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Individual License for christie shiroke, purchased on 10/30/2014. This is copyrighted material. Contact badwolfpress.com for additional licenses.
Great Americans
of the
Twentieth Century
A Musical Play for Kids
Script, teacher’s guide, and audio recording
with songs and instrumental accompaniment
Ron Fink and John Heath
Edited by Lisa Adams
Illustrations by Bert Davis
Bad Wolf Press
Santa Clara, California
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Special thanks to the following musicians who helped make the recording:
Mike Fishell played electric guitar on songs 1, 2, 5, 6, and 10. Brenda Tzipori
sang on songs 3, 6, 8, and 9. Joseph Fink rapped on song 7.
A Word About Copyright and Copying
The purchaser is given permission to reproduce pages for an individual
classroom, not to exceed one copy per student in a course. The purchaser
is also given permission to duplicate portions of the audio recording for
the rehearsal use of the performers, but no one performer is to be given a
recording of more than two songs. Unless a site license has been purchased
from Bad Wolf Press, the reproduction of any part of the script or
recording for more than one classroom in a school or school system is
strictly prohibited. These materials may not be acted, read, or performed
for commercial use of any sort without written permission from and royalty
agreement with Bad Wolf Press.
From the Authors
We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time writing this musical, so we hope
that you will do the honest thing and avoid illegal copying. Please encourage
your friends and colleagues to purchase their very own copies rather than
steal from friendly writers such as us.
Bad Wolf Press
P.O. Box 388
Santa Clara, CA 95052-0388
Toll free: 1-888-827-8661
www.badwolfpress.com
© 2002 by Bad Wolf Press, LLC
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-886588-25-7
BWP 0230
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Table of Contents
Great Americans: Script
Teacher’s Guide
Introduction for the Teacher
A Historical Note
Getting Started
Music
Casting
Costumes
The Set
Staging
A Four-Week Timetable
Rehearsals and Assessment
Emphasis: Making the Words Come Alive
Final Performance
A Last Bit of Advice
Ordering Information
pages 4-32
33-46
33
34
35-6
36-7
38
39-40
40
41-2
43
44
45
46
47
48-49
Song List
1. “Greatest Americans”
2. “We Are the Wright Brothers”
3. “Rosa Parks ”
4. “Fav’rite Roosevelt”
5. “Too Much Fun”
6.
7.
8.
9.
“I Paint Flowers”
“Assembly Line”
“Fav’rite Roosevelt” (reprise)
“They Call Me Babe”
10. “Greatest Americans” (reprise)
Angelica, Chorus
pages
Wright Brothers, Chorus
M.L. King, Rosa Parks Singers,
Chorus
Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Chorus
Musicians, Louis Armstrong,
Chorus
Georgia O’Keeffe, Chorus
Workers, Henry Ford, Chorus
Eleanor Roosevelt, Chorus
Babe Ruth, Babe Didrikson,
Chorus
Entire Class
5-6
8-9
11-12
14-16
19-20
21
24-25
27
30-31
31-32
3
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Great Americans of the
Twentieth Century
By Ron Fink and John Heath
The duration of the show is about 30 minutes
CHARACTERS:
ANNOUNCER (offstage voice)
FLEXIBLE CASTING:
ANGELICA, the MC
From 11-40 students.
ALL-AMERICAN DANCERS
Use as many Workers,
WALLY, the roving reporter
Musicians, etc. as desired.
MARTHA GRAHAM
There are a lot of characters in
WILBUR WRIGHT
this show, but many of them
ORVILLE WRIGHT
have just a few spoken lines.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
One student can easily play
RACHEL CARSON
several roles, although the
following roles are so
WALT DISNEY
substantial that we recommend
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
the actors playing them do not
ROSA PARKS SINGERS
TEDDY ROOSEVELT and his ENTOURAGE take on any other parts:
Angelica, Wally, Hemingway,
FDR and his ENTOURAGE
Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt.
3 SPOKESPERSONS (for Stars in Your Pantry) Note that all roles can be
JACKSON POLLOCK
played by either boys or girls;
MUSICIANS
see our comments on page 38
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
of the Teacher’s Guide.
ANDY WARHOL
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
CESAR CHAVEZ
HENRY FORD and his WORKERS
2 GUYS in white coats
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
ALBERT EINSTEIN
THOMAS EDISON
BABE DIDRIKSON
BABE RUTH
and a CHORUS composed of all students who are not
playing roles on stage at the time
4
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(Outside an auditorium—this can be represented simply as
the very left of the stage. A woman, elegantly dressed, holds
a microphone. People, also dressed up, walk by on a red
carpet towards the right side of the stage. Other people are
standing behind ropes. Some might shout out things like
“There she goes!” and “I just LOVE your cars, Mr. Ford!”
After a few seconds of this, we hear from offstage:)
VOICE: Five seconds to air, Angelica.
(ANGELICA turns to the audience, primps her hair a bit and
speaks.)
