The Craft
1M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
It’s Act 2, Scene 3 in another night’s performance of a less-than-riveting romantic drama. As the two young leads navigate their turgid love scene, employing all their dramatic skills in an attempt to breathe life into their two-dimensional characters, another, far more gripping story is unfolding just beneath the surface. Despite a mutual loathing of each other, a devotion to the craft ensures that the show will go on; but the inner dialogues that play out inside each of them reveal a far different narrative than the one being performed on the stage.
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A Rebel Among the Wretched
1M/2F Approx. 10 minutes
A celebrated, multi-award winning dysfunctional family drama continues to enthrall audiences night after night. But what happens when one of the characters finally decides they’ve had enough doom and despair and resolves to leave the play to join…a musical?
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Filler
1M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
Two characters come to realize that the extended scene written for them in the middle of the play has no intrinsic value, does nothing to propel the story forward, and to all intents and purposes is completely extraneous. Their raison d’être pulled from under them, can they still maintain their credibility and sanity through several pages of what’s little more than filler?
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A Flawed Character
2 Any Age/Race/Gender Combination Approx. 10 minutes
The playwright creates the first character of his new play, but soon after the entire process grinds to a halt. As time marches on and the play continues to stagnate, the character’s patience begins to wear thin. As frustration turns into animosity and antagonism, the playwright begins to realize that perhaps this is one relationship that was never meant to be. But what’s a writer to do?
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What's the Meta?
2 Any Age/Race/Gender Combination Approx. 10 minutes
Two written parts await to be brought to life on a stage. One of them, however, is found to be mired in a crisis of self-worth due to the size and quality of their role. The larger, more developed part must then attempt to convince its smaller counterpart of just how necessary they both are to the production that is soon to begin, and of the true and indisputable collaborative nature of theatre.
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The Curious Art of Critique
2M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
When public reaction to his work on a new drama appears tepid at best, the director decides he must tackle the problem head-on and root out whatever it is that’s leaving the audience unmoved. One way or another, the evening seems destined to end in tears.
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Tacked-On Ending
2M Approx. 10 minutes
It’s the end of the evening and two actors pack up their belongings and prepare to leave the theatre. While one of them felt the show went great, the other is left with the uneasy feeling that the final scene didn’t quite deliver. Was his performance to blame, or was it the play’s deus ex machina, which is not only highly implausible but also oddly familiar?
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The Skewed Picture
1M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
Bob and Betty have settled in for a quiet night at home. That is, until Bob makes a startling discovery that has the potential to reshape their entire existence…or at least their living room. The realization that a parallel universe could be staring them in the face forces them to question just who exactly these people might be, and more importantly, why they're there?
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Cuthbert's Last Stand
2M/1F Approx. 25 minutes
Mrs. Pennington-South has succeeded in coercing a handsome young man – Tristram – back to her home to have tea with her and her ill-tempered son, Cuthbert. What the shy, rather awkward Tristram doesn't realise is that he is, in fact, being presented as a possible suitor for Cuthbert. His mother's matchmaking arrangements, however, have become increasingly intolerable for Cuthbert, and as the tea progresses and the intimations and pressures are ratcheted up, Cuthbert finally reaches breaking point. Exasperated and angry, he decides that the time has come at last to confront his mother with the shocking truth that he knows can only break her heart: the open admittance of his heterosexuality.
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Indigenous Peoples
1M/1F Approx. 20 minutes
Over a bottle of wine, Roger and Caroline embark upon an awkward discussion regarding the lack of intimacy in their relationships with others. Later, as nature calls, Caroline's fear of being overheard while relieving herself compels her to venture further afield in search of a more private area in which to avail herself. Terror strikes, however, when she is convinced that she's been bitten by a snake – also in a private area. Too far from help, Roger attempts to remove the venom in the only way he knows how, sending Caroline reeling from desperation to exultation, and inadvertently shifting their relationship to a level of intimacy that had once seemed unattainable.
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Carbon-Based Life Form Seeks Similar
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Leslie’s decided to give love another try, but in a world of shameless self-promotion, pre-packaged personalities, and artificial body parts, can someone still be loved simply for who they are, or do happy endings only exist in massage parlors?
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The Audience
2M or 2F Approx. 10 minutes
A member of the audience settles himself into his seat prior to the start of the production. He’s soon joined by a fellow patron; but rather than the simple exchange of a few pleasantries, this particular individual seems to require the full attention of his fellow theatergoer…and eventually gets it!
