Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
Printed Music Score (piano/vocal) by Eleanor Harder $40.00
56 pages text
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By Eleanor and Ray Harder. Americanized version of "The Brementown Musicians," set in the California Gold Rush days. Two sets with entr'acts. Western costumes for the men. Suggestive animal touches for the animals. Cast: 2F, 4M.

Darby, a dreamer of a hound dog, and Molly, a mountain-grown burro, escape their gold prospector master who mistreats them. Setting off for Sacramento, where the streets are paved with gold and the good life abounds, they are joined along the way by a fiery Spanish cat and a dandified Southern rooster. When the foursome find an abandoned cabin, being used by the gold diggers turned gold robbers, they pool their combined wills and talents to claim the cabin as a home of their own, and discover "you can be the town musicians anywhere you are."

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
21 pages text
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By Esther Porter Lane. Holiday pagentry and drama. A charming retelling of the great Mummers play, folk-dramas of the Middle Ages. Christmas season celebrations herald the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. 10-25 players. Properties may be simple, as if handcrafted by peasants. Holly and ivy may decorate everything. The songs are set to well known secular Christmas carols, with plenty of fanfare and exuberance. Any found space will do as setting, beribboned casual costumes of the day, or elaborate period costumes, if desired.

Travel back in time to the Christmas celebrations in the Middle Ages which began with a parade of Knights, Princesses, a King, a Queen, and, of course, a Dragon. There were also miraculous medical practitioners who could cure all ills. In traditional rhymed dialogue, Father (or Mother) Christmas presides over exaggerated "sword and shield" battles, court dances, and St. George's heroic and romantic escapades.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
29 pages text
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By Francis Elitzig (aka David Eliet). Based on a Chinese Folk Tale, this charming play has received ovations and long-runs from the Honolulu Youth Theatre, the California Theatre Center, to the Rhode Island International Children's Theatre Festival. It may be performed by as few as 4 actors (2 women, 2 men), or as many as twelve. Except for Seagirl, the roles are gender-neutral. Setting is a playing space defined by carpet. All props and costumes surround the edges of the rug.

A Dragon lands on Horse Ear Mountain, and the river in the valley dries up. Seagirl goes up the mountain to discover what has happened. At the top she finds a great lake, blocked by an enchanted gate. A Wild Goose tells her to find the golden key. Parrots tell her she must first find the Dragon King's Third Daughter. And the Peacock tells her where the Third Daughter lives. The Third Daughter takes Seagirl underwater to a palace where the golden key is kept. Seagirl risks her life to obtain the key. Together the two girls open the gate.

Books $7.00
Royalty $35.00
14 pages text
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Adapted by Aurand Harris. A superb adaptation for one-act play contests, classroom study, and mini-productions. 4 men, 2 women, and an angel. Medieval costumes.

The plot of this early religious drama is from the Bible (Luke) with an added comic side plot. Mak's wife pretends the stolen sheep is a new born baby. An angel announces the birth of the Christ-child. The shepherds bring gifts to Mary and the Child, and join in singing the glad tidings. This simple folk version of the nativity story blends a secular comedy plot with a moving religious scene.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00
47 pages text
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By Helen P. Avery. Adapted from the beloved classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett, here is a poetic adventure that enthralls and delights as it always does. 5 men, 4 women. Five sets (two are optional).

Mary Lennox, the spoiled child of uncaring parents dead in India, is sent to Yorkshire to live with her Uncle and Guardian in a mansion on the moor. There she hears mysterious crying down the halls and knows that the housekeeper and the doctor are plotting something evil. Through the sympathy of a young housemaid, Martha, and her brother, Dickon, who tames animals, including a live rabbit, Mary comes to know what love means. Together they solve the mystery of the crying. In the "secret garden" she and her friends experience the restorative powers of creativity and self-realization.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
35 pages text
Approx. running time: 50 min.
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By Roxanne Schroeder-Arce. A celebration of the assimilation of two cultures and languages, this bilingual (English/Spanish) play uses the wisdom tales of the Mexican culture to give hope to a family faced with too much reality. Setting: Elaborate or simple. Suitable for touring. Costumes: Contemporary or stylized. Cast: 6 roles (3F, 1M, 2 either).

