Playscripts Makes Competition Licensing Easy!
If you are looking for new, challenging plays for your next one-act competition, Playscripts is here to help:
• If you're in Texas, check the UIL-approved plays list or submit your play for approval on the UIL site by December 10, 2022. For UIL-approved plays, check here.
• We advise you not to hold auditions, begin rehearsals, or make any major production plans before you have obtained written permission from Playscripts to proceed.
• Only apply for the number of performances that you are sure will take place at the competition or at your school.
• In accordance with UIL rules, you can soften “adult” language and cut or replace references to the Judeo-Christian deity.
See all the shows that are pre-approved for competition here.
Below is a selection of popular competition titles to get you started or continue your search using FIND-A-PLAY. If at any point you need assistance in finding a play, our team is here to help.
Sending Down the Sparrows
Laura Lundgren Smith
As a reluctant member of the Hitler Youth, Viktor is surrounded by Nazi ideology, from the math problems he's given in class to the conversations he has with his friends. But Viktor is different, because he has a secret: his developmentally disabled sister, Alina, who he visits in a state institution.
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Drama
40 - 45 minutes
4 W, 7 M, 6 Any (10-17 actors possible: 3-7 W, 5-13 M)
40 - 45 minutes
4 W, 7 M, 6 Any (10-17 actors possible: 3-7 W, 5-13 M)
Lafayette No. 1
Mandy Conner
As the yellow fever epidemic ravages the streets of 1816 New Orleans, no one thinks of the orphans known as the Forgotten--except for Lizzie Landry.
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Drama
35 - 45 minutes
8 W, 7 M, (15-25 actors possible: 8-13 W, 7-12 M)
35 - 45 minutes
8 W, 7 M, (15-25 actors possible: 8-13 W, 7-12 M)
Badger (one-act)
Don Zolidis
Facing dangerous work with highly flammable powder as well as insidious sexism, the women form an unlikely friendship through joy and heartbreak. A vibrant ensemble brings the factory to life as each of the women confronts not only the challenges of entering the workforce in the darkest days of World War II, but also who she is and what she truly values.
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Drama
35 - 45 minutes
8 W, 5 M, 1 Any (14-45 actors possible: 8-40 W, 5-37 M)
35 - 45 minutes
8 W, 5 M, 1 Any (14-45 actors possible: 8-40 W, 5-37 M)
Peter/Wendy
Jeremy Bloom
Peter lures Wendy away from her nursery to the magical world of Neverland, where she joins his adventures with Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, and the menacing Captain Hook. A low-tech, inventive adaptation that pays homage to the darker themes of J. M. Barrie's original.
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Comedy/Drama
65 - 75 minutes
3 W, 2 M, 2 Any (7-30 actors possible: 3-30 W, 2-30 M)
65 - 75 minutes
3 W, 2 M, 2 Any (7-30 actors possible: 3-30 W, 2-30 M)
The Wild Bunch Women: A Memory Play
Nelly E. Cuellar-Garcia
The Wild Bunch Women were known throughout the Old West as cattle rustlers, stagecoach bandits, and bank robbers... but to Pearl Hart, they were family. Years later, Pearl revisits her time leading the fiery band of female outlaws, and the fateful day they travel to a small Texas town to cross the border and start fresh. But the past is not so easily outrun…
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Drama
25 - 35 minutes
15 W, 2 M, (13-25 actors possible: 11-15 W, 2-10 M)
25 - 35 minutes
15 W, 2 M, (13-25 actors possible: 11-15 W, 2-10 M)
Dark Road
Laura Lundgren Smith
Kind-hearted Lise is shocked at what her sister becomes, and though the two drift apart, their fates remain inextricably and dangerously linked. A powerful drama about the choices that allow evil to become ordinary.
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Drama
40 - 45 minutes
8 W, 3 M, 1 Any (9-26 actors possible: 9-20 W, 0-6 M)
40 - 45 minutes
8 W, 3 M, 1 Any (9-26 actors possible: 9-20 W, 0-6 M)
Anon(ymous)
Naomi Iizuka
Separated from his mother, a young refugee called Anon journeys through the United States, encountering a wide variety of people -- some kind, some dangerous and cruel -- as he searches for his family.
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Drama
90 minutes
6 W, 5 M, (11-35 actors possible: 6-20 W, 5-15 M)
90 minutes
6 W, 5 M, (11-35 actors possible: 6-20 W, 5-15 M)
Antigone Now
Melissa Cooper
In the midst of a bombed-out city still feeling the aftershocks of war, the rebellious and intense Antigone defies her uncle to bury her disgraced brother. This contemporary response to the myth of Antigone brings powerful, modern prose to an ancient and universal story.
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Drama
50 - 60 minutes
3 W, 1 M, (4-11 actors possible: 2-10 W, 1-9 M)
50 - 60 minutes
3 W, 1 M, (4-11 actors possible: 2-10 W, 1-9 M)
Oz
Don Zolidis
Reeling from her sister's death, Beth suddenly finds herself journeying through a world suspiciously resembling the film The Wizard of Oz. A hilarious and heart-wrenching exploration of grief and perseverance.
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Comedy/Drama
40 - 50 minutes
4 W, 4 M, 4 Any (8-16 actors possible: 4-8 W, 4-8 M)
40 - 50 minutes
4 W, 4 M, 4 Any (8-16 actors possible: 4-8 W, 4-8 M)
The Lost Boy
Ronald Gabriel Paolillo
Haunted by the tragic accident and his mother's harsh words, James M. Barrie slowly begins to confront his family's tragic past with the help of an unexpected friendship and his own gift for storytelling
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Drama
110 - 120 minutes
3 W, 4 M, (7-18 actors possible: 3-10 W, 4-8 M)
110 - 120 minutes
3 W, 4 M, (7-18 actors possible: 3-10 W, 4-8 M)
dirt
Mandy Conner
A moment in American history sets the stage for this personal, immediate drama about finding purpose amid overwhelming disaster.
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Drama
25 - 35 minutes
5 W, 8 M, 5 Any (13-20 actors possible: 4-13 W, 7-16 M)
25 - 35 minutes
5 W, 8 M, 5 Any (13-20 actors possible: 4-13 W, 7-16 M)
A Voice in the Dark: A Salem Story
Elizabeth Downing
Told through the eyes of a teenager, A Voice in the Dark: A Salem Story is a thrilling and poignant tale from one of the darkest eras in American history.
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Historical Drama
70 - 85 minutes
7 W, 3 M, 5 Any (13-18 actors possible: 7-15 W, 3-8 M)
70 - 85 minutes
7 W, 3 M, 5 Any (13-18 actors possible: 7-15 W, 3-8 M)