Conference
Shows
MAIN STAGE SHOWS
17 AGAIN - North Penn - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content, Alcohol / drug use or reference, Adult / mature themes, Derogatory language - 17 Again is a clear-eyed view of high school with all the choices and pitfalls students negotiate daily whether it be socially conforming to peer pressure (but at what cost?), dealing with bullies and harassment (but which side are they on?), making responsible decisions about underage partying (is this really who I am?), and coping with pressures to have sex or not while staying true to themselves and their own integrity. The protagonist, Mike, has a chance, he thinks, to relive his high school years, his decisions, and the shot at the college basketball scholarship he chose not to take in order to marry his pregnant girlfriend. What he discovers is that his opportunity to be 17 again is not to reclaim his dreams, but to be the father to his children and husband to his wife that he hasn't been. He hasn't gotten a second shot for himself, but for them. He realizes the choice he made to commit to his wife and their family when he was 17, was the right choice. He recognizes he must be the adult accountable for that decision. As a 17-year old again, Mike makes right what went wrong. He supports the people he loves the most, sees them for the people they truly are, and finds the life they, and he, were meant to have. While some of the topics covered may be a bit edgy, they are the reality of high school students. Mike, 17 again, is able to bring the perspective of being a "grown-up" to the challenges his children face and become their father again, guiding them to responsible choices that will set them up for positive adulthoods. Likewise, he sees again why he fell in love with his wife and recognizes the amazing person she is. He is willing to let her go and be her best person, because he loves her. And in these actions, he finds and completes his quest. 17 Again is funny, wise, and engaging with charming characters and relationships. It reminds adults what landmines we encounter as teenagers and how we can help guide our young people. It shows teenagers there are choices beyond being popular or part of the "in" crowd. It is a play about what love and responsibility truly mean and how they intersect in our lives. It is about becoming and being our best selves.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - Council Rock North - Adult language / profanity, Religious concerns, Crude Humor - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast paced musical comedy that will be sure to keep you laughing. A quirky group of tweens compete for the spelling bee championship. We learn about their home-lives and some embarrassing confessions, as they spell their way through the contest, each hoping to take home first. But there can only be one winner!
FREAKY FRIDAY - Chartiers Valley - Adult language / profanity - When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before mom’s big wedding. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, gives a fresh, modern point of view and is a hilarious, contemporary update on an American classic in which a mother and daughter really see what it is to be a family and experience each other’s lives first-hand, if only for a day. By spending a day in each other’s shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.
LOST GIRLS - Susquehannock - no concerns - Lost Girl is the story of Wendy Darling long after her return from her adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan. Everyone, even the Lost Boys, have grown up and moved on. Everyone except for Wendy.
She comes to believe that in order to move on with her life, she needs to reclaim the kiss she once gave Peter. But how to find him?
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - Ridley - Alcohol / drug use or reference, Suggestive costumes - The Play That Goes Wrong, originated by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company, opened in London in 2012. It won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards and continued to tour in the U.K., while the Broadway company opened on April 2, 2017, at the Lyceum Theatre, after which the show toured the U.S and moved off-Broadway to New World Stages, where it is still running. This laugh-out-loud farce follows the antics of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as they attempt to put on a drama entitled The Murder at Haversham Manor, a 1920s murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. In true “goes-wrong” fashion, everything that can fail does, as the drama society members attempt to make it through the play to their final bows. With unwavering commitment, they soldier on through mishaps and mistakes, improvising choices that ultimately bring the entire show down. The set becomes a character in its own right, as the play within a play unravels, and actors find themselves dodging set pieces, working through prop malfunctions, and reviving unconscious actors who’ve been injured during the blocking! Our version is The Play That Goes Wrong, High School Edition, which eliminated the second floor from the original play and allowed us to move the set for the PA State Conference. We’ve worked hard on the farcical elements of the show, as well as the management of the staged gags and technical work, but mostly we’ve just had an absolute ball configuring the ins and outs of this wonderfully funny romp through the mayhem that is often lovingly characteristic of community theatre. We hope you enjoy the show as much as we do!
ONE ACTS
ALMOST MAINE - Springfield Township HS - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content - A darker cousin to Almost, Maine, John Cariani’s LOVE/SICK is a collection of slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, LOVE/SICK is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.
AESOPS OH SO SLIGHTLY UPDATED FABLES - Pennsbury - no concerns - This short play weaves some of Aesop's most famous fables into a show that's fun, fast-paced, and full of surprises.
Contains: The Dog and the Bone; The Tortoise and the Hare; The Lion and the Mouse; The Fox and the Grapes; and The Country Maid.