In this enchanting bilingual play, young Pedro and his family make their home in a barn on the Mexican border. Pedro complains of having nothing and brings his mother many headaches. She invites a hungry woman to share the family dinner once, but this Señora returns time and again to eat and tell fantastical stories of the Enchanted Serpent and Cucuy of Mexican legend, filling Pedro's nights with heroic, yet frightening dreams. Surprisingly, Pedro is learning from these wisdom tales, but his mother is suspicious of the Señora until it is revealed that Señora Tortuga holds the thread that ties their past dreams to their future.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
49 pages text
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By Rosemary G. Musil. Modern comedy, with appropriate roles for several children. 5 women, 3 men, 8 children. Two sets. Modern costumes.

Seven enterprising settlement children decide to rebel, when they learn that Miss Proudfoot, a rich old Board member, is trying to turn neighborhood house into an art colony; and they enlist the help of some of their adult friends. They have a hard time outwitting Miss Proudfoot; but the pranks they play, the scrapes they get into, the romance they bring about, and the circus they stage, win for Neighborhood House the big settlement contest and provide a happy theatre entertainment for young people.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
25 pages text
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By Joanna H. Kraus. A one-act, participatory, theatre-in-education play. 1 hour. Suitable for all ages, especially 4th to 7th grades. Simple interior set. Easy to tour. 5 men, 3 women. Approx. running time: 60 minutes.

A mongrel dog is accused when a boy drowns. This drama, based on one of America's most unusual court cases, results in a trial which gets nationwide coverage, splitting the town in half. The testimony of the witnesses is contradictory. It is up to the audience to vote whether the shaggy dog should live or die. The ending will vary among performances.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
Printed Music Score (piano/vocal) $50.00
31 pages text
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By Rae N. Simmonds. A charming original story of the Irish "travelling people" set In Ireland In the late 1800's. It combines adventure, musical comedy, puppetry and dance. Open stage and set props. Period costumes. 4 women, 5 men and choruses (few or many) of leprechaun, gypsies and tinkers.

Teenager Jimmy, his younger sister and their widowed mother travel the Irish fairs vending their wares. Disaster strikes when their horse Dolly is stolen "legal-like" by two shady "settled people", Jack the Halter and his cohort, Twister Joe. Jimmy takes to the road alone to retrieve Dolly. Amid many adventures, Jimmy meets good and evil characters, leprechauns and gypsies. Through the use of a charm, faith and perseverance, all obstacles are overcome, Dolly is rescued, and all ends happily. The production is enhanced by a delightful musical score of original songs and dances: solos, duets, and choruses. The Maine Youth Ensemble premiered THE SHAMROCK ROAD and enjoyed a great success.

Books $7.00
Royalty $35.00
25 pages text
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Adapted by Aurand Harris from the play by Oliver Goldsmith. This is the celebrated play that restored "laughing comedy" to the English stage. 6 men, 3 women, servants. 18th Century costumes. A single set.

Kate "stoops" to pretending that she is a country servant, and so wins her city lover. The fun of this good-humored play lies in the contrast of country and city manners, farcical intrigues and mistaken identities. It is as true today as when Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote of this play in 1773, "I know no comedy that has so much exhilarated an audience, that has answered so much the great end of comedy, making an audience laugh."

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
Printed Music Score (piano/vocal) $50.00
39 pages text
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By Kathryn Schultz Miller. The heart-warming story, with music, of a grandfather's extraordinary gift of life. 1 man, 1 woman, 1 boy, 1 girl. One set of a farmhouse front porch and yard, in 1986.

Grandpa remembers his "shining moment" in 1910, 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 tom-boy cousin, Ally. They learn about friendship and maturity as Grampa's "shining moment" becomes clear. Many turn of the century songs -- "By The Light of The Silvery Moon," "The Good Old Summer Time" enhance the magic. This heartwarming play with its bittersweet ending won the Post-Corbett Award for excellence in play-writing, and the Ohio Arts Council 1986 Playwriting Fellowship.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
32 pages text
Y

By Patrick B. Mace. A prize-winning play from England , and long a favorite throughout Britain. A Silver Whistle, possessing magic powers, is lost; and great adventures are had in the search for it. Originally written for audience participation, the play is readily adaptable to both non-participation format, and to semi-arena or proscenium. A countryside near a town. 10 men, 3 women, although women may portray several of the male roles.

