# Very short plays **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985 "2017-05-06T08:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/1 "2017-05-06T08:07:25Z")
Hey guys, I’m looking for very short one act plays that could be read in parts in about half an hour or so. Preferably three or four parts or more, but that’s not necessary. They should be available online. All suggestions welcome. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/2 "2017-05-06T11:07:20Z")
Funny, the first thing that came to mind was to suggest looking into _radio_ plays, but I suppose one could also adapt some of the more minimalist _Twilight Zone_ episodes that have fewer than five characters and only take place in one room. There have to be some like that, right? I hope I’m not wildly misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/3 "2017-05-06T13:08:08Z")
Samuel Beckett was the master of very short plays. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/4 "2017-05-06T18:36:12Z")
Good search suggestions guys. I’ll look into them. Anyone got any links to help a lazy man out? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/5 "2017-05-08T04:18:49Z")
“No Exit” by Sartre. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/6 "2017-05-08T12:51:16Z")
We read _Great American One-Act Plays_ in school, but it appears it’s specifically a German textbook; but googling led me to an annually published series of books, _The Best American Short Plays_ ([here’s](https://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Short-Plays-2015-2016/dp/1495065405) the most recent edition), which may provide some leads. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/7 "2017-05-08T13:48:51Z")
> **[Homepage | Concord Theatricals](https://www.concordtheatricals.com/)** > > Concord Theatricals is the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. We are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to... > **[Dramatists Play Service, Inc.](https://www.dramatists.com/)** > > Dramatists Play Service, one of the premier play-licensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the... > **[Find and Buy One Act Plays](https://www.stageplays.com/index.php/browse/categories/one_act_plays)** > > Looking for One Act Plays? Browse and buy from the largest selection of One Act Plays in the world. Find drama scripts and comedy plays, musicals and acting books. Search all the plays and play scripts in the world in less than a second. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/8 "2017-05-09T00:42:23Z")
You could always use 10-minute plays, and read a few in one sitting. Actors Theatre of Louisville publishes a new volume every year, and have been for a while, so there are tons out there already. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/9 "2017-05-09T03:20:10Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > You could always use 10-minute plays, and read a few in one sitting. Actors Theatre of Louisville publishes a new volume every year, and have been for a while, so there are tons out there already. pssst. . .they’re listed in the Samuel French link above. mc ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/10 "2017-05-09T13:48:31Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > pssst. . .they’re listed in the Samuel French link above. > > mc Pssst. . .I used to work at Samuel French. I know. Like most books, they’re available at several different places; it never hurts to have options. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/11 "2017-05-09T14:45:39Z")
Are you looking for [one acts](http://one-act-plays.com/)? The only “acting” I ever did was when my girlfriend was directing a one act in college, and I played one of the characters in a Neil Labute one act. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/12 "2017-05-09T15:18:24Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Are you looking for [one acts](http://one-act-plays.com/)? The only “acting” I ever did was when my girlfriend was directing a one act in college, and I played one of the characters in a Neil Labute one act. I found that site googling and it’s pretty helpful. We’re going to do exerpts from a Brecht play one of our members is enthused about, but i really appreciate all the suggestions, and they may come in handy in the future. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/13 "2017-05-09T15:45:43Z")
George Bernard Shaw – **The Man of Destiny** [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The\_Man\_of\_Destiny](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Man_of_Destiny) **The Dark Lady of the Sonnets** [http://drama.eserver.org/plays/modern/dark-lady-of-the-sonnets/](http://drama.eserver.org/plays/modern/dark-lady-of-the-sonnets/) ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-plays/785985/14 "2017-05-10T01:19:54Z")
[All in the Timing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Timing) by David Ives is a series of very short plays - you could get through a couple of them in half an hour. Scripts for the original six are [here](http://www.childrensplaytimeproductions.com/SCRIPT_-_TIMING.pdf); I’m not sure about the newer ones.