”

Vignettes. Flexible casting. Expandable cast size. Excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. If you’re looking for a middle school play for your students that truly has a bit of everything, look no further than Box by Lindsay Price. Sometimes we choose the way the world sees us. Black box – indestructible. Jewelry box – plain on the outside, shiny on the inside. Sometimes our box is defined by others – our parents, our friends, our enemies. A box built by others can feel small, confined, impossible. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? The talented middle school group at Punta Gorda Middle School in Punta Gorda, Florida had an amazing experience with their own production of Box and director Rudi Wolfahrt was happy to share how the show struck a chord with everyone involved: “Very simple to produce, but the greatest experience was how the message of Box resonates with cast members, students and adults. We received many positive comments after our production. I recommend producing this show in front of the student body. The audience was engaged and related to the characters.”

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Hoodie by Lindsay Price is one of our most popular middle school plays that asks all of the tough questions that middle schoolers deal with every day. Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? Why did we publish this play? Hoodie was our first middle school specific play. We started solely focused on the high school market but as we went to more and more conferences, we started meeting more and more middle school teachers. And what middle schoolers didn’t have a lot of was plays that had characters their age dealing with issues they were specifically going through. It was either fairy tales which are too young, or high school plays that aren’t right either. I’m proud of Hoodie (and the other plays that we’ve published that are middle school specific) and it remains one of our most popular plays to date. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? This was the first play I wrote specifically for middle school. We started going to middle school specific conferences and realized these students don’t want to do fairy tales – they want characters and subjects that are relevant to their experience. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. This play examines appearance and image in middle school. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The Clump. I love this group of characters and I feel for them! 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Don’t give up on the Clump! This is the one group of characters that I get the most questions about. There are no shortcuts, it takes practice, practice and more practice both with movement and with dialogue. But when you get it, it will look and sound amazing. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? The topic is relevant, the characters are easy to connect to, and it’s fun!

Need a vignette play with flexible casting for your middle school performers? Box by Lindsay Price can be expanded or reduced to suit a variety of cast sizes, plus it offers excellent opportunities for small scenes and monologues. Box is a middle school vignette play with flexible casting. It can be expanded for a large cast or reduced to a cast of 10 with doubling. Excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. Sometimes we choose the way the world sees us. Black box – indestructible. Jewelry box – plain on the outside, shiny on the inside. Sometimes our box is defined by others – our parents, our friends, our enemies. A box built by others can feel small, confined, impossible. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Under the direction of Kellybrooke Brown , the accomplished student performers at Albertville High School in Albertville, Alabama were able to work together to examine the boxes that we all find ourselves in. A truly successful ensemble experience for them all! “Box was wonderful for my new actors! It gave everyone a chance to shine with no star vehicle!”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Same Room, Different Story by Claire Broome is truly the ideal high school play. Available in full-length and one-act versions, it’s perfect for a class project or drama club to take on and make it their own. A teenager’s bedroom is important. It’s a place to hide, to consider choices, to reveal. And sometimes, it’s a place to practice the periodic table. Stories can be found under the bed, in a suitcase, in a box that may or may not hold body parts… This vignette play explores relationships and situations that speak to today’s teens in a variety of genres with flexible gender roles. Why did we publish this play?Well-written, three-dimensional teen characters in an easy to stage piece are the plays that we love here at Theatrefolk. We want great characters in plays that anyone can produce. Add to that, this play is a roller coaster. It’s funny, (the last scene makes the periodic table HILARIOUS), heart breaking, empowering, and more. So much more! (There may be a body part in a box. Or not. You’ll have to read it to find out.) Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play?I wanted to create a play with options. As a Drama Teacher, I know how hard it can be to please a class, or Drama Club with a play that fits the wants and needs of all performers. By using the location as the part that ties the play together, performers have an opportunity to explore a variety of characters and genres. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.Same Room, Different Story explores teenage experiences and relationships. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?The setting. The bedroom needs to have enough set pieces for each play, and neutral enough that it could belong to anyone. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?Allow student performers, directors and technicians take the lead. Let them design the bedroom to work for all of the scenes. Consider allowing students to direct each scene. Let students create the set, props, lighting and sound. This is a great play to develop student leadership! 5. Why is this play great for student performers?It provides students with a variety of characters and genres to play. If doubling characters, students will have an opportunity to grow as actors.

