Plays Set in One Location or One Room
These plays take place in a single room or location. See also:
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. Heather directs her to the office to find the right room. Corryn comes back, saying this is the room. Heather doesn’t have anything scheduled. Corryn says it’s about her son, Gidion. Heather is shocked; she thought the appointment was off, even though it wasn’t actually canceled.
Some of this play can be read in the preview of Plays by Women from the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. (30% in)
In The Pipeline by Gary Owen (1 Act)
The residents of a village get a letter saying a gas plant is being built nearby. The pipeline linking it to the main grid is going to run through their area. We get some perspective on the situation from three villagers—Andrew, Dai and Joan.
This play was originally written as a radio play. The characters’ parts are all monologues. The whole play can be read in the preview of Gary Owen: Collected Plays. (9% in)
At Liberty by Tennessee Williams (1 Act)
A middle-aged woman sits up at 2:30 in the morning. Her daughter, Gloria, comes home, escorted by a n 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 an actress has taken a down turn.
This play can be read in the preview of Tennessee Williams: One Act Plays. (53% in)
Alfred and Lily and Their Marvelous Tank in the Forest by Tara Meddaugh (1 Act)
Alfred and Lily, frogs, are a married couple. They live in a forest, but in a tank rather than a pond. They notice there isn’t much water in their tank. Alfred thinks it’s been two days since they were moved from the pond. They see an eagle fly overhead with something in its beak. Alfred is alarmed.
This play can be read in the preview of The Best New Ten Minute Plays, 2020. (45% in)
Bury the Dead by Irwin Shaw (1 Act)
During an unidentified war, soldiers dig a collective grave for their fallen comrades. The dead stand up, refusing to be buried. Many people try to convince them to change their minds—religious figures, superior officers and family.
Ile by Eugene O’Neill (1 Act)
A whaling ship has been stuck in frozen ice for a year. The food supply is running out and the crew’s contracts are almost up. The ice to the south is breaking up; if they leave immediately they can make it to a port. The crew is talking about a mutiny if the captain doesn’t order the ship to return to land. The captain’s wife has also come on the voyage. Her mood deteriorated as she experienced the reality of life at sea.
Plays Set in One Location, Cont’d
Tea Party by Betty Keller (1 Scene)
Two elderly women, Alma and Hester, decide where they’re going to sit in their living room. They’re trying to arrange things for their unnamed expected guest. They discuss the refreshments they’ll offer and the story they’ll tell.
The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco
A married couple, Old Man and Old Woman, prepare their place for a gathering. The Old Man has an important message to deliver to the world. The guests begin arriving, but they’re invisible.
Before Breakfast by Eugene O’Neill (1 Act)
The Rowlands live in a small apartment in New York. Mrs. Rowland comes out of the bedroom. She puts on an apron and starts the coffee. Making as little noise as possible, she gets a bottle of gin and has a drink. She goes through her husband’s vest and finds a letter. After reading it, she starts calling her husband to get up and berates him.
The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman (3 Acts)
In a small town in the Deep South, there’s a gathering at the Giddens house. The family has just made a deal with Mr. Marshall, a Chicago businessman, to build and run a cotton mill. The arrangement will make them all wealthy. The Giddens siblings—Regina, Oscar and Ben—are present, along with other family. Regina’s husband, Horace, is in Baltimore due to a heart condition. The siblings have big plans for the money and want as large a share as possible.
Workout by Wendy Wasserstein (1 Act)
A woman in athletic wear puts on music and starts leading an exercise class. While exercising, she urges her class on and talks about herself. She’s got a lot going on—with her work, husband, kids and hobbies. She seems to be living an exemplary and fulfilling life.
Seascape by Edward Albee (2 Acts)
An older couple nearing retirement, Nancy and Charlie, are at the beach. Nancy would like to travel and have adventures. Charlie wants to stay home. There’s some tension about their past, and they argue about how they should spend their time. Leslie and Sarah, human-sized lizards, approach the couple.
Plays Set in One Location, Cont’d
The Price by Arthur Miller (2 Acts)
Victor, an almost fifty-year-old policeman, is in the attic of his deceased father’s brownstone. The building is being torn down, and the attic is full of furniture that needs to be sold. During the Great Depression, Victor gave up his academic aspirations to help support his parents. His brother, Walter, a successful surgeon who did little to help the family, also arrives to settle the estate. Also present are Esther, Victor’s wife, and Gregory, an antique dealer. They try to settle on a price for the contents of the attic.
This Is a Test by Stephen Gregg (1 Act)
It’s test day at school, and Alan is panicked. All his preparation has gone wrong, and there are many distractions. He struggles to answer the questions.
Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett (1 Act)
Every year since he was twenty-four, Krapp has made a tape about his life. Now, at sixty-nine, he prepares to make another. First, he listens to a recording from thirty years ago in which he had just listened to one from about ten years prior. We learn of the decisions that have led him to his current state of isolation. He starts a new tape, assessing his younger self.
Riders to the Sea by J. M. Synge (1 Act)
Maurya’s husband and five of her six sons have died at sea. Her remaining son, Bartley, plans to sail to the mainland to sell horses. Maurya and her daughters lives are infused with their Catholic beliefs and superstitions.
The Two-Character Play by Tennessee Williams (2 Acts)
Felice and Clare, a brother and sister, are the only two from their acting troupe to arrive at their destination, a run-down little theater. They perform The Two-Character Play. There’s confusion around the audience, the story of the play, and between what’s real and what’s illusion.
I’ll keep adding plays that are set in one location as I find more.