ANGELICA: Good evening! Thank you for tuning into our
fabulous awards show. Tonight we celebrate great Americans of the
20th century. And best of all, it features…me!
(As the music begins, several “All-American Dancers” could
jump across the stage in silly “award show” fashion. These
dancers can return during the brief musical interlude after
the first chorus. ANGELICA sings:)
We’ve got scientists and heroes
We’ve got entertainers too
And there’s even politicians
There was nothing we could do.
Song 1/11
We found athletes and artists
And a businessman or two
And we’ve brought them all together
Just to celebrate with you.
ANGELICA and CHORUS:
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans.
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
5
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DIFFERENT MEMBERS of CHORUS:
#1:
There are lots of great musicians
#2:
And there’s folks in civil rights
#3:
We’ve got some who play with baseballs
#4:
Some who play with ’lectric lights.
#5:
We’ve got labor movement leaders
#6:
And a woman who paints flowers
ANGELICA:
And there’s ME, your host all evening
Hope the show goes on for hours!
ANGELICA and CHORUS:
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
ANGELICA: It’s so exciting. Brilliant and talented people from all
walks of life are entering the auditorium. Let’s go to our roving
reporter, Wally Walters, who’s standing just outside the doors.
(We see WALLY now, who also holds a microphone on the
other side of the stage. An elegant woman walks by him.)
WALLY: Thank you, Angelica. It’s fantastic to be part of such an
evening. Wait, here comes somebody. I think, yes, it’s, uh,
somebody famous. Excuse me, ma’am.
MARTHA GRAHAM: Yes?
6
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WALLY: Who are you?
MARTHA GRAHAM: I’m Martha Graham.
WALLY: THE Martha Graham? Fantastic.
(WALLY has no idea who she is.)
This is Martha Graham, ladies and gentleman, the
famous…er…inventor of the graham cracker.
I just love graham crackers.
(TO GRAHAM)
There’s something we’re all dying to know.
GRAHAM: Yes?
WALLY: How do you get all those little perforations in the
crackers?
ANGELICA (cutting in): Wally, you idiot!
(catching herself, turning to audience, trying to forget what
she just said)
I mean, Wally, what a kidder! Everyone knows Martha Graham,
the great dancer and choreographer.
(GRAHAM exits)
WALLY (sees WRIGHT BROTHERS walking up carpet): Wait a
minute! Here come a couple of guys who must be brothers. Just
look at them! Hey, are you two the Brothers Karamozov?
WILBUR: No. They’re fictional characters out of Russian novel.
WALLY: Wait, don’t tell me. The Luden Brothers? I knew it. Ladies
and gentlemen, these guys discovered cough drops.
ORVILLE: No, you’ve got the wrong brothers.
WALLY: Okay, I give up. Who are you?
WILBUR: We’re the Wright brothers.
7
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WALLY: Well of course you’re the right brothers if you’re not the
wrong brothers. But what’s your name?
ORVILLE: Really, we’re the Wright Brothers.
WALLY (a bit frantic): Don’t play games with me! I’ve got an
infected hangnail and my shoes caught on fire this morning. I’m
not feeling well.
ORVILLE and WILBUR: But it’s true: we ARE the Wright
Brothers!
BROTHERS:
We’re the Wright, Wright Brothers
We’re the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try.
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
Song 2/12
ORVILLE:
I remember well that daring flight
I was cool as I flew out of sight
The things below looked just like ants to me.
WILBUR:
Well they WERE ants you saw below
You were only up ten feet or so
But that was news in nineteen hundred three.
BROTHERS:
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
8
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We Americans got off the ground
Hundred years and we are not back down
Yeah flying drew new maps and changed the clock.
You can fly to Rome, you fly in space
This whole world’s become a tiny place
It started way back there at Kitty Hawk.
BROTHERS and CHORUS:
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
(THEY exit. ANGELICA enters the stage of the auditorium
and stands at a podium or a microphone stand.)
ANGELICA: Welcome, honored guests and nominees. Let’s get
straight to our first award.
(ERNEST HEMINGWAY enters suddenly, much to the
surprise of ANGELICA.)
HEMINGWAY: Thank you, thank you.
ANGELICA: Ernest Hemingway!
HEMINGWAY: I’m honored, of course. Where’s that award?
ANGELICA: Mr. Hemingway, I’m sorry, but this is not your
category.
HEMINGWAY: It isn’t? Are you sure?
ANGELICA: You’re not supposed to be out here.
9
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HEMINGWAY: Well, since I’m already here, we could talk about
me for a few minutes.
ANGELICA: Not now.
HEMINGWAY: What if we just mention a few of my novels? It
won’t take long.
ANGELICA: No. I’m sorry.
HEMINGWAY: I could mime the titles.
ANGELICA: Ernest, please.
HEMINGWAY (exiting): Farewell, then. Farewell…to Arms!
(laughing because he snuck in the title of one of his novels)
Ha ha ha ha!