BOY MEETS GIRL: A YOUNG LOVE STORY - Neshaminy - no concerns - Follow Sam and Katie as they go through the trials and tribulations of love at the tender age of five in this hilarious and sweet take on young romance. From the decision to check the "yes" box on their boyfriend/girlfriend contracts to more serious conversations about past nap partners, Sam and Katie find themselves entering into a genuine relationship, all in the midst of worrying about the spelling bee, selling Girl Scout cookies, and figuring out what they want to be when they grow up.
THE 10 BEST (WORST) THINGS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL - Peters Township - no concerns - Ah, high school. The best (worst) four years of your life! The friends, the memories, the life lessons, and of course the inevitably haunting embarrassments that will leave emotional scars for years to come! Join a group of real-life high school students as they uncover the wonders (perils) of gym class, the marvels (horrors) of field trips, the joy (humiliation) of prom and many more of the numerous fond (traumatizing) aspects of life as a high school student.
SHAKESPEARE'S DEAD DAMES - York Country Day - Adult language / profanity, Violence, Suicide - In this comic romp, six female Shakespearean characters find themselves in a holding area after their in-performance deaths. They must stay there until the play they are a character in gets revived by another Shakespeare company so that they can (re)live their tragedy over (and over) again.
ALL THE WAYS THE WORLD WILL END, BUT NOT YOU - Columbia - cartoon violence in the show, some loud sudden noises, and some light strobing - Okay, so the post-apocalyptic world will be a little confusing. If we make it. Which we probably won't. But maybe...? Thank goodness there's a TED talk for that.
OPTIONAL - Dubois - no concerns - The SAT exam personified experiences an existential crisis.
SECRET IN THE WINGS - Wilson - no concerns - The Secret in the Wings adapts a group of lesser known fairy tales to create a theatrical work. The show has been staged and choreographed by members of the Wilson High School advanced acting class.
COMPLAINT DEPT. AND LEMONADE - Springfield Township MS - no concerns - People will complain about anything — not almost anything, but absolutely anything! In this rapid succession of hysterical grievances, the complaint department takes on everything from Oreo icing to kleptomania and from songs stuck in the head to the price of cheese and on and on and on.
LOVE/SICK - Parkland - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content - A darker cousin to Almost, Maine, John Cariani’s LOVE/SICK is a collection of slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, LOVE/SICK is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.
17 AGAIN - North Penn - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content, Alcohol / drug use or reference, Adult / mature themes, Derogatory language - 17 Again is a clear-eyed view of high school with all the choices and pitfalls students negotiate daily whether it be socially conforming to peer pressure (but at what cost?), dealing with bullies and harassment (but which side are they on?), making responsible decisions about underage partying (is this really who I am?), and coping with pressures to have sex or not while staying true to themselves and their own integrity. The protagonist, Mike, has a chance, he thinks, to relive his high school years, his decisions, and the shot at the college basketball scholarship he chose not to take in order to marry his pregnant girlfriend. What he discovers is that his opportunity to be 17 again is not to reclaim his dreams, but to be the father to his children and husband to his wife that he hasn't been. He hasn't gotten a second shot for himself, but for them. He realizes the choice he made to commit to his wife and their family when he was 17, was the right choice. He recognizes he must be the adult accountable for that decision. As a 17-year old again, Mike makes right what went wrong. He supports the people he loves the most, sees them for the people they truly are, and finds the life they, and he, were meant to have. While some of the topics covered may be a bit edgy, they are the reality of high school students. Mike, 17 again, is able to bring the perspective of being a "grown-up" to the challenges his children face and become their father again, guiding them to responsible choices that will set them up for positive adulthoods. Likewise, he sees again why he fell in love with his wife and recognizes the amazing person she is. He is willing to let her go and be her best person, because he loves her. And in these actions, he finds and completes his quest. 17 Again is funny, wise, and engaging with charming characters and relationships. It reminds adults what landmines we encounter as teenagers and how we can help guide our young people. It shows teenagers there are choices beyond being popular or part of the "in" crowd. It is a play about what love and responsibility truly mean and how they intersect in our lives. It is about becoming and being our best selves.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - Council Rock North - Adult language / profanity, Religious concerns, Crude Humor - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast paced musical comedy that will be sure to keep you laughing. A quirky group of tweens compete for the spelling bee championship. We learn about their home-lives and some embarrassing confessions, as they spell their way through the contest, each hoping to take home first. But there can only be one winner!
FREAKY FRIDAY - Chartiers Valley - Adult language / profanity - When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before mom’s big wedding. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, gives a fresh, modern point of view and is a hilarious, contemporary update on an American classic in which a mother and daughter really see what it is to be a family and experience each other’s lives first-hand, if only for a day. By spending a day in each other’s shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.
