To elaborate on my criteria: these should be episodes that can work with a minimum number of sets, no special effect and modest-to-minimal practical effects, and amateur though dedicated actors.
Two examples come to mind.
The first is TNGās āMeasure of a Manā. This episode is almost entirely dialogue and takes place in large part in a single conference room. You could probably do a pretty straightforward 1:1 rendering of this episode on stage.
The second is DISās āSpecies Ten-Cā, in which the crew make first contact with the titular species and determine how to communicate. This would require more creativity on the part of the production, but given that the 10-C communicate using light, I imagine that even an amateur production could do something compelling with practical effects.
Iāll admit that I am biased: I think I tend to prefer episodes that meet these criteria. I like my Trek talky and tend to have a soft spot for sappy and hammy episodes. But what intrigues me further about these stories is their ability to pass into cultural myth. Iām not saying that these are the only episodes that could transcend Trek and move into the cultural fabric of the era (think of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader), but they seem like they might have the best shot.
What do you think?
My first thought was TNG āFrame of Mindā for the delicious meta, but I donāt know how that would actually work. I think Measure of a Man is a great choice. Courtroom drama tends to play well on stage. Any other courtroom episode could be worth a look too. TNG āThe Drumheadā and SNW āAd Astra Per Asperaā come to mind.
āWaltzā from DS9 would work really well I think. If you cut out the b plot of trying to find sisko, you only need 5 actors, and it takes place in one cave. You could probably get away with one set, maybe two or three props, and no practical effects.
I think both Darmok and The Inner Light from TNG would be solid candidates. Both are more about the story and dialogue than the setting, and while both have more sets than OPās examples, thereās also plenty of room to consolidate and move scenes around. Almost all of the stuff on the planet in both episodes, for example, could be a single set with just a few pieces of furniture (or rocks) moving around to give the allusion of location changes.
They are also very good episodes that have a message beyond just the setting and plot, which make for a good play, as well.
TOS: The Conscience of the King. The script feels like a stage play. There are no space battles or other big set pieces. Itās just people talking in different settings but itās a gripping drama.
āSpockās Brainā actually was licensed and performed by a community theater as a comedy. The teaser and part of the first act used to be on YouTube.
How about DS9ās āThe Wireā. A powerful story of isolation, suffering, addiction, and the power of friendship coupled with medical professionalism. I have to admit I donāt recall anyone elseās role other than Dr. Bashirās and Garakās (and some momentary spots with Quark and some random nurse). I donāt remember what the B plot was.
āRemember Meā could make for an interesting (almost) one-person show.
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Throwing Voyagerās āThe Thawā into the mix.
Itās definitely a polarizing episode, but I think itās one of the strongest. Itās a better adaptation of the premise of Stephen Kingās novel āItā than many others.
The episode itself is primarily staged in an artificial environment that would lend itself well to a theatre set. It might be possible to reduce the number of sets on Voyager itself to one.
TNGās āThe Most Toysā likewise principally takes place in a single room.
āSpectre of the Gunā has a pretty surreal set and I could easily imagine it as a play.
TOS āThe Empathā
We require posters here to explain their reasoning. Could you elaborate on this episode would make for a good stage play?
āDuetā, as itās a loose adaptation of the play (originally novel and later also film) The Man in the Glass Booth.
Legal procedure episodes work well as stage plays, The Cane Mutiny was a play before becoming a feature film.
So we got Court Martial, The Menagerie, Measure of a Man, The Drumhead, Devilās Due, Tribunal, Rules of Engagement, and Ad Astra per Aspera.
What about DS9ās In The Pale Moonlight or Itās Only a Paper Moon?
We require posters here to explain their reasoning. Could you elaborate on why these two episodes might make for good stage plays?
Well, the OP spelled out their criteria explicitly.
these should be episodes that can work with a minimum number of sets- In The Pale Moonlight could work on a single set. Itās Only a Paper Moon could work with two. DS9 and holodeck/Vicās club.
no special effect and modest-to-minimal practical effects- In both cases the episode is carried out through dialogue.
amateur though dedicated actors- This oneās a little harder to quantify, so Iāll leave that up to OPās judgement.
In addition, they deal with themes that are relatable without being exposed to the context of the story. Moreso Itās Only a Paper Moon than In The Pale Moonlight.
Ballance of terror would be great, Iād stage it with both bridges on stage, with the view screens facing each other center stage. while the action is happening on the enterprise have the lights on the Romulan bridge at 15-20% and vise versa. My production would sacrifice the surprise reveal in favor of some scenes on the Romulan bridge in act 1.
