If you’re looking for a one-act play great for college students, check out the list below. These are all 2 character plays, allowing every actor to sink their teeth into a role which will be featured the entire play (all parts are good!). They offer great range, character arcs and journeys, conflicts and connection, and conversation-starting themes. These plays also provide so much room to explore creative scenic, lighting, costume and sound design. Think about how you’d design these: fairies trapped in a jar behind a water fall, Grief himself visiting a woman in an isolated cabin or clouds dissipating in the sky. Student directors also can challenge themselves by digging deeply into these pieces; they’re great canvasses for trying out unique staging, and theyre filled with wonderful active and thoughtful moments. In short, these plays—whether dramatic, comedic or absurd—are fun, unique and give tons of opportunity to put your remarkable stamp on it as a student.

Large cast plays give good range and offer a way to get lots of actors involved. But there are many reasons why you might be looking for a small cast play, as well. Your budget may not be able to afford to pay a large cast or costuming; you may not have the sheer number of people needed for a large cast; you may want to pair small-cast one-acts together (easier for scheduling rehearsals) or your actors are all looking to have meaty roles, without the small side roles you may find in large cast. Check out these plays with small casts, all which have 2-5 actors. Scroll through and click on the play covers for more details, or check out the summaries below.

Have you ever wanted to play a rabbit? Or a raven? Or a bear? Here’s your chance because in these ten (10) plays, all animal characters not only talk, but they have strong, interesting, fun acting roles to boot! The plays may feature animals but don’t assume they’re written for children (although younger audiences may enjoy too); they are complex, often with dark humor, high stakes, and poignant connections to each other. The plays range from absurd to dark comedy to drama-comedy (and yes, there are a couple for young performers/audiences!). There is so much room for creativity in directing, designing and acting and they’re enjoyable for audiences to watch and discuss. From a grieving raccoon to ostracized seagulls to frogs stuck in a tank, check out these ten (10) humanly relatable plays all featuring animals as the leading characters!