A Box of Puppies by Billy Houck - Theatrefolk

A Box of Puppies

Recommended for High Schools

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.

 14
2 M | 2 W | 10 Any Gender

Simple Set

 31 pages

Drama Character Study Issue-Based Monologues Student Directors

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? Are you kidding, Mom? How about my whole freaking life? How about I have horrible nightmares every night, but the only thing that's scarier than my nightmares is the rest of my life when I'm awake?"

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.

This Book is a Collection of 4 Plays

Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time
A young girl examines the backpack of her life.

1 W. Approx. 10 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $9.95

Diatom
Two friends without a car wait and talk. And wait and talk. And wait and talk…

2 Any Gender. Approx. 10 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $13.95

Huge Hands
A scrawny teenaged boy envisions the perfect way to fight back.

1 M 1 W 8 Any Gender. Approx. 10 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $45.95

One Beer Too Many
Skip writes from the heart, but uncovers something no one wants to read.

1 M. Approx. 10 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $9.95

14 Characters
2 M, 2 W, 10 Any Gender

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time:
Rikki [W]
A backpack wearing student, burdened in more ways than one. 1 extended monologue
Huge Hands:
Sparky [M] 29 lines
A small adolescent boy, several monologues
Sparky’s Mom [W] 5 lines
Considers putting Sparky on Ritalin.
Sparky’s Friend, but not really [A] 9 lines
They’re on speaking terms.
A Random Kid [A] 2 lines
Just a kid in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A Gang of Kids (6) who bully Sparky [A]
One line, laughter, pointing
Diatom:
Dale [A] 89 lines
Teenager with a curious mind.
Robin [A] 87 lines
Teenager. Friend to Dale. More grounded in reality.
One Beer Too Many:
Skip [M]
An average kid. Once wrote a play that earned them a world of hurt. 1 extended monologue

Settings
Present day

Dress
Contemporary costumes

Audience
Pre-teen Teen

Features
Mime Character study Movement-based Physical comedy Special effects Stage combat Student directors Variable gender breakdown Online Performance SEL

Set
Simple set Interior set

Cautions
Drugs Strong language

Themes
Adolescence Friendship Illness/Health Parenting/Family Individuality Obedience Relationships Self-image Depression Theatre

Other uses
Competition Monologues Scene work Audition material Class work

Prop List

Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time
Backpack, bathroom scale, three-ringed binder, notebook, calculator, Rubik’s cube, Red Bull, Twinkie, Huge Math Book, English lit Anthology, mechanical pencils, sharpies, smarties, can of spray paint, broken ipod, dirty PE clothes, sneakers, Green Eggs and Ham, padlock, party hat, toothbrush, tuning fork, sunglasses, towel, sweatshirt, Physics textbook, fluta, sunscreen, gum, second notebook, sandwich, highlighter, sketchpad, comic book, snickers, water bottle, History book, smaller backpack, series of self-help books (10), a sock, wireless phone, several bottles of pills (8)
Huge Hands
A pair of huge hands, backpack, t-shirt
Diatom
Water bottle
h One Beer Too Many
none

Production Photos

Multimedia

Talking with the cast and author.
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Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

Related Titles

We accept orders worldwide using the following payment methods:
Purchase Orders accepted from US and Canadian Schools.
Info for your purchasing department.

A vignette play is a collection of short scenes on a theme. You'll love working with the variety and flexibility of the scenes. Your actors will love the fast pace and fun characters.

There's more. Every Theatrefolk vignette play holds the unexpected. A showcase monologue. A dramatic moment. A change in form. A left turn.

Ideal for classwork, competitions, and more!

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