A good play for a cast of three males, one female?

December 3, 2007 8:38 PM

I go to one of the few universities in the world that have no drama club, despite that it's a very large university. A few friends and I thought we'd put on a play and hopefully that would encourage others to get together and make a real drama club. We don't want to do a revue or anything like that. Of the four of us, only the female can sing and dance, so musicals are probably not a good idea. Two of the males have done a lot of amateur work and the female has done professional work. Even if we're not all professionals, we are all very dedicated, so we're up to a challenging play. So can anyone recommend a play for our small cast of three males and one female?
posted by giggleknickers to Society & Culture (19 answers total)

Here's a list of plays from Anchorage Press with small cast requirements. I saw a staging of Private High by a high school group last year that was pretty amazing.
posted by paulsc at 8:45 PM on December 3, 2007

No Exit? Would require one man to play a woman (not for laughs).
posted by Rock Steady at 9:04 PM on December 3, 2007

Here's the text of it.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:06 PM on December 3, 2007

Challenging? Cowboy Mouth. 2 males, one female. One guy gets to be the Lobster Man.
posted by ALongDecember at 9:11 PM on December 3, 2007

Best answer: Oh! Do Dinner With Friends. But have one of the couples be two dudes. ... actually, I think that would dramatically improve that play.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 9:12 PM on December 3, 2007

I'm not sure how you'll feel about this, but: Waiting for Godot is one possibility. It has four characters, and I'm pretty sure you could make them whatever gender you want. You'll need good direction, strong acting, and a clear vision - this play can be played many ways. But I bet you could have a fabulous time with it.
posted by amtho at 9:16 PM on December 3, 2007

Forgot to say that, one of the reasons I suggested "Private High," is that college age people are generally interested in "playing older," but it is one of the last times they can credibly look back by playing "younger."

Don't squander the opportunity.
posted by paulsc at 9:40 PM on December 3, 2007

Best answer: Here's a list of about 100 Three-Male, One-Female plays, from the Small-Cast One-Act Guide, from this previous thread.

Waiting for Godot is one possibility. It has four characters, and I'm pretty sure you could make them whatever gender you want.

Beckett's estate may not agree.
posted by mediareport at 9:43 PM on December 3, 2007

Look into Harold Pinter plays, The Birthday Party perhaps. He is my favourite playwright, maybe you will find something there.
posted by swisspotter at 11:16 PM on December 3, 2007

What about a version of In the Company of Men?
posted by not me at 11:25 PM on December 3, 2007

if i could make a suggestion, think you might be better off casting three actors in the play and having the fourth person direct. almost every play will benefit from a director, and directing is fun. (can you tell i direct plays sometimes?)

if you like this idea, here is a link to the playwrights' guild of canada website, where you can search for plays by number of actors (be sure to input the number of men, the number of women, and the total number of actors, or the search engine will get confused).

and for starters, i think these three canadian plays would be good bets. each casts 2 males and 1 female, and all would work with college-aged actors. i have seen all three of these plays performed, and they're crowd-pleasers with humour and depth.

never swim alone by daniel macivor.
the village voice said, "The triumph of Never Swim Alone, by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor, is that it takes characters who are scarcely more than stereotypes (man as unalloyed, ruthless competitor) and dialogue that rarely rises above banalities and transmutes them into a startlingly new piece of theater, just as a jazz musician might create a blowout set by spinning improvisation upon improvisation over a hackneyed jingle." (from this review.)

tough! by george f walker.
"As the play begins, 19-year-old Bobby is summoned to a meeting with his girlfriend Tina and her best friend Jill. Tina has a couple of bones to pick with Bobby, and has brought along Jill as her backup. That situation alone is enough to make any guy shudder, and Walker’s script captures all of that uncomfortable teenage angst and awkwardness. But this is serious business—Tina is pregnant, and she’s waiting for Bobby to say the right thing, which, at this stage in his life, he is incapable of doing." (from this review)

i hate you on mondays by kate miles.
a reviewer described it as a "...reality-soaked depiction of drug-confused and sexually active youth. Bernadette, a promiscuous 19-year old, started at the age of 14 when she “gave 13 blow-jobs at a CNE concert.” Pinch, a 21-year old musician and wanderer, prays as he penetrates her and then runs to church to confess his sins. Meanwhile, 15 year-old Moth is having regrets after his first sexual encounter in a ravine with a young girl who “volunteers for things.”

i also think stephen belber's TAPE and chekhov's the bear would be good choices.

good luck- sounds fun!
posted by twistofrhyme at 11:58 PM on December 3, 2007

Something by Alan Ayckbourn. He's funny, which might be better than a challenging play; comedy's more likely to get people interested in what you're trying to achieve, I think.

I like Confusions, although it might need some updating to remain relevant in 2007. A little dated, perhaps.
posted by Lleyam at 4:59 AM on December 4, 2007

Death of a Salesman (if you get some bit players or cut some parts).
posted by SassHat at 7:00 AM on December 4, 2007

Similar to the Playwrights' Guild of Canada website, there's Playscripts Inc.'s search form, where you can search by genre, number of actors, and much more:

http://www.playscripts.com/search

Following up on the suggestions of Harold Pinter, and choosing a play with 3 characters so that the fourth person can direct it, BETRAYAL is a great 2-man, 1-woman play, though very challenging.
posted by clair-de-lune at 7:18 AM on December 4, 2007

Speed the Plow by David Mamet. 2 men, 1 woman.

Good luck with whatever you choose! I'll second Pinter, but you might want to do something that's a little more accessible for your first show to garner interest.

And yes, the Beckett estate is notoriously difficult to deal with.
posted by Evangeline at 8:01 AM on December 4, 2007

Oh, and careful with Pinter if you're anywhere near Manhattan. We were in the middle of rehearsal for Betrayal when Dramatists Play Service pulled our rights, because a bigger fish optioned it. Pinter is hot right now.
posted by Evangeline at 8:05 AM on December 4, 2007

I was a theater major briefly in college. We did "A Thurber Carnival". It's basically a series of little stories. I think you could get by with the four of you rotating parts. Did a quick google search for the text of the play, but no luck.
I reserve the right to think about this some more, and MefiMail you updates later when I can recall them, and the thread is closed.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:19 AM on December 4, 2007

Waiting for Godot.
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:42 AM on December 4, 2007

Seek ye the plays of Christopher Durang.
posted by wittgenstein at 10:48 AM on December 4, 2007 [1 favorite]