Power Play
by Lindsay Price
The realities and the stereotypes of school violence. Not just the school shooting, but harassment and bullying. Violence is about power. So is high school.
About 55 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
5
2 M | 3 W
Simple Set
38 pages
A dramatic play sure to evoke discussion and dialogue.
A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why?
Was it the Goth girl? The football star? The super-intelligent geek?
High school violence is a hot media topic, but it is too often simplistically portrayed by putting teens into tidy categories and pointing at the outsider.
Power Play explores the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence - not just the brutal shock of the school shooting, but also verbal harassment and bullying. Violence is about power. So is high school.
NOTE: This play requires the onstage appearance of a gun.
Awards and Accolades
- Prince Rupert SS Won the Northwest Zone of their Drama Festival
- Mills Godwin HS at the Virginia High School League State Theatre Festival
- John Fraser SS; outstanding district production Sears Drama Festival
- Belle Fourche High School; Superior Production, Outstanding Ensemble at the 2008 South Dakota State One Act Festival
- Outstanding Production, Adam Scott CVI, Sears Drama Festival
Characters
5
2 Men, 3 Women
-
Bitter
[W]
141 lines
- A goth girl. Very observant with a sarcastic wit. Three Monologues.
-
Belly
[M]
190 lines
- An overweight guy who uses humour as a survival tactic. One Monologue.
-
Brawn
[M]
122 lines
- The star football player. King of the castle and knows it. Two Monologues.
-
Beauty
[W]
114 lines
- The self-professed “most popular girl” at the school. One Monologue.
-
Beaker
[W]
114 lines
- A small Asian girl (Korean). Extremely intelligent, extremely withdrawn. Two Monologues. See appendix for alternate casting suggestion.
- Subgenres
- Character study Experimental form
- Settings
- Present day
- Dress
- Contemporary costumes
- Audience
- Teen
- Features
- Multicultural cast Character study Special effects
- Set
- Simple set Interior set
- Cautions
- Strong language Gun shots Adult themes Physical violence
- Themes
- Adolescence Bullying Death Parenting/Family Sports Relationships Obedience Morality Jealousy Race Body image Peer pressure School violence Self-image
- Other uses
- Competition Audition material Class work Scene work
- Awards & Accolades
- Plays with Awards & Accolades
Prop List
Five oversized books, Small table, Pile of socks, Sports Illustrated, Chair, Gun
Production Photos
Multimedia
Related Titles
Customer Comments
Our plan is to produce the whole show (Shout!) in the fall next year. The concept is perfect for our new program.
Thank you so much for your generosity and for the fantastic material you provide. It is perfect for high school students.
We are taking Body Body and Power Play to competition this year. We'll keep our fingers crossed!
We performed your play (Power Play) on Sunday night at the Kawartha District Sears Drama festival and it won the Outstanding Production award (along with Awards of excellence for ensemble acting, tech work, direction and stage management)!!!
The adjudicator really loved how the play "took her on a journey...the character development was fantastic".
My students have been completely consumed by this project! It has been so rewarding as a teacher to see them so invested in something!
Thanks again for providing such amazing material for our students. They have learned so much from this experience.
Purchase Orders accepted from US and Canadian Schools.
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All others must pay at the time of ordering.
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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.
Power Play
by Lindsay Price
About 55 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
5
2 M | 3 W
Simple Set
38 pages