New Drama Lessons and Play Scripts

Intro to Stage Combat
Use this guide to learn about the basics of stage combat including rules, vocabulary and techniques.

Improv Rules Printable Wall Art
Help everyone follow the rules of improv with these colorful posters.

Shakespeare Monologues
This resource contains 40 of Shakespeare’s most accessible and age-appropriate monologues for young people. While some are abridged, they all stay true to Shakespeare’s text.

The Actor’s Toolkit
This resource will help you learn about the five elements of the actor’s toolkit: Voice, Body, Imagination, Concentration, and Cooperation. It includes helpful tips, warmups to engage the actor’s tools, and a printable poster for your classroom.

Interrogation Drama Activity
Hilarious improv game in which two players become the detectives who interrogate all the other players who are the suspects in a crime.

Native American Heritage Day
7-8 characters and approximately 5 minutes long. While learning about Native American Heritage Day, a group of children is surprised by heroes of the past. This short play is a great choice for elementary students to perform in class or at an assembly.

The Moose that Wanted to be a Reindeer
3+ characters, approximately 5 minutes long.

The Animals Celebrate Kwanzaa
8-9 characters, approximately seven minutes long. Children will love performing or watching this delightful play about Kwanzaa. A great choice for assemblies or holiday performances.

The Story of Hanukkah
8-9 characters and approximately 7 minutes long. School children receive a surprise visit from famous Jewish people who help them understand the meaning of Hanukkah. A great choice for elementary students.

The Great Thanksgiving Feast
8-9 characters and approximately 7 minutes long. Funny Thanksgiving play where the characters are food items.

A Hundred Acre Holiday
9 characters and 10-15 minutes long. This holiday play features all the beloved characters from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Perfect for elementary children or teens performing for younger students. Includes songs from the public domain.

More Funny Letters to Santa
31 hilarious letters to Santa to use as mini-monologues or as part of a holiday variety show! Ages 8 and up.

Scenes of Christmas
7-25 characters, approximately 20 minutes long. This funny and heartwarming play features several scenes about Christmas. Perfect for elementary and middle school performances. Use the full play or individual scenes.

Cratchit’s Last Boxing Day
9-14 characters, approximately 75 minutes long. Fifty-six years after the events of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” Timothy Cratchit must go through a spiritual journey of his own to help him rediscover his purpose in life. This homage to Dickens is a perfect choice for high schools and community theatre programs.

Twas the Night Before Christmas Spectacular
8-18 characters, approximately 40 minutes long. It’s the night before Christmas, and Rudolph won’t fly. Everyone in Santa’s workshop rushes to find the magic to fill his heart and save Christmas. Includes sing-along Christmas songs from the public domain. Perfect for older elementary through high school.

Commedia dell’arte PowerPoint
52 colorful slides detailing the origins of Commedia, the basic elements, stock characters and more!

Commedia dell’arte PowerPoint Transcript
Transcript for the Commedia dell’arte PowerPoint, detailing the origins of Commedia, the basic elements, stock characters and more!

Commedia dell’arte Activities
13 fun Commedia dell’arte activities.

Commedia dell’arte Stock Characters
Detailed introduction to nine stock Commedia characters to use as handouts.

Commedia dell’arte Scenarios
15 simple Commedia scenarios for middle school and high school students.

Commedia dell’arte Lazzi Lesson Plan
21 physical comedy gags for Commedia dell’arte and more!

School Appropriate Rules for Drama Class
Four versions of printable mini-posters with rules for school-appropriate choices in drama class.

Printable Wall Art-Inspirational Quotes
Brighten your classroom with these ten graphics with inspirational quotes.

Printable Wall Art-The Actor’s Toolbox
6 printable mini-posters featuring elements of The Actor’s Toolbox: Voice, Body, Imagination, Concentration, and Cooperation.

How to Choose a Play Checklist
Use this 10-point checklist to choose the perfect play.

Puppetry PowerPoint
Use this PowerPoint and helpful transcript to teach your students about the seven most popular kinds of puppets.