Script Sample
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Tech Night
2M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
As rehearsals for the revival of a period drama near their end, it’s time to get the technical components of the production running like a well-oiled machine. But with a scatterbrained, gossipy director at the helm of the controls, the dramatic stakes are about to be raised to a level far beyond anything written in the script.
Script Sample
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The Butcher
2M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
Two actors eagerly await the imminent arrival of their director to begin the initial read-through of the historical drama they’ve just been cast in. When he does arrive, however, in a blaze of hyperbole, it’s with a vision to not only update the play, but to take a cleaver to it.
Script Sample
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The Audition
1M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
When an actress shows up for her audition, she’s in for a big surprise that’s surprisingly unsurprising.
Script Sample
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Foreign Bodies
1M/1F Approx. 25 minutes
Victoria and Max have just arrived at their hotel ready to enjoy an exotic bargain-priced getaway. Unfortunately for them, between what they perceive to be marauding insects and wildly erratic weather patterns, their holiday soon becomes a far more hazardous endeavour than they’d anticipated. When a group of locals who they take to be traveling players appear on the scene, however, they at last begin to feel as though things are about to brighten up for them…and indeed they are.
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Café Grotesquerie
2M/1F Approx. 20 minutes
Audrey and Aubrey are once again dining out at their favourite restaurant, the doors of which only the most discriminating and well-connected are privileged enough to enter. Much to Audrey’s chagrin, however, they have been relegated once more to a small, dimly lit table at the back of the room. Despite having to navigate past a supercilious sommelier, the ‘disappearance’ of their regular waiter, and an ugly argument over appetizers, Audrey remains hell-bent on ensuring they have precisely the kind of fine dining experience they deserve. If they can just make it through dessert…
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The Joneses
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ zealous desire to be seen as doyens of the community leads them to undertake a misguided mission that rapidly spirals out of control. However, in spite of the grim realities that now confront them, they remain stalwart in their pursuit of a higher social standing. But is that really the smell of victory in the air…or did things just get a little too hot to handle?
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Kitchen Sink Drama
(One-act version)
2F Approx. 15 minutes
Elaine’s husband has made a lurid confession that’s thrown her neat and tidy, albeit dreary existence into complete turmoil. Seeking solace and guidance, she decides to share her shocking discovery with her estranged, capricious sister, Joy. What the unsuspecting Joy doesn’t realise, however, is that she’s about to make a shocking discovery of her own.
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Cocktail Conversation
2M Approx. 15 minutes
Two young gay men, sitting at the bar of their usual haunt, observe and discuss their many past sexual conquests that come and go before them throughout the evening over a cocktail…and perhaps a drink.
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The Man Who Liked Dick
2M/1F Approx. 30 minutes
Douglas and Felicity have just thrown a small welcoming soiree for their new neighbours, Richard and his wife. Whilst Felicity couldn’t have been more appalled by their glaring lack of class and social status, Douglas finds himself rather taken by their humble lack of airs and graces. When Richard reappears on their doorstep, however, in search of a runaway cat, it soon transpires that first impressions aren’t always the ones that count.
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An Honest Mistake
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Madge has long since surrendered herself to the verbal abuse doled out to her by her belligerent husband, Stan. On this particular evening, however, her fears of a rat beneath the floorboards, combined with her natural absent-mindedness, result in her dishing up Stan not only his evening meal – but also his just deserts!
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A Familiar Face
2F Approx. 25 minutes
Two elderly women, old friends, meet up in a London café shortly after one them – Dora – has been widowed. As Dora's grief and anger intensifies, her good friend Eydie begins to suspect there may be more to her angst than the loss of a loved one. When Dora calmly removes from her shopping bag a large glass jar containing a human head, discussions over its mysterious identity, and how it came to be lodged in the cupboard under her stairs lead to some startling revelations.
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A Slip of the Tongue
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Miss Perkins, tired of the constant innuendos and sexual insinuations of her employer, Mr. Reams, has decided to hand in her notice. On this particular morning, however, Mr. Reams decides to take things one step further. Unfortunately, due to Miss Perkins’ nervous disposition and a telephone that rings at a disturbingly high pitch, he soon discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew…or at least, one of them has.
