MEET ME AT THE GATES, MARCUS JAMES by DONNA HOKE, Drama
Cast: 2-4+ females, 6-9+ males (10-11 performers, extras easily added)
60-70 Minutes

SYNOPSIS
"Nobody's safe till everyone is safe."

When Marcus James, a black, gay high school student, finds a pink noose hanging in his locker, he refuses to be the target of racism and homophobia, and defiantly puts the noose around his neck. That doesn't sit well with school administrators, who would love to sweep the incident under the rug and focus on the upcoming sports championship. Their solution: feign concern and put the target on Marcus. As the threat to Marcus increases, he finds that sticking to his convictions may just win him some unlikely allies in his ongoing fight for acceptance.

WHY YOU SHOULD PRODUCE THIS PLAY
High schools are a hotbed of cliques. Reports of hate crimes in high schools regarding race, religion, and gender-identity make the local papers daily. Producing this play gives a high school a safe place to address these issues. The play will resonate with both the cast and the audience. 

"There's a principle to stand on, and I'll stand with you, but don't expect great numbers standing with us. Most will just say it sucks and be happy to let it fade."

Producing the play can help put the brakes on letting these issues "just fade away." The play is largely comprised of teen actors which makes them readily able to relate to their characters and be successful in their roles. What's heartening is how Hoke uses the ensemble of teen characters - she allows them to change and grow as they discover how to be friends. It's a voyage of discovery that we want for all teens. 

In these days of "instant everything," Hoke quickly throws you into the storyline and continues with a fast pace that drives towards an ending that brings initial sadness and finally hope. The play does not dwell on platitudes: it's witty, sometimes irreverent, thoughtful, and poignant. She avoids the pitfalls of the "high school stereotype" and brings an honesty to all of her characters - even the challenging ones. Created especially for teen performers, the play is a welcome addition the high school/college theatre canon.

TO ORDER A COPY OF THIS PLAY, READ AN EXCERPT, AND/OR PRODUCE IT, PLEASE GO TO YouthPLAYS

DONNA HOKE Ensemble playwright at Road Less Traveled Productions, Donna Hoke’s work has so far been seen in 46 states and on five continents. Plays include Brilliant Works of Art (Kilroys List), Elevator Girl (O’Neill finalist, Princess Grace finalist), The Couple Next Door (Princess Grace semi-finalist), and Safe (winner of the Todd McNerney, Naatak, and Great Gay Play and Musical Contests). Donna is also a New York Times-published crossword puzzle constructor; author of Neko and the Twiggets, a children's book; and founder/co-curator of BUA Takes 10: GLBT Short Stories. She has received an Individual Artist Award from the New York State Council on the Arts to develop Hearts of Stone, and is a two-time Artie Award winner for Outstanding New Play (Seeds, Sons & Lovers). In its final three years, Artvoice named her Buffalo's Best Writer—the only woman to ever receive the designation. Donna serves on the Dramatists Guild Council and also as New York State regional representative. In addition, she is a blogger, advocate, and moderator of the 12,000+-member Official Playwrights of Facebook. For more information on Donna Hoke and her plays, please go to: http://www.donnahoke.com​

​You might also like: Salvation Road by D.W. Gregory: https://www.claudiahaas.com/your-next-high-school-college-play/salvation-road-by-dw-gregory​

SALVATION ROAD by D.W. GREGORY; Drama
Cast: 4-6m, 11f, 1 either gender

SYNOPSIS
Denise is a talented musician and passionate about social justice. After a short time away at college, she is befriended by a charismatic church leader who may or may not be what he seems. On the very first page, Gregory delves into Denise's family dynamics and her strong social conscience.

***
DENISE: (after finishing a song) "I'm Denise Kozak, we're Lost Horizon and that was "You Can Run But You Can't Hide." Dedicated to my kid brother Cliff - who I guess had better things to do tonight? Than support Guatemalan earthquake relief? ... But you're all here - which is awesome! ... Because - it's like - you know fate? You don't choose your fate. It chooses you. And if you're lucky in this life ... you have an obligation, you know? To do what you can for the ill-fated of this world."
***

Right away, we see Denise's musical talent, her rift with her younger brother and her wish to give back to the world. Denise is from a loving home. Her decision to leave what her new church deems a "toxic family" and a useless school comes from a deep-seated longing to be needed, to be appreciated and to develop this "special" gift that the church says in inside her. It's a different take from a young person running away to avoid a challenging home and looking for acceptance anywhere she can find it. 

