James Zager
Presented by USA PLAYS FOR KIDS!
PROFILE PLAYS LINKS

CONTACT INFORMATION

James Zager James Zager
4-122 Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
500 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
E-Mail: zager@uiuc.edu

PROFILE

James Zager was born and bred in the wonderfully mid-western town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received his B.A. in Musical Theatre from the University of Wisconsin, Steven's Point, in 1983, and then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he has worked professionally in musicals and theatre for youth for the last 20 years.

Zager received his M.F.A. in Theatre for Youth: Directing/Playwriting from Arizona State University in 1998. Currently he is Program Chair of the BFA in Theatre Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he creates and workshops new plays for youth, and coordinates an annual 24-hour play creation project known as Impulse 24/7. His published works include the youth plays The Shakespeare Project, Stories Gone Wilde and What You Will (all published by Dramatic Publishing).

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PLAYS AVAILABLE

(All plays from Dramatic Publishing can be ordered from their website. Click on photo or link to order.)

The Odyssey

THE ODYSSEY
Available from playwright.

One act, ensemble cast, minimum of five (3m, 2w) but can be expanded to accommodate much larger casts, minimal set, recorded music. This adaptation focuses on chapters 9-12 of Homer's classic known as "the wanderings of Odysseus" and includes his encounters with: The Island of the Lotus-Eaters, The Cyclops, The Bag of Wind, The Laestrogonians, Circe's Spell, The Land of the Dead, The Sirens' Song, Scylla & Charybdis, The Island of the Sun-God, and Calypso's Cave. Perfect for Middle-School audiences.

Photo credit: MVCC Children’s Theatre, Palos Hills, IL.



Stories Gone Wilde

STORIES GONE WILDE
Available from Dramatic Publishing.

One act, Ensemble cast, 10 (5m/5w) to 18 (adds 8 ensemble members). One set. Based on Oscar Wilde’s collection of short stories for children. A garden comes to life to tell a number of fantastic stories that took place there. Dramatizations include: The Selfish Giant, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Birthday of the Infanta, The Remarkable Rocket, and The Happy Prince. Aimed at middle school audiences, but appropriate for family audiences ages 7 to adult.

Photo credit: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Studio Theatre,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.


What You Will

WHAT YOU WILL
Available from Dramatic Publishing.

One act, 2w, 5m, one narrator, minimal set, recorded music. What happens when a shipwrecked young lady decides to disguise herself as her twin brother? This contemporary version of “Twelfth Night” uses pop culture to bring one of the Bard’s best comedies to life. Feste carries a boom-box, Olivia is a fashion model, and the Duke is a surfer dude. A great introduction to the works of Shakespeare! AATE Unpublished Play Reading Project winner.

Photo credit: Arizona State University New Plays Marathon, Tempe, AZ.

 



What You Will

THE SHAKESPEARE PROJECT
Available from Dramatic Publishing.

One act, 18 characters (7m/7w + 4 chorus), single set, running time: 50 minutes.  By taking a number of the most famous scenes and monologues from the canon of Shakespearean works and presenting them in a contemporary style, new and often remarkable interpretations of the classic materials emerge.  A wonderful way to introduce young actors and audiences to the fantastic world of Elizabethan literature. Set, costume, and prop requirements are minimal and other technical needs are virtually non-existent.

Photo Credit: Parkland College, Champaign, IL

 

 


 


LINKS

USA PLAYS FOR KIDS!
is a project of the Drury University Department of Education.

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