Dramedy

If you’re looking for a middle school play that has it all, look no further than Box by Lindsay Price. Flexible casting, small scene and monologue opportunities, and dealing with issues that middle-schoolers can relate to, this vignette play is not to be missed. Sometimes we choose the way the world sees us. Black box – indestructible. Jewelry box – plain on the outside, shiny on the inside. Sometimes our box is defined by others – our parents, our friends, our enemies. A box built by others can feel small, confined, impossible. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Director Sally Vopnfjord was thrilled to share the success of the amazing student performers at Kipling Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, who were able to create and share their own middle-school magic: “Our school recently performed BOX as part of the National Theatre School Drama Festival (formerly Sears Drama Fest). Despite competing in the festival for the first time and featuring first-time actors – we won! We were selected as one of the top 3 shows in our district. BOX will now be performed in the Toronto Regionals at Hart House – fingers crossed that we can take this show all the way to the Provincial Finals.” Congratulations on your success, Kipling Collegiate!

Are your students ready to take their theatrical techniques to the next level? Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price is ready for you! The most unique play we sell, it is based solely on action and has no dialogue. Seven strangers meet in a train station. Instead of luggage, they all carry their “emotional baggage.” They must confront themselves and one another. Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours? Suitable for performance and in-class work, the play focuses on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement. Drama teacher, Jeannine LeSann was excited to share her students’ success with us. As a student directed production, the talented ensemble at Esterhazy High School in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan were trailblazers as the first EHS production to earn this award. “We performed at our Regional Drama Festival and won Best Overall Production! I just thought I would pass on this success to you along with some images of the play for you to look at. The best thing about this is that the play was actually student directed and this the director’s final year with us. It is so great that he is able to have success with such a great play and a dedicated cast.”

Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie by Lindsay Price examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The drama students at Washington Jr. High School in Manitowoc, WI asked and answered these tough questions in their performance of Hoodie. From the first read-through to the set design to opening night, it is obvious that this was a true labour of love. Not only were the students able to gain experience and insight into the theatrical process, but they were able to truly relate to the theme and messaging throughout the play: “You should learn how to be an individual and do what you want to do in your life.” “You don’t always have to be in a certain group. Just be yourself. Be unique.”

A symphony of sound. A symphony of character. Vivid themes. Vivid characters. Stressed by Alan Haehnel is a true theatrical experience for any drama students looking for a bit of a challenge and a whole lot of fun. For Alex, it’s school. For Josh, it’s his girlfriend. For Carmen, it’s dealing with her coach. And Mindy’s frustrated with her parents. Stress is driving this quartet crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. A challenging but incredibly fun piece. The incredibly talented group of student performers that make up the Stromness Drama Club off the northeastern coast of Scotland in Orkney , didn’t stress at all about their production of Stressed. In fact, they thrived! “Every year we try to put on a youth production as part of the Scottish Community Drama Association’s one-act play competition. This year we were fortunate (or good!) enough to win the youth trophy and also to come 3rd overall. We also won the Northern Divisional Youth Final and will be competing at the Scottish Finals as well.”

