25 Plays all High School Seniors Should Read (Before They Graduate In fact, to make it more fun, read the play out loud with a friend or two and decide which characters youd be best for! Persepolis. As the play opens, neer-do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on the old ladys doorstep. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her fathers madnessor geniuswill she inherit? Dramatists Play Service, Summary: Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Mary tells her . Best Character: Martha for a complex internal struggle. The Taming of the Shrew. Matt Friedman, an accountant from St. Louis, has arrived to plead his love to Sally Talley, the susceptible but uncertain daughter of the family. Probably, right? Playscripts, Inc. Still, as an audience, we cannot look away from this struggling, desperate soul. The matriarch of the family, Mary, returns from a sanitorium where she has attempted (although unsuccessfully) to combat her morphine addiction. When her deceased husbands insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. In contrast, meet lonely intimidated Birdie, whom Oscar wed for her fathers cotton fields; wistful Alexandra, Reginas daughter; and Horace, ailing husband of Regina, between whom a breach has existed for years. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are in love, but their parents hate each other. Bradford, Wade. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lackluster, second-run movies on screen. Samuel French, Copyright 2023 PerformerStuff. Text Survey. An email redemption code has been sent to the receiver. Help students practice fluency, reading with expressing, and performing in front of others without the stress of having to memorize their lines. Listen to article. Statewide High School Course Trains Students to Become Child Care Her son, Edmund, develops the symptoms of tuberculosis, and Edmunds brother Jaime and father Tyrone must deal with the addictions and illnesses of their family members while bickering between themselves. In the first part of Tony Kushners epic, set in 1980s New York City, a gay man is abandoned by his lover when he contracts the AIDS virus, and a closeted Mormon lawyers marriage to his pill-popping wife stalls. The play takes place on Labor Day weekend in the joint backyards of two middle-aged widows. Joyous and fun for schools, churches and families with traditional Christmas songs that everyone can sing and enjoy. Hoodie Hoodie examines image and appearance in the vignette style. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/plays-theater-newcomers-should-see-2713601. Best Character: Tom Wingfield for one of the most interesting sets of monologues ever delivered in modern theatre. In one of the most famous scenes in theatre, Brutus stabs Caesar on the floor of the Senate on the 15th of March the Ides of March. Click to reveal Matt Friedman, an accountant from St. Louis, has arrived to plead his love to Sally Talley, the susceptible but uncertain daughter of the family. (This is the story where a man accidentally kills his father and marries his mother.) In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. The mean hourly wage for child care workers in Sioux Falls in May 2022 was $12.34, about $26,000 a year. Having been defeated, she flung herself from her rock and died. Plays & Musicals by Cast Size - Children's Theatre Plays 19. After all, more choice can only assist teachers engaged in the essential, never-ending work of helping students master literacy. Old man Harpagon is a cheap man with children who have both fallen in love, but Harpagon wants to marry his sons girlfriend, and he wants to sell his daughter off to another rich old man. A heartwarming holiday tale based in the world of Anne of Green Gables. Contains original text. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. If you haven't seen a live play since high school theater, you may be wondering where to begin. But that's exactly the point! Divided into Greek, Shakespeare, older classics, modern era and newer classics, the list (numbered in no particular order of priority) includes wonderful plays like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, A Streetcar Named Desire, King Lear, The Playboy of the Western World, A Raisin in the Sun, Equus, Waiting for Godot and Lysistrata. You can read some devastating student feedback about choice-less classrooms in the Edutopia post Start a Reading Revolution. And as literacy educator Kelly Gallagher, the author of Readicide, recently tweeted: For the 3rd year in a row, 90%+ of my seniors have admitted they have fake read their way to the 12th grade. Instead, two eccentric travelers arrive, one man on the end of the others rope. Read entire plays for free! Mary tells her grandmother the lie, swearing it to be true, and when her grandmother calls the other girls parents, the lie spins so out of control that it destroys the lives of the two women forever. Proud and yet jealous, too filled with her own hurts to accept her daughters success, Beatrice can only maim when she needs to love and deride when she wants to praise. Dramatists Play Service, Artie Shaugnessy is a songwriter with visions of glory. