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A JOURNEY TO THE STARS by Mary Satchell A JOURNEY TO THE STARS by Mary Satchell

Middle Grades; 3 female, 3 male, 3 female/male, and 12+ extras; 30 minutes.
A Reader’s Theater: The inspirational story of Cuban singer Celia Cruz, who rose from poverty, fled Communism in Cuba, and rose to the top of the music industry and beloved throughout the world as the “Queen of Salsa.”

 
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HISTORY IDOL by Kate Wagner HISTORY IDOL by Kate Wagner

Middle and Lower Grades; 6 female; 4 male; 1 male/female for Terry and as many male and female extras as desired. 20 minutes. Six famous quotes from history—by Abraham Lincoln, Neil Armstrong, Lou Gehrig, Chief Joseph, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr.—are celebrated in this spoof of a popular TV show.

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FIRE AND FRIENDSHIP by Renee C. Rebman FIRE AND FRIENDSHIP by Renee C. Rebman

Middle Grades; 7 female, 3 male, and as many extras as desired; 20 minutes. Set in 1911 New York City. The true story of the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that killed 146 garment workers—most of them young women—and sparked the creation of laws to improve working conditions around the country.

 
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BALANCING ACT by Christina Hamlett BALANCING ACT by Christina Hamlett

Upper and Middle Grades; 5 male, 1 female, 8 male or female; as many male and female extras as desired. 30 minutes. High above the streets of New York City, Native American construction workers connect the giant steel beams that create the City’s skyscrapers, while telling stories about the Iroquois Nation and its culture.

 
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SHIRLEY CHISHOLM: "UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED" by Mary Satchell SHIRLEY CHISHOLM: "UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED" by Mary Satchell

Upper and Middle Grades; 11 female, 7 male, and 20+ males or females; 30 minutes. Scenes from the inspirational life of Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005), the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and minorities.

 
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THE PRESIDENTS' DAY IN COURT, by Kathy Applebee THE PRESIDENTS' DAY IN COURT, by Kathy Applebee

Middle Grades; 7 male, 3 female, and 5 male or female, plus as many extras as desired; 20 minutes. When Patty O’Phurniture’s date with Jim doesn’t meet her expectations, she sues in court for breach of contract, and is confronted by the historical feats of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, and others who are pictured on American coins.

 
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A MAN LIKE LINCOLN by Helen Miller A MAN LIKE LINCOLN by Helen Miller

Middle Grades; 5 male and 4 female; 25 minutes. A present-day lawyer who is running for Governor as “A Man Like Lincoln” comes to terms with his son’s decision on his future direction, and in the process reaches common ground in the tradition of our 16th President.

 
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RALPH BUNCHE, MAN OF PEACE by Mary Satchell RALPH BUNCHE, MAN OF PEACE by Mary Satchell

Upper and Middle Grades; 7 male, 4 female, 25 male or female; 30 minutes. The inspiring story of Detroit-born Ralph Bunche (1904-1971), the first African-American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1950) for his work with the United Nations to help create a cease-fire in the Middle East.

 
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THE PIE THAT CHANGED HISTORY by Maureen Crane Wartski THE PIE THAT CHANGED HISTORY by Maureen Crane Wartski

Middle & Lower Grades; 4 female, 3 male; 20 minutes. The story (maybe true, maybe not) of a couple who baked their way on to a wagon train to Oregon so they could open a school where Native people and settlers could learn together in peace. Their children settled in Kansas, where they were active in the 1850s Underground Railroad.

 
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RACE TO THE FUTURE, by Janet Carl RACE TO THE FUTURE, by Janet Carl

Middle and Lower Grades; 5 male, 5 female, plus many extras; mid-1800s; 25 minutes. A young girl invited to a "Bloomer" picnic—an unheard-of event for women to wear pants!—stands up for her beliefs in women's rights and freedom of expression.

 
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KWANZAA HEROES by Virginia A. Artist KWANZAA HEROES by Virginia A. Artist

Middle Grades; 5 female; 4 male; 25 minutes.
Stacey learns about purpose, ethics, and the rewards of hard work when she writes a report about "lesser known" Black achievers for a Kwanzaa contest. Discussion questions at the end include the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

 
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HALFWAY TO CONCORD by Marcella Rawe HALFWAY TO CONCORD by Marcella Rawe

Middle and Lower Grades; 6 male, 2 female; 25 minutes. It's hard to tell who is a friend and who is a foe when neighbors take sides at the start of the Revolutionary War, as Paul Revere spreads the word from Boston to Concord.

