Free - Version 1 by Lindsay Price - Theatrefolk

Free - Version 1

Recommended for High Schools

Free - Version 1

by Lindsay Price

A free picnic forces a struggling town to reconcile their belief systems with their greed.

 About 45 minutes

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

 19
6 M | 10 W | 3 Any Gender

Simple Set

 40 pages

Drama

Real to life drama with a shocking twist.

Two teenagers come across an abandoned picnic. A sign in front of the picnic says, FREE FOOD.

Promisetown has been in dire straits ever since the local factory closed two years ago. The townspeople attempt to divide the food fairly, but end up struggling to reconcile their belief systems with their greed.

A stranger appears out of nowhere, offering to solve their problems, but ends up altering the town's course forever.

19 Characters
6 M, 10 W, 3 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.

Jack [M] 149 lines
The first the find the free food. One Monologue.
Jill [W] 127 lines
Finds the free food with Jack. Believes strongly in fairness.
Mrs Steel [W] 72 lines
A greedy, manipulative woman who wants the food for herself. One Monologue.
Mrs Brown [W] 16 lines
One of the townsfolk. A voice of reason. Two Monologues.
Bonnie, Betty, Becky [W] 23, 27, 21 lines
Three hiking girls that catch Jack in the act.
Mayor [M] 37 lines
Jill’s father. He’ll sort this whole thing out fairly… won’t he? Two Monologues.
Stranger [A] 44 lines
A visitor from faraway lands. Can he help solve the dispute?
Robby [M]
Townspeople:
Man 1 [M] 22 lines
Woman 1 [W] 23 lines
Man 2 [M] 20 lines
Woman 2 [W] 18 lines
Man 3 [M] 8 lines
Woman 3 [W] 22 lines
Woman 4 [W] 10 lines
2 Guards [A]
(non-speaking)
Short Version
Jack [M] 149 lines
The first the find the free food.
Jill [W] 127 lines
Finds the free food with Jack. Believes strongly in fairness.
Mrs Steel [W] 64 lines
A greedy, manipulative woman who wants the food for herself. One Monologue.
Mayor [M] 37 lines
Jill’s father. He’ll sort this whole thing out fairly… won’t he? One Monologue.
Betty [W] 25 lines
A hiking girl that catches Jack in the act. One Monologue.
Mrs. Brown [W] 19 lines
One of the townsfolk. A voice of reason. One Monologue.
Stranger [A] 39 lines
A visitor from faraway lands. Can he help solve the dispute?
Townspeople:
Man 1 [M] 22 lines
Woman 1 [W] 23 lines
Man 2 [M] 28 lines
Woman 2 [W] 28 lines
Woman 3 [W] 22 lines

Subgenres
Mystery/Thriller Fables/Folktales Fairy tales

Settings
Present day

Dress
Contemporary costumes

Audience
Pre-teen Teen

Features
Variable Cast Size Tableau Character study Choral work Physical comedy Variable gender breakdown Variable length SEL

Set
Simple set Exterior set

Cautions
Adult themes

Themes
Betrayal Death Illness/Health Parenting/Family Morality Poverty Economic issues Peer pressure Personal responsibility

Other uses
Competition Monologues Audition material Class work Scene work

Prop List

piles of food and drink, baskets, branch, forms, wheelbarrow, small package

Multimedia
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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.

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