(exits)
ANGELICA (collecting herself, speaks to audience): I’m sorry
about that. Now, back to the awards. To present our Humanitarian
award, I am proud to introduce two great Americans in their own
right, Rachel Carson and Walt Disney.
(THEY enter, CARSON holds an envelope)
DISNEY: Rachel, it’s an honor to be here with you. Silent Spring,
your book about pesticide poisoning, pretty much started the
whole environmental movement.
CARSON: Thank you, Walt. And who would have thought that at
the same time I was fighting with chemical companies, trying to
make the United States a safer place, you would be changing the
world with an animated rodent?
DISNEY: Life’s a mystery, eh, Rachel? But enough about us. We’ve
got an important award to hand out. There were so many inspiring
humanitarian leaders in twentieth-century America. Our panel of
judges had a very difficult time selecting just one winner. But they
did, and let’s find out who it is.
10
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CARSON (opens envelope, reads): For his work in civil rights, for
leading the non-violent march towards equality for black
Americans in the most difficult of times, the winner is Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
KING (entering with ROSA PARKS SINGERS. HE speaks at
podium): I am honored, but I can’t accept this award alone. I want
to acknowledge the bravery of one woman. On December fifth,
1955, Rosa Parks was riding on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
She was sitting in the fifth row of the bus—in what was called the
“colored section.” Blacks were not allowed in the front, and we were
required by law to give up our seats to any white person who
wanted it. But on that day Rosa did not give up her seat. Rosa did
not move to the back of the bus. Rosa did not accept second-class
citizenship. By that one simple and brave gesture, the civil rights
movement was galvanized. Thank you, Rosa Parks.
ROSA PARKS SINGERS:
Rosa Parks
You stay in your seat
Rosa Parks
Not just tired feet
You know, you know
There’s gonna be a fuss
But you’re not movin’ to the back of the bus.
No, you’re not movin’ to the back of the bus.
Song 3/13
Rosa Parks
You’re under arrest
Rosa Parks
Now here comes the test
Is it legal or just ludicrous?
To make you move on to the back of the bus?
To make you move on to the back of the bus.
M.L. KING (spoken as music continues): So we organized a bus
boycott. It lasted 382 days. Rosa refused to pay the fine, and her
case made it all the way to the Supreme Court. In December of
1956, the Supreme Court declared that the segregation in the south
was unconstitutional. And through it all, Rosa never wavered.
11
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ROSA PARKS SINGERS, KING, CHORUS:
Rosa Parks
Equality stalled
Rosa Parks
And you took the call.
An example still to all of us
By not movin’ to the back of the bus.
By not movin’ to the back of the bus.
(THEY exit. ANGELICA steps up to microphone.)
ANGELICA: To present our next award for outstanding American
statesman of the twentieth century, please welcome the famous
aviator and adventurer, Amelia Earhart.
(SHE looks offstage—no one comes. After a pause:)
ANGELICA: Apparently Amelia is missing. Well, I’m sure she’ll
show up soon—she can’t be lost forever. I guess we’ll just move
on…
HEMINGWAY (shouting from offstage): Bring back Hemingway!
ANGELICA (speaking in his direction): Ernest, be quiet!
(to audience)
I guess I’ll do the honors.
(Picks up envelope)
And the winner of greatest statesman is…
FDR was stricken with polio in
Roosevelt.
1921, at the age of 39. He needed
(FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT
enters, with ENTOURAGE behind)
ANGELICA: Congratulations, President
Roosevelt.
assistance in walking, often using a
wheelchair (although he did not like
to be seen in his wheelchair). To
make his scenes easier to perform in
the classroom, we have not written
them in a way that requires any
special props. You will want to
discuss with your students the
challenges FDR faced as a public
figure with a disability. And feel free
to rewrite the staging of these scenes
as you see fit.
12
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(TEDDY ROOSEVELT comes racing in, his ENTOURAGE
behind)
TEDDY: Now hold on a minute there. You’ve got the wrong
Roosevelt. That there is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR is a fine
man, no doubt, but I’m sure that award was meant for me, Teddy
Roosevelt.
FDR: Oh, Teddy, you were a good president, all right. Panama
canal. American internationalism. Nobel Peace Prize and all that.
But that was way back in the first decade of the century. And you
weren’t elected president four times.
FDR’s ENTOURAGE (like cheerleaders chanting):
FDR
I’m his fan
Four elections
He’s the man!
TEDDY: Franklin, that New Deal of yours—the government
programs to get us out of the Great Depression in the 1930s—it
didn’t exactly work, did it?
FDR: It gave millions of Americans a job and enough money to
survive. I gave them hope.
TEDDY: And I gave them a new political party—the Bull Moose
Party!
ENTOURAGE (swinging hands over head): Moose, Moose,
Moose, Moose!
TEDDY: No, sirree, you can’t beat a moose.
FDR: I led our country through World War II.
TEDDY: I’m talking a MOOSE, Franklin. A BIG moose.
