Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

by Reina Hardy

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED (3f 2m):
Annie Jump is a 13-year-old science genius whose alien-obsessed father is the laughingstock of Strawberry, KS. One night in August, a meteor falls, and Annie meets Althea, an intergalactic supercomputer that manifests itself in the form of a mean girl with really great hair. Althea’s here to help Annie take humanity from the earth to the stars, but being the Chosen One isn't all...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED (3f 2m):
Annie Jump is a 13-year-old science genius whose alien-obsessed father is the laughingstock of Strawberry, KS. One night in August, a meteor falls, and Annie meets Althea, an intergalactic supercomputer that manifests itself in the form of a mean girl with really great hair. Althea’s here to help Annie take humanity from the earth to the stars, but being the Chosen One isn't all glory. What is Althea hiding? And what will Annie have to sacrifice to fulfill her destiny? A play for all audiences about finding your place in the universe, and intelligent life in your neighborhood.

"A masterpiece of deft, taut, economical writing. Hardy introduces, defines and develops characters with laser-like precision, creating sympathetic, likable folks the audience can’t help caring about and a fast-moving and engaging story with a good dose of humor."
-Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

"Showrunners take note. Hardy... takes the best elements of contemporary cultural references, social media, and pop science and turns them into something more than the sum of those parts—an out-of-this-world, all-ages celebration of nerdiness, empowerment, and love."
-DC Theater Scene

"An adventure that takes you to the very edge of existence and back.... an intimate story about the potential that lies in all of us... you'll find yourself stargazing."
-Broadwayworld.com, DC

"The cool thing about Hardy's script is how it falls in the in-between. The journey of Annie Jump would mean as much to a teen as it would a grown-up, and we need more theater like that. Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven aims to bridge the gap in theater-going age groups and link up fresh, youthful audiences to that mysterious, perhaps-undiscovered universe of the stage."
-Broadwayworld.com, MKE

"...positively jaw-dropping... It’s not often that science fiction makes it to a local stage. Thanks to Hardy and Renaissance, the genre is ushered to the Broadway Theatre Center with wonder, respect and a great deal of genuine emotion."
-The Small Stage

"Playwright Reina Hardy writes with economy and authority. She is an excellent storyteller who has the audience rooting for Annie and her father throughout the production... A show like this doesn’t come along all that often. "
-Totaltheater.com

Hey! Want to hear this this play instead of reading it? It's available as a podcast from "The Parsnip Ship" https://soundcloud.com/the-parsnip-ship/annie-jump?in=the-parsnip-ship/…

Check out production photos here: https://www.reinahardy.com/annie-jump-and-the-library-of-heaven/

Interested in producing this play? It's licensed through Dramatic Play Publishing: https://www.broadwayplaypublishing.com/the-plays/annie-jump-and-the-lib…

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Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

Recommended by

  • Jennifer O'Grady: Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

    Wonderfully fun and theatrical play with fabulous characters and lots of heart. Loved it!

    Wonderfully fun and theatrical play with fabulous characters and lots of heart. Loved it!

  • Dave Osmundsen: Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

    A beautiful, life-affirming play that, while for all ages, is not afraid to deal with subjects such as mental illness and self-doubt. The story subverts and challenges the "Chosen One" trope common in much YA sci-fi and uses it to make a larger point about how we collectively contribute to humanity. I can imagine directors, actors, and designers having a blast with this piece.

    A beautiful, life-affirming play that, while for all ages, is not afraid to deal with subjects such as mental illness and self-doubt. The story subverts and challenges the "Chosen One" trope common in much YA sci-fi and uses it to make a larger point about how we collectively contribute to humanity. I can imagine directors, actors, and designers having a blast with this piece.

  • National New Play Network: Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

    ANNIE JUMP AND THE LIBRARY OF HEAVEN by Reina Hardy received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Partnering NNPN Member Theaters were RENAISSANCE THEATERWORKS (Milwaukee, WI), RORSCHACH THEATRE (Washington, DC), THE VORTEX (Austin, TX), and THROWN STONE (Ridgefield, CT)

    ANNIE JUMP AND THE LIBRARY OF HEAVEN by Reina Hardy received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Partnering NNPN Member Theaters were RENAISSANCE THEATERWORKS (Milwaukee, WI), RORSCHACH THEATRE (Washington, DC), THE VORTEX (Austin, TX), and THROWN STONE (Ridgefield, CT)

View all 17 recommendations

Character Information

The three young teen characters have major roles, and are probably best played by older teen actors, or actors in their 20s.

Dr. Jump and Mrs. Gomez must appear old enough to be parental/authority figures, but within that there is a lot of flexibility.
  • Annie Jump
    13 year old science genius.
    Character Age
    13
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Dr. Jump
    Annie's father.
    Character Age
    30s-50s
  • KJ Urbanik
    14 year old computer geek
    Character Age
    14
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Althea
    Teenage mean girl who is also a mindfurl of an intergalactic super-computer, awesome hair.
    Character Age
    Ageless, appears about 15
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Mrs. Gomez
    Annie's teacher. May also provide voiceovers for the Chairwoman and Dr. Ford.
    Character Age
    30s-50s
    Character Gender Identity
    Female

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Write Now, Year 2015
  • Type Reading, Organization The Kennedy Center, Year 2014
  • Type Reading, Organization Purple Crayon Players, Year 2014
  • Type Reading, Organization Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Year 2014

Production History

  • Type University, Organization Alfred University, Year 2020
  • Type Professional, Organization Rorschach Theatre, Year 2019

Awards

  • Theater for Young Audiences Prize
    Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
    Winner