Comedy Plays for High School

I am a new Drama teacher and looking to put on a comedy play next year. What are some good comedic plays for high school students to perform?

The trick can be to find a good comedy that can also accommodate a larger cast. If you can have a small to moderate group, I'm a fan of Noises Off, The Importance of Being Earnest, Arsenic and Old Lace, Charlie's Aunt and The Foreigner. My daughter's HS is doing the 39 Steps but because they wanted to have a larger cast (the play only has 4 actors) they cast 10 people - basically removing the "funny" (one actor playing multiple roles, quick changes, etc) so who knows what that will look like. Unfortunately, though, most of the better comedies or farces have smaller casts and you have to balance that with lots of kids wanting parts. Good luck!

I'm a retired drama director and just recently a former student posted on Facebook the program from TAKE HER, SHE'S MINE which I directed in the early 80's. It had 35 roles in it!

Also good: MY SISTER EILEEN, AUNTIE MAME, PLAZA SUITE (with a different cast for each act), and THE MATCHMAKER.

Updated On: 4/25/17 at 01:30 PM

You Can't Take It With You!

There is a delightful James Kirkwood ( A Chorus Line) farce called UTBU (Unhealthy To Be Unpleasant) with a host of great character roles for females (of the eight person cast, six are for women/girls). And for an older play, it is very relevant all of a sudden.

My senior-year comedy/farce in 2007 was "Down to Earth" by Bettye Knapp. In the years since I've considered getting the rights to adapt it as a musical- take out a few of the creakier jokes and it would be a great mini-musical comedy.

Two Angels of Death are training a new recruit, who is reluctant to be a grim reaper and wants to be a Cupid instead. When sent "down to earth" to collect the soul of a miserable and unlovable old woman, the new recruit instead decides to experiment with his powers and try to fix the love lives of the woman and her family. Things backfire all over the place, and the Angels of Death can't return without taking a human soul with them. It's funny, zippy, definitely cute without being cutesy.