one act help

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 6:41pm

I'm thinking about directing a one act at my school this year. Does anyone have any suggestions of one acts(or plays that could be made into a one act) that:
-are between 15 and 35 minutes
-have a small cast...4-6 people
-aren't too terribly difficult to direct

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 6:46pm

I directed the radio drama SORRY, WRONG NUMBER.

Don't need many props, you'll need some sound effects (telephone ring and busy signal). And a lot of roles can be double cast. I used a cast of four. Can do five, too.

It's about a invalid woman who overhears a telephone conversion about a planned murder. This is a goodie.

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 6:54pm

thanks...I'll look into it

[Jon]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 11:25pm

"Time Flies" by David Ives - brilliantly funny. It's one man, one woman, and one off-stage voice (male). It's about 15 minutes long.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 11:29pm

do sorry wrong number...its great, mind you i starred in it (as George the hitman, i had groupies therefore i starred) its perfect for your needs

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 11:36pm

"Sorry, Wrong number" is great! I was supposed to star in it as the woman on the phone... except that we ended up not having our one-act shows performed cause the director got pissed off at the cast of another one act that this one kid in our school wrote and cancelled all of them. i was so pissed off. it's a great one-act.
DEFINITELY DO THAT.

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 11:40pm

thanks!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 12:10am

I directed a show called High Window, by Verne Powers. I got it from Bakers. It has five people and one very, very simple setting. Or you could make it big.

The characters are:
Emily Winthrop...old cripple that hates her nephew, murdered her husband for the money
Walter...the nephew, playboy, but Emily makes him think he killed his uncle, so he's really influenced, i guess
Linda...Walter's girlfriend and newspaper reporter. She solves the mystery of the uncle's death
Judy...Warren Winthrop's (dead uncle) secretary and nurse
Judge Steven....Emily's attorney, very short role.

But it's one act, pretty much one scene, but i split it up into five scenes for rehearsal reasons. And very simple to direct. I hope this helps.

Oh, and the royalties are only $25 bucks, and the scripts are like $5 each. Updated On: 8/13/04 at 12:10 AM

[insomniak]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 12:13am

Not Enough Rope is very funny, but it is three people.

[shesings]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 12:17am

Some one acts our school did:
-Sorry Wrong Number
- The Patient
- The Lottery
- Waiting
- Trifles
- To the Lovely Margaret
- I Love You Mr. Klotz

[shlamdiddly]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 12:48am

three people is fine... Idon't really want less tha 3...no more than 6

[thibodeaux]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:44am

Trifles is a really good piece.

If you do it right.

We studied it in my directing class and I enjoyed it muchas.

[dramafreak13]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 3:12am

for whom the southern belle tolls by david ives is an amazing one act

[fiesta1]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 10:59am

Adaptation, by Elaine May.
4 characters (game show host, contestant, as well as a male and female player who double all of the other roles). Quick paced and runs about 35 minutes.

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:19pm

I starred as Amanda in Southern Belle by Durang - best role I ever played! (to the above poster, are you sure it was by ives? Maybe a diff show?) And we had a group of kids do "Glass Menagerie" before us-which is what it parodies - so it was even better. It's still funny w/o Menagerie, but not as much so.

Updated On: 8/13/04 at 02:19 PM

[seymour krelborn]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:36pm

The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang is a really good one that fits what you need. It's also very funny.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:45pm

Anything by Durang. He's so funny. I was in Wanda's Visit in HS. Another funny peice, but it has maybe 6, or 7 characters.

[bobby_strong]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:57pm

yeah I agree you cant really go wrong with durang, in fact DMV tyrant is one of his less popular shows but its so funny and I think it runs about 15 minutes tops. Also there is a show called Happy Talking, which is a comedy poking fun at telemarketers which is very very funny but I believe that has a bigger cast.

Good Luck!