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Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers, The

In this play, a boy, unable to know fear, follows a quest to know himself. Award-winning playwright Max Bush's gift for physical comedy rolls through this wisdom tale.

  • Full Length Play
  • Fantasy, Comedy
  • 60 minutes

  • Target Audience: Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)
  • Set Requirements: Bare Stage/Simple Set
In this play, a boy, unable to know fear, follows a quest to know himself. Award-winning playwright Max Bush's gift for physical comedy rolls through this wisdom tale.

Boy, an innocent teen who becomes a charming hero, begins as a simpleton because he knows no fear of ghosts or graveyards. Banished for lack of understanding, Boy comes upon a haunted castle and accepts the challenge to stay three nights. The Powers of Death haunt here, hating the living. Should he survive, his reward is to marry the princess. But Boy mostly wants to learn the shivers there.

Despite their horrifying appearances of a fierce ghost, wild cats, a corpse and a mysterious singing bride, the ghostly inhabitants are unable to scare the boy. The castle is restored ghost-free to the king, and Boy wins the princess. Yet, he still seeks an answer to the mystery of his life.

It takes the wits of the chamber maid and the help of the princess to teach Boy the shivers when he least expects it. 

Premiere Production: Co-commissioned and premiered by the Nashville Academy Theatre and Hartford Children's Theatre.
  • Casting: 8M, 3F, 6M or F
  • Casting Attributes: Reduced casting (Doubling Possible)

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The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers Script Order Now

In this play, a boy, unable to know fear, follows a quest to know himself. Award-winning playwright Max Bush's gift for physical comedy rolls through this wisdom tale. Boy, an innocent teen who becomes a charming hero, begins as a simpleton because he knows no fear of ghosts or graveyards. Banished for lack of understanding, Boy comes upon a haunted castle and accepts the challenge to stay three nights. The Powers of Death haunt here, hating the living. Should he survive, his reward is to marry the princess. But Boy mostly wants to learn the shivers there. Despite their horrifying appearances of a fierce ghost, wild cats, a corpse and a mysterious singing bride, the ghostly inhabitants are unable to scare the boy. The castle is restored ghost-free to the king, and Boy wins the princess. Yet, he still seeks an answer to the mystery of his life. It takes the wits of the chamber maid and the help of the princess to teach Boy the shivers when he least expects it. One set, with set pieces. Peasant and fantasy costumes. Approximate running time: 60 minutes. Music in book.

$19.95