Choosing a show for high school performers can be difficult. Finding something that checks all the boxes (appropriate cast size, a variety of characters, a title that excites students, and something that isn’t too juvenile) sometimes feels like an impossible task. Luckily, PNA is here to help with our catalog! Check out these titles to find the perfect show for your high school.
The Book of Everything
By Richard Tulloch
Based on the book by Guus Kuijer
Cast: 5 female, 3 male.
Run time: 2 hours.
Nine-year-old Thomas can see things no one else can: tropical fish thriving in the Amsterdam canals, trumpeting sparrows, and even a hailstorm of frogs. He also sees the unhappiness of his family, the violence in his father, and the pain that lingers long after the war is over. All this — good and bad — he carefully records in his magical and hopeful Book of Everything.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
By Tina Howe
Music by Mel Marvin
Cast: 9 female, 12 male, and ensemble. Doubling is possible. Run time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Taken from a Norwegian folk tale, this story tells that of a young girl sent away by her mean-spirited mother to live with the enchanted trolls. The girl falls in love with a prince, who is himself enchanted by a troll, and she follows him to the land east of the sun and west of the moon to save him from a dismal fate.
Frankenstein
By Thomas W. Olson
Based on the classic story by Mary Shelley
Cast: 5 female, 14 male, and ensemble.
Run Time: 90 minutes.
Through a series of flashbacks, Victor Frankenstein recalls the birth of his incredible, deadly creation to a team of arctic explorers. When his mother dies, Victor becomes determined to discover a way to bring life back to the dead. Through years of secret study and experiments, and the help of a magnificent lightning storm, Victor revives a corpse. But instead of creating a beautiful, strong, invincible man, Victor had created an ugly, terrifying monster. Should Victor create a mate for the monster, who suffers from aching loneliness, and send them into exile? Or should Victor destroy the monster before he causes more death and destruction?
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
By Cheryl L. West
Based on the book by Gary D. Schmidt
Featuring music by Victor Zupanc
Cast: 4 female, 7 male.
Run time: 2 hours with intermission.
Turner Buckminster III can’t win: he’s the new kid in town, he plays baseball differently, and he stumbles upon trouble at every step. Turner’s only friend is Lizzie Bright Griffin from Malaga Island, an impoverished community founded by former slaves. The town (and Turner’s father) disapproves of their friendship, but Turner and Lizzie remain friends regardless. When powerful forces threaten Lizzie and her kin, Turner faces the ultimate test of his character — and learns a hard-earned lesson about courage and loss.
Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl
By Lisa D’Amour
Music composed by Sxip Shirey
Cast: 15 female, 13 male, and ensemble. Doubling is possible.
Run Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes.
One day, somewhere in West Texas, a girl is born. She’s got beautiful toes, a beautiful nose, all her tiny fingers and all her tiny toes but, holy puppy on a beach tree, she is something else! Something a bit like a kangaroo! This girl is about 95% girl and about 5% marsupial. In other words, she’s got a pouch. It might seem that a built in pocket would come in handy, but it doesn’t always work that way.