Sean Abley

Sean Abley

SEAN ABLEY is a screenwriter; journalist; dramaturg; novelist; award-winning playwright; and the founder of Desert Playwrights' Retreat, an all-expenses-paid writing retreat for LGBTQ playwrights. He has over thirty plays published by Playscripts, Brooklyn Publishers, Heuer Publishing, Next Stage Press, Stage Partners, Plays to Order, Eldridge Plays and Musicals, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus. His...
SEAN ABLEY is a screenwriter; journalist; dramaturg; novelist; award-winning playwright; and the founder of Desert Playwrights' Retreat, an all-expenses-paid writing retreat for LGBTQ playwrights. He has over thirty plays published by Playscripts, Brooklyn Publishers, Heuer Publishing, Next Stage Press, Stage Partners, Plays to Order, Eldridge Plays and Musicals, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus. His plays have been developed and performed at the Kennedy Center, Goodman Theatre, Antaeus Theater Company, Celebration Theatre, Provincetown Theater, Fuse Theatre Ensemble, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Playwrights’ Arena, First Look Buffalo, Write/Act Repertory, Factory Theater, Arizona Broadway Theatre, Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre, SkyPilot Theatre Company, Virginia City Players, and academically at the Playwrights Lab at Hollins University and California State University-Stanislaus. His plays for young audiences have been performed in over 300 professional and educational productions in the U.S.A. and a dozen countries around the world. Before moving to Los Angeles, he was the co-founder and co-Artistic Director (1992-1997) of Chicago’s prolific Factory Theater (still going strong as of this writing), where his plays BITCHES, ATTACK OF THE KILLER B’S, SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS: THE MUSICAL and NUCLEAR FAMILY all enjoyed long runs. His recent Los Angeles theatrical endeavors include the world premieres of DR. FRANKINCENSE AND THE CHRISTMAS MONSTER (Write/Act Repertory), L.A. TOOL & DIE: LIVE! (Celebration Theatre), LARVA! (SkyPilot Theatre Company), the L.A. premieres of BITCHES! (Magnum Players), ATTACK OF THE KILLER B’S (Factory Theater West, Backstage West Garland Award winner-Best Adaptation), and ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART… (SkyPilot Theatre Company.) His television writing includes multiple episodes of SO WEIRD (Disney Channel), SABRINA, THE ANIMATED SERIES (Disney/UPN), DIGIMON and MEGA BABIES (both Fox Family), as well as several pilots including BENCH PRESSLY, THE WORLD'S STRONGEST PRIVATE DICK with Ahmet Zappa. His produced screenplays include the B-movies SOCKET, ROPE BURN, WITCHCRAFT 15: BLOOD ROSE, WITCHCRAFT 16: HOLLYWOOD COVEN and CAMP BLOOD 9: BRIDE OF BLOOD. Sean has an MFA in Playwriting from The Playwrights Lab at Hollins University, and is a member of the Antaeus Theater Company’s Playwrights Lab, Playwrights’ Union (Emeritus, Los Angeles), the Writers Guild of America, and the Dramatists Guild.

Plays

  • Bride of Pinocchio by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4–17
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    Genre: fable/folktale, young audiences
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    Keyword: gender, puppets + 4 more
    Genre: fable/folktale, young audiences
    Keyword: gender, puppets, Pinocchio, fable, children, identity
    What makes a real girl real?

    Geppetto, creator of Pinocchio, builds a female marionette named Olivette as a companion for the marionette-turned-real boy. Pinocchio and Olivette fall in love, he proposes and they begin planning their wedding. But the nuptials are put in danger when Olivette refuses the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair's offer to transform her into a "real girl." Before...
    What makes a real girl real?

    Geppetto, creator of Pinocchio, builds a female marionette named Olivette as a companion for the marionette-turned-real boy. Pinocchio and Olivette fall in love, he proposes and they begin planning their wedding. But the nuptials are put in danger when Olivette refuses the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair's offer to transform her into a "real girl." Before she can marry, Olivette must determine what "real" means to her...
  • Kate, Untamed by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 10 more
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    Keyword: Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew + 4 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, commedia dell'arte, dark comedy, drama, experimental, farce, movement/physical, parody/spoof, period, political, satire
    Keyword: Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew, Classic, metoo, feminist, autobiography
    A full length play in spite of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

    White male feminism has its limits...
    What begins as a two-person, modern day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew" ends as a rescue mission for the character of “Kate.” Along the way, Scott, the playwright’s proxy, struggles with his mission statement of “making...
    A full length play in spite of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

    White male feminism has its limits...
    What begins as a two-person, modern day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew" ends as a rescue mission for the character of “Kate.” Along the way, Scott, the playwright’s proxy, struggles with his mission statement of “making a play about the abuse of a woman funny in the era of #metoo,” while Molly, Kate’s vessel, struggles against the narrative until she’s forced to tear it apart.
  • Zombie Hearts Never Beat by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: zombies
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, horror, parody/spoof, romantic comedy, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: zombies
    What good is a beating heart that can't love?

