Experimental Form

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. neeT Teen by Lindsay Price is a fantastic play for your group. It's got a little bit everything - from the absurd, to movement, to audience participation, to song... There's even the opportunity to add your own scene to the mix! Teen life – backwards, forwards and inside-out. From dealing with the tractor beam of insecurity and doubt, to dealing with parents who couldn’t hear you if they tried. From fighting pimples to fighting the hallway. From knowing math skills aren’t going to get the girl to knowing that happy teenagers exist. They may not get the laughs, or the drama, or the big monologue, but they’re there. Let's hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to write a vignette play that went out of my comfort zone in terms of exploring form. And there is every type of form in this play from kitchen sink scenes, to absurd, to movement based moments, to choral work, to audience participation, to song, to groups adding their own scene. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences? Teen life – backwards, forwards, inside out. 3. What's the most important visual for you in this play? I love the ending where the entire cast is singing about not feeling great, not being liked and not getting worried about it. They're not going to change who they are. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Don't get bogged down by the different forms. Focus on the individual characters in each scene and express the form through what those characters want and the obstacles in their way. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It looks at teen life and tackles topics that many teens go through in a unique and varied way. 6. Who is your favourite character in the play? She's not my favourite character, but for me, it's the most vivid moment in the play. Tyne has bullied another girl to the point where she felt she had to take her own life. Tyne is trying to grapple with the vast weight of this moment and rationalizing her actions as just "a little mean." It's one of my "favourite" monologues in its rawness and how words have consequences. 7. What is your favourite line in the play? "The world would be a better place if people weren’t so easily offended by words that don’t actually do anything, they just exist."

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Funhouse by Lindsay Price is an incredibly unique and challenging vignette-style play that is an excellent catalyst for conversations around bullying. This play looks at the bullied, the bully, and the bystander through mostly non-verbal vignettes. Life for the bullied is like a funhouse, but the funhouse is anything but fun. How can you stand your ground when you’re on a falling floor? How can you move forward when you’re caught like a mouse in a maze? How can you win Whac-A-Mole when you’re the mole? How can you like yourself while standing in a distorted hall of mirrors? There are no cotton candy answers here. Why did we publish this play? A lot of our plays come from listening to customers. A piece of feedback from middle school teachers we received is that they loved our non-verbal play _Emotional Baggage _but the concept was a little beyond their students. Could we provide one specifically for middle school? With a larger cast? _ _ Funhouse looks at the bullied, the bully and the bystander through mostly non-verbal vignettes. When looking at other plays on the topic, there wasn’t a lot we liked – many end with a bully-bullied confrontation in which the bully instantly sees the error of their ways and promises to be a better person. And they all lived happily ever after. This never happens in real life. Can bullies change? Of course! But not in one moment on stage. It’s so destructive to show such a fairy tale ending because there will be students in the audience watching the show, being bullied, knowing their situation is not being represented. And therein lies a huge problem. Issue plays are tricky because they deal with issues that are happening right then, right now to someone watching the play. It’s not therapy, it’s not an informational brochure and theatricality must always preside, but the issue play does have some responsibility to address the reality of the issue. Having said that, just as you can’t show the sitcom “everyone loves each other” happy ending, you can’t go to the other extreme and show flat out no-win annihilation. Because then that student sitting in the audience, being bullied, has the very terrifying thought of, “Well there’s no hope, is there?” And that is something we’re not prepared to sit on the shoulders of a 10- or 11-year-old. _Funhouse _has the right balance between the extremes, in a theatrical context and that’s why it’s in our catalogue. It’s unique and a great catalyst for post show discussion on the issue of bullying. It’s a challenging piece, but by no means is it beyond the middle school scope. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I heard from middle school teachers that they loved the non-verbal elements in Emotional Baggage but were looking for a middle school specific play, and could it have a larger cast? Done and done! I had seen a number of plays that addressed the topic of bullying and wasn’t happy with what I saw – a lot of bullies seeing the error of their ways. I wanted to write something different. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The funhouse aims to turn reality upside-down – it shows you a distorted version of yourself in a mirror. It tilts the floor away when you least expect it. It jumps out at you from the shadows. It distorts the truth. It’s a vivid image for what life is like for the bullied. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Sometimes the bullies win. That’s important to show. These acts are vital to the reality of the play, for indeed they are vital to showing the reality of what a bullied student must face. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s a play that relies primarily on action rather than dialogue, so that’s going to be your focus. How does action tell the story in each moment? It’s a challenging play but by no means beyond the middle school performer scope. