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Dead Men Don't Do Radio Plays

Dead Men Don't Do Radio Plays

by Allison Williams

Steve Powell is radio star Frank Grayson, Private Eye. But in real life he's not as suave, doesn’t have a way with the ladies and has a habit of narrating his life. But that doesn't stop crimes from falling into his life. Can little Stevie Palowski step into a PI's shoes and get the dame?

Dead men may not do radio plays, but you definitely should introduce this genre to your students. Put together a SFX crew and bring the radio sounds to life. All the effects are itemized, including suggestions.

The two plays in this collection can be performed separately or can be combined to make a full evening of theatre.

Comedy

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

Set
Simple Set
Length
59 pages
Production Tips
Read production tips for this play
Free Excerpt

This Book is a Collection of 2 Plays

License the entire book, or license individual plays separately. To license a single play, click its title below.

Dead Men Don't Carry Handbags

9 M, 5 F · Approx. 25 minutes

Real life and fiction collide as radio show detective Steve Powell finds himself in the middle of a hot handbag case in cold blood. Will his fake detective skills win the day?

Dead Men Don't Jaywalk

4 M, 5 F · Approx. 25 minutes

A dead body jaywalks in front of radio-star-turned-movie-star detective Steve Powell. When a lady friend gets the blame, Steve puts himself on the case.

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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.

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.

Dead Men Don’t Carry Handbags
STEVE POWELL [M] 131 lines
Plays a detective on the air, and sometimes in real life. A heart of gold and a face for radio.
BARBARA MITCHELL [F] 55 lines
If looks could kill, you’d have to lock her up.
MITCHELL MARKHAM [M] 34 lines
A no-good vagrant. A nobody who just might be a somebody.
SERGEANT ANDERSON [M] 19 lines
A hard-nosed cop.
Slightly-less-hard-nosed cops
OFFICER 1 (PETE) [M] 8 lines. lines
OFFICER 2 (MICKEY) [M] 7 lines
SECRETARY [F] 13 lines
A lover of radio.
SALLY [F] 4 lines
A young lover from a half-forgotten memory.
JUDGE [M] 18 lines
Voice like gravel. Carries a gavel.
BLONDE [F] 3 lines
A character in Steve’s Radio Play.
ANNOUNCER [M] 2 lines. lines
the dignified voice of San-Sweep. It’s not just a broom, It’s Sani-Sweep!
DIRECTOR [M] 8 lines
Sees Steve going in a different direction.
PENNY [F] 18 lines
From publicity. Finds some older men appealing.
DRUGGIST [M] 1 line
A key witness to the case.
Dead Men Don’t Jaywalk
STEVE POWELL [M] 105 lines
The one-and-only radio star, trying to make it in the movies.
PENNY [F] 79 lines
The promotions girl got a promotion! Now she’s practically running the show.
HELEN WENTWORTH [F] 37 lines
Old friend of Steve. Might she be a murderer?
CHARLIE WALKER [M] 3 lines
A brute of a man. Not-too-picky.
SERGEANT ANDERSON [M] 20 lines
The gruff, yet loveable Sergeant on the case.
TRIXIE [F] 35 lines
A two-bit hussy. Doesn’t know her own strength.
DIRECTOR (BOB) [M] 38 lines
Suffers from Steve’s monologues. Wants to be shooting anything else.

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