AWARD-WINNING PLAYS
from the
PLAYWRIGHTS NETWORK
of the
AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR
THEATRE AND EDUCATION
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FEATURING:
THE AATE DISTINGUISHED PLAY AWARD
THE AATE UNPUBLISHED PLAY READING PROJECT AWARD
THE ASSITEJ/USA OUTSTANDING PLAY CITATIONS
THE IUPUI/IRT/BONDERMAN AWARD
THE KENNEDY CENTER
NEW VISIONS/NEW VOICES SELECTIONS
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Award Codes:
DPA = AATE Distinguished Play Award
I/B = IUPUI/IRT/Bonderman Award
NV = Kennedy Center New Visions/New Voices selection
UPRP = AATE Unpublished Play Reading Project Award
USA = ASSITEJ/USA Outstanding Play citation
Publishers:
Anchorage Press, P.O. Box 2901, Louisville, KY 40201, 502-583-2288
Baker's Plays, P.O. Box 699222, Quincy, MA 02269; 617-745-0805
Dramatists Play Service, Inc. 440 Park Ave. S, NY, NY 10016; 212-683-8960
Dramatic Publishing Co., 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098; 815-338-7170
Encore Performance Publishing, P.O. Box 692, Orem, UT 84059; 801-225-0605
I.E. Clark, Inc., Box 246, Schulenburg, TX 78956; 409-743-3232
New Plays, Inc., PO Box 5074, Charlottesville, VA 22905; 804-979-2777
Pioneer Drama Service, PO Box 4267, Englewood, CO 80155; 303-779-4035
Samuel French, Inc., 45 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10010; 212-206-8990
Smith and Kraus, Inc., 177 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755; 800-895-4331
Organizations:
AATE, 7475 Wisconsin Avenue, Suit 300A, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
ASSITEJ/USA, 724 Second Ave., S., Nashville, TN 37210
IUPUI/Bonderman Symposium, 425 University Blvd., Suite 309, Indianapolis, IN 46202
New Visions/New Voices, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
2700 F. St., NW, Washington, DC 20566
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Playwrights, publishers, and interested others, please note:
Annual updates of this publication are planned.
Comments, suggestions, additions, and corrections should be sent to
Additional copies are available from the AATE home office and www.aate.com.
* Complete, current information not available at press time for entries marked with an asterisk.
JENNIFER AKRIDGE, 51 West 8th Place, Mesa, AZ 85201; 602-644-2681
VASSILISSA (UPRP), l act, 7 w, 4 m or f; 2 sets. While living with her stepmother and two stepsisters, Vassilissa yearns for her mother, Irinia. In frustration Vassilissa and her talking doll run away. They find themselves at the hut of Baba Yaga, a very unpredictable witch. Vassilissa is given three impossible tasks. With the help of her doll and her own wisdom, she completes the tasks and returns to her stepmother and stepsisters, who are delighted to have her home safely. Contact: playwright.
BLACK BUTTERFLY, JAGUAR GIRL AND OTHER SUPER HERO GIRLS, LIKE ME, COLUMBA (NV, USA) l act, 5 w, 1 set. A collection of scenes and monologues shared by five young women who begin at age 12 and progress to age 16. These coming-of-age stories reflect the family, friends, teachers, boy friends and poignant experiences that eventually transform self-doubt into self-realization. Contact: Helen Merrill, Ltd., 295 Lafayette Street, Ste. 915, New York, NY 10012, 212 - 226 B 5015.
ANDREW ALTENBURG and MARK KNOWLES, 7985 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 367, Los Angeles, CA 90046, 213-655-9296
THE BIG ORANGE SPLOT (UPRP), music by Scott Harlan, Lyrics by Mark Knowles, from the book by Daniel Pinkwater; 1 act, cast of 20+ as desired, doubling possible, 5 reversible houses (flats). Alligators, lemonade and dreams collide when "a big orange splot" lands on the house of Mr. Plumbean, who lives on a "very neat street" with neighbors who "like it that way." TV reporter Trudy Blue inspires Mr. Plumbean to make his house his own. What follows is a free-for-all as realtor Winnifred Broadmore protests the Splot. Contact: playwright.
*LYNN ALVAREZ
AND NOW MIGUEL (NV) Contact: Joyce Ketay Agency, 212-354-6825.
* MARK AMENTA
CALL ME GRAHAM (UPRP) l act, 2m, l set. Music by Bill Vaananen, lyrics by Mark Amenta and Bill Vaananen. The play explores the many facets of Alexander Graham Bell's life. Although best known for inventing the telephone, he preferred to be remembered as one who taught the deaf to speak. To expand people's impression of him, he travels in time to help Walter, a present day elementary school student who has been assigned Bell for a science project but is more interested in playing with his friends. Through a musical journey, Bell helps Walter develop a questioning mind.
SUSAN HODGE ANNER, 346 Parkwood Avenue, Kenmore, NY 14217; 716-874-2586
SEARCHING FOR CINDY CRAWFORD (UPRP), 2 acts, 4m (3 of them teens), 2f, 1 set. One electric and manual wheelchairs needed. Max, one of two teenaged sons in a single parent family, has cerebral palsy. Throughout the play, we see himstruggle for his independence and take the first steps towards personal responsibility against the obstacle of his mother’s over-protectiveness. The play offers an intimate look into a physically challenged teenager’s life as well as addressing his concerns about attaining a future for himself as an independent, high-functioning adult. Contact: playwright.
SYLVIA ASHBY, 2711 24th St., Lubbock, TX, 79416; 806-744-8735
MASTER SKYLARK OF STRATFORD (UPRP). 1 act, 5-6 f, 5-6 M, area staging. Set in the background of Elizabethan theatre, Nick Attwood runs away from home to see the Players, because his puritanical father forbids it. Actor Sebastian Carey deceives Nick in order to profit from the boy’s talent. Nick is accepted into the St. Paul Boy’s Company. When Carey is jailed, Will Shakespeare helps Nick and Olivia (Carey’s parentless daughter) journey to Stratford. Nick reconciles with his father and Olivia finds a new home with the Shakespeare family. Contact: playwright.
SHINING PRINCESS OF THE SLENDER BAMBOO (UPRP); l act, cast of 14 with doubling; simple or elaborate set, exciting lighting possibilities; music by Mary Snow and soundscore utilizing Japanese effects available on tape. On the August Moon, Woodcutter discovers a tiny babe: Moonbeam, mysterious daughter of Moon King. This script dramatizes Moonbeam's bumbling suitors, the startling revelation of her true identity and fate; and the clash between Moon King and Emperor. " . . . rich in authenticity, splendor, magic and humor." Contact: I.E. Clark.
THE SECRET GARDEN (UPRP); 2 acts, 5f, 5m, inc. 3 children; suggested settings; incidental sound effects/score by Mark McCoy available. Adapted from the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Mary, an unhappy orphan, is sent to her brooding uncle's gloomy manor. Discovering a secret garden, Mary plants the seeds of a new life for all who enter. "Absolutely charming adaptation of a beautiful story . . . rare power to appeal to younger and older audiences . . . easily staged." "Unqualified success . . . standing ovations." Contact: Baker's Plays.
SANDRA FENICHEL ASHER, 721 S. Weller Ave., Springfield, MO 65802; 417-865-8234
A WOMAN CALLED TRUTH (UPRP, as GOD AND A WOMAN; I/B; DPA, USA), 1 and 2-act scripts available, 3m, 3w, area staging. folk music and spirituals. The words of Sojourner Truth reverberate over a century to speak to us about racism and sexism today. The play celebrates the life of this remarkable woman from the day she is sold away from her family as a young girl, through her struggle to free herself and her son, to her emergence as a popular and respected speaker advocating abolition and women's rights. An ASSITEJ "Outstanding Play for Young Audiences." Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
ACROSS THE PLAINS (UPRP; NV), l act, 2m, 3w, w/doubling, extras as desired, area staging. Sound tape available. Based on actual letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts of the period, this script follows young Virginia Reed and her pioneering family on their perilous journey from Illinois to California. Folksongs combine with dramatic action to recreate moments both typical of the l9th century's vast migrations and unique to the courageous struggle of the Donner Party. Commissioned by The Coterie and developed at the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices symposium. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
IN THE GARDEN OF THE SELFISH GIANT (I/B, DPA) 1 act, 4w (2 are preteen girls), one set. Maggie=s summer plans are ruined when her mother insists on taking her along to stay with a dying grandmother Maggie=s never even met. Determined to sulk for the duration of their stay, Maggie reluctantly finds herself warming to new friendships with Brianna, an imaginative neighbor girl who hates unhappy endings and often makes up Abetter@ ones, and Allison, a wise and caring Hospice worker. While goodbyes can=t be avoided, rifts are healed and choking weeds are torn away as relationships and roses bloom in a no-longer-neglected garden. Contact: playwright.
JOAN OF ARK 5 (UPRP), 2 acts, 4w, 3 m, (3w, 2m w/doubling), extras as desired, l set plus area staging. The ARK system has been in control of Earth Enterprise for nearly 100 years, bringing peace, order, and longevity, but costing its citizens their freedom to the point of enslavement. A mysterious AMichael@ appears to Joan through her transcommunicator and tells her a rebellion is in the making; the ruling ARK Triumvirate is corrupt and Joan has been chosen to set things right. She resists at first, but further convinced by Margaret and Catherine, she eventually leaves her Life/Work Station to meet her fate -- triumph and martyrdom. Contact: playwright.
THE SILVER SAUCER (I/B), l act, 2m, 4w, area staging, folk songs, flute required. Orphaned and ill, Prince Alexis leads a protected, isolated life. A magic saucer that shows him the world beyond his palace torments him with the sight of all he cannot have. At his request, his grandmother sets out to give the saucer away. She settles on gentle Tanya as the recipient, but the saucer's magic tantalizes Tanya's jealous sisters, who plot to kill her. The greater magic of Alexis's love and longing, expressed in his flute song, reunites and heals both families. Contact: playwright.
THE WOLF AND ITS SHADOWS (UPRP; I/B), 1 act, 2m, 1f, with doubling, area staging. "A wolf and a dog chanced to meet in the forest." So begins Aesop's fable, and so begins the journey of this play, in which three actors use masks and puppets to bring to life tales from around the world that contrast the natural wolf to the wolf of human imagination and superstition. In the end, Wolf realizes she can never give up her freedom for the comfort Dog enjoys, and Dog understands why Wolf is so often misrepresented. Commissioned by the Omaha Theater Company for Young People. Contact: Anchorage Press.
