A
Thousand Cranes
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ArtReach's A Thousand Cranes is the classic true story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. This award-winning playscript is written for a large cast of young performers and told in simple but powerful terms. First produced professionally, A Thousand Cranes has become a children's theatre classic. Widely admired, this play has been performed by schools and theatres thousands of times around the world, inspiring children with Sadako's plea for peace.
A Thousand
Cranes, Play for Young Performers
John C. Fremont Charter School,
Merced, CA - Lansing Middle School, NY
Sadako was only two years old when the Hiroshima bomb fell and seemed to be unharmed, but at twelve she was diagnosed with "radiation sickness". With boundless optimism, she takes an old story to heart: "If a sick person folds a thousand paper cranes the gods will grant her wish and make her well again."
"A
tremendously moving piece..."
Dripping
Springs Drama Booster Club, TX
Start your children folding cranes, then explore the Script and Teacher's Guide. Using the script's simple suggestions, stage the play for the whole school to enjoy. Let your children do more than present Sadako's story... let them live it!
Easy For Children to Learn and Perform
Fifth Grade - Upland Country Day School, Kennett Square PA
Excellent
Script for Young Performers
Young Cast, Majestic Theatre,
Crovallis, OR
Sadako begins to fold her thousand cranes. Before Sadako is able to complete her task, she is visited by her Grandmother who lovingly carries her on the back of a glorious crane, to the land of a thousand, thousand spirits.
Featured:
20 Great Plays for Children
Upland
Country Day School, PA - Dripping
Springs Drama Booster Club, TX
"Featured in Twenty
Great Plays for Children, St. Martin's Press"
Sadako learns that her true wish may be granted. Sadako's friends and classmates finished Sadako's work. They folded enough paper cranes to make a thousand.
Sadako's Friends Folded Paper Cranes
Dripping Springs Drama Booster Club, TX - Seattle Peace ParkToday children in Japan and all over the world fold a thousand paper cranes and lay them at the feet of Sadako's statue in the Hiroshima Peace Park. Their wish is engraved at the bottom of the monument:
"This is
Our Cry - This is Our Prayer..."
Dripping
Springs Drama Booster Club, TX - Children's Peace Park, Hiroshima
"Peace
in the World"
Sadako Travels
a Wondrous Journey
Lexington Children's
Theatre, KY - Syracuse Stage, NY
"A Thousand Cranes is one of the most moving pieces of American playwriting I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. It has a timely theme and universal appeal."
Suzanne Larson, Artistic Director - Lady's Island Dinner Theatre
A Story of
Strength and Courage
A Thousand Cranes, Fusion Youth
Theatre, Grimsby, UK
"We performed A Thousand Cranes at the Elementary Drama Festival - it was a HUGE hit!! I told them all that we had a beautiful script to work with which made it all that much easier to produce a wonderful play!"
Tammy Feeney, Sussex Corner School, NB, Canada
Why is ArtReach's A Thousand Cranes right for you and your school?
A flexible cast of 17 to 38.
About 20 performers may be female or male.
Sadako can be played by up to 8 girls to ensure that no one child is the "star".
Suggestions on how to use simple percussion instruments (raid the music room!) to excellent effect.
Open staging! Your gymnasium, cafeteria or any other large room is perfect.
Simple, easy costume pieces and scenery can be made in the classroom.
A CD of original, beautiful poignant background music and sound effects.
Leads
to Understanding About Peace
Sycracuse
Stage, NY - Dripping
Springs Drama Booster Club, TX
- Silver Stage Players, Elko
NV
The School Play Version of A Thousand Cranes requires no professional experience in theatre. It is written in with simplicity and meaning, as a tool to help you and your students explore the many aspects of Sadako's story and to encourage children on the path to a mature understanding of peace.
"There were always tears and prolonged applause."
Dripping Springs Drama Booster Club, TX - Lansing Middle School, NY
"Everyone was very moved and inspired."
