Great plays for a high school?

[aces25]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 12:26pm

I'm looking around for great plays for our high school to do (non-musical). Especially ones that have lots of parts, particularly for female. Please let me know if you can think of any! 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 5:59pm

You Can't Take It With You is an utter delight!

August: Osage County (not right for all high schools, granted)

The Crucible

 

 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:14pm

NPR and Dramatics Magazine compile an annual list of the most popular productions. Probably nothing very original or revelatory, but everything on the list is obviously tried and tested. How about bringing back the old favorite "Arsenic And Old Lace"?

 

Over the past 76 years, the most popular plays have consistently been Our Town andYou Can't Take It With You, according to our analysis.

"Most high school teachers need a big cast, lots of female roles, and something that won't scare your grandma," says Corathers, who's been with Dramatics since 1979.

For both plays: check, check and check.

 

Link

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:14pm

Lettice and Lovage

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/04/nyregion/theater-doing-a-marathon-role-in-lettice-and-lovage.html

[illiniparkie]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:22pm

Inherit the Wind.

 

Lots of parts and some of the minor (and even major) roles could probably be played by women.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:34pm

Except you have to get permission to do that.  Arsenic and Old Lace is very male heavy.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:45pm

August Osage County and Lettice and Lovage  (in my opinion) are not appropriate for any high school I've ever directed in, and I have directed in dozens of them.   Changing parts from male to female in any play is rarely a good idea, and as noted.. You would need permission to do that.

I would stick with the plays on those lists.  Also, check  Playscripts.com  They have tons of new great plays for high schools.
 

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:50pm

I don't know what constitutes "lots" but Steel Magnolias?  

If you search the Samuel French website for full length plays and large female cast you get things like:  but look yourself:

Pride and Prejudice  10m 16 f

Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 4m 15F (already suggested)

Waiting in the Wings by Noel Coward (I don't know the play) but 4m 14f and it's Noel Coward so it should be good?

I Remember Mama - 9m 13f

The Rose Tattoo 9m 14f (but may not be appropriate for high school)

Stage Door 11m 21f

Flowers for Algernon 10m 17f

Go Ask Alice 8m 15f (is this book still banned?)

The Children's Hour 2m 12f (but may not be appropriate for some HS?)

 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 9:38pm

There are.lots of schools that would allow it.  Mine did and I know we weren't alone.

 

And it was pretty glorious.

[freewilma]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 9:42pm

I refer back to these lists of plays that are being performed at high schools in the DC area when I'm looking for new ideas and inspiration.  Several of them have been listed here before...but there are lots of other ones too.  It's a decent starting point.  

http://www.cappies.com/nca/Awards/2015-2016(Current).aspx

http://www.cappies.com/nca/Awards/2014-2015.aspx

http://www.cappies.com/nca/Awards/2013-2014.aspx

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 11:40pm

dramamama611 said: "There are.lots of schools that would allow it.  Mine did and I know we weren't alone.

 

And it was pretty glorious.

 

"

Which play?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 4:46am

Sorry....August:Osage County.

As I said in my original post, it's not right for all communities, but it isn't outright inappropriate.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 7:01am

I think August Osage is  inappropriate and a bad choice for high schools. The content makes it inappropriate and  students in high school don't have the life experience to even truly understand  the relationships or the situations presented in that play. Even if some of the actors do, most of the audience of high school kids will not. Yes, they know what a drug addict is but they don't really understand what addiction is about.  They can't possible understand what is going on in Violet' mind. As an acting teacher of all ages for several years I find that high school actors and even college aged actors don't even know what the words they are saying mean. A three and a half hour play with the content of August is a bad choice for young actors. Another play I saw on the list from DC was Streetcar. I think that is another really bad choice for high school. Acting is an art form. You don't start at a level ten when you are really a level one.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 7:28am

Is it right for all high schools?  Of course not.  But it can be, and you know what?  My kids learned.  A lot. And they were better students and actors for it, because they had to think and discover.

[John Adams]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 8:07am

• Animal Farm
• Candide

[benappleton]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 10:19am

Do a night of David Ives. They're short, fun, written the way people still speak. Plenty of parts for everyone!

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 11:35am

Up The Down Staircase

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 2:26pm

^Wow, I haven't heard that title in a while!

[jennifer1128]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 11:19pm

I know that one of the most popular plays performed in high schools is Almost, Maine.  It has quite a large cast as well.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 11:53pm

The straight play version of spring awakening.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 3:26am

Don't forget the request for lots of females....that usually means disproportionately to the parts available for boys.  Almost Maine is 50/50 and every version of Spring Awakening is male dominated.

[skies]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 4:20am

"Bye, bye Birdie."

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 5:40am

The OP asked for non musicals 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 12:03pm

There is a stage adaptation of The Night of the Living Dead that seemed to be very popular amongst high schools just a couple years ago, though I'm not sure on the M:F ratio of the cast.

[Page210]

Posted: 2/1/17 at 2:56pm

Still looking for large cast plays? 

Check out www.taunyapage.com