A Silver Whistle, lost by a Princess, has magic powers. It may be used to summon the Slave of the Whistle who obeys commands, grants wishes, occassionally issues warnings or reproof. Magic, trickery, theft, and the intervention of a bird bring about changes in the whistle's ownership. Its uses result in exciting and sometimes awkward situations. Finally, the Policeman asks the audience for assistance in his search for the whistle. Their ready help may be accepted and used, or skillfully rejected by the actors, provided the whistle is ultimately returned to the Princess, who, with the Policeman, decide how best to deal with it.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
77 pages text
Y

By Jack Melanos. A famous thriller, presenting one of the most gripping and dangerous adventures of the hero of the Arabian Nights. 5 women, 7 men. Three sets. Oriental costumes.

Inquisitive young Abou, eluding his Aunt Zobeide's discipline, is caught by a stranger, who proves to be his hero, the famed explorer, Sinbad. Sinbad offers to undertake an expedition in search of Abou's lost father, but before he can do so, is drugged and captured by a scheming pair who require his navigation skill to lead them to a hidden treasure on the dangerous Isle of the Genii. For security reasons, they are obliged to take Abou along, as well as his playing companion, who proves to be the royal Princess. Challenged by the Old Man of the Sea, as well as the Genii, the plotters fall victim to the Genii's spell; and Sinbad and his friends are required to prove their courage before they secure the treasure and return home, heroes all.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
30 pages text
Y T YA

A fantasy adapted by Dennis Scott. This wonder-filled tale of old is made by the National Theatre of the Deaf into a gleaming thing of marvels, adventure, magic, and mystery, to be cherished by all people, young or old - - for any time of the year, and most particularly as a play of Festival at New Year's or Christmas. An empty space. 4 men, 2 women minimum who create 20 or more men, women, and one red bird.

Faithful to the wit, elegance, and perceptions of the fabled original tale of old as told by Sir Gawain, Dennis Scott has made a fantasy of great richness and depth sufficient to captivate adults and to fill children of all ages with delight. Originally made for The National Theatre of the Deaf, and premiered at the Eisenhower Theatre of the John F. Kennedy Center for the first national Children's Festival, 1977, this is a play not just for children, nor merely for a deaf company, but for all people young or old. Conteur tells the story - - like a Merlin/Morgan le Fey - - producing all the magic and creating all the obstacles for Gawain.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
70 pages text
Y T YA

By Eberle Thomas and Barbara Redmond. Originally comissioned by Florida's Asolo Touring Theatre for high school performance, here is a lively comic adventure in which the characters tell and perform freely adapted versions of Chaucer's beloved "Wife of Bath's Tale," "Clerk's Tale," "Friar's Tale," "Manciple's Tale," "Franklin's Tale," and the "Pardoner's Tale." Single set. 14th Century dress. 4 men, 2 women.

Four pilgrims on their way to Canterbury have arrived at the Tabard Inn on a rainy evening in April 1385. They are a Wife of Bath, a Nun, a Knight, and Geofreey Chaucer. They are joined by two new arrivals who introduce themselves as a Miller and as a Plowman. Over supper the Wife of Bath suggests that they should entertain each other by telling their favorite stories. They proceed to do so, and the results are by turn amusing, moving, and revealing of the six characters... so revealing that the two latecomers are exposed as thieves. One of the lawbreakers is driven from the Inn; the other is offered a measure of forgiveness and accepted as a pilgrim. A favorite with high school actors and audience.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
30 pages text
Y

Dramatized by Charlotte B. Chorpenning. One of the classics of the children's theatre, dramatizing the most charming of fairy tales. 8 women, 4 men. Two sets. Fairy-tale costumes.

This is a play made of beautiful imagery, telling the age-old story of the lovely Princess who was given every conceivable human gift on her christening day, but who was cursed on that day by a wicked fairy who had not been invited to the christening, who prophesied that on her sixteenth birthday the Princess should prick her finger on a spindle, and fall into a deep sleep, from which she could only be awakened, a hundred years later, by a Prince who was brave enough to fight his way through t he wilderness that had grown up around the castle. The scene in the Tower room, where she picks her finger, is one of the most poignant in dramatic literature.

Books $7.00
Printed Music Score (vocal/accompaniment) $35.00
Royalty $40.00
33 pages text
C

A Participation Play with script and lyrics by Moses Goldberg and music by Ewel Cornett, adapated from the Brothers Grimm. An American master of participation theatre has adapted this beloved Grimm Brothers tale, with its many levels of psychological truth, and presents it as a musical fantasy for audience ages 4 through 8. Cast: 6 to 10 . Two settings (simple rotating unit). Contemporary and fairy-tale costumes. A printed music score with simple vocals and instrumentation is available from the publisher. Approx. running time: 50 minutes.

