Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School
The spunky heroine returns in this joyful show filled with new songs and new essential lessons.
Available in U.S. and Canada Only
Show Essentials
14
Roles
G
Rated
1
Act

Full Synopsis

Now that's she's been in school for a while, Junie B. Jones has decided to write down everything she knows for future first graders ("Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School"). In Mr. Scary's classroom, everyone is excited about Junie B.'s idea to write a guide, but May teases Junie B. about not knowing what to write in it. Junie B. struggles to come up with ideas to prove May wrong ("Like What?"), but fellow classmates Lucille, Sheldon, and May manage to chime in with ideas of their own.

Because she called May mean names in class, Junie B. has to go home with a note from Mr. Scary. Junie B. explains to Mother that she doesn't want other people to help with writing the guide because she wants to be "the star of the whole production". Mother tries to explain to Junie B. that being the star isn't important.

Meanwhile, May, Herb, and Sheldon are brainstorming about what to write in the guide. Sheldon tells Junie B. and everyone else about his vision for a parade devoted to backpacks ("Backpacks on Parade"). Everyone loves this idea - except for Junie B., who is upset that she didn't come up with it ("A Great Idea").

Junie B. has come home with yet another note. She tells Mother that it's not her fault. Her tendency to get in trouble, she explains, comes from a bull in her stomach ("El Toro Fabuloso").

In the school lunchroom, Lucille interviews Junie B. about clothes ("Some Stuff About Clothes"). As part of an example, Junie B. spills spaghetti on May, which means taking a note home again ("El Toro Fabuloso Reprise"). At home, Mother, Daddy, and Grampa Miller explain to Junie B. that even if she doesn't like May, she has to be respectful to her.

The next day at school, May and the rest of her classmates put on a show about school supplies ("School Supplies"). At first, Junie B. tries to be nice and follow the script, but that quickly derails as she makes fun of May's excitement about school supplies, ruining the show. Furious, Mother makes Junie B. write an apology letter to May ("Dear May").

Junie B. rushes to get on the bus ("Gotta Get There"). Once she gets on, Herb tells her that his chapter in the guide will be about what you can do on the bus ("Bus Rules"). Junie B. tells Herb that you can also make funny faces on the bus. As she keeps making funny faces out of the bus window, a woman takes photos and notifies the school - landing Junie B. in the principal's office ("Principal's Office").

The principal, teachers, and Junie B. go over the rules she's supposed to follow ("Rules!"). Principal tells Junie B. to give May her apology letter but then gives her a surprise: for the rest of the day, there will be no rules in Junie B.'s classroom. Junie B. and the rest of the class are overjoyed. Their joy is short-lived, though. While Mrs. Gutzman passes the class without giving them their daily cookies, she tells them that since getting cookies was a rule, there will be no cookies today. They realize that maybe rules aren't so bad after all.

The school year is almost over, and one thing stands between Junie B. and summer - "Report Card Day". Junie B. is burying her report car in someone's yard when Mother finds her and asks her why she is doing this. Junie B. tells her that she thought that she knew everything but now realizes that she needs to improve herself more. Mother comforts her and tells her everyone needs to work on improving themselves, but Junie B. is still upset that she can't figure out what to write about in the guide ("Junie B.'s Lament"). Mother then shows her a report card from her own childhood, revealing that she was also a troublemaker ("Mother Was a Bad Kid Too"). May shows up at Junie B's house, and they reconcile ("That Does Make One Feel Better"). Junie B. realizes that she can write a chapter on not getting in trouble for the guide since she's learned so much about that ("The Things You Learn Along the Way").

Casting
← Back to Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School
Cast Size: Small (Up to 10 performers)

Character Breakdown

Junie B. Jones
Gender: female
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Herb

Role can be doubled with Mr. Scary, Principal, Daddy, and Matador

Gender: male
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Mr. Scary

Role can be doubled wth Herb, Daddy, Principal, and Matador

Gender: male
Vocal range top: G#3
Vocal range bottom: C3
Principal

Role can be doubled with Herb, Mr. Scary, Daddy, and Matador

Gender: male
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: B2
Daddy

Role can be doubled with Herb, Mr. Scary, Principal, and Matador

Gender: male
Matadors

Role can be doubled with other supporting roles.

May

Role can be doubled with Mrs. Weller and Matador

Gender: female
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: G#3
Mrs. Weller

Role can be doubled with May and Matador

 

Gender: female
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: C4
Lucille

Role can be doubled with Mother and Gus Vallony

Gender: female
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Mother

Role can be doubled with Lucille and Gus Vallony

Gender: female
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G#3
Gus Vallony

Role can be doubled with Lucille and Mother

Gender: male
Vocal range top: C4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Sheldon Potts

Role can be doubled with Mrs. Gutzman, Grampa Miller, and Matador

Gender: male
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Mrs. Gutzman

Role can be doubled with Sheldon Potts, Grampa Miller, and Matador

Gender: female
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: D#4
Grampa Miller

Role can be doubled with Sheldon Potts, Mrs. Gutzman, and Matador

Gender: male
Full Song List
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Junie B's Essential Survival Guide to School
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Like What?
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Backpacks on Parade
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: A Great Idea
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: El Toro Fabuloso
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Some Stuff About Clothes
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: El Toro Fabuloso Reprise
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: School Supplies
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Dear May
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Gotta Get There
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Bus Rules
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Principal's Office
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Rules!
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Report Card Day
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Junie B's Lament
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: The Things You Learn Along the Way
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School: Bows

Connect

Billing

Adapted from the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park

Requirements

You must give the authors/creators billing credits, as specified in the Production Contract, in a conspicuous manner on the first page of credits in all programs and on houseboards, displays and in all other advertising announcements of any kind.
Percentages listed indicate required type size in relation to title size.
JUNIE B.'S ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL
(100%)
 
Book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler
(50%)
Music by Zina Goldrich
(50%)
 
Adapted from the JUNIE B. JONES series of books by Barbara Park
50%
 
The credit line for Barbara Park shall appear immediately below the credit to the Authors wherever and whenever the Authors receive credit and shall be no less than 50% of the size of the title of the Play, and no other billing shall be larger than the billing Park receives.
The following credit shall appear on the title page of any published version and also on the title page of any program:
"JUNIE B.'S ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL by Barbara Park is published by Random House Books for Young Readers. Used with Permission" Copyright © 2009 by Barbara Park.
Shana Corey, play creative consultant.
Originally produced by Theatreworks USA"

 

As required by the Park Agreement, MTI shall also contractually require its licensees to include information on where to purchase copies of the Underlying Work in all programs for the Play substantially as follows:
"For more about the Junie B. Jones books, visit www.juniebjones.com or a bookstore near you!"
 
In advertisements of 1/4 page size or less, or where only the title of the play, performance dates and venue are provided, the following "shortened billing" is permissible:
JUNIE B.'S ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL
 
In addition, you agree to include the Authors’ and David Lee's approved biographies in all programs of the Play that include biographies of any other creative team members. Bios can be found at www.mtishows.com/about/author-bios.

Video Warning

In accordance with the Performance License, you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:

ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Included Materials

ItemQuantity Included
LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK17
PIANO VOCAL SCORE2
TYA PERFORMANCE TRACKS1

Production Resources

Resource
LOGO PACK DIGITAL
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON-10/CS
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON?
PRODUCTIONPRO-DIGITAL SCRIPT/SCORE
STAGE WRITE APPLICATION