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Aesop Live! (full-length)

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  8 any gender (adult), 32 any gender (youth)

Aesop’s wonderfully colorful fables burst onto the stage as two narrators threaten to retell all 725 ancient Greek tales in just one show, morals included. A brisk, action-packed show that promises to be the most fun you can have while learning the dos and don’ts of ethical living.

Aesop Live! (full-length)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    8 any gender (adult), 32 any gender (youth)
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce, Adaptation (Literature), Theatre for Young Audiences, Fable/Folktale
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

Details

Summary

Aesop’s wonderfully colorful fables burst onto the stage in Aesop Live!

Two narrators threaten to retell all 725 ancient Greek tales in just one show, morals included. But never fear! The cleverly told and entertaining stories they present are packed with fan-favorite characters like the sneaky Wolf, the clever Crow, the sly Fox, and of course, the Tortoise and the Hare. A brisk, action-packed show, Aesop Live! is the most fun you can have while learning the dos and don’ts of ethical living. 

one-act version of this play is also available.

History

Aesop Live! was published in 2025.

NARRATOR 1 – Sheet-wearing storyteller who loves a good fable
NARRATOR 2 – Sheet-wearing time-conscious storyteller
MORAL MARTY/MARTI – Their helper who delivers the “Moral Moment”
HERMES – Quick-thinking race reporter and game show host
TORTOISE – Slow-moving and patient turtle
HARE – Bunny with places to be
DOGS – Two bone-loving bow-wows
CRANE – Kind passerby
WOLF – A wolf who loves a good game of dress-up
GOOSE – Golden egg-laying fowl
TOWN MOUSE – Fancy-pants mouse
COUNTRY MOUSE – Country bumpkin mouse
CAT – Cunning feline with a big appetite
FOX – Charcuterie-loving trickster
CROW – Vain bird thirsty for water and compliments
STORK – Long-beaked bird with a big brain
GOATS – Two stubborn goats with everything to lose
MILKMAID – Prideful procurer of dairy products
TRAVELERS – Two trusting travelers
ASTROLOGER – Silly sky watcher
BOY – Trouble-making liar
SHEPHERD – Hungry shepherd with terrible eyesight
DEPUTY DUBIOUS – Cop on the lookout for questionable morals
ZEUS – King of the Gods and bestower of beards
DONKEY – Idiot with a big mouth
LION – Crybaby lion who hates thorns and nets
ANDROCLES – Servant on the run who helps a lion
SOLDIERS – Two or more spear-wielding guys with a job to do
KING/QUEEN – Person with all the power
POTS – A pair of talking pots; one brass, one clay
FROGS – Three or more amphibians who just want the pain to stop
SERPENT – Snake with a talking butt
TAIL – Snake’s talking butt
PIGEON – Bird who will stop at nothing to quench her thirst
WINNIE THE POOH – Honey-loving bear
BEES – Not so sweet when they’re angry
MOTHER – Boy’s mother
TREE – Tree
GRASSHOPPER – Fiddle-playing, fancy-free bug
ANTS – Hardest working bugs in the business
MOTHER CRAB – Crabby mother
YOUNG CRAB – Her sideways-walking kid
GNAT – Attention-seeking bug
BULL – Oblivious bovine

This play is designed to be very flexible. It can be performed by a cast of ten, with all actors playing a variety of roles in rapid fire succession, using hats, small costumes, pieces and props to convey the characters. This play can also accommodate a cast of over fifty if each role is played by a different actor. There are also a few noted characters (hunters, kids, soldiers) where you can choose the number of actors you would like for these roles and assign lines accordingly. You can also have multiple foxes, wolves, mice, etc., for a cast of maybe fifty or more.

This play is designed to be very flexible. It can be performed by a cast of ten, with all actors playing a variety of roles in rapid fire succession, using hats, small costumes, pieces and props to convey the characters. This play can also accommodate a cast of over fifty if each role is played by a different actor. There are also a few noted characters (hunters, kids, soldiers) where you can choose the number of actors you would like for these roles and assign lines accordingly. You can also have multiple foxes, wolves, mice, etc., for a cast of maybe fifty or more.

  • Time Period Present Day, Greek/Roman/Biblical
  • Setting

    Any setting, any time period (whether Ancient Greece or modern day!).

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Duration 75 Minutes

Media

Videos

  • An Interview with Tracy Wells – The Scene Podcast youtube thumbnail

    An Interview with Tracy Wells – The Scene Podcast

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Authors

Tracy Wells

Tracy Wells has loved seeing stories come to life on stage for as long as she can remember. In high school, she was able to tread the boards herself in a few starring roles in her drama department. Alas, like her character in A Chorus Line, Kristine, she couldn’t really sing, ...

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