Plays for New Audiences Reveals New Titles Now Available

Plays for New Audiences, the script licensing division for the Tony Award-winning® Children’s Theatre Company, has announced new titles now available for licensing.

The newly-available titles include A Bad Case of Stripes: The Musical by Kate Haderlie, Babble Lab by Autumn Ness, 5 new Theatre for the Very Young pieces by Ernie Nolan (The Flopsy Bunnies, Baby Shark, Bingo’s Birthday, and The Itsy-Bitsy Spider), Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by juliany taveras, and Rescue Rue by Stacey Weingarten.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming 2 incredible new musicals, 4 enchanting Theatre for the Very Young pieces, and a groundbreaking new play to the PNA catalogue,” said Karli Twedten, Director of Plays for New Audiences. “The artists involved in these pieces are at the top of their field and we can’t wait to see them reach audiences across the country!”  

New Titles Now Available: 

A Bad Case of Stripes: The Musical

Script, Music, and Lyrics by Kate Haderlie
Based on the book by David Shannon
 

In this fun musical adaptation of David Shannon's beloved book, Camilla thinks she must choose between her favorite food - lima beans - and the acceptance of those around her. But the harder she tries to conform to other people’s opinions, the more miserable (and colorful) she becomes. With infectious energy and heartfelt message, A Bad Case of Stripes reminds audiences of all ages that embracing your true colors is the key to self-discovery and acceptance.
 

"I think the story resonates with so many because we all feel like Camilla sometimes; we all want to feel like we belong, and wonder what we’ll have to sacrifice to fit in. My hope is that audiences will come away feeling a little more accepting of themselves, and a little more friendly to those around them who seem different." -Playwright, Kate Haderlie 

Kate Haderlie was born in McMinnville, Oregon, where she attended her first musical theatre camp at age 6 and was instantly hooked. Her parents fostered her love for musicals, raising her on the works of Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Rogers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. They provided plenty of napkins when she started scribbling lyrics on road trips at the age of 10. 

Kate graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2012 with her degree in Music, Theatre, and Creative Writing. She took first place at the 2012 R&CW conference with her short play More Than A Dog, and premiered her first one-act musical A Christmas Quilting Bee later that year. She is a family-focused musical theatre writer who believes in the transformative power of theater for all ages. 
 

Passionate about performing arts in the community, Kate has been an active volunteer in theaters and choirs for over 20 years. She teaches music and theater classes at multiple studios, and is actively involved in her local church. In her spare time, Kate likes to write songs in the shower, bake cookies, and play freeze tag with her kids. She lives in Idaho with her husband Forrest and their two children, Ellen and Jay.

Babble Lab

By Autumn Ness 

Strap on your safety goggles and clean out your ears! When an experiment unexpectedly goes awry, a concoction of sneaky, sprightly L E T T E R S takes over a weird and wondrous science lab. Watch them jump into jars, spring from drawers, bounce around the room, and even play hide-and-seek as our scientist makes her surprising findings: Bluku terullala blaulala loooo! Rakete bee bee? Rekate bee zee! Enjoy the blubbering and blibbering exploration of spoken blurbbles as they spring forth in this one-of-a-kind, gee-gaw-filled laboratory. Created with early learners in mind.

Autumn Ness (she/her) is celebrating her 23rd season as a member of the CTC Acting Company! A few of her favorite CTC shows include: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Annie, Cinderella; Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical; The Biggest Little House in the Forest; The Jungle Book; and Romeo and Juliet.  Autumn is a recipient of the 2018 TCG Fox Foundation Fellowship, the 2020 MRAC Next Step Fund, and the 2022 MN State Arts Board Creative Support Grant.

The Flopsy Bunnies

By Ernie Nolan

The Flopsy Bunnies have disappeared! But have no fear; Mama Bunny is in pursuit. Come along with her as she travels to Mr. MacGregor’s garden following a trail of lettuce leaves in this interactive, immersive play specially designed for the very young. Join in the celebration as this bunny bunch is reunited in time for tea with the help of a little, resourceful friend.

Baby Shark

By Ernie Nolan

Journey into the depths of the deep blue sea with famous oceanographer siblings Fifi and Francois LaMer as they search for the fabled Baby Shark. Will they find the illusive creature? Can their submarine survive the voyage? And how many times will they have to sing “Doo doo doo doo doo doo?” Get Ready to Play along in this interactive, immersive theatrical experience especially designed for the youngest of theatre goers.

