Get the Crowd Going at Your High School Culture Festival! A Collection of Ideas for Plays and Musicals
When it comes time to put on a play for your high school cultural festival, the choice of work can dramatically change the feel of the stage.
From moving fantasies to relatable comedies and heartfelt musicals, each has its own unique appeal and key directing points.
Because it’s a production everyone in the class creates together, you’ll want to pick something that’s fun for the cast to make and a joy for the audience to watch.
Here, we introduce a wide range of plays that are perfect for high school cultural festivals.
Find the one that fits your class!
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- [By Genre] Cultural Festival / School Festival Booth Catalog [2026]
Anime, Manga, Modern School Settings & Variety Works (21–30)
But, now
This is a play that was presented at the 44th National High School Comprehensive Cultural Festival held in 2020.
Set in an abandoned house, the realistic story about a high school boy and an elementary school student might make any student feel a strong sense of familiarity.
It’s easy to empathize with these life-sized characters.
If you perform it, I recommend carefully distinguishing between scenes driven by momentum and those that calmly convey the situation.
Clear contrasts between action and stillness tend to draw the eye.
Musicals • For Large Casts • Recommended Tearjerkers (1–10)
The Greatest Showman
A musical film depicting the achievements of P.T.
Barnum, who found success as a showman in the 19th century.
Its dramatic story evokes the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction,” and would likely convey a palpable, realistic energy even on a school festival stage.
Though it’s a biographical film, the inclusion of song and dance keeps it from feeling too heavy while still allowing for depth—easy to imagine as a compelling piece.
It’s the kind of performance that will particularly resonate with high school students on the verge of adulthood, and its basis in a true story is sure to move their hearts.
orange
Orange depicts high school students taking action to change the future.
It’s a piece we especially hope will be performed by students currently living their own high school years.
Since the story is set at school, it’s also nice that costumes and props are easy to prepare.
Many will be moved by its story of friendship and romance.
Another feature is the rapid scene changes, giving lighting and sound crews plenty of chances to shine.
Try playing high school roles just as you are in everyday life! How about creating this emotional coming-of-age story together with your entire class?
There Are Eleven People!
A story about ten examinees gathered aboard a spaceship—and a mysterious eleventh who slips among them—this script blends suspense with coming-of-age drama and is designed for the stage.
Because it unfolds with a limited setting and cast, it’s easy to produce for a school festival, giving every classmate a chance to shine.
Snappy banter between distinctive characters and a tense, escalating plot will hold the audience’s attention.
Though set in a sci-fi world, it explores universal themes like friendship, trust, and growth, making it a substantial, rewarding piece of serious theater that high school students will find well worth the challenge.
My heart wants to scream.
A youth fantasy anime by the staff of “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.” It centers on Jun Naruse, a high school girl who struggles to communicate due to trauma from a curse cast by an egg fairy, and depicts her growth alongside other high school students tackling a musical.
With its moving story, it seems perfectly suited for a high school cultural festival.
It’s approachable as an anime and its live-action adaptation was also a hit.
As you prepare for the event, it’s likely to deepen the bonds among classmates.
The cathartic cry from the heart at the climax will surely become a lifelong memory.
Crayon Shin-chan
Some people say Shin-chan’s outrageous antics go too far, but Crayon Shin-chan is hugely popular with kids.
The TV anime is of course funny, but in the movies Shinnosuke is gentle, brave, responsible, and a real model student.
Is it the same phenomenon as Gian from Doraemon turning into a nice guy in the movies? Staging a Crayon Shin-chan play sounds fun, too.
With the children playing the roles of Dad and Mom as well, it would feel very homey.
I wonder if everyone wants to play Shin-chan?
Spirited Away
An animated feature film by Studio Ghibli that, since its 2001 release, held the top spot in Japan’s all-time box office for about 20 years.
Because it features many distinctive characters with non-human appearances, the production stage offers plenty of opportunities to showcase skill.
With its striking setting and rapidly unfolding story, it’s the kind of piece that both performers and audiences would enjoy presenting at a school festival.
In 2022, a stage adaptation—the first ever—was performed to commemorate Toho’s 90th anniversary, a testament to this masterpiece’s enduring appeal across generations.