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FOLK & FAIRY TALES

FOLK & FAIRY TALES


Plays Magazine offers a host of short plays and adaptations of well-loved folk tales and fairy tales, including Rip Van Winkle, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Mother Goose, Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Grasshopper and the Ant, John Henry, A Fish Story (monologue), The White Spider’s Gift, and many more. All folk tales and fairy tales are perfect for short plays, kids’ plays, school plays, and children’s theater. Downloadable plays are available as part of our print subscription package ($59).

WHY WE HAVE DAY AND NIGHT by Barbara Winther WHY WE HAVE DAY AND NIGHT by Barbara Winther

Middle Grades, 14 female or male; 30 minutes.
Flying animals are pitted against land animals in this Australian Aborigine tale that points out the foolishness of pride and war.
 
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HANSEL AND GRETEL by the Brothers Grimm and adapted by Mary Flynn Casey HANSEL AND GRETEL by the Brothers Grimm and adapted by Mary Flynn Casey

Middle and Lower Grades; 3 female, 2 male; several male or female extras; 40 minutes.
Adaptation of the classic fairy tale starring inquisitive siblings, a wicked witch, gingerbread children, and more. Based on Engelbert Humperdinck's opera.

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ANANSI AND THE KING'S DRUM by Penni L. Ericson ANANSI AND THE KING'S DRUM by Penni L. Ericson

Lower Grades; 10 male/female; 10 minutes.
Who is going to carry the King's heavy drum? The wily spider has a creative solution and the foolish monkey speaks out of turn.

 
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TWO DESERT TALES: THE MISSING CAMEL AND SENOR COYOTE AND MAMA RABBIT by Barbara Winther TWO DESERT TALES: THE MISSING CAMEL AND SENOR COYOTE AND MAMA RABBIT by Barbara Winther

Middle and Lower Grades; Missing Camel: 2 male, 1 female, and at least 5 male or female. 10 minutes. Senor Coyote and Mama Rabbit: 1 male, 1 female, and at least 5 male or female, 10 minutes. Thoughtful and interesting African and Mexican folktales set in the desert where humans and animals use their wit and wile to survive in harsh conditions.

 
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THE FISHERMAN, HIS WIFE, AND THE SEA OF DREAMS by Bruce Berger THE FISHERMAN, HIS WIFE, AND THE SEA OF DREAMS by Bruce Berger

Middle and Lower Grades; Radio play for reading; 2 male, 3 female, and 1 male or female for narrator; 10 minutes. A never-satisfied wife and a talking fish help teach a lesson in being grateful for what you have, in a fun tale that’s nothing to carp about.

 
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THE WHITE SPIDER'S GIFT by Jamie Turner THE WHITE SPIDER'S GIFT by Jamie Turner

Middle and Lower Grades; 9 female, 7 male, 1 male or female, and extras; 20 minutes. A South American folktale in which kindness is rewarded when a boy helps a spider in distress and the spider returns the favor in a very special way.

 
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THE BAKER'S NEIGHBOR Adapted by Adele Thane THE BAKER'S NEIGHBOR Adapted by Adele Thane

Middle and Lower Grades; 4 male, 6 female, male and female extras; 15 minutes. Peruvian folktale in which a greedy baker tries to charge villagers for smelling the good smells of his bakery and a wise judge determines what a fair price should be.

 
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TWO ISLAND TALES by Barbara Winther TWO ISLAND TALES by Barbara Winther

Middle and Lower Grades. Battle Between Sun and Sky: 4 male or female and as many extras as desired; 10 minutes. How Coconuts Came to Samoa: 2 male, 2 female, 2 male or female, and as many extras as desired; 10 minutes. Two short stories from the Pacific Islands that help explain the ways of nature.

 
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THE FOUR ALCHEMISTS by Penni Ericson THE FOUR ALCHEMISTS by Penni Ericson

Lower Grades; 10 male or female and as many male and female extras as desired; 10 minutes. A Chinese folktale that shows that good sense and smart thinking are better than all the gold in the world.

