doollee banner
The Playwrights Database
contact doollee


Charmaine Spencer

CHARMAINE SPENCER

  (1946 - )
Nationality:    USA
facebook     email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

A professional puppeteer, Charmaine Spencer has been teaching, peforming and writing for young audiences for thirty years. She lives in a suburb of Chicago and serves as Playwright in Residence for the Children's Theatre Institute of Indianapolis and Script Consultant for the Puppeteers of America. She is author of the Story to Stage Workbook for beginning playwrights.

Buy Plays with Doollee

Each page of doollee.com has links to play/book outlets, either directly to the Publisher, through Stageplays.com and Amazon to the second hand and 1st editions of AbeBooks. These links will automatically take you to the relevant area obviating the need for further search.
AbeBooks.co.uk   AbeBooks.com   Stageplays.com   amazon.com   amazon.co.uk   amazon.ca
whether you are a Playwright who wishes to make their entry definitive, an unlisted Playwright or a User with a tale to tell - we want to hear from you.
download WORD submission template

below is a list of Charmaine Spencer's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Christmas Carol, A         Circus Boys         Fireflies         Higgledy Piggledy Mother Goose         Pea and the Princess, The         Time Machine         Tom Sawyer         Treasure Island
Christmas Carol, A

Synopsis:
the Dicken's story. One hour adaptation. Two actors, some audience participation. Designed to travel

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Children's Theatre Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa     1996

Organisations:
Children's Theatre Institute

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  multiple doubling

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Circus Boys

Synopsis:
The Ringling Brothers Circus

Notes:
Music by Russel J Countinho; lyrics and book by Charmaine Spencer

1st Produced:
Playwrights Theatre, Chicago     26 Aug 2014

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Fireflies

Synopsis:
Artist Friedl Dicker Brandies uses her art lessons to help the children imprisoned at Terezin Camp in Czechoslovakia. At the same time, she struggles to protect them from the ultimate horror, transport to the death camps. When the International Red Cross presses for an inspection of the camp, the community is forced to contribute to the Nazi propaganda machine. In defiance Leo, 16 devises a plan to communicate the truth to the inspectors during the performance but his plot fails and he receives transport orders along with the others. After the war, Leo and Friedl's husband Pavel uncover the children's art work and Leo realizes that, no matter how huge the lie, truth can still triumph through the enduring strength of human love and creativity.

Notes:
This seventy minute play is recommended for Ages nine And up. It requires simple props And costuming, performed on A unit set And may be designed to travel.

1st Produced:
6th & Penn Theatre, San Diego, California, Usa     2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eldridge Publishing 2017   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Higgledy Piggledy Mother Goose

Synopsis:
the Crooked Old Man has hijacked the Mother Goose book. Georgie Porgie, Mary Contrary and the other characters have to get back in before they turn into (gasp!) real people. the audience helps the characters remember their rhymes and a lively game of Simon Says, led by Simple Simon himself, teaches the Crooked Old Man a lesson about sharing and getting along with others

Notes:
Employs well integrated Audience participation. Peformed on A unit set, designed to travel.

1st Produced:
Theatre Of Western Springs, Western Springs, Illinois, Usa     1991

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Children's comedy Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Pea and the Princess, The

Synopsis:
Pedegar Pea of Pod Three takes over from Hans Christian Andersen. In his telling of the story, the strange princess climbs in through a tower window, a pet dog is turns into a pretty girl and Pedegar and a bowl full of little green friends make sure that the Queen is confounded and Prince Hector get's the sleepy girl of his dreams.

Notes:
Involves well integrated Audience participation. Highly suggested that the Pea be peformed by A puppet. Two level unit set. Also Available in Traveling version And As A puppet production employing two puppeteers.

1st Produced:
Children's Theatre Of Western Springs, Western Springs, Illinois, Usa     2000

Organisations:
Children's Theatre Institute

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Children's comedy Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Time Machine

Synopsis:
the far future and the world is divided into the gentle Eloi and the hulking and brutal Morlocks. the time-traveller from 1895 arrives and feels it is his duty to help the Eloi

Notes:
45 minutes long, designed to travel. Male Actor portrays Time Traveler. Female Actor portrays his housemaid, operates bunraku style puppets of Eloi And transforms by costume into the Morlock.

1st Produced:
Children's Theatre Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa     2000

Organisations:
Children's Theatre Institute

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Tom Sawyer

Synopsis:
the Mark Twain Novel. One hour adaptation. Two actors, some audience participation. Designed to travel

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Children's Theatre Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa     1997

Organisations:
Children's Theatre Institute

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Treasure Island

Synopsis:
Long John Silver, Jim Hawkins, buried treasure. One hour adaptation. Two actors, (honestly) some audience participation. Designed to travel

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Children's Theatre Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa     1993

Organisations:
Children's Theatre Institute

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  multiple doubling

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page