A group of actors solicits help from the young audience to perform this well-known fairy tale with its rich characters including a wise Frog, a garrulous Bush, the lively Briar Rose, her well-meaning but testy Father, and, of course, the drama of the blessing of Briar Rose by the fairies of Earth, Wind, and Water and the Fairy of Fire's curse of a 100 year slumber before Briar Rose awakens to recognize "what she has never seen and live in joy." This is the archetypal story of timeless love and the virtues of patience.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
Printed Music Score (piano/vocal) by Theodore Hoffman $40.00
45 pages text
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By Judith Baker Kase. A delightfully refreshing adaptation of this popular classic with original (and optional) music by the noted composer, Theodore Hoffman. 2 men, 2 women, 7 men, women or children (as Dwarfs). Two sets. Tours comfortably. Approx. running time: 50 minutes.

Snow White's vain stepmother, the Queen, orders Lord Pettifogg to kill Snow White in the forest because the Magic Mirror says she is the fairest in the land. Instead, he warns Snow White to run away; but the Queen discovers Pettifogg's deception. Disguised as an old woman selling apples, she locates Snow White at the cottage of dwarfs, and persuades her to bite a poisoned apple, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. The Prince awakens her with a kiss and proves to be her old friend, Jollo the Jester, who was enchanted by the queen and forced to speak only in rhyme.

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Royalty $50.00/$40.00
41 pages text
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By Pat Sternberg and Dolly Beechman. Based on the historical life and character of the remarkable 19th century black woman, Sojourner Truth. Slave-born in 1797, in New York State, she was committed to the cause of freedom for black and white men and women all her life. 3 men, 3 women. Unadorned dress of the period. Single set on an open stage or platform.

At the age of 9, Sojourner is placed on the auction block and sold away from her parents to a cruel master. Her cunning survival skills and unshakeable faith in God, are her only resources. She is also endowed with a glorious singing voice which wells up to voice her yearning for a better life. She gains her freedom at age 31, and, thereafter, becomes a dedicated leader in the struggle for human rights, notably during the Civil War, appearing as a fervent orator alongside such figures as Frederick Douglas, Amy Post, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phillips. For the rest of her life, undaunted, she worked for the rights of all men and women, black and white, seeking freedom for slaves, and social justice for all.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
45 pages text
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By Mary Hall Surface. A magical new look at a timeless tale. Originally commissioned and performed by the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young People, it requires a single set, the workshop of the Sorcerer. Six characters, 1 man, and the other 5 are gender neutral.

Inspired by a bewitching cat, a lazy apprentice, Klaus, tries to use his master's magic to do everyday chores. Soon he unlocks more magic than he imagined possible. Not only Klaus must learn to well use his magical powers. Even the Sorcerer himself must struggle with the good and evil at his command. In this spirited escapade, three silent actor-dancers effect the magic of the production, including an over-flowing cauldron, a shy-high mountain, a sea-faring table. All is realized in a highly theatrical style. This is a dream play for every imaginative director, one that "probes deeply into the original folk tale and the workings of the human spirit." (Louisville Courier Journal)

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
Printed Music Score (vocal/electric keyboard) $40.00
42 pages text
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By Judith Kase-Polisini. Music by Theodore Hoffman. Adapted from Southern folk tales, this emerges as a remarkably playable story theatre production, with music, dance and mime. Six to twelve-plus roles - - adults or children (2 males required). Ideal for touring. Simple unit set. Folk dance costumes. Approx. running time: 45 min.

Storytellers introduce the humorous Daddy Mention and Sourdough Gus, a mysterious Great Conjur Alligator Man of Florida, an absurd Talking Mule, the scatterbrained Georgia Pine Wood Peddler, a sinister Mister Fox, the droll Twist Mouth Family, and a ludicrous Pudding That Broke Up the Preaching. Producers may select from among stories unified by folk dances. Works equally well with school-aged actors as well as adults. Playlets may be used singly, with appropriate royalty adjustment.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
47 pages text
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By Brian Kral. This sensitive work is one of the most widely viewed and discussed children's plays in recent years following several national television appearances, including "Good Morning, America," a two-year-run that included performances at the Kennedy Center, and performance at the 1980 convention of the Children's Theatre Association of America. Single interior. Mixed cast of children and adults (6 male, 8 female). Contemporary realistic setting and costumes.

