More links to free scripts

If you're looking for free scripts, the following link provides a list of online resources for free Christian church scripts. www.christianforecasters.com/christian-skits.html
If you find they're not perfectly suited to your needs and you want to adapt them, check on the host site that you are licensed to do so before proceeding.

The Five Dollar Woman

New One-Act Play!
The Five Dollar Woman

The ten-minute drama "God in My History", an Australian celebration of the power of God through a willing vessel, has been renamed and remodelled.

"The Five Dollar Woman" is now available for 8 actors (4 male, 4 female) for use on a functioning theatre stage. Stage charts are provided for prop positioning, actor entrance and exit directions (all operating from stage left), and actor movement on stage.

The play is still available in Convention format, but participants need to know it requires speedy costume changes because actors play more than one role -- meaning creativity and lots of practice!

The kit is not available in colour at this time. If you don't have access to a real $5 Chisholm note, save this image and print it on a colour printer.

This image is courtesy of the Reserve Bank of Australia. You can read the history of the note here at the Reserve Bank's online Museum.

What's the play about?

This drama is based on the life of Caroline Chisholm, the woman who said that what Australia needed most was good and virtuous women. The theme of God’s involvement in our history is depicted through a father/daughter conversation in his barrister’s office and their visualizing of the lives of immigrants in the convict town of Sydney in 1838, closing with a personal challenge for Christian service.

Free Scripts

Want to adapt a script yourself?

Bob Snooks offers free drama and dialogue scripts for download here. The range of 1000+ scripts are listed alphabetically by key word. Each link includes the approximate run time, the gender of the cast, and a brief description of the subject. Permission is given to adapt.

TEN-MINUTE DRAMAS

These scripts are all available in a pack of 9 (5 actors, 1 director, & 3 judges) for NZ$ 40.





A Beautiful Death
An emotional drama that will rivet your audience, this is the story of two sisters who die of cancer only three years apart, and the effect that has on their unsaved family and friends. Requires 2 male and 3 female actors.

Characters:
• Fernanda
• Marisa (pronounced ma-REE-sa), Fernanda’s elder sister
• Isabel (pronounced EE-sa-bel), Fernanda’s younger sister
• Gustavo (pronounced goos-TA-vo), Marisa’s husband
• Juan (pronounced hoo-AN), Fernanda’s husband
• Nurse (played by Marisa)


An Honourable Woman
Real theatre featuring 2 western and 3 Muslim women, set in modern north Africa. Strong on dialogue. Requires 5 female actors.

Characters:
• Aisha Al Masri, a local Muslim woman
• Randa Sharif, a local Muslim woman, very well educated, a social activist
• Sukaina Shaaban, a local Muslim woman, more conservative than the others
• Irena Clint, Western Christian woman experienced in living in an Arab country
• Marion Plummer, new missionary to north Africa, fervent but careless in approach


Fruit Trees
Exploring what it means to be fruitful in Christ, a woman is taken on a tour of the heavenly fruit garden by gardener angels who help her understand why her ‘tree’ is just a stump—that good works for Christ won’t produce spiritual growth if they’re done apart from Christ. With an unusual ‘pot plant’ orchard set, witty dialogue, and the opportunity for some creative characterization, this drama provides both the laughs and the spiritual stirring of the conscience. It features 2 strong female roles, plus 2 gender-flexible roles and a stage manager.

Characters:
• Kathy, a know-it-all do-gooder
• Gardener Angel 1
• Gardener Angel 2
• Gardener Angel 3, Prunella the Pruning Angel
• Stage Manager


Frog Buster
A new Christian learns the importance of God’s Law in bringing the knowledge of sin, and tests it by confronting four violent, rebellious young teenagers with their need for salvation. Based on a true story, the play features an unusual set (an inflatable paddling pool turned into a frog pond), dramatic characterization, and a clear presentation of the way to salvation. Requires 5 male actors.

