Looking for plays for college students? Our Short Plays for English Learners series by Alice Savage are a collection of short, plays written for students in college or university. They’ll even work with adult learners or high school students. Running times vary from 10 to 20 minutes, and character lists range from 6 – 10 characters!

Each play features as an engaging, page-turning plots. The scripts include authentic situations and natural conversations. And each highlights an important communication skill!

Use them as reader’s theatre or have your students put on full performances with the resources inside.

Short enough to work as a group project. Flexible and adaptable enough to fill a unit or even an elective class. This series of plays will help students gain communication skills they can use in their lives outside the classroom.

Short Plays for English Learners Books

cover of Just Desserts by Alice Savage

Just Desserts is a short, original play about what happens when a teenager has to stand up to their boss, an overbearing local celebrity chef. The engaging, suspenseful play hits on an important theme for students, how to stand up for yourself in a difficult situation.

6 characters, 8 scenes, about 15 minutes to perform.

A2+/B1 (intermediate) level,

front cover of Introducing Rob by Alice Savage

Introducing Rob is about dedicated career woman, Lola, thrills her family when she brings home a boyfriend. But when they meet him, they realize something is wrong with Mr. Right. This engaging and suspenseful comedy will get students talking about how we choose our partners and how well they should get along with our family. 

5 characters, 5 scenes, about 15 minutes to perform.

A2+/B1 (intermediate)

Colorado Ghost Story tells the story of Trevor, an exchange student, whose dream of the American west did not include a goat farm with a vegetarian host family. They won’t even let him explore, especially at night.

But Trevor and his friend soon find out there’s a reason his host family is so protective.

4 characters, 8 scenes, about 17 minutes to perform.

A2+/B1 (intermediate) level

Cover of the book Strange Medicine by Alice Savage, a short play for students

Strange Medicine is an original short play about a mysterious scientist doing secretive research while renting a guesthouse from a family. The engaging, suspenseful play hits on an important theme: how is truth decided in science?

5 characters, 8 scenes, about 15 minutes to perform

A2+/B1 (intermediate) level

Each book features a preview activity, a pragmatics lesson, and tips for acting and producing a play, along with a glossary of theater terms. With a foreword by Steve Hirschhorn, these books are more than just a script; they are an adaptable and flexible lesson plan for a drama unit or fun class project! And check out our post on how to produce a classroom play. It’s not as hard as you think!

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Looking for more resources for doing drama in the classroom? Check out all our collections of playss for students and drama resources.