Play Ideas For Community Theatre?

Question:I'm a new member of a community theatre group and we/they've had a lot of trouble coming up with interesting and funny plays to put on to attract an audience (and therefore $$). We need something that's going to be fun to watch as well as fun to put on. In the last few years we have put on a lot of 20-30 year old NZ plays and as "safe" as they are, they're also extremely boring. Does anyone have ideas?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm a new member of a community theatre group and we/they've had a lot of trouble coming up with interesting and funny plays to put on to attract an audience (and therefore $$). We need something that's going to be fun to watch as well as fun to put on. In the last few years we have put on a lot of 20-30 year old NZ plays and as "safe" as they are, they're also extremely boring. Does anyone have ideas?

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie is a great one. Murder, humour, confusion. It's great. Plus...it all takes place on one set, so it's pretty easy to do. I directed this one for a small community theatre and it was very well received.
Tom Sawyer was another one that did very well. It does have a more complicated set, though.

"The Book of Liz" by Amy Sedaris is supposed to be funny, (although I've never seen it).

Try well known childrens plays, like peter pan, or cinderella

dreamgirls or enchanted or maybe like annie

Seussical
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beast
Annie
Oklahoma
Sound of Music
The Music Man
Peter Pan
Wizard of Oz
Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat
cats

just to name a few, they all are musicals

Seussical
we just performed it at my high school and we had the biggest audience the school has seen in almost 20 years

damn yankees is good because theres comedy to it and its a good show. my school just did this for our spring musical and it was really good and attracted a lot of people to come see it.

as sad and pathetic as it is, any show that's been made into a well known movie (musical or straight play) pulls in the bucks.

but keep in mind once you get them in the doors and establish theatre goers you can expand their horizons!

best of luck