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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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A JOURNEY TO THE STARS by Mary Satchell A JOURNEY TO THE STARS by Mary Satchell

Middle Grades; 3 female, 3 male, 3 female/male, and 12+ extras; 30 minutes.
A Reader’s Theater: The inspirational story of Cuban singer Celia Cruz, who rose from poverty, fled Communism in Cuba, and rose to the top of the music industry and beloved throughout the world as the “Queen of Salsa.”

 
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A HALLOWEEN SLEEPING BEAUTY by Jane Tesh A HALLOWEEN SLEEPING BEAUTY by Jane Tesh

Middle and Lower Grades; 4 male; 4 female; 14 male and/or female; 15 minutes.
A ghoulish twist on the original fairy tale--where it's a curse to be beautiful!
Fairy-tale subject (Wicked Witch) gets extreme makeover, courtesy of the team of stylists on popular daytime talk show.

 
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DEAR JOURNAL by Judy Culp DEAR JOURNAL by Judy Culp

Upper grades; few to many actors; 10 minutes to 1 hour.
An exciting collection of monologues, dialogues, and one-liners that can be used as a flexible drama workshop piece, introducing “journaling” to a class or a whole school. Author Judy Culp writes, “This piece is highly adaptable: It may be used as is; users may pick certain selections for presentations; or certain selections maybe combined with new original pieces written by students on timely issues.”

 
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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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PRINCESS IMPOSSIBLE by Claire Boiko PRINCESS IMPOSSIBLE by Claire Boiko

Middle Grades; 8 male, 6 female; 8 male and/or female; 30 minutes.
A fun large-cast play about the spoiled, demanding foot-stamping Princess Imogene who gets a lesson in nobility and humility from a family of kind shepherds.

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THE HIP HOP HARES by Jane Tesh THE HIP HOP HARES by Jane Tesh

Lower Grades; 4 female, 2 male, and many extras; 10 minutes. Bunnies swing into action with a modern beat as last-minute order puts a crunch on the Easter egg factory.

 
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THE "TRUE" STORY OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Bruce Berger THE "TRUE" STORY OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Bruce Berger

Middle Grades; 7 male; 5 female; 3 male/female; 20 minutes.
A reading play—complete with sound effects—that spoofs the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tale of horror and suspense.

 
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MACBETH Adapted from Shakespeare by Elizabeth Boiko Burdick MACBETH Adapted from Shakespeare by Elizabeth Boiko Burdick

Upper Grades; 4 male, 4 female; 5 male or female; 30 minutes. Storytellers using modern language point the way to a thorough understanding of Shakespeare's original words, in this dramatic adaptation of one of the playwright's most powerful tragedies.

 
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THE GOBLINS AND THE GRAVEDIGGER by Craig Sodaro THE GOBLINS AND THE GRAVEDIGGER by Craig Sodaro

Upper and Middle Grades; 6 male, 8 female, 3 male or female; 19th-century England; 30 minutes. Goblins help to connect the meanest man in town with three loving orphans who desperately need a home, in this heartwarming Christmas tale.

 
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THE COMEBACK CAPER by Anne Coulter Martens THE COMEBACK CAPER by Anne Coulter Martens

Upper Grades; 8 female, 7 male; 4 male or female. 35 minutes.

A television drama comes to life as an over-the-hill star and a stolen ruby become the focus of a tense courtroom trial.

 
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THE FASTEST THIMBLE IN THE WEST by Claire Boiko THE FASTEST THIMBLE IN THE WEST by Claire Boiko

Middle Grades, 15 female and 21 male, 30 minutes (cast may play more than one role). A rollicking, large-cast musical melodrama complete with orphans, an evil lawyer, poetry-loving cowboys, and a long-lost sea captain, all set in the Old West.

 
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BALANCING ACT by Christina Hamlett BALANCING ACT by Christina Hamlett

Upper and Middle Grades; 5 male, 1 female, 8 male or female; as many male and female extras as desired. 30 minutes. High above the streets of New York City, Native American construction workers connect the giant steel beams that create the City’s skyscrapers, while telling stories about the Iroquois Nation and its culture.

 
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SHIRLEY CHISHOLM: "UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED" by Mary Satchell SHIRLEY CHISHOLM: "UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED" by Mary Satchell

Upper and Middle Grades; 11 female, 7 male, and 20+ males or females; 30 minutes. Scenes from the inspirational life of Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005), the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and minorities.

