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These plays leave room for interpretation in the ending. There might be a strong argument for a particular extrapolation, but there’s some uncertainty. We aren’t told or shown exactly what happens, or an important conflict isn’t explicitly settled. Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman (3 Acts) The dictatorship has ended and a democratic government […]
These plays take place in a single room or location. See also: One Act 10 Minute Plays Set in One Location Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams (1 Act) Heather, a fifth-grade teacher, sits at her desk grading papers. The classroom is empty. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Corryn, a mother who has a parent/teacher conference. […]
See also: One Setting/Location 10 Minute At Liberty by Tennessee Williams A middle-aged woman sits up at 2:30 in the morning. Her daughter, Gloria, comes home, escorted by an ungentlemanly man. Gloria and her mother argue about the people she sees and her health. Gloria is back at her childhood home after her career as […]
In these plays, a character is obsessed with a particular person, situation or outcome. Dark Road by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson It’s Isobel’s thirtieth anniversary on the force, making her eligible for retirement. Her daughter, Alexandra, is in her last year of university and still lives at home. Isobel has risen to Chief Superintendent. […]
Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus The ruler of Thebes, Eteocles, calls every able bodied male to prepare for battle. Seven forces are ready to attack the seven gates of Thebes. Eteocles learns that his own brother, Polyneices, will command the attack on the seventh gate. There’s much fear in the city. Antigone by Jean Anouilh […]
Dark Road by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson It’s Isobel’s thirtieth anniversary on the force, making her eligible for retirement. Her daughter, Alexandra, is in her last year of university and still lives at home. Isobel has risen to Chief Superintendent. There’s a little gathering at the office with Detective Superintendent Frank and retired Chief […]
Spoiler Alert! The murder could be an unexpected plot point in these plays. In these selections, a murder occurs or a character has murderous intentions. There’s no, or very little, doubt about the killer’s identity, or the focus of the story isn’t on identifying a killer. For that type, see: Mystery Trifles by Susan Glaspell (1 […]
These plays have characters focused on acquiring money or material possessions, or otherwise demonstrating greed. See also: Poverty Golden Boy by Clifford Odets (3 Acts) When a fighter pulls out of a bout with an injury, Joe Bonaparte offers to fight in his place. Joe is a violinist but is thinking of boxing instead to […]
These plays about mental illness have characters suffering from mental illness of some kind—long-term or sudden insanity, depression, psychological trauma or any other mental problem. In some cases it leads to suicide. Plays About Mental Illness or Depression The Man Who Had All the Luck: A Fable by Arthur Miller (3 Acts) David is a […]
In a memory play, a character narrates events from their past, drawing from their own memories of what happened. The narrator is also often a character in their memory play. There’s a separate section at the bottom for additional plays that wouldn’t be classed as a memory play, but have memory as a theme. Find […]
