State One-Act Plays

2024 One-Act Synopses

#Censored by Maria McConville; Manitowoc Lincoln. Centers around a school art fair led by the art teacher Miss Anders and the students with the theme “My Voice Is.” During the school fair, the mysterious artist unveils the controversial piece and many in the community demand it to be censored. The students and adults share their array of opinions and values on the painting that could make or break the art fair.

100 Things I Never Said to You by Adam Szymkowicz; Wisconsin Lutheran. What would you say to someone who passed away? At a school assembly after the death of their classmate Julie, students share memories and say the things they never told Julie as their community attempts to heal. Through a series of monologues and interstitials, the students open up about their own struggles as they learn to cope with guilt, loss, and love.

12 Angry Villains by Jason Pizzarello; Oconto Falls. A parody of Twelve Angry Men/Jurors, this play follows the trial of Peter Pan who has allegedly murdered Captain Hook. A jury of twelve of the most famous villains in literature will decide Pan’s fate, if only they could stop arguing long enough to take a vote. The law requires a unanimous vote by all 12 jurors to sentence the boy to adulthood. But during a heated debate, new uncertainties come to light, forcing everyone to question if there truly is a way to measure “reasonable doubt.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare; Waukesha South. It is a comedic play that intertwines the lives of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors, and mischievous fairies in an enchanted forest. Hermia loves Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius; whom Helena loves. Puck, a fairy, causes chaos by using a love potion, leading to a series of humorous mix-ups. Ultimately, love triumphs as the couples are reconciled, and the play concludes with a joyful wedding celebration, highlighting themes of love, illusion, and transformation.

A Thing of Beauty by Maurice Berger; Lomira. This is a play with great sensitivity and a charming comic touch. A gentle woman enters a park carrying a piece of beautifully formed driftwood, hoping others will thrill to its beauty as she does. The reactions to the driftwood are as varied as the people she encounters. But in their reactions, the characters in the play display their true natures, and in revealing their attitudes toward the driftwood, they draw a fascinating picture of life itself.

A Trip to the Moon by Tracy Wells; Reedsburg. Set in the summer of 1969, A Trip to the Moon tells the story of people reaching for their dreams … dreams of love, dreams of equality, dreams of the stars. Told around the time of the moon landing, this vignette-style play is comprised of scenes named after an iconic song from 1969. From a girl trying to convince her parent to let her go to Woodstock in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” to a woman trying to get a job at NASA in “Bad Moon Rising,” Etc.

Almost Maine by John Cariani; Gibraltar. This is a series of love stories. The Northern Lights are an unexpected surprise that occur when atoms become “excited”. In these vignettes, normal, everyday people find love in unexpected ways and as they do sparks fly all in one winter night in the town of Almost Maine.

Almost, Maine by John Cariani; Plymouth. Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the h

An Experiment by Brent Holland; Poynette. Portrayed in a fantasy world, five confused participants wake up with no memory of their past life … with only one word, a personality descriptor (such as compassionate, courageous or orderly) written in type on their shirts. The doctor explains that each is here willingly, and that they are all being compensated for their participation in a research study. Will the assigned attribute of each participant affect their behavior when under extreme duress? Once the experiment begins and they find o

Bad Auditions by Bad Actors by Ian McWethy; Monroe. A casting director has one day to find the leads for a community theater production of Romeo and Juliet. But what seems like a simple task proves impossible when the pool of actors includes extreme method actors, performers who just don’t know what to do with their hands, and one particular woman who may or may not think she’s a cat. This hilarious comedy will bring you to the last place you’d ever want to be…behind the doors of a casting session.

Brian the Comet by Emily Hageman; Badger. Jude’s mom is an astronaut, 254 miles away on the International Space Station, so when her father is diagnosed with lung cancer, Jude is the only one who can take care of him. In the hospital, she meets a boy named Brian who suffers from aneurysms and together they learn about what they fear, what they know, what they believe, and what they hope for. Using a poetic ensemble chorus, the play explores how we deal with uncertainties in life.

Country Gothic by Tim Kelly; Madison East. The people of Foxfire Valley are gathered for a simple country wedding. Alfred is welcomed into this rural community, and, as the ceremony approaches, they learn the truth about this isolated community.

Dancing with Myself by Leanna Griffin; Sheboygan Lutheran. This play is about seven high schoolers who are referred to by their stereotypes. The show follows each of the characters through the normal drama-filled life of teenagers and how and why they overcome their given stereotype.

Dark Road by Laura Lundgren Smith; Osseo-Fairchild. When Greta reads that the nearby concentration camp is hiring guards, she sees it as a chance to find her place in the world and provide for her sister Lise. Soon she learns the reality of her duties, and so too does she learn how to justify her crimes, heading further down the dark road laid by Nazis. Kind-hearted Lise is shocked at what her sister becomes. Though the two drift apart, their fates remain dangerously linked. A powerful drama about the choices that allow evil to become ordinary.

