Over the Moon

December 1, 2010

Begin with Cinderella, Pinocchio, Humpty Dumpty and myriad other fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme figures. Add an athletic princess pretending to be dainty, a moon hiding her light and dressed as a boy, a shy prince and a scary, lonely giant who all have crushes on the obviously wrong match. There's also an evil queen and a "hairy godmother." Place them in odd variations on typical fairy-tale plots and mix with music and a moral. Designed specifically to be performed by a large cast of middle- and high-school students, the authors (the novelist and her teenage son) pepper the script with snappy one-liners, local and pop-culture references, as well as social and political issues, some left of center (the narrator/hairy godmother is a cross-dressing male; there is a gay-marriage reference in a faux news report). This will cause the play to date quickly, so producers should be ready to tweak. The play is fast paced and full of fun, with the overlying theme of staying true to oneself handled with a light touch. Sheet music for all the songs is provided. Applause, applause. (Play. 12 & up)

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