    The zombie apocalypse is a lot less terrible than one might think. The heart stoppers (zombies) live in relative harmony with the heart beaters (live humans). But Justin has been recruited for a drug trial that will jump start his heart. Unfortunately, that means he'll never be able to be with his true love, his heart-stopper girlfriend, Lucy.
  • Ghost Bicycle by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: drama, fantasy + 1 more
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    Keyword: LGBTQ, rural + 4 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: LGBTQ, rural, murder, small town, magic, paranormal
    Hannah's husband Millie (aka Raymond "Millie" Millington) is struck by a car while riding his bicycle on a frontage road in rural Montana. The driver flees the scene, leaving Millie to die alone. As the investigation into the crime moves forward at a glacial pace, Hannah, a novelist, reshapes the narrative to suit her, and her audience's, needs. Eventually the driver is revealed with the...
    Hannah's husband Millie (aka Raymond "Millie" Millington) is struck by a car while riding his bicycle on a frontage road in rural Montana. The driver flees the scene, leaving Millie to die alone. As the investigation into the crime moves forward at a glacial pace, Hannah, a novelist, reshapes the narrative to suit her, and her audience's, needs. Eventually the driver is revealed with the help of a slightly psychic neighbor, which forces Hannah to work even harder at streamlining her truth.
  • Zombie? by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: zombies, peer pressure + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, horror, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: zombies, peer pressure, thespian festivals, high school, teenagers
    Chris and Darby, two high school seniors, suspect their classmate has returned from cheer camp a zombie. Will Chris chop Jamie's head off and save the town from their brain-eating ways?
  • Unabridged by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: Dystopia, language
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: Dystopia, language
    In a possible alternate universe, words are drugs, hoarded and sold by dealers. Mr. Barker, a dealer of high quality operating out of an old library, is faced with his conscience as his addicted customers reveal their family lives in between hits. As his love of profit grapples with his ever-changing moral compass, a rival dealer is revealed to possess the ultimate stash - the unabridged dictionary.
  • How We Made the Moon by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    11–13
    ·
    Genre: adventure, drama + 4 more
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    Keyword: film, Russia + 3 more
    Genre: adventure, drama, fantasy, period, political, science fiction
    Keyword: film, Russia, space, astronaut, science
    A revisionist sci-fi tale of Earth’s moon, and two hearts, breaking to pieces.

    1958 - The moon is revealed to be in danger of self-destructing and destroying Earth in the process. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. secretly join forces for “Project Moon 2,” to build a moon-shaped space station to replace the unstable satellite. American astronaut Iven “Kinch” Kincheloe and Russian scientist Tatyana Kuznetsova...
    A revisionist sci-fi tale of Earth’s moon, and two hearts, breaking to pieces.

    1958 - The moon is revealed to be in danger of self-destructing and destroying Earth in the process. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. secretly join forces for “Project Moon 2,” to build a moon-shaped space station to replace the unstable satellite. American astronaut Iven “Kinch” Kincheloe and Russian scientist Tatyana Kuznetsova meet, fall in love, and ultimate separate when she leaves to live on Moon 2 without him.

    2020 - The project is declassified and the current residents of Moon 2 travel to Earth. Kinch, now in his 90s, having lived for decades with guilt and anger over his actions, recounts the tale of saving Earth (in flashback) to a mysterious visitor.
  • Tea Party by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: Transvestism, gender + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: Transvestism, gender, identity, rural, LGBTQ, queer
    Frank, a married heterosexual crossdresser in his late 30s living in Montana, discovers Miss Olivia's Finishing School for Girls, a club for fellow recreational crossdressers. Finally able to share his secret with another like-minded man, Frank's newfound freedom threatens his marriage and his relationship with his best friend.
  • Popcorn Girl by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–14
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    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic + 3 more
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    Keyword: film, Hollywood + 7 more
    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic, drama, mystery/thriller, tragedy
    Keyword: film, Hollywood, cinema, magic, ghosts, murder, true crime, LGBTQ, gay
    What happened behind the scenes at the world’s last silent movie theater that lead to murder?

