MTI musical · Full-length
EdgesScript, Piano/Vocal Score & show details
- Full-length
- Small cast (up to 10), flexible
- Roles: 2 women · 2 men
- PG‑13
The printed Edges script comes with your MTI license. The digital version is a separate add-on for your whole cast and crew. See pricing
Edges synopsis
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Edges is a song-cycle about four burgeoning adults asking classic coming-of-age questions. Written by Tony-nominated Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dogfight, James and the Giant Peach) in their sophomore year at the University of Michigan, this charming, witty and honest examination of adulthood explores what happens when we are teetering on the edges of our lives.
The songs cover such universal issues as love, commitment, identity and meaning. Characters deal with confronting emotions, escaping expectations and deciphering complicated relationships.
While the show is written for four performers, Edges can be expanded to include multiple men and women playing a variety of age-appropriate roles. Edges provides fertile ground for experimental productions, making it a favorite among college and university theatre programs seeking to challenge their performers with thoughtful material.
Full synopsis
Edges opens with the question, "Who am I and who do I want to become?" from four vastly different individuals. Encompassing varied ages, perspectives and demeanors, the four put their lives in abbreviated bios before moving into honest introspection: Am I gonna mess it all up? Am I being true to me? What am I to "Become?"
We next meet a young visionary putting himself through college by serving at Pizza Hut. Excited to leave his current life behind, this "Boy with Dreams" is pitching his ideas to anyone who will purchase a piece of his exciting tomorrow.
"Caitlyn and Haley" introduces two sisters, each wishing that the other would start or stop growing. Caitlyn is growing into a woman, distancing from her little sister. Haley wishes that things were the way that they used to be. The sisters are amazed at how much the other has changed and how they continue to grow apart. The only thing that each wants is her sister back!
The next song ("Be My Friend") endorses an unabashed obsession with social networking and offers a witty prose on the biggest modern addiction: Facebook! From accumulating friends, self-promoting and staying abreast of the latest gossip.... This song sings the praises and curses of being a registered user!
"Lying There" finds a restless girl looking at her resting man in bed. Releasing a secret internal monologue, she asks if she is fulfilled or merely compromising her desires. Is loving someone different from being in love? She wishes that she could join him in his love, but discovers that wishing is not really loving.
On an opposing relational tone, "In Short" utters the bottom line of one man's breakup: "I hope you die." Wishing physical pains on his ex to compensate for his emotional turmoil, the song offers a comedic rant full of creative revenge tactics.
We next meet a man who recalls ("I Once Knew") a woman who raised a city of children. Making more of life than what she had been dealt, this is a woman who bought a house and created a home. A woman who made a profound difference on his life, he wishes her strength as she battles age and endurance.
Defining a relationship is the theme of the next song. "I Hmm You" attempts to define the period of risky titling in emerging love. What is right or appropriate and when? After avoidance of saying the word, the couple confesses that, behind their buzzing, closed lips, there is love!
We next find Caitlyn in college, with a string of unsuccessful relationships ("I've Gotta Run"). In high school, she dated the captain of the varsity soccer team; in college, she loved a passionate political activist; now, she loves a man from work who has the perfect job, home and body. Whether struggling with a predictable future, a future in the shadow or to have a future at all, Caitlyn has a problem with commitment.
Following this commitment problem, we meet a wife who has a real, perfect man ("Man of My Dreams"). Jonathan and his wife enjoy concerts, dancing, traveling and cooking together. Jonathan also loves tanning, ballet, Broadway shows, going to the "Y" in the Village and cuddling to Sex and the City. Jonathan might be gay but he is still the perfect man!
"Part of a Painting" introduces an artist, fresh from a sabbatical in Athens. On his way home to a lady in Pittsburgh, he has discovered peace and beauty. Describing his visit to the Grecian castle in vivid detail and how he has subsequently found his way, he promises to paint a vivid portrait for his love.
The four singers reconvene and promise to move on from the past and embrace life with arms open wide ("Ready to Be Loved"). No longer needing relationships for comfort or for crutches, they are ready to care truly for someone.
The show closes with "Coasting," a song that blasts small talk and requests substance and connection from relationships. It encourages us to mean what we say and to embrace truly the question, "Who am I and who do I want to become?"
Synopsis courtesy of Music Theatre International (MTI).
Edges characters & vocal ranges
The Edges musical has 4 named roles, for a small cast (up to 10), and the cast size is flexible. Many roles can be cast across gender. ‘Written as’ reflects how MTI lists each role.
| Character | Written as | Vocal range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man 1 | Male | B5–B3 | Portrays characters ranging from a quirky 19-year-old to a college kid with dreams of being a life-changing inventor. |
| Woman 1 | Female | E5–E3 | Characters range from a 30-year-old bachelorette to a jealous and fun-loving 7 year old. |
| Man 2 | Male | G5–B3 | Characters range from a recent civil law graduate working in retail to a man who has finally found love. |
| Woman 2 | Female | E5–F3 | Characters range from a fun-loving, boisterous party girl to a 30-year-old lady who is realizing she may have found someone to settle down with. |
Edges song list
- Become
- Boy with Dreams
- Caitlyn and Haley
- Be My Friend
- Lying There
- I Once Knew
- I Hmm You
- I've Gotta Run
- Man of My Dreams
- Coasting
How to get the Edges script & Piano/Vocal Score
The printed materials come with your MTI license. The digital version is an add-on that gives your whole cast and crew immediate access. See what that looks like
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Delivered through ProductionPro, MTI’s exclusive digital delivery partner. Looking for a free Edges script PDF? The script comes with your MTI license, so it isn’t available on its own.
What is a digital script?
Your Edges script and Piano/Vocal Score, digitally, alongside your printed copies
Immediate access for your whole cast and crew.
Works on any device. Easy for everyone.
Laptops, tablets and phones your cast and crew already have, and simple enough for every cast member to pick up.
“We check that box every time — the script’s there the moment we license.”
And when you’re ready, there’s more included
Give a note once. It’s on everyone’s script, right beside their own notes.
- Shared notesShare notes with the team. Keep private ones to yourself.
- Lines, assigned onceEvery actor finds their own lines and harmonies.
- Rehearse at homeAdd rehearsal tracks and choreography videos, linked to each scene.
Curious how it would work for your show? Hear from directors who’ve used it.
