Plays

Two fun and funny Chris Grabenstein plays are now available to be produced at your school or theater!

The Island Of Dr. Libris

Stage Play Available for Production

By Chris Grabenstein and Ronny Venable

The Island of Dr. Libris celebrates the power of imagination with an action-packed adventure that shows that sometimes the real story starts after you close the book!

What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’ private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the classic books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. The dialogue of characters. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible … isn’t it?

Before long, Dr. Libris’ island is populated by some of the most famous characters in all of literature: Hercules, Robin Hood, Maid Marian, The Three Musketeers, Tom Sawyer and Pollyanna. When these characters mingle, their plot lines get mixed up (and complicated by the arrival of a few comic book heroes and villains).

It’s up to Billy and his magical imagination to come up with a happy ending for everybody, including himself! The Island of Dr. Libris harnesses the imaginative powers of live theatre, calling on the audience to use their imaginations along with Billy’s.

Curiosity Cat

Stage Play Available for Production

By Chris Grabenstein

To my way of thinking, there are no such things as strays; only those who have not yet found their homes. From the imaginative mind of award winning TYA author Chris Grabenstein comes a very funny, very touching new comedy filled with laughter, learning, and heart that’s ideal for school groups and professional children’s theatres.

Curiosity Cat is the play-within-the-book from Grabenstein’s award-winning novel for middle grades readers The Hanging Hill. It’s a story about displaced children and homeless cats as well as family and the value of curiosity.

When their mother becomes very ill Claire and Charlie are forced to live with their father’s Aunt Jenny. A stray cat named Curiosity also wanders into the house. When he breaks Claire’s prized music box, she immediately throws him back out into the streets. Being homeless is an adventure, not a concern, for a cat this curious and cool. Soon, the children (with Fred the dog) set out to rescue Curiosity Cat who is busily trying to help other forlorn felines find homes while simultaneously avoiding a newly appointed “cat catcher” who vows to put him to sleep! Filled with memorable characters—such as Coot, the geriatric cat; Slicker the big city alley cat; Penelope, the pampered Persian Princess; Fred the extremely loyal dog; a nervous and nutty squirrel; a chorus of cute jailbird strays; and the evil cat catcher—the play builds to a funny and touching climax that will leave audiences laughing and cheering!