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Sweep Under Rug

Sweep Under Rug

by Lindsay Price

Sweep Under Rug envisions a future where struggling families are placed in the "Bobby Sue" program. A "Bobby Sue" is a guardian of sorts, someone who warns against missteps and guides its owners along the "appropriate" path in life.

But what happens when people want to think for themselves?

Sweep Under Rug shared top-prize in NYC's TADA! Youth Theatre's Annual One Act Playwriting Contest.

Drama Character Study Issue-Based

Average Producer Rating:

Also available in a competition-length version here.

Recommended for High Schools

Running Time
About 35 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
5 Characters
1 M3 F1 Any Gender
Set
Simple Set
Length
34 pages
Free Excerpt

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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.

5 Characters
1 M, 3 F, 1 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.

Counsellor Kelly [F] 36 lines
Early twenties. Government worker, counsellor for blocks 7A to E. Believes in the program 110%. Has been on the job six months.
Conrad [M] 97 lines
Eighteen. Miranda‘s boyfriend. He hasn‘t seen her in a year. Revolutionary.
Miranda [F] 95 lines
Seventeen. Elder sister. A secret poet. Very smart, but defeated. Has lost most of her vocabulary.
Ariel [F] 113 lines
Sixteen. Younger sister. Extremely smart. Also believes in the program.
Bobby Sue [A] 95 lines
No age, but looks like a fresh-faced teen from the 50‘s. She is a highly advanced computer. Always happy. Moves mechanically but should never speak like a robot.

Praise for Sweep Under Rug

Jo Matheson
Newlands College
The students really enjoyed exploring this play and it went down very well at the local One Act Play festival. Our Bobby Sue was amazing with her robot/doll features - perfect and slightly eerie.
Carolyn Hunt
Broadway Theatre Company
It was in interesting and challenging play for my cast with an age ranging from 14 to 19. We were very successful at our Festival - winning Best Youth Actor, Best Youth Director and Best Youth Play, as well as one cast member receiving a trophy for Most Promising Under 21 Performer.

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