FDR: I have a Presidential Memorial in Washington, D.C.!
13
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TEDDY: My face is on a mountain in South Dakota!
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE: Rushmore, Rushmore, Rushmore!
In nineteen hundred one
This country’s time had come
And Teddy knew just how the people felt
Song 4/14
TEDDY:
Speak softly, that’s the trick
And carry one big stick.
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
We love this guy—
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
In 1932
The country was so blue
The Depression had us tight around the belt.
FDR:
Your government is here
You’ve nothing now to fear.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
He gave us hope—
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
BOTH GROUPS:
Let’s all cheer
Now you’re here
We are gonna stand tall
14
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TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt of all.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
When hope was wearing thin
Our FDR stepped in
And he made sure his grand New Deal got dealt
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Our Teddy’s strong and tough
Goes swimming in the buff
It’s true! Teddy Roosevelt
liked to swim without any
clothes in the Potomac!
TEDDY:
Australian crawl—
BOTH GROUPS:
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
Let’s all cheer
Now you’re here
We are gonna stand tall
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
15
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FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt of all.
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt of all.
(THEY ALL exit, still arguing. ANGELICA steps up to
microphone.)
16
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ANGELICA: Well, wasn’t that fun? Now it’s time to hear a word
from our sponsors who have made tonight’s program possible.
We’ll be…
(SHE stops as she sees HEMINGWAY walking across the
back of the stage. He walks with a cane, pretending to be old,
and holds a giant “C” in front of him so the audience can
see.)
ANGELICA: Ernest, what are you…? Oh, I get it. The Old Man
and the Sea. Very amusing.
(To audience, trying to ignore HEMINGWAY)
As I was saying, it’s time for a word from one of our sponsors, the
good people at Stars in Your Pantry.
(ANGELICA steps back as THREE SPOKESPEOPLE enter)
SPOKESPERSON #1: Hi, folks. Do you love movies and television?
Haven’t you ever wanted the great stars of the twentieth century to
drop by your house? Wish no more! Just dial the toll-free number
on your screen, talk to one of our operators here at Stars in Your
Pantry. Then sit back and wait for the TV or movie idol of your
choice to pay you a visit!
SPOKESPERSON #2: Dance down your front porch with Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Laugh with Charlie Chaplin, Lucille
Ball, and Bob Hope as they clown it up in the garage. Trying to be
romantic? Don’t put on a Sinatra CD—put on Sinatra himself!
Elvis is NOT dead—he’s eating Cocoa Puffs in YOUR kitchen!
Imagine John Wayne out in the garden hunting down gophers.
Anything’s possible when you call Stars in Your Pantry.
SPOKESPERSON #3: Don’t settle for celebrity impersonators when
you can have the real thing for just pennies a day! The first 100
callers will receive at no additional cost a tearful goodbye from
Ingrid Bergman—watch her walk away in the mist and get on a
plane in your very own driveway! Call now!
(THEY exit. We now see WALLY backstage—that is, to
audience’s right side of the stage.)
17
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WALLY (holding a plate of hors d’oeuvres): Hi, Wally Walters
again. Welcome back to the Greatest Americans of the Twentieth
Century. I’m backstage—everywhere you look there are famous
people. And some great snacks. On stage now, Louis Armstrong is
playing his famous jazz for the audience. It’s amazing that someone
so good at the trumpet could also be the first person to walk on the
moon.
JACKSON POLLOCK (entering, sees WALLY): What are you
doing?
WALLY: Hi there. Who are you?
POLLOCK: I’m Jackson Pollock. Can’t you see what you’re
standing on?
WALLY: What?
(looks around; then to audience)
Oh my. I seem to be standing in a horrible paint spill on the floor
here. Thank you, Mr. Pollock, for pointing that out. I’ve got paint
all over my shoes now.
(tries scraping off his shoes on canvas he is standing on)
What a mess.
POLLOCK: That is one of my paintings! You’re standing in the
middle of one of my masterpieces.
WALLY: A painting? I want you to know that I did not do this to
your painting. Someone threw it on the floor and dripped paint all
over it before I got here.
POLLOCK: That’s how I paint!
WALLY: Oh. I think it’s ruined my sneakers.
POLLOCK (turning and storming off stage): AAAAAAch!
WALLY: What a nice guy! He seemed to be so upset about my
shoes. Oh look, here come some musicians.
(MUSICIANS enter holding sheet music)
Excuse me. What do you think of Louis Armstrong’s playing?
18
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MUSICIAN #1: Amazing.
MUSICIAN #2: We’ve been listening and looking at the sheet
music, and we can’t figure out how he does it.
MUSICIANS:
Song 5/15
What’s that note?
What did he do?
Can’t find that?
How ’bout you?
(LOUIS ARMSTRONG enters with trumpet.)
Where’s that note?
Guess it’s no use
Louie’s horn
Is on the loose.
(One musician says:)
MUSICIAN: What’s the secret, Louis?
