500 Words

500 Words by Ruth McKee

(0)
Productions (1)
Drama
|
70 - 80 minutes
4 W, 2 M,  (5-6 actors possible: 3-4 W, exactly 2 M)
Content Notes: Adult language
Set: A cluttered file room at a corporate office and a second, flexible space for interlude scenes.

Three New York City immigrant teenagers take an internship organizing submissions for an essay contest on patriotism in America. Disgusted by the phoniness of the entries, they form a bet to see if they can win the contest with honest responses to the topic. As they reveal their stories, their own senses of patriotism and the world are challenged in unexpected ways.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $85
Standard Edition $13.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $150

*The per performance fee begins at $85. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.


Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

Play Details

Three New York City immigrant teenagers take an internship organizing submissions for an essay contest on patriotism in America. Disgusted by the phoniness of the entries, they form a bet to see if they can win the contest with honest responses to the topic. As they reveal their stories, their own senses of patriotism and the world are challenged in unexpected ways.

  • Drama
  • |
  • 70 - 80 minutes
  • 4 W, 2 M,  (5-6 actors possible: 3-4 W, exactly 2 M)
  • Content Notes: Adult language
  • Set: A cluttered file room at a corporate office and a second, flexible space for interlude scenes.

Published Reviews

"In 500 Words, McKee is exploring identity. Her piece is really youth-oriented, and seemed like a perfect fit for the teaching/touring arm of the Playwrights Project... It's neatly conceived, if not deep and multi-faceted."

Pat Launer, San Diego Theatre Scene

"The writing and actors are amusingly realistic in their portrayal of three very different high school seniors and their social dynamics. ...Its ending is nicely written, with the three students getting a firsthand experience as to what some Americans think it means to be an American..."

Rob Hopper, San Diego Playbill

Production History

JAN 01, 2005 - DEC 31, 2005
Baldwin New Play Festival, University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA United States
Baldwin New Play Festival, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA United States
No upcoming productions.
No professional productions.