    The Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles is the last theater in the world to program only silent films. When 19-year-old Mary is hired to manage the concessions stand, tensions rise between Lawrence, the elderly owner, and his lover James, the projectionist. As Mary ingratiates herself into her new chosen...
    What happened behind the scenes at the world’s last silent movie theater that lead to murder?

    The Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles is the last theater in the world to program only silent films. When 19-year-old Mary is hired to manage the concessions stand, tensions rise between Lawrence, the elderly owner, and his lover James, the projectionist. As Mary ingratiates herself into her new chosen family, James plots to gain control over the theater at any cost.

    Popcorn Girl is inspired by a true story.
  • Absence Makes the Heart... (A Play in Monologues Inspired by The Red Shoes) by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    1–20
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: suicide, Mental Health + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, fable/folktale, mystery/thriller, tragedy
    Keyword: suicide, Mental Health, dance, Classic Literature, LGBTQI, gay, bisexuality
    If a dancer falls in the forest...

    The ripple effect caused by the disappearance of a ballet dancer, as told to us by those affected, near and far. A modern-day reimagining of THE RED SHOES, told in monologues for 1 to 20 actors.
  • Horrible Shakespeare: A Mini-Musical by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    21
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: Shakespeare, Festival + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, musical, parody/spoof, period, young audiences
    Keyword: Shakespeare, Festival, high school
    A student field trip to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London takes a horrible turn...literally! In this 30-minute musical, a nameless tour guide leads the students into the sub-sub-sub basement of the theater, which houses the Horrible Productions of Shakespeare's Plays Museum. Each exhibit magically transports the tour group into the world of a truly wretched production of some of Shakespeare's...
    A student field trip to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London takes a horrible turn...literally! In this 30-minute musical, a nameless tour guide leads the students into the sub-sub-sub basement of the theater, which houses the Horrible Productions of Shakespeare's Plays Museum. Each exhibit magically transports the tour group into the world of a truly wretched production of some of Shakespeare's most famous works - "Romeo Mime vs. Clown Juliet," "Santa Hamlet," "Macbeth's Burgers," "Taming of the Real, Live Shrew" and "Twelfth Night of the Living Dead." This musical is perfect for festivals with time restrictions, in-class performances, or as one half of an evening of one-acts. Sheet music, demo tracks and performance karaoke tracks also available.
  • The RISE of the House of Usher by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    8–9
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: Poe, Edgar Allan Poe + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, horror, mystery/thriller, period
    Keyword: Poe, Edgar Allan Poe, gothic, thriller
    Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” gets turned upside down in this sequel … of sorts! Far from the Gothic mood of the original story, this is a broad comedy-mystery with a little bit of the macabre thrown in for fun. Some characters from the original story, as well as a few new ones, are now trapped in a different mansion. They’ve been called together on this dark and stormy...
    Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” gets turned upside down in this sequel … of sorts! Far from the Gothic mood of the original story, this is a broad comedy-mystery with a little bit of the macabre thrown in for fun. Some characters from the original story, as well as a few new ones, are now trapped in a different mansion. They’ve been called together on this dark and stormy night by a mysterious host for a reading by Poe. The guests are unknown to each other, yet there must be a connection because one by one they disappear. It’s all deliciously spooky as lightning flashes, pendulums, and poisoned tea raise the play’s tension and dark humor. Actors are encouraged to break character and the fourth wall, as well as add physical bits if inspired to do so. The characters are aware that they are in a play, and can engage the audience socially when appropriate.
  • The One-Millionth Monkey by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–9
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: Shakespeare, Dystopia
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, experimental, political, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: Shakespeare, Dystopia
    In a dystopian future, almost a million years from now, one million monkeys randomly type, hoping to be the one who produces the complete works of William Shakespeare. But when a time-traveling Francis Bacon shows up, the Earth’s very existence is threatened.
  • Horrible: The Mayfly's Life by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: reincarnation
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, horror, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: reincarnation
    A black comedy about the short and horrible birth, life, death and resurrection of Mayfly.
  • Camp Killspree by Sean Abley
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    11–15
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: gay, LGBTQ + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, horror, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, satire
    Keyword: gay, LGBTQ, Late Night, slasher, b movie, film, nudity, Sex
    A gay slasher parody live on stage!

