FAMILY BY NUMBERS Award-winning 10-minute drama

by Arianna Rose

[10-minute play]

Family by Numbers follows Mother and Father as they meet, have a courtship, and expand their family to five. Each time a new son enters, the numbers change and the family dynamics shift. When a tragedy occurs, everyone is affected in different ways and the family must reassess their numbers and their connection to one another.

Published in 2021 Smith & Kraus' BEST TEN-MINUTE PLAYS OF...

[10-minute play]

Published in 2021 Smith & Kraus' BEST TEN-MINUTE PLAYS OF 2021 and THEATRE ODYSSEY Ten-Minute Play Festival: Volume Four, 2022

1st Prize Winner, BEST PLAY, Theatre Odyssey 10-minute play Festival
International Thespian Festival 2023 (representing Oregon)
JUDGES CHOICE AWARD, Town & Gown Theatre D'Jour Short Play Festival 2023, Stillwater, OK
AUDIENCE FAVORITE AWARD, S. Baldwin New Play Festival
THIRD PLACE AWARD, Tree City Playhouse 2020 Ten-Minute Play Competition, Sylvania, OH
Shortlist, 2021 Short & Sweet Festivals DUBAI and SYDNEY
Honorable Mention, New Plays of Merit 2019 Playwriting Award
Finalist shortlist (1 of 15 finalists) for Cork Arts Theatre 10x10 Play Festival, Ireland, 2025

Selected for:
Staged Reading, Stage Left Theatre "Hindsight Short Play Festival", August 2026
Production, Theatre Club One-Acts Festival, University of North Carolina @Greensboro, Fall 2025
Production, Actors Theatre Playhouse, W. Chesterfield, NH June 2025
Production, Mad Lab Theatre Mad Lab Roulette 25, Columbus OH May 2025
Production, Iowa State University Dept. of Music & Theatre, Ames Iowa December 2024
Production, Liberty Bell High School Short Play Festival, Winthrop WA Oct-Nov 2024
Production, Boulder High School Short Play Festival, Boulder CO September 2024
Readers Theatre, One-Act Showcase, Village Players of Hatboro PA, June 2024
Production, Cannon Theatre 10-minute Play Festival, Devens, MA, June 2024
Production, Zone 2 West Provincial Drama Festival, Westbrook, AB Canada, April 2024
Production, Niles North High School Festival of One-Act Plays, Skokie IL April 2024
Workshops, SafeSpace Association, Toledo City Workshops, Cebu, Philippines Spring 2024
Production, University of Alberta, Canada, November 2023
Production, Stillwater Short Play Festival, Stillwater OK, July 2023
Production, (representing Oregon) International Thespian Festival 2023, Bloomington IN
Class Project, Royal Scots Theatre, McKay High School, Salem OR Spring 2023
Production, Bergen County Academies One-Act Play Festival, Hackensack NJ June 2023
Online virtual production, Jakespeare Theatre Co Summer Shorts Festival 2021
Production, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI 2021 (socially distanced)
• Production, Trinity Christian College, Palo Heights, IL 2020 (Socially distanced)
Production, Tree City Playhouse New Plays Festival, Sylvania OH
•Production, Western Connecticut State University One-Act Play Festival
Online Production, Grays Harbor College 10-minute Play Festival, Aberdeen, WA
• Production, Lowell Arts, Playbytes by Playwrights: Lost or Found, Lowell, MI
• Staged Reading, Topanga Actors Company 10-minute Play Festival, Los Angeles CA
• Staged Reading, Magnolia Arts Center 10-minute Play Contest, Greenville NC
• Production, Artists’ Exchange One-Act Play Festival, Cranston RI
• Production, Gulfport Community Players, New Play Festival, Gulfport FL
• Staged Reading, S. Baldwin Comm. Theatre New Play Festival, Gulf Shores, AL
• Production, Theatre Odyssey 10-minute Play Festival, Sarasota FL
• Production, Bismarck State College Theatre New Play Festival, Bismarck, ND
• Production, Theatre Three Annual Festival of One Act Plays, Port Jefferson, NY
• Reading, STAGES IN THE SUN FESTIVAL, South Florida Theatre League
• Reading, Legacy Play Reading Festival 2022, Stony Creek, CT

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FAMILY BY NUMBERS Award-winning 10-minute drama

Recommended by

Brazil Remani: FAMILY BY NUMBERS Award-winning 10-minute drama by Arianna Rose

“

I've read this 10 minute play a few times, and I love the structure and the way the play unfolded.

I've read this 10 minute play a few times, and I love the structure and the way the play unfolded.

”
Christine Foster: FAMILY BY NUMBERS Award-winning 10-minute drama by Arianna Rose

“

This short, heart-wrenching piece richly deserves all the productions and accolades it has received. Spare, incisive and truthful, the concept is a perfectly realized theatrical 'shiver' from start to finish.

This short, heart-wrenching piece richly deserves all the productions and accolades it has received. Spare, incisive and truthful, the concept is a perfectly realized theatrical 'shiver' from start to finish.

”
Laura Thoma: FAMILY BY NUMBERS Award-winning 10-minute drama by Arianna Rose

“

Through its stark simplicity, the story speaks volumes about life, love, absence, and how a family struggles to hold its shape when a piece is missing. Both funny and heartwrenching, Rose has created a deeply moving and unforgettable short play.

Through its stark simplicity, the story speaks volumes about life, love, absence, and how a family struggles to hold its shape when a piece is missing. Both funny and heartwrenching, Rose has created a deeply moving and unforgettable short play.