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? The scope of bullying is pretty far reaching these days, from physical to verbal, to the different ways boys bully than girls, to the insidiousness of cyberbullying. This play offers a opportunity for students, in the play and watching the play to engage in conversations on this, unfortunately, extremely relevant issue. Get your copy of Funhouse_ _right here, right now!Not right for your group right now? Search our play catalogue to find one that your performers will love!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Chicken. Road. by Lindsay Price is an issue-based play for high school performers that is not an answer to the issue, but an amazing forum to start the discussions. Why did the chicken cross the road? Why is the sky blue? What’s two plus two? Why did he kill himself? A group of teenagers grapple with unanswered questions as they struggle to understand why someone would run out on to the highway in front of semi. Especially when that someone seemed to have it all. Here’s a chicken. Here’s the road. There’s the other side. What do you do when there is no answer? Why did we publish this play? Our philosophy at Theatrefolk is that issue plays should start conversations, not be the answer to the issue. Chicken. Road. is all about questions, especially the big one “Why would someone who has it all, kill themselves?” The play shows students struggling with this questions and others, and it presents a possible doorway for teenagers to share their own struggles. The original staging for the play is very simple – a line of students. There is no identified set. This would translate easily to a virtual platform, in fact, the isolation that some of these characters feel would make for a vivid image in a virtual production. Love the play but need a shorter version? Check out Chicken. Road. Competition Version too! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? The question “why” is always the first people often ask when someone they know commits suicide. And that’s because they want a clear cut answer – two+two=four. And the truth is there is no answer. I wanted to explore that question in a theatrical context. I also feel that issue plays should start conversations rather than be the one and only answer. That was definitely my goal for the script. 1a. Why did you write a separate Competition Length version of this play? One of the challenges with some of my plays is their length—plain and simple. Schools that compete with 30-minute productions can’t perform 50-minute plays, no matter how strong the material. Recently, I’ve taken on the challenge of revisiting several of my longer works, aiming to preserve their integrity and intention while making them more concise. It’s been an exciting project, and I’ve loved reconnecting with pieces I haven’t read in over a decade. I’m eager to see if this streamlined version of Chicken. Road. can find a new audience. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Suicide cannot be easily explained. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? There’s a moment in one of the final monologues in which the best friend of the teenager who killed himself describes the reaction from his mother: “She wants to throw her swarm of questions at me and watch me die from the stings.” I think that is a vivid picture of someone who is desperate to find an answer, and someone who just doesn’t have the answer. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Yes, this is a serious subject and should be treated seriously. But also remember that this is a play. It has to be theatrical. There has to be a variety of tone. An audience will turn off if the play is one note from beginning to end. There’s some humour in the play, don’t ignore or downplay it. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? This is a topic that some adults would rather not discuss with teens. They don’t want to touch sensitive subjects – if they don’t talk about them, they don’t happen. Which of course is the opposite of how to address a sensitive topic. Students need to talk, to figure out how they feel, and to express their opinions. Refusing to talk about suicide helps no one. 6. Why is this play great for online platforms? The staging of the play is very simple – a line of students. This would translate easily to rows of Zoom boxes.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Floating on a Don’t Care Cloud by Lindsay Price is a powerful and emotional issue-based play that is a theatrical and vivid personification of drugs. Jamie Peel is a pothead. He lives in his own world, a bubble, a cloud that calls his name and reaches out to him. His sister TJ has watched him slowly drift away and doesn’t know what to do. Is she overreacting? Is it in her imagination? Should she tell somebody what she sees? Will Jamie ever talk to her again if she does? Will everyone see her as a snitch? Is it just pot? An emotional tightrope between a sister and a brother and what really happens in the world of teenage marijuana use. Why did we publish this play? This play takes an issue and makes it theatrical. The theatre has to come first. Our stance on issue plays is that it’s not the job of the play to solve the issue, or point a finger. It’s the job of the play to show characters dealing with, struggling with, sometimes failing within an issue. This way the play ends and the conversation begins. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? Issue plays are important to me, not because they provide answers but because they ask questions. I think of the final moment of this play as the beginning of the conversation that should happen afterward. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. An emotional tug of war between siblings and what happens in the world of teenage drug use. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The Cloud! It turns drug use into characters and allows Jamie to interact with others as he sinks deeper and deeper into addiction. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Don’t go all slow with the Cloud. That will drag the pace of the play. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Personification is a wonderful theatrical element that all actors, let alone student actors, should explore.