 
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THE LOVE POTION, based on the opera L'Elisir d'Amore by Gaetano Donizetti, adapted by Jesse Martin THE LOVE POTION, based on the opera L'Elisir d'Amore by Gaetano Donizetti, adapted by Jesse Martin

Upper Grades; 2 female, 5 male, and as many extras as desired as villagers, soldiers, and workers; 30 minutes. An Italian opera set in the mid-1800s complete with competing suitors, class warfare, poor village girls, magical elixirs, and love everywhere you turn.

 
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THE PRESIDENTS' DAY IN COURT, by Kathy Applebee THE PRESIDENTS' DAY IN COURT, by Kathy Applebee

Middle Grades; 7 male, 3 female, and 5 male or female, plus as many extras as desired; 20 minutes. When Patty O’Phurniture’s date with Jim doesn’t meet her expectations, she sues in court for breach of contract, and is confronted by the historical feats of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, and others who are pictured on American coins.

 
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BEOWULF adapted by Eddie McPherson BEOWULF adapted by Eddie McPherson

Upper Grades; 13 male or female, plus; 25 minutes. A great introduction for students to Beowulf, the epic tale from 1000 AD with monsters and heroes, good and evil, fame and infamy.

 
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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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RALPH BUNCHE, MAN OF PEACE by Mary Satchell RALPH BUNCHE, MAN OF PEACE by Mary Satchell

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.

 
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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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THE KING'S CREAMPUFFS by Martha Swintz THE KING'S CREAMPUFFS by Martha Swintz

Middle and Lower Grades; 5 male, 4 female, many male and female extras; 30 minutes. Wicked witch steals the royal creampuff recipe, upsets the King, and causes havoc in the royal kitchen.

 
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A KWANZAA STORY by Claire Boiko A KWANZAA STORY by Claire Boiko

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!

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THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY by Edward Everett Hale, adapted by Walter Hackett THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY by Edward Everett Hale, adapted by Walter Hackett

Upper and Middle Grades; 25 male and female; 19th century; 25 minutes.
A round-table readers' theatre that tells the heartrending story of Philip Nolan, a man whose punishment for treason is that he may never again set foot in his beloved United States.

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SLEEPOVER by Elizabeth Boiko Burdick A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SLEEPOVER by Elizabeth Boiko Burdick

Middle Grades; 3 male, 3 female, 17 male or female; contemporary; 20 minutes. Perfect for a large cast, this modern retelling of one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies is full of love and romance, mischievous dealings, and intrigue.

 
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THE PICNIC PEACE by Jane Tesh THE PICNIC PEACE by Jane Tesh

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.

 
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SNEAKY SAM IN SUNNY JUNCTION, by Ellen M. Eleder SNEAKY SAM IN SUNNY JUNCTION, by Ellen M. Eleder

Middle and Lower Grades; 3 male, 2 female, 1 male or female adult or gifted reader for Narrator; 20+ male and female. 1880s; 15 minutes. Sure-to-please large-cast melodrama with the usual dashing hero, moustache-twirling villain, and sweet heroine named Sue. . .but this one also has plenty of audience participation, songs and choreography.

 
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RAINING ON THE PLAYGROUND by Rebecca Watson RAINING ON THE PLAYGROUND by Rebecca Watson

Lower Grades; 9 to 30 male and female. 10 minutes. This creative dramatics play in poem form is a wonderful way for young children to act out what happens when rain starts pitter-pattering on the playground . . . plenty of opportunity for body movement and sound effects.

 
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SHOP TILL YOU DROP! by Donna Hall SHOP TILL YOU DROP! by Donna Hall

Upper Grades; 10 female; 3 male; 1 male or female, and extras; 3 scenes, 15 minutes each.
High school students take center stage in this three-pack of plays about thinking of others at holiday time; creative gift-giving from the heart; and innovative sales techniques when jobs are one the line. Perform one, two, or three scenes, as time permits.

 
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THE TORN PHOTOGRAPH by D. R. Kennedy THE TORN PHOTOGRAPH by D. R. Kennedy

Upper Grades; 9 female, 2 male, 6 male or female; contemporary; 20 minutes.
Hotly contested Student Council election puts a strain on a longtime friendship as students fight for presidency.

 
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SARAH AT SEA by Lisa Swarbrick SARAH AT SEA by Lisa Swarbrick

Middle Grades; 11 female, 6 male, 8 male or female; 40 minutes. Spunky 1830s English girl flees her demanding guardian by impersonating a boy so she can find work on a ship bound for New York — and an uncertain future in a new country.

