Play Suggestions: Looking for a good comedy

Looking for a good comedy

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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4128
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Topic: Looking for a good comedy

Posted By: jerseyactor
Subject: Looking for a good comedy
Date Posted: 7/16/09 at 2:26pm

I posted a week or two ago about murder mystery scripts and everyone here was so helpful I thought I would post again.

We're considering turning our annual murder mystery into just an annual comedy to give ourselves more options. We haven't ruled out doing a murder mystery, we just want to see what else is out there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a high school play (not musical). The students do really well with physical comedy and comical situations like what is found in "Noises Off". My knowledge of comedic plays is limited, so any suggestions on what you love or what has been well received by your audiences in the past would be great.

Looking for a play with the following elements:

Comedy

Full length (two or three acts)

15 to 20 characters

2/3 to 3/4 female cast

Replies:

Posted By: Shanahan
Date Posted: 7/17/09 at 3:00pm

Mike Legge's "Shake-A-Spear," from JAC Publishing.

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Laughter guaranteed. Plays by John Shanahan

http://www.johnshanahan.net
Dinner for Several
One Before Forty
Bob's Date
Brushstroke
Worst Possible Time for Writer's Block
& more!

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 7/18/09 at 12:17am

Boy, there are lots of those. A Midsummer Night's Dream, (you could go with a female Puck),

I ran your search through the playscripts catalogue and came up with 59 results. Here's the link:

http://www.playscripts.com/searchresults.php3?length=Full-length&mindurationinput=0&maxdurationinput=200&genre=Comedy&mintotalinput=15&maxtotalinput=20&minfemaleinput=12&maxfemaleinput=15&minmaleinput=5&maxmaleinput=11&themeid=86&themeselect=&themeselect_b=&new=0&titlesonly=0&sortby=rank&origin=4&altered=&adminsearch - http://www.playscripts.com/searchresults.php3?length=Full-length&mindurationinput=0&maxdurationinput=200&genre=Comedy&mintotalinput=15&maxtotalinput=20&minfemaleinput=12&maxfemaleinput=15&minmaleinput=5&maxmaleinput=11&themeid=86&themeselect=&themeselect_b=&new=0&titlesonly=0&sortby=rank&origin=4&altered=&adminsearch =

(You may have to cut and paste that twice in your browser to make sure it all fits on one line.)

Click on any of those plays and you can read them online.

My plays that fit that bill (if you liked my work) include

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon (which is kinda like the compleat works of Shakespeare (abdridged) except with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm--it was one of the most popular plays in American high schools this year, very physical)

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1162 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1162

The Craving (a screenwriter's hearfelt emotional drama is turned into a zombie slasher flick by Hollywood producers)

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1425 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1425

The Birds: A Modern Adaptation (two men escape the tribulations of modern life by joining the birds and convince the birds to take over the world.)

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1158 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1158

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www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: Tallsor
Date Posted: 7/18/09 at 9:11pm

"Blithe Spirit" (Noel Coward) is a fun comedy. Any melodrama if done right would be great for high schools. "You Can't Take it With You", George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart is another one - this has a lot of parts and fun characters. "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (double-plus that you don't have to worry about royalties on that one).

Posted By: Lazy Bee
Date Posted: 7/20/09 at 2:42pm

Try http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=496 - Dracula - The Final Countdown by Geoff Bamber.

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Stuart
Lazy Bee Scripts
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk - http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line

Posted By: jerseyactor
Date Posted: 7/21/09 at 2:02pm

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. If you have any more, keep them coming.