For over 20 years, Mushroom Cloud Press has published pieces that get huge laughs. We selected the most hilarious hits from our library and put them all in one collection for you.
Want a piece that you know can win big tournaments? Performers have taken home serious hardware with these pieces, like Finding Ryan, an NSDA National Finalist. You also get a huge selection of Clyde Hendrickson's best works like The Merchandise King and The Disappointing Son.
Here are all the proven winners included in this collection:
Finding Ryan by Dave Cameron
Ryan is a new kid in school, and he's confused about life: friends, family and his future. His only friend is Krishnov, a rather unfortunate foreign exchange student. Only by being rejected and thoroughly weirded-out by everyone around him does he learn that he needs to stop worrying and just enjoy growing-up. A great HI for young performers.
The Merchandise King by Clyde Hendrickson
A parody of The Lion King that mocks Disney's ability to make everything a marketing gimmick. The star-studded supporting cast includes the Crocodile Hunter, William Shakespeare, and a disenchanted sea slug. Already shown to succeed as a theatrical show and a national tournament contender.
Depressed White Girl: World's Worst DI by Brandon Daley
Sick of seeing the same dramatic monologues over and over? Here’s all of them packed into one 10-minute comedy. An absolutely hysterical send-up of overly dramatic plays for girls.
Snow White & The Gucci Stiletto by B. L. Houchen
Snow White, the innocent albino princes of The Land of Never Ending, has a tough go of it: her pony is killed by the evil queen, she gets kicked out of her kingdom, and she’s abused by her evil stepmother. Just when things are looking worst, though, she's rescued by Prince Charming. They quickly become Fairy Tale Weekly’s Most Beautiful Couple, until Prince Charming falls in love with Rumpelstiltskin and divorces her. That’s when the adventure really begins!
Camp by Frank Joseph
Timmy is sent to work at Boy Scout camp by his dad in an attempt to toughen him up. But his cast of coworkers, including his emo Camp Director Nathan and Ron the blind arsonist. They watch disturbing First Aid videos, terrorize the campers, and do a lot of things that shouldn't happen at a camp for young children. Through karate fights and ghost stories, Timmy becomes a bit more confident in himself, for better or for worse. A fun, high-energy script for those who like strange characters.
Beneath the Puppet Stand by Mike Beede
Beneath the Puppet Stand is a parody of VH1's Behind the Music that looks at the fuzzier side of children's entertainment. The Telletubbies do smack; Ernie gets rid of Bert; Mr. Rogers plays dirty. What more do you need to know?
Sesame: Life on the Street by Andrew Messer
Sunny day... sweeping the clouds away... So it was on Sesame Street, until a society that forgot the value of quality education started cutting the funding for public television... now Snuffalupagus has been murdered and everyone's a suspect, even Big Bird himself. Join Kermit as he narrates this harrowing tale of life on the (muppet) streets.
Great Ideas by Lawrence Atkinson
A ridiculous and raucous parody of movie clichés, mixing and matching scenes from The Matrix, Scream, Jurassic Park, and others as the show builds to a chaotic climax. Could easily be described as "the perfect humorous piece."
Table for Two, Party of Four by Andrew Messer
John's date with Cheryl could be going better. He's nervous, and he can't get out of his head. Literally. Two voices, his Id and his Super Ego, are having a lively conversation with John as he tries to woo Cheryl. The Super Ego is elitist and snobby, and the Id is entirely inappropriate. Both of them think they know what's best for John. Can he get past their unrelenting comedy routine and salvage his date? This short and snappy play gives even the craziest folk hope for their love life.
Physically Impossible by Josh Cohen
Physically Impossible: The Kiesha Story starts by addressing the age-old question of what happens when a thoughtful, optimistic teenage girl (Kiesha) wakes up to discover that she has mysteriously lost both of her arms. The script follows Kiesha through a week in her life at school following that curious morning, a week in which she has an English paper due, a soccer state championship to play in (as goalie, no less), and the Spring Dance to attend. However, Kiesha's new condition confuses and disturbs those around her, forcing Kiesha to deal with ignorance and discrimination as people overlook her thoughtfulness and optimism in lieu of her limbs (or lack thereof). When all seems lost, Kiesha receives a bit of advice from an unlikely source, renewing her belief in mankind and allowing her to turn her life back around.