RIC AVERILL, 2 Winona Ave., Lawrence, KS 66046; 785-842-6622
ALEX AND THE SHRINK WORLD (I/B); l act, two incidental songs by playwright; 5m, 5f, 2 either; one two-level set; sound tape available. Alex is having trouble adjusting to his baby sister, Tracy. He begins to daydream, leaving the real world of his parents and teacher to play in a "shrink world" populated by comical ants, roaches, and a ring-leading mouse. The shrink world is fun until King Brown, a nasty spider, threatens Tracy. Alex's parents take him to a child psychiatrist who helps him cope with his emotions. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES: AN OPERA FOR CHILDREN (N/V), 1 act, 3m, 2 f (soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone, bass), 2 sets; book & music by Ric Averill, based on the story by H.C. Andersen. A gypsy, Messienne, introduces a young girl, Reyalto, whose father, Chernaud, is Chief Councillor to the Emperor. Reyalto resists an arranged marriage while the Emperor wants a new robe for the wedding. Reyalto meets a tailor=s apprentice, Simon, and is charmed. Messienne weaves magic as she and Reyalto take disguises and fool the Emperor into invisible clothes, thus embarrassing Chernaud and foiling the unwanted wedding plans. Contact: playwright.
RELIABLE JUNK (I/B; UPRP), 1 act, 4m, 2f, 3 sets, optional "flying machine." Michael is a brainy student coming to grips with his grandfather's illness. He is functioning poorly where he used to do well. Michael meets Harvey Scheetz, a wild and imaginative soul who is building a "flying machine" for another cancer victim. From Harvey, Michael learns "to fly" -- imagination is the key to science and the healing process. Harvey demonstrates for Michael the ability of the human soul to fly above and beyond pain and suffering. Contact: playwright.
THE MAN SHE WAS (UPRP) 1 act, 3 m, 2 w + 2-12 extras doubling other roles, unit set, period songs. Emma Edmonds, one of the 400+ women who posed as men to fight in the Civil War, enlisted as Frank Thompson and served as a male nurse, then a spy, and finally a soldier. She developed significant relationships with a captured rebel woman, her tentmate Billy, and General Poe. Doing whatever she has to do to fight for what she believes in, Emma disguises herself and in so doing, finds herself. Contact: playwright.
T-MONEY AND WOLF, co-authored with KEVIN WILLMOT (DPA, NV), 1 act, 20+ actors, multiracial, unit set. What could a Nazi War Criminal and a young gang member from New Jersey have in common? From a Newark jail cell their stories unfold, and the similarities of their lives and choices become painfully apparent. By seeing the decisions made by each of these prisoners, actors and audiences are challenged to reconsider their own choices, and the finality of some consequences. This play was developed at the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices symposium. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
TRICKSTER TALES FROM THE MELTING POT (UPRP), 1 act, cast of 4 minimum, 22 roles, unit set. Trickster tales from four American cultures blend together to tell the story of the clever underdog who is able to out-wit the "boss-man." Stories feature Old John & Rabbit from the African American South, Rabbit & Coyote from the Native American West, Pedro Udermales from the Hispanic Southwest, and Jack from Appalachia. The Seem-to-Be Players toured these Tales with a cast of four. Individual tales could also be done as separate smaller theater projects. Contact: playwright.
SUSAN BARDSLEY (Adapted by Lani Brockman) P.O. Box 2922; Kirkland, WA 98083-2922; 206-660-9034
THE UGLY DUCKLING (UPRP), 1 act, 1 set, musical, 1 m, 4 w. Duck sisters need to be able to sing harmony. UD, or “Beauty”, as Mama Duck has named her largest and very different-looking duckling, yearns to swim all day and discover the countless wonders around her. But her sisters, Donna and Dixie, make it their mission to get their ugly and unusual sister to leave the barnyard so she won’t humiliate them with her unsightly uniqueness. After leaving the barnyard and meeting new friends UD discovers her own true beauty and life is good!!! Contact: playwright.
CHERIE BENNETT, 4735 Sepulveda Blvd. #136, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; 818-990-8167
CYRA AND ROCKY (NV) 1 act, 2 m, 2 f, no set. Skateboarding optional. Adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac with a poignant message about looks-ism in modern America. This Cyrano is a teen girl with a weight problem, who skateboards instead of duels. Not just about looks-ism but also about friendship, honesty, and what counts most. All the Cyrano elements -- the letters, balcony scene, and word-play -- are here, but with a modern twist. Students who see it will never look at a fat peer the same way again. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
SEARCHING FOR DAVID'S HEART (NV, UPRP) 1 act, or 2, if desired; 5 m , 4 f (can be expanded up to 20); minimal set. Holiday season play adapted from author's novel. The story of Darcy, 12, Christian, from a bigoted family, and her Houdini-worshipping Jewish best friend Sam. Following a tragic accident, Darcy and Sam take a life-changing journey in search of her brother David's transplanted heart. Ultimately, they find and meet the heart's recipient: an African-American boy. Narrated by Harry Houdini. Contact: Bill Craver, Writers & Artists Agency, 19 W. 44th St., NY, NY 10036; 212-391-1112.
*RON BERGER
LIGHT DREAMS (UPRP), 2 acts, flexible cast of 15-40, 4 sets. LIGHT DREAMS is the story of Jimmy, a 9-year-old mildly handicapped boy who leads a double life: in reality he is unconfident and withdrawn, in his frequent and wild daydreams he is carefree, expressive, heroic. Narrated by his older sister, who has the power to freeze and redirect the play's action, it weaves music, movement and creative staging into spectacular dream transformations. The climax is an elaborate dream sequence in which Jimmy wrestles with notions of failure while on trial by his family and peers.
MICHAEL BETTENCOURT, with Dev Luthra. 318 25TH Street #1, Union City, NJ 07087. 201-770-0550.
MACBETH’S CHILDREN (UPRP) A version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the point of view of the play’s children. Fleance, the escaped son of the murdered Banquo, is in England with Malcolm, Donalbain, and Macduff. The latter three plan to exact revenge, but Fleance, who has seen enough blood in his life, resists. He is unwilling to coarsen his spirit by becoming the warrior and king everyone pressures him to be. The play explores the cost for children living in a world brutally directed by adults. Also a winner in Sonoma County Repertory’s SCRipts Festival, Youth play division. Contact: playwright.
JULIE E. BRINKER, 58 The Garrison, Dover, NH 03820
RACHEL'S NIGHT (I/B), 1 act, 3m, 5f, unit set. Rachel is a leukemia victim in remission who is having a hard time fitting back into a normal routine of school and home. Her struggle is seen through a series of surrealistic dreams that include her days in the hospital, battles with Leukemia Guerillas, and confrontations between her parents. Contact: Brown Bag Productions, 2710 N. Stemmons Pkwy., Suite 600N, Dallas, TX 75207, 800-686-9484.
BERNICE BRONSON, 16 Dove Street, Providence, RI 02906; 401-272-3049
THOUSANDS OF DAYS AT SEA (UPRP), l act, 2w, 6m, lb, extras, or lw, 3m doubled; various suggested locations and effects: a shipwreck, Hades, flying sirens. A Trojan child, Homer, stows away on Odysseus' Ithaca-bound ship. An uneasy but true friendship develops between the general and the boy, who becomes a sort of chorus, interpreting Odysseus' behavior for the audience. Homer follows him to the Cyclops' cave, Circe's island, the depths of Hades and the uncertain seas around the sirens. In the end, Odysseus arrives in Ithaca but Homer goes off to become a poet. Contact: playwright.
LAURIE BROOKS, 7 Platt Place, Huntington, NY 11743; 516-547-6205
DEADLY WEAPONS (USA), 1 act, 2m, 2f, unit set suitable for touring. When teenage friends Jessie, Moss and Serena decide to take the law into their own hands, they are forced to confront themselves and the true nature
of their relationships. Believing that Old man Leisner has murdered his son, the three break into his place to search for clues, but when the old man arrives unexpectedly, the seemingly harmless dare goes horribly wrong. A thriller that explores the hazards of reckless behavior, "Deadly Weapons" challenges its audience to assess the nature of responsibility and how, under extreme pressure, choices can be surprising and deadly. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS (NV), a act, 2 m, 2 either, unit set. Inspired by a short story by Terry Brooks, "Imaginary Friends" celebrates courage and the power of inner resources. When thirteen year old Jack discovers he is sick, he is propelled into a long forgotten fantasy world where, through a series of dramatic sequences, Jack confronts his fears and fights for his life. Filled with memorable characters such as Jack's humorous friend Waddy, the inept troublemaker, Wartag, and Pick, Jack's hero, "Imaginary Friends" offers a message of friendship, hope, and the triumph of the human spirit. Contact: Anchorage Press.
SELKIE (I/B, NV, DPA, USA), l act, 3m, 4f, unit set, sound effects. Inspired by Scottish myths of the seal people, SELKIE tells the story of Ellen Jean, caught between land and sea, childhood and maturity, as she unravels her true identity and finds "the knowin'." With the poetic language of the Orkney Islands, the sounds of the sea, the wind, and the haunting cries of the seals, SELKIE is a play that will touch the hearts of young and old alike. Contact: Anchorage Press.
THE WRESTLING SEASON (NV, DPA, USA), 1 act, 4 m , 4 f, 1 either; l set. Using only the setting of a wrestling mat, eight young people struggle with the destructive power of rumors and how others see them. This is Matt's year to excel on his high school wrestling team, but innuendo about his friendship with Luke causes Matt to question himself and his priorities. Using images, movement, and sound, cast members function as individual characters, whose stories are interwoven into the play, and as an ensemble, to create a theatrical event that challenges and reveals their search for identity. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
RUSS BROWN, 538 River Run Dr., Macomb, IL 61455, 309-833-1215
THE SELFISH GIANT (N/V), adapted from Oscar Wilde's story. Music and lyrics by Russ Brown; orchestration by Justin Nabors. l act, 5 or 6m, 3 or 4w (flexible casting), unit set. On the outskirts of an Irish village, a selfish biant banishes the local children from his beautiful garden. Summer, Spring, and Autumn refuse to visit the garden as a result, and the garden is plunged into eternal winter, delighting the Snow, Frost, Hail, and North Wind. Thanks to a mystical tree and a mysterious child, however, the giant is shown the joy of having a giving heart. Contact: TRYPS (Theatre Reaching Young People & Schools), P.O.B. 30118, Columbia, MO 65205; 573-449-4536.
RACHAEL C. BURCHARD, 1662 S.W. Bonnie Jean Pl., McMinnville, OR 97128; 503-434-5615
HALLELUJAH HOPSCOTCH (I/B), 12 speaking roles, extras. With only 3 adult roles, HALLELUJAH HOPSCOTCH is a play to be performed by children. Hallelujah Hopscotch, a non-conformist fairy, is abandoned in a backyard where she must adjust to the ways of human children and where their imaginations must allow for her presence. The play combines dance, music, and the charm of children in major roles. "This contemporary fairy tale successfully blends fantasy and reality . . . and will win the hearts of your audience forever." Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
MAX BUSH, 5372 132nd Ave., Hamilton, MI 49419; 616-751-8696
13 BELLS OF BOGLEWOOD (I/B), l act, 4m, 3f, l set. Casey Smith hires a young companion, Brian, to help him find gold in a forest he has just purchased. In that search they confront the Hideous Spriggans, Guardians of the Hill Treasure; Lara, Queen of the Faeries; and the enigmatic Bogle himself. Contemporary reality merges with traditional faery tale motifs. For Brian, the events are a rite of passage from a naive childhood to a much larger universe. Contact: Anchorage Press.
