Understood Betsy
A family musical
Music by Mary Feinsinger
Additional music by Robert Elhai
Book and Lyrics by Stacey Luftig
Based on a novel by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Winner of the National Children’s Theatre Festival Award and the Jackie White National Children’s Playwriting Award, Understood Betsy premiered at the Actors’ Playhouseat the Miracle Theatre, Coral Gables, Florida. It was developed at the BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theater Workshop in New York City, and Innovative Stages in Westchester, New York.
Based on a classic novel and still relevant today, Understood Betsy tells the tale of a timid, overprotected nine-year-old city girl who is thrust on a journey that challenges her to think and act for herself.
When Betsy is sent off to live with her elderly aunt and uncle on a farm in Vermont, she faces one predicament after another, which transforms her from a girl who declares "I can’t!" to one who bravely learns to say, "I can."
Running time:
Approx. 90 minutes, plus intermission if desired.
Cast size is flexible:
Optimal size is 15+, with 9 adults and 6 children. Minimum size is 10, with adults only. The show, with more than 20 characters, will easily accommodate a larger cast.
“Understood Betsy is a perfect play for family audiences.... [It] gives us a realistic look at the small-town life of early 20th century America, and shows a real side of children of all times. Betsy is a great role model for younger audiences.”
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