LOUIS:
No such thing as too much fun
Woh oh, oh oh
That is jazz rule number one
Woh oh, oh oh
No such no such thing as too much fun.
No such no such thing as too much fun.
Improvise
Improvise
Do something
To surprise.
Put “last time”
Up on the shelf
Go ahead
And please yourself.
19
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MUSICIANS and LOUIS:
No such thing as too much fun
Woh oh, oh oh
That is jazz rule number one
Woh oh, oh oh
No such no such thing as too much fun.
No such no such thing as too much fun.
(MUSICIANS and LOUIS dance)
MUSICIANS, LOUIS, CHORUS:
Did we say “dance”? Yes we
did, but we didn’t
necessarily mean it. Please
see our comments on page
42 of the Teacher’s Guide.
No such thing as too much fun
Woh oh, oh oh
That is jazz rule number one
Woh oh, oh oh
No such no such thing as too much fun.
No such no such thing as too much fun.
(THEY exit. HEMINGWAY sneaks back across stage
holding a large cut-out sun. He keeps raising it from the
floor to way over his head. After a few moments of this,
ANGELICA enters.)
ANGELICA: Okay, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. Thank you very
much.
(HEMINGWAY, pleased with himself, struts off stage)
ANGELICA (to audience): Our next award is for the American
artist of the century. To make the presentation, please welcome the
man who turned art and the artist into celebrity, Andy Warhol.
WARHOL (enters): Hello. The winner is a woman known for her
New Mexican landscapes and especially her enormous paintings of
flowers. Revolutionary, really. She’s already had her fifteen minutes
of fame, but let’s give her another few. Georgia O’Keeffe.
(SHE enters)
Congratulations, Georgia. I’m starved—wanna grab a can of soup
after the show?
20
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O’KEEFFE: Sure, Andy.
(to audience)
I’m thrilled you like my flowers—I paint them large so you have to
look at them whether you want to or not.
I paint flowers
They’re big and tall and stout
I paint flowers
That look like they work out.
Some people think it’s silly
To draw a giant lily
Don’t knock my flowers
Or they might knock you out.
Song 6/16
Stop stop stop stop
Break out of your routine
Stop stop stop stop
My flowers make you take the time to see what I have seen.
I paint flowers
I paint ’em tall and wide
I paint flowers
That stare at you with pride.
My buffed-up poppies practice
Intimidating cactus
Oh I paint flowers
That will not step aside.
(During the short instrumental,
O’KEEFFE can arrange some
flowers, or even move around some
pictures of big flowers.)
O’KEEFFE and CHORUS:
Stop stop stop stop
Break out of your routine
Stop stop stop stop
My flowers make you take the time
to see what I have seen.
(EXIT. WALLY appears at right of stage,
holding a microphone in one hand and
a large piece of pizza in the other. HE
was not expecting to be on the air. )
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WALLY (surprised): Oh. Am I on? Right now?
(HE can’t figure out what to do with the pizza. Finally he
stuffs it in in his shirt pocket.)
Hello. Wally Walters once again. I’m in the cafeteria, where I’ve
been, uh, looking for more famous people. Famous people have to
eat too.
(CESAR CHAVEZ walks by)
Oh, excuse me. Who are you?
CHAVEZ: I am Cesar Chavez.
WALLY: Wow, folks, are we in luck! Right here in the cafeteria, the
creator of the caesar salad.
(to CHAVEZ)
I just love that romaine lettuce, Mr. Chavez. But I’m not sure about
the anchovies. Where did you come up with that one?
CHAVEZ: No, I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong person. I am the
founder and organizer of the United Farm Workers. I led the
movement in California for higher pay and safer working
conditions for farm workers.
WALLY: So you do have SOMETHING to do with lettuce.
CHAVEZ: With all kinds of produce. I led several famous boycotts
of California grapes and wine in order to win decent wages and
benefits for thousands of laborers. I was given the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1994.
WALLY: Wow, you really ARE famous. Thanks for talking with
me.
(CHAVEZ exits)
WALLY (as CHAVEZ walks off): Thanks. It’s, uh, my new
cologne—Eau d’ pepperoni.
(to audience)
Darn. I should have gotten his autograph.
22
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HENRY FORD (entering, accompanied by assembly-line
WORKERS. HE is upset): Was that a union organizer I just saw
you talking to?
WALLY: I guess so. Seemed like a real nice guy.
FORD: I HATE union organizers. Now don’t get me wrong, I
treated my workers well —
(points to WORKERS)
—paid ’em twice the minimum wage, cut their work day by an
hour, created profit sharing. But I HATE union organizers—worst
thing that every struck the earth.
WALLY: Who are you?
FORD: I’m Henry Ford. I started the American love affair with the
car. Democratized the automobile in 1908 with the Model T! Mass
production! Moving assembly lines! Inventor of dealer franchise
system! Father of twentieth-century American industry! Here, it’s
all on my card.
