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Cheaper by the Dozen
Adapted by Christopher Sergel. From the book by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
Product Code: C18000
Full-length Play
Comedy
Cast size: 9m., 7w.
Limited Streaming Rights Available
Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold in the following countries:
Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.
Synopsis
Suppose you're an attractive high-school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and—it must be admitted—extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school—especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rung as an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a serious reason. Dad has a heart condition that he's keeping secret. The children don't understand them. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up.
Notes
Limited Streaming Rights Available
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Details
- Status In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code C18000
- Minimum Cast Size 16
- Pages of Dialogue 77
- Min. Royalty Rate $110.00/perf
- Approx. Run Time 95 min
- Staging One int. set.
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School | College and Adult
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre
- Genre Comedy
- ISBN(13) 9780871292285
Customer Reviews
Being allowed the privilege to direct Cheaper by the Dozen has been one of my most rewarding theatrical experiences. Blending the experience and age levels of the actors and actresses into an ensemble performance has truly been exciting to witness. Actresses and actors of all ages working together and learning from each other is such an important aspect of a successful experience of quality theatre.
Wonderful family-oriented play with humor as well as good life lessons. The story can take the audience from laughter to tears. Easy set and fun old-fashioned costumes.
This was a crowd pleaser! A joy for audiences of all ages. The sound effects CD was definitely helpful.
We absolutely loved Cheaper By the Dozen! The cast had a lot of fun performing, and the play was well received. We had to add an extra performance and still had to turn people away the final night! We loved the witty dialogue.
Cheaper By the Dozen is a production that can be enjoyed by any age. It is filled with lots of fun and energy. A true story played out on stage, it leaves you with a great message about family and values. A perfect show for teens in high school. A perfect example of a family that teaches values and manners of a time gone by.
What a wonderful play!! Every time we have performed this show, it is a blast! The audience loves the characters and the wonderful story! And so do my actors!
This has been the most profitable and well received show of our first season. The children are loving being in this production, and the adults are raving about it.
Very popular with our audiencesÑbiggest crowds we've had in years.
Wonderful community show. Great audience reactions. It's funny, serious and touching. I love the convenience of a single set. We were able to use some grade-school students in younger roles.
Our junior high students presented this play and had so much fun doing it. Nearly every student had a "juicy" part that enabled them to ham it up for the audience.
A wonderful story of family, growing up, equipping our children to carry on without us and the reality that time is short. We loved the characters in this play more and moreÑeach time an actor brought a new layer to their character he became more that character. The script allowed for the depth development of the characters.
This is an enjoyable script. I found it the perfect vehicle for our dinner theater production. I have a lot of girls so it fit our group well. It is a great combination of comedy and pathos.
We did this play seven years ago and still love it! It's a real audience pleaser and a great adaptation of the book. Love having a single set.
Cheaper By the Dozen was such a joy to perform. I always have to do large-cast plays because of all my kids that want to be in the play. They love the characters and the great fun of this play.
Cheaper By the Dozen is a lively, funny and tender play that is perfect for a high school drama class.
Cheaper By the Dozen is a classic comedy that teaches the importance of hard work and an empathetic heart. The characters and their struggles and triumphs are realistic and nostalgic.
Cheaper By the Dozen was a charming, hilarious comedy with some poignant moments we could all relate to, even in this modern age. It was well received by audience and cast alike, and is our favorite production to date. Everyone loved the period costumes and sayings of the day.
Cheaper By the Dozen was a perfect example of a timeless classic brought to life. It was perfectly suited to a multiage cast who were obviously enjoying each character and line.
A warm hearted comedy about life in a large family with an autocratic father. It has all the elements you want -- the warm and the fuzzies. It also has a lot of great positive energy.
Cheaper By the Dozen was a great show, lots of fun to produce. It is the perfect mix of simple sets, funny lines and yet deep meaning.
This is an easy show to cast and block. The stage directions are marvelous and the sound effects tape was especially helpful.
Cheaper By the Dozen is definitely one of the most exciting and delightful plays I've ever directed. It was well received by the cast and audience. I'm looking forward to someday directing its sequel, Belles on Their Toes.
Everyone associated with our production loved working on this play. The show offers just the right blend of comedy and melancholy. The whole cast and crew began to feel and behave like one big extension of the Gilbreth family.
What a wonderful play! It's so nice to find a play with several characters and they all have fun moments on stage. I always have to do large cast plays and all my kids want to be in the play. This play fits the bill.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
Since this is such a well-known title, there were a number of students who auditioned (overwhelming, in fact!); so I double cast the play with separate performances.
Be creative when you build the set. You need to have the exits marked in the footprint for blocking, but how you interpret them makes it so much more interesting for the audience.
Can be done on small stage with simple set and "mini" stairs and landing. This did not require a lot of props. Set pieces and appropriate costumes easy to find.
The sound effects tape worked well and we would recommend getting it. Because of the single set this play was perfect for our small stage with no wings or backstage area.
Have fun! Keep the play upbeat and lively. Make it fun for everyone involved.
Make sure you have as many places as possible for the kids to come runinng from and try to always have a real dog! The audience loves that.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Civic Theatre Center | Tyler | TX | 02/21/2025 | 03/09/2025 |
| Master Arts Theatre | Grand Rapids | MI | 02/27/2025 | 03/15/2025 |
| Community Light Opera and Theatre Association | Ridgecrest | CA | 02/28/2025 | 03/15/2025 |
| Grove City Christian Academy | Grove City | PA | 03/27/2025 | 03/29/2025 |
| Playhouse in the Park | Murray | KY | 03/21/2025 | 03/30/2025 |
| Valley Park High School | Valley Park | MO | 04/04/2025 | 04/13/2025 |
| Niagara Arts and Cultural Center | Niagara Falls | NY | 05/09/2025 | 05/18/2025 |
| Cardinal Newman School | Columbia | SC | 07/17/2025 | 07/20/2025 |
| Playcrafters Barn Theatre | Moline | IL | 12/12/2025 | 12/21/2025 |
| Anderson Center | Cincinnati | OH | 05/15/2026 | 05/24/2026 |
Downloads
| File Description | File Format | |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet Music (Love's Old Sweet Song) | Download | |
| Performance Poster | Download |
Poster Suggestions
- Each poster includes a text box which allows you to customize it with your production information. Once a poster has been opened, position your mouse over the lower third portion until you see a label with instructions on entering your production information. Use the Text Select Tool to customize your poster.
- You can print the poster in its original format and hand write your information.
- Your local copy shop should be able to create prints from a file saved to disk. They might even be able to increase the size of the poster for you (although some loss of resolution will occur).
Gallery
Cheaper by the Dozen - El Cajon High School, El Cajon, CA
Cheaper by the Dozen - Hillsdale Community Theatre, Inc., Jonesville, MI
Cheaper by the Dozen - Hillbarn Theatre, Foster City, CA
Cheaper by the Dozen - Holy Family Home Educators, St. Louis Park, MN
Cheaper by the Dozen - Northview High School, Brazil, IN
Cheaper by the Dozen - Quo Vadis Players, Dallas, TX
Cheaper by the Dozen - Riverside Theatre Works, Hyde Park, MA
Also By These Authors
Amy Henley, Mendota High School, Mendota, Ill.