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance . When Ernest is in the country visiting his young ward, Cecily, he takes on the name Jack to appear more professional. The idea that the plays were, at one time or another, the main form of entertainment is crazy to a student who has the internet in their pocket. The Perks of Being a WallflowerStephen Chboskys epistolary, coming-of-age novel about an introverted, emotionally scarred high school freshman named Charlie. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: gender roles, race and racial injustice, the effects of abuse, the representation of American dialects, the nature of love. Topics include social acceptance, spirituality, forgiveness, dating, trust, individuality and so much more. Students in the new CDA course will attend two classes a week for 90 minutes each. It is 1936, and Boy Willie arrives in Pittsburgh from the South in a battered truck loaded with watermelons to sell. Plays for Middle School and Junior High - Pioneer Drama The story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wifes arrest for witchcraft. Sword in the Stone (6+) School Plays for Holidays! Emily, his wife, is white; shes an artist, and her work is influenced by Islamic imagery. Described by Edward Albee as the greatest American play ever written, the story follows the small town of Grovers Corners through three acts: Daily Life, Love and Marriage, and Death and Eternity. Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, audiences follow the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre die. Digital script options you can start using right away. Brutus experiences a moral dilemma, torn between killing his friend and allowing Caesar to take the throne and possibly harm the people of Rome. Free Reads | Playscripts, Inc. Meanwhile, hes also lashing out at Ophelia, daughter of wise-man Polonius. Copyright 2023 PerformerStuff. Dorine (the spritely comic maid) and Tartuffe for sheer hilarity. 30. From popular one-acts to award-winning full-length plays and musicals, Playscripts has hundreds of titles for high school theatre programs. But another great thing about being on the cusp of your transition from high school to college (or the professional acting world) is that youll now get the chance to audition for some of the greatest plays ever written. Contains original text. Charming and indomitable, he gradually overcomes her defenses, telling his innermost secrets to his loved one and, in return, learning hers as well. Dramatists Play Service, Finalist for the 1983 of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. As the play's doomed protagonist, Loman is pathetic yet captivating. The family harbors a dark secretyears earlier the grandfather, Dodge, had buried an unwanted newborn baby in an undisclosed spot. Dramatists Play Service, Summary: Winner of the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Alice in Wonderland. Two figures appear in their lives. Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Tom Wingfield for one of the most interesting sets of monologues ever delivered in modern theatre. 950+ Plays High School Plays Whether you're planning your high school theater's season or looking for the perfect one-act for a festival or competition, Playscripts has the ideal script for you. The tramps hope that Godot will change their lives for the better. Set in a small mining town in Democratic Republic of Congo, this powerful play follows Mama Nadi, a shrewd businesswoman in a land torn apart by civil war. +1 (212) 540-9330 Can you think of any plays that should be on the list, but arent? The boys are left to contend with Grandma, with Bella and her secret romance, and with Louie, her brother, a small-time hoodlum in a strange new world called Yonkers. But the reality of the three- Donny, the oafish junk shop owner; Bobby, a young junkie Donny has taken under his wing and Teach, a violently paranoid braggart- is that they are merely pawns caught up in their own game of last-chance, dead-end, empty pipe dreams. Samuel French. He has an opportunity to buy some land down home, but he has to come up with the money right quick. (2023, April 5). July 2, 2023 9:00 pm ET. The mood is somber, despite the festivities, because a number of evils poison the gaiety: greed, sins of the past and desperate, clawing hopes for the future spar with one another as the knowledge that Big Daddy is dying slowly makes the rounds. Dramatists Play Service, Winner of the 1956 Pulitzer Prize. provide opportunities for cooperative learning. Three Engaging Plays for High School Students - Bespoke ELA Lorraine Hansberry's life was regrettably brief as she passed in her mid-30s. The one house belongs to Flo Owens, who lives there with her two maturing daughters, Madge and Millie, and a boarder who is a spinster school teacher. Two figures appear in their lives. Into this peaceful scene put the prosperous, despotic Hubbard familyBen, possessive and scheming; Oscar, cruel and arrogant; Bens dupe, Leo, weak and unprincipled; Regina wickedly clevereach trying to outwit the other. Cinderella rounded out the Top 10 list a new addition this year. Online College Courses has published a great list of 50 Classic Plays Every Student Should Read that should prove interesting reading for visitors of The Drama Teacher. What are you waiting for? Summary: Upon Julius Caesars return to Rome, he encounters a soothsayer who warns him to beware the Ides of March. Brutus sides with Cassius and the other betrayers. