About the Play:

Danny, King of the Basement is a full-length comedic drama by David S. Craig. Danny has moved seven times in the past three years. Or maybe it's eight times in two years. But who's counting? Danny is, though he won't admit it. And so is his mom Louise, a single parent who battles financial troubles and some demons of her own but tries her best to give Danny a stable, secure life. A children's play about a kid who relies on his positive outlook and vivid imagination to flourish. Particularly suitable for schools and play contests.

Danny King of the Basement tells the story of Danny 'Delco' Carter, the king of moving. In two years, he and his Mom, Louise, have moved 8 times because there's never enough money to pay the rent. Far from losing hope, Danny makes friends by inspiring the kids around him to turn every challenge into a game. When Danny moves into a basement apartment on upscale Clinton Street, he finds his new friends may have more material things than he does, but they too have problems of their own. Penelope's parents are separated and only talk to her on one of her two cell phones. Angelo's Dad is as scary as a dinosaur when he's mad – which is most of the time. But Danny's imagination creates a sense of community that allows his friends to cope with their problems and ultimately to help Danny when he needs them the most! Danny King of the Basement continues to delight audiences with the power of creative thought to change lives, and is often used as a catalyst for teacher professional development to educate members and in turn, the broader community about the reality of poverty in our schools.

Danny, King of the Basement was first produced in 2001 by Roseneath Theatre at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People in Toronto, Ontario and won the Dora Mavor Moore Award (Toronto's equivalent of the Tony Awards) for Outstanding Production in Theatre for Young Audiences and the Canada Council Children's Theatre Prize. Since then most performances of the play have been at festivals, on the no-frills school circuit, or on community stages, but it also opened the 2005 session of Parliament, becoming the first theatre production ever staged inside the House of Commons.

Cast: 2 female, 2 male

What people say:

"…everything that you want a show for young audiences to be… written with insight and compassion by David S. Craig around a very important theme: the thin but seemingly uncrossable line that divides the haves from the have-nots in our society." — Toronto Star

"Entertains, instructs and uplifts us, all without ever stooping to patronize. A powerful piece of theatre that speaks to all of us." — Toronto Sun

"It succeeds in entertaining middle-schoolers while compassionately depicting challenges many children cope with daily, and silently." — The Seattle Times

"Impressively blending contemporary realities and enduring emotional truths, Craig fashions Danny into a prince of a play." — NOW Magazine

"David S. Craig shines a penetrating light on the mind set of a wanting kid most citizens would drive by thoughtlessly on one of our sorry streets. Funny, real and ultimately uplifting." — Winnipeg Free Press

About the Playwright:

David S. Craig is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights and influential dramatists. He has served as an Artistic Director, playwright, performer, director, and producer of plays for over thirty-five years. He has written over thirty dramatic works that have been produced across Canada, the United States and Europe, including his hit comedy Having Hope at Home; the internationally acclaimed Danny, King of the Basement, which has been seen by more than half a million people in North America alone.