    1970: Deep in the forest at the Hard Log Men’s Resort a terrible murder takes place: The resort’s owner catches his lover in the arms of another man and cuts them to bits with a chainsaw. 1984: Twenty years later (you’re right, it doesn’t add up), Hard Log has been renovated into Camp Community, a summer camp for gay teenagers. As soon as the group of hot male...
    A gay slasher parody live on stage!

    1970: Deep in the forest at the Hard Log Men’s Resort a terrible murder takes place: The resort’s owner catches his lover in the arms of another man and cuts them to bits with a chainsaw. 1984: Twenty years later (you’re right, it doesn’t add up), Hard Log has been renovated into Camp Community, a summer camp for gay teenagers. As soon as the group of hot male counselors arrive to open the camp, the clothes come off, the sex and pot smoking begin… and so do the murders by a mysterious masked killer. Sexy and hilarious, CAMP KILLSPREE is the perfect late-night gay horror sex comedy for ballsy queer theater companies.
  • Attack of the Killer Bs by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    15–30
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 7 more
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    Keyword: B-Movie, film + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, farce, horror, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: B-Movie, film, reefer madness, ed wood, exploitation film, Late Night, thriller, drag
    While visiting their mother's grave in the cemetery, Glen and Barbara are attacked by the dead risen from the grave to feast upon the living. Glen is killed, but that doesn't stop him from coming back as a zombie to rescue his sister and flee Night of the Living Dead come to life. From Reefer Madness to Glen or Glenda, from Friday the 13th to Nightmare on Elm Street, from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman...
    While visiting their mother's grave in the cemetery, Glen and Barbara are attacked by the dead risen from the grave to feast upon the living. Glen is killed, but that doesn't stop him from coming back as a zombie to rescue his sister and flee Night of the Living Dead come to life. From Reefer Madness to Glen or Glenda, from Friday the 13th to Nightmare on Elm Street, from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Barbara and Glen battle their way from one B-movie menace to the next. Will they survive?
  • What Would Happen If...? Eight 10-Minute Tales Of Improbability by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    9–52
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 8 more
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    Keyword: ensemble, high school
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, farce, horror, parody/spoof, period, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: ensemble, high school
    Dr. Scientist hosts an evening of What would happen if? experiments like What if Cinderella was a vampire? (Cinderella: Bloodsucker), What if Peanut Butter never met Jelly? (Pantry Tales: A Matter of Flavor), What if the Three Stooges were rational people? (Stooge Upgrade), What if the Queen of England was a robot? (Queen Elizabeth: The Worlds Only Robot Queen!), What if Cleopatra hosted a talk show? (...
    Dr. Scientist hosts an evening of What would happen if? experiments like What if Cinderella was a vampire? (Cinderella: Bloodsucker), What if Peanut Butter never met Jelly? (Pantry Tales: A Matter of Flavor), What if the Three Stooges were rational people? (Stooge Upgrade), What if the Queen of England was a robot? (Queen Elizabeth: The Worlds Only Robot Queen!), What if Cleopatra hosted a talk show? (Cleopatras Ancient Egyptian Awesome Talk Show!), What if Winnie the Pooh was a ninja? (The Way of the Bear), What if 'Free Muffin Day' was a lot more dangerous? (Free Muffin Day) and What if all the bicycles in Britain had square wheels? (The Square-Wheeled Bicycles of London, England). This is a great evening of theater, OR you can break out each one-act for drama festivals and competitions!
  • We Wish You A Merry Spendmas! by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    20–33
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: christmas, Xmas + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, holiday, parody/spoof, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: christmas, Xmas, Santa Claus, shopping
    In this hilarious holiday satire set in the near future, Sprawl-Mart, a gigantic corporation, has purchased all merchandising rights to Christmas – even Santa Claus! Determined to rebrand the holiday to ‘Spendmas,’ evil Sprawl-Mart CEO Mr. Reed must battle the young and idealistic Ann Turner, who has had enough of holidays without sentiment. But can she enlist a happily retired Santa and a bunch of disgruntled...
    In this hilarious holiday satire set in the near future, Sprawl-Mart, a gigantic corporation, has purchased all merchandising rights to Christmas – even Santa Claus! Determined to rebrand the holiday to ‘Spendmas,’ evil Sprawl-Mart CEO Mr. Reed must battle the young and idealistic Ann Turner, who has had enough of holidays without sentiment. But can she enlist a happily retired Santa and a bunch of disgruntled elves in her cause? With dozens of big, colorful characters of all ages, and laughs for both the kids and adults, WE WISH YOU A MERRY SPENDMAS! is the perfect large cast holiday comedy.
  • Two-Faced: A Tragedy... Sort Of by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    21
    ·
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 2 more
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    Keyword: popularity, high school + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: popularity, high school, cheerleading, math, Greek tragedy, Festival, girl power
    Mary Whatsername isn't popular or unpopular. She's just invisible. Now it's her senior year, and Mary is determined to make her mark on Generic High School in Your Town, USA. Through sheer force of will she manages to get on both the cheer squad and the mathletes team. But trouble is just around the corner when she's expected to cheer on the mathletes at the state Demathalon. Using the...
    Mary Whatsername isn't popular or unpopular. She's just invisible. Now it's her senior year, and Mary is determined to make her mark on Generic High School in Your Town, USA. Through sheer force of will she manages to get on both the cheer squad and the mathletes team. But trouble is just around the corner when she's expected to cheer on the mathletes at the state Demathalon. Using the conventions of Greek tragedy, TWO-FACED is the perfect comedy for schools looking for scripts with almost two dozen great roles for girls. The length is also perfect for festivals and conventions.
  • Princess Inchworm Measures The Ocean by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    9–11
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale + 1 more
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    Keyword: girl power, nature + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale, young audiences
    Keyword: girl power, nature, growing up

