One Hundred Lies

Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us. One Hundred Lies by Alan Haehnel, is so much more than a “game show” play. Prepare for something deeper, more poignant, and by the end, heart breaking. In this poignant comedy, teenager Liz Nostrand presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: To dramatize, in only 30 minutes, 100 significant lies told by and to Liz. By the final buzzer, though, we see that the most crucial lies in Liz’s life are those she has told herself. One Hundred Lies brings you in laughing and sends you out thinking. David Lubin, Sarah Rappaport and the drama group at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, Florida took their production of One Hundred Lies to new heights, with an award-winning performance: “We used this one-act for our Junior Thespian District competition and were lucky enough to be selected for State Competition at the Florida State Junior Thespian Festival. We received a Superior for the show, as well as recognition for how great the scoreboard was. This one act is challenging, however, with rehearsal and hard work it is a great show. If you are looking for a one act that is different than the ‘norm’ this is a good choice. TIPS: Have fun and be creative with the use of a scoreboard and running clock. It can be as fancy or as simple as you’d like-just make sure you are clear with the score. Make sure you cast a strong, experienced actor for Liz. Memorizing all those lines is challenging!”

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!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. In One Hundred Lies by Alan Haehnel, “Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us.” In this poignant comedy, teenager Liz Nostrand presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: To dramatize, in only 30 minutes, 100 significant lies told by and to Liz. By the final buzzer, though, we see that the most crucial lies in Liz’s life are those she has told herself. One Hundred Lies brings you in laughing and sends you out thinking. Why did we publish this play? For Liz, life is a competition. Points for her choices and points against. The goal of the game is that in 30 minutes we see 100 lies told to and by Liz. The great thing about this play is how it creeps. It presents as one thing and twists into another. We start out with your standard “hey it’s a game show!” format, right up to the point where actors enter for a particular scene and the Liz turns to them to say “I’m not ready for that scene yet.” That’s when everything turns and you know you’re not in a “game show” play. You’re in for something deeper, more poignant, and by the end, heart breaking. The play needs a dynamic actor to play Liz and some thought into how to play the score board. But it’s the kind of problem solving that makes for awesome theatre! Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Plays usually begin with a fascination or a frustration. This one came mainly from my fascination with how many lies, big and small, our lives rely upon. One Hundred Lies also came from the frustration of trying to get to the real truths that underlie our actions. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Liz squaring off against the scoreboard. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Keep the pace tight! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Those not playing the role of Liz get the opportunity to play a variety of roles. The actor playing Liz gets a rich acting challenge playing a character with a great deal at stake and a great number of walls she has to break down in order to begin to heal.

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About…Competition Pieces. You want winning plays. You want plays that fit competition rules. You want something that’s going to be easy to stage if you’re performing away from home. You want to give your students an interesting piece to take to competition, regardless of whether they win or not. All of these plays fit the bill. Easy to stage in an unfamiliar space. Many have won multiple competitions. And if they haven’t they’ll give your students an awesome experience. Take them to your next competition with pride. 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! Competition One-ActsAmong Friends and Clutter This play has won state competitions, been given superior production awards, and won first place in the 2013 Southeastern Theatre Conference High School Festival. The production that won SETC did the play with just a few cubes. It can be done with seven actors but it’s easily expandable. The scenes explore the most important relationships in life: friends, family and love. Anonymous A recent production of Anonymous won at the Arkansas State Thespian Festival and was chosen as a Chapter Select for the 2017 International Thespian Festival. Anonymous is the story of every teenager: the new kid trying to fit in, the best friends, the love interests, the kid in the corner with their secret, individuals trying to belong. Emotional Baggage A multi-award winning piece. It’s reached the All-Ontario level of the Sears Drama Festival, the State Level of Florida Thespians, it’s won straight superiors, critics choice and best play. And there’s a reason it captures attention. There’s no dialogue. The play is based solely on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement. Seven strangers meet in a train station. Instead of luggage, they all carry their own “emotional baggage.” The Blue and the Grey This play is so imagistic, and so aurally stunning, it’s amazing the set isn’t more involved than it is. A small platform downstage, one upstage, and some chairs. It’s haunting, exhilarating and theatrical. And it’s not a surprise it’s won at competition. First place in the Rappahannock River Conference, first place in the 1A East Region, and an Outstanding Actress Award at the state level. A Deep Poetic Journey into Something There are excellent movement opportunities here and a fantastic main character for a senior girl. Jane wants to break out of her box, she wants a deep poetic journey. The problem is she has no idea where to start and maybe that box isn’t such a bad idea. This play received section 1A honours in Minnesota and advanced to the State One Act Festival. The Hope and Heartache Diner – One Act You want your students to dive deep into character development. You want ensemble opportunities for them. Check out The Hope and Heartache Diner. This play received outstanding production at the Kentucky State Thespian Festival and was chosen as a Chapter Select for the 2016 International Thespian Festival. The Butterfly Queen Beautiful ensemble piece that looks at the nature of sacrifice and putting others first. So easy to stage where a sweatshirt becomes a vehicle for protection. Gender flexible cast and doubling options available. Choose this play and have a transformative experience with your students. One Hundred Lies In this poignant comedy Liz presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: to dramatize 100 lies told by and to Liz. But what about the lies she tells to herself? I’ve seen this done with a person playing the scoreboard and clock and it works perfectly. Easy to stage with lovely three-dimensional characters. Mmmbeth I have seen this play so many times in competition and it’s been a blast every time. So much fun to do as it takes a twisty turning and gender bending look at the Scottish play. A great piece to teach comic timing to your students. Numerous outstanding productions! Stressed Another piece I’ve seen in multiple competitions. This is a small cast actor showcase. It has no set and relies totally on the character communication. The play is called a symphony of sound and character and that’s a perfect description. It takes rhythm, timing, and the cast working as one. A winning combination.

Theatrefolk starts a new video series today: Spread The Love. There’s an unwritten rule when it comes to choosing plays for the catalogue: we must love it. We must be able to talk about it with enthusiasm and excitement. We must be able to suggest a play wholeheartedly to you, because we believe in it. If you want to know why a certain play is in the Theatrefolk catalogue, click on the Spread the Love button on the front page of the website. There will be a new video each week. And if there’s a Theatrefolk play you love, let everyone know! Send us a one minute video and we’ll spread the love for you.