Dreamwalk by Eddie Kennedy; Sussex Hamilton. Elizabeth and Dani are young cancer patients and during their hospital stay have developed a friendship. At a time when Elizabeth feels that her family and friends have become distant, she turns to Dani to fill that need. During a visit from her sister and the minister’s son, there is a dramatically honest confrontation in which Elizabeth must hear about the other side—what it is like for the family, their fears, frustrations and pain. They must all seek strength to help through the waning days.

Everyman adapted by Addison Drumm and Amelia Figg-Franzoi ; Homestead. He dies, as we all do in time. But are we ever really prepared? Do we have our accounts in order? Everyman is every one of us as we struggle to come to terms with our ending. Who can Everyman take with him? Who will join him on this final journey? Or is this a trip we must take alone?

Fatality by Todd Ford; Owen-Withee. On a dark night Charlie makes a defining decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and using drugs. In this play we examine the circumstances leading up to the decision as well as the effects afterwards. In a chilling conclusion, we realize that there are some decisions that are impossible to change.

Hollow by Trevin McLaughlin, Shorewood. Alina is a teen struggling with the anxiety of an ongoing custody battle between her parents, and trying to stay on top of her schoolwork, household chores, fraying friendships, and take care of her younger sister who has debilitating asthma. As she is set to testify in an upcoming hearing, Alina escapes through her favorite story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This show intertwines Alina’s modern story and the people in her life, with the classic story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.

How To Get Away with a Murder Mystery by Don Zolidis; Waunakee. A mysterious mansion, a dead body, five colorful suspects, one detective with multiple personalities and a myriad of ludicrous lessons about how to get away with a murder…mystery?

How To Survive Being In A Shakespeare Play by Don Zolidis; Drummond. This is a goofy satire about many of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, and Henry V, and what those character’s could’ve done differently to survive.

I Don’t Want to Talk About it by Bradley Hayward; De Pere. When we say, “I’m fine”, are we really? This play reveals common things that teens have going on in their lives which they don’t talk about, but should.

In Search of the Golden Teardrop by Betty Havens; Pulaski. The princess cried a golden teardrop that floated down the Endless River, and the king and queen are desperate for its return. Nitwit George and the Minstrel bravely (or foolishly?) volunteer. They travel through a dangerous Waterfall, The Quiet Waters, the Roaring Rapids, and the Singing Sea before having to face Neptune. This children’s play reminds us that we should have faith in ourselves.

King Lear by William Shakespeare; Appleton North. This tragedy tells the story of two aged fathers–one king and one courtier. Familial greed and betrayal lead to the loss of sight for one and sanity for the other. This is a timeless and unnervingly contemporary drama that asks us to examine the nature of our own humanity and inhumanity. Several theatrical techniques are utilized to enhance the narrative including abstract movement, music, and a “Chorus of Consciousness” personifying Lear’s spiraling descent into madness.

Lockdown by Douglas Craven; Waukesha North. In a dark classroom, eight students sit in an “official lockdown,” not knowing if it’s just a drill or an actual emergency. When a hysterical younger girl bolts from the room and the teacher follows, the remaining students are left alone to decide if it’s safer to stay or run.

Man Woman Flower by Dan LaRocque; Augusta. A parade of unique characters whirl through a museum gallery in a series of humorous scenelets. A single painting transfixes each of the viewers, who respond to the art work from their own perspectives. By doing so, they reveal details about themselves and their relationships. In essence the characters become the art work themselves. Their exploration of the nature of art demonstrates the immense power it has to enrich life from a variety of angles.

May I Have Your Attention, Please? by Catherine Rhoden-Goguen; Bay Port. This play deals with serious issues of suicide and may be triggering for some. The Borthwick family gathers in a living room after being asked to by the self-appointed black sheep of the family, Chris. Chris “arrives” to the meeting via video and speaks to them from the television screen. By the end of the recording, the family finally realizes how Chris has cried out for their attention, but due to his class clown nature, they cannot be sure if what he does next is a joke or not.

Mmmbeth by Allison Williams; Monona Grove. This is a humorous one act play, this comedic adaptation of The Scottish Play. This play has many twists and turns including a bloodthirsty Lady Mmmbeth, Queen Duncan refusing to die and murderers preoccupied with creating social media content. The plot explores themes of betrayal, death, and revenge. A hilarious play where everything goes wrong, the witches take over the storytelling in a fun fast paced that breaks the forth was with audience participation.

Murder of Crows by Mike Kenny in collaboration with Barnstorm Theatre Company; Prescott. Inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel, this play explores the themes of famine, family loyalties, and survival. Actors weave a gothic story of the journey of two children navigating fear and abandonment, from the squawking perspective of a group of boisterous crows.

Robin Hood and the Unnecessary Rescue by David Neilsen; Northland Pines. Like a good game of telephone, folktales are passed down through the centuries by storytellers of varying skill levels. Only the most outstanding and memorable details are ripped from the pages of the original. What we have here is more or less, slightly, mostly and partially representative of what we believe could have been similar to the original. The mind is a terrible thing. Memory like Swiss cheese. What’s with Swiss cheese anyway?

