Facebook Pixel Skip to main content

📣SCRIPT SALE! Treat yourself to an easier Fall. Save 30% on 5+ perusal scripts with code SPRING30 before May 3 and head into summer stress-free.

Monster Problems

Monster Problems

by Lindsay Price

Starting high school can be nerve-wracking and problem-filled. Am I going to fit in? Am I going to be popular? Will I have the right reputation? What if I do something that ruins the rest of high school?

Olivia, Sam and Brooke are overwhelmed. They think about these problems all day, every day to the point that things are getting rather monstrous. They are going to have to deal with their problems or risk being consumed. Vampires, Zombies, and Snakes oh my! What happens when problems get the best of you?

This play was designed for a high school class to perform for middle school students and would be an excellent “intro to high school” project. Or use it in your middle school class as a tool for the transition into high school.

Dramedy Character Study Issue-Based

Average Producer Rating:

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

Running Time
About 40 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
24 Characters
9 M | 13 F | 2 Any Gender
Set
Simple set
Length
40 pages
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.

24 Characters
9 M, 13 F, 2 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.

Brooke [F] 80 lines
14, Will do anything, or so she thinks, to be popular.
Zombie [A] 6 lines
Monster. Follows Brooke around.
Cress [F] 17 lines
14, Until this summer, Brooke’s best friend.
Amber [F] 21 lines
16, Amber, Hailey, and Shivon are the “popular” girls Brooke latches onto.
Hailey [F] 13 lines
16
Shivon [F] 13 lines
16
Brody [M] 14 lines
16, Brooke’s brother.
Gavin [M] 16 lines
16, Brody’s friend.
Drew [M] 20 lines. lines
16. Brody’s friend. One Monologue.
Mom [F] 15 lines
Brook and Brody’s mother.
Olivia [F] 90 lines
14, Wants to look perfect because a good reputation is based on looks. One Monologue.
Medusa [F] 19 lines
Monster. She follows Olivia around. Her head is covered in snakes.
Heather [F] 58 lines. lines
14. Olivia’s cousin. Heather doesn’t care what she looks like.
Ryder [A] 19 lines
14, Heather’s friend. Can be male or female.
Em [F] 27 lines
14, Girl that Olivia wants to hang out with.
Mike [M] 11 lines
16, The kind of guy who would believe rumours about a girl.
Sam [M] 73 lines
14, Wants to be normal, and by normal he means invisible. Sam is not normal.
Leana [F] 47 lines
Monster. The Irish Vampire who follows Sam around. She does not have an accent.
Ethan [M] 35 lines
17, A senior who knows what Sam is going through.
Parker [M] 15 lines
14, Parker, Wade and Peri are Sam’s nerdy friends.
Wade [M] 19 lines
14
Peri [F] 16 lines
14
Rachel [F] 7 lines
Sam’s mom
Noah [M]
Sam’s dad

More Plays Like Monster Problems

The Happiness Shop

by Lindsay Price

Why aren't middle school students full of smiles, hugs and hi-fives? They’re too young to have problems.

Boat

by Lindsay Price

In this one-act middle school vignette play, characters come face-to-face with the fact that there are other people in their boat. Some are different. Some only seem different.

Anonymous

by Allison Green

Anonymous is a story of every teenager: trying to fit in, trying to belong, trying to fall in love. It's hard to be an individual when you're trying to survive.

Patience Chose A Party

by Lindsay Price

A sharp, comedic glimpse into the chaos of high school life, where every choice feels like the end of the world—but might just be the start of self-discovery.

The lives of seven teenagers become intertwined in this humorous and oftentimes bittersweet collection of ten minute plays. Multiple lengths available.

School Daze

by Lindsay Price

Middle school is the tricky tightrope between being a kid and being a teenager. The characters try to keep their balance on the first day of middle school.

From the Drama Teacher Learning Centre

Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Plays About Friendship
Featured Plays

Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Plays About Friendship

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About….Friendship. Bonds are important. Community is important. Having someone to rely on is important, so is being that person for someone else. What does it mean to be a good friend? We’re talking support, empathy, and thinking about someone other than yourself. There’s no better way to start that conversation than with a play. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think. All the best with your search!
Theatrefolk Podcast: Is it the Show or the Performance?
Podcast

Theatrefolk Podcast: Is it the Show or the Performance?

