The Happiness Shop by Lindsay Price - Theatrefolk

"We see people but we don't know their stories." In our brand new middle school ensemble play, A Recipe of Me, food, family & love bring people together with heartfelt stories told through recipes. A must-have for any middle-school drama class!

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The Happiness Shop

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

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.

 About 35 minutes

Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks

 28
6 M | 9 W | 13 Any Gender

Simple Set

 43 pages

Dramedy Character Study Issue-Based

Three middle school students find themselves in an odd curiosity shop. They don’t know what it is, where they are, or how they got there. But that’s no surprise. The Happiness Shop is not like any other. It is filled with Roppets.

A Roppet is not quite a robot and not quite a puppet. A Roppet is completely happy all the time. Full of smiles, hugs and hi-fives. Isn’t that all it takes for a middle school student to be happy? They’re too young to have problems.

Blake, Melanie and Wally know that’s not true. They all have pretty big problems. But in the shop they have one question to answer and one question only: What would you do to be completely happy?

With up to 28 speaking parts and easy staging The Happiness Shop is perfect for a class project.

Free Classroom Study Guide

28 Characters
6 M, 9 W, 13 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.

GROUP ONE:
Dr. D (Dompster) [A] 62 lines
One of two deranged Doctors.
Dr. Dee (Dompster) [A] 79 lines
Dr. D’s partner in crime.
Blake [M] 32 lines
Desires to be happy. Can he get his wish?
Melanie [W] 38 lines
Bullied by girls who were once her friends.
Wally [A] 43 lines
Sees through the façade of the Roppets.
GROUP TWO:
Bezmo [A] 54 lines
Works in The Happiness Shop.
Besme [A] 45 lines
Works in The Happiness Shop.
Loopy [A] 37 lines
Works in The Happiness Shop.
Roppet One (Jordan) [W] 2 lines
A Roppet at the shop. The show model.
GROUP THREE (Blake's Story):
Roppets Rubrik (6) [A]
A team of Roppets that act out memories.
Blake 2 [M] 16 lines
A memory of Blake.
Mom [W] 18 lines
Blake’s mother
Dad [M] 19 lines
Blake’s father
Monsieur Grant [M] 18 lines
A teacher at Blake’s school
Ms. Peretti [W] 19 lines
Another teacher at Blake’s school
Depression Troll [A] 31 lines
That nagging voice in your head.
GROUP FOUR (Melanie's Story):
Roppets Rafter (6)
A team of Roppets that act out memories.
Melanie 2 [W] 17 lines
A memory of Melanie.
Kellie [W] 10 lines
Ex-friend of Melanie.
Kensie [W] 15 lines
Another ex-friend of Melanie.
Kelsie [W] 13 lines
A third ex-friend of Melanie.
Phoenix [M] 18 lines
Backs Melanie up.
Depression Troll [A] 31 lines
That nagging voice in your head.
GROUP FIVE (Wally's Story):
Roppets Rookery (7)
A team of Roppets that act out memories.
Wally 2 [A] 34 lines
A memory of Wally.
Demeter [W] 14 lines
Criticizes Wally.
Ajax [M] 20 lines
Criticizes Wally.
Coach Lynch [A] 15 lines
Wally’s coach. More understand than you might expect.
Depression Trolls x3 [A] 12, 10, 9 lines
Those nagging voices in your head.

Subgenres
Fantasy Choral work Movement-based

Settings
Abstract setting

Dress
Contemporary costumes Fantasy costumes

Audience
All audiences Pre-teen Teen

Features
Character study Physical comedy Choral work Ensemble Movement-based Opportunity for spectacle Sound & Lighting Design Special effects Variable Cast Size Variable gender breakdown SEL

Set
Simple set

Themes
Bullying Friendship Relationships Individuality Peer pressure Personal responsibility Self-image Happiness Adolescence Anxiety Depression Family Memory

Cross-Curricular Uses
Psychology

Other uses
Competition Class work Scene work

Prop List

brooms, rags, dusters, and buckets. two paddles attached together with thick silver wire, phone

Production Photos
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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.

Related Titles

We accept orders worldwide using the following payment methods:
Purchase Orders accepted from US and Canadian Schools.
Info for your purchasing department.

A vignette play is a collection of short scenes on a theme. You'll love working with the variety and flexibility of the scenes. Your actors will love the fast pace and fun characters.

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