The Best New Ten-Minute Plays, 2021
Paperback – November 15, 2021
The Best New Ten-Minute Plays, 2021 presents thirty new ten-minute plays, selected by renowned editor Lawrence Harbison. This volume is ideal for theatre enthusiasts looking for new and compelling short pieces from some of the finest playwrights of our time.
Selections include:
Go to the Light by Laurie Allen
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Paperback – October 2021
2020 was not a great year for a variety of reasons, particularly because of Covid-19. This book includes forty-five short plays that show the lighter side of quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing. The virus is nothing to laugh at, but these plays provide a bit of levity in these unprecedented and stressful times. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine.
22 Comedy Ten-Minute Plays
Paperback – August 12, 2019
You won't find a better quality or larger collection of ten-minute plays anywhere! And the best part? They're all royalty-free! These original and creative plays by best-selling scene writer Laurie Allen are already getting attention, winning spots in one-act play festivals across the country. Ideal for 15- to 30-year old actors, the fresh variety of topics skips the cliché teenage themes. No cafeteria settings. No dating scenarios. No homework angst! The eclectic settings--restaurant, airport, nail salon, award ceremony, news room, support group session, job fair, and more--are all simple to stage and leave the emphasis on interesting characters and intriguing situations. Each of the 22 scenes is a complete, original play, and includes a cast of characters, set description, and list of properties. Cast sizes range from 2 to 8, and include many gender flexible roles for easy casting. Don't worry about inappropriate language or situations these short plays are all clean and family friendly without feeling childish. You'll have hours of fun with these comedy delights, whether for contest, performance, or classroom use.
Power Plays: Dramatic Short Plays for Acting Students
Paperback – July 1, 2016
Intense. Poignant. Moving. Powerful. The twenty short plays in this collection cover a broad spectrum of dramatic situations, including revenge, abuse, loneliness, homelessness, eating disorders, death, and relationships. With moods ranging from sentimental to hard-hitting and from heart-warming to heart-wrenching, the wide variety of topics provides ample opportunities for actors to explore stunning character arcs. These short plays, varying in length from 8 to 15 minutes, are all set in the present day and have cast sizes ranging from two to seven. Designed for optimal ease of use, each play comes complete with a synopsis, cast of characters, setting, and prop list, while the table of contents indicates the cast size and topic. Intended for actors high school age and older, most characters are in their teens or twenties and use language realistic for the situations with some mild profanity. Laurie Allen packs an incredible punch into each and every one of these scenes, making these short plays ideal for contests, a dramatic showcase, or as a conversation starter on a specific topic.
62 Comedy Duet Scenes for Teens: More Real-Life Situations for Laughter
Paperback - September 1, 2012
Easily staged scenes with believable teen characters in a variety of comic situations. The book is divided into scenes for two girls, scenes for two guys and mixed duet scenes. The incredibly believable teen characters are daring, outlandish and uninhibited as they deal with situations created by their own attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. The scenes focus on teen subjects: dating, egos, fads, crushes, broken hearts, grades, breaking rules, embarrassing moments and much more. Titles include: Most Popular, Text Rumors, Evil Twin, Lost Phone, The New Fad, Germophobic, Secret Crush, Fashion Police, Double Dare, Mind Reader and fifty-two more. Perfect for classroom practice or an evening of entertainment.
33 Short Comedy Plays for Teens: Plays for Small Casts
Paperback – September 30, 2011
This is a collection of plays with natural dialogue and believable situations for two to six actors. These thirty-three short plays give teenage performers a chance to portray the drama of their everyday lives. They may push boundaries, act crazy, and even discover themselves in the many true-to-life scenes and characterizations offered here. These plays permit student actors to show off their talents by creating outrageous characters in the context of situations they know so well. Sample titles include: Grounded Until Further Notice, Crazy Hairy Day, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Prom Date, Confessions, and A Fine Line between Love and Hate.Inexperienced actors will come alive as performers because these plays offer natural dialog and believable situations. Excellent for contest use.
Comedy Plays and Scenes for Student Actors: Short Sketches for Young Performers
Paperback – March 1, 2011
Teachers and directors just can't get enough of Laurie Allen's sketches for teens, ideal for classroom practice or contest use. This new collection of plays and scenes for teens offers more real-life situations for student actors to perform, portraying characters like themselves and their friends. These 26 fresh, original skits range from three to seven minutes with cast sizes from two to seven. Titles from this comic collection include: "Seriously Overdue," "Use Only as Directed," "Zebra Hamsters," and "Save Me from Myself." All scenes and short plays are believable and easy for shy or gregarious, beginning or advanced actors to perform.
Acting Duets for Young Women: 8 to 10 Minute Duo Scenes for Practice and Competition
Paperback - September 1, 2010
Twenty-four 8- to 10-minute acting duets for young women to use in forensic competition and practice. These scenes for two female actors are divided into two sections: comedy and drama. The comedy scenes will have audiences laughing at the outrageous yet believable scenarios. Comedy scenes include: Online Love, Dirty Laundry, Marriage Phobia, New Best Friend Forever and more. The dramatic scenes will have the audience and actors thinking about the relevant topics. Dramatic scenes include: The Wishing Well, Night Storm, Broken Promises, The Red Dress and more. All scenes are entertaining and enjoyable. Actors will be challenged by each scene in this collection. Sets and costumes can be elaborate or simple. The length of each scene is perfect for the female forensic dramatic duo competitions sponsored nationally. They may also be used for auditions, acting practice or an evening of entertainment.
Comedy Scenes for Student Actors: Short Sketches for Young Performers
Paperback - April 1, 2009
Here's another Laurie Allen comedy collection treasure! The 31 sketches range in length from two to four minutes and have mixed casts of two to seven people. Teens love these real-life scenarios because they can portray characters like themselves and their peers. Sample titles from this collection include: "Food Fight," "Picture Day," "Texas-Size Zit," "Save the Frogs," and "Dreadful Dancing." All situations are believable and easy for both the timid and the eager actors to perform. These scenes are ideal for classroom practice or for contest use.
Sixty Comedy Duet Scenes for Teens: Real-Life Situations for Laughter
Paperback - April 1, 2008
Perfect for classroom practice or for an evening of entertainment, middle school and high school teens will easily recognize themselves in these believable — and funny — school situations such as dating, appearances, egos, fads, crushes, breaking rules, embarrassing moments, and more. The characters are daring, outlandish, uninhibited, and creative as they deal with their circumstances that are often exaggerated by their own perceptions, attitudes, and actions. The simple sets and few props make staging quite simple. Appropriate for all ages, teens will love reading these scenes and will be even more excited to jump up and perform these comical situations as they develop and show off their talents.
Thirty Short Comedy Plays for Teens: Plays for a Variety of Cast Sizes
Paperback - April 1, 2007
Teens love to act crazy, push boundaries, take chances, and explore opportunities, so why not channel their energy and excitement onto the stage? These 30 short plays, ranging in length from three to seven minutes, give actors the opportunity to create outrageous characters in the context of situations they know so well. With natural dialog and believable situations, young actors will love that there are no complex issues to deal with and no lessons to learn -- just real life teen dilemmas presented in a comedy format. Written for mixed casts of two to six actors, each play is complete with stage directions, simple props, and a setting. Contemporary situations enable students, actors, and the audience to relate easily to the material, such as Un-Identical Twins, Four Boyfriends, Last Free Summer, and The Babysitter. Suitable for all ages, even inexperienced young actors will have the opportunity to entertain audiences a they show off their talents and do what teens do best -- laugh!