Baalzebub (competition one act)

by Rachel Atkins

What would a group of girls do if they were abandoned alone and away from adults and civilization? Baalzebub is a response to the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, in which a group of post –World War II schoolboys are stranded on a desert island. In Baalzebub, a group of girls are stranded together on another kind of deserted island, left behind at a refugee camp in an unnamed war zone, including some who have...

What would a group of girls do if they were abandoned alone and away from adults and civilization? Baalzebub is a response to the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, in which a group of post –World War II schoolboys are stranded on a desert island. In Baalzebub, a group of girls are stranded together on another kind of deserted island, left behind at a refugee camp in an unnamed war zone, including some who have been raised and living as boys. As time passes without rescue, the girls face the adult challenges of creating and maintaining a working society. How are the ways they cope and behave the same as the boys in Lord of the Flies? How are they different? Baalzebub both mirrors the plot of Lord of the Flies, and follows its own story, reflecting a different, modern group of female characters struggling under their own unique circumstances to cooperate, understand their differences, define themselves, and survive.

Ideal for university, high school and youth productions. A full-length version of this script is also available: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/208005/baalzebub.

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Baalzebub (competition one act)

11+ actors
Please consider inclusive, gender-expansive and racially conscious choices in casting.

Rayyan (Ray), the leader
Princess, the brains/conscience
Blessing, the good girl
Raja, the mean girl
Juno, the leader of the boyah gang
Diamond, a boyah
Ali, a boyah
• Boyah are girls who dress and pass as boys, based on the cultural practice of bacha posh in parts of Afghanistan & Pakistan. These roles may be played by female or non-binary actors.
Sam, Isis’s twin, a follower
Isis, Sam’s twin, a follower
Baby, a young‘un
Sister, a young‘un (may be played by 1 or more actors using a language other than spoken English.)
• If there are multiple actors cast as Sister and speaking different languages, each language should be spoken separately, in any order. English does not need to be spoken first.
• If using sign language, signing may happen simultaneously with spoken lines, or it may be separate.
• You may cast only one actor and replace all or some of the English lines with another language, playing the character as bilingual.
• Line translations should be as direct as possible.
• Other characters should interact with Sister as if they understand everything she says, even when speaking another language.

Development History

  • Commission, Seattle Public Theater, 2015

Production History

  • High School, Coon Rapids High School, Minnesota, 2025
  • High School, George Washington High School, Iowa, 2024
  • High School, Luverne Public School, Minnesota, 2023
  • High School, Minneapolis Community Education, Minnesota, 2023
  • High School, Fort Settlement Middle School, Texas, 2021
  • High School, Stony Brook Theatre Arts, Massachusetts, 2021
  • High School, The Hockaday School, Texas, 2021
  • High School, Telfair County High School, Georgia, 2020
  • High School, Kelsey Secondary School, British Columbia, Canada, 2019
  • High School, St. John Paul 2 Catholic High School, Alberta, Canada, 2019
  • High School, Charlotte Catholic High School, North Carolina, 2018
  • High School, Kent Place School, New Jersey, 2018