It can be hard to find plays in one act with large casts and age range.
I know of an
Alice in Wonderland by Robyn Hilt that can be done as either one act or two. It is written as both readers theater (should some of your students be more comfortable with scripts in hand) or as a staged work. Act 1 is
Alice in Wonderland and Act 2 is
Through the Looking Glass. The acts can be done separately as one-acts or together as a full evening. It's not published yet, but the script is available for review through the playwright. Let me know if you're interested and I can put you in touch. You might also want to consider an adaptation of
Oliver Twist. The best one that I know for your population is
Oliver Twist by Mickey Coburn.
James and the Giant Peach is also a good choice. Another possibility is
Frankenstein if you look for an adaptation that is true to the original and which you might get permission to cut to the length you require. Check on the one by Kathleen McBlair.
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Jean Klein
[Playwright/Founder HaveScripts/BlueMoonPlays]
Virginia Beach VA
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