darklight by Lindsay Price is not only a fantastic vignette play for high school performers, it’s also an opportunity for discussion, community and communication on a topic that is happening to them and around them every day. darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope. This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore. We were thrilled to learn about the incredible interpretation of darklight from Freeport High School in Freeport, Maine. Director Natalie Safley and the school’s talented thespian group were able to take the play and really make it their own through the creative use of their lighting and set design. As you can see from the production photos, a picture really does speak a thousand words… and in this case, many, many more!

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Power Play by Lindsay Price is a dramatic play for your high school performers that is sure to evoke discussion and dialogue. A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why? Was it the Goth girl? The football star? The super-intelligent geek? High school violence is a hot media topic, but it is too often simplistically portrayed by putting teens into tidy categories and pointing at the outsider. Power Play explores the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence – not just the brutal shock of the school shooting, but also verbal harassment and bullying. Violence is about power. So is high school. NOTE: This play requires the onstage appearance of a gun. Why did we publish this play? This play has absurd moments, vivid characterization, and a powerful message: school violence happens everyday and as the title suggests, it’s all about power. It’s a topic that needs to be talked about, and theatre is a great way to initiate that conversation. This is one of our more graphic plays because you can’t whitewash or dumb down violence, though many administrators would like to. We have many plays that we’re happy to adjust lines or cut lines but I knew from the beginning that this play would have to stand as is. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? Violence, all types, physical, verbal and emotional is prevalent in school environments – it happens every day. I wanted to not only show characters going through it but how they deal with it. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Violence is about power. So is high school. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The contrast between the intense realism between the five characters and the exaggerated absurd nature of the presentation moments. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Don’t forget the humour. No one wants to watch intense anger or sobbing, or yelling for 30 minutes straight. Dramas need variety and humour is the way to set up your intense moments for the most dramatic impact. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s an unfortunately, relatable and current topic. The play also gives students the opportunity to do some really detailed character and physical action work.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Chemo Girl and Other Playsby Christian Kiley is an incredible dramatic collection of plays that can be performed as a full night of theatre or as a cutting for competition. A collection of plays that examine the impact of cancer as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Characters deal with the difficulty of saying the word cancer out loud, the difficulty of admitting a friend or family member has the disease, and the difficulty of finding the energy and the attitude needed to fight. Why did we publish this play? We are incredibly proud to publish Chemo Girl and Other Plays. Not only do we respect Christian Kiley as a writer, we love that he trusted us with this particular work as it comes out of his own fight against cancer. Christian has fully theatricalized “the C word” and examines the impact of cancer through the eyes of teenagers – that’s a perspective we don’t often see with this disease. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? In May of 2012, I got really sick and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I wanted to do something meaningful, powerful even, while I was undergoing chemotherapy. I started writing “Red Rover” and I realized that I had a story to tell. One that I hoped would give people insight into the experience of battling cancer and maybe even inspire people to fight. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Chemo Girl and Other Plays is a look at the resiliency people, particularly young people, have in fighting cancer. We are strong, stronger that we know, and we have to dig deep to find the courage to overcome life’s biggest challenges. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I have been amazed with the artwork, photographs, and moments in productions that I have seen of Chemo Girl and Other Plays. I love this question because my answer can change based on a production I have not seen yet (a version of the play that has yet to be produced). My favorite image in the collection of plays is when Camille swims down to attempt to cut the red wire. This is an image that exemplifies the bravery and resiliency required to overcome one of life’s biggest challenges. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? I know this is true for Theatre in general too, but, push the limits, explore your imagination. Experiment, explore, and say yes to creative ideas! One of the things I am most proud of with this play is that it relies almost entirely on the actors individually and as an ensemble to create the world of the play. It is a great challenge for a group of dynamically talented actors to rely on themselves. Embrace the challenge! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It hands the issue, the fight, over to talented young people. They are the ones that very soon will have their hands on the wheel that guides the direction of our future, our planet. For me, Jasmine Hamming (the very talented student director) guided the production of Chemo Girl (2012) so beautifully when I was out, not at school, receiving treatment, and returned to see the product, I honestly said what I honestly felt, that I could not have done a better job. I was honored and humbled that a student could convey such love and respect to a mentor/teacher in such a profound way. In the handful of productions of Chemo Girl and Other Plays that I have seen in Southern California (and they have been high-quality productions), I have been struck by how much the experience has meant to the students. Our young people want to fight for noble causes, they want to make the world better. This play is my small contribution to the myriad of possibilities available for artist-students to fight the good fight.