Middle school can be tricky. School Daze by Lindsay Price explores the tricky tightrope between being a kid and a teenager on the first day of middle school. You remember middle school. That first day can be a funhouse or a hall of horrors. Will I fit in or be left behind? Did I wear the right clothes? How will I find the right class? Why do those eighth graders look so big… Middle school is the tricky tightrope between being a kid and being a teenager. How did you fare? Did you fall off the tightrope? Did you hold on? See the characters in School Daze try to keep their balance on the first day of middle school. Thanks so much to Robin Caporuscio and the amazing student performers at Armada Middle School in Armada, MI for sharing their photos and experience with their production of School Daze: “This was a cast of all 7th and 8th graders and the show was their final exam for acting class and it was presented in an evening performance for the public.”

How do middle-schoolers deal with perception and the boxes that we all find ourselves in? Lindsay Price’s vignette play, Box, examines these issues while providing great small scene and monologue opportunities. Sometimes we choose the way the world sees us. Black box – indestructible. Jewelry box – plain on the outside, shiny on the inside. Sometimes our box is defined by others – our parents, our friends, our enemies. A box built by others can feel small, confined, impossible. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Directed by Shannon Boatwright , the drama group at Chapin Middle School in Chapin, SC stepped out of their comfort zone and ensured their production of Box was a soaring success: “My 7th grade honors kids had a blast, learned valuable lessons, made connections and pleasantly surprised me in the end with an incredible performance. And despite losing internet access school wide the day of the show, having to connect to a fellow teacher’s iPhone hot spot to run my sound, and having a choir mic literally fall apart at the start of the performance, well, it all magically somehow came together and our audience LOVED it. (And so did my administration, which was super awesome!) Having to work hard, focus, commit to something outside of their comfort zone and then reap the fantastic benefits of seeing the whole piece come together and be an important part of it created a priceless experience. They worked really hard and were VERY proud of their work in the end.”

“There is the Grand Canyon of difference between ‘Yes, I can ski’ and ‘Yes, I can ski Smelly Dogface.’” Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow! The vignette play, The Snow Show, by Lindsay Price is a character driven toboggan ride through every experience you’ve ever had with snow. Cross your fingers and toes for six more weeks of winter. Stick your tongue out to catch the first snowflake. Wish for a snow day. Make a snow angel. Stand at the top of the most intense, intimidating ski hill ’cause those girls said you were cute. Love snow, hate snow, never seen snow, this play is for you. Whether you live in Juno or San Francisco, Toronto or Orlando, your audience will get frostbite for The Snow Show. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to have a winter time play that wasn’t connected to a specific holiday. Having said that, it’s amazing how many situations, themes and characters there are surrounding the topic of snow. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A character driven toboggan ride. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? This play has one of my favourite scenes in it – “Remember the Burrito” about wishes coming true if you catch the first snowflake of winter on your tongue. The wishes of seven year olds are a lot different than the wishes of teenaged girls. So seeing two teens with their tongues stuck out as far as they can with wishes on their mind is a lovely image to me. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Have fun and remember the joy of playing in the snow as a kid. There’s a wonderment to many of the scenes, and a wistful nostalgia because none of us are kids any more. And no blackouts. :) 5. Why is this play great for student performers? There’s a wonderful variety of characters, pacing, and scene types – all of which can be pretty much played on a bare stage. It’s all in the acting and the imagination.

How do you tell a story without using dialogue? Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price is an incredibly unique offering for students that 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? The performers of the non-profit group, Offtopic Theatre Co. , in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia took on this incredibly unique play and received award-winning results at the Fraser Valley Zone Festival, including a special certificate for Artistic Risk. These pictures they shared with us definitely show how much can be shared without ever saying a word.

If you are looking for an excellent class project play with parts for everyone at all levels with a great technique exploration, look no further than betweenity by Lindsay Price. We’ve all been there. The awkward pause. The silence where you just can’t think of something to say. The space in-between words where nothing is said and yet so much is spoken. The state of being between. This vignette play explores the beats, pauses, and never-ending silences in conversation. The girl who tries to tell her best friend she wants to date him. The boy who creates the wrong kind of pause. The sister who is dealing with the silent treatment. The guy who wants to confess but can’t open his mouth. The daughter who doesn’t want to talk because talking makes her remember. How do you act in a pause? Director Laura Maney and the drama students from the York County School of the Arts in Williamsburg, VA explored the sound of silence and the power of the pause with this engaging vignette play. It’s important to learn that sometimes it’s not what’s being said that’s important. It’s the space in-between.