Puppetry PowerPoint Transcript
Use this PowerPoint transcript with the Puppetry PowerPoint to teach your students about the seven most popular kinds of puppets.

SEL Puppet Plays-Kindness
3 puppet plays. 4-10 characters. Each play is about 3 minutes long and tied to the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) theme of kindness.

SEL Puppet Plays-Wellness
3 puppet plays. 4-10 characters. Each play is about 3 minutes long and tied to the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) theme of Wellness.

SEL Puppet Plays-Be Strong
3 puppet plays. 3-8 characters. Each play is about 3 minutes long and tied to the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) theme of being strong.

More Story Drawing Worksheets
The playful drawings from the Drama Notebook website will inspire students to write short scenes.

Speed Dating Drama Lesson
Hilarious improv game similar to “Party Quirks” or “The Dating Game” but everyone plays at the same time.

Spanish – List of Objects
Three different lists of props and objects in Spanish and seven ways to use them.

Spanish – List of Occupations
Here are two lists of occupations or jobs in Spanish: regular and advanced—over one hundred occupations in all.

Drama Coloring Sheets-Vocabulary
11 coloring pages to learn drama vocabulary. Features original artwork from Drama Notebook.

Celebrating Malala Day
8-9 characters and approximately 7 minutes long. A short play about Malala Yousafzai and other female champions of justice and education.

The Story of Juneteenth
8-10 characters and approximately 7 minutes long. Students learn about Juneteenth, an important day in American history when they are surprised by famous visitors from the past.

Talent Show Troubles
15+ characters, approximately 15 minutes long. It’s the day of the big talent show, but Kai has no special skill to perform. When things start to go wrong, Kai saves the day. This play about kindness and cooperation is perfect for elementary students.

More Talking Objects
Students take on the characteristics of inanimate objects to improvise a scene.

Introduction to Props PowerPoint
Use this PowerPoint and helpful transcript to teach your students about the props for theatre productions and the job of a prop designer. Great for elementary through high school.

Introduction to Props PowerPoint Transcript
Use this transcript as a guide for the Intro to Props PowerPoint.

Story Drawing Worksheets
The playful drawings from the Drama Notebook website will inspire students to write short scenes.

SPANISH – Cormorant and Rainbow Snake
Short script based on a Venezuelan myth. Parts for 15, flexible cast. Ages 6-10. Includes activities and more! (3 credits.)

SPANISH-Places and Environments
Fantastic list of places and environments to use with improv games or to teach students how to create the illusion of space using movement and imagination. Almost 100 places on three printable pages.

Stage Directions Printables
Brighten your classroom with these colorful graphics explaining theatre stage directions.

Superhero News Report
This just in! A super fun drama lesson where students create their own news program about superheroes and supervillains. Perfect for ages 10-18.

Earth Day Adventure
8-9 Characters, approximately 5 minutes long. A group of children learn about Earth Day. Perfect for elementary students and assemblies.

Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash
9-10 characters, Approximately 7 minutes long. A group of students are surprised when Shakespeare appears in their classroom. A great choice for elementary students learning about Shakespeare.

Shoe Puppets
Fun puppetry lesson using student’s own shoes.

Simple Sock Puppets
Easy tutorial for making sock puppets with students of all ages. A low-stress and creative project that can be completed in one class period.

Crazy Life of Cuy
5-6 characters, flexible casting, approximately 5 minutes long. Cuy, the guinea pig, is a trickster who must escape the fox. This short folktale play from the Andes Mountains is great fun for elementary students. Features a few words in Spanish.

Introduction to Shakespeare PowerPoint
Use this PowerPoint and helpful transcript as you introduce your students to the world and works of Shakespeare.

Introduction to Shakespeare PowerPoint Transcript
Use this transcript with the Intro to Shakespeare PowerPoint as you introduce your students to the world and works of William Shakespeare.

The Wizard of Oz in 30 Minutes
12+ characters, flexible casting., Approximately 30 minutes long. Abridged play script based on the classic story of The Wizard of Oz. Perfect for children and teens.