EZIGBO, THE SPIRIT CHILD (DPA), From an Igbo story (Nigeria) as told by Adaora Nzelibe Schmiedl. l act, 1-3m, 7-8f, l set. This story is told with native songs, dances, drums, chants and games. Long ago, when human beings and spirits were still close, the wife of a powerful chief longed for a child, but her womb was possessed by an Ogbanje, a spirit-child that sometimes wants to become part of the human world, but when born, longs for the spirit world. Ezigbo is born, and as she grows, the Mother, Medicine Woman, and Ngozi (Ezigbo's best friend) struggle to keep her in the human world, while the Ogbanje try to call her home. Contact: Anchorage Press.
GHOST OF THE RIVERHOUSE (I/B), l act, 3m, 2f, l set. After being rejected by her father, eleven-year-old Jenny and her grandfather explore the ruins of the old family homestead. An ancestral ghost haunts the ruins, protecting the lost fortune and family secrets buried with it. The Ghost appears to Jenny, revealing events that happened long ago, family events that seem to be re-occurring in Jenny's present-day life. Throughout the play, Jenny, aided by her grandfather, struggles to understand her heritage, the ghost, herself, and her increasingly difficult relationship with her father. Contact: Anchorage Press.
PUSS IN BOOTS (UPRP), l act, ll roles, 4m, 2f with doubling; unit set. This Puss-In-Boots follows closely the original in action and character. The swashbuckling Puss challenges the boy Claude to pursue his dreams and sacrifice what is necessary to obtain what he desires. Through the cleverness of the Cat and the resourcefulness of Claude, they pursue their fortune into a magnificent castle where they face their great challenge -- the Ogre. Contact: New Plays, Inc.
RAPUNZEL (UPRP), l act, 2m/2f or 3m/3f, 3 simple sets. This adaptation tells the tale simply and starkly, with the images that have moved generations of listeners and readers. From the young mother's craving for radishes, to the father's bargain with the witch, to the locking of the twelve-year-old Rapunzel in the tower, to the cutting of her hair, to the blinding of the Prince, to the banishing of Rapunzel into the wilderness, the script follows the original in tone and style. Contact: New Plays, Inc.
VOYAGE OF THE DRAGONFLY (DPA), l act, 3-4m, 2f, 3 locations. The castle and lands of Meaghan, a strong young Queen, are threatened by an impending ice-age. In an ancient manuscript, the Queen reads of a mystical flame burning in a cave on the island of Aalmauria. Enlisting the help of Captain Taran and his ship, "The Dragonfly," Meaghan sails to the island to retrieve the flame. Once there, they must face the Beast and Hag-Witch in order to enter the cave. Contact: Anchorage Press.
JENNIFER CAMERON, 600 Hatherleigh Lane, Louisville, KY 40222, 512-217-350
THE LITTLE MERMAID (UPRP), 2 acts, 1 set, ensemble cast of 8 with doubling (at least 1m, at least 6w). A retelling of the story by Hans Christian Andersen. A mermaid rescues a drowning prince and becomes fascinated by his delightfully mysterious world. Despite warnings from her sisters and grandmother to forget about the Land Above and be content with what she has, the little mermaid solicits help from the Witch of the Sea and trades her voice for a magic potion that will turn her into a human. Contact: playwright.
NANCY KIERSPE CARLSON, 7633 Stonewall Run, Ft. Wayne, IN 46825; 219-497-0255
MOUNTAIN MOLLY (UPRP), music and lyrics by N.K. Carlson, 2 acts, 13 actors minimum; simple sets. Molly May Hudson is orphaned and sent to live high in the Canadian Rockies with her heartless Aunt and Uncle. She is befriended by the wacky owners of the Yodel Inn and three bumbling but undaunted Mounted Policemen. When the Aunt and Uncle are robbed, Molly is blamed, and when the Mounties come to her rescue, the fun begins. As Molly says, "It's easy to love those who love you. It's when you meet the heartless ones that the hard part comes." Contact: playwright.
JOSE CASAS, 517 S. Astell Ave., West Covina, CA 91790. 480-330-3903.
LA OFRENDA (THE OFFERING) (I/B) 1 act; area staging; 2 m, 1 f; some bilingual speech. The Offering deals with a young Chicano boy, Alex, who has lost his parents in the tragedy of 9/11. He must move to the other side of the country to live with his grandmother. As he struggles to accept his parents’ death, Alex must deal with a woman he hardly knows and with a culture he knows nothing about. Along the journey, Alex is assisted by a homeboy skeleton from the Afterworld named Califas. Contact: playwright.
DREW CHAPPELL, 620 W. 11th St, Tempe, AZ 85281; 480-968-0527, drew.chap@mindspring.com
TIME PIECES (UPRP), 1 act, 2 locations; 2m, 2w (1m, 1w are teen roles) + 1 recorded radio voice. 16-year-old Joy’s already strained relationship with her mother Arden is complicated when Arden begins dating a man named Chris, who she knew as a child. As Joy spends time with her father Thatcher, she encounters a mysterious 13-year-old boy named Chris, who seems out of place in the present. Through conversation, Joy discovers this Chris is the younger incarnation of her mother’s new boyfriend. When her plans to travel to Alaska are thwarted and her mother moves closer to marriage, Joy uses her collection of clocks to call the younger Chris and determine what kind of a stepfather he will be. Contact: playwright.
JEFF CHURCH, 201 Wyandotte #401, Kansas City, MO 64105; work phone: 816-474-6785
DICK WITTINGTON AND HIS CAT (UPRP), 1 act, flexible cast of 9 +, l cat; bare stage with symbolic set pieces. Music by Bob Read, adapted from madrigals and carols. In this freewheeling fantasy with old English atmosphere, Dick Whittington, a penniless orphan, arrives in London and is offered a job and a home against the wishes of a mean housekeeper. After a mysterious stranger gives Dick a wonderful cat, the housekeeper ships it off to the farthest reaches of the world. The fearless pursuit leads to a swashbuckling climax with pirates and the pleasurable terror, Bloody Bess. Contact: I.E. Clark.
PIED PIPER OF NEW ORLEANS (UPRP), l act, 4 m, 4w, + puppeteers/extras (optional), 1 set. Near the docks in New Orleans in the 1930s, three families are plagued by rats. Trying everything short of voodoo, they decide to bring in an outsider to solve their problem. Abernathy, a Cajun musician, is reputed to have rid others of bats and gnats through his music. Bargains are made, torrid melodies are played at midnight, and rats move. Then promises are broken and, ultimately, neighborhood teenagers are lured away. Folks who put him in a passion find that he pipes to another fashion. Contact: Anchorage Press.
JOAN G. CLARK, 4629 Heatherbrook Dr., Dallas, TX 75244; 972-233-0509
LUNDI'S CHILD (UPRP), l act, 2m, 2w, 6-8 m or w, all African American, l set. LUNDI'S CHILD concerns an incident that took place on a Mississippi plantation years ago. Now, on the eve of the 4th of July, 1850, something may take place so a young girl may find her father and he may find her. This play is the first of a trilogy, but can stand alone. Contact: playwright.
ROSALBA MARIA CLEMENTE, 52 Shipster Street, Torrensville 5031, Adelaide, South Australia; 08 8351 8689GRAIL (NV), 1 act, single set, 3m, 3/4w (2 child characters), lighting must be able to capture “magical moments.” On a drought ridden farm in South Australia eleven year old Helly waits to be saved by the Great Knight of the Island on the Lake. Her father is sick and her mother a fearsome hag and her brother,Loo, is just plain crazy.Finally the knight arrives but then insects begin to speak, dead cows rise from the dead and a terrifying dust storm destroys her fairytale ending....almost. Contact: Rosalba Clemente and Robyn Gardiner Management, address as above / PO Box 128, Surry Hills, Sydney, 2010, Nsw, 02 9281 3911
GLORIA BOND CLUNIE
NORTH STAR (DPA), 2 acts, 7m (6 w/doubling), 5w, multiracial, unit set. In North Carolina in the '60s, Relia, an African-American girl, searches for her place to shine in both society and her personal life. The joyous innocence of Relia's summer is transformed by the rising tensions of the growing civil rights movement. Relia's parents are hotly divided between letting her participate in the demonstrations and shielding her from the harsh realities of the struggle for freedom. " . . . strong poetic streak, appealing characters . . . and a sense of humor." Chicago Sun-Times. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
ERIC COBLE, 3011 Edgehill, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118; 216-321-0030
LAKE OF PANTHERS (NV), 1 act, 3m, 3f (or more; includes 2 or more African Americans), area staging. A young girl meets the cat-like ERIGE B the spirit of Lake Erie. The ALake of Panthers@ needs a new protector, and the teenager is a perfect, if unwilling, candidate. Now she and the audience will live thousands of years of the Great Lake=s life B from its creation myth through the Battle of Lake Erie, the Underground Railroad, and the millions of passengers and crews who have lived and died on her waters. Contact: playwright, lucmud@cleveplayhouse.org
SACAGAWEA (NV), Music by Marv Ross. l act, 7m (or more), 2w (or more), area staging. The saga of a young girl on the edge of history, told through authentic period music. From her simple Native American lullaby, through the many harmonies of different tribes, the strains of her French-Canadian husband, and the formal melodies of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea struggles to find her own path B her own song B among the countless worlds before her. Contact: playwright.
NORMA COLE
AND THE TIDE SHALL COVER THE EARTH (I/B; USA), 2m, 1b, 2w, 3g, suggested set. We are in the world of the lakes and dams of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The hydroelectric dam at Wolf Creek is finished and closed, and heavy rains lift the levels of the new lake. Soon water will cover the lands and farms long-since purchased and people must move to new towns. Only Granny, determined to keep her promise to her man in the graveyard, and her granddaughter Geneva, just as certain they will leave, are locked in a contest of "the stubborns." "A new American classic." Contact: Anchorage Press.
* DOUG COONEY
BEESWAX (NV), music by Craig Ames and Carlos Moran. Augie, a 12 year old boy, is stuck for the summer with mean old Aunt Hattie, a South Carolina storyteller and beekeeper, and her lively swarm of musical bees. This play with music examines the heritage of southern folklore and the ongoing need for dialogue on the subject of race relations. Contact: Kennedy Center Youth and Family Programs, 202-416-8830.
THE LEGEND OF ALEX (UPRP), music by David O. 1 act, 2 f, 4 m; unit set. This musical fable, set in contemporary Los Angeles, brings 12 year old ALEX and his teenaged rock-n-roll idol ROYCE together for one amazing night. In a fateful act, Royce loses his status and identity as a celebrity, and Alex comes to his rescue. The two boys embark on a journey through L.A.’s streets on a night of adventure and self-discovery, only to find their way home through actions of people they never bothered to notice before. Contact: Mary Harden, Harden/Curtis, 850 Seventh Ave. suite 903, New York, NY 10036. 212-977-8502.
