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The founders of YouthPLAYS, Jonathan Dorf and Ed Shockley, met in Philadelphia and eventually ran the Philadelphia Dramatists Center together.
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On the Edge: Challenging Short Plays for Teen Actors by Trevor Suthers, Ed Shockley, Kate McGrath, Carol S. Lashof, Patricia Lamkin, Steve Lambert, Steven Korbar, Jonathan Dorf Anthology. 75-80 minutes. 2-6 males, 2-9 females. High school and older. Eight edgy short plays to challenge high school actors, ideal for classroom use, competition or one-act festivals. Alice in Wonderland (and back again) by Randy Wyatt  Adaptation. 75-90 minutes. 4 males, 4 females, 21+ either. Suitable for all ages. Alice chases a White Rabbit down a hole to a world in which she encounters strange creatures and even stranger poetry. A Christmas Carol by Roger Butterley and Tom Smith  Drama. 90-100 minutes. 5+ males, 5+ females. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. When four ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge, he is forced to look at his life—past, present and future—and witness the effect he has on others. The Christmas Princess by Arthur M. Jolly  Fairy Tale. 60-80 minutes. 4-5+ males, 4-8+ females. Middle school and older. A spoiled princess must find three magical Christmas gifts for her parents if she is to escape an arranged marriage to the world's stupidest prince. Great Expectations by Rocco P. Natale Drama. 75-90 minutes. 1-5 males, 1-7 females. High school and older. An orphan named Pip overcomes adversity for the sake of childhood love in this timeless story of the enduring power of the human spirit. JOAN by Donna Kaz  Dramedy. 60-80 minutes. 2-6 males, 3-10 females. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. A dynamic and exhilarating modernization of the story of the peasant girl who led an army to help crown a king and was burned at the stake for her efforts. The Jungle Book by Callan Stout  Adaptation. 70-75 minutes. 6-22 males, 2-8 females. All ages. Mowgli, a little boy raised by wolves, learns the Law of the Jungle as he is kidnapped by lawless monkeys, watches the elephants dance and comes face to face with his arch-enemy, Shere Khan, the tiger who is trying to eat him. Love (Awkwardly) by John Rotondo and Maryann Carolan  Comedy. 90-100 minutes. 4 males, 4 females, 3-6 either. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. Eight juniors and seniors navigate the wonderful, painful, exhilarating and awkward minefield of high school relationships and the moments that matter the most: the first kiss, flirting, dating, breaking up, going to college and what goes through their heads as they sit in the most boring class ever. Mrs. Murphy's Porch by Wysteria Edwards Drama. 65-75 minutes. 3 males, 4 females. High school and middle school performers, middle school and older audiences. What allows children to triumph over tragedy? When Penny is forced to deal with an impending tragedy, a neighborhood matriarch guides her through with the help of imaginative play. Tales of the Windship by Fengar Gael Young Audiences. 75-80 minutes. 3-25+ males, 3-25+ females. All ages. Step aboard the Windship, then set sail with a lost girl seeking a home somewhere in the wide world of fairy tales. 4 A.M. by Alison Wood and Jonathan Dorf  Musical. 75-80 minutes. 4+ males, 4+ females. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. A world full of teen characters, ranging from a lonely short-wave radio DJ to a modern Romeo and Juliet to the writer of a most unusual letter, try to balance their fears and dreams as the rest of the world sleeps. The Buttonhole Bandit by Michael Silversher and Fengar Gael  Musical. 60 minutes. 3-6 males, 3-6 females. All ages. Little Phoebe spends her after school hours cowering in a closet -- until she spies a moth flying through a buttonhole that draws her in, hurling her into an alien galaxy and a perilous journey of self discovery. One Smart Pig by Matt Buchanan Young Audiences. 45-55 minutes. 3-20 males, 5-20 females. Elementary school and older performers, audiences of all ages. A respectful yet hilarious take on a traditional fairy story of three young pigs and their battle with the Bad Wolf, with eleven original songs, all carefully written to work well with young voices. Wild Alice by Jean and Crawford Hart Musical. 65-85 minutes. 2-8+ females, 8-12+ either. Middle school and older performers, and elementary or older audiences. When a young girl enrolls as a human exchange student at a school for animals, she must learn to co-exist with creatures who consider humans their natural enemies, as a common enemy threatens them all.
