Horror Movie 101: Failing Can Be Deadly

by Steven Stack

Surviving your teenage years is difficult enough. But in St. Claire, where teens continually violate the rules of Horror Movie 101, it’s practically impossible.

You know the rules: never open a door if someone knocks after the lights go out. If your car runs out of gas and a girl on the side of the road asks you to take her home to mother - don’t. Haunted houses are never a good idea, and neither are cabins in the middle of the woods. And if you use an ancient burial ground to bring someone back, they’ll come back wrong. Everyone knows that.

This collection of haunting, horrifying, harrowing AND humorous scenes will keep you laughing as you keep your eyes covered.

Comedy Black Comedy Mystery

Average Producer Rating:

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Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

About 55 minutes

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

21 Characters

5 M | 16 F, double and triple casting possible

Simple set

53 pages

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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.

Praise for Horror Movie 101: Failing Can Be Deadly

Anne Vlahos

Wyndham Central College

This play is great at highlighting performance strengths while allowing first time performers to have success with smaller roles.

Josephine Owens

Creative Arts Charter School

The students enjoyed the play a lot. We liked that the stage could be pretty simple and not require too much construction, as we do not have a permanent theater space.

Cathy Archer

Rutland High School

This was a competition piece - the students loved it and jumped into rehearsing it. They had great fun with and were able to memorize their lines and work on physical business as well.