One act play

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A one act play, or more commonly in the US "one act", or "one-act", is a play that takes place in one act or scene, as opposed to plays that take place over a number of acts. They can be in one, or more scenes, but they tend to be simpler and have fewer props, scenery and cast members (sometimes only one). Such plays are often showcased in a series. They are ideal for high school or college drama students as well as small venues and dinner theaters. Unlike other plays which usually are published one play per book, one acts are usually published in anthologies or collections. David Ives's book "All in the Timing" includes examples of one act plays. In the UK shorter plays are generally known as 'Playlets'.

There are notable exceptions, however, such as the French writer Yasmeena Reza's worldwide hit 'Art' which runs for a little over 90 minutes, but still requires only three actors.

Often, theatre groups stage a night of one act plays (UK Playlets) performing anywhere from 2 to 20 one acts in a single night. In recent years the 10 minute play has emerged as a popular sub-genre of the one act play, especially in writing competitions.

The origin of the one act play can be traced back almost to the very beginning of drama. "The Cyclops", a satyr play by Euripides, is an early example of the one act play [Francis M. Dunn. "Tragedy's End: Closure and Innovation in Euripidean Drama". Oxford University Press (1996).] .

Famous one act plays

*"The Bald Soprano" by Eugène Ionesco
*"No Exit" by Jean-Paul Sartre
*"27 Wagons Full of Cotton" by Tennessee Williams
*"A Memory of Two Mondays" by Arthur Miller
*"Sexual Perversity in Chicago" by David Mamet
*"The Zoo Story" by Edward Albee
*"A Marriage Proposal" by Anton Chekov
*"Line" by Israel Horovitz

References

External links

* [http://heniford.net/4321/ Small-Cast One-Act Guide Online]
* [http://www.one-act-plays.com/ One-Act-Plays.com]
* [http://www.bo-o-rama.com/one-act-plays/ One-Act, One Page Plays (royalty free)]
* [http://www.oneactplays.net/ One Act Play Depot]
* [http://www.kaneprod.com/ One Act Plays & Monologues]