Characters:
• Sam, a zealous new Christian
• Tyler, a rebellious young teenager with quite a swagger
• Jake, a rebellious, dangerous-looking young teenager
• Chester, a rebellious young teenager
• Kwan, a rebellious young teenager
• Voice of Narration, spoken from offstage by Tyler, Jake, or Chester


Money to Spend
This drama about 5 teenagers deals with the issues of priorities and peer pressure, featuring a strong lead and four supporting characters with lots of personality and dialogue. It is grounded in the A.C.E. motto “Changing the world one child at a time”. Requires 5 female actors.

Characters:
• Leticia, an honest and compassionate teenager
• Rachel, power-conscious leader of the pack
• Samantha, wannabe cool chick
• Kelly, optimistic, willing gofer, a bit slow to catch on to things
• Kate, Leticia’s older sister
• Technician, played by Kate, who also gives voiceovers for Aunty Lauren


Night of Vital Decision
This compelling drama is set on the day of the 1998 tsunami in Papua New Guinea, when a teenage girl is challenged to decide between her ambition to serve God and being obedient in the small things. The spine-tingling finale and personal challenge will have a strong impact on your audience. Details provided for simple but effective set construction. Requires 2 male and 2 female actors and a narrator/technician.

Characters:
• Rabouka, a Papua New Guinean teenager
• Mother, from the poorest region of Papua New Guinea
• Father, from the poorest region of Papua New Guinea
• Pastor, native to Papua New Guinea
• Narrator


The Five Dollar Woman (formerly titled God In My History)
This drama is based on the life of Caroline Chisholm, the woman who said that what Australia needed most was good and virtuous women. The theme of God’s involvement in our history is depicted through a father/daughter conversation in his barrister’s office and their visualizing of the lives of immigrants in the convict town of Sydney in 1838, closing with a personal challenge for Christian service. Features great characters and costuming, but be prepared for speedy costume changes. Requires 2 male and 3 female actors.

Characters:
• Magistrate Whitcomb, a successful Sydney barrister
• Harvey, Whitcomb’s assistant
• Sarah, daughter of Whitcomb, a loving, tender-hearted teenager
• Caroline Chisholm, an early Australian settler. She is ladylike and kind. Her voice is musical and her speech fluent.
• Lady Margaret, a proud, wealthy settler
• Nell, a young waif, newly arrived off a filthy, overcrowded transport ship (played by Sarah)
• Constable Ditworth, a rigid, unsympathetic member of the Sydney Foot Police (played by Harvey)
• Cameron, an early Australian magistrate (played by Magistrate Whitcomb)

See The Five Dollar Woman for an 8-actor version.


Ye Are My Friends
Taking John 15:14 as its theme, this play by Isabel Worboys portrays a woman who learns that Jesus plans to visit her home. She makes elaborate preparations while a steady flow of needy people come to her door. She turns them all away, focused on being ready for her Important Guest. The end of the day comes but He does not. Then the phone rings. He explains to her that He did come, but in the way of the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. She had not helped these strangers, therefore she had not helped Him. She is devastated and repentant. The characters are realistic and likable. Music, sound effects, and lighting play a strong part. Requires 2 male and 3 female actors.

Characters:
• Sarah, a nicely-dressed Christian woman. She has an apron she constantly takes on and off.
• Rachel, Sarah’s close friend
• Jonathan, a teenage boy
• Katrina, a young mother carrying a swaddled infant
• Michael, an electrician
• Heavenly Voice (spoken by Michael)
• Voice of preacher Charles Spurgeon (spoken by Jonathan)
• Radio program host (spoken by Katrina)

Recommendations for MUSIC in drama

The addition of a soundtrack to your drama will greatly increase its impact, but there are some things you must consider when choosing what music to use. Most music recordings are copyright and the artist's rights must be respected. Apply to your national or regional recording industry regulators (such as the Australasian Performing Rights Association, www.apra.com.au) for special clearance of publishing and recording rights.

