Highlighting a variety of perspectives on religion, race, sexual orientation, ability and identity, these plays explore our differences and guide us toward greater understanding and compassion.
Middle School | High School | College | Community | Professional | TYA
6 any gender.
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
30 min.
Lift Every Voice, which is based on a true story, explores the impact of racism in an urban high school. When the class president of an elite inner-city high school posts a racially inflammatory message on social media, tensions explode, loyalties are tested and long-simmering resentments boil over as the six members of the student council grapple with the fallout and how to move forward. Learn More
Middle School | High School | College | Community | Professional | TYA
6 either gender.
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
30 min.
Lift Every Voice, which is based on a true story, explores the impact of racism in an urban high school. When the class president of an elite inner-city high school posts a racially inflammatory message on social media, tensions explode, loyalties are tested and long-simmering resentments boil over as the six members of the student council grapple with the fallout and how to move forward. Learn More
14 was inspired by the true-life event in May 2001 in which a smuggler abandoned 30 Mexicans crossing the desert, resulting in 14 deaths from dehydration. It is a starting point for exploration to investigate the complexities of people living on the border, not giving answers but raising difficult questions. The mosaic of flawed and struggling people included emphasize the importance of investigating this topic in a way that calls not only for action and conversation but, ultimately, for a collective solution.
Defamation is a riveting courtroom drama that illuminates our common perceptions about race, religion and class. In this case, the plaintiff is Ms. Wade, a professional black woman from the South Side of Chicago. The defendant is Mr. Golden, a successful North Shore businessman who is Jewish. Following testimony from each side, the judge reveals that the audience will be the jury. Defamation challenges our preconceived notions about race, class, religion and even the law.
Elementary School | Middle School | High School | Community
11 to 16m., 11 to 20w., 5 to 9 either gender.
Limited Streaming Rights Available
55 min.
In 1960, 6-year-old Ruby became the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. When the white families learned of Ruby’s enrollment, they pulled their children from her class, leaving Ruby and her teacher the only ones in the classroom for the school year. Her family watched helplessly as federal marshals escorted Ruby to school each day past protesters jeering and threatening her life. This musical explores a little girl’s unbeatable courage in the face of adversity. Learn More
This play combines stories of men and women of the Underground Railroad who were active in the fight against slavery. Famous participants like Harriet Tubman and Harriet Beecher Stowe and other lesser-known heroes are included in this tale that celebrates a time when Americans were at their courageous best, supporting one another, regardless of background, ethnicity or gender. Learn More
At a time of rising Islamophobia and cultural misunderstanding, this play about a typical American high-school teen who happens to be Muslim is a great tool for tolerance. When Amal decides to wear her hijab to school, it's a learning experience for all ... including herself. By the end of this play, audiences will understand three things better: Islam, America and themselves. Learn More
Designed to be performed by and for high-school students, All of Us raises awareness of the discrimination, hatred and violence GLBT students face in their schools and communities. From cities, small towns, suburbs and rural areas, an ensemble of gay teens reveal their stories and the heartbreaking consequences of being marked as different. These stories navigate the treacherous world of being gay in high school—growing up and coming out—coping with love, hate, violence and hope—as they reveal the inner lives of LGBT teenagers and ask "all of us" to stand up for their rights. Learn More
Middle School | High School | College | Community | Professional | TYA
5m., 7w.
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
55 min.
In Caught Between Two Worlds, 15-year-old Andrea is half Latinx and half white. Not speaking Spanish, she is shunned by those who are Latinx, and since her skin is brown, she’s shunned by those who are white. The play focuses on the need of those who are of mixed race to discover where they belong, not only in our society but in their own home, and brings insight to the young people who may have dealt with them cruelly. Learn More
