Anne Negri

Anne Negri

Anne Negri writes plays for young people and families. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s MFA program in Theatre for Youth. She earned her BA in Theatre, French, and K-12 Education from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin. Her play, With Two Wings, published by Dramatic Publishing, received the 2014 American Alliance for Theatre and Education Distinguished Play Award, the 2010 Kennedy Center ACTF-...
Anne Negri writes plays for young people and families. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s MFA program in Theatre for Youth. She earned her BA in Theatre, French, and K-12 Education from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin. Her play, With Two Wings, published by Dramatic Publishing, received the 2014 American Alliance for Theatre and Education Distinguished Play Award, the 2010 Kennedy Center ACTF-Theatre for Young Audiences Award, was a finalist in the Bonderman Playwriting for Youth Symposium, and has been produced nationally (Childsplay, Northwestern University, The Growing Stage) and internationally (Theatre Ma in Japan). Other plays include Girls Who Wear Glasses, Cave Boys, The JunGirl Book, Maddi's Fridge, Robin's Hood, and The Dancing Dog! Negri collaborates frequently with Northwestern University’s Purple Crayon Players and is a three-time participant in their annual PlayGround Festival of Fresh Work. Purple Crayon Players presented a full production of With Two Wings and in 2016 they commissioned Robin's Hood. Anne is a K-8 Drama Specialist in the Evanston/Skokie District 65 public schools of Illinois.

Plays

  • With Two Wings
    In a fantasy world where people have wings, a young boy named Lyf lives an isolated existence with his parents in the safe nest of their home deep in the woods. Although loving, Lyf's parents have strict rules he must follow about avoiding strangers, covering his wings with a cloak and always observing rule number one: never, ever try to fly. One day a precocious, inquisitive girl from the outside world,...
    In a fantasy world where people have wings, a young boy named Lyf lives an isolated existence with his parents in the safe nest of their home deep in the woods. Although loving, Lyf's parents have strict rules he must follow about avoiding strangers, covering his wings with a cloak and always observing rule number one: never, ever try to fly. One day a precocious, inquisitive girl from the outside world, Meta, bursts into the backyard, and she and Lyf become fast friends. Meta tells him about the ocean and the world "out there" beyond the nest. Lyf also learns that "fledglings" in the outside world all learn to fly. In fear of becoming a forever flightless "dodo," Lyf begs Meta to teach him some flying moves. Suddenly, Meta's nosy wannabe-reporter twin brother, Taur, crashes in, challenging Lyf to answer questions about his life and his mysterious parents. When Lyf discovers a secret invention in his father's workshop, he must confront both of his parents about the truth they've hidden from him all these years. Will Lyf be grounded forever, or will the truth he discovers empower him to take flight? This coming-of-age story puts a unique twist on the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus. It is a bittersweet, yet hopeful, tale that tackles the issue of parental disability with gentleness and grace. "With Two Wings elevates curiosity, individual differences, loyal friendships and trusting your instincts." (Raising Arizona Kids magazine) "Thoughtful and engaging … the kind of show that will give parents and kids something to talk about." (The Arizona Republic)
  • Girls Who Wear Glasses
    Growing up is hard enough, navigating friendship, school and parents. But when Mira has to get glasses, it is the last straw. As she deals with old friends who are suddenly only interested in popularity and new friends who want her to be more like them, Mira has to decide who she really wants to be. With the help of her glasses, she starts to see clearly in more ways than one, as she learns to stand up for...
    Growing up is hard enough, navigating friendship, school and parents. But when Mira has to get glasses, it is the last straw. As she deals with old friends who are suddenly only interested in popularity and new friends who want her to be more like them, Mira has to decide who she really wants to be. With the help of her glasses, she starts to see clearly in more ways than one, as she learns to stand up for herself in this humorous story about fitting in, friendship and frames.
  • Maddi's Fridge
    Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park. But when Sofia learns a secret about Maddi’s fridge, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge. Based on the book by Lois Brandt, this heartwarming and hilarious play is a story about honesty, sensitivity and instilling important lessons...
    Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park. But when Sofia learns a secret about Maddi’s fridge, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge. Based on the book by Lois Brandt, this heartwarming and hilarious play is a story about honesty, sensitivity and instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy and helping others!
  • Robin's Hood
    In an alternate future, where food and water are scarce, a young girl in a hoodie, named Robin, runs to the Sharewood Forest with four garbage bags full of food. With “the law,” Sheriff and Marian, in hot pursuit, Robin must convince her sisters, Little J and Tuck, to help her. As Robin grapples with her decision to steal the food, alliances are built, relationships are revealed, and a big plan takes shape.
  • Cave Boys
    In September of 1940, after Germany's occupation of France, a ragtag group of boys in southern France find a mysterious hole in the ground that leads to an underground cave. Instead of the anticipated treasure, they find strange drawings on the cave walls. As the explore the walls and the powerful paintings, their bonds of friendships are tested a they try to keep the cave a secret. When the boys...
    In September of 1940, after Germany's occupation of France, a ragtag group of boys in southern France find a mysterious hole in the ground that leads to an underground cave. Instead of the anticipated treasure, they find strange drawings on the cave walls. As the explore the walls and the powerful paintings, their bonds of friendships are tested a they try to keep the cave a secret. When the boys finally convince their teacher to enter the cave, they learn that they've stumbled upon the most significant site of prehistoric art known to modern humans.
  • The JunGirl Book
    This youth theatre adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's tale puts a fresh twist on an old story by making our lead protagonist, Girl. As Girl is adopted by a family of wolves, she is continuously escaping the jaws of the tiger, Shere Khan, and his jackal sidekick Tabaqui. As Girl grows up in the jungle she learns lessons from her closest protectors, Akela, Baloo, and Bagheera. However, Girl gets distracted...
    This youth theatre adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's tale puts a fresh twist on an old story by making our lead protagonist, Girl. As Girl is adopted by a family of wolves, she is continuously escaping the jaws of the tiger, Shere Khan, and his jackal sidekick Tabaqui. As Girl grows up in the jungle she learns lessons from her closest protectors, Akela, Baloo, and Bagheera. However, Girl gets distracted by a band of Bandar-Log monkeys and the hypnotic powers of Kaa the snake. Back at Council Rock tensions rise in the wolf pack and Shere Khan takes power! Girl must use her jungle skills as well as her new found human skills to outsmart the ravenous tiger.
  • The Dancing Dog!
    The Dancing Dog is a story about getting a new dog. The play focuses on two siblings who pick out a dog at an animal shelter and bringing it home! They try to teach the dog tricks, the kind of tricks that all dogs are supposed to know how to do. The dog cannot do “normal” dog tricks, but in the end, the dog’s true talents are revealed!