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A Lunch Line Caleen Jennings deals with contemporary issues with a significant flair that speaks to the teen of today. With wit, perception, love and respect, her work cleverly addresses subjects that are important in our very complex society. Ethics, peer pressure, moral dilemmas and self-worth are just a few of the sensitive topics of her work. Gail Humphries Breeskin, American University Washington, D.C. "A Lunch Line was probably the most important contribution Caleen made to BAPA (Bethesda Academy of Performing Art)," said Bonnie Fogel, the Academy's Executive Director. "BAPA students continue to use and enjoy the scenes and monologues that are neither too babyish nor too much of a stretch. Caleen has a great gift and accessible writing style that children relate to easily. The children believe 'the persona I'm taking on could be me.' BAPA uses Jenning's work informally in classes and also has staged her plays." Ellyn Wexler, The Montgomery MD Gazette And the Rains Came Playing Mother Noah was an experience I shall always cherish. As a member of the original cast, I saw dinner theatre audiences of all ages respond to the humor, follow the familiar story as if it were new, and appreciate the human, timeless reactions to a coming cataclysm. With a serious theme for our time, the play is a find for churches, community theatres and schools, indeed anywhere that good family entertainment is sought. And the Rains Came stays with me as it will with you. Nellie McCaslin, New York University And the Rains Came...and Came will appeal to a diverse audience for several reasons. Outrageously funny. . .true to the Biblical account. . . with a few exceptions, the cast is composed of villains who mock, beguile and cheat to satisfy their own desires. The villains play their parts well, their own evil illuminating Noah's goodness. Michael Trochim is Noah. With a disarming air of vulnerability, he plays the righteous man of God who tries to warn his friends and neighbors of impending doom. Plagued by a nagging wife and a mother who treats him like a 10-year-old, Noah desperately tries to understand and obey the Word of the Lord. Questioning but obedient, loving but resigned, optimistic but struggling, he portrays an immense number of emotions. As dutiful husband, loving son, obedient believer, Trochim shines. Mother Noah is played by the inestimable Nellie McCaslin.Taking some liberty with the Genesis account of the flood, Stephenson uses the character of Mother Noah to remind the audience of Noah's heart-wrenching dilemma, having to leave behind friends and loved ones who will not be rescued from the flood. We root for Mother Noah; yet, like Noah, we ultimately accept God's divine wisdom and move on. Joyce Tukloff, The Franklin News Post Rocky Mount, Virginia Canterbury Tales Canterbury Tales was a smashing success. When the audience responses were spontaneous enough for the reviewer to assume they were "plants," my students felt good about their success as participatory players. Canterbury Tales is such a good play and quite a challenge for student actors. By the way, females in male roles worked very well. Katie Damron, Director, Little Theatre Sumter, South Carolina Cinderella Once again our school has benefitted from a great script from New Plays. Not only were we able to present a wonderful play that the audience loved but the experience of seeingthe fairy tale in different cultures allowed us to learn more about our world and the people who make up our community. Drawing support and cultural awareness from our city gave our students the opportunity to meet and experience these stories and new styles of theatre. They learnt that many parts of the world have their own Cinderellas too! It was a great time and a positive experience in many ways. Thank you for having this script in your collection. Lyle Johnson, Drama Director, A. E. Peacock Collegiate Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Our audiences loved the play. It was easy to get school groups because of the multicultural aspects of the show and once here, the children were enchanted. For our evening performances the play had the same appeal to a general family audience. Once the word of mouth got around about the show, we had to turn away both school groups and family patrons. Because of our success with Cinderella: The World's Favorite Fairy Tale, I cannot recommend it too highly. Rex Stephenson, Ferrum College Ferrum, Virginia Hansel and Gretel We so enjoyed producing Hansel and Gretel that we are going to do another one of your shows. I just overed the books for The Fisherman and His Wife over the internet. . . . We really do like the plays in your catalogue. They are of excellent quality and as fun for the actors as they are for the children who come to see them. Keep up the good work! Margie Secora, Vice President, Margie Secora, Vice President Southwick, Massachusetts Home Safe Home Safe is a deeply moving and honest look at a painful subject. It is told with love and understanding and a deep sympathy that comes with knowledge and forgiveness. It has tenderness, humor, pain and beauty. In one way it is so simple, and yet it deals with a complex issue that needs our understanding. I know of nothing that deals with the issue of alcohol abuse in such an imaginative, dramatic and unadorned fashion. Home Safe is a play that everyone should see. Graham Whitehead , Child's Play Theatre Tempe, Arizona Very few plays inspire tears, gales of laughter, and intense conversation, but Home Safe is one of those plays. That was my reaction to the rehearsed reading at the