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An Embarrassing Odour
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Ethel, a widowed pensioner, sits down one evening to tackle her daily crossword puzzle. Suddenly her tranquil world is turned upside down when a burglar enters her home believing it to be unoccupied. As Ethel vainly attempts to forge a relationship with the violent delinquent before her, his concerns lie only with getting his hands on her valuables…that and the unpleasant smell that fills the room. What is that smell?
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A Stunning Confession
1M/1F Approx. 30 minutes
During an evening in front of the television a staid married couple suddenly find themselves having to confront a new reality.
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One-Act Plays
DRAMAS
The Visitation
2F Approx. 10 minutes
After her husband passes away, Lottie reaches out to her old but long-estranged friend, Olga. Despite a simmering resentment at being excluded from Lottie’s life for so long, Olga nevertheless feels a certain moral obligation under the circumstances and agrees to meet her at her home. But rather than looking for condolence, Lottie seeks only to unburden herself of the dark secrets of her past and to reveal an even darker secret from her present.
Script Sample
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Uncle Nero
2M/1F Approx. 10 minutes
Siblings Zach and Morgan have just settled in for the evening to work on their college assignments when their studies are disrupted by the unexpected arrival of their Uncle Nero. This particular relative, however, despite his jovial, down-home demeanor, is a far more devious, manipulative creature than he appears, and assignments or not, someone is about to get well and truly schooled.
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Ciao, Aleppo
1M Approx. 5 minutes
A young Syrian man recounts his struggle for survival in Aleppo under siege from government forces and his eventual desperate bid for freedom and a new life somewhere beyond the watery horizon.
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A Small Act of Vandalism
1M Approx. 15 minutes
Malcolm, a gentle soul with a troubled mind, keeps his mother's remains sealed in a small porcelain box. What he keeps hidden among his memories, however, isn't so easily contained.
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Public Relations
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
Tim and Sarah bump into each other on the street one ordinary afternoon. Tim is excited, not having seen Sarah in some time. Sarah is embarrassed since, try as she might, she cannot recall Tim's name, let alone where she knows him from, but struggles to maintain a facade of familiarity. As their conversation continues, Tim clearly conveying a very thorough knowledge of her and her family, Sarah decides to come clean and confess the truth of what she can and cannot recollect. Unfortunately for her, so does Tim.
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Big Girl
1F Approx. 20 minutes
An overweight young woman appraises her recently purchased self-help book, “The Bigger the Better”.
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Dedication
2M Approx. 15 minutes
A grief-stricken father belatedly pays his respects at his son’s gravesite and soon finds himself drawn into an argument over the reason why he lost his child in the first place
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The One-Eyed Guru
1M/1F Approx. 25 minutes
Jack and Rachel’s marriage of thirteen years has developed into one of predictable, if not inevitable, routine. On this particular night, however, Rachel has failed to return home at the usual time, abandoning Jack to the vagaries of his imagination. When she does finally appear – as much animated as she is apologetic – Jack’s limited forbearance and inherent cynicism are put to the test as Rachel begins to elaborate on a day spent in the company of a quixotic stranger.
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WYWH
1F Approx. 20 minutes
A reclusive, middle-aged divorcee, still haunted by the loss of her son, discovers a new life in the virtual world.
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One Night Only
1M Approx. 15 minutes
A prisoner on death row spends his final moments reviewing his career as a killer in an interview with himself.
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The Replica
1F Approx. 20 minutes
An abused wife reflects on her past and deconstructs the emergence of the replica that now haunts her present.
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Organ Failure
1F Approx. 5 minutes
A woman who had been having a long-standing affair with a married man recently saw her relationship come to an end due to the passing of her lover, the circumstances of which fall into something of a morally gray area.
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Degraded
1M/1F Approx. 15 minutes
A representative from the Department of Social Services pays a visit to a long-suffering battered wife. It soon becomes apparent, however, that this man is a far cry from the benevolent official he would have her believe.
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'Tis Pity He's a Whore
2M Approx. 20 minutes
Warren and Aldous are discovered in the aftermath of a sexual encounter the two have just had in Warren’s London bed-sit. Warren makes his living as a rent boy and Aldous is a regular client. All is well until Warren suggests meeting socially, as friends, outside of their established ‘business’ relationship. The ensuing scene reveals two people with startlingly different approaches not only to their own sexuality, but to life itself.
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Andrew Biss © 2023