About the Play:

This is a Text is a one-act comedy by Stephen Gregg. A modern update on an old problem – test anxiety. Sophia got a text last night but she doesn't know who it's from. It is distracting her greatly from focusing on her Romeo and Juliet final. This is a Text is a rollicking play about the impossibility of taking a test in the age of distraction. Particularly suitable for schools.

This is A Text illustrates the plentiful diversions that sidetrack students from their daily studies. The play is about a text that the main character, Sophia, receives and doesn't let her focus on a test about Romeo and Juliet. The whole plot was about her trying to find a way to focus and get a 61 on the test and pass her class. If she gets a 61 on her Romeo and Juliet exam, she'll get into Coldwater State. But she was up all night, distracted by the mysterious text, and now she can't focus. Sophia's only hope: Flowcus, the concentration pill that sits tantalizingly close on the teacher's desk. Sophia's quest to get into Coldwater State ends in a way that neither she nor the teacher could have anticipated and leads to a conclusion that's both surprising and unexpectedly moving. This Is a Text is This Is a Test's rowdier little sister, a battle against an exam, waged during the age of distraction.

This Is a Text premiered in 2012 at Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, California. It is the follow-up to This is a Test, which has been one of the most-produced one-act titles in High School Theatres for more than 25 years. Both are an ideal choice for one-act festivals. The plays may be presented separately or as a double bill to create a full evening of entertainment.

Cast: 11 to 13 actors, any gender

About the Playwright:

Stephen Gregg grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and graduated from Stanford University. He is the recipient of a Jerome Fellowship from the Playwright's Center of Minneapolis; Actors Theatre of Louisville's Heideman Award for best 10-minute play; the International Thespian Society's Founders' Award for service to youth and theatre; and a residency from the William Inge Center for the Arts.