A COLLECTION OF PLAYS ABOUT LOVE

As a playwright, it is always an honor to be included in an anthology of plays.  Particularly when it is an anthology of plays about love.

It's a terrific subject, isn't it?  According to the musical Aida, or, at least the lyricist Tim Rice, every story is a love story.  While I agree with this to some extent, there are certainly plays that stand out as either a celebration or close examination of the human spirit in love.  Certainly their are classics from Shakespeare like Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, to name but a few.  And contemporary theater is chock-full of plays examining love, from A Streetcar Named Desire to Barefoot in the Park, from Same Time, Next Year to Angels in America.  Don't even get me started on musicals!

That is why I was honored when my play A Forgetful Remembrance (click the link to learn more or order) was recently included in an anthology of ten minute plays about love called Head Over Heels.   I wrote the piece as part of a longer play made up of ten minute scenes about love called Bees are in the Park.(click the link to learn more or order)  It is all about an elderly couple, sitting in a park, remembering their life together.  As the play progresses, we learn that the elderly gentleman, Colin, is in a bit of denial about a very important event.  I wrote the play as an expression of what I consider to be the truest kind of love.  At the time, I felt this short play said everything that needed to be said about love and devotion that I could possibly say.  Whether or not this is true, I can say that the the play is packed with emotion.  I have received countless messages from people who have performed the piece, telling me about how the audience was in tears by the end, both guys and gals.  I find this gratifying, as, I must confess, I still can't read through the piece without tearing up at the end.  It is one of those rare plays that I can read and almost forget that I was the one who wrote it.

A photo from a production of "A Forgetful Remembrance" by the Reedy Point Players in Delaware

 I think ten minute plays are great way to put together a night of theater on a small budget, and with cast restrictions. Because they are short, they have a clear conflict, and are usually pretty dynamic.  Ten minute duets in particular give actors a chance to really delve into a character, and make it shine, without having to worry about carrying an entire evening.  This is a gift for student actors and experienced actors alike.

I don't only recommend Head Over Heels  because my play is in it.  There are eleven other short plays that deal with love, ranging from the hilarious to the dramatic to poignant and touching.  Here's a look at the table of contents:

Coaster of Doom by Lisa Cestowski
Lunch Date by Sally Jane Kerschen-Sheppard
Dance in Venice by John Shanahan
A Forgetful Remembrance by Bobby Keniston (Me!)
He Loves Me by Tim Mogford
Say it With Flowers by Jim Gustafson
Real Beatlemaniacs by Leslie Bramm
1st Floor, 2nd Floor by Olivia Arieti
Almost by Krista Dalby
Leslie and the Boys by Tim Mogford
Measuring Matthew by Patrick Gabridge
First Impression by Matt Thompson

Again, I don't just say this because I'm featured here (although, that is a plus), but in all seriousness, this is a terrific anthology that would be a great addition to any drama teacher's collection, any community theater's collection, or just for anyone who loves to read plays.

Who doesn't want to experience an evening full of love at the theater?

You can order Head Over Heels from Brooklyn Publishers by CLICKING HERE, or from Heuer Publishing by CLICKING HERE.

10 GREAT PLAYS FOR HIGH SCHOOL ONE ACT PLAY COMPETITIONS

This is me, your friendly host, Bobby Keniston

Hello, everyone!  With school starting right back up, and drama teachers all over the country (all over the world, in fact) will be wanting to order their plays for the year, if they haven't done so already.  That's why today I decided to do a post where I tell you about some plays that are perfect for high school one act play competitions. 

How do I know these plays I'm about to list are perfect for high school play competitions?  Because I wrote them!

Now, before you get the idea that I'm some kind of self-serving playwright, I want to assure you that I am also high school drama teacher who LOVES one act play competitions.  I always participated in them when I was a student, and I find the program incredibly valuable now.  One Act plays provide a deep potential for the education of student actors.  And I wrote each of these plays I am about the list with the intention of them being solid One Act competition plays. 

