Overview
Synopsis
James Reach’s David and Lisa play adaptation tells the story of David Clemens--a young man who suffers from a life-altering fear of death and being touched. His parents take him to an institution that is meant to help and treat children with mental illness. David encounters a number of doctors that he feels are beneath him and students that he finds are too difficult to become friends with, ultimately making him the outcast in a group made of outcasts. However, none catches his eye like Lisa--a girl who is burdened by a split personality disorder.
David stays withdrawn from most people at Berkley School but throughout the play, he begins to see the beauty of friendship and real connection, allowing him and Lisa to make changes to their lives that they both thought were nearly impossible.
David and Lisa is a tale of acceptance. Of life and death, love and hate, beautiful and ugly. While most of the characters are meant to be archetypes, they all hold a piece of humanity within them, making them relatable to everyone, not just those who suffer from mental illnesses.
Show Information
- Book
- James Reach
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- David and Lisa (1963)
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1967
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Multiple Settings, Period
- Time & Place
- A home in Connecticut, a school in Westchester. Early 1960s.
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- High School, College/University, Includes Late Teen, Mature Adult, Adult, Early Teen, Child Characters, Large Cast
Context
David and Lisa was originally penned in 1961 by Theodore Isaac Ruben as a novella. It was then produced in 1962 as a film which was written by Eleanor Perry and directed by her husband, Frank Perry. The film had massive success amongst critics and earned Eleanor and Frank Perry oscar wins for Best Director and Best Screenplay in 1963. By 1968, the film had its very own play adaptation, written by James Reach in 1967, only four years after the film's release. It follows the same structure of
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Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alex Morrison
Professional actor from the Metro-Detroit area