The Gift
by Lindsay Price inspired by O. Henry
A teen transforms from shallow and selfish to giving and selfless. How did it happen? A wonderful holiday play inspired by The Gift of the Magi.
About 90 minutes
Act 1: 45 minutes, Act 2: 45 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
22
4 M | 13 W | 5 Any Gender
Simple set
96 pages
In addition to traditional live stage performance rights, The Gift can also be performed under the following scenarios.
Virtual Performance
A Virtual Performance is a performance on an online web conferencing platform such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, or Google Meets where performers are geographically isolated from one another and not together on a stage.
No audience is physically present with the performers. The audience is logged in to the same web conferencing platform as the performers.
Each time the play is performed for a virtual audience of any size (whether or not admission is charged) constitutes one performance.
Livestream Performance
Productions of The Gift may be Livestreamed.
All Livestream Performances must be conducted through our Authorized Streaming Partner, BookTix. Please contact BookTix at info@booktix.com for more information about Livestreaming.
A Livestream Performance is a traditional performance that is livestreamed to the Internet as the actors are performing. Instead of watching the show live in the theatre, the audience watches virtually from their home or other location.
All Livestream Performances must be conducted through our Authorized Streaming Partner, BookTix. Please contact BookTix at info@booktix.com for more information about Livestreaming.
A Livestream Performance may be pre-recorded. Recordings for pre-recorded Livestreams may be made if the recording is destroyed at the conclusion of the production. Should the producing organization want to retain the recording for archival purposes, they must purchase a separate Videorecording License from Theatrefolk.
Theatrefolk charges no additional fees for permission to Livestream. However, BookTix will charge nominal fees to the producing organization. Theatrefolk does not have any financial interest in BookTix and does not receive any commission or fees from BookTix.
Theatrefolk cannot be held responsible for any issues, technical, financial, legal, or otherwise, arising from the producing organization’s relationship with BookTix.
Each time the show is Livestreamed (whether performed live or pre-recorded) constitutes one performance.
One license, three ways to use it
Each royalty you purchase can be used as a Traditional Live Stage Performance, Virtual Performance, or Livestream Performance. How you choose to use your performance license is up to you! Performances need not all be of the same type so long as the total number of performances given does not exceed the total number of performances ordered.
How to Order
Click on the red "Add to Cart" button, then select "A Production"
“You totally ruined my birthday. First you won’t let me have a party and now this? It’s not the right bag at all. Take this back and get me the right one. Get me the Louis Vuitton.”
Kymberdee has gone through a transformation. Her family life has been turned upside down and because of that she has changed from a selfish materialistic hollow human being to someone who puts people ahead of things. She’s changed her name, her friends, her outlook.
But what are the events that have lead to this transformation? And when given an opportunity to return to her materialistic friends, has she changed enough to resist? And why are those foreign exchange students wandering west looking for Meester Staaahr?
Inspired by the short story The Gift of the Magi.
Awards and Accolades
- Winner of the 2013 Ronald Ruble New Play Festival
Characters
22
4 Men, 13 Women, 5 Any Gender
-
Kim
[W]
155 lines
- 16. Trying to change. Ex best-friend to Malinda.
-
Kymberdee
[W]
210 lines
- 15. A past version of Kim. Best friends with Malinda. Shallow and materialistic.
-
Malinda
[W]
144 lines
- 16. The biggest fish star in a very small pond. Shallow – a straw man surrounded by crows. Ex best-friend with Kim.
-
Bob
[M]
87 lines
- 17. Brother to Kim. Real name is Killoran, which he hates. Easygoing and very giving.
-
Laura
[W]
94 lines
- 17. Cousin to Kim. Has cancer. Facing her situation. Sarcastic.
-
Paige
[W]
130 lines
- 16. Girlfriend to Caleb. Grounded.
-
Caleb
[M]
107 lines
- 16. Goes by Cal. Boyfriend to Paige. Friendly and more perceptive than he seems.
-
Wyatt
[M]
49 lines
- 16. Seems to be a star-struck snob, but really is opportunistic.
-
Swan
[W]
46 lines
- 15. A star-struck snob, and will learn that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
-
Erica
[W]
65 lines
- 15. Not so secretly desires to be Malinda’s friend.
-
Dixie
[W]
93 lines
- 15. Not so secretly desires to be Malinda’s friend. Has an odd home life.
-
Harper
[M]
40 lines
- 15. He is in constant misery because Dixie is sort of blackmailing him.
-
Tanner
[A]
51 lines
- 16. A fraternal twin with Taylor.
-
Taylor
[A]
49 lines
- 16. A fraternal twin with Tanner. These twins can be two guys, a girl and a guy, or two girls.
-
Blue
[W]
3 lines
- 16. A somewhat silent secret weapon.
-
Ceecee & Ceelee
[W]
20, 15 lines
- 15. Two girls who are essentially ‘crows.’ They flock around Malinda, agree with everything she says and constantly croon for shiny things.
-
Bal / Gas / Melchi
[A]
3, 4, 5 lines
- 17. Three foreign exchange students. They sometimes appear to speak very little English and sometimes appear to be quite wise. As in the three wise men. And they always seem to be searching for something…
-
Kandace
[W]
48 lines
- Kim’s mother. Used to be quite like Kymberdee but has changed.
-
Ms. Gullickson
[W]
41 lines
- Known as Ms. G. The drama teacher.
- Subgenres
- Christmas/Holiday Adaptation
- Settings
- Present day
- Dress
- Contemporary costumes Elaborate costumes
- Audience
- Pre-teen Teen
- Features
- Character study
- Set
- Simple set
- Themes
- Friendship Parenting/Family Religion Individuality Economic issues Theatre
- Cross-Curricular Uses
- Economics English
- Other uses
- Competition Monologues Audition material Class work Scene work
- Awards & Accolades
- Plays with Awards & Accolades
Prop List
large acting award, small bag with cupcakes, punch card, hole punch, pile of folders, couple of bags, clown wig, earbuds, blanket, plate with cupcakes, notebook, a large bowl. (Inside the bowl there is a package of flour, a mixing spoon, a package of sugar, some measuring cups) stirring spoon, plastic bag, wig
Related Titles
Purchase Orders accepted from US and Canadian Schools.
Info for your purchasing department.
All others must pay at the time of ordering.
Not sure what you need to order? Check out our pricing and ordering guide.
Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.
Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.
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About 90 minutes
Act 1: 45 minutes, Act 2: 45 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
22
4 M | 13 W | 5 Any Gender
Simple set
96 pages