DEAR JOURNAL by Judy Culp is more than just a performance piece—it’s an invaluable tool for upper grades looking for versatile scripts for school plays and drama workshops. This exciting collection of monologues, dialogues, and one-liners provides a unique, highly flexible foundation for teaching and performance. Designed to introduce the powerful act of "journaling" to a class or a whole school, this resource opens the door to creativity, self-expression, and student-led content creation. Unleash your students' dramatic potential and subscribe to PLAYS Magazine today!

• Exciting collection of monologues, dialogues, and one-liners.

• Highly flexible and adaptable for various presentation needs.

• Perfect for use as a drama workshop piece introducing the concept of journaling.

• Selections can be combined with new, original pieces written by students on timely issues.

• Royalty-free for performances by current subscribers.
  

Explore the true meaning of inclusivity this season with Beyond Santa Claus by Virginia Miller McDonough. This poignant contemporary script asks a powerful question: What if you don’t celebrate Christmas? In just 10 minutes, this one-act play follows three characters as they navigate the complexities of the holiday season from a non-traditional perspective. As one of our most impactful play scripts for students, it serves as a brilliant springboard for classroom discussions regarding tolerance, empathy, and cultural diversity. Whether you are looking for plays for schools that challenge the status quo or a simple, script-based activity to foster belonging, this play offers a modern and respectful look at our multicultural world.

Features

• Contemporary Relevance: Addresses modern themes of religious and cultural diversity.
• Intimate Cast: 3 female speaking roles, making it easy to cast and rehearse.
• Discussion Ready: Specifically designed to spark conversations about respecting all points of view.
• Quick Runtime: A 10-minute duration that fits perfectly into a single class period or a multi-play assembly.

For educators, finding a holiday play that doesn't focus solely on traditional festivities can be a challenge. Beyond Santa Claus provides the perfect solution by centering the voices of those who often feel left out of the December narrative. It helps students understand the importance of accepting and celebrating differences, turning a simple performance into a lesson on global citizenship. By performing this piece, your students will learn that the greatest gift of the season is mutual respect and understanding for all religions and cultures.

Specs

• Grade Level: Middle and Upper Grades
• Cast Size: 3 (Female)
• Run Time: 10 Minutes
• Author: Virginia Miller McDonough
• Category: Holiday / Social Issues / Contemporary

Explore the intersection of civil rights and the women’s suffrage movement with Sojourner Truth. This poignant historical drama focuses on a spirited young woman and her mother as they navigate the shifting tides of equality. Featuring the influential work of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, this play serves as a powerful medium for students to understand the personal and political sacrifices made during the fight for the vote.

Bring history to the stage—download this script for your students today!

Features

• Historical Significance: Highlights the legacies of Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

• Intimate Cast: 3 roles (2F, 1 flexible), allowing for deep character exploration and focused acting.

• Educational Integration: A perfect companion for Social Studies or American History units on the 19th Amendment.

• Target Audience: Sophisticated themes tailored for Upper Grade students (Middle and High School).

Finding school play scripts that tackle complex historical tensions with nuance is essential for any high-level drama program. Sojourner Truth provides a unique look at how the fight for equality can impact personal relationships, offering students a chance to portray real human emotion within a historical framework. This script encourages young performers to reflect on the legacy of activism and the courage required to stand up for one's beliefs, making it a truly transformative experience for both the cast and the audience.

Access this vital historical play and more with a Plays Magazine subscription today!

Specs

• Author: Joanna L. Evans

• Genre: Historical Drama / Social Justice

• Run Time: Approximately 10 minutes

• Format: Digital Download (Subscribers Only)

• Royalties: Royalty-free with an active subscription

Middle Grades; 2 female; 15 minutes. An explanation of Tourette’s Syndrome and the problems of understanding differences as told through the conversation of the new girl at school and the popular “Queen of the Playground.”

Upper and Middle Grades; 7 male, 4 female, 25 male or female; 30 minutes. The inspiring story of Detroit-born Ralph Bunche (1904-1971), the first African-American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1950) for his work with the United Nations to help create a cease-fire in the Middle East.

Experience the beauty of cultural exchange with Davita’s Hanukkah by Renee C. Rebman. This touching one-act play follows a group of students who celebrate Christmas as they gain a fresh, meaningful perspective on holiday customs from Davita, the new Jewish girl in town. As one of our most popular plays for middle school, it explores themes of friendship, inclusion, and the history behind the Festival of Lights. This script is an essential resource for teachers looking to diversify their seasonal performances while keeping students engaged with relatable characters and dialogue. It’s a perfect fit for any winter assembly or drama classroom seeking to foster understanding.

