{"id":845,"date":"2026-01-28T03:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T03:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/?p=845"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:12:00","slug":"new-digital-play-production-of-bittrichs-best-short-play-for-high-schools-la-mouche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/new-digital-play-production-of-bittrichs-best-short-play-for-high-schools-la-mouche\/","title":{"rendered":"New &#8220;Digital Play Production&#8221; of Bittrich&#8217;s Best Short Play for High Schools &#8211; LA MOUCHE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This new &#8220;digital play production of my most popular short play for high schools, colleges, and community theaters &#8212; <em>LA MOUCHE.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"La Mouche - by Stephen Bittrich - Short Plays for High Schools - One-acts Colleges - 10 Minute Plays\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wrazkn612ko?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>LA MOUCHE<\/em> is a fast-paced 10-minute play (a broad comedy) that is a favorite for UIL One-Act competitions, Student Theater Directors, College Students, Thespian Festivals, and Community Theater showcases of One-Acts. \ud83c\udfad To download the short play, <em>LA MOUCHE<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbG13U2szUGpoX0FxZEY1ZnFwUy1kSzUxNjNpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuTlp5ZTViN1VpbjAwdDlfYnp1WGt4bG5NVk5EZk1pdkRjQ1paNXFmOEw4eXo1OEdOTWk4UjljWldRZkg2bXBNcThYOFp3Sk11bGh1cW9DY2N6RXZjVzNnemZsak1vZEdkUUlKcUQwTWVSNmdGQnJjcw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fstephenbittrich.com%2Fplays%2Foneacts%2FLaMouche_10MinutePlay.html&amp;v=wrazkn612ko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/plays\/oneacts\/LaMouche_10MinutePlay.html<\/a><br><br><strong>ABOUT THE PLAY: <\/strong><br><em>LA MOUCHE<\/em> is a high-energy farce designed specifically for young actors delivering sharp dialogue and physical comedy that audiences love. It\u2019s an ideal choice for drama teachers looking for student-friendly scripts or theatre festival pieces. Here is one of Stephen&#8217;s favorite high school <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xAIrRVOeVlE&amp;t=1s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">productions of <em>LA MOUCHE<\/em><\/a>. The kids in the audience and on stage are having a blast.<br><br><strong>WHY STUDENT DIRECTORS LOVE THIS SCRIPT: <br><\/strong>Flexible Casting (Non-Traditional Casting Encouraged): Perfect for a 3 person ensemble cast. In this digital production, there are 3 men, but this play has been performed with women playing the Customer, women as one or more of the waiters, all sorts of combos. <br><br><strong>MINIMAL SET:<\/strong><br>Can be performed with just a table, a chair and a few props. <br><br><strong>COMPETITION READY:<\/strong><br>Fits perfectly within the time limits for short play festivals and forensics categories. <br><br><strong>SYNOPSIS:<\/strong><br><em>La Mouche<\/em> is about a hapless man (\u201cCustomer\u201d) who is looking forward to a delicious meal at an authentic French Bistro and suddenly finds a fly in his pea soup. All he wants from his over-the-top, overzealous French waiters (think \u201cInspector Clouseau\u201d times two!) is a fresh bowl of soup. Think Monty Python, Abbott and Costello\u2019s \u201cWho\u2019s On First?\u201d or Saturday Night Live. <br><br>\u2764\ufe0f Drama Teachers love this script. \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photos from just a handful of the numerous student productions of <em>LA MOUCHE<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La_Mouche_by_Stephen_Bittrich_short_play_for_high_schools_student_productions.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"938\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La_Mouche_by_Stephen_Bittrich_short_play_for_high_schools_student_productions.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La_Mouche_by_Stephen_Bittrich_short_play_for_high_schools_student_productions.jpg 900w, https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La_Mouche_by_Stephen_Bittrich_short_play_for_high_schools_student_productions-288x300.jpg 288w, https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La_Mouche_by_Stephen_Bittrich_short_play_for_high_schools_student_productions-768x800.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been searching for best short plays of 2026 or one-act plays for teenagers, <em>LA MOUCHE<\/em> (&#8220;THE FLY&#8221;) provides the perfect balance of humor, physical comedy, and character work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To contact Stephen: <a href=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/contactstephen.