Elephant’s Graveyard – Abridged Version

By: George Brant

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Synopsis: Drama / 10m, 3f -casting may vary / Simple Set Winner of the 2008 Keene Prize for Literature Winner of the 2008 David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award Elephant's Graveyard is the true tale of the tragic collision of a struggling circus and a tiny town in Tennessee, which resulted in the only known lynching of an elephant. Set in September of 1916, the play combines historical fact and legend, exploring the deep-seated American craving for spectacle, violence and revenge. This abridged version, which runs about 40 minutes in length, is perfect for high schools looking to perform the play at theatre competitions or for producers looking for a shorter version of the original script. Adapted by the author, it maintains the haunting drama of the award-winning full length play. "The script is, like the best art, microscopically specific with echoes that radiate outward across time. Elephant's Graveyard buzzes with truth about the consequences of misunderstanding, the invisible but enormous gap between artists and their audiences, and the infernal beauty of vaudeville." -The Stranger, Seattle "A theatrical masterpiece." -Columbia City Paper "The most striking production in the (NSDF) festival." -Times of London "Deeply moving...has the audience in stitches at the open and tears at the close." -TheSunCoast.com