4m., 1w. (one of the male roles may be played by a woman.)
35 min.
This is the approved one-act cutting of the compelling story of Charlie, a mentally retarded man, and the strange interweaving of his life with that of Algernon, a mouse. Experimental surgery has been performed on Algernon increasing his intelligence fourfold. The operation is tried on Charlie, whose intelligence rapidly increases to that of a genius. As Charlie approaches the peak of his brilliance, Algernon shows frightening symptoms of regression. The play becomes a race against time in which Charlie tries to keep his new intelligence long enough to save himself. Learn More
This authorized stage adaptation is true to the novel in which Orwell depicts with great power the horrors of man's fate in a society where Big Brother is always watching—where everything that is not prohibited is compulsory. As your cast presents the play, you will be participating in a theatrical event that is both powerful and disturbingly provocative.
