The Giver, Dramatized
BYU is presenting a play based on the YA novel, The Giver. My daughter and I went to see it today. First we went to a free "brown bag" workshop, preparing to see the play. That was fun. Then (after we had finished eating lunch) we went to our front row seats (we just bought the tickets today) for the play. Barta Heiner plays the old Giver. She is a marvelous and well-respected actress. Jonas is played by a sophomore from Orem High School; his parents by BYU students; Lily by a fourth grader from Springville; Asher, Fiona, and Rosemary by middle school students (7th, 8th, and 6th graders). All do a fine job.
If you get to go, notice how set design portrays the community, and the transfer of memories is shown.
Watch for similarities to and differences from the novel, and notice how the playwright sometimes worked in information without using a whole scene from the book.
I wish I could have take all my seventh graders to see this play.
[Photo from http://byunews.byu.edu/archive09-May-thegiver.aspx ]
