Cookie Bureaucracy

by Jim Maher Canadian Author

Eight students, a cryptic binder, a ticking clock, and a bag of fresh-baked cookies: total chaos is served.

When an offstage voice demands an official recommendation in under thirty minutes, the group plunges headfirst into procedural disaster. Who’s in charge? How do you “take minutes?” And can you democratically vote on snacks without accidentally starting a dictatorship?

Fast-paced, sharp, and deliciously absurd, Cookie Bureaucracy is a high-energy comedy about power struggles, ridiculous rules, and the crumbling state of student democracy. Can diplomacy survive when baked goods are on the line?

Comedy Character Study

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

Running Time

About 30 minutes

Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes

Cast

9 Characters

9 Any Gender

Set

Simple set

Free Excerpt

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.

9 Characters

9 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.

MARA 60 lines

Any gender First to arrive; highly organized, protective of the mystery binder, and boasts an impressive collection of school supplies.
ADMIN 12 lines

Any gender (Offstage) A strict, mysterious voice of authority that enforces rigid time limits and demands committee recommendations.
DEX 51 lines

Any gender Dramatic and easily panicked; loud, easily distracted, and hyper-fixated on democratic rules.
PRIYA 57 lines

Any gender High-energy and competitive; holds a deep obsession with binders and is determined to run the meeting.
ELI 22 lines

Any gender Quiet, calm, and observant; the thoughtful baker who brought the cookies and saves the group in the final seconds.
JORDAN 35 lines

Any gender Practical and resume-focused; eager to chair the meeting strictly to boost future college and job applications.
SAM 25 lines

Any gender Straightforward and questioning; regularly points out obvious logical steps that the rest of the group overlooks.
TAYLOR 60 lines

Any gender Driven entirely by appetite; chaotic, impatient, and willing to declare a temporary “cookie dictatorship” to get a snack.
RILEY 29 lines

Any gender Eager to help but painfully literal-minded; takes on the task of writing the minutes despite having no idea how to actually take them.