    In the Kingdom of the Overgrown Field, Princess Inchworm is keen to use her inch-by-inch measuring skills to find out just how large the ocean is. But her father, King Inchworm, wants Isabella to give up on her adventures and marry Prince Dandy Longlegs, from the Kingdom of the Dusty Old Barn. “You’re one month old! It’s time to get married and prepare to be the new Queen!” The princess is determined to...

    In the Kingdom of the Overgrown Field, Princess Inchworm is keen to use her inch-by-inch measuring skills to find out just how large the ocean is. But her father, King Inchworm, wants Isabella to give up on her adventures and marry Prince Dandy Longlegs, from the Kingdom of the Dusty Old Barn. “You’re one month old! It’s time to get married and prepare to be the new Queen!” The princess is determined to show her father, and the rest of the world, that she doesn’t have to be married, and definitely doesn’t have to give up adventuring, to be a good queen. With bright, colorful characters, girl power, and tons of audience participation, PRINCESS INCHWORM MEASURES THE OCEAN is the perfect play for young audiences and their parents!
  • The Most Popular Kid In School by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    15
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: high school, death + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, tragedy, young audiences
    Keyword: high school, death, popularity, social class, Festival

    Ray Murphy, the student at Capital High School no one really knew or liked, has died. As the news sweeps across campus, suddenly the kid no one remembers has a school full of best friends grieving his passing. Within days of his death, Ray is posthumously transformed into a scholar and a savior, has the yearbook dedicated to him, and is elected prom king from the grave. He’s now the most popular kid in...