Heck, I wrote them to be WINNING competition plays! 

So, the title of each play will also be a link to read more or order the play.  If you like the synopsis, click on the play title to go to its official page and read a script preview if you like. 

Note:  I am listing these plays in the order in which I wrote them, not in any other kind of "superlative" order.

CONFESSION:  KAFKA IN HIGH SCHOOL
* available from Playscripts, Inc.  5 males, 4 females, simple unit set
Model student Connor K. wakes up one morning to find himself in his high school's conference room, being interrogated by the principal. How he got there, Connor doesn't know, but the principal is insistent that the only way out of the room is for Connor to confess to a crime that he couldn't have committed -- in fact, he doesn't even know what he is being accused of! Only ever meaning to be a good student, he learns that sometimes you have to speak up for yourself against injustice. This new twist on Kafka's The Trial brings the absurdism and existentialism of his work to high school with keen insight and dark humor.
Note:  This play has been used to great success in one act competitions in the U.S. and Canada since 2010!

CITIZEN'S ARREST
*available from Brooklyn Publishers   Flexible cast of 20, simple set
Dennis, an average guy, is caught littering by Dana, a “concerned citizen” who places him under Citizen's Arrest. While Dennis attempts to keep friendly about the situation, Dana stops every passerby to play a part in her "citizen's trial." Before he even knows what's happening, Dennis finds himself facing an out-of-work actress District Attorney, an ornery office temp Judge, a Jane Austen-obsessed construction worker Bailiff, and his own coffee shop employee Defense Attorney. As the "trial" progresses, a disgruntled tour group becomes the jury. Will Dennis be found not guilty at his "citizen's trial," or will he become victim to the will of the people? With plenty of laughs, mild social commentary, and a surprise ending, "Citizen's Arrest" is a perfect competition piece for high schools, and yet is simple enough to delight even at the middle school level. With twenty lively characters and one simple set, “Citizen's Arrest” is easy to stage and a hoot to perform!
Note:  Perfect to accommodate a large cast!

I DON'T MIND THAT YOU'RE UGLY
* available from Brooklyn Publishers  4 males, 5 females, simple unit set
Clyde is waiting at “The Only Fancy Restaurant in Town,” anxious to propose to his beautiful girlfriend, Kira. There is only one problem: Clyde is a very average-looking guy. When Kira arrives, looking stunning, Clyde's night is thrown into a whirlwind when everyone in the restaurant wants to gawk at his bride-to-be. When Kira accidentally makes the comment, “I don't mind that you're ugly,” to Clyde, the night really takes off in an unexpected direction. Will Clyde marry the girl of his dreams, or will his relationship be ruined at this wacky restaurant? Including several colorful characters, this one-act romantic comedy is sure to delight and make you say, “Awwww,” all at once!
Note:  One of my most produced one acts!

HOW I LEARNED TO STOP BEING AFRAID OF MY GYM TEACHER
*available from Eldridge Plays and Musicals  5 males, 7 females, 4 either, doubling possible, simple sets
Forget the school yard bully! There's always one teacher who can intimidate us! Will, an average high school freshman, used to love going to school…until he stumbled upon the terror of gym class under the formidable Mr. Breakwater's rule. Will's coddling mother and nervous wreck of a father (who hides out in the bathtub) are worried. Will's friends, who call themselves the Geek Squad, want to devise a plan to take Mr. Breakwater down. Can Will find a way to stop being afraid of his gym teacher? With a romance novel-obsessed principal, a jock chorus, and an unorthodox child psychologist, "How I Learned to Stop Being Afraid of My Gym Teacher" is a hilarious comedy with a touching and poignant ending.
Note:  My Number 1 produced play across the country!