A teacher asks, "What's the first step?" The student answers, "To find the common denominator." From that innocent premise, Special Class explores through a blend of comedy and drama, the dreams and disappointments of the handicapped child in our society. The text also includes informative notes on the original rehearsal process, helpful both in preparing non-handicapped performers for handicapped roles, and in describing how standard acting exercises may be adapted for the handicapped performer. A challenge for actors of all ages, and a moving, haunting experience for every audience member.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00
Printed Music Score (simple vocal/chords) included in play script
44 pages text
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By Mary Hall Surface. Spirit Shall Fly places a recently-arrested inner-city boy in an alternative to jail with an Applachian horse whisperer––for a chance to learn trust, patience and self-worth by helping to gentle a wild mustang, in this highly theatrical, poetic play for upper elementary through high school audiences. Simple setting, suitable for touring. Costumes: Contemporary. The music, included in the script, includes three vocal melodies with chord notation. The ensemble underscores the emotion and pace of the play with improvised percussion (wood poles), wood flute, and simple guitar accommpaniment. Cast: 5 minimum (1 F, 4 M) with up to 10 with added ensemble.

Based on innovative programs throughout the U.S., the play explores the unlikely coming together of Trey, a 14 year-old hardened by the streets; Clara, a trainer with an uncanny ability with horses, but little faith in herself with people; and Anima, a furious, frightened mustang taken from the wild world he knows. All three long to break free from their personal prisons and journey, perhaps together, toward wholeness.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
32 pages text
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By Aurand Harris. A red, white and blue all-American minstrel show with traditional American music. Minimum of 4 men, 1 woman; flexible requirements may be expanded. Costumes: contemporary blue denims, white blouses, red sashes. Op

en staging.All-American entertainment employing the Minstrel Show techniques of Interlocutor, Endmen, with songs, dances, jokes, skits and skills adaptable to your own speciality numbers. A production opportunity for innovative directors, improvisationally gifted actors.

Books $7.00
Royalty $40.00
Printed Music Score (piano/vocal) by Carolyn Greer $40.00
38 pages text
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Dramatized by Aurand Harris, from Jane Kristof's novel. A moving drama of escape from slavery and flight to freedom. 4 women, 9 men, with doubling, though more can be used if desired. Bare stage, with set-pieces pulled on by stage hands. Mid-19th-century American costumes.

Two young slave boys escape from a South Carolina plantation, and with the help of many good people, both black and white, make their way north to join their freed father in Pennsylvania. Their many adventures, dangers, hidings, disguises, narrow escapes, comic exploits, and heart-rending experiences are bridged with simple spirituals, sung by a choir. This play requires its cast to work together in close harmony, and brings new levels of perception of the people that lived in those anguished times... and indeed to those that live in ours.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00
*Printed Music Score (piano/vocal/guitar/percussion) by John Engerman $40.00
*Music Royalty $10.00
50 pages text
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By Suzan Zeder. A gifted playwright brilliantly captures the contemporary theatrical fantasies of Ellie, a little girl, electrifying audiences of children and adults alike in both professional and amateur productions. 4 women, 2 men. A fragmentary unit set suggesting Ellie's room, a bowling alley, and the streets. Modern dress.

Ellie Murphy lived happily with her widowed father, Max, bowling, eating T.V. dinners and playing with junk. But now, suddenly, life is different. Max has remarried, and Ellie has a stepmother. Ellie and her imaginary friends, Lana and Frizbee, launch into a fantasy world as Ellie seeks to escape real life problems. They romp through "prison breaks," Cinderella, Snow White, and Ellie's own funeral where "Everyone is really sorry for all the mean things they did to you." Only by running away and discovering what it is really like to be alone does Ellie begin to come in terms with herself and her own need for a mother. Note: $10.00 additional royalty for each performance utilizing music.

Books $7.00
Royalty $50.00/$40.00
34 pages text
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By Michael Bigelow Dixon and Valerie Smith. Developed for California's South Coast Repertory Young Conservatory Players, this is the comic portrayal of a co-ed baseball team confronting the worst slump of the season -- without the coach. 8 boys, 6 girls, ages 8-16. One set.

A comedy in six innings, this a delightfully perceptive play about young America's favorite pastime -- Little League. Set in the visitor's dugout, with monologues on the pitcher's mound and at home plate, the Angels brass out a real game against an imaginary team of powerhouse hitters. The result is frantic, funny, and often touching as the team discovers they have a lot to learn about themselves and the true spirit of baseball. The play offers challenges in mime, cheerleading, and accurate, realistic characterization.