Every year, a list comes out of the "Top Ten Produced Plays in High Schools." Every year, the titles are similar. Our Town has been on the list for fifty years! Similarly, You Can't Take it with You has been one of the top produced high school plays for decades. They are worthy plays but are they the best fit for high school? Most of the characters are older and they skew heavily male. Ask any director and they will tell you the turnout for auditions is heavily female.
With so many new and worthy plays published yearly, there are gems that have gotten lost in the crowd and should really 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 awards and many have gone through professional development. They feature mostly large casts, with young people playing close to their age range (let them play Will Loman when they are fifty).
The featured plays explore characters that are close to the actors emotionally and accessible to student audiences. The subjects are as varied as adult theatre as are the genres (comedy, drama, fantasy, young audiences, issue plays, biography, history, science, and more).
An added bonus of producing these plays - most of us Skype - for free. We are happy to "meet" the casts and answer questions.(Writing is solitary so Skype sessions can be most welcome.) 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.
The blog is an extension of two sessions at the American Alliance for Theatre Education Conference:
- Hidden Treasures - showcasing underproduced plays that would resonate with young actors and their audiences.
- Act Your Age - the benefits of choosing plays with most of the characters close to the actors age.
In the interest of gender parity, at least half of the plays featured will be plays by female playwrights. I will be highlighting a new play every two weeks. Be sure to bookmark this page. New material is every 14 day - 21 days. To date:
Kara in Black by Max Bush
ARK 5 by Sandra Fenichel Asher
Salvation Road by D.W. Gregory
With so many new and worthy plays published yearly, there are gems that have gotten lost in the crowd and should really 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 awards and many have gone through professional development. They feature mostly large casts, with young people playing close to their age range (let them play Will Loman when they are fifty).
The featured plays explore characters that are close to the actors emotionally and accessible to student audiences. The subjects are as varied as adult theatre as are the genres (comedy, drama, fantasy, young audiences, issue plays, biography, history, science, and more).
An added bonus of producing these plays - most of us Skype - for free. We are happy to "meet" the casts and answer questions.(Writing is solitary so Skype sessions can be most welcome.) 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.
The blog is an extension of two sessions at the American Alliance for Theatre Education Conference:
- Hidden Treasures - showcasing underproduced plays that would resonate with young actors and their audiences.
- Act Your Age - the benefits of choosing plays with most of the characters close to the actors age.
In the interest of gender parity, at least half of the plays featured will be plays by female playwrights. I will be highlighting a new play every two weeks. Be sure to bookmark this page. New material is every 14 day - 21 days. To date:
Kara in Black by Max Bush
ARK 5 by Sandra Fenichel Asher
Salvation Road by D.W. Gregory