THE DARK TOWER
* available from Eldridge Plays and Musicals, 5 m, 7 w, or with doubling 5 m, 4 w  Simple sets
Roland, a warrior and perhaps the son of a king, has reached the Dark Tower. After years of eschewing death, he seeks nothing but sweet release after lifetimes of wandering the Earth. At the Dark Tower, he is confronted by Three Sisters, each in her own window. While the Amber Sister taunts him, and the Silent Sister pities him, the Dark Sister encourages him to release his burdens by sharing his life story. As Roland travels through his memories, we meet classic characters such as Merlin and Nimue (the Lady of the Lake), as well as his wife, friends, and family that Roland has lost to the Dark Tower. Told in lyrical language and staged simply with theatricality, this adaptation traces the story back to its original roots, incorporating elements of the Arthurian legends, giving a depth and completeness to the tale that has never been seen before.
Note:  Also a great piece for community theatres!

FRANKIE AND THE GINGERBREAD BOY (ONE ACT VERSION)
* available from Brooklyn Publishers, 6 females, 5 males, simple settings
Frankie is an outcast, constantly put-upon by her peers. She is the quintessential loner. The only peace she finds is from her baking. One day Frankie decides to bake herself a companion, a perfect love who shares her soul and gives her joy. When her creation follows her to school one day, the social order of the high school is threatened, and the cruelty Frankie has known reaches new heights. Told by an energetic high school Chorus, this is a play that employs rhythm, dark humor, and high theatricality to tell its gripping story. With nods to Frankenstein, the Pygmalion myth, and even the Gingerbread Man nursery rhyme, this play will leave audiences riveted with its poignant tale of love, creation, cruelty, satire and tragedy. This one-act version of Frankie and the Gingerbread Boy is the perfect length for high school competitions.
Note:  Perfect social awareness play in regards to bullying!

MY PROM DATE WAS A FELON
available from Brooklyn Publishers, 4 females, 3 males, 1 either, 2 simple sets
Noah doesn't have a date to the prom, which, according to some, means he is missing out on one of the great milestones in his life. Feeling sorry for himself on Prom Night, he decides to get dressed up in a makeshift tuxedo (including the bow tie he has to wear for jazz band), and go out to a fancy restaurant, confronting what he's missing head-on. After a run-in with a rude waitress, he meets Indigo, a girl in a leather jacket and boots who decides to invite herself to dine with him. Indigo is a strange, sweet girl, who may or may not have just broken out of a juvenile detention facility. After Indigo helps him deal with a nasty bully, a smitten Noah asks her to go to the prom. Has Noah finally found the high school sweetheart he's been looking for, or will his prom date be escorted away by the police?
Note:  Can be a companion piece to How I Learned to Stop Being Afraid of My Gym Teacher, or stand alone.  I have seen this performed at one act competition, and it did very well.

AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA
available from Brooklyn Publishers, 2 females, 3 males, simple settings
A Good Doctor travels to an Unnamed Country that is in desperate need of help. He quickly learns that the government of this country distrusts all Americans, and that he is in great danger from the one called Peacemaker. After a bombing in the streets, the Doctor desperately tries to save the life of an injured girl, only to be apprehended by the Peacemaker on suspicion of terrorism. He is subjected to the questions of a sinister interrogator and then placed in a cell, alone, with only his thoughts of life back at home and the girl he tried so hard to save. This dramatic fairy tale is an emotional story of what it means to be good, and the strength we all have within, even when faced with dire circumstances. Perfect for one act play competitions!
Note:  I personally took this play to competitions with my school group to great success (2 acting awards, and a lighting award)

BETTY LOU TWINKLE'S TABLOID SCANDAL
* available from Brooklyn Publishers, 4-5 females, 3-6 males, simple settings
Betty Lou Twinkle wants to be a normal teenage girl and play soccer. Unfortunately, her mother has other ideas. Ever since Betty Lou was a toddler on “Divas in Diapers,” her mother has dragged her to every pageant or reality show she could find, determined to make her little girl the brightest star in the world. After winning “America’s Future One-Hit Wonders,” Betty Lou’s mother hires an obnoxious “Fame Mentor” who claims the only way to stay famous is to have a scandal in the tabloids. Tired of it all, Betty Lou escapes to the park to meet with her secret friend who hides under the bandstand, and appreciates Betty Lou for who she really is. Will Betty Lou find comfort and peace with her secret friend, or is this friend the very tabloid scandal Betty Lou’s mother has been waiting for? This laugh-out-loud satire targets the very notion of teenage fame, stage mothers, and the exploitative nature of the media.
Note:  New this school year!  You could be the first to produce it!

