Plays with Minimal Set

These plays with simple sets let your students tell big stories without a big build. Every script in this collection is written to work in one main location or with a few suggestive pieces, freeing your budget and your crew while keeping the focus on acting and storytelling.

19 scripts
Chickens

1m, 2f, 4x. A workaholic uncle, a grieving niece, and a rural reset. A funny, tender story of starting over and the family we choose to become.

$150.00
Exquisite Corpse

(7f) When an after-hours meeting of a high school literary magazine goes off the rails, seven teenage writers confront who gets to speak, who gets cut, and what it really means to call something art.

$150.00
Gawain and the Green Knight

26 actors (any gender). Sir Gawain takes up a strange yuletide challenge—and steps into a world of magic, danger, and moral reckoning. A charming take on the medieval legend.

$150.00
New Year's Eve at the Stop-n-Go

4m, 3f, 4x. As Y2K looms, small-town teens ring in the millennium—and face the messy truth about growing up. A dark comedy with heart, humor, and slushies.

$150.00
On Account of Sex

6m, 9f. A bold, witty musical that brings the fight for women’s suffrage to life. Songs, speeches, and one unforgettable town square showdown for justice.

$150.00
Sightings

A mysterious sighting thrusts three teens into public scrutiny. Funny and heartfelt, Sightings explores credibility, peer pressure, and the courage to speak up.

$150.00
SPIDER

(3m, 2f, 1x) In a world of algorithms and avatars, they’re still reaching for each other. An intimate drama about connection, grief, and growing up online.

$150.00
Stranger

12 actors (any gender). A stalled train. A rising body count. A podcast host who thinks she's the main character. It’s Gen Z "Clue"—but way more unhinged.

$150.00
Sybil

2m, 2f, 7x. When a mysterious teen is found dead, the truth unravels online. A haunting digital-age mystery about identity, obsession, and the stories we share.

$150.00
Techies

3m, 4f, 6x. A high school stage crew is building The Crucible—but backstage, a crisis threatens to tear them apart. Fast-paced, funny, and sharply relevant.

$150.00
The Enemy of the State

6m, 7f. Socrates stands accused. But in the court of Athens, who’s really on trial? A bold, brainy drama about justice, loyalty, and leadership.

$150.00
The Ghost

13 actors (any gender). A bullied teen uploads her mind to the Cloud—only to become a corporate prisoner. Now her classmates must face what they’ve done to save her.

$150.00
The Goosegirl

2m, 2f, 1x. A spoiled princess trades places with her servant—and ends up herding geese. A witty, heartwarming romp about love, identity, and royal mishaps.

$150.00
The Right Now

6m, 10f, 3x. He froze time to hold onto love—and to avoid growing up. But when she starts to remember, the illusion begins to break. Can you stop time forever?

$150.00
The Trial of Mother Jones

9m, 3f, 8x. A courtroom battle over Mother Jones’ fate reveals the fiery heart of America’s labor movement. A gripping, thought-provoking drama about justice and sacrifice.

$150.00
The Wizard Delivers (and Pinky Stays the Course)

9 actors (flexible gender). She offers life advice from behind a pizza place. What could go wrong? A sharp, offbeat comedy about the people who guide us—and the moment we have to move forward alone.

$150.00
To Thine Own Self Be True

5m, 10f, 1x. Senior year gets weird when Henry’s life starts mirroring Hamlet. Ghosts, grief, and Shakespearean angst haunt this sharp, heartfelt dramedy.

$150.00
Victory

6m, 3f, 1x. From lacrosse hero to class president contender, Martin is trapped by the spotlight. A high school sports tragedy about fame, expectations, and losing yourself.

$150.00
When Elvis Met Ali: If I Can Dream

3m, 1f. At a crossroads, Elvis finds solace in a kindred spirit: Muhammad Ali. A lyrical imagining of the day The King met The Greatest.

$150.00

Why simple set plays are a smart choice

When classroom time is limited and budgets feel tight, simple set plays for high schools keep theatre possible. Instead of racing to finish flats, your students can pour their energy into character work and honest moments onstage.

More focus on students, less on scenery

  • Gives actors space to develop relationships in full view instead of waiting in the wings for long changeovers
  • Lets your tech team refine cues and backstage traffic instead of managing large construction projects

Plays with minimal sets in this collection

Single location stories that still feel big

New Year’s Eve at the Stop-n-Go stays inside a small town convenience store as friends work late and confront the fear that life after graduation might never arrive. The script offers overlapping scenes, humour, and reflection in one easy to manage location.

Techies unfolds backstage while students build The Crucible, using one workroom set to examine consent and leadership in the spaces that were supposed to feel safe. Your actors get rich ensemble work without needing elaborate shifts between scenes.

Grounded settings, big themes

In Chickens, an overworked uncle and his niece move from corporate routines to a modest rural home, suggested through a few key pieces, so the focus stays on how people rebuild family after loss.

The Wizard Delivers (and Pinky Stays the Course) is set in an alley behind a pizza place, where a bench and crates give students a simple, grounded location. This gives all the space they need to explore mentorship and burnout, which nudges them toward new self belief.

Gawain and the Green Knight is a standout choice for larger ensembles. It shows how platforms and banners can suggest King Arthur’s court and the wilderness beyond, keeping the emphasis on storytelling choices rather than scenery.

Staging and budget details

Simple set plays are kind to budgets. One main location often means fewer build days and easier storage between rehearsals, so you can shift attention to props and costumes that support the story.

Most scripts in this collection are designed for flexible lighting and portable sound setups. They work well for schools that share auditoriums or need to tech in a short time window, letting you spend your energy guiding young artists instead of managing lumber.