THE VERY PERSISTENT GAPPERS OF FRIP (NV), Music by David O. Adapted from the novel by George Sanders. 4 F, 3 M, 1 unit set. A fable of intolerance. The seaside town of Frip, 3 shacks perched on a cliff, is afflicted with hordes of gappers, small spindly creatures with an obsessive irrational love of goats. A little girl named Capable, along with other children of Frip, suffers the daily drudgery of brushing gappers off goats and tossing them into the sea. When Capable’s house is overwhelmed by gappers – and her neighbors are not – Capable turns to her neighbors for help. They turn her away, hiding behind excuses of property rights, moral superiority, and birthright.
ELLEN COOPER, 2822 E. Thomas, Seattle, WA 98112; 206-328-1476
HOME SAFE (I/B), 1 act, 2w play girls about 12 and 16, unit set. HOME SAFE is about two sisters who respond to the influence of their mother's alcoholism in very different ways. The play culminates in a final powerful moment between them, revealing both the heart of the conflict and their fierce attachment to one another. HOME SAFE also won the "Best of the Fest" award in Seattle's New Playwrights Fest. Contact: New Plays, Inc.
DEAN CORRIN, 6629 N. Talman, Chicago, IL 60645; 773-274-4104
THREADHEADS (I/B), 1 or 2 acts; 6m, 5w (with doubling, or cast may be expanded), unit set. Traditional songs, with lyrics adapted by Dean Corrin and Mark Elliott. Julia and Gus work with their mother in the textile mills of turn-of-the-century Philadelphia. Instead of attending school, the children must spend 14-hour workdays spinning and spooling threads for meager wages. When they meet the legendary labor leader Mother Jones, they join her on a March of the Mill Children to visit President Teddy Roosevelt and convince him to champion their rights. Contact: playwright.
MICHAEL COWELL, P. O. Box 62018, Honolulu, HI 96839; 808-945-2920
SONG FOR THE NAVIGATOR (DPA), l act, 5m, 2w, with doubling, simple set. SONG FOR THE NAVIGATOR tells the story of hip, teen-age Gabby, sent to the isolated Micronesian island of Satawal to spend the summer with his "weird, old grandfather." SONG . . . is Gabby's voyage of discovery of his cultural roots. It traces the American theme of rediscovery of traditional cultures in the unique setting of a remote Pacific atoll. When Gabby leaves Satawal, it is with a new understanding of himself, his culture, and a profound love for his grandfather -- the Navigator. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
JOHN B. DAVIDSON, 4402 Beard Ave. S., #2, Minneapolis, MN 55410; 612-926-6022
VICTORIA'S CHRISTMAS (NV) Music by John B. Davison and Roberta Carlson; Lyrics by John B. Davidson; 2 acts, 8 principals, 11 chorus; 2 int., 5 ext. sets. A young girl who has lost her voice in a traumatic accident falls asleep and dreams that she is a young Queen Victoria of England, who goes on a Christmas Eve adventure through l850's London and learns the meaning of love and life. Contact: American Music Theatre Corporation, 4402 Beard Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410, 612-926-6022.
LINDA DAUGHERTY, 7027 Fisher Rd., Dallas, TX 75214, 214-823-4433
BLESS CRICKET, CREST TOOTHPASTE, AND TOMMY TUNE (I/B), 2 acts, 3m, 2f, l m/f (one actor must tap dance), suggested sets. Cricket's struggle to come to terms with her older teenage brother, who has Down Syndrome and is obsessed with the legendary movie tap dancers and his own tap shoes, evolves from embarrassment and frustration to an appreciation of his unique gifts and an understanding that his world, as sometimes revealed in the person of a mysterious tap-dancing stranger, is a joyous place to live. Contact: playwright.
* WIL DENSON
THE STARCRAFT ORION DISCOVERY (UPRP), 1 act, 4-6m, 4-6f, 2 sets. Miners on Quarn, a far-flung colony of the Federation Galaxy, have stopped communicating and are feared lost. The Starcraft Orion is sent to investigate. In a high-tech adventure story, the crew of the Orion struggle to understand what terrible thing has happened -- as well as to survive the dangerously hostile environment on Quarn. In the process of their search, key human needs and values are called into question.
JAMES DeVITA
BAMBI, A LIFE IN THE WOODS (DPA), adapted from the book by Felix Salten. l act, 4m, 5w play 13 roles, open staging. Bambi truly becomes heir to his father, the Great Prince, when, having encountered and mastered for the first time the novel feelings of love, fear, loneliness and independence, he comes to understand that all of Earth's creatures are guided by a greater force than themselves. An eloquent, fascinating tale of a young deer growing up in the woods. Contact: Anchorage Press.
STEPHEN DIETZ
THE REMEMBERER (USA, DPA) , from the memoir As My Sun Sets, by Squaxin tribeswoman Joyce Simmons Cheeka, 5m, 4f, 8 children. A Northwestern Indian girl is taken from her native tribe and placed in a government-run boarding school, where she must abandon her native language and customs in support of the belief that the Indian's savage heritage must be killed in order to save the person. Designated "The Rememberer" for her tribe, she has to find a way to deal with this new world while holding on to the stories of her people. Contact: Seattle Children's Theatre, P.O. Box 9640, Seattle, WA 98109, 206-443-0807.
STILL LIFE WITH IRIS (DPA, USA) full-length, 5m, 4w (doubling possible), small unit sets on open stage. Iris lives with her mom in the land of Nocturno, a magical place where workers make, by night, all of the things we see in the world by day and where memories are kept not in minds but in coats called "PastCoats." When the Great Goods take Iris away from her home and bring her to Great Island to be their daughter, they remove her PastCoat to ease the pain of separation. Using one remaining button as a clue, Iris frees herself, finds her past, and returns to her home once again. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
BREN DUBAY, 7306 Sandpiper, Houston, TX 77074; 713-772-4321
THE CASTLE AT BALLYCONNEELY (UPRP as THE MAGIC POTS AND THE LEPRECHAUN), l act, 1m, 3w, 2g, 2b, l set. Loosely based on the fairy tale, "The Pot Which Would Not Stop Boiling," this play explores the world of fantasy, friendship, family and famine. Set in Ireland in the 1850's, the script takes a look at the Great Potato Famine through the eyes of a young girl and the eyes of hope. Contact: Encore Performance Publishing
THE WOLF AND THE FOOLISH LITTLE KIDS (UPRP), 1 act, 1m, 1w, 1b, 3g, 1set. Based on the fairy tale entitled "The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids," this play pits the savvy of Molly Flanagan against the wiliness of wolf Alister Yorkshire. Molly is not supposed to win, for after all she is the youngest in the family and a girl. Her siblings and Alister learn just how clever she is. Commissioned by the Children's Theater Festival. Contact: Encore Performance Publishing.
* MOLLY EDWARDS
ONCE THERE LIVED A CROCODILE (UPRP), music by Kevin Dunn. 4 acts, 3-7m, 4-7f ensemble cast, l set. A fast-paced fantasy-sparked selection of four story-poems by noted Soviet children's poet, Kornei Chukovski. Written in Russia immediately before, during, and after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the poems offer a fresh and whimsical view of Russian/Soviet society in four tales featuring the recurring character Crocodile Crocodilovich. These poems offer a uniquely Russian flavor in tone, rhythm, and language and a rare view of much loved Russian children's literature.
DAVID F. ELIET, 240 E. 27th St., #4G, New York, NY 10016; 212-889-2442
THE SUN'S MUSICIANS (NV), music by Nancy Rosenberg, lyrics by David F. Eliet. 1 act, cast of 4-12, minimal set. Based on the Mayan folktale about how music was brought to the earth. Tezcatlipoca, God of the Four Corners, comes to see the newly created earth and discovers that everything is in chaos, for no one knows his or her part in the cycle of the days. To remedy this problem he sends the Wind God, Ehecatol, to the Sun to demand that Tonatiuah provide musicians whose music will bind all things in harmony. Contact: playwright
EDWIN ENDLICH, 32-36 36th St., Astoria, NY 11106, 718-274-4941
BUNKED (UPRP) l or 2 acts, 10m, 8f, one set (takes place solely in a bunk bed) Nine pairs of young people take the opportunity before falling asleep to talk to each other about issues they’re dealing with. Through simple and sometimes harsh conversation, the characters learn something valuable from one another. From a juvenile hall to a hotel in Orlando, the realistic scenes range widely in emotion and theme. The play breaks conventional formats and focuses on the reality of being young today. Contact: playwright.
*OLIVE ENGWICHT
THE LIMPING GHOST OF WEATHERCOCK HOUSE (UPRP), l act, 2w, 5m, l set. Adapted from Washington Irving sketches of Dutch New York in 1712. Dolph, an orphaned town ward, is cheated of his inheritance -- an old haunted house, complete with buried treasure and a ghostly guardian -- when the town councilmen sell the house to a miserly couple and force Dolph into a 7-year indentureship. The Ghost joins with Dolph's two friends, Sam, the black fisherman, and Maria, to help him best his greedy adversaries and regain his freedom.
GREGORY A. FALLS AND KURT BEATTIE
THE ODYSSEY (USA) 1 act, 6m, 2w (with doubling, or up to 25); set pieces, masks. Odysseus' epic journey home from the Trojan War is a fanciful adventure with the man-eating, one-eyed Cyclops, the twin Sirens, the sorceress Circe, King Aeolous, and the trickster god, Hermes. Masks, music (in the text), mime, and theatrical effects create a fast-moving realization of the Homeric classic that will intrigue both children and adults, while remaining faithful to the poetic original. Contact: Anchorage Press.
JOSEPH FEDORKO
SCRIMMAGES (UPRP), 1 act, 2m, 1f, 1set. Ruth has writer's block. She has a speech due in two days and if she doesn't win, it's goodbye college. Her two biggest pains descend on her: younger brother Ralph, bratty, annoying, and possessing inside info on Ruth's contest; and Jeff, a huge wrestler whose desire to rip Ralph's limbs off is surpassed only by his lust for "Ruthie." Can Ruth fend off Jeff, save Ralph without tearing him up herself, and come up with the speech of her life? Contact: Baker's Plays.
*JOHN FENN
COPPELIA (UPRP), 1 act, 7m, 2f, 1 set. Simonetta works for the dollmaker Coppelius in Renaissance Milan. He has been using her as a model for his masterpiece, a lifesize animated doll named after him. The Condottieri Sforza has besieged Milan, claiming the toy as ransom. Coppelius, oblivious to all this, employs black magic in an attempt to breathe life into the doll. Simonetta uses her resemblance to the doll to trade places and convince Sforza and Coppelius that the toy has come to life.
