Plays for All Year

23 pages

12 w.

It is the duty of the Ladies Society to officially welcome the new minister's wife, whom they have heard is dignified, formal, and used to the activities of a much larger church and town. The ladies, wanting to make a good impression, rehearse their speeches and songs so they will look "classy." In Scene 2, the minister's wife, meek, absent-minded, and in the throes of moving day confusion, answers the door with a picture frame hanging around her neck. The dumbfounded ladies give a completely garbled version of their program to their bewilderment and chagrin. Eventually they are all in ...

23 pages

4 m, 3 w

Investigator Keith Schwartz has been sent to look into the alleged suicide of Mr. Nazareth, a patient at the Fallen Oaks Correctional Facility for the Criminally Insane. But there are complications: The body has disappeared from the morgue, staff and patients are hiding something, and even the head psychiatrist seems reluctant to talk. Schwartz interviews the patients to discover what really happened that night. This one-act, single set drama is both a whodunit mystery and a retelling of the gospel for a modern audience.

28 pages

20 female roles, doubling possible.

Here are the stories of many mothers, some known, like Mary, Elizabeth, Ruth, and Naomi, and some not, like the wives of Noah and Job, who had a great influence on the course of human events. While women in Biblical times seemed to be just "things" to be owned, these mothers, with a love of their Lord, passed down lasting inherent goodness and courage to their children. In so doing, they helped to further Christian beliefs and moral standards. The various monologues, dialogues and group conversations show, in a conversational way, the depth, wisdom and love o...

18 pages

6 parts (3 moms, 3 daughters)

Hilarious and heartwarming, wise and witty, this vocal collage grabs your audience with fast-paced dialogue between three moms and their daughters. Perched on boxes at different heights, they recount their love and frustration with each other all through life, from the moment the daughters are born to their wedding days! And at each crossroad in life they say in unison, "You just don't understand!" Absolutely minimal staging, this high-spirited play is guaranteed to make your next Mother's Day program memorable.

47 pages

4 m, 5 w, 8 flexible

This stage adaptation of Frank Baum’s original story is perfect for churches and Christian schools. Dorothy, a teenager in Kansas, just isn’t interested in church anymore. In fact, she’s trying to determine what she really believes. Then in a dream, she finds she has been sent by God to a strange land, Oz, to be a missionary. Convinced she cannot accomplish the task, she is encouraged by Glinda the Good to seek the assistance of the Great Missionary in the Emerald City. On the way, she encounters three familiar characters who are also failed missionaries beca...

57 pages

2 to 14 flexible, with doubling.

Here's a wonderful collection. Special services include Easter, Minister/Staff Appreciation, Foreign Missions, Mother's Day and Father's Day. Also included are general plays designed to enhance any service. Is there really "The Perfect Job"? A mother learns what her most important attribute is in "The Greatest of These." Your heart will be moved in "Who Drove the Nails?" And let's just stop the "Family Feud" and get to church on time! Scripture narration and suggested hymns included. Some of these plays will make your congregation laugh and some will bring a ...

17 pages

2 m

A young assistant has been hired by an old keeper. It is the Keeper's dream to have the young man accept his offer to continue the tradition of loving care and the keeping of the priceless treasures found in the Master Room. The Keeper's last hope, for the future and a peaceful death, lies in the acceptance of his offer by the young man, who despises the room and job because it has restricted his ideal of life. Thus, in quiet desperation, the Keeper purposely activates the time lock of the vault door, trapping them for the night. He has one last night to conv...

47 pages

8 m, 4 w, optional children's roles, extras as desired.

Just before dawn, Jan. 18, 1981, Chet Bitterman was kidnapped at gunpoint in Bogota, Colombia, and held hostage for 48 days. Rebels demanded all Wycliffe Bible translators leave Colombia or Chet would be killed. Abducted from his wife and two toddlers, the 29-year-old man had recently come to Colombia to live with a remote tribe and to develop for them their own language in written form, then to translate the Scriptures into that language. Chet's is a valiant story of courage and witness under vicious pressure, a story of caring for his kidnappers, concern fo...

17 pages

2 m, 4 w

Clayton Hill is an escaped convict who cherishes his independence. Mabel Pulver is a strong-willed, elderly lady who above all cherishes her independence. And no down-on-his-luck, on-the-run convict is going to make her call for help, which is the first step to a nursing home. Thrown together, this odd couple creates a laugh riot, especially when Clayton must dress up like a lady to pose as a long-lost cousin at Mabel's birthday party AND baby-sit the state trooper's children.

0 pages

14 m, 8 w, 1 boy, 1 girl, and 8 to 15 flexible roles with doubling possible.

Have you ever wondered about the people who wrote the hymns that you sing in church every Sunday? What events in their lives led them to sit down and write these songs - songs that would eventually became "hymnal classics" in the Christian church? This musical uncovers the true, behind-the-scenes stories of seven people and how they were prompted by tragedy or triumph to write such treasured favorites as "Just As I Am" and "Onward, Christian Soldiers." In addition, a beautiful, original song "Bringing a Hymn to Life," is also included. Told in a series of vig...

