"Back to the Summer" is a free-to-use play written by Wade Bradford. Schools and non-profit organizations may perform this work without paying any royalties.

Throughout the script, there are stage directions indicating when a song can be performed. Directors and teachers may choose whatever song / karaoke track they feel is appropriate, or they may choose to simply skip the song number and continue on with the script.

Feel free to have fun: get creative, add jokes, make changes. Just remember to make it a positive theater experiences for the young performers and their audience.

Scene One:

Lights come up as happy summer music plays. Kids go back and forth across the stage. Some skip, fly kites, jump rope, slow motion baseball. After the song fades, two friends, Scott and Liam enter.

Scott: This is the best summer ever.

Liam: I hope it never ends.

Scott: It won't. This vacation will last forever.

A stern, bald man enters. (This role could be played by a grown-up or a kid dressed as a school principal.)

Principal Finley: HA! That's what you think!

Scott and Liam: Principal Finley!

Finley: You kids having a good summer?

Scott and Liam: Yes.

Finley: I bet it seems like you'll never go back to school. Well, guess what the date is today.

Scott: June something.

Liam: Early July?

Finley: August 19th. School starts in two days. Summer's over children. I'll see you on Monday.

Scott: Oh no!

Liam: How did this happen?

Finley: Time flies when you're having fun!

(Exits laughing.)

Their friend Shelley, a very smart young lady, enters carrying some strange looking gadget and a cupcake.

Shelley: Hey guys!

Scott and Liam: (Depressed.) Hi.

Shelley: You want a cupcake?

Scott and Liam: No.

Shelley: You wanna play with my new invention? It's a time machine.

Liam: Sorry, Shelley, we're not in the mood.

Shelley: What's wrong?

Scott: We're depressed because our whole summer is practically over.

Liam: I wish there was some way we could go all the way back to the beginning of June. (Sudden realization.) Hey, wait a minute! Did you say "cupcake"?

Scott: Wait, you built a time machine?

Shelley: Yeah, I spent last month turning my mom's ipad into a flux capacitor. Wanna see how it works?

Liam: Of course! Can we use it to start summer vacation all over again? (Other kids enter the stage to watch what's going on.)

Shelley: Sure!

Scott: Then let's go!

Shelley: But first we've got to put on our safety helmets. Always remember: Safety first.

Shelley: All right, the coordinates are set for June 3rd. The lights are blinking; the buttons are working, the flux capacitor is… fluxing. And we link arms. Stomp your feet. Here we go!

Liam: Back to the summer!

Fun, adventurous instrumental as the kids run in a circle then rush off stage as the lights shift to a young man named Jeff. He is running around the stage wearing a cape, pretending to be a super-hero.

Continue reading: "Back to the Summer" Scene Two

Mom's voice: (Off stage) Jeff? Jeffrey? Jeffrey Nathan Johnson, answer your mother.

Jeff: Mom, I'm practicing being a super hero!

Mom's voice: Well, use your super powers to take out the trash!

Jeff: Okay. (Stage effects on the other side of the stage.) Whoa! The time travel kids enter.

Scott: I think it worked!

Liam: Hey kids, what's the date today?

Jeff: June 3rd.

Shelley: It works! My time machine works!

Scott: Now let's make the most of this summer.

Liam: yeah. Let's watch TV.

Shelley: Hey, guys, did you notice how everything looks strange.

Scott: Yeah, your TV looks different. It's big and ugly and old.

Liam: Who cares? Turn on MTV. Let's watch Jersey Shore.

Scott: Jersey Shore isn't on. The only thing that's on MTV is music videos.

Liam: What's going on?

Scott: Where are we?

Liam: When are we?

Girls in bright 1980s clothing enter.

Scott: Who are those girls?

Shelley: And what do they want?

Musical Number: The girls sing an 80s song.

Scott: Those girls are weird.

Shelley: They just want to have fun.

Liam: Guys… I don't think we're in the right place. I think we're lost.

Scott: Like we're in the wrong neighborhood?

Shelley: I think we're in the wrong decade.

Liam: How can you be sure.

Principal Finley (With a full head of hair): Have a good summer girls. Don't forget, time flies when you're having fun.

Liam: Oh my gosh, we're in the 80s.

Scott: Take us back! Take us back right now!

Shelley: I can't turn it back on. It's not working!

Liam: Oh no!

Jeff: Hey did I hear you guys say you needed help?

Liam: You're not going to believe this, kid, but we're lost in time.

Jeff: Sounds like you need a hero.

Liam: Yeah, I guess.

Jeff: Well, you're in luck. Because I am training to be… a super hero!

Musical Number: A heroic song... maybe something like "I Need a Hero."

Jeff: So, what do you think?

Liam: Kid, don't quit your day job.

Jeff: I don't have a day job.

Liam: What I mean is, you don't really have super powers, so maybe you should try doing something else with your time.

Jeff: (Hurt.) Oh, I see.

Shelley: Liam, be nice. Liam: I mean, look, kid… You look familiar. What's your name?

Jeff: Jeff.

Liam: Hey, cool name. My Dad's named Jeff. (Thinks for a moment.) Nah. Jeff, we'd love your help, even if you don't have super powers. Shelley, let's find some new batteries or something.

Shelley: And maybe we should try to find some new clothes or something. I feel like I don't fit in here.

Musical Number: Another 1980s song using the ensemble. At teh end of the song, the stage clears and Jeff enters by himself. He is holding the Time Machine.

Jeff: Hey, guys… Guys? I think I figured out what's wrong with your machine. You just needed to press this button.

Shelley: Wait! Don't touch it!

(Sound effect - Jeff disappears behind a drop.)

Scott: Oh no! What have we done?

Liam: What are we going to do?

Mom: (Off stage.) Jeff!

Shelley: He's busy! (Pause.) Traveling through time…

Mom: (off stage.) Jeff Nathan Johnson! Get in here!

Liam: Jeff Nathan Johnson! That's my dad! That kid is my dad!

Shelley: Correction. That kid was your dad. Now he's gone back in time somewhere.

Liam: But where did he go?

Lights change to reveal Jeff surrounded by several ancient Egyptians who bow down before him.

Jeff: Uh, hi. My name's Jeff.

Egyptians: All hail, Jeff!

Jeff: Uh-oh.