What’s your driving story? With Skid Marks: A Play About Driving and Skid Marks 2: Are We There Yet? by Lindsay Price you can go from your first car to a cross-country road trip and enjoy everything about the teenage rite of passage: the car. When did you get your first car? Did it take more than one try to get your license? Did your dad ever shout, “Do I have to stop the car?” What does the car mean to you? The car is freedom. The car is a trap. The car is your dream. The car is held together by duct tape. The car is being pulled over! The car is lost in the parking garage… somewhere… B10… D27… D37… 47… Drive across country to change your life when you’ve never actually driven farther than the next block. Drive all night for one last fling at the beach. And get completely, totally lost. Drive your obnoxious brother and your doubly obnoxious sister because… because Mom said! The road trip. Ever take one? Ever want to? Ever spent hours trapped in a car with your obnoxious brother eating double double burgers and your doubly obnoxious sister whining, “Are we there yet?” Who let those two in the car?! Let these characters make that road trip for you. Join their journey and see where the road takes them. Are they driving as far away as possible, just to find their way home? Teacher Sherrie Meredith was thrilled to share her group’s award-winning performances of Skid Marks 1&2. The talented team at McNaughton High School in Moosomin, Saskatchewan took these fast-paced, hilarious vignette plays out for a spin and truly shifted into high gear! “We had a fabulous experience – we WON!!!! This is the first time our school has won provincial festival – pretty exciting! The kids had a phenomenal performance on the University of Regina Stage. We also won several other Provincial and Regional awards as well, including: REGIONAL: Best Visual Production, Best Overall Production, Acting Recognition Certificates, Technical Recognition Certificates; PROVINCIAL: Best Overall Production, Best Technical Crew, Runner-up to Best Visual Production, individual Technical Certificates of Merit & Acting Certificates of Merit.”

Funhouse by Lindsay Price looks at the bullied, the bully, and the bystander through mostly non-verbal vignettes. Life for the bullied is like a funhouse, but the funhouse is anything but fun. How can you stand your ground when you’re on a falling floor? How can you move forward when you’re caught like a mouse in a maze? How can you win Whac-A-Mole when you’re the mole? How can you like yourself while standing in a distorted hall of mirrors? There are no cotton candy answers here. Directer Shannon McDowell shared an update on the student group at Pearl Junior High School in Pearl, MS and how the experiencing of performing Funhouse was truly a moving experience that impacted everyone involved: “Thank you for such a powerful script. While the cast received an Excellent rating – and their director was chosen as Best Director – I was prouder of the reaction we received from the audience. Students, teachers, parents, community members and administrators were all affected by the performance. I have started reading scripts for next year, and I am sure I will find something just as fantastic. Of course, Theatrefolk is my go to.”

Does orange make you anxious? The vignette play for high school and middle school performers, Anxiety is Orange by Lindsay Price will help you navigate through it! Colours can be symbolic. Red is fiery. Purple is royal. Blue is calming. Sometimes, colours can take on too much meaning. I can’t date you – you wear wenge! He sent yellow flowers! Orange gives my brother anxiety! Join the characters in this vignette play as they navigate the world, each other, and the greens, greys, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges around them. Director Zack Kattwinkel from Brickell Academy for Advanced Academics and Arts in Virginia Beach, VA was excited to share the success that his talented student performers had with this play. Their hard work and dedication to their performances was evident and the production was a resounding success. “The kids had so much fun with it!”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Why do kids find it so hard to stop moving? Check out the issue-based comedy, Fidget by Bradley Hayward to find out. Kids are constantly being told to hold still. But that’s impossible when all they want to do is move forward at warp speed. From disputes with friends and troubles at home, to negative self-image and unfortunate sugar highs, this vignette play explores the need to fidget in a world that gets more stressful every day. Jam-packed with rich characters and unique theatricality, this entirely gender flexible play is sure to entertain audiences of all ages. Why did we publish this play? We are always looking for middle school specific material that focuses on middle school aged characters in the present dealing with middle school issues. Fidget is a perfect example of such a play. Not only is it ideal for a middle school audience, it’s ideal for middle school performers. The actors and the audience will fully be able to relate and connect to this play. And with the vignette framework, you can work on the show in a class period with simple staging and costumes. It’s a win-win. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to write a play for middle school performers because I am constantly inspired by how fearless young actors are about expressing themselves. The energy, the intelligence, and the heart they project in real life translates extremely well to the stage and so it was my goal to provide them with smart material that speaks to the fast-paced world they are living in today. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Fidget is about how the need to move is what drives us forward, and the ability to hold still is what allows us to appreciate how far we’ve come. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I get goose bumps when Devin literally sees the many colours of his personality stretch across the entire stage. It’s a visual representation of the moment when we step into the light and realize who we truly are inside. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? The actors should be in near-constant motion. Think of the many different ways people move, from large actions to barely detectible ticks, and show them all to the audience. This will give extra importance to the moments when the characters do hold still, so select these moments wisely. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Regardless if the actors have an abundance of acting experience or have never been on a stage before, there is something for everyone to do. There are so many opportunities for unusual movement, so even if someone is too shy to speak, they can still take part in telling the story. The gender neutral characters and flexible cast size allow the play to be produced by almost any group. It is also a great selection for student directors, as the script is split into smaller scenes for easy rehearsal.