The Absurdist Super Hero Fairy Tale by Deanna Alisa Ableser Comedy. 30-45 minutes. 5-7 males, 4-6 females, 1 either. Middle school and older. It's up to a bumbling, absent-minded hero to save Basiltown and his own crumbling world from the insane and misguided crimes of a sentimental and emotionally fragile villain. The Adventures of Rocky & Skye by Kelly DuMar Comedy. 30-35 minutes. 2-16 males, 2-21 females. All ages. Four characters grow up before our eyes as they journey from elementary to middle school in this fast-paced series of scenes that inspire us to appreciate the extraordinary moments of ordinary life. Alice in Wonderland by Randy Wyatt  Adaptation. 35-45 minutes. 2 males, 2 females, 14+ either. Suitable for all ages Alice chases a White Rabbit down a hole to a world in which she encounters strange creatures and even stranger poetry. Aurelia's Magic by John Bolen  Comedy. 55-60 minutes. 3-4 males, 2-3 females. All ages. For a young girl aching to grow up, what could be better than to find a fairy that can grant her that wish?
The Boston Massacre by Ed Shockley Drama. 45 minutes. 11-25 males, 3-7 females, 4-15 either. Middle school and older actors, audiences of all ages. A fast-paced ensemble work exploring the varied accounts of the historic events in Boston Commons that transformed a collection of colonies into a democratic nation. The Butterfly: Legends from the Middle Kingdom by Ruth Cantrell  Young Audiences. 50-55 minutes. 2-4 males, 2-4 females. Middle school and older performers, audiences of all ages. Born in prison, Chou is befriended by an enchanted butterfly whose stories take Chou around the middle kingdom; could they take Chou to freedom? Carolina Dive by Neeley Gossett Drama. 30-35 minutes. 2-4 males, 5-10 females. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. Jenna's plans to escape her small town through a diving scholarship are put in jeopardy when a dive damages her inner ear, and she can no longer keep her balance. Creature Features (Modern Day Mutants) by Christian Kiley Dramedy. 20-30 minutes. 7-9 either. Middle school and older. A group of students who each have a unique physical feature become an alliance of friends who must stand up for their originality against a group of students who want everyone to be normal. Dandelion by Wysteria Edwards Young Audiences. 10-15 minutes. 1-5 males, 1-5 female. Elementary school and older. Dandelion overdresses for a come-as-you-are party and is turned away because the hostess does not recognize him in this adaptation of the Don Freeman book.
Everybody Comes to Tim's by Allison Williams Comedy. 25-35 minutes. 3-15 males, 3-15 females. High school and older. Mike's gotta break some...awkward...news to Tony, despite the doctors, tango dancers, and guerrilla platoon blocking his way. Part of the "It Gets Better" project. Girls by Linda Kampley Comedy. 25-30 minutes. 1 male, 6 females. Middle school or older. Three teen apprentices at a summer Shakespeare festival experience the rollercoaster highs and lows of young love...all while awaiting their entrance for that evening's performance.
Goodness Gracious by Henry W. Kimmel Comedy. 30-35 minutes. 3+ males, 3+ females. High school and older performers, elementary and older audiences. A fractured fairy tale based on Little Red Riding Hood takes a contemporary comedic look at overcoming loneliness and self-pity.
Happy Happy Happy by Steve Lambert Comedy. 40-45 minutes. 2-5 males, 2-5 females, 1 either. High school and older. Two families and an amorous dolphin seek the ultimate contentment. Hardcastle Flowers: Space Detective (fka 2071) by Ed Shockley Drama. 45-55 minutes. 5-15 males, 5-15 females. Middle school and older. An intergalactic detective discovers a well-intentioned and possibly beneficial fraud, and must decide whether to reveal it. In the Village of the Brothers Grimm by Claudia Haas  Dramedy. 50-60 minutes. 3-29 males, 4-35 females. Middle school and older performers, audiences of all ages. A play rich with the finely-drawn characters from the Brothers Grimm entices you into a magical world of once upon a time. Johnny and Sally Ann by Tom Smith  Comedy. 50-65 minutes. 2 males, 1-5 female, 2-28 either. All ages. Johnny Appleseed and his friend Pete travel the countryside encountering real and fictional female figures in American folklore. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Jonathan Josephson Adaptation. 25-30 minutes. 4+ males, 1+ female, 4+ either. Middle school and older performers, elementary school and older audiences. A theatrical adaptation of Washington Irving's timeless tale of Ichabod Crane, the fair damsel Katrina Van Tassel, and the most feared spectre of the realm, the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Love (Awkwardly) (one-act version) by John Rotondo and Maryann Carolan  Comedy. 35-40 minutes. 4 males, 4 females, 3-6 either. High school and older performers, middle school and older audiences. Eight juniors and seniors navigate the wonderful, painful, exhilarating and awkward minefield of high school relationships and the moments that matter the most: the first kiss, flirting, dating, breaking up, going to college and what goes through their heads as they sit in the most boring class ever.
