Welcome!

Greetings, all! This is the official web home for SALLY COTTER AND THE CENSORED STONE, a new comedy for the stage. If you enjoy the adventures of a certain boy wizard, you'll love this zany, satirical farce. All the information you need can be found here. If you'd like to read a the play, you can read almost all of it on the Playscripts site, here. More questions? email the author here.

Please be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Harry Potter, Age 30

Today is the 30th birthday of Harry Potter (Yes, he was born on July 30, 1980. You didn't know the books took place between 1991 and 1998? Well, they did). In honor of this, I have a list of the title of the books that would cover Harry's adventures between ages 18 and 30, based on the types of adventures we all have at those ages.

• 1998 Age 18 – Book 8: Harry Potter and the Slowing Metabolism
• 1999 Age 19 – Book 9: Harry Potter and the One Bedroom Apartment in the Dodgy Neighborhood
• 2000 Age 20 – Book 10: Harry Potter and the Surprisingly Small Ring Considering it Cost Two Months’ Salary
• 2001 Age 21 – Book 11: Harry Potter and the Wedding-Guest List That Wouldn’t Stop Growing
• 2002 Age 22 – Book 12: Harry Potter and the Bachelor Party He Shouldn’t Have Let Ron and George Plan
• 2003 Age 23 – Book 13: Harry Potter and the Lamaze Breathing Exercises
• 2004 Age 24 – Book 14: Harry Potter and the Bottomless Diaper Pail
• 2005 Age 25 – Book 15 Harry Potter and the Car Payments
• 2006 Age 26 – Book 16 Harry Potter and the Failed Quidditch Comeback
• 2007 Age 27 – Book 17 Harry Potter and the Receding Hairline
• 2008 Age 28 – Book 18 Harry Potter and the Adjustable Rate Mortgage
• 2009 Age 29 – Book 19 Harry Potter and the Temples of Gray
• 2010 Age 30 – Book 20 Harry Potter and No-Treacle-Tarts Diet

"This Isn't Hogwarts" -- a musical montage

It occurs to me I haven't put this on the blog yet. I made a montage of photos from SALLY productions from 2009, set to the tune of "This Isn't Hogwarts" by Hank Green. I had a lot of fun making it. I hope to make many more!

Photos from Prarieview School, in Waukee, IA

I'm sounding like a broken record here, but I had great fun getting to know the cast and crew of the Prarieview production. Theirs was in December, and they paired it with a one-act curtain raiser play with a Christmas theme. There was a very nice article about the shows in the Des Moines Register. I've pasted the text of that below the photos. More photos here.

Prairieview drama students create magic


HOLLY MCQUEEN/THE REGISTER


Audience can sit for a spell and enjoy a parody of Harry Potter
by by jennifer ripslinger
jripslin@dmreg.com


Heard in the Prairieview School commons: Kids today don't connect with old things, including books and bands from the '90s.

So the drama department is taking a new twist on Harry Potter and will present "Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone" at 7 p.m. today and Saturday at the school.

Cost is $5 and also includes the short play "The Bestest Christmas Ever in Texas."

"Sally Cotter" is a "loving parody to the tone of Mad magazine or Mel Brooks," writes playwright Dean O'Carroll in the script.


In addition to the familiar characters, Sally, Headmaster Albatross Underdrawers and Lord Murderdeath, the play also features a censor.

Played by Paige Amdahl, 14, of Waukee, the Censor pops in the play occasionally to keep the cast in line.

"I make sure things are in order, and I correct what they say," Amdahl said.

A potential mention of Hogwarts?

Not under the Censor's watch. It's Frogbill Academy of Sorcery.

Despite what the Censor says, Alyssa Cokinis, who plays Cotter, said this play is for all Harry Potter fans.

"I am obsessed with Harry Potter, so I love this play," she said.

She said the audience will instantly recognize the connection to the book series, but this version features more humor.