Features

• Cultural Education: Introduces students to Hanukkah traditions and history through storytelling.
• Inclusive Themes: Promotes empathy and the importance of welcoming new perspectives.
• Balanced Casting: Features 11 speaking roles (4 male, 7 female) to involve a full classroom.
• Mid-Length Runtime: At 25 minutes, it’s substantial enough for a main event but fits easily into school schedules.

Finding meaningful holiday plays that go beyond the standard tropes can be difficult for educators. Davita’s Hanukkah bridges that gap by offering a story that is as educational as it is entertaining, making it a standout choice among play scripts for students. It provides a natural way for kids to discuss different traditions and the common threads that connect us all during the holiday season. By choosing this script, you are providing your students with a performance opportunity that builds character both on and off the stage.

Specs

• Grade Level: Middle Grades
• Cast Size: 11 (4 Male, 7 Female)
• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Author: Renee C. Rebman
• Category: Holiday / Cultural / Contemporary

Middle Grades; 10 female, 8 male, 9 male or female; 40 minutes. An appreciation of Kwanzaa comes to a girl who tries to boycott her family's celebration because she's in a snit; mad about something she can't even remember!

Lower Grades; 4 male, 1 female, as many male and female extras as desired for ants; contemporary; 10 minutes. Red ants and black ants fight over a picnic, only to discover that working together, sharing, and making friends are the most important morsels of all.

Middle and Lower Grades; 5 male, 5 female, plus many extras; mid-1800s; 25 minutes. A young girl invited to a "Bloomer" picnic—an unheard-of event for women to wear pants!—stands up for her beliefs in women's rights and freedom of expression.

Upper Grades; 3 male, 2 female, 1 male or female; 1870s; 25 minutes.
Join a merry holiday gathering at the Perry Mansion in Southern California, where water rights, the immigration "problem," and other concerns of the day are being discussed. As for the predictions that were foretold by the I Ching and the visiting Archduke, see if you recognize how many of them actually came true!

Middle Grades; 5 female; 4 male; 25 minutes.
Stacey learns about purpose, ethics, and the rewards of hard work when she writes a report about "lesser known" Black achievers for a Kwanzaa contest. Discussion questions at the end include the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Middle Grades; 5 male, 7 female, 6 male or female; 20 minutes.
A family finds a hidden room under their stairway and learns that their house had been a station on the Underground Railroad.

Upper and Middle Grades; 12 male, 6 female, and male and female extras. 35 minutes. A story of the struggle and heroes of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, with reference to the basics of human dignity: riding a bus, using the restroom, eating in a restaurant, and going to school.

Upper & Middle Grades; 13 female, 3 male; 35 minutes. A large-cast play that tells part of the story of Japanese-American internment camps created in World War II, through the eyes of a high school girl who was sent off and her best friend, who stayed behind.

Middle Grades. 8 actors: 5 male, 2 female, 1 male/female. 25 minutes. Set during the Revolutionary War, a young woman volunteers to carry the General’s message through Redcoat territory, in a dangerous mission no one could imagine a woman could carry out.

Upper & Middle Grades; 10 female, 9 male; 30 minutes. America's first female investigative reporter set the standard for the best in newspaper journalism.

Middle Grades; 5 female; 1 male; 15 minutes.
Trick-or-treaters let their imaginations run wild when they knock on the door of a newcomer to town.

Upper Grades: 8 actors: 5 female,1 male, and 2 male/female; 30 minutes. Heartbreaking portrait of the struggles and hardships of immigrants to America and the harsh realities of a complex immigration system, as seen when an aunt from Central America comes to California for a family wedding.

Middle & Lower Grades: 6 actors: male/female; 10 minutes. Animals meet in the desert and learn to respect their differences, without asking each other to change the way they are.

Middle Grades. 5 actors: 3 male, 2 female; 20 minutes. Prelude to Thanksgiving: A Pilgrim family and a Native American connect in friendship, thanks to a young girl’s generosity and spirit of diversity.

Middle & Lower Grades. 11 actors: 7 female, 4 male; 15 minutes. Feisty young girl realizes—after all—that there’s a reason to give thanks.