ELISE FORIER . 2322 South Ash St. Tacoma, WA. 98405
CATHY’S CREEK. (I/B) Music by Tina Lear. Lyrics by Elise Forier and Tina Lear. 2 acts. 5 m, 5 w. Unit set. Iowa farm girl Cathy discovers Jeanne d’Arc come to life. Jeanne teaches Cathy about heroism. Then Cathy discovers the factory nearby that supports her community may be poisoning their water. Can a lone teen face a powerful corporation? Cathy learns what it takes to have Jeanne’s courage and change the world. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
JUDY FREED, 8403 Clara Drive, Niles, IL 60714; 847-696-4851
TICKLE CAKES (UPRP), music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz, 1 act, 4m, 3f, piano or keyboard accompaniment, tourable set. TICKLE CAKES is a musical fantasy about substance abuse, written for ages 5-10. It tells the story of Danny, a boy who eats too many Tickle Cakes and turns into a monster. At first Danny tries to deny the changes. (After all, there must be lots of boys who have horns and a tail!) But as his transformation progresses, he gets in trouble at school and risks losing friends and family. Danny decides he must stop eating Tickle Cakes if he wants to change back into a boy again. Contact: playwright.
* JANE FRICKER
ESCAPADES (UPRP), 2 acts, 4-8m, 5-10f, doubling possible, l set. Two Scandinavian fairy tales in story theatre style which may be played together or individually. In the first, Tjovik deals with two selfish brothers, a simple-minded father, trolls, magic birds and an evil troll-wife. In the second, another youngster has to contend with four big trolls, each of whom is fighting to become king. Both protagonists exhibit androgynous adaptability and resourcefulness and overcome their obstacles with wit and elan.
LOU FURMAN, 6217 Bridgehampton Dr., New Orleans, LA 70126; 504-243-5304
MARVELOUS MARK (UPRP), 1 act, 2f, lm, 2 b, unit set. This play vividly explores the stress that can become a part of the lives of many school-age children. Mark, a 5th grade boy, has discovered that he can use his imagination to avoid the pressures that beset him. He can show us how he thinks things should be, whenever he wants, mixing fantasy and real worlds to his -- and the audience's -- pleasure. Eventually the demands of home and school force Mark into the deep recesses of his imagination, and he must face his own creations. Contact: playwright.
*JEANNE GAZEL
SHELTERED (UPRP), 2 acts, 3f, 3m, 1 set. Taking place at a future time when civil defense becomes a popular means of teaching people to cope with the ever increasing threat of nuclear war, the play focuses on six adolescents who, while reporting for a routine bomb drill, get trapped in the automized shelter. During this time, their shattered hopes and increasing fears are exposed. The experience so strips them of their typical behavior patterns that they find themselves only able to give what the environment allows: tenderness and care.
NANCY GILSENAN (HERSAGE), 1755 Ednamary Way, #5, Mountain View, CA 94040; 415-960-0662
IN THE MIDDLE OF GRAND CENTRAL STATION (DPA), 2 acts, 6m, 6w + extras, area staging. Grand Central Station is a fine place to visit, but who'd want to live there? Hundreds of people, many of them penniless, all of them lost. This is the story of one, a 15-year-old runaway named Marta de Silva. Loosely based on a true story, this play examines the search of one intelligent, warm, and troubled human being to find a place of her own in a disintegrating social system. Marty's inner voice narrates her psychological journey from a confident beginning to a tragic end. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
A SEPARATE PEACE (DPA), 2 acts, 8m, area staging. John Knowles' classic tale of two high school boys standing on the threshold of war and adulthood comes to the stage. Gene and Phineas meet at summer school in New England. It seems the perfect match until the fear in Gene and the world around him can no longer tolerate the life in Finny. The two face each other, figuratively and literally, on a tree limb overlooking death, and Gene pushes. This is a story of learning to face the world and oneself and the timeless search for a "special and separate peace." Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
MOSES GOLDBERG, 5 Riverfront Plaza, Louisville, KY 40202; 502-562-0888
JEMIMA BOONE (UPRP), l act, 3w, 4m, with doubling; unit set. In September, l820, Jemima Boone Calloway returns from the funeral of her father, Daniel Boone, to encounter the ghost of Shawnee Chief Blackfish. Symbolically, they wrestle for the soul of Daniel while remembering Boone's exploration of Kentucky, the Western battles of the Revolutionary War, and the love/hate relationship between settlers and Native Americans. Filled with action and history, the play's primary focus is on young Jemima, a pioneer girl struggling to find maturity and independence. Video tape available. Contact: playwright.
JOSE CRUZ GONZALEZ, 10741 La Jara Street, Cerritos, CA 90703; 562-920-7420.
LILY PLANTS A GARDEN (I/B), 1 act. 2 m, 3 w. Unit set. A fantasy about Lily, a foundling from the Zobeings, who is adopted by a couple who are Wulumans. These two groups have been mortal enemies for centuries. Lily brings both cultures together by planting a garden with the Wulu’s dirt and the Zobeing’s seeds. This inspiring and timely allegory shows a child’s optimism bringing hope to wartorn times. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
THE HIGHEST HEAVEN (NV), 1 act, 3m, 2f, 1 set. The heartfelt story of a young boy named Huracan, one of thousands forced to return to Mexico during America=s Great Depression. Abruptly alone and separated from his mother, Huracan follows the path of the Monarch butterfly on a haunting search for his past and future. Along the way, he undergoes his own metamorphosis from a little boy into a young man with an inner strength that no one can take away. Contact: playwright.
SALT & PEPPER (NV, USA) 1 act, 3m, 2f, 1 set. A story of opposites: Salt can barely read, and Pepper reads way too much. Together they discover a past whose secrets can only be revealed through some mysterious postcards. Salt=s grandfather can=t read or write. He=s ashamed to tell anyone. And his silence has had a devastating effect on the entire family. Salt & Pepper explores family, friendship, illiteracy, and the problems of Latin American immigrants as they try to integrate into American life. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
TWO DONUTS (I/B), 1 act, 2m, 1f, (3 actor/puppeteers or more actors and no puppets), unit set. After Pepito=s beloved Abuela dies, she appears to him in a television set and gives him a gift of Guatemalan Worry Dolls that come to life and take Pepito to the mythical country of Cuatemala. Pepito has been requested by the Great Sea Tortuga to help save Cuatemala from Commandante Boots, who is on the verge of destroying everything beautiful in Cuatemala. With the help of Little Girl Footsteps, Ridulo, Modesto, Tirado and others, Pepito confronts Commandante Boots and beauty is restored to Cuatemala. Contact: playwright.
SILVIA GONZALEZ S., c/o Helen Merrill, Ltd., 435 W. 23rd St., #1F, NY, NY 10011, 212-691-5326
ALICIA IN WONDER TIERRA (OR I CAN'T EAT GOAT HEAD) (NV), l or 2 act versions, 4 m , 4 w, extras, sets as desired. Loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, with a touch of The Wizard of Oz, the adventures of young Alicia take her on a journey from a Mexican curio shop to an understanding of her national heritage. After tripping over pottery, Alicia whirls off on a mystical journey to the Aztec temple to find the Pottery Maker. En route, she meets an armadillo, a Day of the Dead sugar skull, a soul brother cactus man, and The Tree of Heads. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
ALLISON GREGORY, 2923 Mayfair Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, 206-286-6676
EVEN STEVEN GOES TO WAR (UPRP, N/V), 2 acts, 6 m (2 Asian, 2 African-American), 3 w, unit set. On the night before Even Steven Nguyen and his family move from their house, Even is visited by a young stranger. The two of them forge a fast friendship and go in search of Even's grandfather, who went to The War years earlier, and never returned. The games of children become the realities of adults as Even and his friend encounter the mysteries and tragedies of war. Even finds his grandfather, only to lose his friend. Contact: playwright.
BRIAN GUEHRING, Omaha Theatre for Young People, 2001 Farnam St., Omaha, NE 68102, 402-345-9718, x171.
THE BULLY SHOW (NV), l act, 1m, 1w, 1 either, one set. THE BULLY SHOW is an interactive play exploring the issue of bullying in elementary schools through the setting of a game show. The audience members and student contestants play the game through different rounds exploring what bullying is, who can be a bully, what are some avoidance techniques, the consequences of bullying, and more. Contact: playwright.
WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (UPRP) l act, 4m, 2w (or more), 3 locations. This adaptation of Wilson Rawls’ classic tale dramatizes the journey of a young boy growing up in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression. Billy Colman wants hunting hounds more than anything, but his family can’t afford them. By saving money for two years, he’s able to buy two pups, Lil Ann and Ol Dan, who teach Billy about sacrifice, love, death, and faith. This adaptation features puppets for the animal characters. Contact: playwright.
KAREN YAMAMOTO HACKLER, 3340-B E. Manoa Rd., Honolulu, HI 96822, 808-988-2215
SONG OF THE RICE, SONG OF LIFE: A TALE OF JAPAN (NV), music by Kenny Endo, 1 act, 7 actors, 2 musicians (one must play taiko), minimal set. Set in eighteenth century Japan, with the Japanese drum -- the taiko -- as its heartbeat, the play interweaves one year in the lives of rice farmers with folktales, seasons, and festivals. Commissioned by Honolulu Theatre for Youth; first production at California State University - Los Angeles. Contact: playwright.
*JEANNE HALL
UNTITLED (UPRP), 1 act, 1m, 2b, 2w, 4g, 1 set. Three children adjust to living with a family friend while their mother goes back to school. Told through the eyes of the oldest daughter, this play follows their story as they slowly accept their new home with its new challenges.
NIKKI HARMON, 440 West 34th St #15F, New York, NY 10001, dramaturg@aol.com
SNOWFLAKE’S STORY- IN SEARCH OF THE FABLED LAND OF NEW JERSEY (UPRP), 1 act, open staging, 2m, 3w (with doubling, 9 without; up to 42 children can be cast in non speaking animal roles), calls for recorded segments of Swan Lake and the Firebird Suite. Snowflake’s a baby dove who’s forced to work for a magician. She escapes, and with her friends, goes in search of the fabled land of New Jersey, where birds live in their own houses. But before the bus leaves Snowflake keeps her promise and goes back to get her friend who was too afraid to go with her. This play is about keeping promises, escaping abusive situations, and tat friends come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Contact: playwright.
*JEROME HARRISTON
COLOR ME DARK (N/V), adapted from the book by Patricia McKissack. Contact: The Kennedy Center.
*LUCILLE HAUSER
1911 (UPRP). An inspiring and dramatic story of the young daughter of an immigrant whose aspirations of becoming successful are encouraged by a school teacher.
* MARIA DAHVANA HEADLEY
THE INCREDIBLE DISAPPEARING LADY (NV), music by Michael Keck. Two siblings search the country for their mother who has disappeared and joined a circus. Their journey teaches them the importance of family and friendship, and about their own strengths and weaknesses. Contact: Idaho Theater for Youth, 208-345-0060.
*KIM HINES
I BELIEVE I'LL RUN ON AND SEE WHAT THE END'S GONNA BE (NV). Donny is an African American teenager who, in the process of deciding his future, finds he must first examine the history of his race. Along his journey, he discovers the varying viewpoints of different generations of African Americans. Produced at Illusion Theater. Contact: Illusion Theater, 612-339-4944.