 
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ROMEO AND JULIET AT THE WILLIAMSBURG THEATRE by Ellen M. Eleder ROMEO AND JULIET AT THE WILLIAMSBURG THEATRE by Ellen M. Eleder

Upper and Middle Grades; 15 male/female and extras; 30 minutes. Actors rehearse Shakespeare's play in Colonial Williamsburg, against the backdrop of the fast-approaching Revolutionary War.

 
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THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, Adapted by Frances Mapp THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, Adapted by Frances Mapp

Middle and Lower Grades. 1 male, 5 female, 5 male and female, extras. Follow the Yellow Brick Road! L. Frank Baum's beloved story and colorful characters come to life in this wonderful adaptation.

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CHRONICLES OF NUMERIA, by Kendall Larson CHRONICLES OF NUMERIA, by Kendall Larson

Lower Grades; 20 male or female; 15 minutes.

Puns, jokes, and music make math come alive in this clever skit.

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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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MERE MIRROR by Roger Kise MERE MIRROR by Roger Kise

Middle and Lower Grades; 3 male, 6 female, 4 male or female; 20 minutes.
A modern, fun take-off of Snow White (without the dwarfs) featuring a wicked stepmother who finds that vanity comes with a high price.

 
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A TALE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Carmen Anthony A TALE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Carmen Anthony

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.

 
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WAY, WAY OFF  BROADWAY by Betty Tracy Huff WAY, WAY OFF BROADWAY by Betty Tracy Huff

Middle Grades, 5 male, 6 female, 6+ male or female; 30 minutes. A fun melodrama featuring the poor but honest Daisy Cornball, the villainous Count Von Cliché, and the rich society lady Mrs. Smythe-Dashington, in search of wealth and fame on the stage. Be still, my thumping heart!

 
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SECRET ADMIRERS by Frances Dowell SECRET ADMIRERS by Frances Dowell

Upper Grades; 3 female, 3 male, as many extras as desired; 25 minutes.

Platonic? Hardly! Will offbeat hero of a band triumph over cute basketball star? A play of crushes, stereotypes, and young love.

 
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CSI: MOTHER GOOSE LAND,  by Jane Tesh CSI: MOTHER GOOSE LAND, by Jane Tesh

Middle and Lower Grades; 7 female, 6 male, male or female for Cat, King's Horses, King's Men; 10-15 minutes.
Did Humpty Dumpty fall. . .or was he pushed? A large-cast mystery featuring a host of familiar fairy tale characters.

 
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FREEDOM RIDERS, by Tom Quinn FREEDOM RIDERS, by Tom Quinn

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.

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ROWDY KATE by Claire Boiko ROWDY KATE by Claire Boiko

Middle Grades; 14 male, 6 female; the Old West; 35 minutes.
When the Mayor invites schoolmarms to town to help bring respectability to a small corner of the old West, the good old boys have plenty to say about it. It turns out that if anyone is going to get married around these here parts, Rowdy Kate is goin' to be the first!

 
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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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MOTHER JONES, RABBLE-ROUSER by Renée C. Rebman MOTHER JONES, RABBLE-ROUSER by Renée C. Rebman

Middle Grades; 8 male, 6 female, extras; 25 minutes.
The story of Mother Jones, a courageous woman who helped lead the fight for the right of American workers—men, women, and children—to join a union, have safe working conditions, and a decent wage.

 
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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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CUPID'S WEBSITE by Liz Boiko Burdick CUPID'S WEBSITE by Liz Boiko Burdick

Middle and Lower Grades; 6 male, 7 female, 8 male or female; 20 minutes.
Will web designer's plans take all the charm out of boy-meets-girl?

 
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THE ANCESTORS' BOX by Christina Hamlett THE ANCESTORS' BOX by Christina Hamlett

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.

 
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THE MIRACLE OF SPRING by Helen Hanna THE MIRACLE OF SPRING by Helen Hanna

Middle & Lower Grades; 3 male, 6 female, 19+ male or female; 15 minutes. A large-cast play to welcome Spring and learn about the environment. Petulant King Bartholomew bans Spring, only to realize in a dream courtroom drama that he has upset the cycles of the seasons and destroyed the food supply.

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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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ABOVE THE FOLD: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY by Christina Hamlett ABOVE THE FOLD: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY by Christina Hamlett

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

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MOUNT RUSHMORE by David LaBounty MOUNT RUSHMORE by David LaBounty

Middle and Lower Grades; 8 male, 4 female; as many male and female extras as desired for Other Students; 15-20 minutes. Four presidents have a little fun with visitors to a national memorial.

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