Some notes on the play:

Casting –This is what could be called the “traditional” version of the script, but the play should be considered entirely gender neutral. I encourage theater groups to cast the play in every possible way. You can perform it as written, flip it and cast Dylan as female and Chris as male. Or with both Dylan and Chris both as women, or both as men, or both non-binary. This is true for all the characters, and they all have gender-neutral names. Just change the pronouns or Aunt Pat to Uncle Pat and run with it. I want to see lots of variations.

There are – of course – exceptions. There are a couple of historical characters who should remain male, but, that being said, you’re free to have a woman play the part in drag. Also, if you want to keep Aunt Pat as Aunt Pat and cast a male in drag, that’s all right too.

There fifteen characters, but you should be able to do the play with just six or seven actors. So, doubling of roles is expected – unless you’re a school with lots of people to use – but some roles have specific references to race or abled-ness, and they should be cast appropriately.

Set/Lighting/Sound – Be creative and make it work. This is a fantasy piece, and there are some fantastical – and maybe impossible – stage directions in this play. Do whatever’s going to tell the story clearly to the audience within your budget.

I’ve written in stage directions for a background that has projections of certain places, from the oceans to Antarctica to deserts to South Dakota. Projections would certainly be an easy way to set place, but you could use children’s drawings or models or other ways too. If your theater space makes projections difficult, you can probably find a way to rely more heavily on your sound and lighting design to sell the idea that we’re in a jungle or on ocean.

There are also some set pieces in here, like the deck of an icebreaker or a half bombed out hotel, and some of them aren’t onstage for very long. You don’t have to be literal. Make it work. Keep it simple, and keep it moving.