Synopsis
Someone cheated on the test. And if the cheater doesn't confess, the entire class will fail. Those are the rules set out by the vice principal and their teacher as the students walk out of the room. Now the entire class is forced to play detective and discover the cheater before it's too late. But what if everything isn't as it seems? Who are the liars and who is telling the truth? Was the cheater working alone? Was there more than one? And how can they possibly get a confession? With the pressure on, the class fragments into warring factions with each student trying to figure out the mystery. But with each revelation of cheating, the fissures grow wider, and the simple act of trying to discover the truth might rip the entire class apart. A Kafka-esque nightmare of betrayal and conflict under extreme circumstances.
Notes
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Details
-
Status
In stock
- Type of Show One-act Play
- Product Code CP6000
- Cast Size 18
- Min. Royalty Rate $55/perf
- Cost $10.95
- Approx. Run Time 40 min
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School
- Performing Group Middle School | High School
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9781583429051
Customer Reviews
- "The play offers a variety of characters that truly display what students feel and think."
- Review by Kearsten Humber, Center High School, Gary, Texas
- "This show easily set itself up for streaming. I frequently have used scenes from it in class and the students were thrilled to see it all played out. It is a show that you think you know where it is going and then it takes a sharp turn and catches you off guard."
- Review by Sarah Cline, Stephen T. Baldwin High School, Hamilton, Ohio
- "Great show. Opens up discussion about privacy and what schools can and cannot ask from students. Easily staged. Suggestion - look for levels. Classroom setting can be tricky to block."
- Review by Sheryl Gibson, Deep Run High School, Glen Allen, Va.
- "Cheaters seems trivial at the beginning, but as the story unfolds and the clues come to light, we find that it is a much deeper, darker, discussion on rights and privacy in our time."
- Review by David Roscoe, Townview Theatre, Dallas, Texas
- "The actors had great fun with this story - simple and detailed. Really gets into the kinds of school issues that come into play every day."
- Review by Joshua Kauffman, Winfield City High School, Winfield, Ala.
- "Cheaters was very easy to stage. It is high school kids playing high school kids so my students had an easy time with characters. It almost had a Crucible feel except for the ending."
- Review by Don Markham, Cleveland High School, Cleveland, Tenn.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
- "The coolest trick my students came up with was to use followspots for the interrogation scenes. It added an extra element that really resonated with the underlying tensions of the play."
- Tip by David Roscoe, Townview Theatre, Dallas, Texas
- "If producing this with your school, consider using teachers for the Lewis and Abramson roles. I was surprised y how many of my colleagues had acting on their bucket lists, and the students loved working with their teachers."
- Tip by Joshua Kauffman, Winfield City High School, Winfield, Ala.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena Memorial High School Black Box Theatre | Pasadena | Texas | 4/23/2024 | 4/23/2024 |
| Vivian Field Middle School | Farmers Branch | Texas | 5/9/2024 | 5/9/2024 |
Downloads
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