AVOIDING THE PITFALLS OF HIGH SCHOOL DATING
*available from Eldridge Plays and Musicals,  5 males, 5 females, simple unit set
Welcome to "Avoiding the Pitfalls of High School Dating," a seminar for high school students who have trouble going on dates. Your hosts for the evening are Lucky Daye and Starry Knight, two people who have invested their entire life savings into creating this simple system of five "never-fail" rules for dating success. Lenny and Matilda, two outcasts, have been brought in to demonstrate the system by going on a series of speed-dates to bring the five simple rules to life. Through a series of humorous and humiliating scenes and hilarious one-liners, we will see if the system is really all it is cracked up to be, or if Lucky and Starry are in for a long, long night. This one-act comedy is simple to produce, and will keep the audience rolling in the aisles-- even if they came without a date!
Note:  Brand new and lots of fun!

Thank you for reading my post today!  If you choose to utilize any of the plays on this list for your high school one act play competitions, let me say thank you in advance, and feel free to contact me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com with any questions or comments!

Have a great school year, and remember--- theater is a sport!

If you're interested, I've started a blog where I'm going to write a story every day for a year.  Each story will be between 100-250 words.  I call it Micro Fiction Experiment or Bobby's Short Shorts.
CLICK HERE TO READ IT!

RULES FOR HIGH SCHOOL DATING: My New Play, "Avoiding the Pitfalls of High School Dating" Now Available!

My New Play, Available Now From Eldridge!  Click HERE to order!

Greetings everyone.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and I'd like to welcome you to Theater is a Sport. 

I often like to read about writer, how they write, what inspires them, and even the nuts and bolts, day-to-day of their process.  In that tradition, I figured I would talk a little bit about the writing of my latest published play, now available from Eldridge, called Avoiding the Pitfalls of High School Dating.

As a high school drama teacher, I know how difficult it can be to put on a play with a limited budget and a cast full of kids who are busy participating in several activities. I wanted to try writing a play that was very simple to stage with a very limited set and props, and that consisted of a series of easily rehearsed scenes, something that could be put together in pieces, not necessarily requiring the entire cast at every rehearsal. 

One day, I found an article online that offered 10 tips about successful high school dating.  It was a good article with good advice.  My mind, which likes to take such things and push them to the most farcical and absurd extremities, immediately started to imagine a seminar or infomercial with two very fake hosts talking about their rules for "Avoiding the Pitfalls of High School Dating".  I could immediately picture these seminar hosts, a man and a woman, doing their best to sell this product.  I started brainstorming ideas for examples of their techniques in action, basically imagining how teenagers could take their advice too literally and destroy what could have otherwise been perfectly acceptable dates. 

This is where the fun really began for me as a writer.  Coming up with ideas for comically disastrous dates doesn't feel like work for me--- it feels like fun.  Even more fun, is coming up with the characters who will make these dates disastrous.

That's how Lenny and Matilda were born.  Lenny, a potential dater, is now what you call "typical dating material", with his odd quirks and obsession with Castles and Kingdoms, his favorite role-playing game.  Matilda, too, certainly has her eccentricities--- not least of which is a fondness for funerals.

Throw in the two hosts, Lucky Daye and Starry Knight, and some poor befuddled blind daters, and I felt I was cooking with a teenage comedy that would actually make teenagers laugh, and a script that ANY high school with ANY budget could easily stage and have the audience rolling in the aisles!

I'm not going to give too much away about the "dates" themselves, but, trust me, they are not dates that you will likely forget any time soon. 

