American Scare Stories

American Scare Stories cover art

Full-length ghost story

American Scare Stories

What if the ghost stories you’ve heard your entire life were true?

Running time90 min
Cast7 to 40 actorsMany roles, any gender
SetOne setNo scene changes
LicenseFrom $399 a yearNo approval wait
ForMiddle school, high school and community theater
Content advisory: This play includes a character’s implied death by suicide, offstage. We recommend reading the full script before casting and letting your school counselor know about the topic, so support is ready for your cast and audience. In the U.S., the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text.
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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.

Full-Length Solo
$399 / year
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$599 / year
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$799 / year
Every one-act and full-length, plus Dramallama U curriculum.

The story

What if the ghost stories you’ve heard your entire life were true? In American Scare Stories, a mysterious Curator invites the audience into the American Archive of Unexplained Events, where he has spent decades collecting evidence of the supernatural—and proving that every haunting has a perfectly logical explanation. Tonight, he’s opening four of his most chilling cases: a rideshare driver who picks up a passenger who shouldn’t exist, a family haunted by the secrets buried beneath a reservoir, an understudy who discovers that some performers never leave the stage, and a mysterious girl waiting on a deserted country road. Each story unfolds before the audience’s eyes, blurring the line between fact and folklore as the Curator confidently insists that there’s nothing to fear.

But as the evening progresses, strange connections emerge between the cases, unexplained sounds echo through the theater, and the Curator’s carefully constructed explanations begin to unravel. Soon, the audience realizes that these aren’t simply four unrelated ghost stories—and that the most terrifying mystery may be the one the Curator refuses to confront. Combining classic American urban legends with psychological suspense, unexpected twists, and immersive theatrical effects, American Scare Stories is a spine-tingling anthology that transforms an ordinary night at the theater into an unforgettable encounter with the unknown. Because some stories aren’t meant to stay buried. And some ghosts aren’t finished telling theirs.

Producing it

Cast7 to 40 actors, with doubling. Many roles can be played by any gender. You can change lines, roles and genders to fit your students.
SetOne room (the Archive) never struck; each story is lit inside it.
TechA sound and light show on one archive set. Plan speakers around the house and lobby, a low bell effect, recorded voices, and practical water and candle effects.
For your scene-stealersA seven-actor core with a commanding narrator role and several strong monologues, plus a scalable chorus that can grow the cast to about 40.

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.
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