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7e64ddea9c71f421 Step 1: Select the amount you would like to purchase: Step 2: Send a customized personal message. He disregards this warning. A wildly funny, surprising and devastating tale of survival as seen through the lens of a troubling relationship between a young girl and an older man. Mary Warren and Abigail Williams for fatal shenanigans. A young lawyer, C, has been sent to the home of a client, a ninety-two-year-old woman, A, to sort out her finances. Concentrating on the last third of Wolfes story, the play vividly portrays Eugene Gant, his mother, who is obsessed by her material holdings and who maintains barriers against the love of her family, his father, a stonecutter imprisoned by his failures, and the brother who never breaks away. Samuel French, Winner of the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Brutus for experiencing one of the most difficult decisions ever faced in theatre. In one of the most famous scenes in theatre, Brutus stabs Caesar on the floor of the Senate on the 15th of March the Ides of March. When a servant takes off with the money, Harpagons son, Clante, makes a deal with his father Clante will send the police after the perpetrator if Harpagon allows Clante and his sister to marry their respective lovers. This store is PCI Compliant, Please log in to begin your shopping experience. Middle School! Youll have the opportunity to audition for theatres to earn the role of Freddy in Pygmalion, Nick in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, or Cory in Fences. Luckily, and by happenstance, the king hears of Tartuffes treachery and sends a jailer to arrest him. Summary: Set on Chicagos South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: the Jazz Age, the American Dream, wealth and class, idealism. Scott Fitzgeralds lyrical, Jazz Age novel about the idealist James Gatsbyand the nature of the American Dream. As the play opens, neer-do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on the old ladys doorstep. . A raucous good time for all involved with a happy ending. Frankenstein vs the Horrendous Goo This play is a delight. is the story of a mortgage, with the grounds and beautiful trees of the proud landowners going for sale at a public auction to pay off their debts to the boorish son of a peasant who has risen in the world. 8. A blood feud prevents them from publicly announcing their relationship, so they get married in secret. Some plays are meant to be confounding. Theres a wealth of material to draw fromand its both high quality and accessible to a broad range of high school readers. Best Character: Iago for being one of the most villainous characters ever to grace the stage. develop fluency through repeated exposure to text. They are highly affordable so they won . The setting is a squalid farm home occupied by a family filled with suppressed violence and an unease born of deep-seated unhappiness. When the couple hosts a dinner party, what starts out as a friendly conversation escalates into something far more damaging. Dramatists Play Service, Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In a plantation house, a family celebrates the sixty-fifth birthday of Big Daddy, as they sentimentally dub him. When Laertes, Ophelias brother, returns from school to find out Hamlets murdered Polonius and pushed Ophelia to suicide, they battle it out, and everyone except Horatio dies. Why Reading Literature in High-School English Class Should Educate the A strange, quirky, and darkly comic portrait of George, a college professor, and Martha, his wife, who entertain a younger couple after and during a night of drinking. (This is the story where a man accidentally kills his father and marries his mother.). A vignette play with great small scene and monologue opportunities. 18. Best Character: Troy for conflict between his son and his unrealized dream of pro ball. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Everyman for character journey and endless options for character development. Playscripts is dedicated to publishing exceptional plays and musicals specifically written for student actors. Summary:Doctor Faustus, a well-respected scholar, becomes bored with traditional methods of acquiring knowledge intensestudy of medicines, law, and religion and yearns for something more. Great for building self-esteem and self-concept. Thank you! You have successfully purchased store credit. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Comprised of a series of interrelated scenes, the play traces the coming of age of Heidi Holland, a successful art historian, as she tries to find her bearings in a rapidly changing world. Best Characters: Honey and Nick, two drunkenly unaware, unassuming, and unprepared 20-somethings. This cannot be undone. Best Character: Brutus for experiencing one of the most difficult decisions ever faced in theatre. That's what this list is for to help you select which plays to read first from the thousands (millions?) The Pauper Princess A twist on The Price and the Pauper with two girls in the lead roles and Elizabethan England as the location. When Laertes, Ophelias brother, returns from school to find out Hamlets murdered Polonius and pushed Ophelia to suicide, they battle it out, and everyone except Horatio dies. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lieand it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted.