Sanders is very upset. The budget for his opening show of the new theatre season is being cut by eighty percent. This particular play is to be an epic retelling of the timeless classic, "Cinderella," an expensive show that includes grand costumes, elaborate sets, and high-priced special effects. But how is he expected to pull off such a spectacle with practically no money? To add insult to injury, Sanders learns that the reason his budget is cut is because Mrs. Brakes, the executive director of the theatre, and her pal Bonnie, the president of the board of directors, have embezzled the "Cinderella" money to fund a nice long cruise in the Caribbean.
Sanders is outraged and decides to take matters into his own hands. "If it's a low-budget show they want, it's a low-budget show they'll get," he tells a friend. He rounds up some local yokels with no acting experience and casts them in the show. He uses cardboard boxes for the set, paper confetti and flashlights for special effects, and a child's wagon for the royal carriage in which Cinderella rides to the ball. Cinderella's "beautiful" gown is even worse. But revenge turns from sweet to bitter when Sanders learns that the trip planned was a surprise for him and his wife. Too late, the show has already opened. What a disaster ... that is until the reviews come in and the show is the hit of the season!
By Eddie McPherson
Cast: 4 men, 2 women, 4 flexible, choir and extras.
Performance time: Approximately one hour including music.
When Jack Willoughby's youth minister has to go out of town at the last minute to visit his sick aunt, he leaves his best student, Jack, in charge of this year's Christmas play. But when everyone begins arriving at the church for the first rehearsal, this teen realizes his task may be more than he bargained for. Strange noises are heard in the empty church, an unknown janitor begins appearing and disappearing, and no one wants to cooperate with the new young director. It's beginning to look as if there may not be a play after all. Then things begin to change as the mysterious custodian helps Jack understand an important lesson, teaching him that God can take something hopeless and turn it into something He can use; a play gone wrong, a manger, our lives. A student choir and favorite Christmas carols are added to enhance this fun play.
A stage-action comedy farce. Beowulf, the classic hero, kills the ferocious monster Grendel - but in a funny slapstick comedy? This adaptation becomes a farce when someone steals all the costumes and props the night before the show. But the show must go on! It gets even more hilarious every moment. Imagine Beowulf using a plastic bucket for his helmet, a mop for his sword, and his armor is a suit of mail (letters and postcards). The director, acting as the narrator, helps the actors agonize through the preposterous adventure. The characters, dressed in improvised costumes using impossible props, bravely accomplish their mission. Every student will want to read the true Beowulf story after this delightful fiasco. Easy to stage.
By Eddie McPherson
Cast: 6 men, 8 women, 1 either male or female
Trudy is new to the theatre scene. She has been hired as stage manager for an upcoming play at a small professional theatre. The problem is Trudy is inept, clumsy and more than that, she’s a jinx. So, why doesn’t the director fire her? Because Trudy is the owner’s only niece. But when the cast discovers that Trudy is a modern day gremlin who is cursing the show they are rehearsing– they decide she must go once and for all.
Realizing throwing Trudy out isn’t an option, they resolve to de-hex her instead in order to make the theatre a safe haven once again. An old book of theatre superstitions is brought in and the reverse-the-curse shenanigans and laughs begin.
By Eddie McPherson
Cast:5M, 10W, plus 2 roles that can be either
Set/Time:Simple interior set/About 90 minutes
Pricing: $5.25 per script ($50 royalty first performance, $40 each additional)
Stella Devine is the aging star of the popular Ritz Theatre. She and her fellow company of actors are preparing for the epic play "Civil War Darlin's," written by the theatre's acclaimed playwright in residence, Micole, who has written starring roles for Stella for 20 years. Ginger, a "sweet Southern belle" from Georgia, visits a rehearsal to watch her favorite star up close. She adores Stella, she idolizes Stella, she worships Stella and, most of all, she's there to steal Stella's starring role.
Pretending to be a struggling waitress who's trying to raise money to get back home, Ginger lies and cons her way into the part written for the famous star. Meanwhile, Billy, an unscrupulous newspaper reporter looking for a scoop, would love nothing more than to catch Stella throwing a tyrannical fit so he can sensationalize her in a national paper. But in the midst of collecting facts, Billy and his girlfriend Loeta uncover Ginger's evil ploy and set out to uncover her diabolical scheme. Throw in Brad and Chad, a set of twins played by the same person; Trevor, a bad actor (with a bad toupee) who thinks he really is fighting the Civil War; a dim-witted beauty of the stage; and an overbearing stage mother, and you have a fun, delightful comedy that's different than anything you've ever seen before!
A wild, whacked-out circus of antics. Irresistibly funny! Crazy costumes, kookie characters, and weirdo stunts make this show an end-to-end laugh riot. A hilarious spoof of a phony circus sideshow with a seven-eyed woman, a two-headed man, a jungle girl, a ventriloquist, a Martian man, a gorilla and two surprise visitors from outer space. Starring fake-freak roles for a large cast of performers that want to really ham it up.
Lots of crazy action as several teens try to save Mrs. Bucklewash's sideshow from closing down. They improvise their own sideshow acts after the star performer quits. Everything goes wrong but turns out wonderfully right. The kind of show that succeeds no matter what happens. One set, two acts. Cast: 12W, 5M, 9 to 15 optional extras. Age level: Middle grades to College. Playing time: 90 minutes, two acts. Purchase Of One Playbook Per Performer Is Required. THIS IS A ROYALTY PLAY. A ROYALTY OF $50 WILL BE CHARGED FOR FIRST PERFORMANCE, $40 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL.
