So about 6 years ago I wrote my first children’s play for a local theater competition. It had two characters: a wallaby who liked to play soccer and a penguin who liked to read. The characters were loosely based on two kids I know pretty well, the play took place at a zoo, and while the animals at first didn’t get along they eventually found common ground and were able to live in a shared environment.
The theater I wrote it for folded before the contest ended, so nothing happened with it.
Then a couple of years ago I entered it into another theater competition in Houston. The executive director of the theater liked the play but felt it needed some work to fit in with their mission. Off and on over the past two years he and I worked on it and made it more exciting, adventurous and plot-driven. It’s been a looooooong process.
And now today I just signed a contract to complete the play for a production sometime in 2016.
The wallaby is now a kangaroo (easier for kids to understand?), there’s a mad scientist who can’t help rhyming all the time, and Tim (executive director) and I are officially co-writers. It’s tentatively called The Great Zoo Switcheroo (title origination credit to AH) and if the initial production goes well, it could end up touring around on a regular basis (and I’d get royalties for that).
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m really looking forward to going down to Houston to check it out!
(assuming we get it into tip-top shape)
(and assuming Houston still exists in 2016)
(and why wouldn’t it)
Go Astros!
[…] to Houston to see The Great Zoo […]