“This is the box my parents want for me. This is who my parents want me to be. A shining star… I don’t want to disappoint my parents, but this is not my box.” How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Box by Lindsay Price is a middle school vignette play with flexible casting. It can be expanded for a large cast or reduced to a cast of 10 with doubling. Excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. Under the direction of Stephanie Brook the student performers at GEMS World Academy in Switzerland demonstrated that the challenges of choosing how the world sees us is shared by students worldwide. “This was performed by my theatre class made up on only Grade 6 students (ages 11-12), from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. We have Italian, Spanish, Swiss, Canadian, American, British, Scottish, Irish, Filipino, Dutch, Argentinian, Venezuelan, Brazilian, Israeli and Portuguese, to name a few. I had to do a lot of unpacking of the material for them to understand what the play was speaking about, but this is a beautiful age to be addressing stereotypes and “boxes”, and they really connected with it. I have been receiving messages from parents all evening telling me how wonderful it was. Several of the parents, kids and staff at school commented on how relevant, how real and how engaging the play was. One of the students really connected with it, and she was in Grade 4! She said it helped her to understand a lot of what goes on at school. The school counsellor wants us to take this on as a Grade 6 play every year – she thinks it is so perfect.” Congratulations GEMS World Academy!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. We are excited to feature We Are Masks by Lindsay Price – a one-act dramedy that challenges performers and audiences alike to examine the masks we all wear every day. We all wear a mask. Some hide for good reasons. Some for self preservation. Even when you’re ready to take off your mask, it’s a hard thing to do. What will happen when the world sees who you really are? Four teenagers wear a variety of masks: Imposter Foster. Persona Paloma. Nolan No-Try. Macy Maintains. Each has to make a choice – show the world their true self, or stay behind their mask. Who will reveal themselves? Who will stay in the shadows? Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? The idea of public persona and private persona is a great one to explore on the stage because unlike real life, you can show both. Anytime we get to see “inside” a character is amazing theatre. It was fun to decide which mask each of the characters would wear, and whether or not they would shed their mask by the end of the play. Not all the characters do. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. We all wear masks. What will happen when the world sees who you really are? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The masks! Both the ones that the ensemble wear that we can see and the ones the characters wear that are invisible. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Discuss with your students the idea of public and private persona. Your students are going to be able to provide a lot of insight about how the people they see every day wear a mask. How can they take their real world experience and translate to their characters? 5. Why is this play great for student performers? The theme is relevant, and there are awesome physical action possibilities with the ensemble. Everyone wears a mask – what’s yours?

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. In One Hundred Lies by Alan Haehnel, “Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us.” In this poignant comedy, teenager Liz Nostrand presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: To dramatize, in only 30 minutes, 100 significant lies told by and to Liz. By the final buzzer, though, we see that the most crucial lies in Liz’s life are those she has told herself. One Hundred Lies brings you in laughing and sends you out thinking. Why did we publish this play? For Liz, life is a competition. Points for her choices and points against. The goal of the game is that in 30 minutes we see 100 lies told to and by Liz. The great thing about this play is how it creeps. It presents as one thing and twists into another. We start out with your standard “hey it’s a game show!” format, right up to the point where actors enter for a particular scene and the Liz turns to them to say “I’m not ready for that scene yet.” That’s when everything turns and you know you’re not in a “game show” play. You’re in for something deeper, more poignant, and by the end, heart breaking. The play needs a dynamic actor to play Liz and some thought into how to play the score board. But it’s the kind of problem solving that makes for awesome theatre! Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Plays usually begin with a fascination or a frustration. This one came mainly from my fascination with how many lies, big and small, our lives rely upon. One Hundred Lies also came from the frustration of trying to get to the real truths that underlie our actions. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Lies are inevitable, but the quality of our relationships are what save or damn us. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Liz squaring off against the scoreboard. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Keep the pace tight! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Those not playing the role of Liz get the opportunity to play a variety of roles. The actor playing Liz gets a rich acting challenge playing a character with a great deal at stake and a great number of walls she has to break down in order to begin to heal.

New student Gertie Greene is a bully. Gossip spreads like wildfire that she attacks kids in the bathroom, knocks down football players, and gets suspended all the time. Even teachers are afraid of her. Everyone’s talking about it so it must be true. But is she really a terrifying monster? In The Redemption of Gertie Greene by Taryn Temple, the truth comes out in the most unexpected ways. Is Gertie really what everyone calls her: a freak, strange, stupid, clumsy, and mean? Or can Mrs. Fillmore’s quirky drama students see past the scuttlebutt to discover the real person behind the rumors? As they separate fact from fiction, Gertie and her fellow drama students bring to light the transforming power of kindness, and the importance of standing up for people who can’t defend themselves. The student performers at Pioneer Trail Middle School in Olathe, Kansas had an amazing opportunity to not only perform this incredible play, but were fortunate enough to work directly with the playwright herself. Drama teacher and director, Sarah Mattie , reached out to Taryn, inviting her to the performance and to see if she would be willing to video chat with the cast. The result was an amazing experience for everyone involved! Playwright Taryn Temple shares her thoughts on the experience: “They asked great questions about where I got the inspiration for the show, how I saw the characters when I wrote them, if I had doubts about including tough subject matter like the scene between Nicole and Pete Mackleson, and even what hobbies I had outside of theater. I also got to ask them questions like what they hoped the audience would take away from the show (the boy that played Pete Mackleson said, “I want people that watch the show to know that even though this is a play it is also real life, that things like this really happen to us.“), and what experiences they’ve had with bullies in the past. I got to go see their show and they did a great job! They were ecstatic to see me (I felt like a pop star). One extra fun note: the girl that originated the role of Shannon was able to come to the show, too! (I work with her mom…hee hee!) The picture of the girl with the roses on her shirt (new Shannon) and the girl in the grey jacket (original Shannon) are the two Shannons meeting each other! On the playbill the included statistics about bullying, and what adults and kids can do to fight bullying. The kids created their own PSA at the end of the show (completely the students’ idea!). They came out for the curtain call holding posters with negative words and phrases they have witnessed or that have been said to them. One member of the cast stepped forward and read a PSA about how we can stand up to bullying and work to make the world a better and more positive place. Then all of the students flipped their posters over and on the back was written positive compliments and affirmations. It was so personal. It brought tears to my eyes.”

