Tiny Beautiful Things

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Tiny Beautiful Things

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  1w, 3any gender (adult)

Nia Vardalos, Cheryl Strayed

Critic’s Pick! “Tiny Beautiful Things is about the endangered art of listening to – and really hearing and responding to – other people… it works beautifully as a sustained theatrical exercise in empathy.” – The New York Times

Image: 2016 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

Tiny Beautiful Things

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 3any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Based on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, Tiny Beautiful Things personifies the questions and answers that “Sugar” was publishing online from 2010-2012. When the struggling writer was asked to take over the unpaid, anonymous position of advice columnist, Strayed used empathy and her personal experiences to help those seeking guidance for obstacles both large and small.

Tiny Beautiful Things is a play about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions that have no answers.

History
Tiny Beautiful Things premiered at the Public Theater in New York City in November 2016 under the direction of Thomas Kail.

SUGAR – Age is 37 and up, no limit. Ethnicity is open. She is a writer, a married mom to two children. On a whim, she takes a job of an anonymous online advice columnist, only to discover that she needs the Letter Writers as much as they need her.
MALE LETTER WRITER #1 – Age, gender and ethnicity are open. This person first appears when he emails Sugar with the offer of the job as an online advice columnist, and later appears as several Letter Writers, including women. Most notably he plays someone who repeatedly trolls Sugar online by signing off as WTF, and a father who has lost his 22 year old son in a car accident.
FEMALE LETTER WRITER – Age, gender and ethnicity are open. This person plays a variety of Letter Writers of many ages, including an assortment of males. Most notably, she plays a woman dealing with the after effects of a miscarriage, plus Sugar’s mother who appears in flashbacks.
MALE LETTER WRITER #2 – Age, gender and ethnicity are open. This person plays a variety of roles, including women. Most notably he plays a transgender person in search of an answer about family, plus someone who is unsure about maintaining a relationship with a narcissist father.

NOTE: The distribution of the letters is open to the director’s choices. The goal was to create a piece which could be played by all genders and ethnicities.

The distribution of the letters is open to the director’s choices. The goal was to create a piece which could be played by all genders and ethnicities.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting The home of "Sugar"
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Provocative, poignant and rich.” – New York Daily News

Critic’s Pick! “Tiny Beautiful Things is about the endangered art of listening to – and really hearing and responding to – other people…it works beautifully as a sustained theatrical exercise in empathy.” – The New York Times, Read More 

“Catharsis, that ancient communal ritual of purging and healing…a show that aims to open our eyes to the tiny moments when the world surprises us with care.” – New York Magazine

“Should be a sought-after title for other venues looking for a theatrical hug in turbulent times.” – Variety, Read More 

It’s provocative, poignant and rich.” – New York Daily News, Read More

“Heart-tugging and emotionally rewarding.” – The Huffington Post, Read More

Videos

  • Nia Vardalos Believes In Ghosts And Never Has Food Guilt youtube thumbnail

    Nia Vardalos Believes In Ghosts And Never Has Food Guilt

  • PUBLIC FORUM: A Conversation with Cheryl Strayed youtube thumbnail

    PUBLIC FORUM: A Conversation with Cheryl Strayed

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $130 per performance

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Authors

Nia Vardalos

Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and an Independent Spirit Award and People’s Choice Award. ...
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Author

Cheryl Strayed

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