Plays for All Year

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.

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...

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...

40 pages

6 m, 4 w, 4 flexible, extras,

Mild-mannered suburbanite Rob Clark is shocked when Eugene, an unlikely angel, tells him that he is going to have a baby. Rob and his wife, Cindy, have wanted a child, but they never expected Rob to be the one to get pregnant! Their family physician, Doc Mitchell, an old-fashioned doctor who'd rather be fishing, confirms the pregnancy, but Dr. Stern, a cynical psychologist, says everyone is nuts! Meanwhile, Rob and Cindy, who are trying to come to terms with the situation, are besieged by a parade of curiosity seekers, led by Dr. Stern, while Doc Mitchell com...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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...

33 pages

Approx. 3 m, 8 w, 1 flex. Doubling possible.

A simple but bright orange robe, discarded years earlier and now found at a church bazaar sale, makes an incredible journey of ministry. Trisha buys the robe for twenty-five cents, and on a wild whim, wears it to meet her daughter's future in-laws. She gives the "lucky" robe to them and it provides a comic moment, one which leads to them talking again to get their marriage back on track. Soon they give the robe to Chyna, a lonely newcomer at church. Hard to miss while wearing the robe, Chyna meets new friends and she soon gives it to Jackie, who is ill. The r...

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.

36 pages

8 m, 5 w, or 4 m, 9 w, extras.

This play with music recreates the life of Fanny Crosby, a special woman who blessed our world by writing the words to more than 8,000 hymns. She felt her lifetime of blindness brought her closer to the heart of God. Actual events - some humorous, others sad, a few even tragic - surrounding the inspiration for her most well-known hymns are dramatized in this easily staged portrait of the blind poetess whose words, poems, and lyrics continue to be sung by millions around the world today. Let your actors, choir, or congregation sing the suggested hymns which this remarkable woman wrote. A ...

39 pages

5 m, 5 w

It is the future, a time when it is illegal to own a Bible or to proclaim any faith in Christ. The West family are true Christians. When their older friend Anna gives them a picture of Jesus, they are delighted, yet aware of the dangers of having it in their home. Even more distressing is the immediate threat of Anna's arrest. The government has ordered all those who refuse to deny their faith and refuse to pledge allegiance to the government to be put to death. After the soldiers take Anna away, the family knows they will probably be next. They wonder -- will their faith be strong en...

29 pages

11 roles with any combination of Men/Women in the Chorus.

A clever adaptation of the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Ease of staging, flexibility of cast, faithfulness to the original text, humor, theatricality and relevancy to today's world help to make this adaptation one which will interest any theatre group. The script follows the story of "Camel-trader, potter, jack-of-all-trades yet expert in none" Jonah as he is called to save a people for whom he has nothing but hatred. After attempting to elude his calling, Jonah reluctantly does God's bidding. His transformation from potter to Prophet is successful: he saves people. But does he save hi...

51 pages

14 m, 1 w, 1 child (can be doubled to 10 actors)

The play tells the true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who led the resistance to Hitler in the German church. Narrated by his friend Eberhard Bethge, the play follows Bonhoeffer from his early years as a seminary professor, to leading his students to organize an underground seminary and distribute clandestine anti-Nazi literature, and finally to his joining the secret unit of German military intelligence plotting the death of Hitler. Arrested by the Gestapo, Bonhoeffer is sent to prison, where he is visited by relatives and his fiancée in a poignant scene. In a poetic chorus, his ...