Facebook Pixel Skip to main content
Ashland Falls by Steven Stack play script cover

Ashland Falls

by Steven Stack

A school receives a mysterious script about a girl who died long ago. The director disappears. A new director arrives just in time and knows all about the story of the play. In fact, she seems to know it too well. And how did she get the dead girl’s ring?

Are the students of Herbert Hoover High too wrapped up in miscues, awful accents, and stolen boyfriends to notice? Revenge is coming. Who will pay the price when the real world and the play collide?

Each actor must play two vastly different roles in this spine-tingling comedy thriller. This easy to stage and intense theatrical experience will keep your audience on their edge of their seats. And the twist ending will make them question everything they've witnessed...

Drama Character Study Melodrama Mystery

Average Producer Rating:

Recommended for High Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 90 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
14 Characters
3 M11 F
Set
Simple set
Length
82 pages
Production Tips
Read production tips for this play
Free Excerpt
Classroom Study Guide
Download a free Classroom Study Guide

What to order?

Not sure what you need to order? Check out our pricing and ordering guide.

Performance Royalty Fees

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.

14 Characters

3 M, 11 F

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.

Act 1
Carrie [F] 97 lines
Well-liked, dating Aidan. Plays Ashley.
Aidan [M] 92 lines
Often the leading man. Dating Carrie but there are rumors about him and Savannah. Plays Dalton.
Savannah [F] 70 lines
Tends to get leading roles. Rather full of herself. Has interest in Aidan. Plays Kaelyn.
Heather [F] 70 lines
Carrie’s best friend. Makes constant jokes, typically at Savannah’s expense. Plays Leah.
Gavin [M] 72 lines
Reliable actor and person. Likes Alyssa but is unable to talk when she’s around. Plays Wynter.
Alyssa [F] 49 lines
Most mature of the group. Has held the show together. Plays Liza.
Morgan [F] 57 lines
A very hard worker but tends to stress out when she feels she isn’t measuring up. Plays Nara.
Tony [M] 59 lines
Decent actor but would rather goof off. Plays Garrick.
Ava [F] 32 lines
Believes she is a better actor than she is. Considers herself a “method actor.” Plays Eleanor.
Emily [F] 42 lines
Freshman. Friends with Payton and Lydia. Plays Elizabeth.
Payton [F] 47 lines
Freshman. The not-so-bright friend of Lydia and Emily. Plays Tawnie.
Lydia [F] 18 lines
Freshman. Best friends with Emily and Payton. Rather clumsy. Plays Vala.
Laura [F] 177 lines
The new director, who is from a small town in England. She replaced Mr. Beasley after he mysteriously disappeared.
ASHLEY (ghost) [F] 17 lines
The ghost of Ashley Donovan.
Act 2
Leah [F] 61 lines
Older sister of Ashley and Vala, seeking revenge for Ashley’s death.
Ashley (as played by Carrie) [F] 17 lines
Was hoping to marry Dalton until she died under mysterious circumstances.
Kaelyn [F] 47 lines
Daughter of Nara Worthington, Ashley’s friend, secretly in love with Dalton.
Nara [F] 41 lines
The very rich and snobbish mother of Kaelyn.
Garrick [M] 11 lines
Loyal butler of the Worthingtons.
Dalton [M] 81 lines
Was planning to propose to Ashley but never had the chance. Is now going to marry Kaelyn.
Wynter [M] 76 lines
Dalton’s friend, who is not supportive of Dalton’s desire to marry Ashley. Has feelings for Liza.
Vala [F] 44 lines
Youngest sister of Leah and Ashley. Works as a maid for Nara. Developed a stuttering problem after Ashley’s death.
Liza [F] 65 lines
Friend of Leah, Wynter, and Dalton. Rumored to practice witchcraft.
Elizabeth [F] 16 lines
Friend of Kaelyn and Elizabeth, who overestimates her own importance.
Tawnie [F] 9 lines
Friend of Kaelyn and Elizabeth, who appears dim-witted.
Eleanor [F] 29 lines
Mother of Leah, Ashley, and Vala. Currently in an asylum.

Praise for Ashland Falls

Samuel Dunham
Robert Service High School
This was a student-directed play. It was easy enough for a senior to successfully block, light, etc. The student-actors had fun the characters.

More Plays Like Ashland Falls

The Bottom of the Lake

by Steven Stack

The Bottom of the Lake

Who lies at the bottom of the lake? An awesome combination of ghost stories, urban legends, teen issues, absurd comedy, and film noir, all in a single play!

The House - Competition Length Version

by Lindsay Price

The House - Competition Length Version

A competition-length cutting of The House. The house doesn’t just hold stories… it hungers to tell them.

The House

by Lindsay Price

The House

The house doesn’t just hold stories… it hungers to tell them.

Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

adapted by Lindsay Price from Edgar Allan Poe

Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

A vivid and theatrical adaptation of some of Poe's best known works. Multi length versions to fit every performance need.

Dracula

adapted by Laramie Dean from Bram Stoker

Dracula

A highly theatrical exploration of the evil that lurks inside all of us…

The Shadow Stories - A Cursed Play

by Matthew Webster

The Shadow Stories - A Cursed Play

Five very old, very dangerous stories from around the world...

From the Drama Teacher Learning Centre

Selecting Scripts

October Reading List: Mystery Plays

Ready to add a little mystery to your drama classroom? We’ve put together a list of plays full of secrets, twists, and unexpected turns that are sure to captivate your students. Whether they’re...
Selecting Scripts

October Reading List: Plays for Halloween

October has arrived and Halloween magic is in the air! If you're a fan of thrilling tales, spooky stories and things that go bump in the night, then this is the list for you! Our October list is...
Curriculum & Lesson Planning

Creeptastic Plays and Macabre Musicals for Fall

It’s spooky season, and if you’re looking for plays and musicals to frighten, horrify, and creep you out, you’re in the right place. Below you’ll find 10 scary plays from our own Theatrefolk...
Podcast

A Fabulous Theatre Fundraiser

Episode 207: A Fabulous Theatre Fundraiser Don’t you want to learn more about a fabulous theatre fundraiser idea? Of course you do. Listen to drama teacher Alyssa Pitner talk about creating a...
Selecting Scripts

Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Recommended High School Plays

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For….High School. We’re a company that focuses on high school performers so the majority of our scripts are high school plays. But we know the score: you want a play...
Podcast

Playwright Dara Murphy

Episode 82: Playwright Dara MurphyDara Murphy wrote her first play in high school for a class project and her teacher submitted it to us. At the time Dara was the youngest playwright in our...
We accept
We accept school purchase orders too. Info for your purchasing department