Open Forum

Hello all,

I am a new theatre teacher in Rustburg, VA and I am in that stage of selecting shows for my season. Our state participates in a theatre tournament where schools present One-Act Plays for competition (I am sure many other states do this). While I am very new to this world, I am finding a lot of difficulty in locating 30-35 minute shows that work for the group of students I have. The outgoing teacher only asked for 6 students for his advanced acting class (where I would be pulling from), so at least this year I am limited by the shows I can use. Does anyone have any suggestions of 6 person one-act shows or shows where doubling can occur? I often find it hard to search for the latter as most websites only let you search by a specific amount. I am also unsure about the percentage of girls, boys, non-binary, etc that I have in my class so suggestions of non-gender specific shows are greatly appreciated too. I am open to any suggestions and look forward to hearing back from y'all!

So thankful to be jumping into this world!

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Nathan Munson
Theater Teacher
Red Devil's Theater
Rustburg High School
Rustburg, VA
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Hey Nathan,

Have you considered do selections from an episodic play like ALMOST, MAINE?  That one may have been seen too many times in competitions at this point, but there are lots of others, of course. David Ives has tons of short plays you could do - although they aren't connected story-wise, just in terms of tone.  Jones Hope Wooten have a collection called LICKETY SPLIT that's pretty funny.  I also like MONTHS ON END by Craig Pospisil (sp?) a lot.  He's also written some shows with Arelene Hutton and a couple other people that might work.

Good luck finding something good for your students!

Max Kaplan

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Max Kaplan
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There are a lot of great one-acts out there that have flexible cast sizes and have casting flexibility in terms of character genders. This list has a few suggestions and you'll likely find a lot more at the publisher sites:

https://school-theatre.com/f/5-new-one-act-comedies-for-schools-with-big-laughs

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Brendan Conheady
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I'm not sure what genre you are looking for but if you are looking for something scary, try "Chairs", though it does require a slightly larger cast than 6.  I believe there are 9 or 10 characters.  We just performed "The Door" in our Senior-directed One-Acts production and it was highly praised. I like the idea mentioned before of pulling vignettes from a longer piece like Almost, Maine as well.  Wishing you much success and fun as you begin teaching in you new position.

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Claire Shubert
Teacher and Drama Director; Retired
Spring Grove Area High School
PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2024 09:56
From: Brendan Conheady
Subject: Need a Short One-Act Play for Tournament for a Small Group of Students

There are a lot of great one-acts out there that have flexible cast sizes and have casting flexibility in terms of character genders. This list has a few suggestions and you'll likely find a lot more at the publisher sites:

https://school-theatre.com/f/5-new-one-act-comedies-for-schools-with-big-laughs

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Brendan Conheady
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Velveteen Rabbit might fit 

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Lisa Foster Wilson
AZ
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Back in the fall, my daughter the Producer approached me to come up with a way to build a 3 sided flat known as a Periaktoi or a Peristyle out of PVC. After watching a few YouTube videos, I found that everyone uses wood! My experience has been that wood can be too heavy and difficult to assemble, disassemble, and reassemble. Since her productions are mainly middle school kids, all props must be lightweight and safe. Wood scares me in that situation, if it ever fell over and hurt someone that would be awful. 

Off I went to create this 3 sided idea and bang! Right out of the gate a BIG issue! PVC fittings are not made correctly to make a triangle as each corner needs to be 60 degree angle and that is NOT used in plumbing as that is where PVC is normally used. Onto my computer to create a fitting for me to print on my 3-D printer. After a few failed attempts, I was not only able to perfect the design but also came up with the Caster Adapter Plate that fits into the bottom of the PVC pipe and can accommodate two different types of casters! The steel Swivel Caster and the Single Stem Swivel Caster used on office chairs. 

After fully assembling, I discovered a side product - The Snap Clamp - This clamp can be used to attach fabric onto the PVC in a snap!

So here are the links to my videos showing you how to build the Peristyle and my Snap Clamps - If you are interested in ordering the fittings just contact me after watching the videos.

How to Build a PVC Peristyle - Peristyle Promo Full Version

YouTube		remove preview
Peristyle Promo Full Version Looking for an easier and lighter option for building a Peristyle structure? PVC is the answer now that I have designed a special fitting to make triangle shapes! Also included in this video is How To Assemble A PVC Peristyle. If you wish to purchase the custom corners contact tobiz777@gmail.com View this on YouTube >

How to Make a Snap Clamp - PVC Clamps

YouTube		remove preview
PVC Clamps How to attach fabric to PVC piping with using tape or screws View this on YouTube >

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Steve Tobis
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Steve Tobis
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