Master of Puppets

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * High school is full of stereotypes – or is it? Told in a series of interlaced vignettes, Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr examines these “stereotypical” teens and how they fight tooth and nail to reinvent themselves. The geek. The freak. The stoner. The dumb jock. The mean girl. The thespian. The slut. The lonely girl. High school is full of stereotypes – or is it? Told in a series of interlaced vignettes, these “stereotypical” teens fight tooth and nail to reinvent themselves. There’s nothing more powerful than the teen who stands alone, proud of who they are. This play contains real situations, real feelings, and real thoughts about all the mature topics. Yes, that means sex, drugs and retainers. Why did we publish this play? This play will not be for everyone. It shows that teenagers are not sunshine and rainbows. They have real feelings, go through real situations, and have real thoughts on mature subjects, which is exactly why you should pick it up and you should do it. Stereotype High shows what happens when teenagers try to break out of the box they’ve been placed in. And we’re not talking a cry fest, angst fest, “why does no one love” pity party. We’re talking three-dimensional characters who make decisions, make mistakes, and try to change. I think it’s a lovely, lovely play. We’re so proud to include it in our catalogue. If you want an intro to this larger work, we publish some of the vignettes as smaller pieces – specifically check out You’re Cosplaying My Song and Master of Puppets. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to put a bunch of different kinds of kids together–kids who had no business relating to one another–and let them work it out. Let them work to find a way to relate to one another on a level that goes beyond the stereotypes. As a teacher of 27 years, I have a deep respect for kids–every kind of kid–and this play allowed me to showcase a variety of them in funny, tender, painfully honest moments. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Chimamanda Adichie once said that the problem with stereotypes isn’t that they’re not true, it’s that they’re incomplete. Kids are so much more than the labels we pin on them. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The most important visual in the play is at the beginning, seeing the eight main characters, each a different stereotype, stretched across the stage, their costumes defining them in their roles as they recite their mantra–that the great teenage high school social scene gods grant them the serenity to accept their stereotypes–and then, again, at the end of the play, only, this time, they’re in pairs, changed, enlightened, with a new mantra: they’re going to be who they want to be and if people don’t like it, they’ll have to get over it. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Keep it simple–the set pieces, the scene transitions, the flow of the show. Let the characters tell the story and keep it moving. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? For one thing, it’s so much fun. A blind date gone wrong, an audition from hell, a cosplay battle between Obi Wan and an elf queen, an awkward encounter in a gynecologist’s office? You can’t ask for better scenes. And there are monologues – juicy monologues that actors can sink their teeth into, one for each main character. Lastly, these characters have depth–they give student performers the chance to play a realistic, relatable teen with real-life issues. They’re a wonderful challenge for young actors.

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Small Casts. Sometimes you need something small. Not everyone needs the cast of thousands. Or maybe you have so many great students, you want to give a group something substantial to work on. All of these plays are one acts and call for a cast of 5 or less. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Better Than the Movie Cast Size: 3 First dates can be the worst or the best. Especially when you’re on a date with the guy or girl of your dreams. Will the giant soda cause bladder issues? Will the Heimlich manoeuvre be needed over a popcorn kernel? Will the guy in the back ruin everything? Ellenalicemonajune Cast Size: 4 Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other, particularly regarding a boyfriend who wears red leather pants. A great character piece for four actresses. Flaky Lips Cast Size: 2 Two young women live in separated societies. One skin colour on this side. One skin colour on that side. They have never seen what the other looks like, until circumstances throw them together. A small cast but a challenging acting opportunity. Carrying The Calf Cast Size: 4 A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class. But more important than the karate training, the instructor challenges the group to find self-confidence, independence, and to choose their own destiny. Diverse roles. Prom Night Cast Size: 3 An unlikely pair meet in the woods – the uncool Catholic girl and the linebacker Prom King. Neither wanted to go to prom and neither wanted to be with their dates. Truth and secrets come out in this gem of a small cast play. Power Play Cast Size: 5 A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why? Was it the Goth girl? The football star? What are the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence? Violence is about power. So is high school. Stressed Cast Size: 4 Stress is driving this quartet of teen characters crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure Cast Size: 5 A delightful small cast melodrama replete with broad comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of booing and hissing for the stovepipe-hat-wearing villain! Master of Puppets Cast Size: 3 Mrs Slattimore speaks to teen couples about communication. She wants Joanie to see she wears bossy pants and Chuck already has a mom. Soom the big guns have to come out – Truth puppets. That’s right, puppets who tell all. Underneath Cast Size: 5 Brittany is depressed and can’t hide it. Echo is excited but doesn’t want anyone to know. Trina has a secret and she wants to tell the world. It’s hard to keep emotions clamped down, even in winter. The snow is piling up as secrets rise to the surface. Need more? Check out some of these additional options too!Mummu Cast Size: 4 Mummu is here to bring you a story. A good story with a great emotional landscape. Even deities who exist on an eternal plane don’t have time for bad theatre. Franz Kafka Cancels His Cell Phone Plan Cast Size: 5 A modern absurdist play that puts elements from three of Franz Kafka’s works into the context of the everyday absurdities of our 21st century lives. Hamlette Cast Size: 5 Hamlet is played by a girl in this twisty-turny comedic interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Sweep Under Rug Cast Size: 5 In the future the issue of poverty is solved through separation and subserviance. A teen causes trouble simply because she wants to better herself.

Some drama teachers have their whole production year figured out before the first day of school. If you’re doing a big musical, you need to get that paperwork started way in advance. Or maybe you need to coordinate using the theatre space with other departments – you need to know what you’re doing and when. Or, if you’re lucky, you have an engaged drama club and they’re reading the plays and deciding what they want to do ahead of time. But sometimes all that planning goes out the window. You choose a play, hold auditions and the actors you think you’re going to have don’t show up. Or you choose a small cast play and are faced with a flood of wonderful auditions. And sometimes, just the act of choosing a play is the issue. It can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. Auditions loom and you still haven’t chosen a script. If you’ve stared at a stack of play catalogues with panic in your eyes, we here at Theatrefolk are ready to come to the rescue! Ok. We’re not a superhero. But we can give you some guidance to what we have available and how you can swiftly navigate our catalogue. If you’re frustrated with your search, or if you have to make a last minute decision NOW, have a look at the following plays. With each play there’s a link to the website page where you can read free sample pages. Enjoy! Top SellersWant something popular? Try these! Hoodie by Lindsay Price Hands down, our most popular one act. Hoodie is a middle school play about self image and appearance. Great for classes, and the kind of play that lets you cast every kid who auditions.