 
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ROMEO AND JULIET AT THE WILLIAMSBURG THEATRE by Ellen M. Eleder ROMEO AND JULIET AT THE WILLIAMSBURG THEATRE by Ellen M. Eleder

Upper and Middle Grades; 15 male/female and extras; 30 minutes. Actors rehearse Shakespeare's play in Colonial Williamsburg, against the backdrop of the fast-approaching Revolutionary War.

 
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SABOTAGE by Craig Sodaro SABOTAGE by Craig Sodaro

Upper and Middle Grades; 5 male; 4 female; 25 minutes. A tense historical drama set in war-torn England. What happens when three girls are sent to live outside London for their safety, and they start seeing spies at every turn.

 
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THE RELUCTANT COLUMBUS by Harold Cable THE RELUCTANT COLUMBUS by Harold Cable

Middle Grades; 3 male, 3 female, 6 male or female; 30 minutes. The story of how a guy who loved maps and a guy who didn't want to be a prince teamed up to find gold in the West, and prove the earth is round. . .all with a little help from their zany friends.

 
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A TALE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Carmen Anthony A TALE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Carmen Anthony

Middle Grades; 5 male, 7 female, 6 male or female; 20 minutes.
A family finds a hidden room under their stairway and learns that their house had been a station on the Underground Railroad.

 
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FREEDOM RIDERS, by Tom Quinn FREEDOM RIDERS, by Tom Quinn

Upper and Middle Grades; 12 male, 6 female, and male and female extras. 35 minutes. A story of the struggle and heroes of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, with reference to the basics of human dignity: riding a bus, using the restroom, eating in a restaurant, and going to school.

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MOTHER JONES, RABBLE-ROUSER by Renée C. Rebman MOTHER JONES, RABBLE-ROUSER by Renée C. Rebman

Middle Grades; 8 male, 6 female, extras; 25 minutes.
The story of Mother Jones, a courageous woman who helped lead the fight for the right of American workers—men, women, and children—to join a union, have safe working conditions, and a decent wage.

 
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STEALING CHRISTMAS by Craig Sodaro STEALING CHRISTMAS by Craig Sodaro

Upper and Middle Grades; 3 male; 3 female; 25 minutes. Petty thieves in the year 1920 rediscover the spirit of the holiday when they encounter a war widow and her young daughter.

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THE ANCESTORS' BOX by Christina Hamlett THE ANCESTORS' BOX by Christina Hamlett

Upper & Middle Grades; 13 female, 3 male; 35 minutes. A large-cast play that tells part of the story of Japanese-American internment camps created in World War II, through the eyes of a high school girl who was sent off and her best friend, who stayed behind.

 
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EMILY GEIGER, TEENAGE PATRIOT by Tara Wise Montgomery EMILY GEIGER, TEENAGE PATRIOT by Tara Wise Montgomery

Middle Grades. 8 actors: 5 male, 2 female, 1 male/female. 25 minutes. Set during the Revolutionary War, a young woman volunteers to carry the General’s message through Redcoat territory, in a dangerous mission no one could imagine a woman could carry out.

 
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ABOVE THE FOLD: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY by Christina Hamlett ABOVE THE FOLD: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY by Christina Hamlett

Upper & Middle Grades; 10 female, 9 male; 30 minutes. America's first female investigative reporter set the standard for the best in newspaper journalism.

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MOUNT RUSHMORE by David LaBounty MOUNT RUSHMORE by David LaBounty

Middle and Lower Grades; 8 male, 4 female; as many male and female extras as desired for Other Students; 15-20 minutes. Four presidents have a little fun with visitors to a national memorial.

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THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELET by Patricia Clapp THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELET by Patricia Clapp

Middle Grades. 5 actors: 3 male, 2 female; 20 minutes. Prelude to Thanksgiving: A Pilgrim family and a Native American connect in friendship, thanks to a young girl’s generosity and spirit of diversity.

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THE PILGRIM WHO DIDN’T CARE by Jane McGowan THE PILGRIM WHO DIDN’T CARE by Jane McGowan

Middle & Lower Grades. 11 actors: 7 female, 4 male; 15 minutes. Feisty young girl realizes—after all—that there’s a reason to give thanks.

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