Topical Music Index

Compiled by Narelle Worboys

non-copyrighted

Movie soundtracks are very thematic, so it's easy to find a mood piece to enhance your drama without the forte and pianissimo interruptions that classical music tends to include. Classical music is a fantastic support to dramatic interpretation, however, but it is a vast genre and if you don't have your own music library, it can be difficult to know where to start looking. I have created this index as a means to simplify this process for you. I am continually adding to the list as I find time to catalogue what I hear. Where possible, I have suggested a specific album.

"Perfume" is produced by ABC Classics: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Ladies in Lavendar" is produced by Sony Classical: Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
"Brassed Off" is produced by BMG Classics, a unit of BMG Entertainment.
ICM = In Classical Mood series, produced by International Masters Publishers Pty Ltd. The 1st digit is the album number, the 2nd digit is the track number.


SUBDUED or MELANCHOLIC

Ludvig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor: Moonlight Sonata
Peter Tchaikovsky: Chanson Triste


SAUCY or CHEERFUL

Perfume by Stephanie McCallum, intro to track 16: Camille Saint-Saëns: Six études, Opus 11, Toccata


JAUNTY or COOL

Ladies in Lavender soundtrack: Track 10: Zabawa Weselna (Polish Dance)
Perfume by Stephanie McCallum, Track 12: Joseph Guy Ropartz: Jeunes filles: L’Insouciante
ICM 24.1 Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Opus 11, ‘Alla marcia’
ICM 24.4 Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Third Movement


DOOM or DESOLATION

ICM 6.13 Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Second Movement
ICM 22.9 Richard Wagner: Tristan and Isolde, ‘Liebestod’
ICM 6.11 Johannes Brahms: Symphony no. 3 in F major, Opus 90, Third Movement
ICM 9.8 Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une Infante Défunte
Ladies in Lavender soundtrack: Track 9: The Letter
Perfume by Stephanie McCallum, Track 15: Francis Poulenc: Novelette sur un thème de Manuel de Falla

Richard Wagner: The Flying Dutchman, Overture
Frank Bridge: the opening of “The Sea (First Movement) Seascape”
Ludwig van Beethoven: Pastoral Symphony, No. 6 in F major, Storm (Fourth Movement)


WILD or DISCORDANT or CRUEL

ICM 16.9 Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Dance of the Adolescents


LOVE or TENDERNESS or COMFORT

ICM 6.1 Franz Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3 in A flat


PIZZAZZ
ICM 24.5 Johan Helmich Roman: Sinfonia in G minor
ICM 24.11 Dag Wirén: Serenade for Strings, Opus 11, ‘Marcia’


QUIET or MELANCHOLIC or SAD or SUPPRESSED
ICM 22.6 Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Opus 74, ‘Pathetique’, Fourth Movement
Ladies in Lavender soundtrack: Track 2: Olga
Ladies in Lavender soundtrack: Track 3: Teaching Andrea
Ladies in Lavender soundtrack: Track 5: Thaïs
Ladies in Lavender soundtrack Track 7: On the Beach


SAD or HAUNTING or TRAGIC

Brassed Off soundtrack: Track 13: We’ll Find a Way
Brassed Off soundtrack: Track 18: Honest Decent Human Beings


ALARM or WARNING or PREMONITION OF DANGER

Brassed Off soundtrack: Track 13 finale: We’ll Find a Way


IN A RUSH or MOMENT OF DECISION or TRAGEDY
ICM 6.3 Gustav Holst: The Planets: the introduction to ‘Venus’


EXCITEMENT or HURRY or ANTICIPATION
Brassed Off soundtrack: Track 14: Clog Dance
William Tell Overture


EXCITEMENT

ICM 22.2 Frédéric Chopin: Étude in C minor, Opus 10 No. 12, ‘Revolutionary’


SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION

ICM 22.11 Ludvig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Opus 67, Fourth Movement
ICM 22.7 Max Bruch: Violin Concerto in G minor, Opus 26, Third Movement