THE ACTORS – A COMEDY ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE
When Harbo stumbles into an unfamiliar place, dressing gown on and a toothbrush still in his mouth, he is greeted by the most unlikely vision: A Full Barbershop quartet singing at him, who call on celebrities composed (pardon the pun) of pretty famous but also pretty dead people, (such as William Shakespeare) in this comedy about the afterlife.
They bring tidings: He’s dead. Of course he doesn’t believe them, so they go out of their way to prove it to him – first of all by telling him stuff from his life and then be reenacting scenes from it (of which William Shakespeare is terribly critical of, being that way inclined).
Once he has accepted the news, he then gets sorted into whether he’s going to Heaven or Hell and if it’s the former, well, there could be a new opening in the barbershop quartet in his future, if he wants it?
Although the cast is large in this comedy about the afterlife, it would also suit smaller casts where more than one small role can be taken by the same actor.
The author is happy with removing any adult content from this play to make it suitable for school productions.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Mentone Grammar School, Victoria, Australia – 2018
Goethe Center, Costa Rica – 2019
Seward High School, ME, USA – 2020
The Roxbury Latin School, MA, USA – 2022
Holy Rosary Convent, EDENVALE, SOUTH AFRICA – 2022
Read other plays by Alex – The Condition – a comedy about the loony bin.
Author: Alex Emerson Acuff
Type: One act play
Genre: Comedy about the afterlife
Cast: 8 M, 3F, 3N. However the comedy in this play does allow for some gender swapping to occur.
Ages of the actors: Teens to adult
Suitable for: All ages to watch and teens up to perform
Length: 35-40 minutes
Set: Black box stage
Level of difficulty: 7/10 crowd control and characterization.
Read a Sample of the Script
Cost is $10.00 for this digital play script. Just click Shakespeare!
Contact Off the Wall Plays with any queries about The Actors
Copyright © January 2017 Alex Acuff and Off The Wall Play Publishers
Like this play? Other plays about being dead
Death of Gerbil – a dark comedy about being dead and Heaven has lost your paperwork
A Second Chance – a group of dead people are given history changing missions
God Help Us – about the galactic conference where God has been delayed at the end of the world