Sally is flanked by best friends Dave and Harmonica, who are played by Jonathan Buehrer, 14, of West Des Moines and Maggie Dressel, 15, of Waukee.

Buehrer said his character talks big but will eventually hide behind Sally or Harmonica.

"He's kind of stupid," Buehrer said. "But it's fun to act goofy, and it'll be fun to act goofy in front of an audience."

The school, which lacks an auditorium, uses the commons or cafeteria area for its plays. In order to illuminate the productions, the drama department rented lights.
But thanks to a $7,200 fundraising campaign, the school has its own now, said Lynnae Lathrop, drama teacher.
And because the lighting system is portable, it can be used in Prairieview’s future auditorium or at other venues, such as Waukee Middle School.
“We’re training a couple kids to use them right now,” Lathrop said.
For Dressel, her role meant she had to learn large paragraphs of lines.

"She's the brainiac who studies all the time," Dressel said.

Harmonica also never misses an opportunity to show off how much she reads.

Dressel also said that reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" won't give away the ending.

"It's a neat end and it isn't expected," she said. "It's not like the movie or the book."

Added Amdahl: "At the end, it's pretty shocking what I do."

"The Bestest Christmas Ever in Texas"

Before the wizards take the stage, two wishful thinkers will dream of a white Christmas.

According to their matter-of-fact mother, played by Rachel Henderson, the girls will never see snow in December because, well, global warming is going to kill us all.

Not to mention, they live in Texas.

But the daughters, played by Mariah Myers and Kinzie Fagerstrom, come up with a plan. They even receive an unexpected visit from Frosty the Snowman, explained Sarah Lynd, 14, of Urbandale, who plays Frosty.



:: ‘Sally Cotter’ cast
Sally Cotter: Alyssa Cokinis
Reubenon Ryebread: Carter Kemmet
The Censor: Paige Amdahl
Harmonica: Maggie Dressel
Dave: Jonathan Buehrer
Professor Albatross Underdrawers: Corey Spiess
Professor Shiftia Shape: Michaela Craigmile
Ursa Malaise: Bridget Johnston
Ed Molar/Lord Murderdeath: Brennan Antone
Student 1/Amy A. Aardvarkovitch/Sally’s Mother: Letters: Jamie Van Syoc
Student 2/Slymything 1/Letters: Ashley Young
Student 3/Slymything 2/Letters: Canadian Mountie: Sarah Lynd
Student 4/Slymything 3/Letters: Taylor Hildreth
Student 5/Goodydrops 1/Letters: Emily Erickson
Student 6/Goodydrops 2/Letters: Erica Clark
Beetles/Letters: Bria Stender, Mariah Myers, Kinzie Fagerstrom, Rachel Henderson

:: 'The Bestest Christmas' cast
Narrator: Bria Stender
Kaylie: Mariah Myers
Jessie: Kinzie Fagerstrom
Mother: Rachel Henderson
Frosty: Sarah Lynd

Photos from Plymouth North High School, in Plymouth, MA

Plymouth North was the first school to book a production of the play, and was the first in my home state of Massachusetts. I don't live there anymore, so I couldn't see it, but some family and friends did and had a great time. Here are some photos and a video. More videos here.
Also, check out this news report about the production produced by the school.

Photos from Milford High School, in Milford, DE

Of all the productions from the fall of 2009, I might have had the most interaction with the one in Milford, DE. In addition to chatting with the director, cast, and crew online, I also "sent" my friend Sean, from The Remembrall Live podcast to see it. He had a rave review (you can listen to it here), and, a few weeks later, when I got a video and a t-shirt from the production, so I could see just how great it was. Truly excellent work from everyone involved. More photos here. I'll try to post videos sometime, too.

Photos from Birch Run High School, in Birch Run, MI

Birch Run had a really fun take on the look of the show. Since it's all Sally's dream they had Sally and most of the rest of the cast in pajamas. A very clever idea and it led to a really eye-catching set of photos. I had some great interaction with the cast on Facebook. Thanks to everyone involved. More photos here.