*LISA HUMBERTSON
THE RAVEN (UPRP), 1 act, 4m, 1f (l0 characters), 1 set. No one knows what happened during the final days of Edgar Poe's life . . . until now. Escaping his publisher Griswold's henchmen, he hides in a theatre. But he's not safe. For the theatre -- where his actress mother performed -- actually burned down over 35 years ago. Tormented by the ghosts of his life, Edgar must face his alcoholism and addictions, until he finally can confront his most terrifying enemy: the Raven. His alter ego. His soul.
*VELINA HASU HOUSTON
THE MATSUYAMA MIRROR (NV). Contact: playwright.
NAOMI IIZUKA 323-769-6351.
ANON(YMOUS): AN ADAPTION OF THE ODYSSEY (NV) 1 act, 6 F, 5 M. An adaption of the Odyssey, in which the protagonist is a teenage refugee whose journey takes him across the United States. As he crosses borders and travels across the country, he encounters other recently arrived immigrants, smugglers, sweat shop workers, runaways, ghosts, and contemporary versions of Cyclops and sirens. The rhythms and sounds of the piece were inspired by beat boxing, along with drumming from different parts of the world. Contact: Morgan Jenness, Abrams/Artist Agency, 275 Seventh Ave. 26th floor, NY, NY 10001. 646-486-4600.
LEN JENKIN
RAMONA QUIMBY (DPA), 2 acts, cast of l4 plus extras, doubling possible, unit set. We follow Ramona through her 3rd grade year, in a series of scenes narrated by her sister Beezus. Beverly Cleary's Ramona survives having to live with her older sister, her teacher's unfairness, the wedding of her favorite aunt, and her dad's losing his job. As Ramona and Beezus go through the year they realize that no, life isn't always fair, and yes, it's awfully good to have a family, and a sister. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
THOMAS CADWALEDER JONES
SCARS AND STRIPES (DPA) 1act, 1b, 1g, 1 set. Two teenagers, an African -American urban girl and a white rural boy, confront their racial prejudices when they meet at the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Washington, DC. Looking for clues into their fathers' pasts, they discover more about themselves and each other and are changed forever. "The beautifully written play ends hopefully, but does not try to tie up all loose ends." Also a Featured Play selection in Dramatics Magazine. Contact: Encore Performance Publishing
*YOKANAAN KEARNS
DIS/TROY (N/V), l act. Contact: Honolulu Theatre for Youth, 2846 Ualena St., Honolulu, HI 96819, 808-839-9885.
*JON KLEIN
BUNNICULA (NV), music by Chris Jeffries. Contact: Seattle Children's Theater, 206-443-0807.
*LINDA B. KLINE and ROBERT JESS ROTH
THE SECRET GARDEN (UPRP), music by Kim Oler, lyrics by Alison Hubbard. 1 act, 2m, 3f, 1 set. Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle on the moors of Victorian England. She is, by all descriptions, a nasty girl. As she tries to go against the rules of the adults around her, she discovers the magic alive in all of us and learns to care for an abandoned garden, her invalid cousin, and even herself. "An enchanting show." " . . . just the right degrees of humor, drama and suspense." Contact: Flora Roberts, Inc., 157 W. 57th St., NY, NY 10019; 212-355-4165.
KEVIN KLING, 612-822-8058.
LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE (USA), from the book by Kevin Henkes, 1 act, 8m, 7f, 5+ m or f (doubling possible). Lilly, a mouse, is upset that her new baby brother is now the center of her parents= attention. One day she comes to school with three shiny quarters, sunglasses, and her new purple plastic purse, only to use them to disrupt Mr. Slinger’s lesson. He confiscates these items. Lilly retaliates by drawing a picture of ABig Fat Mean Mr. Stealing Teacher. All is made well as Mr. Slinger accepts her apology, and she also accepts her new brother as a part of the family. Contact: Seattle Children's Theatre, P.O. Box 9640, Seattle, WA 98109, 206-443-0807.
*PERFECTLY PERSEPHONE, THE MYTH OF SPRING. (NV) Music by Fahir Atakoglu.
BARRY KORNHAUSER, 404 Atkins Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603, 717-397-1671
INNER GRACE (UPRP), 1 act, 3 m, 3 f, suggested settings. After an accident that has left her paralyzed, Grace returns to the 6th grade. Bitter and withdrawn, she resists the firm, unyielding support of her mother, her teacher's deep concern, and the unlikely comradeship of one of her classmates by retreating into a fantasy world of her own creation. There, through an imaginative voyage of personal discovery, Grace faces her deepest fears, conquering her self-imposed psychological limitations, and finding a new state of "inner grace." Contact: playwright.
LINCOLN'S LOG (or BETTER ANGELS) (UPRP), 1 act, 3 m , 1 f, unit set with puppet stage. Period music, photos and illustrations (in public domain), rustic shadow rod-puppets recommended. July 15, 1871. Deathly ill, l8-year-old Tad, the youngest son of Abraham Lincoln, reflects on his long bygone White House days. Tad's reflections take the form of a log, now his only hope of keeping a promise made to his grief-stricken, unstable mother -- a promise never to leave her. The moving story of a boy whose growing pains mirrored those of a nation, and of the Lincolns -- a family mythic yet all too human. Contact: Anchorage Press.
POWER PLAY (N/V), l act, 2m, 1f, unit set. Music and lyrics by Ron Barnett. A largely non-narrative, quirkily musical, outrageously interactive, multi-media clown show that gives young people-- whether facing bullies, self-doubt, or other challenges-- a new and empowering way to think about their place in the world. The piece provides them with the understanding that no matter their size, strength, or status, they each possess the most meaningful kinds of power, the kinds that might see them through and perhaps even help them to prevail. Contact: playwright.
THIS IS NOT A PIPE DREAM (DPA), l act, 2 m, 2 w, l m or f, unit set, slides available. Based freely on the work and early life of surrealist artist Rene Magritte, this is an unorthodox adventure in theatrical form, celebrating art and the imagination and the ways they help us confront life's mysteries. Young Rene dreams of being an artist, a notion dismissed by his father. Encouraged by his mother before her untimely death, the boy begins a quest, following his vision into the delightfully absurd magic-realism of Magritte's paintings. Contact: Anchorage Press.
WORLDS APART (formerly ANOTHER COLUMBUS) (I/B), l act, 2 m, l f, l m or f; minimal set, commedia-like masks. In 1493, Christopher Columbus's son Diego is serving as a page in the Royal Court of Spain. Here he presents a crude theatrical recounting his own small adventure: Escaping the monastery where his father had "abandoned" him, Diego attempts to stow away on the Santa Maria. Instead, he inadvertently boards a Jewish exile ship where his story becomes entwined with that of a young Jewish girl. And so begins an unanticipated journey of discovery. Contact: playwright.
CAROL KORTY, 32 Fox Run, Lamoine, ME 04605; 207-667-4441
BABA YAGA AND THE BLACK SUNFLOWER (UPRP, NV), music by Scott Wheeler, lyrics by Carol Korty; 1 act, 12-16 actors, can be reduced to 5 with use of puppets and masks, 2 musicians (mandolin/violin & clarinet, bass clarinet); unit set. Based on Russian folk material. Spirited Maryushka, who plays tricks and feigns magic, is challenged by Baba Yaga to draw upon her own resources. She is in turn terrified, surprised, and rewarded by this mysterious crone, who uses her knowledge of the natural and supernatural world to help or hurt select humans. Contact: Anchorage Press.
RIDING THE WIND: STORY PLAYS FROM OLD CHINA (UPRP), 1 act, 4+m, 4+w, mostly non-gender specific, musical accompaniment by cast, can be played by 9 - 30 actors who move well; unit set. Dramatization of four traditional teaching tales connected by the device of the Wind Dragon and a series of interludes. One might produce the full hour version or single out one tale. Opportunities for as much dance, martial arts, and music as desired. Serious in nature, light in tone, the playlets are presented in stylized fashion, blending Eastern and Western theater tradition. Contact: playwright.
VIRGINIA GLASGOW KOSTE, 6616 Spring Mill Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46260; 317-254-1707
THE CHICAGO GYPSIES (UPRP, DPA), 2 acts, 6w, 1m, area staging. A "show business" child during the Great Depression, Carolina "Charley" Dover is the youngest member of a family of actors suddenly stranded and broke in Fort Dodge, IA, at Christmas time. With the help of her "illegitimate adopted grandmothers," Charley endures being a drop-in at school, but with her loving father out doing odd-jobs, she "worries in the dark" about her mother's mysterious illness -- until their reunion makes these odd yet ordinary people shine with the miracle of quiet, stubborn survival. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
BRIAN KRAL, 7709 Sparrowgate Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89131; 702-656-7409
EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON (UPRP) 1 act, 4-7m, 5-8w, flexible settings. Adapted from the Norwegian folktale. The audience follows Karen on her quest into a dark Scandinavian wilderness, populated by trolls, hags, and talking gargoyles. Without hesitation she struggles to save a young man from the curse that makes him "a bear by day and a man by night." Humor and heroic adventure accentuate this adaptation of the epic of a girl achieving adulthood. Contact: Anchorage Press.
ONE TO GROW ON (UPRP), 2m, 1w, 4 or 5b, suggested settings. The touching portrait of a young man's 12th birthday, spent in the company of his widowed grandfather. Through the course of several disagreements, and a long delayed meeting with his estranged father, a young man and his grandfather come to a deeper realization of what it means to have a family. A powerful biographical play exploring the similarities between two characters "as different as any two people should be and still be related." Contact: Anchorage Press.
PAPER LANTERNS, PAPER CRANES (I/B), 2 acts, 5g, 2w, 3b, 3m, some doubling; l set. In a Hiroshima hospital in the 1950s, two Japanese girls discover they have both been admitted as patients because of "A-bomb illness." The older girl, Kyushu, resists the attempts of hospital physicians to help her, in spite of the optimism and encouragement of her new friend, Sadako. With the younger girl's death, Kyushu finds the strength to persist and recover. Contact: Anchorage Press
JOANNA HALPERT KRAUS, 3117 Terra Granada Drive, #4, Walnut Creek, CA 94595; 925-939-3658
ANGEL IN THE NIGHT (DPA), 2 acts, 4m, 4w, 1 girl, with doubling; area staging. Based on the true story a Polish Catholic teen. In the present, survivors meet to honor her. In the past, 1942, a Jewish family begs for help. At great peril to herself, Marysia hides and protects them for two years. When Nazis arrest, starve, and beat her, she will not betray the fugitives. As the Russians advance, a Polish guard helps her escape. Commissioned by the Honor of Humanity Project, under the direction of National Louis University, in affiliation with the Avenue of the Righteous. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
THE ICE WOLF (USA) 1 act, 8m, 7w. In an Eskimo village ruled by spirits and shamans, by superstition and myth, Anatou is born -- fair of hair and skin, unlike her family and village. She is made an outcast, and is suspected of casting a spell and causing famine. She seeks help from the Wood God, who transforms her into a wolf. But unlike the other animals of the wood, she kills for revenge as well as for food. Finally she must choose between her own life and that of Tarto, her one human friend. Based on a legend of the Hudson Bay Indians of North America. Contact: New Plays.
