Oliver Stone’s Oliver Script

Oliver, an orphan living alone, ventures into Fagin’s criminal underworld as an apprentice pickpocket. There he meets Nancy – a kind-hearted girl who treats Oliver and other children like family – as well as Bill Sikes – an unscrupulous house-burglar.

This musical begins in a workhouse, where half-starved orphan boys sing of their need for more gruel (food is glorious food!). Meanwhile, Parish beadle Mr. Bumble and heartless matron Widow Corney look on disdainfully.

Early Life and Education

Oliver, an orphan, is recruited into a conniving man’s group of child pickpockets by training him in theft. One day, Oliver and Dodger attempt to steal from an elderly gentleman but are unsuccessful, and the man takes that as evidence against Oliver and catches him red handed.

After learning of Oliver’s predicament, Mr Brownlow works to find him an appropriate home. Meanwhile, Nancy attempts to free him from Fagin and his gang.

Columbia Artists Theatricals staged a North American national tour of Oliver by Clayton Philips in 2008. Starring Victor Stiles as Oliver, Robin Ramsay as Fagin, Maura K. Wedge as Nancy, the production toured until March 2009. Other members included Foppish Dr. Grimwig Louise Gold as Mrs Sowerberry and Julius D’Silva as Mr. Bumble – plus Foppish Dr. Grimwig himself!

Professional Career

Oliver Stone has written screenplays for numerous movies, such as Conan the Barbarian (written by John Milius and Oliver Stone) Scarface (1983, written by Oliver Stone with Armitage Trail as screenwriters), Year of the Dragon (1985 written by Olivier Silver & Michael Cimino), as well as stage plays & television productions. His works has also appeared both onstage & television screens.

Oliver!, originally produced in London for nearly four years and nominated for three Tony Awards, has seen numerous revivals over the years as well as various studio cast recordings including one featuring Stanley Holloway as Fagin and Alma Cogan as Nancy (Capitol Records ST 1784 in 1962) as well as Josephine Barstow as Nancy, Sheila Hancock as Mrs Sowerberry and Julius D’Silva as Mr Bumble (Capitol Records MFP 1073 1994).

Oliver currently has multiple scripts in development with producers and is looking for an agent to represent them. He specializes in character-driven drama and thriller stories.

Achievement and Honors

Oliver Stone has received multiple industry accolades for his writing and directing, including an Oscar (Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Another Medium), Golden Globe Award, and Writers Guild of America Laurel Awards nomination. His 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July (co-written with Ron Kovic and William Hayes from Ron Kovic’s book of same name) memorably followed Kovic through his struggle against paraplegia post combat, earning two Academy Awards nominations as well as one from WGA for its adapted screenplay adaptation (Screenplay by Oliver Stone). This film won both an Academy Award as well as WGA adapted screenplay nomination.

Columbia Artists Theatricals presented a North American tour of his Broadway revival of Oliver! in 2008 starring Mark McCracken as Fagin and Renata Rene Wilson as Nancy.

Personal Life

Oliver finds himself caught up in a world of theft and violence when thrust into London’s underworld, where he encounters both Fagin’s Artful Dodger, Bill Sikes, as well as Mr Brownlow who sees good in Oliver and fights on his behalf while Nancy acts with kindness to save her friend.

Other characters include Mr and Mrs Sowerberry, who take in Oliver; Widow Corney whose funeral home Oliver works at; Noah Claypole who acts out against them; Mrs Bedwin the Sowerberrys’ housekeeper; Dr Grimwig who evaluates Oliver and finds him fit to rejoin society (“Who Will Buy?). Nancy stands out as being especially complex since she sits somewhere between good and evil proving it’s possible to change your ways.

Net Worth

Net worth measures the value of an individual or company’s assets subtracted from liabilities, such as checking and savings accounts, investment portfolios, real estate market values and equity in home or car ownership. Liabilities could include credit card balances, mortgage payments and student loans. A positive net worth indicates assets exceed debts; an increasing one indicates financial health.

Structural racism manifested itself in discriminatory housing policies and practices to create the racial wealth gap. Students engaged in several pre-viewing activities, discussion questions and readings that enable them to understand these forces behind unequal wealth accumulation; how family wealth can be passed down or not and the starting line for future opportunities (sometimes, these can even be negative! ).