    Ray Murphy, the student at Capital High School no one really knew or liked, has died. As the news sweeps across campus, suddenly the kid no one remembers has a school full of best friends grieving his passing. Within days of his death, Ray is posthumously transformed into a scholar and a savior, has the yearbook dedicated to him, and is elected prom king from the grave. He’s now the most popular kid in school… who isn’t in school anymore. With multilayered characters and realistic, truthful dialogue, THE MOST POPULAR KID IN SCHOOL examines the issues of popularity, how the caste system in high school really works, and our tendencies toward “I knew him!” when it will benefit us the most. This is a great play for young performers who want to flex their acting muscles.
  • Horror High: The Musical by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    17
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 7 more
    ·
    Keyword: horror movies, high school + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, horror, musical, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: horror movies, high school, Frankenstein, dracula, vampire, zombies, witch
    Everyone was a teenager once. Even vampires, zombies and werewolves. So, where can you find all of these classic movie monsters in all their teenage glory? Horror High! Join Bigfoot, Blair the Witch and Larry the Wolf among many others, as they battle the pitfalls of high school: romance, peer-pressure, body image and popularity - all with a musical twist! Georgia the Zombie can’t stop eating brains, Nosferata...
    Everyone was a teenager once. Even vampires, zombies and werewolves. So, where can you find all of these classic movie monsters in all their teenage glory? Horror High! Join Bigfoot, Blair the Witch and Larry the Wolf among many others, as they battle the pitfalls of high school: romance, peer-pressure, body image and popularity - all with a musical twist! Georgia the Zombie can’t stop eating brains, Nosferata the Vampire is experimenting with vegetarianism, and Victor Frankenstein might be taking science class a little too far. There is fun for all in this ode to classic horror movies of yesteryear. Modern humor and exciting music will keep your audiences screaming with laughter!
  • Horror High by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    16
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: high school, Movies + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, horror, parody/spoof, young audiences
    Keyword: high school, Movies, film, horror movies, Frankenstein, dracula, zombies, vampire
    Horror High takes all of those horror film icons of long ago - Frankenstein, the Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. - and transforms them into high school teenagers in their senior year at Horror High School. Will Georgia the Zombie stop eating brains long enough to realize her Bigfoot boyfriend is unhappy on the football team? Will Blair the Witch be able to convince Victor Frankenstein that his...
    Horror High takes all of those horror film icons of long ago - Frankenstein, the Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. - and transforms them into high school teenagers in their senior year at Horror High School. Will Georgia the Zombie stop eating brains long enough to realize her Bigfoot boyfriend is unhappy on the football team? Will Blair the Witch be able to convince Victor Frankenstein that his monster isn't just a bunch of used parts? Will Nosferata the Vegetarian Vampire and Larry the Wolf ever be able to convince their parents a "mixed" relationship is okay? And will Miss Medusa, the computer teacher, be able to keep her sunglasses on without turning the entire student body to stone? Sixteen classic monsters make up the faculty and student body of HORROR HIGH!
  • Historically Bad First Dates by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    10–31
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 8 more
    ·
    Keyword: History, Cleopatra + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, docudrama/historic, fable/folktale, parody/spoof, period, romantic comedy, satire, science fiction, young audiences
    Keyword: History, Cleopatra, Uncle Sam, George Washington, dating
    On the edge of the Universe, Jenna and Achilles find themselves trapped in the offices of Millennium Relationship Services. Although they have never met, and have no idea of how they got there, this couple-to-be are taught how to avoid the pitfalls of relationships through crazily comic flashbacks to bad first dates throughout history, literature, and pop culture: Mark Antony and Cleopatra's disastrous...
    On the edge of the Universe, Jenna and Achilles find themselves trapped in the offices of Millennium Relationship Services. Although they have never met, and have no idea of how they got there, this couple-to-be are taught how to avoid the pitfalls of relationships through crazily comic flashbacks to bad first dates throughout history, literature, and pop culture: Mark Antony and Cleopatra's disastrous first date right after the assassination of her husband, Julius Caesar; Macbeth and the future Lady Macbeth, Latonya, meeting for the first time on the moors; the Blind Date of Frankenstein; George Washington revealing his paranoid delusions to Martha; and Uncle Sam and his mail-order bride, a very French Statue of Liberty. With a flexible cast allowing for many actors (or easy doubling), this one-act comedy is perfect for drama festivals and competitions, or just a great evening of comedy theater.
  • Exposed! Eight 10-minute Scenes About What Really Happened by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    3–39
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 9 more
    ·
    Keyword: high school
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, docudrama/historic, fable/folktale, fantasy, horror, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, period, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: high school