Bonderman National Playwriting Symposium, and again at my production at Drury University and the Vandivort Center Theatre here in Springfield. This is important play about a difficult topic, but its exquisitely drawn young characters and their fresh, funny, heartbreaking dialogue also make it a theatrical experience not to be missed. Sandra Asher , Drury University Springfield, Missouri Most Powerful Jujus Poor Iyabo. The Yoruba orphan is forced to beg in the marketplace, and then meanspirited adults falsely accuse her of stealing. Accusers chase her, then appeal for help when the lose her. "I just saw her--Where did she go?" "Have you seen her?" they ask several bystanders. Without missing a beat or a cue, the bystanders come screaming to life. "OVER THEEERE," shout 200 little witnesses, all primary students from Wiley Elementary School. "She's there, she's there," they yell, squealing on Iyabo. Never mind that the young girl has endured hardships not of her making and soon will be ostracized and seek refuge with animals. That is not the main point of this wildly popular children's play,Most Powerful Jujus. The purpose of Jujus--a West African word for a charm and the magic it carries--is to involve kindergarten, first and second-grade students in theatre. The entire time they're being entertained, they're also sharpening their critical thinking skills or, as they know it, putting on their thinking caps. The children unravel the play and determine its ending by listening, responding to cues, following instructions and using their imaginations. Along the way, the also learn some West African culture and geography. The audience easily metamorphoses from tiny schoolchildren into powerful animals, portraying grass eaters such as elephants and antelope and meateaters such as the leopard. They commune with squawking birds and lisssssping reptiles and gobble up imaginary peanuts and watermelon for a dream feast. They also learn to work the magic of the jujus: "break a twig. Throw it to the ground. Stomp your hooves and bellow." Along their theatrical journey, the children seem to develop a sense of justice, albeit one prodded by performers. They also developed a sense of magic and whimsy, as best explained by Wiley second-grader Matthew Johnson. "It taught me that you don't have to have twigs for your dreams," says Matthew, 8. "You can just have the dream and the desire." Cathy Gant Hill, Greensboro, NC News and Record Same but Different I just wanted to let you know that my 5th grade performed their production of Same but Different this week to rave reviews. Our entire Lower School, plus a few Middle and Upper School students came to celebrate with my students. The content is so appropriate for children in these pre-adolescent years. The play prompted many wonderful discussions among students and teachers in the lower grades. And the parents were delighted. . . . All in all, this was a truly terrific experience for all involved. Last year's Way's End and then this year's Same but Different . . . let me know when you get another show that features lots of actors in this age range! Susan F. LaPalombara, Lower School Drama, The Episcopal Academy Merion, Pennsylvania Tales from the Rebbe's Table In the shtetls of Eastern Europe one or two centuries ago, the rebbe served as the central figure in tiny Jewish communities. Families came to the rebbe for advice, wisdom, counseling, financial and social problems. And the rebbe, a learned man, was meant to solve them. Part psychologist, part soothsayer, even part magician, the rebbe was a powerful and respected figure. Legends and folk tales evolved depicting his wisdom and wit. A new play for children ages 5-11 revives shtetl life for 20th century kids. Tales from the Rebbe's Table revolves around three Jewish families whose houses cluster around the courtyard of the shtetl shul. Out of each of the families grows a folktale and, as each of the tales is dramatized, characters from the families mix and mingle. Throughout it all, the rebbe is there observing, overseeing and advising in his special way. Renowned playwright and children's theatre expert, Flora Atkin believes children of any faith will be entertained and educated by the play. It's rich in Jewish folklore and tradition. The rebbe is a wise man, with characteristics of Elijah the prophet; there's manipulation; he's whimsical, and even performs some miraculous deeds. And some of these tales are heard worldwide. If there's a niversality to it and children can relate to it, they will watch. Lisa Traiger, Washington Jewish Week The Enchanted Attic The Enchanted Attic has all the ingredients any great children's show should have: magic, meaning, heart, and most of all imagination. The attic and its characters really began to feel alive to all of us who worked on the show. Its charming tale of imagination touched all of us that look at life as being full of what some might call magic. Tom Sweitzer, Director, The Hill Playhouse Middleburg, Virginia The Life of Aesop Kenneth Cavander's The Life of Aesop, staged by Playhouse Jr., relates a clever and most enjoyable story. He uses the character of Aesop and his many fables to teach a lesson about the value of freedom and the evil of slavery. The play is set it ancient Greece where a blowhard philosopher receives his comeuppance and his son gains a friend and a greater understanding of man's responsibility to his fellow man. Cavander's skill lies not just in his storytelling, but in his ability to inject humor that will tickle adults and children alike That joyfulness is extended in colorful bits of costume, loads of silly horseplay and a