# What plays are performed in high schools nowadays? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549 "2012-02-02T16:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/1 "2012-02-02T16:00:56Z")
When I was in high school, we did _Something’s Afoot_, _The Wizard of Oz_, _Up the Down Staircase_ and _Harvey_. The other night I watched an old screwball comedy with Rosalind Russell called _My Sister Eileen_ which was originally a stage play (and before that, it was a book, but I digress), and I thought how easily the story could be performed by a high school drama club. What plays are being performed by high school drama clubs nowadays? They’ve got to be more up-to-date than _Grease_, _Arsenic and Old Lace_, _Private Lives_ and _Our Town_. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/2 "2012-02-02T16:09:50Z")
Recent ones in our area include Les Miserables and Hairspray. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/3 "2012-02-02T16:45:33Z")
Our school is doing “Little Shop of Horrors” as the Spring play. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/4 "2012-02-02T17:03:03Z")
Guys and Dolls. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Meat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@Big\_Meat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Meat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/5 "2012-02-02T17:05:13Z")
I think you’d be surprised how often those “classics” are done. More often than not it comes down to the royalties that have to be paid to the authors and leasing house and the older shows tend to be much cheaper. Plays are also cheaper by more than half of a musical. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/6 "2012-02-02T17:18:24Z")
Li’l Abner Thoroughly Modern Millie Grease Honk Quilters No No Nanette Curtains ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/7 "2012-02-02T17:56:50Z")
Most of the school around here stick with the classic plays and musicals. Newer musicals are often too complex and require too much talent and too much expense for sets and effects. Older musicals didn’t have fancy stages, and would allow a scrim to be used in some scenes so that sets could be changed. Now, that sort of scene is rarely included in a musical. Also, many modern plays have language that can’t be used in a school production. I doubt **The Moth** _ucker with the Hat_\* will be anything a school would be able to put on. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/8 "2012-02-02T18:09:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Our school is doing “Little Shop of Horrors” as the Spring play. Oh! I love that show and I’ve always thought it’s a pity that high schools probably wouldn’t do it because of the dentist abusing Audrey. Lucky kids! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/9 "2012-02-02T18:25:29Z")
We did \*Cabaret \*in 1973 (directed by _Friends_’ David Crane, a classmate of mine) and it was quite the scandal. Nazis, prostitution, abortion, homosexuality, and some really \*feelthy \*choreography. We had shocked walkouts every night, very _Springtime for Hitler_. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/10 "2012-02-02T19:17:06Z")
Is **Our Town** still a big one? It was popular for a while, since you pretty much just need two ladders to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/11 "2012-02-02T19:58:10Z")
Into the Woods and Tommy are two of the newer ones I see being done. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/12 "2012-02-02T20:07:40Z")
My daughter’s school did _Urinetown_ and _Moby Dick the Musical_. And a few Shakespeare plays. ---
**Author:** ![osme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/df788c/32.png) [@osme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/osme)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/13 "2012-02-02T20:08:45Z")
Brigadoon The Music Man Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat South Pacific Picnic The Sound of Music ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/14 "2012-02-02T20:10:30Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Is **Our Town** still a big one? It was popular for a while, since you pretty much just need two ladders to do it. IMO no self respecting drama club \*doesn’t \* perform _Our Town_! I’m also a Shakespeare fan. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/15 "2012-02-02T20:29:52Z")
I endured _Mulan_ a few months ago. When he was in middle school, we had (to my great surprise an AWESOME) _Midsummer Night’s Dream_, _The Music Man_, and a few others. ETA - I was very surprised that they did _Mulan_, since the perennial problem in school drama is always that there aren’t enough guys, right? Well, there weren’t enough guys, so it was a bit distracting that half of the army was boys, half of the army was girls, and one of the army was a girl pretending to be a boy in fear of her life. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/16 "2012-02-02T20:41:21Z")
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in the Moon Marigolds, Noises Off, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Little Shop ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/17 "2012-02-02T20:47:26Z")
School down the street’s been advertising Annie on their sign out front. My kid (6 year old girl) is so excited, I can’t not take her! ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/18 "2012-02-02T20:48:54Z")
I can’t _believe_ any school would okay _Grease_ for a high school cast. The moral of the story is “You have to be a slut to fit in and to have a boyfriend.” What high school wants to send that message? Some of you sound like your school districts have a _lot_ of money. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/19 "2012-02-02T20:54:36Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Li’l Abner > Thoroughly Modern Millie > Grease > Honk > Quilters > No No Nanette > Curtains Schools still do Li’l Abner? I played Abner as a high school junior back in 1980, and while it was terribly dated even then, I had a real blast with that show. High schools around here usually balance between traditional fare for the parents and grandparents, and more modern stuff for the students. Let’s see, we’ve had Noises Off, The Laramie Project, Little Shop of Horrors, Seussical, Nunsense, Pippin … lots more I am forgetting. Not much high school Shakespeare gets done here, though. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549/20 "2012-02-02T20:55:47Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > I can’t _believe_ any school would okay _Grease_ for a high school cast. The moral of the story is “You have to be a slut to fit in and to have a boyfriend.” What high school wants to send that message? > > Some of you sound like your school districts have a _lot_ of money. 🆒 Not in the play (not in the movie, either, but thanks to a real quick cut and Danny taking off his Letter sweater, the point is somewhat lost.) The moral of the story in the play is that people who want to make it work make sacrifices to make themselves fit better with the other person, even if their friends think they’re crazy. Plus, there’s sort of a Gift of the Magi thing going on, where Sandy gets slutty and Danny gets preppy, and then of course they don’t “match” in the other direction from where they started out. Hey, I didn’t say it was a great moral, but there it’s less one sided than people often claim. And yes, we did it in high school. The biggest concern was Rizzo’s pregnancy scare. The biggest concern \*should \*have been all 30 girls in the cast flashing the boys back stage just before “Greased Lightening”, but the parents never found out about that.😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plays-are-performed-in-high-schools-nowadays/611549.md?page=2)