LOST GIRLS - Susquehannock - no concerns - Lost Girl is the story of Wendy Darling long after her return from her adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan. Everyone, even the Lost Boys, have grown up and moved on. Everyone except for Wendy.
She comes to believe that in order to move on with her life, she needs to reclaim the kiss she once gave Peter. But how to find him?
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - Ridley - Alcohol / drug use or reference, Suggestive costumes - The Play That Goes Wrong, originated by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company, opened in London in 2012. It won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards and continued to tour in the U.K., while the Broadway company opened on April 2, 2017, at the Lyceum Theatre, after which the show toured the U.S and moved off-Broadway to New World Stages, where it is still running. This laugh-out-loud farce follows the antics of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as they attempt to put on a drama entitled The Murder at Haversham Manor, a 1920s murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. In true “goes-wrong” fashion, everything that can fail does, as the drama society members attempt to make it through the play to their final bows. With unwavering commitment, they soldier on through mishaps and mistakes, improvising choices that ultimately bring the entire show down. The set becomes a character in its own right, as the play within a play unravels, and actors find themselves dodging set pieces, working through prop malfunctions, and reviving unconscious actors who’ve been injured during the blocking! Our version is The Play That Goes Wrong, High School Edition, which eliminated the second floor from the original play and allowed us to move the set for the PA State Conference. We’ve worked hard on the farcical elements of the show, as well as the management of the staged gags and technical work, but mostly we’ve just had an absolute ball configuring the ins and outs of this wonderfully funny romp through the mayhem that is often lovingly characteristic of community theatre. We hope you enjoy the show as much as we do!
ONE ACTS
ALMOST MAINE - Springfield Township HS - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content - A darker cousin to Almost, Maine, John Cariani’s LOVE/SICK is a collection of slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, LOVE/SICK is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.
AESOPS OH SO SLIGHTLY UPDATED FABLES - Pennsbury - no concerns - This short play weaves some of Aesop's most famous fables into a show that's fun, fast-paced, and full of surprises.
Contains: The Dog and the Bone; The Tortoise and the Hare; The Lion and the Mouse; The Fox and the Grapes; and The Country Maid.
BOY MEETS GIRL: A YOUNG LOVE STORY - Neshaminy - no concerns - Follow Sam and Katie as they go through the trials and tribulations of love at the tender age of five in this hilarious and sweet take on young romance. From the decision to check the "yes" box on their boyfriend/girlfriend contracts to more serious conversations about past nap partners, Sam and Katie find themselves entering into a genuine relationship, all in the midst of worrying about the spelling bee, selling Girl Scout cookies, and figuring out what they want to be when they grow up.
THE 10 BEST (WORST) THINGS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL - Peters Township - no concerns - Ah, high school. The best (worst) four years of your life! The friends, the memories, the life lessons, and of course the inevitably haunting embarrassments that will leave emotional scars for years to come! Join a group of real-life high school students as they uncover the wonders (perils) of gym class, the marvels (horrors) of field trips, the joy (humiliation) of prom and many more of the numerous fond (traumatizing) aspects of life as a high school student.
SHAKESPEARE'S DEAD DAMES - York Country Day - Adult language / profanity, Violence, Suicide - In this comic romp, six female Shakespearean characters find themselves in a holding area after their in-performance deaths. They must stay there until the play they are a character in gets revived by another Shakespeare company so that they can (re)live their tragedy over (and over) again.
ALL THE WAYS THE WORLD WILL END, BUT NOT YOU - Columbia - cartoon violence in the show, some loud sudden noises, and some light strobing - Okay, so the post-apocalyptic world will be a little confusing. If we make it. Which we probably won't. But maybe...? Thank goodness there's a TED talk for that.
OPTIONAL - Dubois - no concerns - The SAT exam personified experiences an existential crisis.
SECRET IN THE WINGS - Wilson - no concerns - The Secret in the Wings adapts a group of lesser known fairy tales to create a theatrical work. The show has been staged and choreographed by members of the Wilson High School advanced acting class.
COMPLAINT DEPT. AND LEMONADE - Springfield Township MS - no concerns - People will complain about anything — not almost anything, but absolutely anything! In this rapid succession of hysterical grievances, the complaint department takes on everything from Oreo icing to kleptomania and from songs stuck in the head to the price of cheese and on and on and on.
LOVE/SICK - Parkland - Adult language / profanity, Sexual content - A darker cousin to Almost, Maine, John Cariani’s LOVE/SICK is a collection of slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, LOVE/SICK is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.