(Reaches in pocket and hands one to WALLY—it unfolds
many times)
Yep, we’re turning out a new Model T every 93 minutes.
(To WORKERS)
Hit it, fellows.
NOTE: Performers will need to practice
carefully with the recording to get the
correct timing of the following rap. This is a
fun scene, but you can’t fake the song and
make it fit the rhythms on the CD.
23
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AUTO WORKERS:
Song 7/17
Assembly line
Movin’ cars all day
Assembly line
Sendin’ them our way
Don’t blink don’t think
Don’t do nothin’ wrong
Assembly line’s gonna roll right along.
Assembly line’s gonna roll right along.
All the same that’s the name of the game
Ev’ry car is like the last one
Movin’ fine down the line works everytime
Ev’ry future’s like the past one
We keep ’em cheap
So not a peep or a weep about the stuff they lack
HENRY FORD:
You can have any color as long as it’s black.
WORKERS:
Middle class hits the gas so fast
Ev’rybody can afford one
Marketplace there’s a race
You can bet that Henry Ford won.
Man you can’t ignore this one.
The dough
So low don’t crow there’s no variety
HENRY FORD:
You can have any model as long as it’s T.
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WORKERS, FORD, CHORUS:
Assembly line
Movin’ cars all day
Assembly line
Sendin’ them our way
Don’t blink don’t think
Don’t do nothin’ wrong
Assembly line’s gonna roll right along.
Assembly line’s gonna roll right along.
(THEY exit. ANGELICA steps up to microphone)
ANGELICA: Thank you, Wally, for another one of your, uh,
unique reports from backstage. And now it’s time to present the
award for Greatest Athlete. We’re very fortunate tonight to have…
(SHE stops as HEMINGWAY enters, perhaps in a waiter’s
outfit. HE pushes a cart loaded with food. In fact, he sort of
zig zags around the stage with it.)
Ernest, what are you doing with all that food?
(HE zigs a little more with his cart)
Oh. Yes. A Moveable Feast.
(SHE yells off-stage)
Will someone please escort Mr. Hemingway to the Green Room?
(TWO guys in white coats come running in, and
HEMINGWAY zooms off with his cart the other direction.
ANGELICA shouts after them:)
And lock him in there!
(THEN, back to the audience, composed)
Okay. Where were we? Ah yes. Greatest Athlete.
(Now more arguing is heard as FDR and TEDDY
ROOSEVELT enter, still arguing.)
Now what? Not the Roosevelts again.
FDR: There is nothing I love as much as a good fight.
TEDDY: Over, under, or through, I say—but never around!
FDR: This is MY award, you barbarian!
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TEDDY: You get your paws off my award, Franklin, or I’ll stuff and
mount you on my living room wall.
(As THEY struggle, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT enters)
ELEANOR (stops for moment and watches them, then shouts):
Franklin. Teddy. Stop that this instant!
(THEY BOTH freeze and look at her)
TEDDY and FDR: Eleanor!
(They drop the envelope, come to attention, looking
ashamed)
ANGELICA: Eleanor Roosevelt! What a wonderful surprise. May I
just say how much I’ve always admired you. A tremendous first
lady for so many years. You traveled all around the country. Had
your own radio show. A newspaper column. Always fighting for
the underdogs, even long after you left the White House. It’s such
an honor.
ELEANOR: Thank you.
(Turns to TEDDY and FDR sternly)
Now what’s going on here?
TEDDY and FDR (pointing at each other): HE did it!
ANGELICA (who has picked up the award envelope): If I might
interrupt? You see, the award for Best Statesman just reads
“Roosevelt,” and both of them think it refers to them.
ELEANOR: Let me see that.
(ANGELICA hands over the envelope. ELEANOR turns to
the other ROOSEVELTS before she reads it.)
Teddy, listen to me. I’m your favorite niece. And Franklin—we
were married for nearly 40 years. I will figure this all out and you
will behave.
TEDDY and FRANKLIN (look down at ground, shuffle feet): Yes,
Eleanor.
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ELEANOR: Now, let me look at this a bit more closely.
(SHE examines the envelope carefully, then looks up.)
Well it’s absolutely clear.
TEDDY: Is it me? Did I win?
FDR: Can you see my name there?
ELEANOR:
Song 8/18
Oh Uncle Ted you’re great
And Franklin you’re my mate
I love you both as you can surely tell
(SHE holds envelope up for THEM to look at)
But look a little more
It says here “Eleanor”
And that is me—
the fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
I champion the poor
We’ve got to help them more
The time is right for women’s rights as well
Each day I lead the fight
For fair and equal rights
So some call me—
their fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
CHORUS:
Let’s all cheer
Now you’re here
We are gonna stand tall
Bye-bye Teddy
Farewell Franklin
She’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt of all.
Bye-bye Teddy
Farewell Franklin
She’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt of all.
