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The Best School Year Ever

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  6w, 3m

By Jahnna Beecham & Malcolm Hillgartner
Based on the book The Best School Year Ever
by Barbara Robinson

This unforgettably hilarious play, adapted from the Young Adult book, follows the beloved characters from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever as they navigate a full school year at Woodrow Wilson Elementary.

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The Best School Year Ever

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Theatre for Young Audiences
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Also Available
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Details

Summary

Beth and Charlie Bradley fear starting another school year with their notorious classmates Imogene, Leroy and Gladys Herdman. When Miss Kemp assigns the students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary to think of compliments for their classmates and Beth picks Imogene’s name, an unforgettably hilarious school year commences – complete with a tattooed baby, a mysterious teachers’ lounge and a compassionate discovery that might prove there’s something good about this crazy clan after all.

The Best School Year Ever is the second in a series of stories following the beloved characters from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, adapted from Barbara Robinson’s bestselling Young Adult novels.

History
The Best School Year Ever made its world premiere at Nashville Children’s Theatre on September 7, 2024.
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1970s, 1960s
  • Setting The 1960s. A bedroom, two family kitchens, an elementary school, a storefront.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“An adventure of chaos, mischief and fun!” – Nashville Parent
“The story follows a student named Beth as she gets paired on a project with the Herdmans, a group of crazy kids who are up to any good. This group’s wild behavior and outrageous lies constantly lead to disaster, but Beth slowly learns that there is much more to this family than what meets the eye.” – Nashville Parent

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Jahnna Beecham

Jahnna Beecham

Jahnna Beecham (playwright/lyricist) and composer Malcolm Hillgartner (composer/lyricist) have been commissioned to write musicals for Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Hope Repertory Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Or ...

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Malcolm Hillgartner

Malcolm Hillgartner
Malcolm Hillgartner has written songs and lyrics for eleven musicals, including Chaps! and Dog Park: The Musical for Concord Theatricals, They Came From Way Out There, The Doll People and Holmes and Watson Save the Empire, which won an Ovation Award for Best Small-Cast Musica ...
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Barbara Robinson

Barbara Robinson
Barbara Robinson (1927-2013) wrote several popular books for children, including My Brother Louis Measures Worms, The Best School Year Ever, The Best Halloween Ever, and the enormously popular bestselling novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, first published in 1972, which w ...
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