There is no case too daunting for Nate the Great. He is a mighty detective capable of solving even the most complicated mysteries. Take his neighbor, Annie. When Annie looses a painting of her dog Rex, she calls on Nate the Great. Taking into consideration the size, color, and composition of her work, Nate tracks down the most unexpected culprit.
Theater • Best for ages 5 to adult • 50 minutes
By Pamela Sterling
Based on the Nate the Great series of books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Artistic Credits
Director: James Larson
Scenic Designer: Mark Parrott
Lighting Desiger: Carson Gross
Costume Designer: Sherri Geerdes
Properties Master: Ronald L. Wells, Jr.
Stage Manager: Dani Taylor
Cast
Nate: Andy Saladino
Kate: Sara Kaus
Sludge: Aaron Mann
Annie: Amanda Waldron
Harry: Andrew McGreevy
Rosamond: Lauren Krupski
Claudia: Kate Morgan
Oliver: Tim Siragusa
Finley: Brian Guehring
Pip: David Ebke
Esmeralda: Amanda Kibler
Fang: Joshua J. Mullady
Production Credits
Production Manager: Jennifer Collins Hard
Technical Director: Michael Scroggs
Lighting & Audio Visual Supervisor: Kyle L. Toth
Master Carpenter: Dominic Torres
Scenic Charge Artist: Teena Sauvola
Fly Rail Operator: Aaron Steward
Costume Shop Foreman: Callyann Casteel
Costume Construction: Sherri Geerdes, Callyann Casteel, Jill Maenner, Audi Helkuik
Make-Up Design: Erin Bragg
From The Director
“The Adventures of Nate the Great” is based on the stories by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, and since 1972 there have been 25 books in this series, some of which were made into movies and TV shows. The script for our production is adapted for the stage by playwright Pam Sterling, who is also a professor of children’s theater at Arizona State University. What’s more, Pam has been Artistic Director at places such as the Coterie Theater in Kansas City, the Honolulu Children’s Theater, and the Idaho Children’s Theater. So she really knows her stuff!
All the characters in this production are supposed to be young children and because young children are in school and not available for rehearsal, we hire professional actors to play these roles. We are hoping you will suspend your disbelief for our hour-long presentation, and allow these actors to create the illusion that they are children.
There are two dogs in the show, and they aren’t real dogs either – just adult actors, although one is an Equity Membership Candidate, so you will be seeing a very professional dog (Sludge) even though he doesn’t have any lines!
James Larson
Show Director
Read the Omaha World-Herald review: “Kids can relate to ‘Nate the Great’”
Going to The Rose Guide
It’s almost time for our next production “The Adventures of Nate the Great.” Get ready to follow a great detective as he solves neighborhood cases and finds himself in puzzling adventures. We have assembled some special information to help you and your family to get ready for the performance. Before you go, you might want to take a few moments to review this guide so everyone will know what to expect from the performance!
The Story You Will See
This play takes place in a small neighborhood in a big city. And this small neighborhood is full of perplexing mysteries. But not to worry; Nate the Great is on the case! Nate (with lots of help from his assistant, Kate, and his clever dog, Sludge) finds all of his friends’ missing treasures, and all before lunch time.
First, Nate finds Rosamond’s missing cat, then Annie’s missing picture of her terrifying dog, Fang, and then Rosamond’s money box to hold her profits from her fortune-telling business.
But the most important case in Nate’s career—the mystery of the missing prize for the Smartest Pet Contest—is the one that stumps him. Can he find the missing prize before the contest begins?
The Characters You Will Meet
The children in the play are between 7 and 9 years old. All are played by adult actors.
• Nate – a great detective.
• Kate – Nate’s assistant.
• Sludge – Nate’s faithful dog.
• Annie – Nate’s neighbor and friend.
• Harry – Annie’s four-year-old little brother.
• Rosamond – Annie’s outspoken friend with four cats who wants to be a fortuneteller.
• Claudia – Nate’s friend who is always losing things.
• Oliver – Nate’s next door neighbor who follows him everywhere.
• Finley – Nate’s friend with a pet rat.
• Pip – Nate’s friend who doesn’t say much.
• Esmeralda – Nate’s friend who always has her mouth open.