 
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PICCOLA Adapted by Rowena Bennett PICCOLA Adapted by Rowena Bennett

Lower Grades; 2 female, 1 male, 1 male or female; 15 minutes. The magic of Christmas shines in a poor fisherman's hut in this adaptation of a charming French folktale.

 
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BIG CAT, LITTLE CAT, OLD MAN MONKEY by Gillian L. Plescia BIG CAT, LITTLE CAT, OLD MAN MONKEY by Gillian L. Plescia

Middle and Lower Grades; 5 female or male; 15 minutes. A charming Japanese folktale that explores the importance of friendship: how easy it is to lose a friend over a silly disagreement, and how important it is to work things out and share.

 
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A TWIST OF FATE, Adapted by D. R. Andersen A TWIST OF FATE, Adapted by D. R. Andersen

Lower Grades; 3 male; 1 female; 5 male or female; as many male and female as desired for Guards and Citizens. 15 minutes.

Aesop's tale in which a slave's life is spared because of his kindness to a fearsome lion.

 
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RAINFOREST TRIO by Barbara Winther RAINFOREST TRIO by Barbara Winther

Middle and Lower Grades. Three plays in one: Play 1, Crocodile Gives Monkey a Ride, 2 male or female, 10 minutes; Play 2, Trapping the Jaguar, 1 male, 2 male or female, 15 minutes; Play 3, Wild Woman, 4 male, 3 female, 7 male or female, 20 minutes.
Set in different types of rainforests, three folktales of mystery and magic, featuring characters with pluck, ingenuity, and common sense.

 
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CINDER-RILEY by Claire Boiko CINDER-RILEY by Claire Boiko

Middle and Lower Grades; 5 female, 2 male, 3 male and/or female; 20 minutes.
A really clever and fun "Irish" version of the Cinderella story, complete with leprechauns and a lot of audience participation.

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MOTHER GOOSE HAS TALENT by David Ely MOTHER GOOSE HAS TALENT by David Ely

Middle and Lower Grades; 34 male and female; 25 minutes.
A wonderful spoof of a make-believe television show—complete with funny advertisements—with nursery rhyme characters participating in the competition and solving the mystery of the missing sheep.

 
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FIRE IN A PAPER by Loleta Hagy FIRE IN A PAPER by Loleta Hagy

Middle and Lower Grades; 6 male and female; 15 minutes.
Two new brides have to combine smart thinking and common sense in a test demanded by their mother-in-law. The two young women do what is asked of them, and more, setting the stage for a long life of family harmony.

 
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MOTHER GOOSE FOR PRESIDENT by Jane Tesh MOTHER GOOSE FOR PRESIDENT by Jane Tesh

Middle Grades; 20 male and female; 15 minutes.
Beloved nursery rhyme character and the Big Bad Wolf square off in a Mother Goose Land election.

 
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GREEK PEEK by Carol D. Wise GREEK PEEK by Carol D. Wise

Middle Grades; 13+ actors: 7 female, 4 male, 2 male or female, as many male and female as desired for Chorus; 30 minutes.
The myth of Persephone, and how the seasons came to be, told two ways: one traditional, one in rap.

 
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THE GOLDEN COW OF CHELM, a Polish folk tale adapted by Sandra Fenichel Asher THE GOLDEN COW OF CHELM, a Polish folk tale adapted by Sandra Fenichel Asher

Middle & Lower Grades. 8 actors: male or female; 20 minutes. Villagers are convinced by the Mayor to buy a gold-giving cow from a passerby, only to find that the poor creature can barely even give any milk. The villagers, of course, realize their mistake, but somehow draw the wrong conclusion. How silly.

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THE TALKING BURRO by Barbara Winther THE TALKING BURRO by Barbara Winther

Middle and Lower Grades; 4 male, 4 female, 4 male or female; 25 minutes. Talented animal joins in Mexican Christmas celebration.

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