    Welcome to "EXPOSED!" the show that reveals the truth behind famous people, characters and stories. Did Rumpelstiltskin really try to steal the princess' baby? Was Mr. Hyde really Miss Hyde? Was Charles Dickens really a frustrated stand-up comic? Was Robin Hood's sister really responsible for all that theft? "EXPOSED!" examines these stories plus Hansel and Gretel, Peter Pan, Willy...
    Welcome to "EXPOSED!" the show that reveals the truth behind famous people, characters and stories. Did Rumpelstiltskin really try to steal the princess' baby? Was Mr. Hyde really Miss Hyde? Was Charles Dickens really a frustrated stand-up comic? Was Robin Hood's sister really responsible for all that theft? "EXPOSED!" examines these stories plus Hansel and Gretel, Peter Pan, Willy Wonka, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Written to be either a full evening's worth of entertainment, or each scene broken out for drama festivals and competitions, EXPOSED! has something for everyone, both on stage and in the audience!
  • Elevator Games by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: high school, Festival + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, young audiences
    Keyword: high school, Festival, competition
    When an elevator breaks down between floors, Barb and Scott are confronted by a mysterious third passenger intent on turning their time together into a series of mind games. What are the rules? Who is winning? And just what is in that lunch bag he holds? The stakes are raised until all three are literally at each others' throats in this comedy for three strong high school performers.
  • Double Trouble on the Prairie by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    8–11
    ·
    Genre: comedy, melodrama + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Western, family
    Genre: comedy, melodrama, parody/spoof, period, young audiences
    Keyword: Western, family
    Identical twins, Timothy and Jimothy Scrubb, aren't the smartest brothers in Virginia City. In fact, they won the Dumbest Twins in the Montana Territory contest. But when Victor Horrible (that's Horr-EE-blay) swoops into town and begins killing off the shareholders of the Opera House in a plot to replace it with a new development, The Scrubb Brothers must use their collective smarts to save the...
    Identical twins, Timothy and Jimothy Scrubb, aren't the smartest brothers in Virginia City. In fact, they won the Dumbest Twins in the Montana Territory contest. But when Victor Horrible (that's Horr-EE-blay) swoops into town and begins killing off the shareholders of the Opera House in a plot to replace it with a new development, The Scrubb Brothers must use their collective smarts to save the theater and Miss Mary Sarah Sue Laura's reputation!
  • The End of the World (With Prom to Follow) by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    35–100
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 7 more
    ·
    Keyword: armageddon, end of the world + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, faith-based, horror, mystery/thriller, political, science fiction, young audiences
    Keyword: armageddon, end of the world, society, high school
    No parents, no siblings, no teachers. It might sound like a dream to some high schoolers, but for the teenagers of Great Falls, Montana, it is the stuff of reality. They awake one morning to find a Wall of Light encircling their town, and everyone but the student body has vanished. On top of that, the light is moving inward and their town is steadily disappearing. In the face of this mystery, the students band...
    No parents, no siblings, no teachers. It might sound like a dream to some high schoolers, but for the teenagers of Great Falls, Montana, it is the stuff of reality. They awake one morning to find a Wall of Light encircling their town, and everyone but the student body has vanished. On top of that, the light is moving inward and their town is steadily disappearing. In the face of this mystery, the students band together...and splinter apart. What can they do to stop it? What′s on the other side? Will there still be time for one last dance? An exciting drama/comedy for a large student cast, this play explores mortality, friendship, and the survival of ethics when survival itself is at stake.
  • Dracula's Daughters: A Family Comedy by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    8–18
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 6 more
    ·
    Keyword: dracula, vampire + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, horror, parody/spoof, period, romantic comedy, young audiences
    Keyword: dracula, vampire, family, gothic, Classic
    When a production of Dracula is taken over by an audience member who demands more romance, Dracula marries Mina and moves to the suburbs of Transylvania to raise their two daughters. The Count of Darkness has all the problems you might expect of the father of two half-vampire daughters, from garlic experimentation to rebellious blood drinking.
  • Dr. Frankincense and the Christmas Monster by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    17–19
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: christmas, Frankenstein + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, holiday, horror, young audiences
    Keyword: christmas, Frankenstein, evil genius, Classic, Xmas
    In Christmas Village, there is only one holiday and only one outsider, Dr. Frankincense. The villagers are convinced the Doctor is an evil, mad scientist and are constantly storming his castle and having after-mob potlucks. But Dr. Frankincense isn't evil at all, and he's created the ultimate proof of his good-hearted inventiveness: The Christmas Monster! But when Jack Frost, the Ghost of Christmas...