Once I had figured out these characters, the writing came pretty easily, with only one big hiccup that was easily solved after some meditating (I like to meditate while I'm running, by the way.)

So, if you're a drama director looking for a simple one act that's a guaranteed crowd pleaser, I invite you to take a look at Avoiding the Pitfalls of High School Dating!  And if you do decide to try it out for a production, feel free to drop me a line to let me know what you think at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com. 

Thanks again, and remember--- theater is not just a craft or an art form.  It is also a sport.

ADVICE FOR PLAYWRIGHTS: 10 Tips To Write a Play For School Theatre Programs (And Get it PUBLISHED)

This is me, Bobby Keniston.  This is my blog, Theater is a Sport.  Please read it and follow it.  Thanks.

Hello everybody, and welcome to Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and today I'm going to talk about writing a play for the school theatre market, and give you some tips about what might help it to get published. 

I have done a great deal of posts about the craft of playwriting.  In fact, you can see the very first lesson by clicking HERE.

This post is a bit different.  This one is all about tips to get a play published for the school market.  Playwrights like to earn money just like everybody else, and, while I can't know for certain that if you follow these rules you're guaranteed to be published, these are pretty basic guidelines for the market to help you along your way.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers, but I do have 24 plays published right now, most of them for the school market, with four different publishing houses.  I have learned by trial and error in the three-and-a-half years since my first acceptance for publication, and have also been fortunate enough to strike up online friendships with a great deal of playwrights for the school market, who have generously offered me advice and encouragement. 

So let's get started, shall we?

TIP #1:  Statistically speaking, more females than males audition for school plays and musicals (this is true for community theater productions as well).  Try to write at least a few more female characters than male characters, or, better still, it never hurts to have a number of gender flexible roles (roles that can be played by either male or females)

TIP #2:  Flexible cast size is also a good thing.  If you study the market and look at old classics by the wondrously prolific Tim Kelly, you'll notice how most of his full-length plays have cast sizes of 25 or more.  The more the merrier, right?  You will also notice that many of the roles can easily be doubled, or maybe even combined.  In this way, a play can accommodate a very large cast, or a much smaller one.  Hence, hopefully, more school groups will be able to produce your play. 

TIP #3:  This is not a hard and steadfast rule, but it is something I have found to be true for my work:  Lighter fare gets produced more often by schools.  This is not to suggest you should write nothing but comedies... far from it.  I'm just saying for myself, and for many of my playwriting pals in the market, the comedies sell more than the dramas.  Many of my friends have confided to me that the serious plays they worked so hard on and are really proud of get FAR less productions in a year than their lighter, fun ones.  That's the business.  Please don't mistake this as me advising you not to write dramas.  Dramas do get published and occasionally produced.  I'm just talking from a generalized, business-minded standpoint.  Two plays I'm very proud of, FRANKIE AND THE GINGERBREAD BOY, and AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA, do not do nearly as well as my plays I DON'T MIND THAT YOU'RE UGLY or CITIZEN'S ARREST.
(NOTE:  The one aspect of school theatre where this doesn't seem to be the norm is for the forensics market.  Serious monologues and serious 10-minute duets seem to do very well as a general consensus, sales-wise)

TIP #4:  Speaking of writing shorts, whether it be monologues or duets, remember, ten minutes is the maximum.  They are mostly selling for forensics' competitions, and they are strictly timed.  And also remember, the CONFLICT and CHARACTERS are what sells these pieces. 

TIP #5:  SIMPLE SETTINGS.  School drama teachers (and I should know, I am one), by and large, do not have a large budget to work with and do not receive a great deal of help to put a show together.  Because of this, a play with a simple unit set (which means one set for the show, without scene changes), or with representational set pieces (that can be moved on quickly and easily, like stools or chairs or boxes) are very attractive to drama teachers.  I don't blame them.

