Classic Scenes for the High School Stage
24 classic scenes for two and three actors.
Scenes from Sophocles to Georgia Douglas Johnson, printed uncut and exactly as published, each with a beat breakdown, language notes, partner prompts, a class game and a teacher box.
Former Artistic Director, West Virginia Shakespeare Festival
- ✓ Public-domain plays: no royalties to perform
- ✓ One purchase covers your whole school
- ✓ Instant PDF download
- ✓ Free with Flex, Llama and Dramallama U plans
Inside every entry
Built like a rehearsal room
Every scene is built on the questions actors train on. Who is this person talking to? What do they want? What is in the way? What changes by the last line?
Student handout
The play, the situation, what each character wants, the words to know and the time.
For students
The scene
The text exactly as printed, with speaker names in capitals.
For students
Breakdown and language
The beats, what changes and how the language works.
For students
Rehearsal
Three partner prompts and a class game.
For students
For teachers
Skill focus, scaffold, content note, assessment checklist, casting and festival use.
For teachers
Look inside
Real pages from the book
The free preview has the front of the book and the first two complete entries. Open the preview
Contents
All 24 scenes
Every scene is a continuous, uncut passage from a play first published in 1930 or earlier. Times are estimates, so time each piece aloud.
Showing all 24 scenes
Before 1700
- 1
Antigone and Ismene · AntigoneSophocles
- 2
Neoptolemus and Odysseus · PhiloctetesSophocles
- 3
Bianca, Lucentio and Hortensio · The Taming of the ShrewWilliam Shakespeare
- 4
Lady Percy and Hotspur · The First Part of Henry the FourthWilliam Shakespeare
- 5
Mistress Ford and Mistress Page · The Merry Wives of WindsorWilliam Shakespeare
- 6
Hero, Margaret and Beatrice · Much Ado About NothingWilliam Shakespeare
- 7
Face, Subtle and Dol Common · The AlchemistBen Jonson
- 8
Dorine and Mariane · TartuffeMolière
1700 to 1880
- 9
Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood · The Way of the WorldWilliam Congreve
- 10
Kate Hardcastle and Constance Neville · She Stoops to ConquerOliver Goldsmith
- 11
Dangle and Mrs. Dangle · The CriticRichard Brinsley Sheridan
- 12
Letitia and Mrs. Rackett · The Belle’s StratagemHannah Cowley
1880 to 1930
- 13
Hedda and Mrs. Elvsted · Hedda GablerHenrik Ibsen
- 14
Raina and Bluntschli · Arms and the ManBernard Shaw
- 15
Helena and Sonia · Uncle VanyaAnton Chekhov
- 16
Cæsar and Cleopatra · Cæsar and CleopatraBernard Shaw
- 17
Olga, Masha and Irina · The Three SistersAnton Chekhov
- 18
Nora and Cathleen · Riders to the SeaJ. M. Synge
- 19
The Sergeant and the Ragged Man · The Rising of the MoonLady Gregory
- 20
Kate and Sir Harry Sims · The Twelve-Pound LookJ. M. Barrie
- 21
Hetty and Harriet · OvertonesAlice Gerstenberg
- 22
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters · TriflesSusan Glaspell
- 23
Enid, Diana and Mrs. Packard · He Said and She SaidAlice Gerstenberg
- 24
Charity and Tildy · PlumesGeorgia Douglas Johnson
No scenes match those filters. Try another combination.
Playwrights: Sophocles · Shakespeare · Jonson · Molière · Congreve · Goldsmith · Sheridan · Hannah Cowley · Ibsen · Chekhov · Shaw · Synge · Lady Gregory · Barrie · Alice Gerstenberg · Susan Glaspell · Georgia Douglas Johnson.
Competition Guide
Ready for the Thespys
No splicing, no combining characters, no text changes. That meets the strictest material rules we found.
| Event | Organization (season) | Fits? | The rules that matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Person Scene (formerly Duet Acting) | EdTA Thespys (2026–27) | Duets, as printed | 5:00 maximum; two chairs, no table; no props or costumes |
| Ensemble Acting (formerly Group Acting) | EdTA Thespys (2026–27) | Trios, as printed | 3 to 16 actors; 5:00 maximum; up to six chairs and one table |
| Duet Acting | TFA (Texas) | Duets, as printed | Up to 10 minutes; memorized; partners interact; two chairs |
| Duo Interpretation | NSDA (2026–27); TFA | With re-staging and a longer cutting | Up to 10:00; off-stage focus: no eye contact, no touching; no props |
Before any festival: the five-point check
- Right event, right length. Time the piece aloud with your pauses. Limits are maximums.
- Words exactly as printed. Our texts are printed exactly; keep them that way, even when casting crosses gender.
- Nothing but chairs. No props or costumes at Thespys. Each teacher box says how to mime every object.
- Slate correctly. Your name(s), troupe number and the title of the play. Never the title of this book.
- Bring the source. Public-domain plays are eligible at Thespys without appearing on the Approved Materials List.
The longest scene runs about 4:43. Every entry of 4:30 or longer carries a time check in its Competition notes box. Rules were checked against each organization’s official 2026–27 rules on November 3, 2026. Rules change every season, so confirm with your chapter, league or tournament before you enter.
The editor
Sean Cercone
Founder and CEO of Dramallama and The Licensing House. Former Artistic Director of the West Virginia Shakespeare Festival, with an MFA in Acting from West Virginia University. He is also a playwright.
From the editor
Use these pieces in class, in showcases and in competition. Above all, use them to help your students discover that this writing was made to be played.
Your rights
Perform it, print it, no permission needed
The plays are public domain
Every play and translation was first published in 1930 or earlier and is in the public domain in the United States. Perform them without paying a royalty. Rights were checked for the United States only.
One purchase covers one school
Teachers, staff and students at your school may print and copy any part of the book, as often as you need, for classes, rehearsals, auditions and performances.
Please keep it in your building
Don’t post the PDF online or share it with other schools. Each school needs its own copy. That keeps new books like this coming.
Pricing
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Classic Scenes for the High School Stage
Instant PDF download. One purchase covers your whole school.
The whole Teacher Toolkit
All four Classics books plus the Fundraising Field Guide + Kit.
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Quick answers
Questions teachers ask
Do we owe royalties to perform these?
No. Every play and translation in the book was first published in 1930 or earlier and is in the public domain in the United States, so you can perform it in class, in showcases, at festivals and in auditions without a royalty. If you are outside the United States, check the status where you are.
Can I make copies for my students?
Yes. One purchase covers one school. Teachers, staff and students at that school may print and copy any part of the book as often as they need. Please don’t post the PDF online or share it with other schools.
Are the scenes cut or changed?
No. Every scene is a continuous, uncut passage printed exactly as its edition prints it. That is what festival rules require.
Will these work for Thespys?
Yes, as printed, for the events in the Competition Guide above. We checked the 2026–27 rules on November 3, 2026. Rules change every season, so confirm with your chapter before you enter.
I have a Dramallama plan. Do I need to buy this?
No. Every One-Act Flex, Llama and Dramallama U plan includes the whole Teacher Toolkit. Log in and the download buttons appear at the top of this page. Solo plans don’t include it.
Can I pay with a purchase order?
Yes. Choose Purchase order at checkout and we email you an invoice. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay orders download right away.
