You are here: > Visit Our Library of Plays > Scripts by Age Group > Middle Grades > Mysteries/Melodramas

Dive into the thrilling world of middle-grade mysteries and melodramas, designed to captivate and entertain young audiences. Our collection features engaging plays for middle schoolers that combine suspenseful plots with colorful characters, perfect for igniting the imagination of budding actors. These drama plays present a delightful mix of intrigue, humor, and adventure, allowing students to explore the fascinating art of storytelling while participating in performances rich in entertainment.


Each play script for middle school is crafted with age-appropriate language and themes, making them ideal for fostering collaboration and teamwork as students work together to unravel mysteries or navigate captivating melodramatic situations. With roles available for a wide range of talents, every young performer has a chance to shine on stage, from the charming heroes to the dastardly villains.


Whether performed in the school auditorium or a smaller, intimate setting, these engaging stories inspire creativity and spark conversations, allowing young learners to delve into topics like friendship, resilience, and problem-solving. Bring excitement and laughter to your school community with our collection of middle-grade mysteries and melodramas, where young actors can embrace their passion for the stage and create unforgettable memories together!


Subscribe to Plays Magazine today!



NELLIE'S FISHY FATE by G.S. Cadette NELLIE'S FISHY FATE by G.S. Cadette

Middle Grades; 4 male, 4 female; turn-of-the-century; 30 minutes.
Egad! Gadzooks! A wonderful fun old-fashioned melodrama. Will two fiends succeed in their plot to swindle wealthy widow Mrs. Vanderhoff out of her fortune, or will it be “Curses, foiled again”?

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
THE SHOP GIRL'S REVENGE by Robert Downing THE SHOP GIRL'S REVENGE by Robert Downing

Upper and Middle grades; 4 female; 3 female; 1890s; 25 minutes.
A turn-of-the-century melodrama, complete with maiden-in-distress, moustache-twirling villain, and hero in disguise. . .all swirling around a pile of missing money and a long-lost daughter. And of course, it's curses, foiled again!

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
THE FASTEST THIMBLE IN THE WEST by Claire Boiko THE FASTEST THIMBLE IN THE WEST by Claire Boiko

Middle Grades, 15 female and 21 male, 30 minutes (cast may play more than one role). A rollicking, large-cast musical melodrama complete with orphans, an evil lawyer, poetry-loving cowboys, and a long-lost sea captain, all set in the Old West.

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
SNEAKY SAM IN SUNNY JUNCTION, by Ellen M. Eleder SNEAKY SAM IN SUNNY JUNCTION, by Ellen M. Eleder

Middle and Lower Grades; 3 male, 2 female, 1 male or female adult or gifted reader for Narrator; 20+ male and female. 1880s; 15 minutes. Sure-to-please large-cast melodrama with the usual dashing hero, moustache-twirling villain, and sweet heroine named Sue. . .but this one also has plenty of audience participation, songs and choreography.

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
THE POLKA DOT THIEF, by Amy Paulson THE POLKA DOT THIEF, by Amy Paulson

Middle Grades; 5 male, 3 female, and 1 male or female; 15 minutes. Police follow a trail of gum wrappers to try to figure out the "whodunit" of a "sticky" crime!

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
SARAH AT SEA by Lisa Swarbrick SARAH AT SEA by Lisa Swarbrick

Middle Grades; 11 female, 6 male, 8 male or female; 40 minutes. Spunky 1830s English girl flees her demanding guardian by impersonating a boy so she can find work on a ship bound for New York — and an uncertain future in a new country.

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
WAY, WAY OFF BROADWAY by Betty Tracy Huff WAY, WAY OFF BROADWAY by Betty Tracy Huff

Middle Grades, 5 male, 6 female, 6+ male or female; 30 minutes. A fun melodrama featuring the poor but honest Daisy Cornball, the villainous Count Von Cliché, and the rich society lady Mrs. Smythe-Dashington, in search of wealth and fame on the stage. Be still, my thumping heart!

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
THE BRAZILIAN CAT, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and adapted for round-table reading by Maurine V. Eleder THE BRAZILIAN CAT, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and adapted for round-table reading by Maurine V. Eleder

Upper Grades; 4 male, 1 female, 2 male or female; 25 minutes. In this tale of terror, a double-dealing relative will do anything to protect his interest in the family fortune.

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
GHOST LIGHT, by Craig Sodaro GHOST LIGHT, by Craig Sodaro

Upper & Middle Grades; 7 female, 2 male; 30 minutes. Unexpected inheritance makes a young couple's dream of owning their own theatre come true. . . but ghostly occurrences may thwart their plans for a successful start.

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.
ROWDY KATE by Claire Boiko ROWDY KATE by Claire Boiko

Middle Grades; 14 male, 6 female; the Old West; 35 minutes.
When the Mayor invites schoolmarms to town to help bring respectability to a small corner of the old West, the good old boys have plenty to say about it. It turns out that if anyone is going to get married around these here parts, Rowdy Kate is goin' to be the first!

 
*Requires subscription to download. Click here to subscribe.