Stroke Static by Lindsay Price is a heartbreaking look at dementia from the inside. The struggle between real and fantasy. Past and present. An award-winning theatrical experience. Russ is an eighty-three year-old man in a nursing home struggling with multi-infarct dementia. But in his mind he sees himself as a boy of eighteen, and thus is played by a young actor. Russ wrestles with reality versus fantasy, and past versus present as he struggles to understand where he is and what is happening to him. The ensemble plays a variety of real and imaginary characters in Russ’ mind. A heartbreaking look at what goes on in the mind of someone who can’t communicate. Under the direction of Megan Emanuel , the incredibly talented drama group at Brookville High School in Lynchburg, VA realized that the characters in Stroke Static represent much more than just characters in a play. There are real people every day dealing with these real life situations and this team was able to connect to that message and convey the emotion through their performances: “We’ve had great success with your play. It’s been a challenging and rewarding experience for my Advanced Acting students. I wanted the acting to be as authentic as possible so we took a field trip to a local Memory Care facility and spent the afternoon painting pumpkins and interacting with the residents. It was an eye opening experience for many of my students and helped them connect to their characters in a meaningful way. We also participated in our city’s Alzheimer’s Walk and have raised $850 toward our $1000 goal for the Alzheimer’s Association. We won our district competition, our regional competition, and we are headed to the VHSL State Theatre Festival. We were credited at our regional competition for choosing such a great script. Our mantra throughout this process has been…”tell Russ’s story!” It’s probably the most difficult script we have tackled and the hard work the students have invested is paying off.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Layers by Gary Rodgers is a fantastic play within a play… within a play! Step inside Robin’s world as he grapples with his conscience and his anti-conscience. And then deeper into a world of misinformed theatrical anthropologists from the 25th century. And then deeper still as the writer tries to figure out an ending… which he may not be able to do if he’s not actually the writer. This is not just one play. It’s a play within a play within an onion within a cabbage. Layers is filled with, well, layers. Characters and story overlap and cabbage gets thrown. Make sure you read to the very end because it’s not the writer who writes the final word… Why did we publish this play? This play is an onion. It’s a play within a play within a play. That alone makes it an interesting challenge: when are we in which world? Add to that we have characters grappling with both their conscious and their anti-conscious, characters from the 125th century, and a writer who isn’t the writer. This all could be a jumble as one layer piles on another, but it’s not. It’s so well written. We love the challenge of this play, love the fun of the challenge and we love being able to offer the challenge you! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I approached this production with the intention of creating a play within a play within a play (and believe me I toyed with the idea of putting it all in another play) and adding several standard aspects of theatre including a quasi-chorus group, the breaking of the forth wall, and an audience plant. The plan was to create something entertaining for both performers and the audience. I had a fantastic cast to work with when we performed the original production and I was delighted with how well it all came together. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. I always thought the theme of Layers is that all decisions have consequences, however, it is questionable whether we are actually in control of our decisions. Surely, we all make decisions that guide our fate in life but is it possible that our decisions are actually guided by fate? Do we really make independent choices or is it our destiny to have made them? In other words, are we creating a script as we go or are we simply following one? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The characters Knowledge and Quote add a whole other dimension to this play, or shall I say “layer.” Though acknowledged by the Writer and Advisor, their presence cannot be explained. They do however, create the impression that they are controlled by some outside entity and are displeased with their situation. It is important that their body language and positioning portray the idea that they are not the masters of their own fate, though they should not act as robots, but rather slaves. This sets them up well for the skirmish scene at the very end when they battle with Robin for the laptop, which represents the opportunity for one of them to rewrite their destiny. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s almost impossible for actors to overact the characters in this play. I would advise anyone performing these roles to ham it up and bring as much life and animation to each character as possible. This play moves surprisingly fast and if every performer brings a pile of energy to their role, the audience will hang on every word. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? This is just a super fun play that is great to act in. It has a level of complexity and sophistication that can challenge student performers yet is not overly complicated or confusing. It has a clever wit about it, not only in individual lines but in the fabric of the situations created. Ultimately, young performers will feed off their audience’s ample reactions to this play.

