ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten is an evening of theatrical storytelling, based on the wit and wisdom of Robert Fulghum, who has often been called a modern-day Mark Twain. The adaptation is by Ernest Zulia, with music and lyrics by David Caldwell. It can be performed as a musical with up to six original songs, or as a play with one song. The essays in Kindergarten reflect a mature, seasoned outlook on life, but we've discovered that the material has tremendous family appeal, even for children as young as eight or nine. In fact, at the request of several high-school drama teachers, we have created a special version of the script specifically for high schools.
To inquire about mounting a production of Kindergarten or Uh-Oh, or to obtain scripts and scores, contact Dramatic Publishing Company, our publishing and licensing representative: Dramatic Publishing PO Box 129 Woodstock IL 60098 Phone: 815-338-7170 or 800-448-7469 Fax: 815-338-8981 or 800-334-5302 Web site: http://www.dramaticpublishing.com E-mail: plays@dramaticpublishing.com
Demos of Kindergarten and Uh-Oh, as well as recordings of the accompaniment and sound effects for the shows, are available from Flat Five Press and Recording, 18 East Main Street, Salem VA 24153. Phone: 540-389-9427; E-mail: tom@flat5.com.
The theatrical adaptation of All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten was born at Mill Mountain Theater in Roanoke Virginia, with a three-week workshop and a six-week run. The subsequent development of the show has been very unusual: we have fine-tuned the show in front of audiences for six years, reshaping, adding and subtracting songs and essays all the way. The process has involved more than thirty productions across the United States and overseas--in major commercial venues, LORT theaters, community theaters and high schools. We have tried to capture the charm, humor and depth of the original essays, and have been encouraged and delighted by the responses we've gotten . Many times we've noticed audience members nudging each other during the stories, as if to say, "Doesn't that remind you of Aunt Gladys?" Standing ovations have been the norm, and the show has broken box office records in several theaters.
Kindergarten seems to touch theater audiences in the same way it has touched readers around the world. Several producers have commented to us that their subscribers have found the show a welcome addition to the theaters' schedules. It's a fresh, new show, but with an extremely popular and recognizable title.
The show is an evening of theatrical storytelling in a revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple-voice narration, and can be performed as a musical with up to six original songs, or as a play with one song. Live piano underscoring enhances both versions, adding fluidity and emotional texture. It is written for a cast of five, but can easily be expanded or re-shaped to suit the talents of any theater group. It has very simple production requirements; a unit set, contemporary costumes, and lighting opportunities from the basic to the very elaborate.
The essays in Kindergarten reflect a mature, seasoned outlook on life, but we've discovered that the material has tremendous family appeal, even for children as young as eight or nine. In fact, at the request of several high-school drama teachers, we have created a special version of the script specifically for high schools.
