Digging Up Dessa

October 17 thru November 7, 2021 at the Grandel Theatre

By Laura Schellhardt
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing
Director: Julia Flood

Dessa is a modern-day, 12-year-old with no shortage of mysteries to solve and fossils to find. Her days are filled with buried treasures just waiting to be uncovered. But when her family of three unexpectedly becomes a family of two, this smart, funny young scientist struggles to overcome her grief and anger at all the changes in her world. Dessa's unlikely comfort comes from a remarkable new friend, one only she can see and hear—Mary Anning, the 19th-century paleontologist who discovered a breakthrough dinosaur fossil at the age of 12 and became a pioneer in her field. But why is her portrait not on the museum wall alongside those of her male counterparts? Dessa decides that she’s going to fight to earn Mary the respect she deserves. With help from her new classmate and once-rival, Nilo, Dessa unearths secrets of the past and present—for Mary’s legacy and her own way forward.

Ages 10 and up. 70 minutes with no intermission.

Themes of Digging Up Dessa: comedy-drama-adventure, empowerment for girls, resilience, history, STEAM, grief

Learn More

Cast
(in alphabetical order)
Dessa: Rae Davis
Nilo: John Katz
Esther: Alicia Revé Like
Mary Anning: Lizi Watt

Production Team
Director: Julia Flood
Stage Manager: Sarah Rugo
Production Stage Manager: Jimmy Bernatowicz
Technical Director: Erik Kuhn
Scenic Designer: Lou Bird
Costume Designer: Lou Bird
Lighting Designer: Catherine Adams
Sound Designer: Rusty Wandall
Properties Master: Katie Orr
Scenic Painter: Cristie Johnston
Assistant Stage Manager: Keating
Composer: Deborah Wicks La Puma
House Manager: Cameron Tyler

Book Ideas

Has Digging Up Dessa sparked your interest in Mary Anning, paleontology, fossil hunting, and women in science? The Novel Neighbor, an independent bookstore in Webster Groves, MO, recommends these books for you and your family to explore. Happy reading!

Mary Anning's Curiosity
The amazing story of how the world’s greatest fossilist found her first huge find at the age of twelve.

Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Paleontologists
Discover the stories of Mary Anning, Mignon Talbot, Tilly Edinger, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey, five female paleontologists who thrived while making breakthrough discoveries of ancient life from millions of years ago! In this terrific book, readers ages 8 to 11 do fun hands-on projects while learning about these women and the fascinating lives they led in the field and in the lab.

Science Comics: Dinosaurs - Fossils and Feathers
In this nonfiction graphic novel for middle grade readers, learn all about the history of paleontology! This fascinating look at dinosaur science covers the last 150 years of dinosaur hunting and illuminates how our ideas about dinosaurs have changed—and continue to change.

Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting
This interactive field guide to rocks, fossils, and shells, is an indispensable tool for young explorers and rock collectors.

Finding Wonders
This evocative and beautiful novel vividly imagines the lives of three girls in three different time periods—Maria Merian, Mary Anning, and Maria Mitchell—as they grow up to become groundbreaking scientists. Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates the joy of discovery and finding wonder in the world around us.