Sadness. Hopelessness. Irritability. Anger. Hostility. Angst. Doubt. darklight by Lindsay Price examines the important and relevant issues of depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope. This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore. Rachelle Kinn and the skilled student performers of the Century High School Theatre Department in Bismarck, ND challenged themselves and their audience as they shared the important messages in the play: “darklight is a great play about a topic no one want to talk about. It was a challenging and rewarding play to direct. Rehearsals were not always fun, but the students tackled a subject they could relate to. The topic is heavy, but it resonated with everyone in our audience. We performed darklight for the state play contest, and we took first place! TIPS: It is important to have fun during rehearsal. Since the topic is serious and takes a toll on emotions, students need to laugh. We tried to start or end with a game or dance to break up the seriousness of the message. The lines can be delivered many different ways, so we worked hard to have each vignette portray the emotions a little differently since everyone copes with anxiety and depression differently. We reminded ourselves every rehearsal what our purpose was with the production–that there is hope even in the darkest of times.” Congratulations, Century High School!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Letters by Mrs. Evelyn Merritt is an excellent and challenging Reader’s Theatre script for high school and middle school student performers. For many wars, letters home were the only form of communication between soldiers and their loved ones. Letters is thought-provoking and character-driven. It’s not hard to see Marie, Jim, Caleb, Sarah, Harriet and Robert reaching out with pen and paper. Why did we publish this play? What’s great about the script is its focus on the characters. Each character expresses specific emotions about their place in their particular war. The play also has oral elements such as overlapping speech, unison speech, and repeated patterns. The words speak for themselves. A thought-provoking piece. Why is this play great for online platforms? Because this play is set up as Reader’s Theatre, it’s easy to transfer to an online platform. The montage sections can be presented in a gallery setting and will take a little practice to get the timing – but they would in a traditional production too. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted a way to allow students to remember the past in a theatrical way. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Remember the human face of war. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The letters. Even though it’s readers theater, try to have the type of letter each of these characters would have as a prop. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Reader’s Theatre doesn’t mean you can’t act – each character should be brought to life as much as possible, even though you have a script in your hand. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a chance for students to put a face to the past and also connect to history. Experiencing history is always better than just reading about it.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Tick Talk by Lindsay Price is a wonderful technical exercise for high school student performers that also serves as a fantastic starting point for discussions. The teenagers in Tick Talk have a lot to say, but no way to say it. Most characters are limited to only ONE WORD for the whole play. A fascinating challenge for actors: What happens when a character has just one word to express hopes, fears, and frustrations? What if they have something terribly important to say but can’t? They’d better find a way soon: Time is running out. Why did we publish this play? “What If” questions are great questions to explore in theatre – “what if” characters only had one word or phrase to share their story and their experience? That is the world of the play in _Tick Talk. _ How do we encourage students to find ways other than dialogue to create a three-dimensional characterization? Plays that challenge form, challenge students, and challenge the audience are important and that’s why Tick Talk is in our catalogue. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I love writing challenges. What if wrote a play where the characters have only one word or phrase to tell their story? What would that look like on the page? What would that look like in performance? 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The teenagers in this play have much to say but no way to say it. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? There is a character named Great Dance, who puts on the visual of being completely “happy” but we learn that she is also bulimic. The idea that people often hide darkness behind a positive face is something we often miss. We only focus on what we see. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s all about the subtext. Every single line a character says in the play, even though it’s the same line over and over, has a different subtext. It’s important for students to figure out the meaning behind each line in order to help them know how to say it. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a great challenge for students to take characters their own age who are limited in their dialogue. How will they make a three-dimensional character out of one word?