    In Christmas Village, there is only one holiday and only one outsider, Dr. Frankincense. The villagers are convinced the Doctor is an evil, mad scientist and are constantly storming his castle and having after-mob potlucks. But Dr. Frankincense isn't evil at all, and he's created the ultimate proof of his good-hearted inventiveness: The Christmas Monster! But when Jack Frost, the Ghost of Christmas Past, Frosty and other suspicious locals put Dr. Frankincense on trial for crimes against the holiday, will his invention be enough to save him from jail?
  • Bad Substitute by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    10–36
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Shakespeare, Classic + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, parody/spoof, young audiences
    Keyword: Shakespeare, Classic, Festival
    Ms. Rabbitoff, an insane Francis Bacon enthusiast, poses as a substitute teacher and takes an AP English class hostage in an attempt to convince them that Bacon was the real genius behind Shakespeare's plays. By acting out imagined versions of Shakespearean plays (sometimes hilariously blended with other great works of literature), Rabbitoff and the students battle it out to prove who knows more about the...
    Ms. Rabbitoff, an insane Francis Bacon enthusiast, poses as a substitute teacher and takes an AP English class hostage in an attempt to convince them that Bacon was the real genius behind Shakespeare's plays. By acting out imagined versions of Shakespearean plays (sometimes hilariously blended with other great works of literature), Rabbitoff and the students battle it out to prove who knows more about the literary canon. Only the students can defend Shakespeare's great name, and fight for their right to attend their next class.
  • The Adventures of Rose Red (Snow White's Less-Famous Sister) by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    9–31
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: fairy tale, snow white
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale, parody/spoof, young audiences
    Keyword: fairy tale, snow white
    Rose Red has just turned thirteen, and the pressure is on -- what will she do to get famous like her sister, Snow White? Everyone in the kingdom, from her parents to her close friend Miss Muffet, is pressuring her to get discovered. But Rose Red doesn't want to constantly be on the front page of the Grimm Times, even if Bo Peep, Cinderella, and Goldilocks eat up the attention. In her struggle to choose...
    Rose Red has just turned thirteen, and the pressure is on -- what will she do to get famous like her sister, Snow White? Everyone in the kingdom, from her parents to her close friend Miss Muffet, is pressuring her to get discovered. But Rose Red doesn't want to constantly be on the front page of the Grimm Times, even if Bo Peep, Cinderella, and Goldilocks eat up the attention. In her struggle to choose between doing what everyone else wants and forging her own path, Rose Red can't help wondering if a girl who wants to be "just normal" can live happily ever after.
  • Reefer Madness by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    11–30
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: marijuana, Drugs + 4 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, parody/spoof, period
    Keyword: marijuana, Drugs, noir, film, Exploitation, Late Night
    Bill, Mary, Gwen, and Jimmy are all swell kids. They listen to their parents, do well in school, and help out around the community -- that is, until they get caught up in the marijuana subculture. With "Mary Jane" filling their lungs, these kids resort to theft, prostitution, and murder to satisfy their cravings, which leads to suicide and death sentences. Is one puff really too much? A hilarious send...
    Bill, Mary, Gwen, and Jimmy are all swell kids. They listen to their parents, do well in school, and help out around the community -- that is, until they get caught up in the marijuana subculture. With "Mary Jane" filling their lungs, these kids resort to theft, prostitution, and murder to satisfy their cravings, which leads to suicide and death sentences. Is one puff really too much? A hilarious send-up of the 1936 exploitation film, now a cult classic.
  • Bitches by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    12–26
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: gay, drag + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, satire
    Keyword: gay, drag, LGBTQ
    Bitches is a unique comedy in that all the roles are women … all played by men. As she enters her senior year, Sindee Sandstone rules Susan B. Anthony High School. So when newcomer Angelatina Vindechi takes her place on the cheerleading squad, relegating the queen bee to dreaded “alternate” status, Sindee vows revenge. Driven by her overbearing mother, Charlene, Sindee coerces her fellow cheerleader Carmelle...
    Bitches is a unique comedy in that all the roles are women … all played by men. As she enters her senior year, Sindee Sandstone rules Susan B. Anthony High School. So when newcomer Angelatina Vindechi takes her place on the cheerleading squad, relegating the queen bee to dreaded “alternate” status, Sindee vows revenge. Driven by her overbearing mother, Charlene, Sindee coerces her fellow cheerleader Carmelle into killing Angelatina. Local talk show host, Paula DeMarcato, catches wind of the scandal and descends upon Tubbville to cover the story with tragic (and by tragic, we mean hilarious) results.
  • DOROTHY AND THE THIEF OF OZ by Sean Abley
    Cast: 
    11–17
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, adventure + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: youth, Oz
    Genre: adaptation, adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, mystery/thriller, young audiences
    Keyword: youth, Oz
    On the eve of his wedding to the Munchkin Nimmie Amee, the Tin Woodsman’s heart is stolen! Without a heart, he’s unable to love, so he calls off the wedding. It’s up to Dorothy, Scarecrow, Glinda, the Wizard and rabbit detective Jack Nabbit to decipher the clues and retrieve the heart from the Thief of Oz! (Full length and one-act versions available)