Setting the Stage
Published on 2. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-64595-330-2 (ISBN)
Description
The full story of a junior high musical production, told exclusively from the POV of the kids backstage. It's High School Musical, from behind the scenes. . .without the high school.
The first book of the Cast vs. Crew Trilogy!
Every cast depends on its stage crew. But what happens when they hate each other? Setting the Stage is the first act in a trilogy that tells the whole story!
Eighth grader Ella Amani has been waiting her whole life to be the stage manager of the middle school musical, and this is her year!
Somehow she'll have to find jobs for Willow, who's doing stage crew instead of detention, and Sebastian, a shy sixth grader whose sister is the star of the show. She'll have to wrangle Kevin, the clumsy new kid who was homeschooled on a boat, and Levi, her best friend, who used to tell her everything.
Still, Ella's pretty sure she can handle the crew. The cast? That's a different story. They're ungrateful, they treat the crew like servants, and when Ella finally pushes back, they start playing pranks!
Setting the Stage is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of drama club from the crew's point of view.
The first book of the Cast vs. Crew Trilogy!
Every cast depends on its stage crew. But what happens when they hate each other? Setting the Stage is the first act in a trilogy that tells the whole story!
Eighth grader Ella Amani has been waiting her whole life to be the stage manager of the middle school musical, and this is her year!
Somehow she'll have to find jobs for Willow, who's doing stage crew instead of detention, and Sebastian, a shy sixth grader whose sister is the star of the show. She'll have to wrangle Kevin, the clumsy new kid who was homeschooled on a boat, and Levi, her best friend, who used to tell her everything.
Still, Ella's pretty sure she can handle the crew. The cast? That's a different story. They're ungrateful, they treat the crew like servants, and when Ella finally pushes back, they start playing pranks!
Setting the Stage is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of drama club from the crew's point of view.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Fifth Grade to Ninth Grade, Interest Age: From 10 to 14 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
186 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64595-330-2 (9781645953302)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lifelong theater geek Lindsay Champion made her stage debut as a tiger in her second-grade musical. Since then, she's built sets, run the light board, operated the spotlight and (her favorite) stage managed. She is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and was the Features Editor at Broadway.com. She is the author of the YA novel Someday, Somewhere.