Plays for New Audiences is excited to welcome Anne Negri to the PNA catalogue along with 5 of her plays that all feature themes of friendship, community, and empathy.
Anne Negri is a Drama Specialist in the Evanston public schools and a playwright for young audiences. Anne holds degrees from Ripon College (BA) and Arizona State University (MFA). Her award-winning plays for young audiences have been produced around the country and internationally.
“I'm always excited for any opportunity to share my original and adapted stories with young people,” said Anne Negri. “Writing theatre for young people is the most rewarding experience because young people are so open and eager to engage with stories. Often my play might be the very first play a young person has ever seen. With that in mind, I believe my responsibility as a playwright is to write stories that will inspire young people to think, feel, and wrestle with life's big questions.”
Maddi's Fridge
By Anne Negri
Based on the book by Lois Brandt
Illustrated by Vin Vogel
3 roles, approximately 50 minutes long
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park. But when Sofia learns a secret about Maddi’s fridge, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge. Based on the book by Lois Brandt, this heartwarming and hilarious play is a story about honesty, sensitivity and instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy and helping others!
Oz: The Land that Time Forgot
By Anne Negri and Craig Kosnik
11 roles + ensemble, approximately 90 minutes
It’s been almost one hundred years since anyone from the outside world has stepped foot in Oz. In that time, things have changed for the worse….a new ruler, the Demented Dodo, has overthrown the Ozian government, and he cannot be stopped. Meanwhile back on earth, Clea has been elected student council president, and the new principal of Gale Junior High is implementing ridiculous new rules. As a thunderstorm rages on, Clea and the school mascot, Ferret-o, are transported to the land of Oz. Can Clea and her pal Ferret-o save Oz and also make changes for the better at her middle school?
Girls Who Wear Glasses
By Anne Negri
4 roles, approximately 60-75 minutes
Growing up is hard enough, navigating friendship, school and parents. But when Mira has to get glasses, it is the last straw. As she deals with old friends who are suddenly only interested in popularity and new friends who want her to be more like them, Mira has to decide who she really wants to be. With the help of her glasses, she starts to see clearly in more ways than one, as she learns to stand up for herself in this humorous story about fitting in, friendship and frames.
The Jungirl Book
By Anne Negri
Based on the story by Rudyard Kipling
30+ roles, approximately 60-75 minutes
This adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's tale puts a fresh twist on an old story with a female protagonist. As Girl navigates the wild jungle, she forges unbreakable bonds with her animal friends, each teaching her invaluable life lessons about friendship, courage, and the importance of respecting nature. Together, they face thrilling challenges, confront the fearsome tiger Shere Khan, and uncover the secrets of the jungle's hidden treasures.
The JunGirl Book celebrates the strength, resilience, and determination of a young girl as she discovers her place in the world and learns to protect the beauty and wonder of the wilderness.
Cave Boys
By Anne Negri
6 roles, approximately 80 minutes
In September of 1940, after Germany's occupation of France, a ragtag group of boys in southern France find a mysterious hole in the ground that leads to an underground cave. Instead of the anticipated treasure, they find strange drawings on the cave walls. As the explore the walls and the powerful paintings, their bonds of friendships are tested a they try to keep the cave a secret. When the boys finally convince their teacher to enter the cave, they learn that they've stumbled upon the most significant site of prehistoric art known to modern humans.