• Fang – Annie’s big dog.
Things To “Know Before You Go”
• The story of “Nate the Great” is told in the style of an old-fashioned detective story. The characters sometimes talk directly to the audience,telling them what is happening as they try to solve the mystery.
• Some of the actors in “Nate the Great” play children and their pets at the same time. This can be a bit confusing, so you will want to pay close attention to when they are kids and when they are the animals.
• Nate is a very smart and clever boy, but sometimes he can be arrogant and can act like a bit of a “know-it-all.” Your family might want to discuss the difference between being clever and treating others like they are not as smart as you.
• While Nate and his friends are working together, they sometimes speak a bit sarcastically to one another. Sometimes they even act like they don’t like other kids in their neighborhood. Nate even calls another character “strange” many times. While this can be funny in a play, you may want to talk as a family about how sarcasm can make a person feel.
Topics for Dinnertime Discussion
One of the best ways to enjoy a play is to talk about the story and the characters with others who saw the show. Below are some topics you may want to discuss.
Before the Show
• Nate the Great solves mysteries by discovering clues and putting them together. When is a time you solved a great mystery? How did you figure it out?
• Nate would be lost without his assistant, Kate, and his faithful dog, Sludge. Do you have friends or family who always help you out? How can you show them what they mean to you?
• Nate loves pancakes in this play and rewards himself after every solved case with a nice hot pile of them. What is your favorite food? How do you reward yourself after completing a project or doing something well?
After the Show
• The dialogue in this show, or what the characters say to each other and the audience, may seem a little different to you than other plays. How did the characters sound different than other plays you’ve seen?
• In the play every time Nate deduces a new “clue,” his hat lights up and he hears a musical tone. How do you feel when you get an important new idea or solve the answer to a problem you’re facing?
• In this play, Nate and Kate are telling us about their day after it has already happened. Sometimes they use a chorus, or a lot of people all speaking at once, to tell us the story. Did you think this was a good way to tell the story? How would you use a chorus to help you tell about an adventure from your life?
• Nate thought he was the very best when it came to solving cases. But the truth is, he needed help from his friends before he could put together the clues. It was hard for him to admit he didn’t solve the cases all by himself. Have you ever thought you could do something on your own, but in the end needed some help? What are some of the hard things about working together? What is good about working together?
Awesome Post-Show Activities
After the performance, you might want to try these fun and e ducational activities at home to extend the experience!
• Hold a Contest for Pets – Use your art supplies to create awards or trophies for the pets in your neighborhood. Invite your friends to enter their pets in the contest by having them do their best tricks. After everyone watches the pets perform, take a secret vote and give an award to the friend whose pet does the Best Trick, Funniest Trick, Smartest Trick, or any other category you can think of!
• Create a Puppet of Your Pet – Make your own sock puppet pet just like the ones in the show! Use an old sock and cut out felt, fun foam and fabric to add ears, paws, teeth, a tongue and more. You can glue on wiggle eyes to finish your puppet.
• Make a Mystery to Solve – Hide one of your stuffed animal toys in a secret place at home. Write out a trail of clues for your friends or family to follow. Each clue can lead to another clue hidden in another place until the last one leads to the hidden toy!
From Story to Stage
• Pamela Sterling is a professor in the theater department at Arizona State University. She is the former Artistic Director of The Coterie Theater in Kansas City and of the Honolulu and Idaho Theaters for Youth. She has written many plays in addition to “The Adventures of Nate the Great” including “Friday’s Child” and an adaptation of “The Secret Garden.”
While at The Rose
• Stay for the Post-Show Q&A – Our actors follow each performance with a 5-10 minute Q&A session conducted from the stage. The Q&A offers a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the scenery, costumes, special effects, and more!
• Meet The Cast – Get an Autograph – Some actors will be available after the show to sign their autographs. Meet them on the mezzanine outside the entrance to the balcony level seats.
• Take Home a Souvenir – The Rose Guild presents a souvenir stand before and after each performance offering a variety of fun and inexpensive show-related mementos.
• Grab a Class Brochure – If you like what you saw on the stage and think you would like to be a part of it, try taking a class at The Rose Theater. The Rose offers a wide variety of classes for every interest and experience level. Spring semester starts in March.
