NEW! There's a new edit up as of March 4. Take a look. Can best-friends-forever really last forever? A tale of a forty-year friendship told through school notes, letters, and emails. Can be done with two female actors or change the actresses every decade and use up to eight. Serio-comic. 60-70 minutes. No set, no memorization, few props. Read for free: Yours until Niagara Falls
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Welcome to the plays of Claudia Haas. Thank-you for the visit! The plays have had over 1500 productions in every state in the USA as well as on six continents. I have a large body of work for teen performers. I skype and zoom for free. Message me so I can take a break from working.
My new plays can be read in their entirety on this site for free. Be kind. Read but don't produce without obtaining rights. Not that you would do that. NEWS: Almost Mary (science play about 12 year-old Mary Anning's big fossil discovery) to be published by YouthPLAYS. Not in Our Town (about the "Not in Our Town" movement to combat hate; now published by Pioneer Drama. A Day of Dreaming. Flexible cast of 8-17. Vignettes about dreams and finding love. Now by Eldridge Publishing. NEW PLAY: Yours Until Niagara Falls is now up on the website. Info on the side bar. Read for free. To be developed through a residency at Utah Valley University. Read more about it on the Youth Plays Unpublished page. Remembering Margot - Read entire play for free - updated 7/25/2023 Minimum cast: 8 Maximum cast: 15+ This was just reworked after a reading at Utah Valley University. This play is a re-imagining of Margot Frank's brief life based on newly-surfaced photos of her. Rather than the depressed, “head always in a book” snapshot of Margot, the photos show an athletic, fun-loving teen enjoying the company of friends. Read the play for free: Remembering Margot A one-act version for the High School One Act Play Contest is also available. It uses 8 actors (6 female, 2 male), has an easy set up and is under 35 minutes. Remembering Margot One Act The United Plays of America is now available for download in Word or pdf. 51 plays from every state in the USA plus Washington D.C. suitable for classroom use. They are free to use in the classroom. Many examples are on the Free Scenes for Teens page. There is a royalty attached for use with an audience. The plays have been tested in classes across the country, have been used in festivals and included in classes in four countries. You may use it free in your classroom. Message me if you want the anthology (it's 51 plays so a BIG file). American Alliance for Theatre Education's Playwrights for Change contest winner: Hiking. Read it on the Free Scenes for Teen page. Cast: 2 females; ten minutes. Things I should tell you about: Honors and Awards and Play Development: I won't bore you with them but if you are so inclined they are on the About Me page. Sign up for my free newsletter detailing what's new on the website. It's one page, no spam and comes out the first week of the month from August through May. You can sign up on the Contact page. More details on the Free Scenes for Teens page. IN THE NEWS: Soundscapes is now published by Stage Partners and you can read the play here: Soundscapes. CAST: 10-30+ flexible. It was developed through NYU'S New Plays for Young Audiences especially for the high school stage. St. Luke's School recently produced it and it was reviewed by a gifted writer, Jack Lyons '24. Staff Writer for the school paper The Sentinel. The review was so complete and well-thought out, I am sharing it below. It is immensely gratifying to see how the play resonates with young people. I hope you take minute to read it. SoundScapes: Why We Need to Hear, Feel, and Taste the SLS Fall Play Jack Lyons '24, Staff Writer October 18, 2023 This year’s fall play is called SoundScapes–and it’s all about neurodiversity. Co-authored by Claudia Hass and Sarah Kraning, the play revolves around a young girl, Iris, who grows up with a neurological disorder. Her disorder is called Synthesia–a condition where sensory neural pathways connect to each other in unique ways. These connections cause an individual to experience the world around them differently; some may hear color or taste words. In Iris’ case, she has Chromesthesia, a subset of Synthesia that specifically causes sound-to-color associations. Iris is first introduced to the audience at age 6. As she experiences life, she feels ostracized and oftentimes scared of her condition. Not knowing what Synesthesia is, Iris is constantly confused by her senses, even misdiagnosing herself as Schizophrenic. One of the coolest parts of SoundScapes is the Color Chorus. As Iris feels, hears, and sees different emotions, a large blank canvas is painted over by a group of students who comprise this ‘Chorus.’ Through the choice of color, the width of brush strokes, and the style of painting, the audience gains insight into the inner workings of Iris’ brain. Acting as an emotional medium, the canvas explores Iris’ identity through color–allowing the audience to experience Chromesthesia firsthand. Color Chorus member Elissa Tobin ‘26 says, “It’s giving me the opportunity to bond with my friends through the unification of the Color Chorus, allowing us to merge into one overarching character.” This unity represents Iris’ psyche, with each individual member portraying a distinct sense. All come together as one, lending to an overarching theme of inclusivity. The Color Chorus combines with an intragalactic soundtrack filled with songs that match different planets in order to create a sensory experience. This visual and auditory pairing of media lets the audience step into Iris’ world. According to Dawn Fuller, the Director of Performing Arts/US Theatre, SoundScapes “shows that learning differences don’t have to separate us.” It breaks the stigma surrounding conditions like Dyslexia, Autism, and Synesthesia, proving that they aren’t disadvantages, but rather, unique forms of perception. For some, this altering of perception has already occurred: cast member Izzy Leeming ‘26 reports that the play “has given me more of an awareness of Synesthesia.” SoundScapes has an invited dress rehearsal on Thursday, November 9 after school; with performances on Friday, November 10, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, November 11, at 2 and 7 p.m. Show up, support St. Luke’s Theater, and learn a little about neurodiversity through SoundScapes’ rich, sensorial experience. Find all my plays for young performers on the Youth Plays Unpublished Page. Curious about my published plays? Find them here. Published Youth Plays. Free Scenes for Teens: They are still going strong and I am adding to them. They are free to use in the classroom (and please and thank-you - only in the classroom). You must contact me with your name, school, city and state to get the rights. Ask to get on my mailing list for the once a month listing of what's new on the page. (It's only once a month and only during school year.) You can also find me on the New Play Exchange. All of the plays have full scripts for you to read. Like my page Claudia Haas, Playwright on Facebook and follow my latest news there. Scroll through and enjoy the site. |