1. Detailedsynopsis of play,outlining eachact
and scene
Act 1:
At East High School (in Albuquerque, New Mexico) Troy Bolton tells his Jock friends,
Chad Danforth and Zeke Baylor, about meeting Gabriella Montez on New Year's Eve
during winter vacation on a ski trip. Gabriella, who has just moved to Albuquerque, also
tells her newfound Brainiac friends Taylor McKessie, Kelsi Nielsen and Martha Cox of her
vacation. We then meet Sharpay and Ryan Evans; the siblings and two drama stars of
the school. Troy and Gabriella have a flashback to New Year's Eve when they met, and
this is where “The Start Of Something New” is sung. One-half of the song is during the
flashback, then we return to East High where Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke
and other students sing of their New Year's Resolutions.
In homeroom, Mrs. Darbus, the drama teacher, tells her class of the upcoming winter
musical, "Juliet and Romeo", a new version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", written
by Kelsi Nielsen, a shy East High student. When Ryan, Sharpay, Troy and Gabriella start
using their cell phones, Mrs. Darbus gives them all detention. Chad interferes, telling Mrs.
Darbus that Troy cannot go because they have basketball practice after school and that
they have an upcoming championship game. Mrs. Darbus then gives Chad a 30 minute
detention, and gives Taylor detention when she remarks that Chad “can't even count that
high”. At Gabriella's locker, Troy runs into her and they show their amazement of how
they found each other again. Sharpay walks by and tries to flirt with Troy, but he shows
no interest in her. Sharpay observes that he is interested in Gabriella and she is
interested in him and she looks devious. Later, the Jocks have basketball practice where
the song “Get’cha Head In The Game” begins.

2. In a Science class, Gabriella shows her intelligence by pointing out a flaw in the teacher's
equation. Taylor is impressed and asks, on behalf of her Science Club, if Gabriella could
join their team to win the upcoming Scholastic Decathlon. Although Gabriella refuses.
Sharpay overhears and has Ryan investigate by Googling her name.
Discovering that Gabriella was a very intelligent Brainiac at her old school, Sharpay prints
her newfound information and puts it in Taylor's locker. The students later head to Mrs.
Darbus' room for detention, and act like animals. Taylor then asks Gabriella again to join
the Scholastic Decathlon team based on the printouts Sharpay planted in her locker, and
Gabriella agrees. Everyone does the 'ball of noise,' and Coach Bolton comes to get Troy
and Chad for practice and then talks to Mrs. Darbus about it.
The next day, thespians audition for the play. This is where “Auditions” begins. Sharpay
and Ryan audition as well and this is where the song “What I’ve Been Looking For”
begins. After the auditions have been declared closed, Gabriella and Troy sing the song
as Kelsi intended it - much slower ("What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)"). Although
Troy and Gabriella did not intend it to be an audition they are called back for a second
audition. When their friends hear the news they spread it via cell phones, and “Cellular
Fusion” begins.
Sharpay is furious, believing Troy and Gabriella have stolen the lead roles and broken
the 'rules' of East High. Though most of the school agrees, lyrical chaos erupts during a
lunch break when students begin telling their secret obsessions outside of their cliques
("Stick to the Status Quo"). The scene culminates with Sharpay getting 'caked' by Zeke
(who secretly likes her), after Gabriella spins into him. Act 1 ends with Sharpay angrily
shouting "Someone is going to pay for this!"

3. Act 2:
Jack Scott recaps events before Troy and Gabriella dance on the rooftop garden to “I Can’t Take
My Eyes Off You”. Zeke comes to Sharpay's locker and tries to flirt with her. Meanwhile, the Jocks
and Brainiacs plot against the infuriated duo during study hall. Sharpay and Ryan see the Jocks
and the Brainiacs mingling together and imagine they are trying to help Troy and Gabriella. So
Sharpay lies to Mrs. Darbus saying that Troy and his dad are trying to ruin the auditions because
she gave Troy detention. Later at practice, ("Wildcat Cheer (Reprise)"), Mrs. Darbus talks to
Troy's dad and then he talks to Troy. Gabriella comes to practice to see Troy while Martha comes
and takes her to the lab. Troy's dad thinks Gabriella is the reason why Troy got detention. He tells
Troy that he is a playmaker and not a singer. This infuriates Troy who angrily asks his father if he
ever wondered if he “could be both” and storms off in a rage, leaving his father stunned.
The Jocks and Brainiacs put their plan to work, pushing at Troy and Gabriella to 'split up'.
Eventually, Troy, furious with his friends for telling him the same things his dad did, gives in and
pretends that he doesn't like Gabriella, completely oblivious to the phone in Zeke's hand,
transmitting Troy's words directly to Gabriella, where “Counting On You” starts. Gabriella hears
and becomes very upset. Troy and Gabriella, lonely and upset, sing ("When There Was Me and
You"). The Jocks and Brainiacs then realize that they have gone too far and feel guilty for ruining
Troy and Gabriella's relationship.

4. The next day, Sharpay and Ryan are rehearsing for their callback while Sharpay talks to Ryan
about her role in the school. Troy wonders in looking for Gabriella and Ryan tells him that she
is in the theatre. Troy goes to the theatre and tells Gabriella that they were set up and he didn't
mean what he said and sings to remind her of New Year's ("Start of Something New (reprise)").
Hearing that the callback date has been moved up by request of Sharpay to the same time as
the big game and the Scholastic Decathlon, Troy and Gabriella announce to the Jocks and
Brainiacs that they are not going to go to the callback, but instead help their respective teams
for their events. The Jocks and Brainiacs say they should do the callbacks. Troy and Gabriella
refuse, but the teams decide to lend a helping hand anyway ("We're All In This Together").
On the day of the big game/Decathlon/callbacks, the students are excited for the festivities.
Sharpay and Ryan perform their callback song ("Bop to the Top"), which at the same time
happens with the basketball championship and the science decathlon, during which Taylor
engineers an electronic meltdown in the decathlon and light malfunctions in the game, which
forces all the students to move to the theater. Chad and Taylor explain to Troy and Gabriella
that this is their only chance. Mrs. Darbus, hesitant to
allow Troy and Gabriella an audition due to their
lateness, has no choice but to let them audition as the
auditorium fills with students. “Breaking Free” begins.
Mrs. Darbus gives Troy and Gabriella the parts on the
spot with everyone watching.
The end of Act 2 brings us to the gym where all the
main characters wrap up their plots (Chad asks out
Taylor, Zeke gets Sharpay to be nice to him, Jack
Scott and Kelsi literally fall head over heels for each
other, and Sharpay makes up with Gabriella and Troy).
The Wildcats win the big game and the Decathlon.
The students celebrate ("We're All in This Together
(Reprise)") followed by a recap of all the major songs
in the show ("Megamix").