The Great Baking Play

One kitchen, a few kids, and a dash of creativity, is the perfect recipe for fun. The Great Baking Play includes 13 short scenes, all with the theme of baking. Each scene stands alone but when mixed together, they make for a sweet and funny play. Perform with as few as six actors or as many as 31. Simple sets and costumes This is a perfect choice for elementary and middle school performances or classroom scene study.

The script includes a template for writing program bios and for creating special recipe cards.

You may also wish to download:

Cake Prop Design Lesson

Playwright Bio:

Jennifer Reif has been teaching, directing, and performing around the Pacific Northwest for decades. Her shelves are lined with children’s books and her happy place is in the woods. She loves devising creative theatre projects with kids and sharing ideas with teachers. Jennifer holds her BA in Theatre from Morningside College and also studied at Oxford University in England.

Excerpt from the play:

 

SCENES

1. Birthday Surprise-3+
2. Chef’s Special 3+
3. After School Snack-2
4. Pancakes with Jam-2
5. Bully Cupcakes-3
6. I Knead You-2
7. Easy Bake Oven-2
8. Science Experiment-2
9. Grandma’s Secret Recipe-2
10. Bake it till you Make it-2
11. Baking Business-2
12. Baking Contest-3
13. Clean Up-3

Birthday Surprise

The stage is dark. People are hiding, preparing for a surprise party. A gift is on the counter. Character A enters in the dark. Every scene includes a wooden spoon. In this scene, it is used to conduct the Happy Birthday song.  (Consider using full cast for this scene)

A. Why is it so dark in here? Hello! Hello! Anybody home?

B, C, & Others. Surprise! (Jumping out and turning on the lights)

A. What?

B. Happy Birthday!

A. Wow!

C. Come on, let’s sing! (C uses the wooden spoon to conduct the Happy Birthday song. Another character presents the birthday cake.)

A. Thank you? (Uncertain. Confused.)

B. Come on, make a wish!

A. Um… okay. (Closes eyes, makes a wish, blows out the candles. Everyone cheers.)

C. What did you wish for?

A. I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.

B. Were you surprised?

A. Um… yeah, I was surprised. This is so… unexpected.

C. I knew we could do it! I knew we could surprise you.

A. You sure did.

B. What do you think of your birthday cake?

A. It’s great. Who made it?

B. I did. It’s vanilla with chocolate frosting, your favorite.

C. I added the sprinkles.

A. It’s perfect.

B. Well, are you going to open your present?

A. Um… sure… but there is something I should say.

C. Tell us later. Open the present.

All Yeah! (Cheering adlibs)

A. Okay, but…

B. No buts. Open your birthday present.

B, C, & Others. (Chant) Present! Present! Present!

A. Okay. Okay. (Opens the gift. It’s a hat or T-shirt that says something like: Color me Surprised, It’s My Birthday, or Party Animal) Wow!

C. Do you like it?

A. (Still uncertain) Yes. I love it. But there is still something I think I should say.

B. Put it on.

A. Okay. (Puts on the hat or t-shirt. Others adlib: Looks great! Awesome!)

C. Now, what did you want to tell us?

A. Well. (All lean in to hear)

C. Well what?

A. It’s not my birthday.

B. It’s not? (They all react)

A. Nope. My birthday is May 14th.

B. Oh.

C. Oops.

B. Now what?

A. Well, we’ve got cake.

B. And party favors.

C. Let’s party! (All cheer and chant. Party. Party. Party.)

(If doing the full play, actors should exit excitedly as if they are carrying the party into another room. They should take all the party props with them leaving a clean space for the next scene. Leave the wooden spoon on the counter.)

END SCENE

Chef’s Special

Three children are playing restaurant in the kitchen. A is the waiter, B is the customer, and C is the chef. Feel free to add in more customers or chefs and modify lines as needed. No props are necessary, but simple things can be used. No real food should be used. In this scene, the wooden spoon is used by the character playing the chef who is mixing up food.

A. Welcome to my restaurant.

B. It’s nice. What do you call it?

A. I call it The Kitchen Café.

B. I’d like a table for one, please.

A. Right this way. (A shows B to their seat. Pulls out the chair or stool)

B. Thank you.

A. Here is your menu.

B. What are the specials today?

A. Let me ask the chef. (Yelling to chef) What are the chef’s specials today?

C. (Yelling back) Cookies, cakes, and pie.

A. (To B) Cookies, cakes, and pie.

B. Yes. Cookies, cakes, and pie?

A. Yes. Cookies, cakes, and pie.

B. What kind of cookies, cakes, and pies?

A. Let me ask. (Yelling to chef) What kind of cookies, cakes, and pies?

C. (Yelling back) Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, and chocolate pie.

A. (To B) Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, and chocolate pie.

B. Maybe you should call this the Chocolate Café.

A. Maybe. What would you like to order?

B. I will have the chocolate cake.

A. How many pieces?

B. Ten.

A. Ten pieces of chocolate cake?

B. Yes, ten pieces. I’m hungry.

A. Okay. (Yelling to chef) Ten pieces of chocolate cake.

C. (Yelling back) Ten pieces of chocolate cake, coming right up.

A and C bring out ten imaginary pieces of chocolate cake and set them in front of B.

B. Thank you. It looks delicious.

A and C watch closely as B takes an imaginary bite of cake.

B. Yum. This is so… (Dramatically falls to the ground)

A. Uh oh.

C. Uh oh.

A. What happened?

C. I don’t know.

A. Maybe it was your cake?

C. Maybe.

A. Is (she/he/they) dead?

C. I don’t know.

B. (Jumping up) Nope. I’m alive.

C. Let’s play again. This time order the cookies.

(If doing the full play, actors clean up their props and exit laughing as if they are going to play in another room. Leave wooden spoon on the counter.)

END SCENE