THE KIMCHI KID (I/B), 2 acts; 6m, 7w, 5 boys, 1 girl, doubling possible; area staging. A contemporary drama based on the Asian American adoption of a 9-year-old boy. To which country does he belong, his native Korea or an unfamiliar America? Vivid memories of one world battle with the disturbing culture of another. How can he be loyal to both? The story of a boy who learns it is possible to have two homes in his heart. The story of the struggle to make an adoption into a family. Contact: New Plays, Inc.
REMEMBER MY NAME (I/B, as THE DEVIL'S ORPHAN), 2 acts, 5m, 5w, area staging. A young girl's survival in wartime France and the courage of those who protect her from the Nazi Holocaust. Apart from her parents, her heritage and her name, the young girl matures from a sheltered child to a determined adolescent who fights for her country -- and her life. Nearly caught by Nazis, she's befriended by a village priest, a war widow and members of the Maquis (Underground Resistance). Inspired by historical accounts of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Contact: Samuel French.
SUNDAY GOLD (UPRP), 2 acts, 3m, 3w, unit set. SUNDAY GOLD was commissioned by the Raleigh Little Theatre in partnership with the NC Museum of History. Set in the 1840s North Carolina Gold Rush, it is the story of 12-year-old Lizzie, who works as a rocker girl but dreams of elegant boots and going to school someday. At the mine, she's reacquainted with a girl she knew as a child. Annie, now a hired-out slave, dreams of freedom. As they become friends again, they learn "not all the gold's in the ground." Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
PENNIES IN MY HAND. (I/B) 1 act; 2 fm 2 m; 1 area staging. Special lighting effects. Billy is a lonely, young boy who wants a best friend. On the night of his birthday, a star, Dilgan, is pulled to earth by a wish. As the two work together to discover who made the wish, Billy learns the meaning of friendship, and that sometimes the only way to hold on is by letting go. Contact: playwright.
SAMUEL KUGLEN, 10940 1/2 Hortense St., North Hollywood, CA 91602; 818-766-3486
THE GRUESOME, GORY, GROTESQUE STORIES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE (UPRP). 2 acts; 2f, 3m, doubling possible; l set. Poe, his wife, Virginia, and his editor are frozen in time, endlessly repeating the moment of Virginia's death. Contemporary teenagers Annie and Owen enter the haunted building, get locked in a room with the three specters, and search for a valuable missing letter from Poe. The play interweaves three of Poe's best-known stories, "The Black Cat," "The Tell-tale Heart," and "The Purloined Letter" with comedy, fantasy and mystery. Contact: Encore Performance Publishing.
MARGARET LARLHAM, 6129 Portobelo Court, San Diego, CA 92124; 858-278-7874
TORTILLA MOON (I/B), music and lyrics by Margaret Larlham. 1 act, 5m, 4w, 4 chorus (doubling possible) with guitarist, singers, dancers; unit set. A modern fable told in 12 episode and set in Cactus Street, a troubled neighborhood somewhere between North and South America. The story is linked to the apparent malevolence of an ancient golden statue and the demands of a greedy landlord, Mr. Pockets. Rosa and her friend Underdog, advised by ancestral voices and an eagle guide, undertake a dangerous journey to unravel the mystery of the Golden Warrior and bring relief and balance to the community. Contact: New Plays Inc.
*WILLIAM LAVENDAR
THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE (UPRP), musical, 2 acts, 6m, 2f, plus chorus, 2 sets. Cindy, an imaginative little girl, prefers the company of colorful, rambunctious characters of her own invention to that of real people. She has lively adventures with the Invisible People before facing up to the necessity of putting away her childhood imaginings and getting on with growing up. The Invisible People, meanwhile, strive to keep themselves alive in the imaginations of children.
PAUL LAVRAKAS, 4225 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Annandale, VA 22003; 703-916-7686
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA (UPRP), 1 act, 4m, 2w, unit set. Princess Astrid finds she has been lured from her home by Gustav the Troll as a prospective bride for bookish Prince Eric. Although this feisty princess has no interest in either marriage or princes, she takes a series of tests to prove that she is "a real princess." Despite the plotting of the oily courier, Osric, Astrid and Eric are drawn to each other out of respect for the other's stubborn individualism. However, before there may be a proper happy ending, Astrid must pass a final test. Contact: Anchorage Press.
WHITE SAILS, DARK SEAS (UPRP, NV), l act, 5m, 1f with doubling, puppets, 1 set. Cristobal Colon (aka Christopher Columbus) is driven by a fantasy vision of the golden Indies to sail the unknown Western Sea, a voyage that brings unforeseen tragedy to the people he "discovers." His relationship with Guati, his young Taino interpreter, underscores the results of his inability to understand what he has really found. Commissioned and toured by Birmingham Children's Theatre; featured as part of the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices symposium. Contact: playwright.
KEVIN LAWLER, 3565 California St., Omaha, NE 68131, 402-345-4685.
THE TALES OF WOST (NV) 1 act, cast of 15-20, minimal set. "The Tales of Wost" follows a family and their kingdom as the hands of fate bring them together and pull them apart. The play celebrates the power of love, imagination, and the stories that we give to each other. Contact: playwright.
WENDY LEMENT, 43 Boynton St., #1L, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130; 617-524-3222
KERI TARR: CAT DETECTIVE (UPRP), 3 acts, 7m, 12w, area staging. Keri Tarr can talk to cats. When the Thompson’s cat Zorro disappears, Keri embarks on her career as a Cat Detective. After she’s solved dozens of local cases, Keri’s adventures lead her to the underground caverns of the French Catacombs to save her aunt’s cat from Artaud Felon, the meanest, toughest cat in all of Paris. This detective story has a strong Asian American protagonist and a variety of interesting cat characters. Contact: playwright.
* BOB LEONARD
HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT (UPRP), 1 act, 2-3m, 3-4f, suggested settings. The story revolves around Sally and her relationship with her mother, grandfather, father, and future step-father. When her grandfather has a hert attack, Sally runs away to Houston to be with her father. The trip results in the discovery that her dad will have nothing to do with her. During her journey, she encounters both friend and foe, help and danger, and learns an important lesson about growing up.
* QUINCY LONG
QUINLYAGONISTES (NV), music by Michael Silversher. Contact: Produced and published by A.S.K Theater Projects, Los Angeles, 310-478-3200.
JAN LUCAS, 7070 South 650 West, Columbus, IN 98105
FREEDOM IS MY HOME (I/B), A poignant drama about slavery and friendship, cruelty and kindness, prejudice and courage. This one-woman drama will bring history to life for schools, libraries, art presenters, museums, family audiences and the general public. Contact: playwright
ANNE LUDLUM, 619A Federal Ave. E., Seattle, WA 98102; 206-860-9569
SHAME THE DEVIL! AN AUDIENCE WITH FANNY KEMBLE (UPRP), 1 act, 1w, 1 set, costumes and props, ca. l850, USA. Using her formidable skills as Shakespearean actress and popular journalist, Fanny Kemble recreates her dazzling career as a member of the great Kemble-Siddons theatrical family, her marriage to a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, her life on a slave plantation and her transition from high-born innocent to galvanized reformer. Based on her writing, esp. Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation 1838-1839. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
GENE MACKEY, 7717 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS 66204; 913-831-2131 (work)
GRUFF! (UPRP), music by Molly Jessup, lyrics by Gene Mackey; l act, 4m, 1f, unit set. This play incorporates Norwegian folk material, the music of Edward Grieg, and original music. Freddie dreams of leaving the ashes of his poor home and becoming a violinist. Fear of the trolls holds him back until a mountain woman shatters a magic stone to release ancient stories that help Freddie overcome his fears. " . . . always warm and charming and sometimes simply hilarious . . . songs and musical adaptations are masterful." Contact: Theatre for Young America, 4881 Johnson Dr., Mission, KS 66205; 913-831-2131.
JOEY MADIA, 1585 W. Rt. 88 #9, Brick, NJ 08724. 732-458-0158
SCENES FROM A DEEP DREAM RIVER. (UPRP) 1 act (5 scenes), area staging. 1 F, 1 M.
A play for middle/hs that follows a character from teens through the 60s, on his journey from farmer to soldier to knight to king, and ends 3 years from the beginning, as his elder self meets the teenager he once was, to turn him from a path that he followed no matter the pain it caused. Set in feudal times, it draws on classical mythologies and Easter/Celtic belief systems to explore maleness and absentee fatherism. Contact: playwright.
* JIM MARVIN
OZ -- LAND OF MAGIC (UPRP), musical based on characters from L. Frank Baum's books. The evil Nome King wants to find the three parts to the lost Magic Scepter so that he can become the Supreme Ruler of the Land of Oz. Ojo, a Munchkin boy, and his friend Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, set out to stop him. On their adventures they meet Tick-Tok, Mr. Flutter, the Scarecrow, and many other friends and foes becfore defeating the Nome King and his army.
*SAUNDRA MCCLAIN
CARIBE (NV). An allegorical tale of a rebellious boy who breaks all taboos of the island in his quest to win fame and fortune for himself and prove his manhood. This musical fantasy is stepped in African-Caribbean folklore and mythology. Contact: Troupe NY, 212-736-2922.
MARK MEDOFF
TOMMY J AND SALLY (NV), 1 act, 1m (black), 1f (white), 1 set. Race, love, self-indulgence, and fury at the millennium. Contact: Gilbert Parker, William Morris Agency, 212-903-1328
* PEGGY D. MEINHOLTZ
A ROSE IN THE SNOW (UPRP), 2 acts, 5-10f, 3-9m, doubling possible, unit set. This play retells the Beauty and the Beast story with human and puppet actors. The puppets appear in the magical environment of the Beast's garden. They portray a nebulous pair of servants and a fledgling bird. The Good and Bad Fairies connect many of the scenes with rhyming narration that transports us from England to India to the Beast's magical tropical island.
