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Sweep Under Rug: Competition Version by Lindsay Price play script cover

Sweep Under Rug: Competition Version

by Lindsay Price Canadian Author

NEW Competition Version!

In the future, a class war has confined the poor to “The City” and placed struggling families in the Bobby Sue program. Bobby Sue tells its owners when to wake up, when to apply for jobs, and how to be good. Doesn’t everyone want to be a good, shining star? There’s cake for shining stars! Doesn’t everyone want to be told what to do? What to think?

But what happens when people want to think for themselves? And why isn’t anyone allowed to leave?

Excellent competition piece with a NEW added ensemble!

Drama Character Study Issue-Based
Also available in a one-act version here.

Recommended for High Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 35 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
7 Characters
1 M3 F3 Any Gender, plus ensemble
Set
Simple set
Length
29 pages
Free Excerpt
Classroom Study Guide
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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.

7 Characters

1 M, 3 F, 3 Any Gender, plus ensemble

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.

MIRANDA [F] 67 lines
Nineteen. Ariel’s sister. A secret poet. Smart, but defeated. Her depression is such that she has lost a lot of her vocabulary.
COUNSELLOR KELLY [A] 42 lines
Mid-twenties. Government worker, counsellor for blocks 7A to 7E. Believes in the program 110%.
COUNSELLOR KADE [A] 36 lines
Mid-twenties. Government worker, counsellor for blocks 7A to 7E. Believes in the program 110%.
ARIEL [F] 88 lines
Sixteen. Younger sister. Very smart. People pleaser. Believes in the program.
CONRAD [M] 72 lines
Nineteen. Miranda’s boyfriend. He hasn’t seen her in a year. Revolutionary.
BOBBY SUE [F] 68 lines
No age, but looks like a fresh-faced teen from the 50’s dressed in a blouse, skirt, white knee-high socks, and Mary Jane shoes. She looks clean, fresh and starched. A highly advanced computer. Moves mechanically but should never speak like a robot. If you want to make this a male or gender-neutral character, change the name to Bobby Jo and adjust the pronouns and costume accordingly. What’s important is the 50’s tone and the look of clean, fresh and starched.
MR/MRS/MX CURRIE [A] 15 lines
Ariel’s teacher. They want the best for Ariel. This role is identified as “Mr” Currie in the script. Please change to whatever gender works best for your situation.
ENSEMBLE 16 lines
They are the revolutionaries, the inhabitants, the crowd, the students, and the lost of this world.

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From the Drama Teacher Learning Centre

Selecting Scripts

September Reading List: Plays for Competition

As you gear up for competition season, why not check out some of our top picks for standout plays? These scripts are bursting with memorable characters and fantastic stories, giving your students...
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