BY THE NUMBERS is a fun and inventive collection of eight short plays inspired by mathematical theorems. But no math is required to enjoy them!
Cast Size: Flexible (Small Cast)
Black Super Hero Magic Mama
Sabrina Jackson cannot cope with the death of her son by a White cop. Rather than herald the Black Lives Matter movement, Sabrina retreats inward, living out a comic book superhero fantasy. Will Sabrina stay in this dream world or return to reality and mourn her loss?
Asking Strangers the Meaning of Life
In the opening scene of this comedy, a writer meets the ghost of Franz Kafka, which sets off an existential chain of events forcing the cast to confront the meaning of life. Through a series of hilarious random encounters, the play questions whether we can understand our existence or is life just one long Zoom meeting interrupted by Amazon and DoorDash deliveries. Designed to be simply staged, ASKING STRANGERS THE MEANING OF LIFE can use a cast as small as five or as many as ten. The cast can be any race, ethnicity, physicality, and sexual orientation/identity.
Musings of a Crazy Texican
Imagine witnessing 500 years of Aztec history in 10 minutes, a commercial for menudo popsicles, auditions for Pancho Villa: The Musical or a jillion texts from a psycho gringa. This “crazy” collection of eight short plays contains works that have entertained, inspired and sometimes offended. Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios showcases new work, commissioned pieces as well as those developed with the performance troupe The Royal Mexican Players. To be enjoyed by Texicans & non-Texicans across the country.
Miss You Like Hell: School Edition
When a whip-smart, deeply imaginative teenager agrees to take a road trip with her free-spirited Latina mother, neither can imagine where it will take them. Chance encounters with a medley of characters along the way bring them closer to understanding what sets them apart—and what connects them forever. At the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship complicated and threatened by immigration policies. MISS YOU LIKE HELL reminds us that musicals have the power to explore the exposed territory where political becomes personal.
This never-more-timely story features a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning book writer of IN THE HEIGHTS, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and compelling, original songs by Erin McKeown that are every bit as diverse and eclectic as America. MISS YOU LIKE HELL is a new musical that exudes the joy, love and frustration of being a family in a changing country.
MISS YOU LIKE HELL School Edition has been adapted from the original Off-Broadway production. The School Edition has been carefully edited, with additional director’s notes throughout, to make the show more producible for high school groups. Song keys have been adjusted to sit more comfortably in the range of high school performers. In some cases, problematic language has been changed, while in others an alternate choice is offered at the discretion of the director.
I Love You Because: School Edition
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE is a charming, modern-day reimagining of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, set against the backdrop of bustling New York City. This witty and heartfelt musical follows an uptight, rule-bound greeting card writer whose world is upended when he meets a free-spirited photographer with a mind of her own. As their unlikely romance unfolds—mirroring the sparks and clashes of Austen’s beloved characters—they navigate love, misunderstandings, and the meddling of their delightfully eccentric friends and siblings.
With humor, heart, and a touch of Regency sensibility in a contemporary world, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE celebrates the idea that true love isn’t about perfection, but about embracing each other’s flaws—because of, not in spite of, them.
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE School Edition has been adapted from the original Off-Broadway production. The School Edition has been carefully edited, with additional director’s notes throughout, to make the show more producible for secondary school and college groups/performers. Song keys have been adjusted to sit more comfortably in the range of secondary school and college performers. In some cases, problematic language has been changed, while in others an alternate choice is offered at the discretion of the director.
The Other Josh Cohen
Enter the quirky world of Josh Cohen’s New York City apartment… as it is getting robbed. Thus begins the hilarious rock-and-roll romantic comedy about good guy Josh, caught in a lifelong battle with bad luck. Broke and alone, all hope seems lost – until a mysterious letter arrives that changes his life forever. Two actors play the hapless-yet-warmhearted title character – one eventful year apart – in a 90-minute life-changing laughfest for the whole family that will leave you feeling better about the world. Nominated for six Drama Desk Awards and the Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, this hilarious, endearing and hummable musical was hailed by Jesse Green of The New York Times as “a spontaneously charming musical that is just right for right now.”
Miss You Like Hell
When a whip-smart, deeply imaginative teenager agrees to take a road trip with her free-spirited Latina mother, neither can imagine where it will take them. Chance encounters with a medley of characters along the way bring them closer to understanding what sets them apart—and what connects them forever. At the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship complicated and threatened by immigration policies. MISS YOU LIKE HELL reminds us that musicals have the power to explore the exposed territory where political becomes personal.
This never-more-timely story features a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning book writer of IN THE HEIGHTS, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and compelling, original songs by Erin McKeown that are every bit as diverse and eclectic as America. MISS YOU LIKE HELL is a new musical that exudes the joy, love and frustration of being a family in a changing country.
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel
The game’s afoot as the famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Doctor Watson are given a case by Queen Victoria herself to solve a mystery that could affect the very future of the British Empire! From the team that brought you HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, this original musical based on the popular stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle leads you on a merry goose chase from 221B Baker Street all the way to the Tower of London. Fun for the whole family and a case that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats!
57th National Mathlete Sum-It
The almost all-girl high school math team from Waukesha, Wisconsin, has lost – and then won – the regional math competition. They are off to compete in the National Math SUM-IT. These smart and funny whiz kids must unite to solve difficult math problems without getting distracted by teen drama and pressures.
Always witty, sometimes uproarious, this is the story of girls becoming women – conquering anxiety and rivalry, finding a way to affirm themselves as individuals and as team-members, learning to win at math… and at life!