If you’re looking for a middle school play that has it all, look no further than Box by Lindsay Price. Flexible casting, small scene and monologue opportunities, and dealing with issues that middle-schoolers can relate to, this vignette play is not to be missed. Sometimes we choose the way the world sees us. Black box – indestructible. Jewelry box – plain on the outside, shiny on the inside. Sometimes our box is defined by others – our parents, our friends, our enemies. A box built by others can feel small, confined, impossible. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Director Sally Vopnfjord was thrilled to share the success of the amazing student performers at Kipling Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, who were able to create and share their own middle-school magic: “Our school recently performed BOX as part of the National Theatre School Drama Festival (formerly Sears Drama Fest). Despite competing in the festival for the first time and featuring first-time actors – we won! We were selected as one of the top 3 shows in our district. BOX will now be performed in the Toronto Regionals at Hart House – fingers crossed that we can take this show all the way to the Provincial Finals.” Congratulations on your success, Kipling Collegiate!

If you’re looking for a great adaptation of some of Edgar Allen Poe’s best-known works, then look no further than Shuddersome: Tales of Poe by Lindsay Price. Specters, ghosts and ghouls come alive in this vivid theatrical adaptation, which includes The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death. Multi-length versions of the script to fit every need. Under the direction of Nelson Berry , the drama group at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN brought these mysterious, dramatic adaptations to life, creating a strong production from a strong ensemble: “I really enjoyed directing and putting together my school’s production of “Shuddersome.” My colleagues and I really love the script, both for its helpful notes and also for the different styles of each scene. Honestly, I was considering the show solely because of “Tell-Tale Heart,” and reading “Oval Portrait” cemented my decision. I used an ensemble of 16 actors, assigning 2-3 roles to each person. We had a few rehearsal challenges, but ultimately the show came together well and we all loved the final product.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. 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. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? It is becoming more and more evident that depression and anxiety are consuming students. That means it’s a topic that must be discussed – it’s vital that students know they are not alone in their struggle. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A theatrical examination of depression and anxiety in teens. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? There is a character called Luz who searches for those in need. She carries a lantern throughout. Her job is not to solve issues, or offer neat and tidy solutions. Her purpose is simply to hold a light. To let those in struggle know that even in the darkest night there are stars. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? There are many sad moments in the play. It’s a sad topic. Don’t “play” the sadness. Don’t overdramatize the emotions, which is extremely hard to resist sometimes, for sure. For example there is a character who is everyone’s best friend, who appears happy, well adjusted and together but he suffers from terrible depression. But you can’t play the sadness because no one sees it in him. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s an opportunity for discussion, community and communication on a topic that is happening to them and around them every day.

Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie by Lindsay Price examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The drama students at Washington Jr. High School in Manitowoc, WI asked and answered these tough questions in their performance of Hoodie. From the first read-through to the set design to opening night, it is obvious that this was a true labour of love. Not only were the students able to gain experience and insight into the theatrical process, but they were able to truly relate to the theme and messaging throughout the play: “You should learn how to be an individual and do what you want to do in your life.” “You don’t always have to be in a certain group. Just be yourself. Be unique.”

“This is the box my parents want for me. This is who my parents want me to be. A shining star… I don’t want to disappoint my parents, but this is not my box.” How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Box by Lindsay Price is a middle school vignette play with flexible casting. It can be expanded for a large cast or reduced to a cast of 10 with doubling. Excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. Under the direction of Stephanie Brook the student performers at GEMS World Academy in Switzerland demonstrated that the challenges of choosing how the world sees us is shared by students worldwide. “This was performed by my theatre class made up on only Grade 6 students (ages 11-12), from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. We have Italian, Spanish, Swiss, Canadian, American, British, Scottish, Irish, Filipino, Dutch, Argentinian, Venezuelan, Brazilian, Israeli and Portuguese, to name a few. I had to do a lot of unpacking of the material for them to understand what the play was speaking about, but this is a beautiful age to be addressing stereotypes and “boxes”, and they really connected with it. I have been receiving messages from parents all evening telling me how wonderful it was. Several of the parents, kids and staff at school commented on how relevant, how real and how engaging the play was. One of the students really connected with it, and she was in Grade 4! She said it helped her to understand a lot of what goes on at school. The school counsellor wants us to take this on as a Grade 6 play every year – she thinks it is so perfect.” Congratulations GEMS World Academy!