Play Suggestions: One Act plays that 'rocked your socks'

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One Act plays that 'rocked your socks'

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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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Topic: One Act plays that 'rocked your socks'

Posted By: Nyria
Subject: One Act plays that 'rocked your socks'
Date Posted: 5/04/09 at 12:58am

I am looking for some good One act plays to read for next year. I want ones that will make the audience say 'Wow!'

Something 'college level' - it's for high school students but it is for my advanced students.

Also - we can pretty much do 'anything' - ie// not much censorship in my school - so don't worry about it being for schools.

(no Christopher Durang though - I've done his stuff too often lately ;))

comedies or dramas - any size cast.

Thanks =)

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NYRIA

Replies:

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 5/04/09 at 1:40am

Have you considered doing a cutting of a full-length play? The ones that I've seen that have really knocked my socks off have been great trimmings from longer pieces.

Just saw:

Kimberly Akimbo, by David Lindsay-Abaire (only 5 actors though)

Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play (incredible show)

by Don Nigro:

Paganini

Mariner

You could also do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

as far as just one-acts go:

You could try:

Govering Alice, by C. Denby Swanson

read it here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=151 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=151

SPAR, by Stephen Gregg (fun in a postmodern kinda way)

I think it's published by Dramatic Publishing

Freak, by Naomi Iizuka (don't know this play, but I like the author)

read it here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1463 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1463

and from my own one-acts, you could try:

something serious:

The Bells of Charlemont

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1160 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1160

something funny:

The Devil in Sherman Marsh (a modern re-telling of the Faustus story)

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1484 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1484

I have lots of other one-acts as well, most in the Durang-type vein.

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www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: Nyria
Date Posted: 5/04/09 at 9:57pm

Thanks Don - I will def. check those out as I know you have great taste -- I did Don Zolidis plays 2 years in a row -- You and Durang - the only 2 who constantly make me laugh right out loud ;)

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NYRIA

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 5/05/09 at 12:20am

Aw shucks.

David Lindsay-Abaire, for my money, is the funniest author out there today. (You'd probably have to tone down some stuff for school, but a play like Fuddy Meers might be possible.)

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www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: Tallsor
Date Posted: 5/05/09 at 5:20pm

A.R. Gurney has written some fun one acts ("The Problem" is definitely college level), same with David Ives (check out "Sure Thing", "Words, Words, Words" and "The Universal Language").

If you're comfortable with Durang, then I'd also recommend David Mamet ("Duck Variations" and "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" primarily).

Also, "How I Learned to Drive" by Paula Vogel is a long one act which deals with adult subjects.

Other one acts: "Gazelle", by Henry Kandel - hilarious take on the male machoness of sports. I've been wanting an opportunity to do "The Great American Cheese Sandwich" by Burton Cohen for a while now (Dramatists). Check out "He's Dead All Right", by John Gainfort (Samuel French) - I thought it was a hoot.

Finally, the musical "The Last Five Years" is a one act, and if your actors are singers, has some great songs for two.

Angie

Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 5/18/09 at 4:13pm

We're actually in rehearsals now for a set of one-acts for June. We're doing three short pieces by a guy named Walter Wykes:

The Tragical Tale of Melissa McHiney McNormous McWhale: it's a very short (6m) piece for a mixed cast of 6-12 that's essentially a poem narrated by a Greek Chorus of Vegas-type characters. Fun with the sets, costumes, etc., but not much on the acting side of things.
Family 2.0: Essentially a longish sketch (10m) for a cast of 5 (3m, 2f). It's a pretty standard comedy that's a little risque.
The Spotted Man: This one reminded me a lot of Durang. It's medium-length for a one act (~22m) and is essentially an actor piece for the m and f parts (the f part is particularly challenging, since it's actually 3-in-1). There's also a scene-stealing bit part with no real lines for another m. Has an absurdist, kind of shocking ending.

We're also doing "Hidden in this Picture" by Aaron Sorkin (4m, ~40m) which was later turned into the second half of a full play, but word has it that "Hidden" is the only half worth doing. It can be done on a bare stage, and is a very wordy, dialog-driven comedy, as you'd expect from Sorkin. I'm incredibly fond of this one.

Posted By: nahtod1
Date Posted: 6/18/09 at 5:58pm

Graceland is a great one act. Not sure about author.

Posted By: Jo Norland
Date Posted: 6/24/09 at 6:09am

Students love 'The Bear' by Chekhov.

Athol Fugard's 'A Place with the Pigs' rocked my world--set in post-WWII, Soviet Union, an extraordinary story of a fugitive military deserter.

Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads' are great, if you have a very talented student to showcase (1-man show).

My 45-minute script, Mothers Have Nine Lives, available on http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/mothers.html - http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/mothers.html accomodates a cast of 3-12, and has had a number of rewarding student productions.

Good luck! Joanna