Gadianton • A Play

Gadianton • A Play

a play by Eric Samuelsen

What makes our acts moral? Is any practice “just business”? Can Book of Mormon lessons speak to us in our high-tech world? In contexts as diverse as nuclear testing, corporate mergers, and Mormon family life, Gadianton powerfully reminds us that every decision is personal. And that it does not just connect to any one religion — or any religion at all — for its practitioners. The use of Gadianton is an archetype here. The Robbers of Gadianton can be everywhere, both inside and outside of the Church.

 

WINNER: Association for Mormon Letters award for Drama in 1997.

 


PLAY DETAILS:

  • 7M 4F
    • MCKAY TODD — An LDS Bishop, early forties. Originally played by Jason Tatom.
      KAREN TODD — His wife. Originally played by Katie Holsinger.
      FRED WHITMORE — An exec with ONTI, late thirties. Originally played by Ben Hoppe.
      CYNTHIA WHITMORE — His wife. Originally played by Megan Sanborn.
      MAHONRI WARD — Owner and CEO of ONTI, late fifties. Originally played by Tim Slover.
      BRENDA BURDETT — Todd’s assistant, late twenties. Originally played by Colleen Baum.
      SAM SUMPTER — Helen’s assistant, early thirties. Originally played by Josh Brady.
      HELEN BRYSON — ONTI’s head of public relations, early thirties. Originally played by Amy Barrus.
      CHAD FIRMAGE — FRED’s administrative assistant, early twenties. Originally played by Ryan Rauzon.
      JOHN W. COGBURN — Former partner of HARRY JUNE’s, late forties. Originally played by Danny Stiles.
      CON BRYSON — Helen’s husband. Employed at Empasse. Originally played by Jeremy Hoop.
      MINOR CHARACTERS:
      HARRY JUNE — Owner of Empasse, ONTI’s main competitor.
      WILSON HACKETT–Southern Utah sheep farmer, ca. 1948. Originally played by Rob Gardner.
      ERMA MACKELPRANGER–St. George housewife, ca. 1953 Originally played by Rachel Davenport.
      GADIANTON, KISHKUMEN, SEEZORAM, SEANTUM and BETHESDA–Book of Mormon characters.
      COOPER and SCOTT — two execs, silent partners of MAHONRI WARD.
      THE STAKE PRESIDENT — President of FRED WHITMORE’s stake.
      BIBI HALSTRUP — KAREN TODD’s sworn enemy.
      Various other ONTI employees, security guards and reporters.
  • About 2 hours
  • ORDER #2024

Available for ALL producing groups.


PERUSAL MATERIALS

  • The Perusal Pages File (in PDF format) can be read by clicking GadiantonPERUSAL It contains the first half of the script.
  • Or you can read the entire play in the new Anthology: Saints On Stage (Available from Zarahemla Books)

PRODUCTION MATERIALS AVAILABLE:

  • Script in PDF format  — Order #2024a : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)



  • First Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #2024d : $75



     

  • Second Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #2024e : $65



     

  • Professional Royalties will be quoted upon application
  • ZT Performance Licence Application (in PDF format) to download our Performance License Application. No production rights can be granted until this application is filled out and sent to us. (We are working on an ONLINE PDF filler form)

PRODUCTIONS:

  • Anthologized in “Saints On Stage” Edited by Mahonri Stewart, Zarahemla Press, 2013
  • Produced by University of Louisiana at Monroe, 1997
  • WINNER: Association of Mormon Letters Drama Award, 1997
  • Published in Sunstone Magazine, 1997
  • Premiered at Brigham Young University — 1996

Photo and program cover from the 1996  BYU production

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


From the catalog of