Cliff's best friend, Duffy, sees Denise at a mall and convinces Cliff that his sister is in trouble and needs rescuing. It takes some convincing but Cliff wants some answers. What is it that Denise gets from a shallow preacher that she doesn't get at home? Cliff and Duffy embark on a road trip leaving Cliff's younger sister, Jill, at home to run interference with the parents. But Jill won't stay out of it. She has done some research on her own. She sets Cliff and Duffy up with an interview with a woman who can tell them in no uncertain terms what they will be up against if they try to rescue Denise and how they could wind up driving Denise further away from them. 

***
SISTER: "There's a certain security. In having someone else make decisions for you. And if you toe the line, you do feel loved."

CLIFF: I never thought Denise would fall for something like that.

SISTER: Imagine if you're alone. On a huge campus. Away from home for the first time. And maybe you're fighting with your parents. Or you just broke up with your boyfriend. Or you're really confused about your major, what you want to do with your life. And someone ... comes along. Who makes you feel just wonderful about yourself. And it seems like he has all the answers. Are you going to tell him to get out of here, you're too nice? 
***
Faith versus fanaticism collide but how does one tell the difference? Especially if you're young, vulnerable and longing to make a positive impact on the world?

WHY YOU SHOULD PRODUCE THIS PLAY
The cast is comprised of mainly teens with a few early 20's and one adult which make all of the characters very accessible to student actors. Students in high schools and colleges will relate to both Cliff's story of trying to save his sister and Denise's journey of trying to make her mark in the world. 

Smartly-written, the dialogue is very fast paced in the manner that teens speak today without the slang that could date it. Gregory's main characters have a clear arc where they grow and change on this journey to Salvation Road. There is an expandable ensemble and and numerous chances for the minor characters to shine. Gregory gives the actors a script that poses many questions about family, social justice, faith, fanaticism and purpose in life - all questions that teens grapple with today. There is no tidy ending but there is hope which is all any of us can dare to wish for in the end.

The play will leave the audiences with much to discuss, even more to think about, and will thoroughly engage the audience throughout the course of the play.

To order a copy of this play, read an excerpt, and/or produce it, please go to: https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/salvation-road

• D.W. Gregory's plays frequently explore political issues through a personal lens. The New York Times called her "a playwright with a talent to enlighten and provoke" for her most produced play, Radium Girls, about the famous case of industrial poisoning. Other plays include Molumby's Million, nominated for a Barrymore Theatre Award by Theatre Philadelphia; October 1962; and a musical comedy, The Yellow Stocking Play. Her short comedy So Tell Me About This Guy was a finalist for the Heideman Award and produced at Actor's Theatre of Louisville. Her work has been developed through the support of the American Alliance for Theatre Education (AATE), The National New Play Network, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Gregory is a member of the Dramatists Guild and affiliated writer with the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. More information can be found at: www.dwgregory.com.
  

​You might also like: Ark 5 by Sandra Fenichel Asherark-5-by-sandra-fenichel-asher.html

ARK 5 by Sandra Fenichel Asher; Drama
Cast: 7 + extras; 4f, 3m, many extras possible and needed

SYNOPSIS: What would you give to live a life of peace, free of hunger, free of disease, free of the ravages of age? Asher poses this question in ARK 5 where the citizens of the ARK are doing exactly that. They lead productive, useful lives free of anything that causes chaos - emotional or physical. 

***
JOAN & PETRA: We will fill our days with usefulness and contentment.

PETRA: The past is useless. We work in the present to create the future.
***

Petra rules a future that is free of any sort of chaos and in her mind chaos includes love and music. Attachments harm the greater good. Those who are deemed "useless" are cast aside. For the people of ARK 5, they have no idea where the useless people are and how they live their lives. "Out of sight, out of mind," rules and people only know what they need to know to live their lives and nothing more.