48 pages

Large, flexible cast including several children's roles. Doubling possible.

He first started preaching at age 16 in small English countryside cottages, carrying a lamp to light his way over fields. Soon the teenage preacher was invited to give a sermon in London. He was asked to "stay on" and for the next thirty years he preached to hundreds of thousands and built one of London's largest tabernacles even to this day. Now, more than a century later, the sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon continue to be spirtually meaningful. The life of this preaching giant is recreated here and even portions of several of his sermons are included.

24 pages

4 w

This collection of dramatizations will enhance a Mother's Day program or any women's ministry. From well-known Biblical women as Hannah, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of Jesus, to modern day women, we see how God can work in each of our lives if we allow Him. Skits run from 5 to 15 minutes with different sizes of casts. Several have music suggestions. These easily staged skits can be used individually or together as a complete program.

15 pages

6 w

Six alert and active senior ladies go on vacation and rent a condo with only one bathroom. From trying to get all of their luggage into one minivan, deciding who sleeps where and what to eat, to finally selecting the activities, life gets wild and silly, all intensified by lack of sleep. About 20-25 minutes.

Also join the ladies in these other comedies: "Ladies at Lunch" (#1648) "Ladies at Poker" (#1816)

20 pages

1 m, 6 w

The ladies meet at Suzie's home for a game of poker which they know little if anything about. Suzie's husband, Willoughby, sticks his two-cents-worth in and the game disintegrates into a sharing of make-up and poker-bridge. As usual men are a part of the discussion!  Also join the ladies in these other comedies: "Ladies at Lunch" (#1648) "Ladies on Vacation" (#1649)

14 pages

2m, 6w

Six alert and active senior ladies meet for lunch each week. Between their arranging chairs, sharing OTC medications, discussing mammograms and men, they give a waiter and his manager a really bad day. This is a hilarious play, full of opportunities for clever business. One Interior. About 25 minutes.

 

Also join the ladies in these other comedies: "Ladies at Poker" (#1816) "Ladies on Vacation" (#1649)

41 pages

1 m, 4 w

Judge Reginald P. Cogsworth, a curmudgeon who hates sweets, is judging a charity bakeoff, albeit grudgingly. Countless entries have been whittled down to three: a tart submitted by Lucy "Scooter" Bright, owner of a nail salon; a Depression-era style cake by Edna Mae Carter, the local librarian; and a rich torte created by Margaret Mason, a local society lady. In the middle of tasting all the goodies, the judge falls dead, and it's up to Miss Peabody, the head of the contest, and the audience to determine the murderer. There are clues in the theatre, some hidd...

12 pages

1 m, 1 w, 1 flexible

Al McCarty is an elderly construction worker on his first trip with his wife Lisa since his retirement. They’re camping in Montana, and though it’s been his dream to fish there, Al is bored. He misses his coworkers and the noise of the construction trucks. He’s even gone so far as to fix a toilet in the men’s restroom. When an angel in white overall appears telling him “It’s time,” Al is nonplussed. He demands the angel prove he has heavenly powers, and while they’re waiting for the “order” to go through, the angel gives Al a few options for his passing—from ...

40 pages

22 flexible characters, 12 with doubling.

This is a somewhat zany retelling of the traditional story of Jonah. Although enhanced with some extra characters and scenes, the theme and overall message hold true to the Old Testament Scriptures. Included in the story is Herald, the angel who acts as God’s voice and has the ability to turn up at unusual places and in unusual ways. In the opening scene a handful of fun-loving woodland creatures discover Jonah asleep, and bring in the right blend of seriousness when they realize he must be the prophet. Along the way Jonah interacts with some sailors who even...

36 pages

25 Sketches and Monologues for Christian Worship

These scenes and monologues are perfect for an evening of Gospel Theatre in the Chancel or as adjuncts to Sermons or even lessons in Sunday School. They place their characters in the present but the characters talk about their impressions of Jesus and His effect on their lives as if they were there with Him during His Ministry. Explore the feelings and perceptions of ordinary people whose lives have been dramatically changed. Some of them knew God in the wilderness others were healed by Jesus. Some are living today, learning about grace as they face life's tough issues. Two- to seven-m...

28 pages

4 m, 5 w, 1 flexible

An evil banker, Char Cole, wants the land the church sits on to build a casino. He sends a bogus mortgage bill demanding the church pay a $10,000 balloon payment to scare the congregation in to selling him the property for a fraction of what it is worth. Church members hurriedly decides to submit a secret barbecue recipe to a contest in hopes of winning the huge cash prize. They even open a barbecue restaurant in the church to raise money. Meanwhile, Miss Phit, the bumbling church secretary, is constantly getting the bulletins and newsletters wrong, sending m...

