Play Suggestions: Female lead, plus.....

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Female lead, plus.....

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5482
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 11:14am
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Topic: Female lead, plus.....

Posted By: KeeKeeDee
Subject: Female lead, plus.....
Date Posted: 4/27/13 at 7:25am

I am looking for a play with a strong female lead, at least three males (but not too many more) and at least four female. Non-musical. Small stage.

I have a fabulous actress, and three solid actors, and a handful of enthusiastic although not so effective other actresses.Recently did "Medea" " Boeing Boeing" "Antigone" "Insanity Of Mary Girard"

Replies:

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 4/28/13 at 10:25pm

The age range of your actors does count for something, but I'll have a shot at offering a few titles.

Enchanted April by Matthew Barber

Miracle Worker by William Gibson

A Walk In The Woods by Lee Blessing
(written to be two men, but the American can easily be played as a woman)

Shooting Star by Steven Dietz

On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson

Mary, Mary by Jean Kerr

A Majority Of One by Leonard Spigelgass

Love Letters by A.R. Gurney

The Last Night Of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry

The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz

Faith Healer by Brian Friel

Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley

Dean Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts

Gas Light (also known as Angel Street) by Patrick Hamilton

First Night by Jack Neary

Don Juan In Hell by George Bernard Shaw

Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill

Posted By: KeeKeeDee
Date Posted: 4/28/13 at 10:40pm

OOOh thank you!

The age range is 16-18.

I was looking closely at "Dead Mans Cell Phone", but would like one more male.

Some of these I havent looked at, and some I know are beyond them (Golden Pond, Who's Afraid O...") But you have a great listing.

I am looking for at least 3 males and at least 4 females, and one of the females being the lead.

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 4/29/13 at 4:32pm

Okay. I misunderstood your requirements. You want plays for a minimum of 7 actors (a couple more maybe allowable); but for sure you want 1 strong female role plus 3 male supporting plus three female supporting. Right?

Enchanted April should work, Miracle Worker might, and Mary, Mary, A Majority of One, Last Night Of Ballyhoo and Arcadia should still be in the running as well.

Let me put my thinking cap on and I'll be back...

Posted By: KeeKeeDee
Date Posted: 4/30/13 at 12:36am

A Majority of One..... this is interesting.... from 1959. I am ordering it. Have you seen it?

Thank you!

Posted By: KeeKeeDee
Date Posted: 5/01/13 at 2:01am

What would really be great is a Noir style mystery, with a female lead....

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 5/02/13 at 12:47am

A Majority Of One is one of my top ten favorite plays of all time. It plays beautifully. And the sets don't have to be too elaborate, either. There was a pretty darn good film version made in the early 60s starring Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness. -- The only other plays I can think of that come close to fitting your criteria is almost all of Agatha Christie's plays. The Unexpected Guest in particular might do well for you; as might The Hollow, Peril At End House, and Towards Zero - or Chimneys if you can find it. Another possibility for you to explore is the "ensemble" type production where a cast of 6 to 10 plays multiple roles to tell the story - like Almost Maine or Something In Between or All In The Timing. Or you could have ghostly/spooky with The Haunting Of Hill House. Remember, too, that with some characters in some plays you can play around with the sex of one or two of the characters. Small example: in Mary, Mary the accountant is written as a man, but can easily be played by a woman. Many of the Agatha Christies can be modified like that, too.