By Cherie Bennett. Based on the novel Good-bye, Best Friend by Cherie Bennett.
Product Code: J26000
Full-length Play
Comedy | Drama
Cast size: 3m., 7w., expandable.
Awards: Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award | Kennedy Center American College TheaterPlaywriting Award
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The winner of many national awards, this uproarious play about life, death, power and first boyfriends was adapted by the author from her popular book, Good-bye, Best Friend (Harper Paperbacks, 1993). Hollywood-wannabe Star, the ultimate Beatles fan, has her path stymied by cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease that assures a young death. She spends most of her time in the hospital, where she confronts fate with imagination by surrounding herself with MTV-inspired bodyguard Flunkies and 'morphing' her dreaded therapy nurse into a pro-wrestler. Then, Star gets a new roommate, Courtney, who is Star's opposite—a pretty cheerleader and apparently not very sick. Neither girl knows much about the other's world, but eventually they come to understand each other, and ultimately, themselves. This is a powerful play about living life to the fullest and a proven hit for school, adult, and TYA theatres alike.
John Lennon and Me is a tremendously moving play. The characters were wonderfully written and a marvelous challenge to play.
My kids have been touched deeply by the characters in this play. It is fun to do and fun to watch. It is a perfect play for a middle school.
This is one of the most wonderful experiences my cast/crew and I have had! "John Lennon & Me" was beautifully written, fun to rehearse, brought us all closer, and was loved by our audiences!
John Lennon & Me is a great play for high school performers because they can relate to the young characters and the universal themes of friendship, acceptance, and love.
John Lennon & Me was a wonderful play with challenging roles for teen actors and a warm story with characters you can't help but love.
My students actually asked to produce this play. Our school performed it three years ago, and they wanted to do it again. They rank it as the best show they have ever done.
Middle-school actors and audiences love John Lennon & Me. Our first production was so popular that we restaged it seven years later and invited the original cast back for a play reunion.
This is a powerful play about tolerance, acceptance and love. Star's spunk and sense of humor, coupled with her tendency to step out of the action for bits of narration, add the humanity that makes this story all the more touching and thought-provoking. It is a unique and poignant reminder of everyone's need to belong and be loved.
I have wanted to do this play for many years and finally had the opportunity to do so. I was not disappointed. John Lennon & Me offers many challenges for acting and staging but the message and script serve them both very well. Standing ovations evey night and happy kids on stage and in the audience. Thanks.
This is a perfect show for middle/high-school students. It has emotional depth but offers ample opportunity for comedic timing. It is a great vehicle for a "star" performer but has great roles for a number of students.
A super play that has something for just about everyone. Just keep the tissues handy.
Awesome script to work with. It was the perfect show for my youth theatre company.
This is an excellent show for an advanced class to produce because of the mixture of comedy and drama. The dramatic elements are so natural and the comedic are a bit over the top. Audiences were captivated.
Spend lots of time with character development exercises. Allow ample time to research the diseases and their implications.
The John Lennon t-shirt posed a problem. I had a talented art student create a life-like sketch of John's face and we ended up using it for the t-shirt, our poster, and programs. Also: use mint-flavored stage blood since it has to be at star's mouth.
Don't underestimate the creative experience the "flunkies" can bring to this show.
We used a huge 12-foot by 10-foot painting of John Lennon as backdrop. It moved about stage making different playing areas.
Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Panola College | Carthage | TX | 03/06/2025 | 03/21/2025 |
Shelby County Community Theatre | Shelbyville | KY | 01/30/2026 | 02/08/2026 |
Scott Schwarz, Baraga High School, Baraga, MI