Synopsis
During the German occupation of Denmark in World War II, the Nazis closed down Jewish-owned businesses and began to round up the Jews for relocation to concentration camps for the final solution. Danish freedom fighters of all ages risked everything in daring, hurried attempts to rescue the entire Jewish population. In this stirring play, young Annemarie and Kirsti Johansen face soldiers, interrogations, fierce dogs, personal danger, the loss of loved ones and their own fears as they try to help their friend Ellen Rosen escape across the ocean to Sweden and safely. Courage, faith, ingenuity and even their fledgling acting skills eventually win the day. All the drama, pathos, adventure, terror and humor that have made Number the Stars a national best seller (and winner of the Newberry Award and the American Library Association Book of the Year Award) come to life in this powerful adaptation.
Notes
No livestream rights are available for this title.
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Details
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Status
In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code N45000
- Cast Size 14
- Min. Royalty Rate $110/perf
- Cost $11.95
- Approx. Run Time 80 min
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School | College and Adult | Family (all ages) | Senior Adults | Praise Groups
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre | Praise Group | Dinner Theatre
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9780871297112
Customer Reviews
- "This was an amazing experience for our teen actors. They learned about history as well as creating wonderful characters. "
- Review by Roberta Weiner, Prana Productions, Holliston, Mass.
- "I loved it. It is a great play with an even better and important story."
- Review by Kathleen Tate, Grapevine Middle School, Grapevine, Texas
- "This enduring story of young Annemarie was embraced! When many of our students heard we would perform Number the Stars, I heard nothing but excitement! Many of them had read and loved the novel by Lois Lowry while in elementary school."
- Review by Sara Kohnen, Jefferson Junior High School, Dubuque, IA
- "Number the Stars was an excellent, entertaining and educational script. It was relatively easy to produce, and it was very true to the original novel by Lois Lowry."
- Review by Diana Champlin, Prescott High School, Prescott, Wis.
- "Number the Stars captures the essential plot and characters of the novel in a suspenseful, easy to stage drama. We performed it before elementary school audiences who were enraptured at the drama."
- Review by Claire Teague, Tacoma Baptist Schools, Tacoma, Wash.
- "This play was a beautiful story that the students really connected with. The messages of courage and friendship proved powerful. Our student audiences loved seeing the favorite novel come to life!"
- Review by Susan Derr, Wyomissing Area Junior High School, Wyomissing, Pa.
- "Fabulous play as the leading characters are females, which we all know most of us have plenty of in our departments."
- Review by Drama Director, Peoria High School, Peoria, Ariz.
- "It's a great adaptation of the novel. Much of the dialogue comes straight from the book!"
- Review by Nate Campbell, Badger Ridge Middle School, Verona, Wis.
- "A touching adaptation with well-shaped characters and a well-told story."
- Review by Chris George, Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, Buffalo, N.Y.
- "Great play. Best turnout in 19 years. Even got a standing ovation and tears."
- Review by Jim Gale, Perrysville Junior High School, Perrysville, Ohio
- "This play was beautifully written and effective. We appreciated the staging simplicity; but more, we were grateful for such a sensitive stageplay for our middle school students to perform. It was exciting to present them with such role models."
- Review by Kristina Garswood, Riverfront Theatre Company, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
- "The play can be done with minimal costumes, set pieces, and props. There are quite a few sound effects in this play, some more difficult to time than others. In our production, we added a table on stage where some of our actors created the sound effects, such as the bicycle in the first scene, the train whistle, and clock chimes. Other sound effects, such as the dogs barking in the second act, were pre-recorded.
" - Tip by Katelyn Ericson, Lend Me Your Ear Productions, Ellisville, Mo.
- "We dressed our soldiers in long wool coats and trapper-type hats so we did not have to create uniforms (this was a look we saw in photos from the era). We made rules out of wood to sling over their shoulders and it was very realistic. "
- Tip by Roberta Weiner, Prana Productions, Holliston, Mass.
- "We used wood grain patterned contact paper to cover the wheels of a regular antique boy's bike."
- Tip by Claire Teague, Tacoma Baptist Schools, Tacoma, Wash.
- "There are many scenes. Keep the sets/props simple!"
- Tip by Nate Campbell, Badger Ridge Middle School, Verona, Wis.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 Stutson | Rochester | New York | 11/8/2024 | 11/9/2024 |
| JCC at the Cohn Campus | Tampa | Florida | 11/9/2024 | 11/17/2024 |
Downloads
Poster Suggestions
- Each poster includes a text box which allows you to customize it with your production information. Once a poster has been opened, position your mouse over the lower third portion until you see a label with instructions on entering your production information. Use the Text Select Tool to customize your poster.
- You can print the poster in its original format and hand write your information.
- Your local copy shop should be able to create prints from a file saved to disk. They might even be able to increase the size of the poster for you (although some loss of resolution will occur).
Gallery
NYS Theatre Institute, Troy, N.Y.
Goucher College Theatre, Baltimore, Md.
Story Theatre Company, Ames, IA
