Drama. 90-100 minutes. 2 females, 10-14 males (12-16 performers possible, with some gender-flexibility). Suitable for middle school and older performers, and middle-upper elementary and older audiences.
A free adaptation of Louis Pergaud's novel La Guerre des Boutons, War of the Buttons was developed at the Haverford School.
The author grants productions pre-approval to make cuts to meet time limits and community standards regarding profanity and obscenity for Texas UIL and other one-act competitions.
When the local ice cream factory goes under and sends a small town to the brink of ruin, its children do the only thing they can: they fight, launching a button-cutting war against the students of the prep school that is gradually buying up their parents' property. But when Charlie, leader of the townies, gets abandoned by his work-seeking parents and has to hide out in the abandoned factory, will he and his friends find a way to save the day, or will all—including Charlie himself—be lost?