Using the framework of Joan of Arc, Asher creates a unique futuristic heroine with her Joan. Joan in ARK 5 is not called to act by angels but by humanity. The numbers in the "useless" area are growing and they have declared their space the "wilderness." With the help of the very human Michael, Catherine and Margaret, Joan discovers her calling and her long-buried humanity as she is called to save the wilderness people. 

***
MARGARET: Catherine says information is not knowledge. She says we are deluged with facts, but we lack understanding.
***

WHY YOU SHOULD PRODUCE THIS PLAY: At a time when teenagers are exploring the notions of their individuality, individual rights and the collective good, ARK 5 poses many questions regarding the often hidden price tag of safety and freedom. Teens are grappling with a challenging world. Technological advances come at them at the speed of light. Their use and abuse in the play have direct parallels to today's world. In addition to giving the cast worlds of discussion, this play is one that would highly resonate with a high school/university audience. 

***
JOAN: The ARK System is a force for good in the world. We are kept healthy and safe. We are well-trained to do important work.

CATHERINE: There is peace and usefulness, yes, order and health. But at what price?

JOAN: No price but our willing service!

MARGARET: If we are fit to serve.

CATHERINE: But if not ...?

JOAN: I'm not aware of anyone dying!

CATHERINE: You have been protected from grief as you have been protected from love.
***

By high school standards, the cast may seem small but the importance of the extras in the wilderness scenes can not be understated. Using movement and little dialogue, the wilderness scenes are some of the most poignant and powerful scenes in the play. Just as with the major roles, teen-actors "in the wilderness" have the opportunity to create their own character arc and who they were in the past and how they came to the wilderness. There are so many study variations to be had here. One project could be to compare and contrast it with the original Joan of Arc story - both historical and dramatized. Asher brings up the role of music in the ARK 5 society. Music can cause messy emotions. Yes it can make the heart soar but it creates attachments, it stirs the being and in that sense is chaotic. So it is banned. What else could be banned to create a useful, orderly society? What is the role of faith? Asher doesn't supply you with answers but she does open doors for you and your cast to create a thoughtful debate.

To order a copy of this play, read an excerpt and/or produce it, please go to:
www.dramaticpublishing.com/ark-5

​

Sandra Fenichel Asher's plays have been produced nationally and abroad. More than two dozen have been published, including three Distinguished Play Award Winners: A Woman Called Truth, In the Garden of the Selfish Giant, and Jesse and Grace: A Best Friends Story. Other honors include an NEA fellowship grant in playwriting, the New England Theatre Conference's Aurand Harris Award, the Joseph Campbell Memorial Award, AATE'S Charlotte Chorpenning Award for a distinguished body of work and an Aurand Harris Fellowship grant from the Children's Theatre Foundation of America. In addition to playwriting, Asher is also the author of 25 books and editor of five fiction anthologies. For more information, go to:
sandyasher.com

You might also like: Kara in Black by Max Bush

Kara in Black by Max Bush; Drama
Cast: 7-9m, 10-13w (Fifteen of these characters are between the ages of 16-19 - ideal for universities and high school)
Unit set depicting different locales
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes approximate

***
KARA: Della's my sister!

SUE ELLEN: What do you mean?!

KARA: She likes old Elvis records!

SUE ELLEN: What does that mean?

KARA: They don't know that. And she doesn't know those people. They're going to try and kill each other.
***

SYNOPSIS: Kara in Black takes place January-March 2003, beginning prior to the invasion of Iraq and finishing three days after the invasion. Kara's older sister, Della is leaving to join her Army unit and travel to Kuwait for a possible invasion of Iraq. Kara (Known as "Weird Kara" for her unusual prom designs - she came to prom in something resembling a fruit salad a year ago) doesn't want her to go and for the first time in her life, she starts to think about the nature of war and what her sister will experience. With friends, Kara researches the first Gulf War to better understand what will happen to Della in Iraq. Kara speaks with a decorated war veteran (Stevens) to better understand combat experience and what it does to people.

***
STEVENS (Vietnam veteran): And then, and then something was pressing against my face..... The ground.... Oh yeah, I'm hit. My head was ringing and my shoulder, a round hit my shoulder.... Find 'em, got to find 'em... Get up, find 'em and kill, kill 'em all... but I took too long.... We had seven dead. Five alive. Seven...

