Synopsis
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control and safe. There is no war or fear or pain. There are also no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. But when Jonas turns 12, he is chosen for special training from The Giver—to receive and keep the memories of the community. The Giver is the only person who holds the memories of real pain and real joy. Now Jonas will learn the truth about life—and the hypocrisy of his utopian world. Through this astonishing and moving adaptation, discover what it means to grow up, to grow wise, and to take control of your own destiny. The Giver was commissioned by Oregon Children's Theatre and has played to sold-out audiences at such theatres as Oregon Children's Theatre, First Stage Milwaukee, The Coterie Theatre, People's Light and Theatre Company, Dallas Children's Theater, Stages Repertory, Nashville Children's Theatre, Lexington Children's Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, and Indiana Repertory Theatre.
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 G91000
- Cast Size 6
- Min. Royalty Rate $110/perf
- Cost $11.95
- Approx. Run Time 70 min
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School | College and Adult | Family (all ages)
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre | TYA
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9781583426623
Customer Reviews
- "Great show, very simple! Lots of opportunities to double casting too. Our show ran two totally different casts, but with the same light/sound cues and blocking - definitely brought an entirely different feel for the script. Lots of room for unique lighting and sound effects based on your space! Would highly recommend!"
- Review by AJ Prawitz, John F. Hodge HS, St. James, Mo.
- "This show was great for my junior high group. They loved the story!"
- Review by Heather Garsen, Friendswood Junior High, Friendswood, Texas
- "The Giver was a wonderful script. Very thoughtfully adapted and well staged. We LOVED diving into this dystopian world and exploring what sameness REALLY means. The characters stretched us all as actors. We completely loved this experience!"
- Review by Sarah Plamann, Hamilton High School, Sussex, Wis.
- "A beloved middle school book with which many of our students are familiar, turned into a beautiful stage adaptation."
- Review by Shannon Malrich, Triad High School, Troy, Ill.
- "We've been honored with the opportunity of producing The Giver for school performances. The whole production staff, cast and designers fell in love with the project, but the best part was that the audience composed of students and teachers were ecstatic as well. It's definitely a story filled with love and magic."
- Review by Madelyn Ortiz, Corporacion Teatro Latino, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
- "My perspective on the play is that the audience is seeing things through the eyes of Jonas. I think a single flash of color as the apple flies through the air is too fast for the eye to catch, and I feel it is vital that we establish the color red at that point in the story. So, here's how we're handling it: Jonas and Asher are tossing a GREY apple back and forth. We establish Asher's tendency to fumble his catches. At one of Asher's fumbles, he turns upstage, pockets the GREY apple and switches into play a RED apple that has been pre-set in his pocket. Jonas catches the RED apple. Jonas plays that moment of discovery with the apple in his hand, then tosses back a RED apple, asking Asher if he's noticed anything. As Asher catches a RED apple and tosses it back to Jonas, Jonas is struck by what he sees that Asher does not. Asher heads off. Jonas keeps the RED apple and pockets it. During the scene immediately following, when Gabriel enters the family for the first time, Jonas goes to the baby's basket to examine the eyes of this child who has eyes like his. I've directed audience focus away from Jonas as Mother takes Lily aside to tell her that being a Birth Mother is not a future to aspire to. That's when Jonas makes a switch from the RED apple in his pocket to a GREY apple hidden in blankets in Gabe's basket. When the announcement comes that snacks are to be eaten and not hoarded, Jonas produces from his pocket a GREY apple."
- Tip by Carol North, Metro Theatre Company, St. Louis, Mo.
Media Reviews
"Questions are imaginatively, sensitively, and deftly explored in a gorgeous tale." -Lexington Herald-Leader"A grand morality tale with a magical quality." -Pegasus News
"An absorbing production that asks both children and adults compelling questions about how we want our world to be." -The Oregonian
"There are lessons for those of every age in this compelling adaptation." -Sarasota Magazine
Productions
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triton Regional High School | Runnemede | New Jersey | 11/15/2024 | 11/16/2024 |
| Gilmore Fine Arts | Racine | Wisconsin | 11/22/2024 | 11/24/2024 |
| The Benjamin School, Upper School | Palm Beach Garden | Florida | 11/15/2024 | 11/16/2024 |
| Mclean Middle School | Fort Worth | Texas | 2/7/2025 | 3/1/2025 |
| Belleville High School-West | Belleville | Illinois | 10/3/2024 | 10/5/2024 |
| The Reynolds Auditorium | Springfield | Missouri | 5/8/2025 | 5/17/2025 |
| Robert Frost Auditorium | Culver City | California | 12/6/2024 | 12/8/2024 |
| A.L. Brown | Kannapolis | North Carolina | 10/24/2024 | 10/26/2024 |
| Bay Ridge Preparatory's Upper School | Brooklyn | New York | 12/11/2024 | 12/12/2024 |
| Crested Butte Mountain Theatre | Crested Butte | Colorado | 11/7/2024 | 11/17/2024 |
| Apex Friendship High School | Apex | North Carolina | 11/15/2024 | 11/16/2024 |
| Desert Pines High School | Las Vegas | Nevada | 11/21/2024 | 11/23/2024 |
| Anaconda High School | Anaconda | Montana | 11/14/2024 | 11/17/2024 |
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Gallery
Corporacion Teatro Latino, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Wyoming Public Schools, Wyoming, MI
Friendswood Junior High, Friendswood, TX
Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
People's Light & Theatre Company, Malvern, PA
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