Overview

Carol Ryrie Brink’s Newbery Award-winning novel, Caddie Woodlawn, is brought to exuberant life as a musical. Caddie (the iconic, high-spirited Wisconsin pioneer girl beloved by generations of readers) leads her willing siblings in a series of thrilling adventures, not always with the approval of her traditional Bostonian mother. Her father, however, encourages her antics, that she might thrive amidst the new, tougher ways of the West. In a dramatic climax, Caddie single-handedly diffuses a potentially deadly clash between the terrified settlers and the local Dakota tribe through a daring and dangerous act. But her action only deepens her conflict with her mother. Ultimately, Caddie learns invaluable lessons about reconciling the head-strong child she’s been, and the responsible adult she is soon to be. Through it all, the sacredness of tradition – passed from one generation to the next – is powerfully dramatized. As one wise friend tells Caddie: “Families – they’re our link to forever, lass."

Keywords

• Childhood
• Friendship
• Parenting/Family
• Adolescence/Childhood
• Landers Theatre National Playwriting Award,