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price is one of our most unique plays, based solely on action and no dialogue. Suitable for performance and in-class work, the play focuses on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement. 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? Why did we publish this play? Emotional Baggage is one of our most unique plays. There is no dialogue and so the play’s story is told through the physical action of the characters. This presents a wonderful creative challenge for students and directors. We’ve seen many different productions of the show over the years and each one is different than the next. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I love a challenge. So why not write a play in which there is a clearly defined story, but none of the characters have any words to express that story. It went through a number of workshops to get the description just write on the page so that anyone picking up the script would know what they were supposed to do, and convey with an action. This is one of the plays I’m most proud of. 2. Decribe the theme in one or two sentences. Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The heaviness of the “baggage” each character carries with them. It doesn’t matter the size of the baggage (one character carries a small purse), the weight is enormous. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Know exactly what each character is “saying” with each movement. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? What a great challenge for students! How do you tell a story when you don’t have any words? Also, all of the characters are archetypes so there’s a lot of fun to be with costume, hair, and make-up.

More and more students are dealing with issues surrounding depression and anxiety. darklight by Lindsay Price helps start a relevant and meaningful dialogue and lets students know they are not alone in their struggle. darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope. This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore. Director Karah Janssen and the skilled student group at Marie Murphy School in Wilmette, Illinois were able to tap into and share the strong social messages in darklight, while allowing themselves to be challenged by the themes and the material: “The middle school I teach in has many mature, skilled actors and this show gave them a challenge both in scene work and in ensemble work. We felt good about doing a show with a relevant, meaningful social message, not just doing fluffy “middle school” material. There was a bit of hand-wringing on the part of my administration — we had support from our counseling staff for cast members, if they needed it (they didn’t) and for the student audience, if they needed to talk afterwards. (There was one student who did.). It prompted fantastic, meaningful discussions in classes after the school saw the play, and got featured in two local papers. It’s a risk for my age level of students, but it was very worthwhile. A few tips: Don’t skimp on the quality of lights/sound. It made a huge difference in overall quality. Also, be creative with set design. You can do anything you want, which is really rare.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Puzzle Pieces by Krista Boehnert is a monologue-based play that is a fantastic vehicle to introducing monologues to your student performers. Puzzle Pieces explores teen issues through a series of monologues. The characters speak frankly about their fears, their futures, and their day to day life. The serious dramatic scenes are balanced with humour, and the play is ultimately uplifting. The characters choose to embrace life and all its struggles, rather than shy away from it. Why did we publish this play? Monologues are a challenge. They are also inherently theatrical – they don’t often happen in real life. This is exactly why you should be tackling monologues in the classroom and in your theatre. Puzzle Pieces is an excellent play to introduce monologues to your student because the entire play is made up of monologues. Characters talk frankly about their fears, their futures and their day-to-day lives. I’ve loved this piece since I first read it for it’s characters, it’s structure, and it’s message. Why is this play good for online platforms? Because this play is written in monologue form, it adapts really well to a virtual performance format. Characters connect directly to the audience, and this will work whether they are on stage, or they are staring right into their computer camera. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to experiment with format and write a monologue-based play. The characters in Puzzle Pieces each share their own story – the plotlines of the characters don’t intersect. This is both challenging and liberating for the director and actors when producing the play. Puzzle Pieces is instead woven around a common theme all characters are grappling with, which allowed me to explore a multitude of storylines rather than diving into just one topic. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Growing up is complicated. You can try to be picture perfect, but real life is messier than that. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Each character brings their own experience and story to the play. They each embody a puzzle piece for how a life can take shape, and for how to navigate life. The variety in their approaches is my favourite visual in the play. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Although the play is monologue-based, it should be a collaborative experience both in the rehearsal and performance. Because the characters’ worlds don’t intersect, there is lots of rooms for character development that can be tackled by the individual actors, or as a collective. The staging can also be more collaborative than solitary. Actors can support each other with the monologue performances whether that be direct contact, like holding their hand or comforting them while they speak, or acting out scenes they describe in their speech. It’s very open to experimentation and interpretation, so don’t be shy about trying different ways to bring the play to life. