Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville) by Christopher Evans - Theatrefolk

Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville)

Recommended for High Schools

Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville)

by Christopher Evans

The question everyone’s asking is “Am I walking out alive today?”

 About 25 minutes

Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks

 16
16 Any Gender

Simple set

 22 pages

Black Comedy Issue-Based

Average Producer Rating:

Reviews from Past Producers

Step right up! Step right up! It’s the SCHOOL-SHOOT-O-RAMA! And the question everyone’s asking is “Am I walking out alive today?”

Clowns with Guns takes a theatrical and absurd look at the repeated and seemingly endless cycle of school violence. It happens, everyone is terribly upset, things continue on as normal, it happens again.

This story is mean. There are guns. The play puts school shooting violence out in the open and forces all of us to do the same. Read the play with this knowledge.

Click here to read production tips for this play.

Awards and Accolades

  • Clarinda High School - Critics Choice in One-Act Category of Iowa Speech Association Large Group Speech Contest
16 Characters
16 Any Gender
The Emcee [A] 58 lines
Two Monologues
Goober One [A] 13 lines
Goober Two [A] 13 lines
Goober Three [A] 18 lines
The Cheerleader [A] 4 lines
One Monologue
The Stoner [A] 4 lines
One Monologue
The Bully [A] 4 lines
One Monologue
The Shooter [A] 1 line
One Monologue
Thoughts [A] 0 lines
(No lines - all physical)
Prayers [A] 0 lines
(No lines - all physical)
The Press (two or more) [A]
Not Sarah [A] 3 lines
Tango Dancers (two or more) [A] 0 lines
(No lines - all physical)
Volunteer [A] 9 lines

Subgenres
Satire Absurd Surrealist Experimental form

Settings
Present day

Dress
Contemporary costumes Elaborate costumes

Audience
Teen

Features
Clowning Audience participation Character study Gender neutral cast

Set
Simple set Interior set

Cautions
Gun shots Adult themes Onstage murder

Themes
Death Relationships Peer pressure School violence Self-image

Other uses
Competition Monologues Audition material Class work

Awards & Accolades
Plays with Awards & Accolades

Prop List

Gun, rag, wad of cash, comically big prop cigars

Production Photos

Related Titles

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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.

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.

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