Middle schoolers can develop teamwork, cooperation, and responsibility by performing plays and musicals. Drama clubs and middle school classes can enjoy many excellent short plays and musicals.
Where to Find Short Plays and Musicals for Middle School
There are several publishing companies and dramatic suppliers that specialize in providing scripts for educational and community theater productions. Check the age group of the productions you are considering when evaluating them.
Middle school students are ideal audiences for many educational and community theatre plays, but younger students, high school students, and adults can also enjoy them. The publisher’s representative can provide information about age appropriateness if you cannot find it in the play’s description.
Pioneer Drama Service
Whatever type of play you’re looking for, Pioneer Drama Service probably has it. There are more than 700 musicals and plays available from this company, many of which are suitable for middle school programs. There are many categories available to browse, such as type, length, age group of participants, season, and more. If you are looking for scripts that meet your needs, you can search the online catalog. By entering variables such as cast size, type of production, and running time, you can request targeted results.
The following selections are available:
- The play focuses on an orphan named Anne who works on a farm and has an incredibly wild imagination. It is suitable for children of all ages.
- The beast might frighten very young children, so this play is best for kids a bit older. In this story, Belle, an avid reader and kind soul, is pitted against The Beast, a prince cursed to become a monster as punishment for his selfishness.
- The Giant in Jack and the Magic Beans may be too frightening for younger kids, so this play is best for older children. Jack’s mother throws down the beans he purchased when she becomes agitated. Jack faces the Giant after they grow into a magical bean stock that leads to a mystical castle in the sky.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: This play is best suited for older children due to its mature content. Tom Sawyer runs away and pretends to be dead in this play, causing discord in his town.
- The Glass Slipper is a creative take on Cinderella that is suitable for any middle school age group.
- It focuses on themes such as kindness, compassion, and empathy and is suitable for kids of any age.
Clarus Music
Check out Clarus Music’s selection of musical plays and reviews if you’re looking for a musical. This company offers a wide range of musical plays for primary and secondary school students. Aside from offering excellent short plays and musicals for middle school students, this company also offers titles for elementary and secondary school students. Scripts available include:
- A tongue-in-cheek play about computers, books, and magazines set in a library that’s fun for kids of all ages.
- Younger and older middle school-aged children will enjoy Broadway Santa. This play shows Santa and Mrs. Claus trying to impress their audience with their own play.
- The play Fiddler on the Roof explores the complexities of religion, family, and privilege and is best suited for older kids.
- The Phantom of the Music Room explores a mysterious, piano-playing character in the music room of a school.
Heuer Publishing
Heuer Publishing offers a wide selection of playscripts for school and community theater productions. Many of the titles in the company’s catalog are suitable for middle school productions.
- The Polar Bear Prince: This play features several silly characters, including a troll queen and princess carrot toes. Kids of all ages will enjoy this.
- Middle School Actors: This play works well for middle school students aged 11 to 14 and addresses issues that young adolescents face frequently.
- This is a classic and sweet story about a boy and his stuffed animal rabbit that becomes a real rabbit. All ages will enjoy this play.
- Alice in Wonderland: An Adventure in Wonderland. Despite some scary elements in the story, this play is suitable for older kids. Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a strange and adventure-filled world.
Youth Plays
Check out YouthPlays.com for contemporary short plays and musicals for middle school students. Besides previously published works, this company also carries stage-tested new manuscripts. The following manuscripts are available:
- In this play about a battle between the elves and the gnomes in a mystical land, both younger and older kids will enjoy it.
- This play explores the themes of love and revenge in some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters. Any middle schooler can enjoy this play.
- A play about a prince who is cursed to be so ugly that he scares away others, Prince Ugly is appropriate for kids of all ages.
- Children ages 12 and up will enjoy Little Red Robinhood, a funny take on Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood.
- The Beggar Prince is a play about a prince who learns empathy and compassion by marrying an impoverished beggar. Kids 12 and older will enjoy it.
Factors to Consider When Selecting Middle School Plays
When it comes to choosing and staging a middle school play, choosing a script isn’t the only important decision. Consider how easy or difficult it will be to stage the titles you are considering before making your final script selection.
When evaluating suitable options for middle school productions, consider the cost and work involved with building sets and decorations, making costumes, and other relevant factors. Choose a title that will be enjoyable and educational for everyone involved, but that can also be staged without a lot of effort or expense.