Small Cast Plays

These small cast plays put a handful of students at the center of the stage without overwhelming your schedule. With compact ensembles and flexible doubling, each script gives actors more lines and deeper relationships, making them ideal for festival performances and intimate department productions.

11 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
The Lion on the Left

3m, 6f, 2x. A fading department store, a beloved statue, and a girl who can’t let go. A tender, whimsical play about what we hold onto—and what holds us together.

$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
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
A Shore of Abundance

3m, 3f. Overwhelmed by life, Eleanor sets sail in a pirate fantasy where sea witches and sword fights help her discover the courage to face the real world.

$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
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
Unprotected Text

2m, 3f. First love, digital mistakes, and a viral fallout. A cutting, funny, and fearless play about growing up in the cloud.

$150.00
Sentinels

6f. From WWII to women’s rights, the Sentinels prove that ordinary students can make extraordinary history as they challenge the impossible.

$150.00
Year of Thirteen Moons

(1m, 3f, 1x) Even families knocked out of orbit can find their way home. A heartfelt, stargazing story about love, wonder, and growing 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

Why a small cast can be a big win

When you have limited time or a small, focused group of dedicated students, small cast plays are a fantastic choice. Rehearsals become easier to schedule – and easier to keep productive. Everyone gets to spend more time on their feet instead of waiting around for their scene.

Intensive focus for performers

A small ensemble means every student carries real weight. They handle longer scenes, sharper turns, and more complex emotional journeys. That responsibility can transform a quiet actor into a confident storyteller.

  • Helpful when you want to stretch a core group of performers
  • Ideal for classes that crave deeper character work

Small cast plays in this collection

Contemporary stories with tight ensembles

If you want current themes in a compact package, Unprotected Text places Delilah at the center of a sexting scandal and gives four other actors strong, distinct roles around her. The play invites hard conversations about consent and reputation while still leaning into humor and hope.

Year of Thirteen Moons keeps its small cast close as Sam navigates blended family, protest, and lockdown life under a strange sky. The intimate scale allows students to explore mental health and racial justice through detailed, often funny scenes that feel pulled from their own world.

For programs ready to tackle digital trauma, SPIDER uses six roles to weave together viral videos, virtual worlds, and a school choir shattered by violence. The cast stays small while the story feels huge, which suits advanced groups looking for challenging material.

Fantastical and historical journeys with modest casts

In A Shore of Abundance, Eleanor escapes pressure by captaining a pirate ship in her imagination. Sword fights and sea witches arrive through a cast of six, which lets each student enjoy bold physical moments without losing the heart of her journey.

Fairy tale lovers can turn to The Goosegirl, a five actor romp about class and kindness where a princess trades places with her servant. For history fans, When Elvis Met Ali uses just four performers to imagine a meeting between two icons who wrestle with faith, fame, and race.

Practical notes for staging a small cast play

Teachers often ask whether small cast plays will still feel substantial for an audience. These scripts do, because the writing is rich and the relationships are intricate. What you save in cast size, you gain in nuance.

Most titles here use simple sets and straightforward props, so tech stays manageable for compact crews. Doubling options in scripts like The Lion on the Left or On Account of Sex also let you scale casting up or down. Licensing remains clear and consistent across Gitelman & Good, with digital scripts that make it easy for a small ensemble to rehearse anywhere they can find quiet and space to dream.