_What will be her dreadful fate _ _When the trumpet sounds the call _ _For those who stand against the state _ Must first learn how to fall. In Agatha Rex by Lindsay Price, Agatha is a girl who stands up for her beliefs, regardless of the consequences. As student council president at Thebes High, she vigorously defends a student who is unfairly punished. Based on her actions, she could be expelled and lose an important scholarship. Set in a modern-day high school, this modern adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone translates the original Greek chorus into a fantastic ensemble opportunity. Under the direction of Jon Burnett , the amazing student performers at San Francisco Friends School in San Francisco, CA brought this modern day Greek tragedy to life. Both the characters and the audience watching were left with the same question: In the same situation would you stand up for someone who is unpopular, or do you flow with the status quo?

Middle school can be tough. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie by Lindsay Price examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The drama group at Turning Point School in Culver City, California asked themselves some of these tough questions as they navigated their way through this issue-based dramedy. Director Jane McEneaney shares her thoughts on this amazing journey: “I’m writing to thank you for your play, HOODIE. We performed on Friday and it was so successful. The play is just the tip of the iceberg. The girls (no boys signed up) learned so much about themselves. It was fantastic! The girls also sponsored a Mirror-Free Friday in honor of the show. This involved covering the bathroom mirrors with paper and inviting everyone to look at the beauty inside and write positive comments on the paper. I can’t thank you enough for this script. As well, the cast did a talk-back with the audience after the performance and revealed quite a bit about their own struggles and how that challenged them as actors.” Great job, Turning Point School!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Today we look at Storied, a dramedy for high schools and middle schools where three teenagers enter a magical dimension and are pulled into a conflict between Good and Bad Ideas from classic tales. Who is to blame for the bad idea? Over the course of their adventure, they encounter Alice and the White Rabbit from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Snow White’s formerly evil stepmother, the witch from Hansel and Gretel, Lady Macbeth, Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, Santa Claus, and others. In an exploration of the nature of stories, characters, and the responsibilities of creators to their creations, the trio begins to wonder… could they be characters in a story themselves? Why did we publish this play? There’s lots to love about Storied. I love plays that take characters from one genre and put them in another. Elizabeth Bennett and Santa Claus aren’t supposed to be in the same play, but what happens when they are? I also love plays that take unexpected turns. This play has a lot of humour, a wild ride (not unlike Alice down the rabbit hole) but things don’t end well for every character. Storied takes its subject seriously and that’s what moves it to a whole new level in terms of quality. Well worth a read in terms of interesting characters and exposing students to a work that prompts a lot of discussion. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Initially, I was drawn to the concept of a world populated by famous fictional characters because it gave me a big toy box to play in. But the toy box was so big that I was struggling to find a direction. But when it became apparent that I needed to kill off one of the main characters (because she was dominating the script more than I intended) the play suddenly found its direction as I began writing about the role of stories in life in death and the nature of the ideas that those stories contain. ** 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.** Storytellers have a responsibility to respect their ideas, because ideas are real things. ** 3. What is the most important visual for you in this play?** A sniper in a tutu menacingly baring his soul to two teenagers while the body of the girl he just killed lies a few feet away. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Aside from the obvious-yet-I-can’t say-it-often-enough-because-it’s-such-a-common-problem “be loud enough for the audience to hear you,” I would have to say, “There’s a lot going on in this play–crazy outlandish stuff and really big, deep ideas–but it all coheres in the end. So embrace the absurdity, embrace tragedy, and give it all 110%.” 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Storied offers powerful acting moments and challenges students to rethink how they view the act of artistic creation.

