Miss Thera began writing short plays with her students back in 2015 during play creation classes. Inspired by their creativity and seeing a need for quality children’s theatre productions she began working on her first full length musical. The one act version of her musical, The Tale of Miss Beatrix Potter, won Dandylyon Drama’s New Works Residency and was workshopped as an online virtual production during the summer of 2020.
The Tale of Miss Beatrix Potter
Book & Lyrics by Thera Langham Knapp | Music by Hestia September
Run Time: Approx. 30 Minutes
Cast Size: Minimum 8 roles with dual casting | 28 roles plus ensemble for a larger cast
The Tale of Miss Beatrix Potter tells the story of one of the world’s most beloved children’s authors and how her books came to be. It is a musical full of whimsy that travels between reality and the fantasy world Beatrix created. Throughout the musical, we meet Annie Moore’s family who inspired Potter’s creations, as well as the curmudgeonly Farmer McGregor, warm but firm Mother Bunny, a host of sparkling character including witty rabbits, sparrows, and country critters, and finally, the publishers who foolishly rejected her and her first book.
Discover the story of a young, tenacious woman who wouldn’t take “No” for an answer, and created the most delightful animal characters in all of children’s literature – and learn that you can achieve ANYTHING if you have a good friend and you hold onto your dreams.
The Truth About Trolls
Original Book & Lyrics by Melodee Reynolds
Music by Melodee Reynolds & Hestia September
Adapted by Thera Langham Knapp & Hestia September
Run Time: Approx. 30 Minutes
Cast Size: 26 roles + Ensemble for a larger cast
A musical suitable for school-aged children, with an accompanying cross-curricular study guide.
Once upon a time, there were two lands divided down the middle by a ravine with a rocky, shallow creek running through it. On one side of the ravine was Gruffland; on the other, Troll Village. A single, ancient stone bridge connected the two lands.
Gruffland, home of the Goats, had been lush with wonderful things to eat like Shirt Trees, Rubber-Boot Bushes, Shoe-berry Patches, Tin-Can Roots, and vines upon vines of Cardboard Pies! However, the Goats had eaten everything and were beginning to panic. On the Trolls side of the bridge, the land was plentiful.
The Goats were too scared of water, heights, the unknown, their own shadows – you get the picture – to cross to the other side. The Trolls that lived in Troll Village had their own reasons for steering clear of the Goats. In fact, the Goats and Trolls always kept to themselves and never had any reason to cross the bridge, until today…
