The theatrical adaptation of All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten was born at Mill Mountain Theater in Roanoke Virginia, with a three-week workshop and a six-week run. The subsequent development of the show has been very unusual: we have fine-tuned the show in front of audiences for six years, reshaping, adding and subtracting songs and essays all the way. The process has involved more than thirty productions across the United States and overseas--in major commercial venues, LORT theaters, community theaters and high schools. We have tried to capture the charm, humor and depth of the original essays, and have been encouraged and delighted by the responses we've gotten . Many times we've noticed audience members nudging each other during the stories, as if to say, "Doesn't that remind you of Aunt Gladys?" Standing ovations have been the norm, and the show has broken box office records in several theaters.

The show is an evening of theatrical storytelling in a revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple-voice narration, and can be performed as a musical with up to six original songs, or as a play with one song. Live piano underscoring enhances both versions, adding fluidity and emotional texture. It is written for a cast of five, but can easily be expanded or re-shaped to suit the talents of any theater group.  It has very simple production requirements; a unit set, contemporary costumes, and lighting opportunities from the basic to the very elaborate.

The essays in Kindergarten  reflect a mature, seasoned outlook on life, but we've discovered that the material has tremendous family appeal, even for children as young as eight or nine. In fact, at the request of several high-school drama teachers, we have created a special version of the script specifically for high schools.

To inquire about mounting a production of Kindergarten, or to obtain a copy of the script and score, contact Dramatic Publishing Company, our publishing and licensing representative:

 Dramatic Publishing
 PO Box 129
 Woodstock IL 60098
 Phone: 815-338-7170 or 800-448-7469
 Fax: 815-338-8981 or 800-334-5302
 Web site: http://www.dramaticpublishing.com
 E-mail: plays@dramaticpublishing.com

Please feel free to e-mail us with any other questions or reactions you might have: dcaldwellny@earthlink.net.