Androcles and the Lion

Plays for Young Audiences

By: Murray J. Rivette
Cast: 3 M, 2 F, 1 flexible, extras
Performance Time: Approximately 45 minutes, 44 pgs.

COMEDY. One day, Irving, a loveable lion, gets a thorn stuck in his paw. Due to his overbite and lack of thumbs, Irving can’t pull out the painful thorn. But have no fear because a really nice guy, Androcles, comes along and manages to pull the thorn out of Irving’s paw. But soon Androcles’ and Irving’s luck runs out. Irving is captured by hunters, and Androcles is arrested and put in jail by a very mean empress. The Empress is so mean that she won’t even grant Androcles one last meal—a chicken-and-beef burrito—before he is thrown to the lions. Will watching professional wrestling on TV and taking tango lessons save Androcles from the lion’s jaws? This hilariously zany retelling of the classic tale will delight audiences of all ages. Perfect for touring groups.

Freeviews: To read play excerpts click here.

A veteran actor and director who has participated in more than 200 theatre productions, Murray J. Rivette has worked with actors William Shatner, Betty Grable, Sam Levene, Vivian Blaine and Christopher Reeve. He has taught improv classes at the Little Palm Family Theatre in Boca Raton, FL, and is the author of several children’s plays based on classic fairytales. Rivette lives in Valdosta, Georgia.