Cynthia J. McGean

Henry and Ramona: authorized stage adaptation of Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins stories. Published by Dramatic Publishing Company. Commissioned and produced by Northwest Children’s Theatre. Produced by numerous children’s theaters, high schools and middle schools throughout the country. An excerpt from this script is featured in the third grade anthology of Houghton Mifflin’s Nation’s Choice reading adoption.

“A charming little journey through the world as seen through the eyes of children including birthday parties, playing in the street, playing with pets, clubhouses, newspaper routes, Halloween, Christmas, dealing with grownups and, most importantly, friendship.” - Rob Hopper, National Arts Digest.
Perseus, Hero of Ancient Greece: Commissioned and produced by Tears of Joy Theatre, this piece combines puppetry and mask work with elements of Greek drama as it asks the question, “What makes a true hero?”

The Yellow Wallpaper: This one-woman stage adaptation of the seminal turn-of-the-century feminist short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman received three separate critically acclaimed productions in Portland, Oregon.

Satan’s Fall: An adaptation of Milton’s Paradise Lost preserving Milton’s glorious poetry and focusing on the dramatic arc of Satan as the tragic anti-hero of the piece, the angst-ridden Hamlet of the underworld. Performed to sold-out houses at David Morrison Books in Portland, Oregon, through SMC productions.

A Christmas Carol: A one-hour reader’s theater style adaptation of Dickens classic tale, performed by a cast of 6-60. Local actors and singers have toured free performances of this production to nursing homes and residential care facilities throughout the Portland area for nearly 20 years.

Magister: An original story told almost entirely through visuals, this puppet theater script uses dreamlike imagery to honor the life and death of a beloved teacher. Winner of the Emerging Forms Playwright Competition.