The Island of Dr. Moreau

Based on the novel by H.G. Wells
Published by Playscripts, Inc.
For licensing & script sample, click here.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

GENRE: Drama
LENGTH: Full-length, one act, 80-90 minutes
CAST: 3 females, 9 males, 1 either (13-20 actors possible: 3-5 females, 9-15 males)
SET: Flexible set, able to shift quickly between locations.

Having survived a shipwreck, days adrift at sea, and a rescue by brutish sailors, mild-mannered Edward Prendick finds himself on an uncharted island ruled by the disgraced Dr. Moreau. Ruthlessly pursuing what he believes to be God’s work, Moreau experiments on living creatures, filling his dystopia with a menagerie of tortured Beast Folk desperate to obey laws they can’t comprehend. The addition of Prendick to the island’s tumultuous ecosystem results in chaos, violence, and ruin. A meditation on colonialism and the human capacity for destruction.

AWARDS
Winner: Best New Adaptation, Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards (2008)
Winner: Best Production-Play, Non-Equity Jeff Awards (2008)

PRESS
“A gripping combination of tension and bombast, Moreau makes for engrossing theater and a shrewd cautionary tale about what happens when science outpaces morality; progress takes priority over principles; and outsiders impose order at the point of gun upon a community they don’t understand.” —Daily Herald

“Hugely ambitious, wildly physical, stunningly effective 90-minute stage version of Wells’ story.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“Retold with a passion that never congeals into camp, Robert Kauzlaric’s adaptation…offers 90 minutes of thoughtful fright.” —Chicago Free Press

“Taut, exciting and unforgettable.” —Windy City Times

PRODUCTIONS
Premiered October 2007 at Lifeline Theatre (Chicago, IL)

Produced by:
Berwick Academy (South Berwick, ME)
Central Catholic High School (Modesto, CA)
Mulvane High School (Mulvane, KS)
National University Theatre Society (Acton, ACT, Australia)
Spanish River Community High School (Boca Raton, FL)
T.C Williams High School (Alexandria, VA)
The Theatre Lab School Of The Dramatic Arts (Washington D.C.)

Production photo by Amy Sobotta

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