Reach Performing Arts, ME - The National School of Drama, Delhi, India"My Year 6 students performed A Thousand Cranes three times and each performance was a huge success. There were teachers actually crying and even the kindergarten students were quiet as they watched!"
Mary Westall, St. Therese Primary School, Sydney, Australia
How to
Fold a Paper Crane - Send Your Cranes to Sadako
Instructions on How
to Fold a Crane in Script and
Teacher's Guide
"The music teacher came up to me and said it brought tears to her eyes. The notes you sent with the play were very encouraging and helpful. It was very special to me to get a chance to have my students tell Sadako's story."
Diane Purvis, Teacher & Librarian
A Joyous Ending!
Prana Center, Holliston MA -
Bednarcik Junior High School, Oswego IL
"I hope the audience comes away from this play and thinks about peace. I hope they realize to always remember to listen to the wisdom of our children.”
Pam Chernesky, Artistic Director, Houlton Star Bright Children's Theatre
A Thousand Cranes has three versions:
Large Cast
School Play Version
(this page)
Flexible Cast of 17-38 (2M,
4F, all others M/F) for grades K-6
Medium
Cast Version
Flexible Cast of 13 (4M, 4F,
5M/F) for grades 6-12
Small
Cast (Touring) Version
Cast of 3 (1M, 2F) for adult actors.
More Great Comments...
Who's producing A Thousand Cranes? Click for Productions
Free Resources: In the News, Behind the Scenes, Directing Tips, Classroom Activities
A Kids' Play That Inspires Compassion!
National Crane Project: David’s Origami CranesArtReach's Award Winning Play 'A Thousand Cranes' has been performed all over the world. This deeply moving story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes has been adapted for young people to perform. Recommended for Grades 3 and Up.
A Thousand Cranes is the Winner of a National Endowment for the Arts Playwriting Award.
A Thousand Cranes is the Winner of an Ohio Arts Council Playwriting Award.
Performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Performed at Asian Children's Festival Singapore.
“I hope that young people, teachers, and parents watching this show are able to discuss with each other the importance and need for peace and reflection before making any decisions. I encourage everyone to learn to fold a crane and use those few moments to reflect on those that have gone before us and to find peace within ourselves.”
Octavia Biggs, Director, Lexington Children's Theatre
"I can't tell you how much performing A Thousand Cranes meant to my students and me. Everyone was very moved and inspired. Thanks for such a beautiful script!"
Diane Purvis, Teacher & Librarian
“When I first read this script I knew that we had to share this play with our community. The kids have really embraced it."
Pam Chernesky, Artistic Director, Houlton Star Bright Children's Theatre
"Using traditional Japanese theatre styles, A Thousand Cranes offers a wonderful opportunity to share in a truly multi-cultural experience."
Nebraska Theatre Caravan
"The play is deeply spiritual. The message is that hope rises from the ashes of tragedy."
Dori Baker, Washington Post
"The story of Sadako has done much to help my life and I believe this play will be another source of strength and courage for me and many others."
Jonathan Kiddish Weatherly, PA
"The children were amazing and our audience very appreciative. We made 1000 cranes to send to Japan and now all feel emotionally satisfied with our efforts. What a great experience!"
Phyl Cameron, New Zealand
"We had two wonderful performances. The play's theme is very appropriate for these times. The students did a superb job portraying the message, which brought me to the verge of tears."
Dorothy Loveland, Bayan School, Bahrain
"Thank you for writing such an inspiring children's play. I've been teaching drama for three years and never have my students been more engaged with a story."
Anne Mantha, St. Mary Magdalen School - Hazel Park, MI
"As one child said&ldots; ”I really didn’t get Sadako when you first told us about her, but now I can see how important she is." Thank you for such a great script that was easy to stage and which had such a beautiful and moving message!"
Mary Westall, St. Therese Primary School, Sydney, Australia
"The show held every audience enthralled. No one moved a muscle during the entire show and there were always tears and prolonged applause. Thank you for this very special play!"
Sharon Sproule, Espanola Little Theatre, Ontario, Canada
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