EYES WIDE OPEN
KEEN TEENS: VOLUMES 1 – 3
NEW
by Jennifer Kirkeby Drama | 2m, 5f | 60 minutes
Collection/Anthology
Keen Teens is one of the leading theatre programs developing plays specifically for high school students. The program commissions scripts from renowned, contemporary playwrights and gives students an opportunity to work with professional artists in an Off-Broadway setting.
A touching and informative play about Kristin, a 16-year-old girl who suffers from anorexia and bulimia. Written by a woman who has experienced eating disorders first hand, the story begins after Kristin faints in her dance class. Kristin finds herself in a hospital room where she is met by the spirit of her grandmother, Birdy. Strong Male Lead(s), Strong Female Lead(s)
VOLUME 1 FLIP TURN
FORTRESS
by Madeleine George Comedy | 6m, 4f | Short Play
by Michael Scanlan Drama | 1m, 1f | Full Length Play
Blending the under and above water worlds at a public pool, one ordinary day calls for extraordinary feats of daring and trust.
Billy is nine when he finds out that he’s adopted. Feeling betrayed, he retreats into a world of his own, and builds his own Fortress of Solitude, modeling his life after the most famous orphan ever, Superman. His only friend, and sometime enemy, is Kim, who is frustrated by Billy’s determination to need no one but himself. Act 1 tells Billy’s story. In Act 2, we hear Kim’s side.
A POLAR BEAR IN NEW JERSEY by Anna Moench Comedy | 3m, 7f, 4m or f | Short Play
A polar bear sets out on her own. A play that’s a little bit about global warming, but mostly about fitting in when you’re different.
Also available:
THE DANCE COMPANY
FORTRESS (ONE ACT) 40 minutes
by Jonathan Caren Comedy | 3m, 7f | Short Play
HIGH SCHOOL FOR DUMMIES
Three former jocks infiltrate an all-girls high school dance company.
by Bradley Hayward Comedy | 4m, 4f | 40 minutes
VOLUME 2
What would happen if there were an instruction manual for freshmen? If a bully jams you in a locker, turn to Chapter 3. If you forget your homework, there’s an excuse on Page 46. A group of graduating seniors take it upon themselves to write the most important how-to book of them all!
WHY AREN’T YOU DEAD ALREADY? by Halley Feiffer Drama | 6m, 5f | Short Play
A look at the disturbing trend of teen bullying and suicide.
GOING LEFT
Strong Male Lead(s), Strong Female Lead(s)
HOMEROOM THE MUSICAL
by Kristoffer Diaz Drama | 14m, 2f | Short Play
jr
Two high school boys ask one another out on a date, causing ripples among their friends. The fact that they are gay is not the real issue.
book, music & lyrics by Andrea Green and Selma Tolins-Kaufman Dramatic Comedy | 6m, 8f | 90 minutes Piano Only | Moderate Vocals | Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
SYD ARTHUR
by Kenny Finkle Drama | 9m, 4f | Short Play
Teacher Jeff expresses the belief that the kids in his homeroom have nothing in common except for their last name starting with the letter “V.” Fifteen songs later, Jeff is more aware of the similarities than the differences. The teens come together to share their feelings regarding relationships, academic success and failure, social acceptance and alienation, and the significance of bullying, secrets, lies, loss, love, and lockers.
HORSE GIRLS
A wild and modern take on Siddhartha, exploring the power of friendship, sibling death, and the meaning of life.
VOLUME 3 THE ASTONISHING AND DANGEROUS HISTORY OF MAZEFIELD THE FROG by Jen Silverman Comedy | 2m, 3f, 6m or f | Short Play
NEW
by Jenny Rachel Weiner Dark Comedy | 7f | 60 minutes
Clare discovers her pet frog can not only talk, he wants to bring about the apocalypse.
12-year-old Ashleigh rules the Lady Jean Ladies, South Florida’s most exclusive horse club. News that her family’s stables are being sold and their horses killed for meat throws the Ladies into crisis in this dark comedy of middle school deception and lies. Horse Girls is a play about teens: their obsessions, their insecurities, their desperate need to find a place in the world.
OLD FOLKS
by Max Posner Drama | 5m, 5f | Short Play
A group of ten old folks sit around in an old folks’ home, increasingly aware of their own mortality.
Strong Female Lead(s)
THE LOST GIRL (OR FIRST CHAIR) by Lauren Yee Dramatic Comedy | 5m, 6f | Short Play
HYPER-FOCUS
The complicated politics of a high school band program are revealed when the first violin mysteriously disappears.
by Jim Knable Comedy | 2m, 3f, Flexible Casting | 40 minutes
Thomas Jefferson, a middle school student, can’t seem to focus in school. He is told he has ADD. With his widowed mom, a caring teacher, and his first potential girlfriend, Thomas comes up with a very creative solution to deal with his condition. Strong Male Lead(s)
LD E FO ER H
PLAYS AND MUSICALS FOR SCHOOLS
4
TITLES FOR TEENS
NEW