Gerald the Life-Sized Talking Spork by Spill Major
In this brilliant comedic monologue, a man dressed in a full-body spork suits explains to a tour group the history and significance of Billinson's SporkWorks, America's #1 producer of alternative eating utensils. Gerald is not a happy man - who would be in a spork suit - but he manages to entertain with spork fun facts, tales of flaming badgers, and a heaping load of self-deprecating humor. A great piece for a confident performer who likes to command an audience.
Girls by Jason Chou
In this quick and pointed satire, a desperate male narrator makes his case for the insanity of teenage girls all over the world. Whether obsessing about arm fat or following the latest fad, the rather dense girls in this show have yet to find a stereotype they can't live up to.
New Leash on Life by Brady Mueller
A New Leash on Life is about a normal young boy named Kevin, who goes through a not so normal transformation: he's transformed by a mad scientist into a dog. Not only does this provide the opportunity for an unbelievable amount of dog-related puns, it also lets Kevin and his dad see each other in a new light. They have to work together, for maybe the first time ever, in order to change Kevin back into a dog. Hilarious, wacky, and touching.
Calvin Coolidge vs. The Dinosaurs by Clyde Hendrickson
Dr. Simon Tonguewart is the 1920’s leading mad scientist, which doesn’t make it any less strange that President Coolidge calls upon him to combat the growing WMD threat posed by time-traveling dinosaurs. Fighting fierce rivals, sassy triceratops, and the general incompetence of all those around him, Dr. Tonguewart must untangle the strange webs of time and save his nation from prehistoric doom.
The Disappointing Son by Clyde Hendrickson
The dysfunctional family to end all dysfunctional families: A Dad devoted to his own weird fantasies, a sadistic Mom, and a son stuck between them. Donkeys, Mexico, Strange Puddings one unfortunate vibrating doll... you know how it goes. Biting wit at every turn.
13 Things You Don't Know About Swans by Clyde Hendrickson
Mike Shackleton is a copywriter for the Central Nebraskan School District. His life is split between regurgitating strange animal facts and battling with his cantankerous secretary, Mildread. But things take a turn for the weird when he gets a new intern, Flap Jackson, a mysterious rube peddling an insightful brand of idiocy. When Flap's son falls into the swan pit on a field trip to the local zoo, Shackleton must shake off the rust to become the public schooling hero he's always been.
Dr. Wilderness by Clyde Hendrickson
Dr. Wilderness is an internationally renowned explored and TV star - who has yet to go exploring or become a star. Instead, he films a YouTube series about animals with his hapless cameraman Trav, encountering animals in the most ludicrous ways possible. Included in the menagerie: snake, pig, bat, wild cat, weasel, and bear. Finally, when Dr. Wilderness makes his first bold journey into the wild, to find the ferocious beavers of Sweden, he must battle his own demons... which happen to be Swedish beavers. It's funny, it's weird, it's wild, it's classic Clyde Hendrickson, one of the most successful authors in the forensics world.
May the Best Man Win by Max Alanson
When a man brings his girlfriend home to meet Dad, he quickly sees that his father has different plans in mind - and is soon competing for his girlfriend's love with him!
The Bo Show by Betty Gerard
Little Bo Peep comes to life as the host of a rowdy daytime talk show. Her guests include Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty's Widow, and Jack Sprat, all of whom are given special "surprises" by their host. This hilarious parody is filled with entertaining characters and priceless moments.
Virtually Dateable by Josh Cohen
Will Vicki find a decent guy, or just one jerk after the next? A smart and funny look at online dating.
Single White Female by Kaitlin McCoshen
In this dark and moving comedy, Ursula decides that she's not attractive enough to meet someone special, so she uses a stranger's picture in her online dating profile. The scheme goes wrong when her date ends up meeting the stranger whose picture Ursula used - and chaos ensues.
Rhymes with Orange by Lauren Bouchard
Loving poetry is never a problem, until you become obsessed with rhyming everything. Now Fay, our rhyming hero, is in danger of losing a job and putting the Orange Julius out of business in her mad quest to find a word that rhymes with orange.
iWant by Mann Hoff
Jessica doesn’t want a new iPod. She NEEDS a new iPod. And she’ll do anything to get it, including dealing with her psycho-paranoid parents and actually getting a job. Jessica narrates this very funny and accurate play about the perils of high-school consumerism.