where can i read play scripts before i purchase them?

Question

I have to perform a scene for my theatre class and i want to read the scripts before i purchase them in order to make my selection.

Answer 1

Play publishers guard their work jealously. Photocopying is rampant in this field, and it really hurts playwrights' ability to make a living. So, it's going to be tricky to read most stuff without buying it first. That said, here are a couple ideas:

1) Two publishers who will let you read big chunks of their scripts online before you purchase:

www.theatrefolk.com
www.playscripts.com

You won't find scripts published by the "big three" (Dramatic, Dramatists, and Samuel French) here. But, they do have a lot of good stuff. And if you're a high school student or younger, they actually have a higher ratio of performable, appropriate scripts than the big guys do, anyway.

2) Borrow scripts from a theatre teacher. They tend to have big collections.

3) Library, as previous poster suggested. Colleges and Universities have even better collections than public libraries, especially if the theatre department has its own library. You may not be able to check stuff out if you're not a student, but there's no law against just sitting there and reading them in the library.

4) If you happen to live in Texas, leave me a note and I'll give you another idea. (Gotta be a Texas resident for this one to work, though.)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Go to the library or a bookstore and read them there. Most scripts you find online for free are not as high quality as the published plays you'll eventually have to pay for (the only exception is some classic plays: the greek tragedies, Shakespeare, etc. that are available online in various websites.)