 CRISIS, INC.
one-act comedy/farce, 25-30 minute running time
cast requirements: 1 m, 3 w, 5 flexible, extras
"What do I do, what do I do?!" Don’t worry... Let Crisis, Inc. worry for you. This farce takes place in the lobby of a business which provides the service of panicking for people. When you have a panic situation and you can’t focus on what to do next, you hire Crisis Inc. to do the panicking so you can move along and get your work done. Two business people come to the company's office – and each of them responsible for the other's crisis situation. Realizing the potential for fireworks should the two meet, the receptionist tries hard to keep them apart. Classic farce devices, such as multiple doors and quick entrances and exits, and high energy from the employees who panic on cue, keep the humor rolling. To get the script, or to read the first few pages, please go to the publisher's web site at: ELDRIDGE PLAYS AND MUSICALS.
BURGLARS, BUNGLERS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD THIEVES
one-act mystery/comedy, 25 minute running time
cast requirements: 6 actors, any gender (originally performed with 5-W, 1-M)
Is John really trying to steal his own Picasso painting to collect on the insurance? Or is he after the neighbor's jewels? Do the old neighbor ladies really have valuable jewelry, or are they just trying to steal the Picasso for themselves? Is Darlene the clumsiest cat burglar ever, or is she as she claims, a "cat burner"? Will the police officer stop these crimes in time? But most importantly, who is the real police officer?
This mystery/comedy will have the audience howling with laughter, and keep them guessing right up until the end. Another great ensemble piece with super-fun parts for six actors. To get the script, or to read the first few pages, please go to the publisher's web site at: ELDRIDGE PLAYS AND MUSICALS.
 WHOSE QUEUE?
one-act
comedy, cast requirements: 3-F, 2-M, 2-M/F
Zoe, Chloe, and Larissa are the first in line to get
tickets to see their favorite pop group, ManeG3.
Dedicated fans, they sleep on the sidewalk overnight and
dress just as their favorite member of the group dress in some of
the music videos. The girls know all about the private lives
of their favorite singers, and are especially fond of
the sensitive nature of the pop group. When Peter and Tim
(who are dressed just like the girls), arrive to wait in
the ticket line, Zoe, Chloe, and Larissa can't believe
that these loud, rude boys could possibly be interested in
the sensitive song stylings of ManeG3. What are the boys doing
in the ticket line?
This 30-minute comedy is full of laughs. From one-hit-wonder
pop groups to the often entertaining world of "wrestling,"
everything is fair game. The play examines and pokes fun at pop culture,
by pointing out how similar our "different" interests really are,
especially when our interests are tailor-made for a target audience.
 BARRY WOTTER: Son of a Witch
one-act
parody, cast requirements: 3-F, 3-M, 4-M/F 0-? extras
Barry
Wotter tells the quirky tale of
Barry and his friends, HERNIA DANGER and JUAN
FERRET who are students at Pigpimple's School of
Magik. Their teacher, SNIP, seems bent on getting
rid of them. The school's headmaster, FUMBLEMORE,
appears to be giving Barry and his friends every
chance to stay in school. Will the three friends
get a passing grade? Will Barry discover Snip's
secret? Can Fumblemore find out from Juan who's
been killed? Will Hernia turn her arch-nemesis,
MILLICENT, into a rabbit, or a jackass? The
answers are all here in the half hour parody, BARRY WOTTER: Son of
a Witch.
This play has been published by
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA
SERVICE.
COWARD'S BLOOD
one-act
drama, cast requirements: 3-F, 2-M
A widow, EUGENIA, is trying to
raise two daughters during the Civil War. Having
lost her husband in the Mexican-American War, she
is determined to do what she can to help the
Civil War soldiers find their way home. She does
this by nursing the wounded men on the
battlefield, and by taking two deserters (JOHNNY
and BILLY) in to her home. While she longs for a
future of peace, the fighting between her
daughters (IVY and ROSE) escalates. Can a nation
find peace when family members can’t even
get along?
This play was selected for a staged
reading by the Muddy Waters/Creative Theatre of
Monroe, NY. It can be a very powerful drama and is
suggested for the more mature high school, university, and community theatre audiences.
This is not a "brother vs. brother" Civil War drama but it does ask some tough questions about war and family.
UNTURNED STONE
one-act
drama/comedy, cast requirements: 4-F, 3-M
When CHRIS, a high school student, isn't able
to attend the funeral of his best friend, James,
he decides to hold a farewell party at the grave
site. Attending the party with Chris are six of
James' closest friends: KATHERINE, an intelligent
but "ditzy" girl; SARAH, the new kid at
school; BETTY and LARRY, soon to be married;
LISA, James' ex-girlfriend; and TILLMAN, the
class brain. The group quickly discovers that
they don't know each other very well - James was
the common bond between them. As the play
progresses, each person reveals what he meant to
them. To some it was small - the shared love of
bad music - to some it was important - the only
friend in an abusive world - but he changed the
life of each of them. With unforced dialogue and
a smooth flow of encounters, the play has a
simple, natural feel. This one-act has already
taken several high school performers to
competition. A real ensemble cast play with a
simple setting.
This is one of my more popular one-act plays and is a GREAT competition piece. To
get the script, or to read the first few pages,
please go to the publisher's web site. The publisher
is ELDRIDGE PLAYS AND MUSICALS,
and they would be delighted to have you visit.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
one-act
adaptation, cast requirements: 19-performers (minimum of 4-M)
This is William Shakespeare's classic fantasy/comedy, edited for time. Running only
approximately 35 minutes, this adaptation retains the basic story. Lost in this cutting is the story of Theseus, and
the wedding of the four lovers. Also cut is the popular "play within a play" which the Mechanicals perform for the duke and
the lovers. However, the actual story of Oberon and Titania and the mix up between Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena
remains intact.
If you are looking for a shorter version that retains the language and the crux of the story, this adaptation is for you! No rewriting was done, only crucial and careful cutting.
Now that you've had a chance to read the synopses, and maybe even the sample pages, here's another chance to check out the form and request a copy of one or more of my unpublished plays. Please CLICK HERE.
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