KARA: (After a long moment) How old were you?

STEVENS: Eighteen.

KARA: I'm eighteen.
***

Kara researches past wars and discovers "Women in Black," a non-violent international organization that holds vigils protesting violence towards women and children. She decides to open a local chapter and that decision leads to polarization among her friends and family. During the play Kara (along with some of her friends) discovers what matters to her, how to combat her fears of helplessness in a challenging world, and how to use her voice to express herself on what she knows to be true. After the invasion, things grow increasingly heated as each character must grapple with what their truths and feelings about this new war. Kara's vigil for peace brings out heightened emotions in a conclusion that will stay with you long after the play is over. 

***
STEVENS: ... I said, "Throw a grenade in there." He threw it and ran, and it went off. I said, Cover me" and looked inside and there wa ... was... a family in there. The mother was on her knees rocking, she was doing some chant from Vietnam, and she fell over dead. There was a boy and a little girl - four, five years old - they were both hurt and screaming..... I got to find those kids, go back to Vietnam, find those kids, and talk to them. It's unfinished business....  Every time I hear a kid yell, that's what I think of.

KARA: (after a long moment) How old were you?

STEVENS: Nineteen.

KARA: My sister is nineteen.
***

WHY YOU SHOULD PRODUCE THIS PLAY:  University and college students will recognize themselves in these characters. They are on the same journeys of exploration as Kara, Della and their friends. All of the characters - whether they are for the Iraq War or against - speak from moments of honesty and their own convictions. There are no tidy answers to the questions Bush poses in the play - but rather a respectful look at the exploration of young people as they try to reconcile their beliefs, their cares and their own needs and how they fit into a messy world.

In our increasingly polarized world, Kara in Black is ripe for discussion - among the cast and crew and audience members. It's a perfect fit for theatre in education. Meticulously researched (Stevens' monologues are from interviews that Bush did with Vietnam veterans), the play was developed through an Aurand Harris Playwriting grant (funded by Children's Theater Foundation) and a commission from the Lawrence Arts Center in Lawrence, Kansas (courtesy of the Summer Schools in the Arts grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.) 

Practically speaking, you have a large cast of actors (the majority female) in their late teens with substantial roles for the experienced actor as well as for the novice. With the large cast, you have the ability to give your students a meaningful, theatrical experience. 
​
***
KARA: I'm protesting this war for you. And everyone else. I love you. And want you to be safe and still be my sister when you come home. Della? Della, are you still there? I'm doing this for you.
***
To order a copy of this play, read an excerpt and/or produce it, please go to:
Dramatic Publishing - Kara in Black 

Max Bush is a freelance playwright and director whose plays are widely produced on professional, educational and amateur stages across the country. He's won many awards for his works including the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre Education, the IUPUI National Playwriting Competition (now known as Write Now!) and was awarded the Charlotte Chorpenning Cup for a nationally significant body of work for young audiences (also from American Alliance for Theatre Education). Bush was named  a Distinguished Alumni by Grand Valley State University for his work in playwriting and for developing programs at the university. He has many published plays suitable for teen actors. To learn more about Bush and his extraordinary body of work, please go to:
Dramatic Publishing - Max Bush

With so many new and worthy plays published yearly, there are gems that have gotten lost in the crowd and should be looked at by directors/teachers who work in theatre education. This blog seeks to highlight the growing canon of plays written for teens and young adults that are published and production-tested. Most of them have earned honors and have gone through professional development. They feature fairly large casts, with young people playing close to their age (let them play Will Loman when they are fifty). 

An added bonus of producing these plays - most of us Skype - for free. We are happy to "meet" the casts and answer questions. We also can be found close to our computer which means you can email us and expect a timely answer. If we're local, we try to see our plays. 

Recommended Plays with Cast Requirements, Synopsis and How to Find Them:
Kara in Black by Max Bush
ARK 5 by Sandra Fenichel Asher
Salvation Road by D.W. Gregory
​Meet Me at the Gates, Marcus James by Donna Hoke