Soundscapes by Claudia Haas and Sarah Kraning; Neenah. Iris has synesthesia. She has no idea. At first, she simply thinks that everyone sees colors and shapes when music plays, but by the time she’s a teenager, it’s clear that others don’t understand. Struggling to downplay the way she experiences the world, and worrying what it might mean to be different, the young artist is at war with herself until she meets a new friend – and he sees the colors too.

Souvenir by Stephen Temperly; Tremper. Florence Foster Jenkins suffered under the delusion that she was a great soprano when she was incapable of producing two consecutive notes in tune. This play tells her story through her accompanist, Cosme McMoon, where we follow the story of their partnership from its earliest days to their infamous concert in Carnegie Hall. Faced with her boundless certainty, Cosme revises his attitude, not only towards her singing but to the meaning of music itself.

Ten Actors in Search of a Cell Phone by James Rayfield; Tomahawk. Teen angst can often create chaos at home, in the classroom, or before an important event, including the school play. Such is the case right before “The Pizza from Mars” is about to open. Will the poor, suffering stage manager ever be able to call curtain, or will these ten divas involved in the play let gossip, relationship issues, and the search for a lost cell phone lead to death…social death…and contribute to the show not going on?

The Girl In The White Pinafore by Jiggs Burgess; Barneveld. The deadly explosion of the school in New London, Texas, in 1937, sets the scene for a twenty-five year journey of tragedy, grief, guilt, and redemption. Young Amelia Davis and W.C. Shaw are both haunted by the events of that day but for very different reasons. A cutting from the original full-length play.

The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson; West De Pere. This play is the real-life story of a Philadelphia woman who spent the last 25 years of her life in a mental institution. In 1790, Mary Girard is committed to an asylum. After she became pregnant by another man, her husband had her declared legally insane. Now, she sits in a chair as the “furies” dance around and impersonate people from her past. By the end of this haunting and highly theatrical piece, Mary has grown rather convincingly into her diagnosis.

The Last Illusion by B.Dwayne Craft; Greenwood/Loyal. Harry Houdini is perhaps the most well-known illusionist of the past two centuries, and the passion and beauty that are behind his fame are revealed during his final performance. Told through the memories and voices of those who knew and loved the man for the magic he brought to their lives, The Last Illusion is a touching portrait of the man behind the magic. Derived from facts of Houdini’s life.

The Lost Boy by Ronald Gabriel Paolillo; Burlington. Despite finding success and fame as a writer, James M. Barrie is dissatisfied with his work and his life. He returns to his hometown in Scotland to visit his mother, who still blames him for the long-ago death of his older brother. Haunted by the tragic accident and his mother’s harsh words, James slowly begins to confront his family’s tragic past with the help of an unexpected friendship and his own gift for storytelling.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Dwayne Hartford; Waterford Union. Edward Tulane is an expensive toy rabbit made of china. He is loved by a little girl named Abilene, but Edward doesn’t care. He is vain and self-centered. He has no interest in anyone other than himself. On an ocean voyage, Edward is accidentally thrown overboard and sinks to the bottom of the sea. So begins his journey—a journey over which he has no control, for he is a toy rabbit. Through this miraculous journey, Edward learns what it is to love, what it is to lose that love, and how to find it.

The Scheme of the Driftless Shifter by Carolyn Lane; Regis. The cast has prepared a good old-fashioned melodrama, but they were not prepared when everything around them started to go very wrong.

The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmerman; Beloit Memorial. We explore various lesser-known Grimm Fairy Tales through Mary Zimmerman’s masterful adaptation into a world filled with visual metaphors and allegory. While not a comedy, we see many moments of humor on our journey through this series of cautionary tales.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by John Glore; Brookwood. Though the characters may be familiar, each of your favorite storybook fables is uproariously derailed in this adaptation of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s quintessential children’s book of fractured fairy tales. Everything from “Chicken Little” to “The Gingerbread Man” gets a complete makeover. Fun music and witty narration accompany the likes of ineloquent giants, sassy barnyard animals, colossal cow pies, and enough stinky cheese to go around.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben; Waukesha West. After seeing her fiancé kiss another woman at the televised Thanksgiving Parade, Mary’s life falls apart- just in time for the holidays. Over the next year, she stumbles back into the dating world, where romance ranges from weird and creepy to absurd and comical. It seems nothing can help Mary’s growing cynicism, until the charm and innocence of a five-year-old boy unexpectedly brings a new outlook on life and love.

When Bad Things Happen To Good Actors by Jason Pizzarello & Ian McWethy; Riverdale. Imagine a high school director who has adapted “The Wizard of Oz” as a high school one act, with no music. Now, image a director who is absent from many rehearsals leaving the show with half-finished costumes, actors not knowing their entrances, and tech people without direction. This is that show.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors by Ian McWethy and Jason Pizzarello; West Salem. A simple one-act production of The Wizard of Oz gets derailed by missed cues, forgotten lines, and a renegade soundboard op who refuses to play anything but dinosaur noises. A comedy that proves, when it comes to live theatre, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and it will be hilarious.