by Claudia Haas

John Newman has developed several plays by Claudia Haas at Utah Valley University including Almost Mary (now published by YouthPLAYS and My Brother’s Gift (now published by Stage Partners) through UVU’s Old Miner Children’s Playwriting Contest as well as Remembering Margot and Yours Until Niagara Falls.

ALMOST MARY

Mary Anning was the world’s first female paleontologist. But before she made history, she was a young girl who hunted for fossils as though they were buried treasure. And all she wants is to shed the small-minded expectations of her small town to do what she loves most in this coming-of-age story about a teen who stamped her place in history by looking even further into the past.

Available from YouthPLAYS

https://www.youthplays.com/almost-mary-by-full-length-version-claudia-haas-695

MY BROTHER’S GIFT

Based on the remarkable true story of Heinz Geiringer — neighbor and friend of Anne Frank — we follow the story of a young artist and loving brother living in unconscionable circumstances. A trained musician at only 15 and now forced to live in hiding and silence, Heintz turns to painting and poetry to express his everyday terror but hope of the future. Through Heinz’s inspired paintings, nostalgic love of life, and his sister Eva’s remembrances, we are shown the power of art to offer hope and healing. The play received a 2022 Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education

Available from Stage Partners: full-length, virtual, and zoom versions

https://www.yourstagepartners.com/my-brothers-gift#tab-1

REMEMBERING MARGOT

“I think it’s wonderful what you’re doing for Anne,” Margot’s friend Frijde wrote to Otto Frank, “but I think it’s a pity that nothing is mentioned anymore about Margot. She is also worthy of being mentioned.”

In this play, Claudia Haas presents the story of the Frank family, before, during, and after their time in the Secret Annex, with a focus on Anne Frank’s older sister Margot. This play would be a great companion piece to present in repertory with The Diary of Anne Frank, or could be presented in a public reading, or in a private reading by the Diary cast, as was done with the production at Utah Valley University.

For more information, go to http://www.claudiahaas.com

YOURS UNTIL NIAGARA FALLS

This engaging new play follows two best girlfriends throughout there lives, from elementary school, to junior high, to high school, through college, and finally all grown up. It can be performed with five or six pairs of female actors and can presented script-in-hand, like A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters. It was developed in the Theatre for Children and Youth class at Utah Valley University in Spring 2024.

For more information, go to http://www.claudiahaas.com

Claudia Haas focuses on theatre for young audiences and inter-generational audiences. She was an O’Neill Conference semifinalist for her 9/11 play Making Some Noise. Her plays have been widely produced in all fifty states as well as on five continents. Her youth plays have been developed through the Bonderman Symposium (now called “Write Now”), Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University, the Playwrights-in-our-Schools grant and the Old Miner’s Children’s Playwriting Contest at Utah Valley University. Her adult plays have been work shopped with The William Inge Short Play Festival, Workhouse Theatre, Little Lifeboats and Theatre Pro Rata. Honors include winner of the Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award, Anna Zornio Playwriting Competition, AATE’s Unpublished Play Reading Project, University of Central Missouri’s Children’s Playwriting Competition, East Valley Children’s Theatre Playwriting Competition, Jackie White Memorial Playwriting Contest and others. Fifty of her plays are published. She is a member of the Dramatist Guild of America, the Playwright’s Center of Minneapolis and the American Alliance for Theatre Education. Claudia lives in White Bear Lake, MN where there are many loons and ducks that bring smiles but sadly no penguins.