Plays

In acting classes, there is a need for a lot of dialogs: a short two-person play. I often get ideas for dialog, so I make a new play each year and keep building on it through the year. I try to put together a new idea for a two-person dialog using minimal props, costumes, or set pieces. There are a few moments where a small prop may be useful, but I purposely make it so you can mime all props easily.

All of these plays may be used, freely and without license fee, for educational purposes. Further, you may use these plays as is or with adaptation for small, non-profit or charity performances. If you do use one of these plays, please email me (cs@kainaw.com) and let me know. I would love to hear what you like and what you don't like so I can try to write better plays.

Time Spinning

What if you suddenly realized that if you spin around quickly, you can reverse time? How can you get your friend to believe you?

Algebra

A student is failing algebra, so it mother pays for a tutor. What if that tutor knew less about algebra than the student?

Big Jump

If you've ever worked in sales, you've had to help that one customer who just can't make a decision.

Essential Amenities

This was written as an assignment. We were told to write a play that was a take on the classic Shelley Berman story, "A Hotel is a Funny Place." A guest doesn't want those miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner. A simple request, right?

Mandatory

An employee is sent to mandatory harassment training, but in this case, the training is honest, not the stock slide show most companies use. Note: The "harassment event" mentioned happened to me. Lesson: Avoid elevators. Avoid people. Avoid speaking.

I Scream

I wrote this with my daughter. It is a take on Monty Python's cheese sketch that is more relatable for the average person. A cusomter wants an ice cream cone. It should be simple to order one, right?

Disrepair

This is a (very) slight exagerration of my experience trying to get the thermostat in my car fixed. I learned the hard way. Never use Big O Dodge in Greenville, SC.

Mistaken Identity

It is common for one person to think they know a stranger. What if both people involved think they know each other?

The Cake

What could go wrong if you order a cake to honor the passing of your very stupid dog? After writing this, I heard comedian Jo Brand tell a very similar story, so I altered the play to make it even more similar to her much funnier joke.

The Interview

Police investigator Alex is trying to get information out of a witness. This is a tad longer than other plays, written specifically because I was asked for a longer play.

A Minecraft Play

My children got into Minecraft and we talked about what the mobs would say if they could talk. It turned into this little conversation between a creeper and a zombie. I wrote this long before the Minecraft Movie, so it has absolutely nothing to do with the movie.

Knock Knock

One friend insists on telling the other friend a very bad knock-knock joke.

The Beach

A day at the beach for a couple of friends. One loves the beach. The other doesn't. At first. Life changes.

Actors

Two actors discuss differences in attitude about acting shortly before opening night. The basic idea came from trying to figure out how to write lines for two actors when one simply can't learn lines.

T and T

A Kelce fan and a Swift fan go on a blind date. Just two fans of two people who happen to be dating. Honestly, I was asked to write something romantic and it is hard to escape Travis and Taylor.

AI Speech

I experimented with ChatGPT and asked it to write a best man's speech. The results were awful, but it gave me content I could arrange into a short play. Maybe I can sell the shoe story to Pixar.

The Detectives

Two inept detectives try to solve a murder in an apartment. This is designed for black-box theater with no stage props or decorations.