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Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

  • 1.  Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-22-2019 08:59
    Can anyone suggest a good high school appropriate play in the horror genre?  

    Thanks in advance.

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    Michael Rozell
    Producer/Director
    Belle Vernon Area High School
    Belle Vernon, PA
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  • 2.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-22-2019 11:06
    It really depends on what your community considers acceptable for high schoolers. I love this genre and we have done several that were very well received:

    - Dracula by William McNulty
    - Jack the Ripper: Monster of Whitechapel by Joe Dickinson
    - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Noah Smith
    - Frankenstein by R. N. Sandberg (I loved this version)


    I had a lot of fun producing and directing all of these shows. They have a variety of cast sizes and requirements and styles of writing. If your community is okay with the darker subject matter I'd look at Jack the Ripper (it's labeled as a farce by Sam French but we didn't play it that way and it worked really well) . It's a multiple ending show and we had the audience blind vote during intermission for the ending that show. The actors found out the ending about 10 minutes before the end of the show. It was really fun... and one of the endings is very unexpected...

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-22-2019 12:19
    I'm currently in production of Trap by Stephen Gregg.  Its horror themed-faux documentary theatre.  I didn't get to see it, but it was a main stage show at ITF last summer and it got a really great reaction from the audience.

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    Anne Friederich
    7th/8th Grade Science Teacher
    Postville IA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-22-2019 13:14
    Let The Right One In by Jack Thorne
    Hookman by Lauren Yee

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    Becca Lillias
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-22-2019 15:34
    I didn't know there was a stage adaptation of Let the Right One In.  Have you done it?

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    Derek Friederich
    Thespian Troupe 417/Speech Coach/Jr. High Drama/Fine Arts Center Technical Director
    Postville IA
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-23-2019 07:53
    We did The Haunting of Hill House a couple of years ago. Would've been great if my lead had learned the lines!

    --
    CHRISTINA IMAN
    RIPLEY HIGH SCHOOL
    ENGLISH AND THEATER



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-23-2019 08:29
    Frankenstein by Bo List is a very good adaptation.
    We did the same year we did Don Zolidis' The Birds.

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    John Perry
    Retired Theatre Teacher
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-23-2019 08:37
    Monster by Don Zolidis (Focus on Mary Shelley and the writing of Frankenstein - but includes other stories)
    Maelstrom  by Don Nigro (Based on Edgar Allen Poe and his works)

    We have produced both of these and felt they had such creative potential.

    also did In A Grove; Four Japanese Ghost Stories -- but if you dont have much of a Japan connection, it may not be scary...Definitely less scary than the  other two, but zero controversy in subject matter.

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    Korreen Ditschler
    APO AP
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-23-2019 10:41
    I've read a couple of Stephen Gregg's scripts and they are pretty cool. I've thought of doing one of them. I might also consider shoes like a Mary Zimmermans's "Secret in the Wings" and Phillip Pullman's "Grimm Tales" to be pretty horrific in their way. I was intrigued to read about the original production of the Pullman script that was broken up into different mini-theatres in a creepy old warehouse where the audience meandered through.

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    Steven Slaughter
    English/Theatre
    Rosslyn Academy
    Nairobi, Kenya

    "Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-23-2019 15:35
    I have directed:
    Dracula
    Frankenstein
    Jack the Ripper
    Night of the Living Dead

    We had great sales for all of them and especially Night of the Living Dead!



    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Plays in the horror genre (for high school)

    Posted 04-29-2019 07:40
    ​TRAP!  TRAP!  TRAP!!!  Stephen Gregg has created some amazing art with this play!
    I can't say enough about this show!!  I might give it its own post on the main page.
    We played Trap this weekend to two delighted audiences.  I have never had a reaction like that from an audience.  They were literally screaming with fear and delight at the end.  There is a good bit of tech involved with the show (lighting cues, sound effects, music (highly recommend the original scoring by Isaiah Hastings), we added fog to a few scenes); however, the sets can be quite minimal.  We used our band risers and ten wooden chairs.  There are many roles, and the script comes with suggestions for doubling and tripling parts.  I had  24 and it worked out really well.  10/10 highly recommend!

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    Amber Hugus
    Harmony PA
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    Original Message


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