Publisher's Synopsis
Funny, Emotional, Poignant, Beautiful
Tales of Wonder is a 90-minute play for 10-30 actors, consisting of 12 short plays or vignettes - some related, others not - themed around the most wonderful time of the year. Tales of Wonder is perfect for high schools, colleges, or community theatres. The show as constituted in this book had its American debut at the Scharmann Theatre of SUNY JCC in December 2024.
Includes 15 musical backing and transition tracks!This play comes with more than 15 musical downloads which serve as musical transitions and backing tracks to elevate the show to new heights.
Looking for something creative, unique, and challenging for your holiday show? Tales of Wonder is for you!
Order of Show- Musical Prologue: This six-minute musical prologue introduces the themes and characters which follow.
- Snowflakes: On a cold winter's morning, a wide-eyed child awakens to a winter wonderland.
- Tree Talk: An heirloom star tries to keep the tree ornaments from falling into complete disarray so they can give their family the best Christmas ever.
- Sledding: Bobby O'Malley intends to break the world record on his new sled, but three neighborhood girls keep interrupting him.
- Christmas in the Trenches, 1914: Based on a true-life event from World War I, three soldiers in the trenches find themselves thinking of home on Christmas Eve, when something strange arises from the enemy's camp: a song.
- Season's Greetings: Mrs. Banks is excited prepping the house for her family's impending holiday visit, until she gets an unexpected knock on the door from the mailman which changes everything.
- Snow Fort: Four kids prepare for an epic snowball fight. The confident boys are ready to dominate the girls until the battle takes an unexpected turn.
- The Truth about Santa Claus: Three parents prepare to gently tell their child the truth about Santa Claus, but the children keep turning the outcome on its head.
- Tree Talk II: Ten years have passed. Kim is now an opinionated teenager and doesn't want anything to do with decorating the Christmas Tree. Blue Bulb has to deal with the unbearable changes and needs to find a plan to bring the ornaments and their family back together.
- Season's Greetings II: After Paul Banks' mother falls ill, Paul takes a flight to New York to visit her on Christmas Eve. On the plane, Paul meets an eccentric man, who seems to know too much about him. But this strange meeting is only a prologue to what awaits him in New York.
- A Vigil for a Starry Night: A desperate runaway searches for help and meaning from the starry night overhead.
- If Love is a Crime: (Award winner - Festival Director's Award - 2016 Short & Sweet Theatre Penang) Set in the 1850s, a desperate runaway is searching for help on Christmas Eve. She comes across a secluded cabin in the woods hoping for a little warmth, but what she receives is far beyond anything she could imagine.
Mark W Sasse is a novelist and award-winning playwright. He has taught English, history, and theatre in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia for more than two decades.
Shion Beak is a teacher and songwriter driven by a passion for creativity. During high school, she collaborated with playwright Mark Sasse to compose theatre music, and after a decade, they have reunited on Tales of Wonder. Currently based in South Korea, Shion aspires to create more music and connect with a growing audience.