CYNTHIA MERCATI, P.O. Box 208, Waukee, IA 50263, 515-987-2587
TO SEE THE STARS (I/B), 2 acts, large, flexible cast (many roles for girls); representational set. Based on historical incidents surrounding the plight of young women in the garment industry in 1909. Rejected by the male-dominated union, the girls band together to fight for a better life. They endure starvation, beatings, and prison, but ultimately prevail, winning the first industry-wide strike in American labor history. But their real victory is in changing the way they see themselves -- not as victims, but as fighters -- and in discovering the power of sisterhood. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
WESLEY MIDDLETON, 4215 S. Findlay St., Seattle, WA, 98118, 206-760-0870
DEGAS’ LITTLE DANCER (UPRP), l act, 2m, 4f, area staging. A time-traveling adventure about the challenge and power of making art. Rie Arnold, a fiesty young ballerina, spins across the centuries to become the model for Degas’ first sculpture, La Petite Danseuse. Through their brief encounter, both artists learn to value their uniqueness and take new risks in their work. This play combines music, dance, rhythmic language, strong characters, sharp dialogue, and century-shifting action to create a dramatic ride that is packed with meaning and momentum. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
TOMATO PLANT GIRL (USA), 1 act. 3 f, simple unit set. Little Girl is the new kid in Heretown. She shares the garden with Bossy Best Friend. When Bossy leaves, Little Girl uproots a dying plant, and Tomato Plant Girl springs out of the earth. Has Little Girl found a new Best Friend? What will they do when Bossy returns? When her friendships collide, and Little Girl has to choose, she discovers the power of making up her own rules. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
KATHRYN SCHULTZ MILLER, 3936 Millsbrae Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45209; 513-351-9978
THE LEGEND OF THE TROUBLE DOLLS (UPRP), 1 act; 2 m, 2w; minimal set appropriate for touring. Young Guatemalan girl wishes for a better life using the "trouble dolls" she keeps under her pillow at night. She and her brother face an evil force, the volcanic mountain Feugo, and keep him from overtaking their homeland. Contact: playwright.
THE SHINING MOMENT (UPRP), 1 act; 2 m, 2 w; l set. Grampa remembers his "shining moment" in l910, the year of Halley's Comet. As his life comes to an end he seeks to pass on the glory of that moment to his grandson. Set on an Ohio farm, the play introduces two children, William Henry and his tomboy cousin, Ally. They learn about friendship and maturity as Grampa's "shining moment" becomes clear. Turn of the century songs enhance the magic. Winner of the Post-Corbett Award and the Ohio Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship. Contact: Anchorage Press.
WELCOME HOME (UPRP), 1 act, 2 m, 1w, simple set. A Vietnam veteran keeps a dark secret from his family. When he finally decides to tell his son about his time in Vietnam, the audience learns much about the war and the conflicted feelings of the men and women who fought it. Also the story of a loving family overcoming a tragedy that touched their lives, WELCOME HOME received a standing ovation at the 1990 AATE conference. Contact: playwright.
*N. SCOTT MOMADAY
CHILDREN OF THE SUN (NV), music by Fabian Obispo. Premiered at the Kennedy Center. Contact: Kennedy Center Youth and Family Programs, 202-416-8830.
GAY MONTEVERDE, 2815 S.E. 22nd Ave., Portland, OR 503-236-2842
HARRIET TUBMAN: AN AMERICAN HERO (UPRP), 1 act, 1m, 1f (black), unit set. A traditional storyteller summons Harriet, an old woman, into the present to share her story. The play uses audience interaction, discussion between the two actors, and enacted scenes to depict Harriet=s childhood on a slave plantation, Underground Railroad trips, friendships with famous historical figures, experiences as a Civil War nurse and spy, and old age. The theme of the play is believe in yourself and helping others. Includes extensive Teacher=s Guide. Contact: playwright.
SARAH MYERS. 203B Leland Street, Austin, TX 78704; 512-653-2971.
THE REALM (I/B), 1 act, 2 m, 4 f; area staging; cast can be expanded. This science-fiction play for high school traces the journey of two teenagers as they escape from a world that rations everything from water to air to the length of a human life – a plastic-coated, slogan-filled society where citizens are expected to lose even language itself. Contact: Bret Adams, Ltd., Bruce Ostler, agent. 212-765-5630.
COLLEEN NEUMAN, 7021 Bunker Hill Rd., Greenleaf, WI 54126; 920-532-4965
THE WONDERFUL MACHINE. New title: INTERRUPTING ERT (Childsplay production: INTERRUPTING VANESSA). (I/B), l act, 4w, 3m (lw and lm play children), area staging. Ert feels ignored by her parents and has no friends at school. In her room she amuses herself with a pile of junk and three imaginary friends. When Ert's parents invite Timmy Fibbins over to play, her imaginary friends leave but come back when Ert discovers Timmy is as quirky as she is. And for a moment, Ert's parents see her pile of junk the way she sees it --- as a machine that can do everything. Contact: Baker’s Plays.
*MAUREEN O'TOOLE
ON THE ROAD TO EDO (UPRP), l act, 5 major roles, 2-4 chorus, abstract settings, suitable for all male or all female casts. Theatrical excitement, color and stylized conventions of Kabuki Theatre embellish this original play loosely based on the Antigone legend. The death of the Emperor of Japan's son at the hand of his Warlord uncle triggers a chain of events affecting the lives of his two sisters. One, risking death, vows to honor tradition and give him a proper burial. The other fears for her life and refuses to help. A gentle Shinto priest eventually brings the Warlord to submission and helps the sisters reunite.
*JOANNE M. PARKER AND MADELYN B. LARSEN
THE SNOW QUEEN (UPRP) musical with dance, 2 acts, 9f, 8m, ensemble of 50 plus corps de ballet. A cold, angry queen and her wicked imps go to battle against the courage and love of a little girl assisted by a host of memorable characters in this adaptation of Andersen's classic tale.
LIZ PETERSON, 5 Court of Mohawk Valley, Lincolnshire, IL 60069; liz1161@aol.com
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (UPRP), musical, flexible cast of 12-40, unit set. The wealthy, spoiled, and wildly enthusiastic Mr. Toad of Toad Hall takes up a new hobby -- motorcars -- and terrorizes the once-peaceful English countryside along the Thames. His friends Ratty, Badger, and Mole try to talk sense to him but without success. As a last resort they lock him in his bedroom, but he escapes and "borrows" a motorcar without asking. Then the big trouble starts. Contact: Anchorage Press. (CD accompaniment; and small-cast, 45-minute concert version available from the playwright.)
LINDSAY PRICE, 2873 Dundas St. W, #302, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6P 1Y9; 416-410-2282
SWEEP UNDER RUG (UPRP), 1 act, 1m, 4 w (4 teenage characters) area staging. In the future, every “unfortunate” family takes part in the Bobby Sue Program. A Bobby Sue in every home that needs one. Bobby Sue is a guardian of sorts: someone who warns against missteps. Poor people need all the help they can get. They certainly can't think for themselves. But what happens when people WANT to think for themselves? What happens when a family realizes the rules aren't there to help? Miranda and Ariel must decide which is the lesser of two evils: the chaos of playing by the rules, or the chaos of breaking them. Contact: Theatrefolk, 2873 Dundas St. W #302, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6P 1Y9; 416-4190-2282
*GARY RACE (libretto) and NOA AIN (music)
ANGELS VOICES (NV). Performed at Theater Lab, the Kennedy Center. Contact: Kennedy Center Youth and Family Programs, 202-416-8830.
JOSEPH ROBINETTE
CHARLOTTE'S WEB (USA), book and music by Charles Strouse. Adapted from the book by E.B. White. Available as full-length, 5-7 m, 7-9f (doubling possible) or in a 50-minute version for 6 actors, unit set. All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who desperately wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a girl who understands what animals say to each other; Templeton, the gluttonous rat; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider Charlotte who proves to be a "true friend and a good writer." Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL (DPA). Adapted from the book by Patricia MacLachlan. 5 m, 7 w. Unit set. Tells the tale of a Kansas farmer, Jacob Witting, a widower with two children, who places an ad in the newspapers in the early 1900s, seeking a new wife. Sarah Wheaton from Maine says she will visit to see how things work out: “I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall.” Narrated by daughter Anna, the Witting family and Sarah come to know one another and themselves well. The joys and challenges of everyday life are richly depicted as the family relationship moves toward permanence. Contact: Dramatic Publishing.
JO ROETS
CYRANO (USA), from the book by Edmond Rostand, l act, 2m, 1w, 1 set. Cyrano finds his long nose offensive and cannot believe anyone could love him, so when his friend, Christian, asks his help to woo Roxane, Cyrano accepts, even though he himself loves this beautiful damsel. Cyrano writes speeches and letters that win Roxane's heart, but he keeps silent about his love for her even after Christian is killed in battle. Only when he is dying does Roxane learn the true author of the love letters. He discovers, too late, that what is inside is more important than what appears on the outside. Contact: Smith and Kraus, Inc.
MONICA LONG ROSS
MONTANA MOLLY AND THE PEPPERMINT KID (UPRP), music and lyrics by Alan Ruch. l act, 3m, 3w, with doubling, suggested settings. Molly Applegate, a recently orphaned farm girl from Pennsylvania, is lured out west in hopes of finding gold, a new life, and her hero, the Peppermint Kid. Molly ends up in Dry Gulch, Arizona, only to discover there is no gold there, and her hero is really a timid drifter hired to amuse tourists. How she becomes a star of the silent screen and accepts the difference between her illusions of the West and reality is all part of the audience-loved story. Contact: Anchorage Press.
TAMMY RYAN, c/o Ron Gwiazda, Rosenstone/Wender Agency, 212-832-8330
THE MUSIC LESSON (I/B, DPA), 2 acts, 4w, 2m, l set. Music, specifically Bach, is integral to the play. One actress may need to play the piano; other creative solutions are encouraged. Against the backdrop of the memories of the war they have left behind, a refugee couple from Sarajevo, starting a new life in Pittsburgh, PA,, share their love of music with two young American students. Through a series of music lessons, both teachers and students learn about compassion, communication, and healing. Contact: playwright's agent, above.
R.N. SANDBERG, 160 Bertrand Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-258-4092; rsand@princeton.edu
CAN’T BELIEVE IT (I/B, UPRP) 1 act, 2-4 m, 4-8 w (5 teenage characters); area staging. Teresa thinks Ron may be the perfect guy – popular, good-looking, smart, funny – with the perfect life. How can a shy kid like her even talk to him? But when their paths cross and each gets caught doing something they shouldn’t, they have to think about what they believe - about themselves, each other and what they want. CAN’T BELIEVE IT is a comic drama drawn from the real lives of students, teachers and parents. Contact: playwright.
FRANKENSTEIN’S CHILDREN (UPRP) 1 act, 2-9 m, 3-10 w (8 children; can be performed by as few as 5 or as many as 13 actors), unit set. Martina’s an almost teenager who knows her life is simply the worst. Her face is breaking out. Her hair’s monstrous. She fights with everyone. FRANKENSTEIN’S CHILDREN is Martina’s waking nightmare journey, bringing her face to face with her fears – and with choices on a path of growth and responsibility. Premiered by Metro Theater Company - "a treasure to parents and educators searching for a way to make sense out of the confusion all children face." (St. Louis Magazine)
*BARBARA SCHAAP
AESOP'S FABLES (UPRP), 2 acts (intermission can be omitted), musical, flexible cast of 6-8, 1 set. A selected group of traditional Aesop's fables presented in song, dance, mime, and story-theatre style. AESOP'S FABLES is particularly suited for elementary and middle school audiences.
SARAH SCHLESINGER 7-13 Washington Square N., Apt. 57B, New York, NY 10003; 212-777-7617