Episode 48: Is it the Show or the Performance?This podcast continues a series of talks between Lindsay and Craig on the plays they saw during their trip to England. This week they talk about two shows currently on in London: One Man, Two Guvnors and Merrily We Roll Along. The question they had about both shows is the question of the podcast: Is it the Show or the Performance?
Social Issue Plays for High Schools / Middle Schools
Teaching Drama

Social Issue Plays for High Schools / Middle Schools

Our website lists all of our plays with social issue themes but it struck me that they’re only lumped as “issue plays” without a good guide to sorting out which title addresses which issue. So I’ve categorized them for you to hopefully give you a helping hand in your quest to find the perfect script for your school. Check them out. As usual, all of the titles have extensive free sample pages for you to read. I think you’ll find the writing honest, fresh, and believable – three qualities sadly lacking from a lot of “teen-issue” plays out there in the world. Alienation / Feeling Alone in the World• Anonymous by Allison Green • The Art of Rejection: Two One Act Plays by Christian Kiley • A Box of Puppies by Billy Houck • Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck • Huge Hands by Billy Houck Body Image• Body Body by Lindsay Price • The Four Hags of the Apocalypse Eat Salad at their General Meeting by Lindsay Price • The Battle of Image vs. Girl by Johanna Skoreyko • Hoodie by Lindsay Price • Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin Censorship• Censorbleep by Lindsay Price Human Rights• Look Me in the Eye by Lindsay Price • Sweep Under Rug by Lindsay Price Racism• Flaky Lips by Lindsay Price • With Liberty and Justice For All by Jeyna Lynn Gonzales • Not Going Anywhere by Emma Fonseca Halverson • The Burgundy Letter by Kirk Shimano • Let Me In by Sholeh Wolpe *** Rumours and Lies• Have You Heard? by Krista Boehnert • The Redemption of Gertie Greene by Taryn Temple Individuality• Hoodie by Lindsay Price • Virtual Family by Christian Kiley • The Happiness Shop by Lindsay Price • A Deep, Poetic Journey Into Something by Forrest Musselman • Carrying the Calf by Shirley Barrie • Monster Problems by Lindsay Price • Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr • Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward • Nice Girl by Amanda Murray Cutalo • Pressure by Lindsay Price • They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras by Dara Murphy • The Super Non-Heroes by Taryn Temple • Smarty Pants by Bradley Hayward Identity• Box by Lindsay Price • Labeled by Lindsay Price • We Are Masks by Lindsay Price • Stressed by Alan Haehnel • Anonymous by Allison Green • Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck • The Super Non-Heroes by Taryn Temple School Violence• Huge Hands by Billy Houck • Power Play by Lindsay Price • Clowns with Guns (A Vaudeville) by Christopher Evans • The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley • Life and Death in an Empty Hallway by Christopher Evans • Water. Gun. Argument. by Alan Haehnel Sexual Abuse• The Waking Moment by Bradley Hayward • Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin Substance (alcohol & drug) Abuse• Bottle Baby by Lindsay Price • Floating on a Don’t Care Cloud by Lindsay Price • One Beer Too Many by Billy Houck Suicide• The Bright Blue Mailbox Suicide Note by Lindsay Price • Chicken. Road. by Lindsay Price • The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley Teen Pregnancy• The Pregnancy Project by Lindsay Price • Among Friends and Clutter (one scene) by Lindsay Price Illness/Health• Chemo Girl by Christian Kiley • The Other Room by Christian Kiley • Red Rover by Christian Kiley • Waiting Room by Christian Kiley • Breathless by Wendy-Marie Martin • Shreds and Patches by Robert Wing • Inanimate by Christian Kiley • Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck Depression/Anxiety• darklight by Lindsay Price • Fidget by Bradley Hayward • Among Friends and Clutter (one scene) by Lindsay Price • Constantly, Incessantly, All The Time by Billy Houck • who are we, who we are by Forrest Musselman Bullying• Finishing Sentences by Scott Giessler • Funhouse by Lindsay Price • Power Play by Lindsay Price • The Redemption of Gertie Greene by Taryn Temple • Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward • Carrying the Calf by Shirley Barrie Divorce• Split by Bradley Hayward Gender• Life, Off Book by Scott Giessler • Anonymous by Allison Green • Baalzebub by Rachel Atkins (Baalzebub – One-Act Version here) • Completely, Absolutely Normal: Vignettes About LGBTQ+ Teens by Bradley Walton • Finding Jo March by Laramie Dean • Thought Traps by Lindsay Price Empathy• Discovering Rogue by Christian Kiley • Boat by Lindsay Price • We Are Masks by Lindsay Price • The Butterfly Queen by Christian Kiley Dependence on Technology• Virtual Family by Christian Kiley • Inanimate by Christian Kiley
We accept

In addition to the above payment methods, Purchase Orders are accepted from US and Canadian Schools.

Info for your purchasing department