Rebecca Donnelly’s HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE

Praise for

Rebecca Donnelly’s

HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE

Sidney Horatio Camazzola has always been more comfortable in the director’s chair than onstage (he likes being able to see the whole picture). The local children’s theater in his Florida town, the Juicebox, has always been a haven for Sidney (who works in props) and for his money-obsessed best friend, Folly (who works at the concession stand, obviously). It’s even beloved by Sidney’s prickly older sister, May, who, as even Sidney observes, can sing the heck out of anything. But when the theater runs into some financial troubles and is set to close, Sidney takes it upon himself to save it. Assisted by Folly’s business sense (“Folly probably sleeps on balance sheets”), his own organizational skills, and one determined diva in particular, Sidney sets out to direct the scheme of the century and save the theater—and the day. Full of quirky fun, this middle-grade debut is given a three-act structure and peppered with witty asides and comments from Sidney about the process of theater making. An ideal introduction for budding thespians.

—Booklist

How to Stage a Catastrophe

Agent: Molly Ker Hawn

Category: Middle-grade

Capstone, January 2018.  World English.

Manuscript available.

An American Booksellers Association “Indies Introduce” Selection

A modern-day Noel Streatfeild story with the offbeat wit and warmth of a Jack Gantos novel. 

Sidney Camazzola dreams of being a famous director, but for now he’s happy working backstage at the Juicebox Children's Theatre. When the Juicebox is threatened with closure, Sidney and his best friend come up with a brilliant plan to save it…that is, if you can call extortion a brilliant idea. 

With a riotous cast of family, neighbors, and the talented, squabbling Juicebox kids, the boys' crazy scheme is the production Sidney was born to direct. But can they pull it off, save the Juicebox, and give their masterpiece the happy ending it deserves?

“Sid's first-person, fourth-wall-breaking narration, full of amusing similes and asides, carries the day. Conspiratorial theatrics and all-around good fun.” —Kirkus Reviews

More about Rebecca Donnelly:

Rebecca Donnelly is a librarian and writer who lives in upstate New York. HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE is her first book.