Manuelo, the Playing Mantis by Wysteria Edwards Young Audiences. 10-15 minutes. 1-6 either. Elementary school and older. After many failed attempts, Manuelo the praying mantis learns to make a cello with the help of his friend the spider in this adaptation of the book by Don Freeman. Marvelous Tales by Laura Lewis-Barr Comedy. 40-55 minutes. 1-20 males, 1-20 females. Middle school and older performers, audiences of all ages. Children will actively participate in these four updated and charming folk tales from around the world. The Milli Vanilli Orchestra by Ed Shockley Comedy. 30-35 minutes. 2-16 males, 2-21 females. Middle school and older. A young slacker tries to hide the incompetence of his band by lip syncing the William Tell Overture. Mop Top by Wysteria Edwards Young Audiences. 10-15 minutes. 2-4 males, 1-3 females. Elementary school and older. An almost-six-year-old with a mass of floppy red hair tries to postpone the inevitable trip to Mr. Barberoli's barber shop in this adaptation of the Don Freeman book.
Nessie and the Terrible Troll by Lois June Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah Young Audiences. 30-40 minutes. 3 males, 2 females, 3-20+ either. Elementary school and older. A little boy, a seal, and a mermaid join forces to save Nessie when a troll threatens to drain Loch Ness.
A Ninth Time by Danny Rothschild Drama. 25-35 minutes. 4-24 males, 1-21 female. High school and older. When a storyteller tells the story of his tribe - of his past - what characters does he become? Nobody's Listening by Ed Shockley Dramedy. 50-60 minutes. 3 males, 3 females, 1-15 either. Middle school and older. A feisty kid sabotages a live television broadcast to make a statement about gun violence in this anti-violence comedy.
Princess Pigface by Tommy Jamerson  Comedy. 30-40 minutes. 2 males, 1 female, 3-4 either. Middle school and older actors, audiences of all ages. When a beautiful princess is cursed with the face of a pig, she sets out on a magical journey - only to discover that true beauty is found within. Purple Cows Do Exist by Keaton Cockrell  Comedy. 20-30 minutes. 2 males, 1 female, 4 either. High school and older. Maybe he's an artist...maybe he's an oddball...but teenage Shiloh knows one thing for sure: his dreams are dying a slow death in suburbia, and it's time to escape before it's too late! Reassembling Sasha by Patrick Gabridge Comedy. 25-35 minutes. 1-3 males, 7-9 females. High school and older. Professor Sasha Marlowe's newest experimental device has split her into seven elemental parts, but now that they're free, not all of the elements of Sasha want to go back to the way things were before. Scheme Space by Claudia Haas Drama. 25-35 minutes. 2 males, 5 females. High school and older. Events rapidly "go viral" after a group of teens put an inappropriate photo online. Sidekickin' It! by Adam J. Goldberg  Comedy. 23-30 minutes. 2 females, 6-9 either. Middle school and older performers, elementary school and older audiences. When the world's greatest supercriminal, Von Darkness, gets a new partner, the heroic Daybreak learns that he may need to reach out to succeed. Silver, from the Wind by Evan Guilford-Blake Comedy. 38-45 minutes. 3-12+ males, 2-12+ females. High school and older performers, elementary and older audiences. A snowflake wishes to stay a snowflake forever, and a boy wishes he could keep her forever in this story about wishes coming true. The Tea Servant by Ed Shockley Drama. 30-40 minutes. 3-12 males, 2-6 females, 20 either. Middle school and older. A Japanese serving woman dresses as a man to accompany her mistress through a dangerous forest. Un-Holy Nite by Samantha Macher Comedy. 40-50 minutes. 7-13 males, 2-9 females, 9 either. High school and older. Five comic Christmas vignettes tell stories themed on the (public domain) Christmas carol that accompanies them. What Comes Around... by Tom Smith Drama. 50-60 minutes. 1-4 males, 2-5 females. High school and older. In the style of La Ronde, a group of high school students meet at a local coffee house to gossip, confess and confront each other about everything from relationships to addictions and longings to suicide... The Wheels Go Round and Round by Spencer Robelen  Comedy. 20-30 minutes. 3-4 males, 5-8 females. High school and older. A typical teenager's attempt to get his driver’s license turns into an epic struggle against unenthusiastic employees, catastrophic traffic, and violent parental guardians with anger management issues.
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