Great One-Act Plays - HELP!
Posted by aces25 2008-03-31 17:46:19.0

I am in the process of trying to find a show for next year and REALLY need your help.
I need specifically because we have so many restrictions. I'm looking for a challenging mature show, that will provide some real acting challenges.
However the show has to be:
-contemporary
-under 50 minutes
-little to no production values
-small cast
Any suggestions would really help! Thanks!

"The Zoo Story", Edward Albee

VERY deep, dense, difficult work with four mother of all monologues monologues for one actor. Both roles are very complex, and it's one crazy play that clocks in at under an hour.

Christopher Durang has written a bunch of hilarious one-acts.

I'm in a really cute one right now, its called Telephone and its by Gina Hoben

I adore Chris Durang's work. He's an excellent choice - he's pure genius, especially if your looking for comedy; edgy or otherwise. Richard Greenberg also put out a couple of good pieces. If I'm not mistaken Terrence McNally wrote one called "NEXT", at least I think it was a one act. Another that pops to mind is Ed Bullins, "A Gentleman Caller".

Making Nice is a great one - act comedy. A local school just got done, and won many awards for it.

Hughie By Eugene O Neill

How about Eugene O'Neill's THE EMPEROR JONES?

Not the most challenging show ever, but I'm currently preparing to direct Hard Candy by Jonathan Rand. It's hilarious, and s o much fun. It runs about 25-30 minutes, with a 6-11 person cast, depending on whether or not you decide to double cast.

TAPE
By Stephen Belber

A natural one-act that takes place in a motel room (all you need is a bed and a door) and features two men and one woman. A very challenging and smart piece, with enough raw emotion and plot to keep the audience captivated.
Check it out at DPS (dramatists.com) or check out the movie version with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

It's a really, really good play. A bit racy though.

Voices by Richard Lortz.

It takes one set (heck, all you need is a door pretty much), and has a cast of five. Granted, three of the parts are quite small, but the two leads have really great dialogue and the play's really well-written.

It's a pretty intense drama about a husband and wife whose son accidentally died a couple of years ago. The wife was so distraught she attempted suicide, and although she's recently been released from a sanitarium, the husband doesn't think she's all there. They take a weekend trip to a cabin where they're snowbound, and the wife starts hearing voices.

The show's very intense for the two leads, and there's a lot of really good back-and-forth between the two. Plus it runs about forty minutes and takes no set changes.

We just finished our State One Act Play HS compettion.

How about "Removing the Glove" a comedic allegory about coming out of the closet....but the situation is being left-handed.

We advanced to state finals, and got great feedback. It's a bit edgy to some, but funny with a wonderful message.

10 or more actors. Baker's Plays

FAR AWAY by Carol Churchill. The most haunting piece of theater I have ever seen. A bit post modern, but amazing.

I'm not sure if you are planning for a one-act competition or not. If so...

We did a one-act cutting of POLISH JOKE by David Ives for competition a little over three years ago. (Yes, we got permission.) The play involved five cast members (3 males, 2 females) with doubling. We went on to win first in our region and state one-act competitions with it. Since then we have done a one-act cutting of THESE TWO COUPLES WENT TO ITALY... by Paul Rusconi (3 males, 2 females) and a one-act cutting of Biloxi Blues by Neil Simon (7 males, 1 female). Both won first in region and state. This year, they did away with the competition aspect and just gave ratings. We did a one-act cutting of THE ELEPHANT MAN (4 males and 1 female with doubling). We received a superior rating at the region level and an excellent rating at state. No one received a superior rating at state in our class. You just gotta love judges.

I have included a link to some of our pictures on the Dramatic Publishing website from our production of THESE TWO COUPLES WENT TO ITALY... There are two schools represented. My school is Brandon Hall.

THESE TWO COUPLES...

I just directed a one act play called "Dead" by David Abolafia

it is a dark comedy, 2 person cast (1m, 1f), very little set, minimalistic, some acting challenges, about 35-45 mins depending on tempo of actors....

It is really a crowd pleasing play....a little bit like a Twilight Zone episode.....

Just my two cents!!! BREAK A LEG!

I would say ALL IN THE TIMING by David Ives. It is a set of comedic one acts and i believe they last from 10 to 25 mins (I don't know if thats too short for you. But each play has from 2 to 4 people. Oh and the sets are basically simple (mostly tables and chairs)

All In The Timing

ALL IN THE TIMING has been done to death. You might consider Home Free by Lanford Wilson and his Ludlow Fair. The first has 1 man and 1 woman; the second has two women. Also Lone Star (3 men) and Laundry and Bourbon (3 women) both by James McLure. Or, Am I Blue (1 man 1 woman) by Beth Henley. Or, Graceland (2 women) by Ellen Byron plus The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year (1 man, 1 woman) by John Guare.

I Never Sang for my Father- Robert Anderson
A Memory of Two Mondays- Arthur Miller
The Last Yankee- Arthur Miller

I Never Sang For My Father is a TWO act play.
A Memory of Two Mondays has a large cast.

Anyone have any recent suggestions? :)

I saw one once called "For Whom the Southern Bell Tolls." It was absolutely hilarious. I don't remember who wrote it though. If I remember, there were only 4 characters, and 1 set.

Greg MacArthur's girls!girls!girls! is a brilliant show. It's about bullying among teen girls, and is incredibly in-your face and challenging for actors. I think it's my favourite one-act!