'The Book Thief' comes to the stage
Popular children鈥檚 book 鈥淭he Book Thief鈥� by Markus Zusak has been turned into a stage play that debuted at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago.
The adaptation was written by Heidi Stillman and is directed by Hallie Gordon. It will run at the theater through Nov. 11. 鈥淭hief鈥� is narrated by Death, who tells the reader the story of a young girl living in Nazi Germany who loves to read.
Stillman said the complex plot was a challenge to adapt into a show.
鈥淭here was some wrestling to do to get it into a play shape,鈥� she told the . 鈥淏ut [the book is] super-theatrical.鈥�
Gordon said she believes the story of people making a difference during the time of the Nazis is one that can translate to standing up to injustice today.
鈥淭his raises the discussion about their compassion and doing the right thing under the worst possible circumstances," she said in an interview with the . "That's really the conversation we want to have [with young people]. Look at this family and the choices they are making. What are the positive choices you are making in your own community?鈥�
A review of the play by the said it had a 鈥渟tellar cast under the precisionist direction of Hallie Gordon鈥� and is a 鈥渟trong yet subtle stage adaptation of the bestselling novel.鈥� However, a review by the said that the stage play 鈥渄oes not find it easy to pack in all aspects of this complicated book,鈥� though the critic, Chris Jones, said the performances were well-delivered.
The book was originally published in 2006, and Zusak said he originally thought it would be hard for 鈥淭hief鈥� to find an audience.
鈥淚 always imagined people trying to recommend it and being asked what it鈥檚 about and saying: 鈥業t鈥檚 set in Nazi Germany. It鈥檚 narrated by Death. It鈥檚 560 pages long. You鈥檒l love it,鈥欌�� he told the New York Times.
However, 鈥淭hief鈥� is still currently going strong, snagging the second place on the children鈥檚 paperback bestseller list for the week of Oct. 28 and taking the fourth slot on the IndieBound children鈥檚 interest rankings for the week of Oct. 25.