68 pages

4 m, 5 w

This zany comedy, in the spirit of Kaufman and Hart, centers on Doc, an eccentric old man whose house caters to all sorts of characters. Now a retired judge, he spends his days “enjoying life.” When he’s not flying around the countryside in his balloon or fishing in a nearby dry riverbed, he works on his books of nonsense. This prompts his daughter, Charlotte, to decide he’s lost his marbles. So, conspiring with a sly lawyer, she plans to not only become his guardian but also sell his house and property. Throw in a psychologist on her first case, love sick te...

46 pages

7 m, 5 w, 2 boys, 2 girls

Here is a lighthearted comedy about lonely millionaire Jonathan Bingsley whose life is turned upside down when, against his better judgment, he allows six energetic orphans to stay at his home. To complicate matters his long-time maid and butler disappear under mysterious circumstances. Jonathan's sister, Elizabeth, convinces him to use her lazy son and his wife as replacements with disastrous (and hilarious!) results. They do a terrible job keeping house and let the children run wild. So Jonathan is forced to hire questionable substitutes, who create chaos of their own.

14 pages

2 m, 1 w

A messenger of the Devil is sent to destroy the world but when he reaches Earth, he encounters a girl with ideas and problems of her own. Then we find out that the girl has been sent by ... you know who! One easy set.

31 pages

7 m, 5 w, 1 boy.

Alarm bells sound when Pastor Larry Bowman and his wife, Janet, find out the leader of their denomination, Rev. Grisham, wants to visit and use their three children as role models for his newest book. As loveable as they are, young Eric, Cherie and Cody are famous for their outrageous ideas and rambunctious behavior. Their antics especially seems to grate on the nerves of one of the church's more conservative deacons. To impress Rev. Grisham, the kids build an altar to use the youngest child as their sacrifice - following the example of Abraham and Isaac, of course! Hapless, hilarious, a...

24 pages

3 m, 3 w

It's a routine Sunday morning biblical radio discussion on the second coming of Christ ... until the radio audience confuses the broadcast with the real second coming! Soon, huge crowds of listeners overreact by flocking to the cemetery to be ready to wave at their love ones as the dead in Christ arise to go to heaven. The Mayor, who has declared a citywide emergency to deal with the crisis, joins the radio broadcast to help bring order out of chaos. After listening to the panel discuss the issue, the Mayor is converted on the air. She now realizes that most of the crowd gathered at the...

45 pages

8 m, 1 w, 3 flexible, many speaking extras

When high-schooler Tom is assigned a report titled “Jesus: Myth or Reality?” he wants tangible evidence, not just faith. Resting for a moment, he dreams he is a reporter in biblical time. Motivated by a possible promotion, he must disprove that Jesus is the Messiah. First he meets Nicodemus who secretly requests that Tom speak with Jesus face-to-face before writing his article. Later Tom meets John the Baptist, a man healed by Jesus, a vendor, and Caiaphas. But Tom finds himself scrambling to save Jesus after hearing plans to arrest him. Instead of getting th...

56 pages

5 m, 6 w, 1 girl, optional Piano Player

Four strangers arrive in the little western town of Larrabie, Texas. One is a gunslinger looking for the man who shot his pa, another is a gambler looking for some action, the next is a snake oil salesman who promises to have anything anyone could ever need, and lastly is a preacher who offers the word of God. What follows is one of the most curious bets the gambler has ever seen, pitting the salesman against the preacher in a high-stakes game where lives – and souls – are on the line. With a loveable bunch of characters, from Liza, the soiled dove, to Old Su...

48 pages

Cast: 2 to 7 flexible.

"God's Top Ten List" presents the Ten Commandments in a fresh light. The words written on stone tablets so long ago are brought to modern situations, such as a fender-bender, parent-volunteers on a school project, remembering the Sabbath and gossiping about some things that should be left unsaid. These ten skits hold a mirror up to the audience that allows them to laugh at their own shortcomings. Emphasis is placed not so much on the "Thou shalt not's", but on the "why's." The actors will enjoy presenting the humorous and ironic situations and will themselves learn through the experienc...

72 pages

6 m, 5 w

Early morning July 1, 1863. Gettysburg, Pa. As thousands of troops from both North and South amass for what will become one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, five teenagers from several local farms escape to the safety of the surrounding hills. There's the level-headed Eliza and her little sister, Justine, who's strong-willed; Georgina, whose mother has sheared her hair to make her look like a boy; and Rachel and Jeremiah, a brother and sister from a wealthier family. As they witness the horrors of battle over the next three days, the teens are force...

17 pages

Three 5-7 minute skits that will enhance any woman's program.

God has gifted women to be keepers of the hearth where friends and family gather for food and conversation in the traditional center of the home. The three drama skits in FROM HEARTH TO HEART demonstrate how women use their homes as a base for spiritual growth, ministry and missions. But of course, no woman is perfect, and the poignant lessons of "Share and Prayer," "Mary and Martha" and "The Wild VBS Bronco" allow the audience to chuckle at themselves while gaining valuable spiritual insights geared to today's busy lifestyles. Simple sets.