Bingo’s Birthday

By Ernie Nolan

Bow-WOW! It’s a barnyard bash! You are invited to the birthday party of a very precious pup, and Bingo is his name-o! Hop to the homestead and help Farmers Pickle and Tickle find the guest of honor before the celebration begins. Bingo’s Birthday is an immersive, theatrical, down-right farm-fanciful event.

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider

By Ernie Nolan

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout...but what happened next? Follow two green thumbed gardeners as they learn patience and perseverance from a determined eight-legged hero. A favorite childhood song comes to life in this interactive, immersive theatrical experience especially designed for the youngest of theatre goers!

Ernie Nolan is the executive artistic director of Nashville Children’s Theatre and an award-winning director and playwright. He has written commissions for La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, Calif.), Adventure Theatre (Glen Echo, Md.), Circle Theatre (Omaha, Neb.) in partnership with the Institute for Holocaust Education, Nashville Children’s Theatre and The Milwaukee Zoological Society. In collaboration with Grammy-nominated recording artist Justin Roberts, he also wrote Hansel and Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat, which premiered at the Broadway Playhouse (Chicago). Dedicated to creating new work, Nolan has collaborated with such writers as Idris Goodwin, Marisela Treviño Orta, Marcy Heisler, Zina Goldrich, Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky. Also a resident artist of The Coterie Theatre (Kansas City, Mo.), he has directed and choreographed world premieres by such Tony-nominated artists as Willie and Rob Reale, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and Bill Russell and Henry Krieger. In March 2012, Nolan made his off-Broadway debut with Lucky Duck at The New Victory Theater (New York City). Nolan currently sits on the executive committee of ASSITEJ, a global theatre for young audiences service organization. In 2014, he received the Illinois Theatre Association’s Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences award. He proudly earned his bachelor’s degree in the musical theatre program at the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in directing at The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress

By juliany taveras

Morris likes lots of things: doing puzzles, painting pictures, pretending to be an astronaut, and wearing a tangerine dress from his school’s dress-up box because it “reminds him of tigers, the sun, and his mother’s hair.” But some of his classmates think boys can’t wear dresses because … well, because they’re boys. With his vivid imagination and space-animal friends, Morris travels the galaxy in search of an answer to the all-important question: “Do astronauts wear dresses?” 

juliany taveras (they/them/elle) is a storyteller from Ayití Bohio (Dominican Republic) by way of Lenapehoking (New York City). Their work, which centers the lives and liberation of the Afro/Indigenous and queer/trans diasporas, takes many forms, including playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, photography, graphic design, teaching artistry, and (perhaps most importantly) kinship. 

Rescue Rue

Concept, Book, and Lyrics by Stacey Weingarten
Music and Lyrics by Joshua Zecher-Ross & Kate Steinberg
Additional Music and Lyrics by Dana Levinson, and Angela Parrish
 

When a little dog named Rue wishes for a "Happily Ever After" from her Fairy Dogmother, she soon embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery and belonging. Kicked out of her home, Rue meets new friends and enemies alike on the street and at the pound before finding her "Furever" home, realizing life is really about finding your happy beginnings, not endings! 

Stacey loves arranging and rearranging words, and scripts with songs are her jam. She specializes in developing new works, and believes some stories are better suited to certain mediums the same way some sing and some don't.
 

Her writing has been called "imaginative" (Theatremania), "a crisp delight, hilarious and moving by turns" that "knows how and when to strike your heart and funny bone" (Talkin' Broadway).
 

Stacey co-wrote the award-winning short Beach Day which in turn lead to a commission with Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams, called Cone of Shame. Recently, she was a contributing writer on Season 2 of The Reading League's Reading Buddies (PBS). She's also the showrunner/head writer for Monica's Mixing Bowl.
 

A former Dramatist Guild Fellow, Stacey made her Off-Broadway writing debut with last season's Rescue Rue, an original musical fairytale based on her dog's adoption story. Her dog also inspired a second musical, Runaway Rue, which is currently looking for a Furever Home of its own after an Award-winning run at the Hollywood Fringe! Other favorite projects for the stage include 5th Republic, a chanson-and-Arabic-music-infused piece set against the backdrop of the Algerian War for Independence; Madame, a gender-affirming tale set in 1890s New Orleans; and Ludo's Broken Bride, a time-travelin' sci-fi rock opera adapted from the concept album by the same name by rock band Ludo. She also writes standalone songs and non-musical works from time to time because she can't help herself. Excerpts from her real-life-inspired spirits: the bar plays have been presented on both coasts.

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