Plays for All Year

36 pages

3 m, 3 w

Amy Westmond and her husband Floyd, along with his brother and father who comprise a country music group, return to Amy’s home church. They reminisce and catch up on the gossip with Marie, the church’s housekeeper, and Betty, the choir director, who inspired Amy earlier but now seems to have somewhat of an attitude. The Westmonds are told that a search committee will be there for the evening hymn-sing to try to lure the church’s beloved pastor away. With the unseen organist who communicates through charades, they form a plan—a fake pastor and fake service! Ll...

56 pages

3 m, 2 w

Buck Howard is a successful author but his personal life has been marred by the loss of his wife. Howard blames God for this tragedy. He also begins to blame God for every minor ache and pain that comes along. Finally, God decides to confront Howard and visits him in the form of a dapper little man who is somewhat of a klutz. Everything he does seems to turn out wrong and the audience is left wondering just what kind of Deity this is. But is he the stumble john that he appears to be or is it all an act? This very funny play says something important about how ...

24 pages

2 m, 4 w

A drama troupe is preparing a play about Charles T. Studd, a missionary to China, India and Africa from 1880 to 1930. Andy, one of the actors, challenges how relevant the play is to today and in the ensuing argument makes a surprising discovery. Suitable for touring. About 35 minutes.

16 pages

5 characters: 5M or 4M 1W or 4M 1B.

In Assisi, Italy, in the Thirteenth Century, Francis has gathered some followers in a primitive monastery. A boy appears at the gate and asks to speak with Francis, who has gone into the woods. Though poorly dressed, the boy is an angel sent to test the charity of the men and to expose the one who is a fraud. One monk, Masseo, is too foolish to recognize who the boy really is, and reacts to him with comic resentment. The Vicar, Elias, is too angry to treat the boy charitably, sending him away. Elias then lies to Francis about what happened to the boy, but Fra...

56 pages

2 m, 2 w, 2 flexible, extras

51 pages

3 m, 3 w, 1 flexible

The biographer of the story of Berendina (Diet) Eman is interrupted by Diet herself as he begins a lecture about the Second World War and Nazi resistance in occupied Europe. Diet explains that her efforts to hide Jewish people were not unique, but were undertaken by many ordinary people. To explain, she begins to tell the exciting stories of her Resistance work. As she does, her younger self appears and narrates stories in ways which occasionally vary from the descriptions offered by her older self. In addition, her fiancé, Hein Sietsma, appears, and all thre...

23 pages

3-4 m, 4 w, flexible extras as singers

Five contestants vie for the grand prize of eternal life in this special game show takeoff, "Who Wants Eternal Life?" The funny contestants embody certain personality traits, and as the game proceeds, they lose and leave the stage until only one wins the grand prize. The message of salvation is heard not only in word but also in song as singers perform during specially designed breaks to serve courses of the meal. Little rehearsal is needed as actors can have scripts hidden at their game-show podiums. Super easy and super fun. About 35 minutes.

48 pages

2 m, 6 w

Here's the perfect play to use as a fund-raiser, an audience-participation mystery, or entertainment for your own special dinner event. Rev. Longacre is gathering a small group of church members at a potluck dinner to broach the subject of starting a building fund. Duty-bound Hazel arrives first to set up everything and tell the Reverend she hasn't yet found out who's been sending him anonymous love letters. Jenny, a local politician, and Cornelia, a local poet, arrive next, followed by Annie, the church secretary who is hiding something under her coat, and i...

19 pages

4 m, 2 w, 1 voice.

Dave Elkins is returning from the Vietnam War. His Idaho farm family are busy anticipating his arrival. He calls from Hawaii to ask if he can bring home with him a friend who lost the use of his legs and has nowhere to go. The family considers, but overwhelmed by the business and busyness of live on the farm, along with civic and church duties, they tell Dave that a farm is no place for someone who can't pull his own weight. Dave emerges from the phone booth, reaches for his crutches and tells his friend yes, he will go home with him and share life with the f...

38 pages

Cast: 3 m, 3 w with doubling or 4 m, 4 w, guest acts optional.

The year is 1960. “The Piety Variety Gospel Show” is a locally televised religious program that blesses folks between church services with music, religious news, and much more. But now the host, Brother Shelby Greene, faces a crisis. With new regulations that require him to start paying for his airtime, how will he raise the money and stay true to his calling? This is a comic tale about becoming a televangelist when selling religious items, having nice hair, and asking for money on air was something new. A singing quartet performs ten well-known hymns, and th...

48 pages

3 m, 3 w

In this play, six witnesses to the Sermon on the Mount recreate the experience for an early assembly of Christians. In the recreation, witnesses take turns acting as Jesus, audience members, and narrators of the story. Though much more entertaining and humorous than most translations of the Sermon, Jesus’s words in this version closely follow the original Greek in the order that He spoke them. This word order demonstrates the warmth and cleverness that Jesus used to draw people into His message. This allows audiences today to hear these words in an exciting n...

39 pages

3 m, 4 w

What does the Bible really teach about homosexuality? How can some Christians think it’s an awful sin and others welcome gays into church leadership? Sixteen-year-old Peter thinks he is gay, and he’s still hoping it’s not true, that no one will ever have to know he even suspected it. Peter’s father is the pastor of a church, his best buddy is the leader of the youth group. The world would end if they and Ashley, a girl who’s definitely attracted to Peter, found out. But bit by bit his secret leaks out, and then he isn’t the only one facing the dilemma of being gay and Christian. This pla...