”

View all 38 recommendations

Character Information

FATHER
MOTHER
OLDEST SON
MIDDLE SON
YOUNGEST SON

Playwright note about casting:
This is a memory play in the lyrical theatre genre. Although the ages of the sons are generally around 20, 17 and 15, it is absolutely fine and encouraged to cast older actors who can play somewhat younger. The parents can be anywhere from 40s-60s. It’s more important that the actors capture the essence of being the various ages.

Gender/Ethnic Requirements: Any ethnicity for any of the characters.

OLDEST SON should be played by a male-identifying actor.
MOTHER and FATHER can be either gender; i.e. 2 mothers or 2 fathers, with pronoun changes.
MIDDLE SON can be played as MIDDLE DAUGHTER with some pronoun changes.
YOUNGEST SON should be played by a male-identifying actor if possible.

Father

Father, 40s-60s.

Character Age

40s-60s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s
Mother

Character Age

40s-60s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s
Oldest Son

male, 20, passionate about the environment, struggling with mental issues

Character Age

any age, younger than the parents

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  Teens,
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
Middle Son

Middle Son can be Middle Daughter or Middle Non-Binary with some pronoun changes.

Character Age

any age, younger than parents and oldest son

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  Teens,
  
  20s,
  
  30s
Youngest Son

Character Age

any age, younger than than the two older siblings

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  Teens,
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man

Development History

Type Reading, Organization Legacy Play Reading Festival, Stony Creek CT, Year 2022
Type Reading, Organization Theatre Lab@FAU New Works Festival, Boca Raton, FL, Year 2019
Type Reading, Organization South Baldwin Community Players "End of the Road New Play Festival" Gulf Shores, AL, Year 2019
Type Reading, Organization Magnolia Arts Center 10-Minute Play Contest, Year 2019
Type Reading, Organization Topanga Actors Company 10-Minute Play Festival, Year 2019
Type Reading, Organization South Florida Theatre League, Year 2018

Production History

Type Community Theater, Organization Left Edge Theatre "Hindsight Short Play Festival", Santa Rosa CA, Year 2026
Type Community Theater, Organization Actors Theatre Playhouse Short Play Festival, Year 2025
Type Community Theater, Organization Mad Lab Theatre Mad Lab Roulette 25, Columbus OH, Year 2025
Type University, Organization Theatre Club One-Acts Festival, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Year 2025
Type Community Theater, Organization Cannon Theatre 10-Minute Play Festival, Devens MA, Year 2024
Type Community Theater, Organization Village Players of Hatboro PA Readers Theatre One-Act Showcase, Year 2024
Type High School, Organization Boulder High School Short Play Festival, Boulder CO, Year 2024
Type High School, Organization Liberty Bell High School Short Play Festival, Winthrop WA, Year 2024
Type High School, Organization Niles North High School Festival of One-Act Plays, Skokie IL , Year 2024
Type High School, Organization Zone 2 West Provincial Drama Festival, Year 2024
Type University, Iowa State University Department of Music and Theatre, Year 2024
Type Community Theater, Organization Town & Gown Theatre Troup D'Jour, Stillwater Short Play Festival, OK, Year 2023
Type High School, Organization International Thespian Festival, Indiana, representing Oregon Thespian Troupe 1981, Year 2023
Type Community Theater, Organization Legacy Play Reading Festival, Stony Creek, CT, Year 2022
Type University, Organization Bethel College Theatre Prison Project, Bethel, KS, Year 2022
Type Community Theater, Organization Jakespeare Theatre Co. Summer Shorts Festival, MA, Year 2021
Type Professional, Organization Interlochen Center for the Arts Festival, MI, Year 2021
Type Community Theater, Organization Tree City Playhouse, Year 2020
Type University, Organization Grays Harbor College 10-Minute Online Play Festival, Year 2020
Type University, Organization Trinity Christian College Festival, Palos Hts, IL, Year 2020
Type Community Theater, Organization Artists' Exchange One Act Play Festival, Cranston RI, Year 2019
Type Community Theater, Organization Gulfport Community Players New Play Festival, Year 2019
Type Community Theater, Organization Lowell Arts Playbytes by Playwrights Lost or Found Play Festival Lowell, MI, Year 2019
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Odyssey 10-Minute Play Festival, Year 2019
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Three One-Act Play Festival, Year 2019
Type University, Organization Bismarck State College Theatre New Play Festival, Year 2019
Type University, Organization Western Connecticut State University One-Act Play Festival, Danbury CT, Year 2019

Awards

Finalist in ten-minute play festival competition (top 15 plays)

Cork Arts Theatre, Ireland

Finalist

2025
Judges Choice

Stillwater Short Play Festival, Town & Gown D'Jour Troupe Festival

Judges' Choice

2023
3rd Place Award, Best Play

Tree City Playhouse

Winner

2020
New Plays of Merit Playwriting Contest

New Plays of Merit

Honorable Mention

2019
Best Play

S. Baldwin Community Theatre New Play Festival

Audience Choice

2019
Best Play

Theatre Odyssey

Winner

2019

Genre

drama

Subject Matter Keywords

family,

missing child,

death acceptance

Length

ten minutes,

10-30 minutes

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

ages 14-17,

ages 18 and up

Supporting Materials

Supporting Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3J99zlBOcc&feature=youtu.be,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa_THgzfG-c

Reviews

Edge Media Network

“
One of the best plays was Arianna Rose's tragicomedy "Family by Numbers." ...reminiscing about their courtship and the birth of their three sons. The sons grow older and then tragedy strikes, leading to a powerfully haunting conclusion. Rose's script explores the nature of mortality and learning to deal with grief.
”
tbrnewsmedia.com

“
...the heartbreaking story of a family that loses a son in a hiking accident. Beautifully written, it begins when the parents first meet, get married, raise three boys and then struggle with their tragic loss and one less number.
”
YourObserver.com

“
This exploration of a family tragedy is originally told and heartbreaking.
”