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(THEY exit. We now see WALLY, on the left side of the
stage, at a table filled with junk food, sitting with EINSTEIN
and EDISON)
WALLY (to audience): Hi there, Wally Walters again. I’m in a
trailer outside the auditorium, sharing some nachos with Albert
Einstein and Thomas Edison. Apparently they wouldn’t let these
guys into the show.
EINSTEIN: It’s okay. I came up with all of my great ideas—the
special theory of relativity, the general theory of relativity, my
contributions to quantum theory—many years before I moved to
the United States.
(to WALLY)
Could you pass the salsa?
WALLY: Sure. What about you, Mr. Edison?
EDISON: Many of my best inventions—the phonograph, the
motion picture camera, commercially viable incandescent electric
light bulb, storage batteries—I came up with in the 1800s.
WALLY: Looks like they got you guys on a technicality.
EDISON: Oh I don’t mind. Is there any more guacamole?
WALLY (passing it): So who do you like for Greatest Athlete of
the Century?
EINSTEIN: I go with Jesse Owens. Four gold medals in the 1936
Olympics—showed the world that Hitler’s horrible ideas about a
“master-race” were garbage.
EDISON: You got anything other than diet soda? It leaves that
aftertaste. I’ll have to invent something better.
WALLY: Here ya go.
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EDISON: Thanks. No, I have to disagree with you Albert. My vote
is for Jim Thorpe. Won the decathlon and the pentathlon in the
1912 Olympics. Played both professional baseball and football.
Amazing.
EINSTEIN: What about the Babe? 714 home runs. 342 lifetime
batting average. Led the American league in home runs 12 times.
EDISON: And he could pitch—lifetime ERA of 2.28.
EINSTEIN: Let’s get him out here. Hey
Babe!
(BABE DIDRIKSON enters)
WALLY (seeing HER): Whoa, Mr. Ruth!
You’ve done something with your hair,
haven’t you?
DIDRIKSON: I’m not Babe Ruth. I’m
Babe Didrikson.
EDISON: Babe Didrikson, of course!
How’d we forget her?
WALLY: Who?
EINSTEIN: Babe Didrikson. The most versatile athlete we’ve ever
seen. She starred on her high school basketball team.
DIDRIKSON: Never lost a game.
EDISON: And her amateur team won the national championship.
EINSTEIN: And what about track and field? She set 4 world
records in one afternoon. And she won 3 times in the 1932
Olympics.
DIDRIKSON: I qualified for 5 events, but they only let me
compete in 3.
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EDISON: But she’s most famous as a golfer—won over 50 events,
including 17 tournaments in a row.
DIDRIKSON: And I played professional baseball during spring
training.
WALLY: Wow! Did they have those frozen chocolate malts back
then? I love those things.
BABE RUTH (entering): Did someone call me?
WALLY: Babe Ruth!
BABE RUTH:
Song 9/19
They call me Babe
I do just one thing
I hit home runs
Yeah I am the king.
Some get more hits
There're speedier gents
They call me Babe
I swing, I swing for the fence.
BABE DIDRIKSON:
They call me Babe
And I do it all
Billiards and track
Golf and basketball.
Some shoot for fame
Some shoot to be queen
They call me Babe
I shoot, I shoot for the green.
RUTH:
I learned a lot of great things so hear me when I say
Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
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DIDRIKSON:
I learned a little lesson I’d like to share with you
Never let them tell you there are things you cannot do.
BABES and CHORUS:
They call us Babe
A nickname we like
Hard to forget
And a cinch to write.
Down through the years
That name has grown big
They call us Babe
We’re no, we’re no talking pig.
We’re no, we’re no talking pig.
We’re no, we’re no talking pig.
(THEY exit)
ANGELICA (at microphone): This has been such an exciting
evening. We’re now down to our last award. It goes to the ordinary
heroes that made life possible for twentieth-century Americans.
ENTIRE CLASS:
Song 10/20
Let’s remember all the heroes
Who work hard for us each day
All the fire- and policemen
Who keep danger far away.
And let’s celebrate the soldiers
Who have fought for you and me
Iwo Jima to Korea
Vietnam to Normandy.
31
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The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
Give a cheer for all the teachers
They deserve a big parade
For the things that they have taught us
And the homework they must grade.
But of all the local heroes
Our own parents get the star
’Cause they made the cute and brilliant
Little angels that we are.
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
THE END
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Teacher’s Guide
Introduction
Great Americans of the Twentieth Century is a musical/opera designed to be
performed by elementary and middle school classes, particularly by students
in the third through eighth grades. The older students will of course do a more
polished job, but please don’t be afraid of having your younger students
perform this show. They’ll have a great time (this is not your regular school
play) and their parents will have a ball.
In fact, one of the really nice things about this
musical play is the response you’ll get from
parents. You’ll find them grateful for the
opportunity to see their child perform in a truly
fun show full of melody and wit. Indeed, rumor
has it that some parents have so thoroughly
enjoyed the performance that they have had to
have the smiles surgically removed from their
faces in order to be taken seriously at work.
