Stories for a New Century

Stories, according to Jonathan Levy's provocative new book, Practical Education for the Unimaginable are as essential and basic as reading, writing, and arithmetic. And nothing can match theatre as a way of sharing stories. Not just myth and legend and children's literature (new this year are two Appalachian tales and a Velveteen Rabbit) but stories about real people (Galileo and Phillis Wheatley, for example) and family stories (Kimchi Kid, Hold That Tiger; Seven Ages of Anne). Stories from the past, retold for today (Medea's Children; And the Rains Came). Stories about our present (A Lunch Line; 3 Girls & Clorox), even about our future (Round Pegs, Square Pegs; The Red Spikey Ball.) These are among the plays in our first two divisions, here intermingled because age-appropriate divisions are getting harder to define:

New Plays for Children

Plays and musicals crafted from children's literature, folklore and fairy tales, and the bright imaginings of some of our best playwrights, for the delight of youngsters from kindergarten through the fifth or sixth grade.

New Plays for Young Adults

A welcome variety of plays meeting the special needs of pre-teens and teens--robust, well-written, with lots of parts young people can sink their teeth into; full of fun, yet dealing with significant themes and ideas.

New Plays Books

Our third division, New Plays Books gives you the tools to help young people draw on the riches of art (Pioneer Journeys: Drama in Museum Education); history (Teaching about the Holocaust Through Drama) and literature (Play with Shakespeare) to develop their own stories. Bringing the Word Alive shares ideas for making plays out of the stories children write about themselves. Whether you are a theatre specialist, teacher, or arts-in-education student, this collection of books will go straight from the drama shelf into your classroom or after school program, bringing you new ideas and techniques.

Our 2008-2009 catalog is thicker than ever. Please take your time browsing through it so you won't miss any of the titles that may open up new horizons for you.