Newman Plays

by Drew Chappell

Drew Chappell developed two plays at Highland High School.  He devised an original piece of theatre for younger audiences titled The Breeze at Dawn, based on his own children’s book text Brother Stephen and the Bells and a poem by Rumi.  He also created the first stage adaptation of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s The Egypt Game.  Newman left Highland before he was able to produce The Egypt Game, but he later produced it at Utah Valley University as a youth production for the Noorda Theatre Summer Camp.

Dr. Chappell and Dr. Newman earned their masters degrees together at the University of Texas at Austin.  Since working together in Austin, they have both earned their PhD’s, Newman at New York University at Chappell at Arizona State University in Tempe.  Chappell was living in Tempe when he began working with Highland.  Chappell now teaches at California State University in Fullerton.

The Breeze at Dawn is available for productions.  Those interested should contact the playwright.  The adaptation rights to The Egypt Game were only for a single production.  However, the playwright is interested in partnering with schools or theatres to seek permission and adapt other children’s novels to the stage.

THE BREEZE AT DAWN

THE EGYPT GAME