Adapted by David S. Craig. Based upon the novel by Michael Ende.
Product Code: N61000
Full-length Play
Drama
Cast size: 6m., 3w., may be expanded to a cast of 18 plus.
This title can be licensed and sold in the following countries:
Canada, United States
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.
Told with all the thrills of a classic adventure, the story begins with Bastian, a lonely boy, who stumbles into a curious bookshop where he discovers a curious book—The Neverending Story. Bastian hides in the attic of his school and begins to read, and a huge adventure surges into life. Fantastica, a land of stories, is being destroyed by the Nothing. The Childlike Empress has chosen Atreyu, a young hunter, to be the Hero of the Great Quest. Atreyu, an orphan, is an unlikely choice, but he accepts and, with his horse and companion, Artax, rides to face the menace. First, he experiences the Nothing and discovers its thoughtless destruction. Then he is guided by a dream to the Swamps of Sadness where he meets Morla, the Ancient One, who reveals another solution. He must find the Childlike Empress a new name. With this new direction, Atreyu faces Ygramul the Many, befriends Falkor the Luck Dragon, and solves the riddles of the three magic gates to meet Uyulala. From her he learns that only a human child can give the Empress a new name. In despair he faces his final test—the werewolf Gmork—and returns to the Childlike Empress without a new name. However, his quest has attracted a human child. It is Bastian himself who calls out a new name for the Empress, and the story rushes to its triumphant and moving conclusion. Commissioned by Seattle Children's Theatre and Imagination Stage.
We just wrapped our two-week run of The Neverending Story to great acclaim and the appreciation of our little community. One of the most frequent comments from people I talked with afterwards was how surprised they were at how meaningful and beautiful the story was, especially when compared to their memories of the film of long ago. No one was prepared for the emotional roller coaster that the playwright had so expertly woven into the adaptation for this production. I was extremely proud of my talented cast as well as my production team, who managed a lot of really exciting visual elements with our...limited budget, but I was sure to tell everyone that it all started with a really, really good script. Thank you!
I was amazed as to how well received the show was by adults. Really almost more so than kids. We won several awards in Army/ Europe's annual play competition. We had a phenomenal experience.
Be advised that there are quite a few fantastical creatures that will need more time and planning to pull off if your theatre favors a big spectacle.
Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
---|---|---|---|---|
St George's Senior School | Vancouver | 04/10/2025 | 04/12/2025 | |
Corn Stock Theatre | Peoria | IL | 04/10/2025 | 04/13/2025 |
Goodman Mainstage Hall, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center | Milwaukee | WI | 05/16/2025 | 06/08/2025 |
Town of Orangeville Opera House | Orangeville | 08/22/2025 | 08/24/2025 | |
Brodie Copeland Theatre | Plano | TX | 10/02/2025 | 10/05/2025 |
College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | NC | 11/06/2025 | 11/09/2025 |
Jason Wright, Piedmont HS, Jacksonville, Ala.