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It’s a great opportunity for practising character development, for learning how to prepare and perform monologues, and for experimenting with creative staging – both with their own monologues, and in supporting their fellow cast members as they perform their pieces. 6. Do you have any tips for those looking to perform this play online? Both Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces? lend themselves nicely for online performance. As a monologue-based play, it allows for that intimate connection between the audience and a single performer. Settings in the performance space provider (such as Zoom) can be set to highlight the speaker, which results in the performer filling the whole screen, rather than the audience seeing all actors at once, if the director wishes to present it this way. The plays are flexible, however, and do lend themselves to an ensemble performance as well. While actors are performing their monologues, the remaining actors can support the performances in a variety of ways. The director and cast can choose if all actors participate, or if only a select number do. If not all actors are participating in the scene, the director can ask them to simple turn and face their back to their camera, or walk out of frame thus “leaving the stage.” Using the example of Jamie from Puzzle Pieces, talking about playing football, some staging options for supporting cast in a virtual environment include: • Mime – actors can silently act out playing football, crowd members cheering, etc. • Tableaux – actors can strike various poses that indicate a football game or game attendees • Props – actors can hold up football themed props – jerseys, pompoms, football, foam fingers, cowbells, popcorn buckets, etc. • Costume add-ons – team jackets, jerseys, ball caps – to help set the “game day” scene • Virtual Backgrounds – actors can turn on virtual backgrounds that mimic signs people hold up at football games to cheer the team on • Reaction Buttons – actors can engage their “applause” or “Thumbs up” reaction buttons to indicate crowd cheering the football team on The staging for Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces is flexible regardless of the staging environment – live, virtual, live-streamed. In their simplest form, each scene can be performed with only the actor(s) in the scene who are speaking being “on stage” (or on screen depending on the scenario). The bulk of both plays are monologues, so for the majority of the play, you could have a single actor on stage/screen. To enrich the performance experience for the audience, I would recommend engaging cast members to enhance the monologues by employing tactics such as mime, tableaux, use of props and costume add-ons, virtual backgrounds and reaction buttons. This creates a space where the audience and the cast are all part of each “monologue moment” and heightens the impact of each characters’ story/experience by bringing it more fully to life.

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Stressed by Alan Haehnel is a symphony of sound and character that is a true theatrical experience. A challenging but incredibly fun piece, this vivid character play is an excellent competition piece. 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. Why did we publish this play? Alan describes Stressed as a Teen Symphony. I love this description and it’s so accurate! Characters blend and crash, emotions swell like strings. It’s a fantastic piece to teach students not only how to create a character but how to listen to each other. Add to that, the structure is monologue-based, so you’re also teaching students the craft of preparing multiple monologues. This play has gone on to great success in competitions and I’m thrilled we were able to publish it. Why is this play great for online platforms? This play is written in monologue format, and each character is in their own space – so it easily transfers to an online format. There is some unison speaking and some sound exploration under text, so that will take some creative thinking and problem solving. But if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s drama teachers and students! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? Because stress has been increasing lately for everyone, and I wanted to give students a humorous way to express their feelings about it. 2. Decribe the theme in one or two sentences. Well, the theme is in the title. But an important sub-theme is that we are all in this stress-filled world together. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? This is more an exploration of rhythm and vocal variety than it is a visual play, but I think a creative director could have a lot of fun with costuming and lighting to enhance the different characters and the quick pace of the piece. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Remember the sub-title of the play: “A Teen Symphony.” The vocal work has to be tight and musical. The voices should truly interplay like instruments in a quartet. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Besides relatable subject matter, this play gives four student performers a ton of juicy lines, lots of stage time, a full range of emotional states, and great chance to put together a tour de force entry for any drama contest.

Sadness. Hopelessness. Irritability. Anger. Hostility. Angst. Doubt. With teenage depression and anxiety rates on the rise, plays like darklight by Lindsay Price are more relevant than ever. darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope. This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore. Under the direction of Debbie Hornback , the amazing drama team at Montesano Jr/Sr High School in Montesano, Washington had an incredibly successful journey with their production of darklight. Their journey was truly a springboard for discussions and sharing for both the cast and their audience: “It was a learning experience for both myself (director) and the cast. The issues prompted thoughtful conversations and some insight for those not familiar with all aspects of the illnesses. Hit home with many in the audience as well, and we had tears at the end. The cast really wanted to make sure the message of hope was loud and clear to all who saw it.”

