A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

O Beautiful

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  12w, 12m

“O Beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves…” In our age of cyber-bullying and aggressive patriotism remember those lyrics – or else! Theresa Rebeck pens a theatrically inventive mashup of contemporary American life and the history that got us to this politically polarized age.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    12w, 12m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
“O Beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves…” In our age of cyber-bullying and aggressive patriotism remember those lyrics – or else! Theresa Rebeck pens a theatrically inventive mashup of contemporary American life and the history that got us to this politically polarized age. This fiercely funny story explores the lives of high school students, teachers, and their families as they cope in a world of real personal problems and extremist ideological rhetoric that gets so heated that Jesus, Saint Paul, Joan of Arc, John Adams, Patrick Henry, and Benjamin Franklin, among others, show up to weigh in and mix it up. Alternately sweet and fiery, and as topical as tonight’s newscast, O Beautiful lands the complex realities of our culture squarely on the stage deck in an electrifying blend of ancient characters, founding fathers, and your neighborhood high school.
History
O Beautiful was commissioned by the University of Deleware's Theatre Department, where it received its world premiere production in 2014, under the directon of Gina Rattan. 
ALICE FLETCHER
LENNIE RYAN
JESUS
TY JANALERIS 
SIMON WEST  
LINDA RYAN  
BRIAN RYAN / THOMAS JEFFERSON 
SONDRA JANALERIS  
MRS. LOOMIS 
LUKE SIMPSON  
GWEN TURNER 
ERIK WATERS 
DON FLETCHER / BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 
ARLENE FLETCHER 
JOE SIMPSON / PATRICK HENRY 
BRENDA WATERS 
MARCIA TURNER
MINISTER / ALEXANDER HAMILTON / STUDENT 
ST. PAUL / JOHN ADAMS / ED TURNER 
ST. JOAN / BETTY
LOUISE / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT 
ST. DENIS / STUDENT 
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL RAMIREZ / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
SIMON'S PRODUCER
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Suburban Deleware. Now. 
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes

Media

“What sets this [play] apart from other political plays is that some of the founding fathers themselves and other historic figures stop by to weigh in on some of today’s hottest topics […] Overall, it’s a far-reaching, well-timed exploration of what separates and polarizes society and a plea for everyone to agree to disagree.” - Broadway World, Read More



 

Videos

  • O BEAUTIFUL trailer youtube thumbnail

    O BEAUTIFUL trailer

  • CRT Sneak Peek: O BEAUTIFUL youtube thumbnail

    CRT Sneak Peek: O BEAUTIFUL

  • An Interview with Sanford Robbins on the world premiere of O BEAUTIFUL youtube thumbnail

    An Interview with Sanford Robbins on the world premiere of O BEAUTIFUL

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Theresa Rebeck

Theresa Rebeck is a widely produced playwright throughout the United States and abroad. New York productions of her work include Dead Accounts at the Music Box Theatre; Seminar at the Golden Theatre; Mauritius at the Biltmore Theatre in a Manhattan Theater Club Production; Th ...

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