How to Make a Production Book
If you are directing a play, this amazing guide will help you build and organize your production notebook. It is perfect for both new and experienced directors and stage managers.

The Sweet History of Valentine’s Day
4 characters and approximately 5 minutes long. Candy characters come to life and share the sweet history of Valentine’s Day. This is a fun play for elementary students to perform in class or at an assembly.

Sittin’ in a Tree
6-23 characters. Approximately 45 minutes long. Perform the entire play or explore individual monologues and scenes.

Spanish – 20 Short Practice Scenes
Twenty, one-page scenes that can be acted out immediately!

Spanish – Jaguar and Deer
5+ characters; Flexible cast. 3 pages in length. Approximately 1-5 minutes running time. A South American folk tale adapted by Janea Dahl.

Spanish – Adjectives and Adverbs
Four printable pages of adjectives and adverbs for drama class categorized by ‘easy’ and ‘difficult.’ Includes five drama games to use with the lists.

How to Make Your Mystery Play Interactive
Tips for making any mystery play more interactive.

Perstephanie Va Al Inframundo
7 personajes. Fundición flexible. 24 páginas de extensión. Aproximadamente 30 minutos de duración. Una obra cómica griega de la dramaturga Elizabeth Rapoza.

Poisoned in the Garden Script
17 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 45 minutes long. A comical and colorful mystery based on the interactive mystery of the same name. A wealthy old woman is found poisoned in her garden. There are lots of clues and suspects, but only one real murderer.

Rumpelstiltskin: The Last Straw
13-18 characters, 45 minutes long. This Rumpelstiltskin adaptation is filled with magical fantasy and rich, comedic language. It stays true to the Grimm fairy tale and introduces a cast of supporting characters to reimagine a way for Miller’s daughter to overcome the challenges before her with the agency.

The Missing Masterpiece
6-20+ characters, 15 minutes long. A piece of art is stolen during a fancy fundraiser at the art museum.

Impressions
Flexible casting, 10-36 characters, approximately 30 minutes running time. Perfect for middle and high school. Impressions is a vignette play comprised of several scenes that explore the many meanings of the word “impressions.”

Oh, Demetrius
3 characters, including 2 black students. Approximately 15 minutes long. This play for middle and high school students explores the idea of integrity. Charmaine has a crush on Demetrius and willingly does his homework for him. In the end, Charmaine takes back her power, and Demetrius owns his mistakes as well. Oh, Demetrius also provides a lesson in cultural history and the importance of knowing the sacrifices made by others for the sake of justice. The end of this play discusses great black people in history.
Themes: Integrity, Honesty.

The Fight Before Christmas
10-14 characters, approximately 10 minutes long. Coal, the Christmas elf, becomes a villain and attempts to ruin the holiday. Wordplay makes this fun for both children and teens to perform.

With Vigor
6+ characters, approximately 60 minutes long. With Vigor is a fast-paced, interactive comedy that employs audience participation, improv, and physical comedy to enthrall the audience in a whirlwind of fun. The play opens with a community theatre rehearsing a new play. The director, who also happens to be the playwright, takes the project very seriously, but the cast and crew have a lot of work to do. Excellent for teens and community theatres.

Elections Drama Lesson
Fun drama lesson to learn about elections and voting. Perfect for elementary students ages 8-12.

Costume Design Templates
13 different templates of different body types, genders, abilities, and ages. Use this as a blank canvas upon which students sketch their costume design ideas.

Dog Barking in the Distance
6 characters, gender flexible, approximately 15 minutes long. Scary and suspenseful play about teens who are lost in the woods. Fun for readers theatre, radio drama, classroom study or live performance.

Feedback Framework
This simple yet powerful framework helps students learn to give and receive feedback in drama class. This tool fosters student voice, vulnerability, and risk-taking. It can be applied to all K-12 drama classrooms.

Rehearsal Checklists
Keep track of all the scenes you’ve worked on from blocking through tech week. Whether you are rehearsing a simple play with kids, or a full-length musical, these checklists are a lifesaver.