Emotional Baggage. We all have it but how do we deal with it? The characters within this one-act dramedy by Lindsay Price carry theirs with them at all times. They convey their stories and struggles solely through actions and gestures. That’s right – this play has no words! Because of this, the play relies heavily upon the characters’ gestures and music to take the place of dialogue and convey the story. Jennifer Denty and her student group of performers at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet, Newfoundland were not only up to the challenge but surpassed it with an award-winning performance. “My drama team from Northern Lights Academy just finished the High School Labrador Regional Drama Festival and we took second place! We also won best music (we used 30% from the script and added our own), best staging, and best director. Plus, one of my students (he played Overbearing Mother) won for physical comedy and my student who played Well Rounded Person won an acting merit award.” Congratulations, Northern Lights Academy! *Photo credit: Jennifer Denty

Drama teachers, if you’re looking for a production for your middle school group that’s great for group work and focuses on issues your students can relate to, be sure to check out Hoodie by Lindsay Price. Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The talented drama students at Lee Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama, led by drama teacher Tricia Oliver , tackled these relevant issues in this engaging play which led them on an extremely successful journey. “I ended up going with a 7 minute cutting from Hoodie for our ensemble piece for our 15 girls (7-12th grade) and we won 2nd place at our state competition! We will be reworking the piece to perform it at Alabama Thespian festival with my senior thespians. – Tricia Oliver” Congratulations on your award-winning performance, Lee Scott Academy!

How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us by society? Help your students choose how the world sees them with the issue-based vignette play, Boxby Lindsay Price. Perfect for middle schools, Box offers flexible casting along with excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Under the direction of Deborah Horn , the drama students at B.L. Gray Junior High in Mission, Texas built upon their previous success with Hoodie to tackle the relatable issues in Box. “The Theatre I class at B.L. Gray Junior High presented “Box” on November 17, 2016. Because I am working with multiple classes, I always look for vignette plays so that I can divide the scenes between classes. We had such success with Hoodie in 2015 that I wanted to try Box. The growth that I saw in the scholars was impressive. Their stage presence, projection, physical and vocal characterization all improved tremendously. Knowing how much these students each grow by participation in theatre is the best part of play directing. – Deborah Horn” Way to go, B.L Gray Junior High!

_Puzzle Pieces _by Krista Boehnert mixes humour and and drama to help high school students explore teen issues through a series of monologues. Keigan Page ‘s students at The American School in Vietnam performed the play and were able to truly connect with the characters they portrayed. “We launched a new senior level drama class this year called Advanced Performance Production. The purpose of this class was to become a theatre company. We are quite a small school, the class itself was only 6 students. With a student director we chose to perform Puzzle Pieces. The students connected with their roles in a way I have never seen high school students connect. The whole show was student run with the actors/director doubling as set designers, costumes, advertising etc. This was so important, it is not just about teen issues but speaks to people of all ages. – Keigan Page” Great stuff, American School!

Being sixteen isn’t always easy, as audiences come to learn from Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less by Bradley Hayward; a bittersweet collection of ten minute plays. From extracting a gummy bear out of a new set of braces to coping with bullies, these characters share their innermost hopes and fears with each other, ten minutes at a time. As the audience drops in on these intimate moments, they will come to understand that being sixteen isn’t always easy. Jane Purdy and the student performers at Center High School in Antelope, CA were up to the challenge. “This play was a huge success. It was different from previous plays and the students really responded to it. In fact, they still talk about it. It is deceptively simple, the dialogue and presentation is challenging for the actors. it is basically a bare set with a few props but so effective! The picture is of our program. One of the students took a picture of each cast member and made silhouettes of each character and put it on the program I loved this idea. We used it for our marquee, bulletin board in the lobby and programs. _– _Jane Purdy” Well done, Center High School!