Theatre in 60

Theatre in 60 cover art

One-act comedy

Theatre in 60

The history of theatre (or is it “theater”?

Running time60 min
Cast15 or more actorsMany roles, any gender
SetOne main setLights do the rest
CompetitionYes, with a trimTrim to fit your time limit
ForMiddle and high school
No application, no approval wait
License today, announce today
Unlimited performances, no royalties on top
Change lines, roles and genders without asking

Pick your license

Billed once for a full year. Nothing auto-renews. No approval wait: your scripts are ready the minute you check out. Paying by purchase order? We take POs.

One-Act Solo
$249 / year
Just this play. Unlimited performances and script printing.
Best value
One-Act Flex
$299 / year
This play plus every one-act we publish, with new titles monthly. Only $50 more.
Llama Plan
$799 / year
Every one-act and full-length, plus Dramallama U curriculum.

The story

The history of theatre (or is it “theater”?) is as dramatic as any play or musical ever to take the stage. It’s epic in scope, full of twists and turns, and replete with fascinating characters. You’d think it would be impossible to cover it all in just one hour, wouldn’t you? Well, Melpo and Thalia—the masked Greek muses of comedy and tragedy—are willing to give it a go, joined by their new friend, Mediocrates, the muse of plays that are… all right, I guess.

Prepare to be whisked away on a 3,000-year adventure as our muses track theatre’s most seminal moments, including Ancient Greece’s original stage diva, the very first cast announcement (at an Elizabethan high school), and the unnerving reopening of Ford’s Theatre (for Lincoln’s successor, anyway). And some of these events may even be true! You know, if you don’t fact-check them too hard.

High in energy and extremely flexible (in gender, cast size, sets, and props), Theatre in 60 gives students the autonomy to make big choices, hone their physical performance skills, and find comedic gold in the chaos. And maybe—just maybe—they’ll learn a few things about the people and plays that, over millennia, paved the way for the theatre we know today (or “the theater we know today”… we’re still on the fence about the spelling, to be honest).

Producing it

Cast15 actors, and the ensemble can grow as large as you like. Many roles can be played by any gender. You can change lines, roles and genders to fit your students.
SetOne theater set; vignettes suggested with lights and props.
TechOne continuous set with no scene changes, but prop and costume heavy: masks, a puppet theatre, a rolling cannon, period costumes, a cream pie, and many sound cues.
For your scene-stealersFive comic leads anchor dozens of cameo roles across 3,000 years of theater history, ending in a full-cast speed round finale.

Quick answers

Can I change lines or genders?Yes. Change lines, roles and genders to fit your students. You never have to ask.
Can we take it to competition?Yes. Competition rights are in every plan, with no extra fee and no approval to request.
Can my school pay with a PO?Yes. Request an invoice at checkout. Your access is set up as soon as the PO arrives.
Read it tonight. Cast it tomorrow.
80% of the script is free. Licensing takes two minutes and needs no approval.