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
“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
Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.
-
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
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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.
The Gift
by Lindsay Price inspired by O. Henry
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