alphabetical author index

The Yellow Boat

  • David Saar
  • Full Length Play, Drama, Contemporary
  • 4M, 3F
  • ISBN: Y29

The story of The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children.

  • Full Length Play
  • Drama
  • 75 minutes

  • Time Period: Contemporary
  • Target Audience: Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult
  • Set Requirements: Open Staging

  • Performance Group:
  • Community Theatre, College Theatre / Student

  • Accolades:
  • Winner! TYA/USA (ASSITEJ/USA) Outstanding Play Award
    Winner! The Kennedy Center New Visions/New Voices Distinguished Play Award
The story of The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children. This dramatization is based on the true story of David and Sonja Saar's son, Benjamin, who was born with congenital hemophilia and died in 1987 at the age of 8 of AIDS-related complications.

A uniquely gifted visual artist, Benjamin's buoyant imagination transformed his physical and emotional pain into a blaze of colors and shapes in his fanciful drawings and paintings. A Scandinavian folksong tells of three little boats: "One was blue, one was red and one was yellow as the sun. They sailed far out to sea. The blue one returned to the harbor. The red one sailed home, too. But the yellow boat sailed up to the sun." Benjamin always concluded his bedtime ritual by saying, "Mom, you can be the red boat or the blue boat, but I am the yellow boat."

Benjamin's remarkable voyage continues to touch audiences around the world. Recommended for children age 8 and older, parents, families and adults. 

Premiere Production: First presented by Childsplay at the Tempe Performing Arts Center, Arizona.
  • Casting: 4M, 3F

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The Yellow Boat Script Order Now

The story of The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children. This dramatization is based on the true story of David and Sonja Saar's son, Benjamin, who was born with congenital hemophilia and died in 1987 at the age of 8 of AIDS-related complications. A uniquely gifted visual artist, Benjamin's buoyant imagination transformed his physical and emotional pain into a blaze of colors and shapes in his fanciful drawings and paintings. A Scandinavian folksong tells of three little boats: One was blue, one was red and one was yellow as the sun. They sailed far out to sea. The blue one returned to the harbor. The red one sailed home, too. But the yellow boat sailed up to the sun. Benjamin always concluded his bedtime ritual by saying, Mom, you can be the red boat or the blue boat, but I am the yellow boat. Benjamin's remarkable voyage continues to touch audiences around the world. Recommended for children age 8 and older, parents, families and adults. Open stage with simple set pieces. Contemporary costumes. Approximate running time: 75 to 80 minutes. Music in book.

Also Available:

Touring Playbook
Competition Playbook

$19.95