Free Script: "The Sledding Hill"
Download the play
Talented playwright Jarrett Dapier has offered his complete stage adaption of Chris Crutcher's YA novel, The Sledding Hill to the Office for Intellectual Freedom in support of Banned Books Week.
It is available here to download and read freely. There are no limitations to reading, sharing, or printing Dapier's play. You can also purchase a print copy of the stage adaption from Amazon.
When Eddie’s dad and best friend, Billy, die within the space of a month, he elects to go mute to manage his pain. Soon, he begins seeing Billy everywhere—in dreams, while he’s running—a fact that magnifies his grief and leads him to question his own sanity. But, with Billy’s help, Eddie emerges from the dark room of his grief to confront powerful town censors who would ban a book from his high school English class in the name of morality. Narrated by Billy from beyond the grave, this electric theatrical adaptation of Chris Crutcher’s beloved 2005 meta-fictional novel features a cast of passionate teen characters, imaginative staging, and more than one full-throated debate about the value of intellectual freedom and the rights of youth to read what they choose.
How to perform the play
The performance rights to produce the play are available for a one-time $75 contribution to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Inquiries concerning all performance rights should be addressed to Betsy Gomez, OIF Assistant Director of Communications and Public Outreach, at bgomez@ala.org or playwright Jarrett Dapier at brownbatheart@gmail.com.
How to purchase a bound copy
Amazon offers print copies of the stage adaption for $8.95.
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Chris Crutcher has written eleven critically acclaimed young adult novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. He draws on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist to write honestly about real issues facing teenagers today. For his efforts, nearly every one of his books has been banned in a community somewhere in America. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Five of his books appeared on the American Library Association list of the Best Books For Teens of the Twentieth Century. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington. Find him on Twitter @ChrisCrutcher.
Jarrett Dapier is the 2016 recipient of the American Library Association John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for his research into censorship in Chicago Public Schools. As a musician and actor, he has appeared at the Goodman Theater, Lookingglass Theater, and the White House. His stage adaptation of My Ántonia by Willa Cather premiered at the Station Theatre in Urbana, Illinois, where he is a company member. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.
Published by Agatite Press, 2016 in Evanston, IL