TIP #6:  Share the wealth when it comes to lines.  Make your supporting characters interesting.  Make sure that even the smallest part has some interesting feature or quirk that will make him or her fun and desirable to play.  School theatre is often about getting as many kids involved as possible, and we want to make sure that they are all having a positive experience, whether they have 100 lines or jut two.

TIP #7:  NO BAD LANGUAGE or EXPLICIT CONTROVERSEY.  Yes, it is good as an artist to sometimes push the envelope, and, yes, it is important to write plays that address issues that teenagers will face in their lives.  HOWEVER... if you write a play about teenage suicide (for example), it would probably be best not to have a kid with a gun to his head, a quick blackout and loud bang, and then bring up the lights with the kid laying in a pool of his own blood.  I apologize for the graphic image, and, while that image is certainly striking, and perhaps honest, most schools would not produce it.  Don't get me wrong--- some might, but most wouldn't.  And when it comes to language, it needs to be as clean as possible.  I have been asked by an editor to remove the words "hell" and "damn" from a high school-themed play.  Yes, I know many teenagers swear and curse, and we want to be honest--- I even wrote a blog about how young adult fiction can get away with so much more than young adult plays that you can read HERE.  But take my word for it--- you will most likely lose a whole bunch of productions, and maybe not even get it published, if you write a play with a ton of swearing for the school market.  The same thing goes with sexuality.  What you have to remember is that you are a creative writer, and that working within some of these certain guidelines can actually spark creativity and dimension, not destroy it. 

TIP #7:  While many plays for adults, particularly in the professional theater, do not appreciate in-depth stage directions, you have to remember that school theatre is often directed by people who see the value in the program, but might not have the most experience when it comes to directing.  There's an old adage about how many English teachers have been forced into the role of drama director over the years.  This is true for many different kinds of teachers.  Not every school has a separate theatre program with someone who majored in theatre in college.  So, stage directions can be very helpful to create a vivid picture for these folks.  The same is true for setting designs and costume and prop plots.

TIP #8:  The one play that I haven't managed to get published is called RAINBOW AND THE GOOFBALL.  It's a fairy tale I created.  Every editor who has read it has responded to me about how much they like the piece... some have even raved.  But each one has said there is no room for it in their catalogue.  If this play were called CINDERELLA AND THE GOOFBALL, it might have had a much more sporting chance.  If you're going to write a fairy tale, do something fresh and new with a name people already know.

TIP #9:  People often ask me if a play needs to be produced before it can be published for the school market.  Here's the honest answer:  only 2 of the 24 plays I have had published had a production before being published.  I know this goes against conventional wisdom, but it is the truth.  In fact, RAINBOW AND THE GOOFBALL was one play that had a production before being published, a successful one in fact, with great pictures and reviews, and that did not help it get published.  Now, obviously, a production doesn't hurt.  The reason some places strongly recommend it is because a great deal of rewriting can take place during the course of a production, making the script "tested for success".  So I don't know what to tell you.  What I will say, is that I ALWAYS read my plays out loud, often with a group of students, to hear how it sounds, and will make changes from that.  Hearing a play out loud does help one revise it.

TIP #10:  This tip will seem a bit like a cop out, but, it's true just the same:  KNOW WHEN TO BREAK THE RULES.  My advice is to get at least a few publications under your belt before you do, but, no one, not even editors, know for certain what can go through the roof and be a smash hit.  You just don't know.  You can do your best to follow trends (which isn't a bad idea), see what's big in the world of kids and teenagers, tap into all these different avenues, but, hey, in truth, it's all just a guess.  The number one job is still to please yourself first and to write something you can be proud of having your name on.  Plays are in print for quite a good stretch of time after being published.  Remember that. 

I hope you have found these tips useful.  To learn more about my plays, you can click HERE, and check out all the links (note, a few of my plays are forthcoming, so they are not yet available to check out). 

Remember, writing plays for the school market is tough, so it's good to get some advice here and there.  Also remember--- theater is not just a craft, or an art form, or a way to make some money--- it is also a sport.