happy, meaningful ending that's sure to give Aesop a run for his money. Anna Rosenstein, Pennsylvania Post Gazette Pittsburgh The Princess and the Pea As the bitter winter winds rush through the poor city streets of Imperial Russia, young Anya and her father, Victor, fight Alexander II's tax collectors to keep their precious "spot" on the street where they sell birds. Anya is enchanted with the young tsar, Aleander "Alexi" Nikolaevich, and though they have never properly met, Anya is certain that she can convince the tsar to change his severe laws. Alexi, however, has other problems; the law requires that he marry a true princess. . . Not the traditional story of the princess and the pea as I remember it--but much better! The dialogue is creative and engaging, the characters are comical, human, and heartwarming, and the plot proves more intricate and more exciting than other "watered down" versions of this delightful tale. The cast may be as small as ten, but is flexible to be as large as twelve or more. Costuming and scenery is versatile, with great room for creativity. The action moves quickly, pushed forward by both plot and character, and at a running time of approximately one hour, it will easily engage kindergartners and sixth graders alike. Shelly Graham, Children's Book and Play Review November/December 2000 Theatre on a Tabletop Thanks to Kuang-Yu Fong's and Steve Kaplin's thorough investigation of this little known genre of puppet theatre, we get a full appreciation of the wide variety of societal functions of the tabletop subculture. May the sense and beauty and practicality of these smallest of theatres succeed to fight the senselessness and ugliness and insensitivity of the TV dictatorship! Peter Schumann, Bread and Puppet Theatre After seeing several performances of tabletop theatre, devised and produced by amateurs as well as by professionals, I realized that not only does it possess charm as entertainment, but it has great value as an educational medium. Teachers will discover directions for making the little two-dimensional puppets used in toy theatre. Objects were often used in addition to the little puppet figures, hence the term "object theatre." In fact there is no prop or object that cannot be used if it is small enough to fit on the stage. (Actually, even large objects such as flying dragons overhead can add color and excitement to a show.) Also included is a detailed explanation of the construction and use of the overhead projector. But I should be remiss were I to suggest that Theatre on a Tabletop is a book for the exclusive interest of puppeteers. The author's scope is wide, offering a philosophy that goes far beyond the craft of puppetry and includes art, literature, aesthetics, teaching methodology, and a multi-cultural perspective. Teachers in many fields will welcome a text that is unique in its appeal. Dr. Nellie McCaslin, New York University Kuang-Yu Fong and Stephen Kaplin's Theatre on a Tabletop is a rare event: an approach to the intriguing aspect of puppet theatre that not only tells the reader how to go about making tabletop puppet shows, but also explains the fascinating history of the form. The authors' analysis of different forms of tabletop theatre, including toy theatre, object theatre, and overhead projection theatre is brilliantly clear, and illustrated by numerous helpful and interesting examples from the authors' own experience with the forms. In the book's advice about the practical aspects of tabletop theatre,workshops and professional production is extraordinarily rich, and again informed by the authors' extensive practice in the field and estimable success. An extra bonus is the insights Fong and Kaplin's work give us about give us about the nature and possibilities of cross-cultural collaboration in contemporary art making, which are shown here to be truly inspiring. Fong and Kaplin are talented and innovative puppeteers, whose skills and energies are rare in today's world of puppet theatre, and Theatre on a Tabletop is a valuable addition to our knowledge of puppet theatre in the twenty-first century. John Bell, Professor, Co-Founder, Great Small Works Emerson College Tortilla Moon This is an extraordinarily exciting script. There is an integrity to the very reason for telling the story of this people, their history, and their culture. The characters are drawn with magical strokes which make them, as in a fable, slightly bigger than life, but grounded in honesty-both the good guys and the bad guys. Most importantly, the script provides the opportunity of staging of a ravishing visual nature. All the elements of design, sound, and movement come together to create a breathtaking experience in the theatre. Mark Lynch, Florida Stages White as Snow, Red as Blood Dear Jinny, I am writing to tell you again how much I admire your Snow White. I think it is profound. I have read lots of scripts for young audiences that are impeccably crafted. This script, though, is sound in its craftsmanship and structure, but profound in its artistry. It's the voice, the vision, the language of this script which is profound. While maintaining the integrity of the fairytale, you have found a way for the reader/audience member to experience completely the power of the fairtale. You have made it extremely contemporary. . . it subsumes us intellectually, but that is only the beginning. What it really does is take our hearts on a wild ride. And it's on that ride in which the profound insights are born. As you can see, I like it. James Larson, Artistic Director, Emmy Gifford Theatre Omaha, Nebraska

Copyright Newplays for Children 1998-2009 Last Updated May, 2009