Hey Laura, 
Have you looked at "Stage Door" by Kauffman and Ferber? It's 21W and 11M I believe with a mix of comedy and drama. Classic 3 Act Play you can make 2 Acts, I've seen it done that way too. I did it in 2007 and it went very well.

------------------------------
Charles Miller
Teacher of Theatre
Northern Valley Regional
Demarest NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2018 08:40
From: Laura Russo
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.

I directed all three of the following with very large casts and great success:

Little Women is a great choice. Dramatic Publishing has a rather long version that begins with the life of Louisa May Alcott showing her inspiration for the novel. This 30- minute section provides double the amount of women's roles than the regular story.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly is a great Holocaust play with women's roles. I paired it with "The Terezin Promise" to continue the story and provide more roles. They are both available from Dramatic Publishing.

Radium Girls is a great drama based on the radium poisoning of women workers in the 1920's to 30's, also from Dramatic Publishing. (You will need one very strong male for this show.)

------------------------------
Valerie Gargus
NJ Thespians Festival Director
Play & Thespian Troupe Director
Northern Burlington County Reg HS
Columbus, NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2018 08:40
From: Laura Russo
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.

------------------------------
Arlene Hutton
The Barrow Group
New York, NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-28-2018 08:00
From: Valerie Gargus
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I directed all three of the following with very large casts and great success:

Little Women is a great choice. Dramatic Publishing has a rather long version that begins with the life of Louisa May Alcott showing her inspiration for the novel. This 30- minute section provides double the amount of women's roles than the regular story.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly is a great Holocaust play with women's roles. I paired it with "The Terezin Promise" to continue the story and provide more roles. They are both available from Dramatic Publishing.

Radium Girls is a great drama based on the radium poisoning of women workers in the 1920's to 30's, also from Dramatic Publishing. (You will need one very strong male for this show.)

------------------------------
Valerie Gargus
NJ Thespians Festival Director
Play & Thespian Troupe Director
Northern Burlington County Reg HS
Columbus, NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2018 08:40
From: Laura Russo
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.

Original Message------

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.

Thanks for recommending LETTERS TO SALA. I'm happy to send a manuscript copy to anyone who would like to read it. Dramatists Play Service publishes and licenses the play.

Michael, you and others may be interested in knowing that Sala passed away earlier this month. The obituary in the NY Times mentions the play. Many thanks to you and the nearly one hundred schools who have presented Sala's story over the last five years. 

Sala Kirschner, 94, Whose Trove of Letters Told of the Holocaust, Dies

------------------------------
Arlene Hutton
arlene@barrowgroup.org
The Barrow Group
New York, NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-28-2018 10:31
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I would highly recommend "Letters to Sala", by Arlene Hutton. The true story is fascinating, and there's an immense amount of support materials for the cast to use as they work on the play. Almost exclusively women's roles, with many "leads" but a real ensemble feel. And Ms. Hutton is extremely helpful, should you need her input or suggestions. We used the play to connect our production to our history curriculum. It was one of the most effective and moving productions that we've ever done. 

Michael Bergman

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time" 
― Thomas Merton

Original Message------

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.

I agree with Michael; we just did Letters to Sala and it is extremely flexible and the research you can do on it is amazing. 

House of Bernarda Alba is an oldie but I like it and although it doesn't hit the 20 mark in terms of featured roles you can sneak people in.

------------------------------
Brandon Becker
Denver CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2018 08:40
From: Laura Russo
Subject: Looking for a Female-Heavy Drama with a cast of at least 20

I'm searching for a full-length dramatic play that has many roles for women and can be expanded to at least twenty actors.  We just did Shakespeare so I am not looking at classical plays.  Nothing too controversial please.  Thanks in advance!

--

Laura Russo

Director of Theatre Arts

Chatham High School

This electronic communication, including any attachments, contains information from the School District of the Chathams (SDOC) that may be legally privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  This communication also may include content that was not originally generated by the SDOC or which may be copyrighted.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from all computers on which it may be stored.  This message does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the SDOC or its members.  The individual who sent this message is solely responsible for its content.