In the beginning of years when the world was so new-and-all, the Woman had the job of domesticating wild animals, including the Dog, the Horse, the Cow, the Cat, and the Husband. That's the way Kipling tells it. Bren Dubay ties 5 of the stories together in her smooth-flowing dramatization, with a thread that subtly suggests "classics are fun." Each of the five may be presented as a short play. The stories included are "How the Camel Got His Hump," "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin," "The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo," "The Elephant's Child," and "The Cat That Walked by Himself." Much of Kipling's original beautifully written prose has been retained by the playwright. The tales in Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories have been stretching young imaginations (and some old ones, too) since they were published in 1902.

The play lends itself to creative staging and a free play of the imagination by director, cast, and technicians. A table becomes a camel, stuffed toys come to life, a primitive elephant's shoe-like nose stretches into the kind of trunk that elephants wear today, and a Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake slithers (or whatever) around the stage. Producers may choose to eliminate some of the episodes to shorten the play.

Bren Dubay's manuscript was developed in the EarlyStages program of Stages Repertory Theatre, Houston's second largest resident Equity Theatre, which she helped found. EarlyStages productions are selected for their appeal to grown-ups as well as young people to provide a truly shared theatre experience for the whole family. Ms. Dubay co-founded the Children's Theatre Festival, a professional project of the University of Houston Drama Department, with Sidney Berger, author of Bird Boy, Rapunzel, and Little Match Girl musical.

One act; playroom, family room; today. Recommended for audiences of children age 6 and up and young adults. It is suitable for cast members of almost any age, and, with minimal scenery, it is ideal for touring. Total playing time is about 100 minutes; episodes may be omitted to shorten the play.

Just So Stories is a quality example of good theatre for young audiences."—Ted Swindley, Theatre on the Green, Greenville, S. Carolina.

Another by Dubay: The Ugly Duckling (1-act)

See also: Adaptations of the Classics