Plays for Young Audiences by Cynthia L. Cooper [Cindy Cooper]
A girl on a solo journey while at soccer camp encounters sports heroes from a different era. (School tours: Women's Theatre Co., N.J.; Enrichment Works, Los Angeles, director Murphy Cross.) Flex. set., 4 w. 40 min. K-6. Interactivity. "The response to it from principals, teachers and student audiences has been overwhelmingly positive." Abraham Tetenbaum, Executive Director, Enrichment Works. "Great presentation, a 10, it gave the students a lot of courage." Los Feliz Elementary, Los Angeles.
Women's Theater of New Jersey.
An adaptation of 'How She Played the Game' [see FULL-LENGTH PLAYS], published in 7th grade text, used in state assessment testing.
Co-authors: Cynthia L. Cooper, Joel Vig; Lyrics: Jane Smulyan; Music: Annie Lebeaux
A young blind genius invents a way for those without sight to read during a time in the 1800s when the blind are treated as castoffs. Flexible staging, 3 m., 2 w. (with doubling); up to 25 (without doubling), 1 hr. (Theatreworks USA: Town Hall, NY; Promenade, NY; Triplex, NY; Henry Street Settlement, NY; BAM; Kennedy Center; 20 touring states)(dir. Alma Becker) Finalist, 2002 National Children's Theatre Festival 2002; Speacial Feature Florida 2005. . "The performance was wonderful -- it opened up new avenues of thought for curious minds" (5th grade teacher); "One of the best children's theatre productions I have ever presented ... informative in a very entertaining way" (Rita Donald, Children's Theatre Rep, Papermill Playhouse; "I'll never forget this show. I was very impressed. I am blind myself ... I would like all the people in my school to see this play." (Student, Forest Grove Jr. High School, Mass.)
New! Publication, Winter 2008! Anchorage Plays
Songs in LOUIS BRAILLE (Smulyan/Lebeaux: In the Dark; School in Paris; You'll Fit Right In; On A Rope; Trouble; A Little Ray of Light; What Could Be Easier Than That; Something More; Academics; Pass It On
NEW!: A play for young people about Juana Ines Ramirez, also known as Sor Juana, 17th century poet, playwright, intellectual and nun in Mexico who advocated for the education of women: the story of a young girl who thirsts to learn. (1 w or 2w.) 2007:
Enrichment Works, Los Angeles, (also 2005-2006); Oct 2006: Venus Theatre with Touchstone Gallery Reading Series, DC.
Three young women decide to use their lip synch act to get help for a neighbor from India who is wrongly harassed, incorporating three great women of the past --
Clara Barton, Ida B. Wells and Lakshmi Bai, (India's "Joan of Arc"). 3 w., diverse.
Women's Theatre of New Jersey
Three short stories against bias and speaking to universality across America's diverse ethnic groups. Schools tours, part of Muslim American, featuring Mueen Jahan Ahmad, directed by Chris Hart through
Enrichment Works, 2002-04, Los Angeles. Flex. set., 30 min., 1 m. [Pref: MidEastern descent.] Grades 3-8; Reading ('Eye Five')Immigrant Theatre Project at THAW, NY, Fall 2003.
For Los Angeles school shows: contact Enrichment Works!
Young people explore nontraditional career possibilities in a series of sketches. Minnesota Department of Education Vocational Education Program & Women's Theatre Project (director, Carolyn Levy), 100 schools in Minnesota schools and neighboring states; "Equity" (excerpt)in the publication: "Hit the Nerve: New Voices in the American Theatre" Henry Holt (see Publications); 2003 planned use in North Carolina high school assessment tests. Flex. set, 2 w, 1 m., 40 min., 7-12 grades. Its message: you can be what you want to be ... Breaking away from the stereotypes of what people should be. Minnesota Department of Education.
Click here for:
Full-length plays (for general audiences);
One-Act and Short plays;
or for Publications; Bio, awards and grants; Monologues, go to PLAYS-HOME above and click on appropriate link. 