Chemo Girl by Christian Kiley is part of a collection of plays that examine the impact of cancer as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Camille is given a video game system from her mom as a form of recovery therapy for cancer. She prefers reading books. Video game worlds lack realism and she believes they will not help her fight against cancer. However, Camille is pulled into the video game world that mirrors her fight. She meets the Gamemaster and takes on the screen name Chemo Girl. The drama group at Carine SHS in Carine, Western Australia mastered the theatricality and creative invention that is such a huge part of Chemo Girl and successfully worked as a team to deal with some new skills and some very serious issues: “It was a challenge for my students, as some of them had not performed in front of an audience before, and chorus work was a new concept for them. However, it was a great learning experience and it was really nice seeing them pull it together as a team.”

If you’re looking for an excellent and challenging Reader’s Theatre script that chronicles the correspondence between the battlefront and home, Letters by Mrs. Evelyn Merritt is one you won’t want to miss. Super simple to stage, the characters in this play are from the civil war, WWI and WWII all the way up to the Iraq War. It is a thought provoking look at what people say to each other in times of strife. For many wars, letters home were the only form of communication between soldiers and their loved ones. Letters is thought-provoking and character-driven. It’s not hard to see Marie, Jim, Caleb, Sarah, Harriet and Robert reaching out with pen and paper. Kristina Mercilliott and the talented student performers at VFW Auxiliary in Afton, New York had an emotional experience with their production that had an incredible impact on both students and their audience: “This was the first play I directed, I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted to honor our veterans and teach the kids along the way for the understanding on why we stand for the flag, why we have Veterans Day off, why it was important to remember these men and women. This play was perfect – it was more than what I expected and it brought up questions that I had to answer. It was a very emotional play for our audience, and we are looking forward to doing this one again one day! It brought kids and our local veterans together so they could share stories.”

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Drum Taps by Lindsay Price is a theatrical adaptation of a selection of Walt Whitman’s civil war poems. Available in both large cast and small cast versions, student performers can bring a war-time experience to stage. The poems in Drum Taps represent Walt Whitman’s firsthand account of the Civil War. See the words, the emotion, the blood come to life in this theatrical adaptation. This is not your traditional readers theatre or poetry recital. This is flesh and bone words breathed to their fullest humanity. This is struggle and pain. This is confusion and contradiction. This is war. Why did we publish this play? It’s one thing to read about war in a textbook. It’s another thing to read an account by someone who was there, who can feel every word they write. And it takes on an entirely new meaning when you read a firsthand account of war through a creative genre. Walt Whitman’s Drum Taps poetry illuminates his experience of the Civil War – his passion for it at the beginning, his despair at Lincoln’s death, his visits to the wounded at hospitals, his change of attitude towards war as it drew on. Poetry is hard to stage. It’s a singular experience. I find Whitman’s poetry extremely character-driven. Each poem tells a story. But one genre does not necessarily fit easily into another. A poem is not a play. That was my challenge with my adaptation of Drum Taps – to bring the characters to life and to make it make sense to an audience. Our version of Drum Taps brings war to life in a unique way. It’s a challenge, it’s cross-curricular, it’s a unique theatrical experience. All great reasons to publish a play. Let’s hear from the author!1.Why did you write this play? Adaptation is my favourite style of writing. I like taking something in one form and finding it’s theatricality. I’ve always been fond of Walt Whitman, and had the opportunity to study some poems in detail. And that’s when I started seeing the possibilities. The vivid imagery of the poetry, and really, the first hand account of war really spoke to me. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. War brought to life. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I think the two images that bookend the play, that also represent Whitman’s changing view of war – the beginning of the war where there is excitement to see the young men in their clean uniforms going off to fight for right, and then the much different tone at the end, as the realities, the death, the anguish of war has been fully realized. Whereas at the beginning characters hold pieces of manuscript up high and proud, at the end (the poem is “To a Certain Civilian”) a character crumples pages of manuscript and throws them to the ground. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Work with the text as is. It’s all Whitman, there are no lines of dialogue that are my own. So don’t change it, don’t modernize it, figure it out. It’s Whitman! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? I think the source material is a vivid and vibrant first hand look at a war that doesn’t have a lot of primary sources. This alone is important. And then the task to bring a theatricality to poetry is a valuable process. I loved writing it and I have loved seeing it in performance!