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/contactstephen.html<\/a> <br><br><strong>IMPORTANT: YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION AND PAY A MODEST LICENSING FEE TO PERFORM THESE PLAYS <\/strong><br><br>\ud83c\udf4e<strong>EDUCATORS:<\/strong><br>This script is free for in-class study. \ud83c\udfad <strong>PERFORMANCES:<\/strong> A modest licensing fee is required for any performance in front of any audience beyond the classroom (including school assemblies, festivals, or filmed productions), whether or not admission is charged. \ud83d\udce9 QUESTIONS? I love hearing from students (and teachers)! Email me for perusal PDF script or to ask about the world of <em>LA MOUCHE<\/em>. For Inquiries &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/contactstephen.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/contactstephen.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong>CREDITS FOR THE &#8220;DIGITAL PLAY PRODUCTION&#8221;:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>In this &#8220;digital production,&#8221; each character was vocally performed by Stephen Bittrich using Elevenlabs.io tools to change vocal timbre<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>La Mouche<\/em> was written by Stephen Bittrich<br>and originally performed Off-Off Broadway in NYC by<br>The Drilling Company Theater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Character images were created using<br>LTX.studio, Midjourney.com, Freepik.com and OpenArt.ai<br><br>This play and many other short plays may be licensed<br>for performance through StephenBittrich.com <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The original cast and crew who worked on the play at The Drilling Company: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Artistic Director of The Drilling Company Theater<\/strong><br>Hamilton Clancy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Director<\/strong><br>Carol Halstead<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>The Original \u201cCustomer\u201d<\/strong><br>Bill Green<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>The Original \u201cPierre\u201d<\/strong><br>Scott Baker (RIP, 2025 \ud83d\ude07)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>The Original \u201cJacques\u201d<\/strong><br>James Davies<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Playwright: <\/strong><br>Stephen Bittrich&#8217;s first play was a 30-minute STAR TREK tribute in junior high school where he penned himself into the starring role of Captain Kirk. For over a decade and a half he worked primarily with The Drilling Company Theater <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/drillingcompany.org\/history\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/drillingcompany.org\/history<\/a> on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where many of his plays were produced. Excerpts from his writings and other interesting tidbits may be found on his website: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/plays\/BittrichOneAct.html\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/plays\/BittrichOneAct.html<\/a><em>. HOME OF THE GREAT PECAN<\/em> is a full-length comedy handled by <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.broadwayplaypublishing.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.BroadwayPlayPublishing.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other published plays include BRAIN SUCKING (DRAMATICS MAGAZINE, 1995), DUTY HONOR COUNTRY (New York Theatre Experience, 2005), THE PROPOSAL (Smith and Kraus, 2006), HOLE (Smith and Kraus, 2011) \u2014 as well as monologues and scenes in BEST MEN&#8217;S STAGE MONOLOGUES 2005, BEST WOMEN&#8217;S STAGE MONOLOGUES AND SCENES 2012, and BEST MEN&#8217;S STAGE MONOLOGUES AND SCENES 2012 (Smith and Kraus, 2005, 2012). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This new &#8220;digital play production of my most popular short play for high schools, colleges, and community theaters &#8212; LA MOUCHE. LA MOUCHE is a fast-paced 10-minute play (a broad comedy) that is a favorite for UIL One-Act competitions, Student&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/new-digital-play-production-of-bittrichs-best-short-play-for-high-schools-la-mouche\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue Reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[304,40,8,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-la-mouche","category-one-acts","category-ten-minute-plays","category-theatre","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/La-Mouche-short-play-for-high-schools-Bittrich-featured-image-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=845"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenbittrich.com\/stephenbittrichblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}