If you’re an experienced producer of classroom shows, then Great Americans
of the Twentieth Century will be a snap. If you’re new to this sort of thing,
relax! Putting on a play is a wonderful experience for your kids, and it’s a heck
of a lot easier than you probably think. This introduction is designed to
provide you with all the necessary tips for a smooth and joyous production.
We consulted teachers whose classes have performed our shows and asked
them what they wished they had known before they started. We listened
carefully, and now it’s all here for you.
Even if you can’t sing or play an
instrument! Honest! We know a
teacher who has successfully
produced a number of musicals
in her classes without singing or
playing a note (she’s very shy).
Remember, the audio recording
demonstrates all the songs.
Doing a little script-tease
We strongly suggest that you do not send
home copies of the script with each student.
The problem is that the parents will read the
script and when they come to watch the play,
o]dd$l`]qddYdj]Y\qcfgoo`Yllg]ph][l&O]
l`afcqgmjZ]klZ]laklg[ghqgfdql`]dqja[k
and narrations for your actors. Let Mom and
Dad help their child learn their parts, but
give your parents the gift of being pleasantly
surprised when they see the performance.
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A Historical Note:
Why these great Americans?
The curricular goal of this musical play is to
introduce students to some of the major figures,
ideas, and events of twentieth-century America.
Even though our cast of characters is about twice
as big as most of our other Bad Wolf musical
plays, we still have had to leave out many, many
important people and topics. One way we limited
our choices a bit was to exclude anyone still
living. Our feeling is that students will likely
know more about recent figures in sports,
politics, etc. than those from an earlier
generation. Everyone knows Michael Jordan—
how many of us are familiar with the
achievements of Babe Didrikson? Ronald Reagan
was an important president, but can anyone
discuss the twentieth century without bringing
up FDR, the Great Depression, and World War
II? Following this logic, we opted for Henry Ford
instead of Bill Gates, and chose jazz over rap.
Is Great Americans of
the Twentieth Century
an opera or a musical?
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According to our dictionary, in an
opera most or all of the story is
sung, but in a musical the dialogue
plays the more important role.
Beyond that, musicals tend to be
written in a popular style while
operas are supposed to be
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meaningful distinction and you can
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without offending us. (Our own
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stunning piece of contemporary
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We are hoping that our choices
encourage your students to do two
things: 1) Research the historical figures
and events we mention in the play. We
think Great Americans can provide a
great opportunity for student research
into the history of this century; 2)
Argue about who should be in the
musical play but didn’t make it! Indeed,
it would be great if your students
rewrote sections of the show and
inserted their own choices! Remember,
this is meant to be a supplement to your
curriculum and a stimulus for student
interest—have some fun and let your
students tear us apart!
34
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Getting Started
Figure on about a month from first introduction to final performance. This
may sound like a lot of time, but remember that most of the days you won’t
work for very long, perhaps just singing a few songs together. We have an
example of one reasonable timetable on page 43. Play the recording of the
show for several days before you start singing songs. Then after the kids get
the hang of the songs, you can sing them whenever the class has a few extra
minutes. When you get around to casting and staging the show you’ll need
more time again. You’ll also want to schedule additional time for the creation
of sets, props, and costumes (if you decide to use them—see our advice below).
Lately educators have been talking about teaching “across the curriculum,”
that is, using large projects and themes to connect the various skills and
subjects to be studied. Great Americans of the Twentieth Century is ideal for
this since you can easily connect reading, art, music and the study of
American history under the guise of a fun show.
Now, relax and have some fun. We’ve written this show so you can get out of it
what you want. If you choose to work very hard, managing every detail—go
ahead! Really! You’ll probably have a high quality performance. But make sure
that’s the level of activity and stress you’re comfortable with. Don’t let the
parents turn this into a Broadway production. You can also choose to be lowkey about it all. Tell yourself that these are just kids, your audience isn’t paying
fifty dollars a ticket, and you won’t have a perfect show. You’ll stay more
relaxed and enjoy the experience. It just depends upon your own personality
and the students themselves. No matter how you approach Great Americans of
the Twentieth Century, remember it’s the process which is important for the
students’ education: the reading, creating, singing, thinking, and developing
self-esteem that go into learning the show are the real point to the final
performance anyway. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have as much fun doing
all this as your students!
35
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Here’s a bit of time-tested advice if you’re new to this type of musical
production: get another teacher at your school to put on Great Americans of
the Twentieth Century at the same time. You can share sets and costumes and
bounce ideas off one another. Your classes can watch each other rehearse and
the students can give feedback to their peers. This process has proven to be a
great aid to novice directors, and students learn a lot by participating in the
assessment and development of the show (more on this later).
Some teachers like to have as much parental help in the classroom as possible;
others prefer to work with the kids without interference. Wherever you fall on
this continuum, you’ll probably find it useful to ask for a certain amount of
help. Be sure you send a parents’ letter at the onset of the project. Include
performance dates and tell exactly what sort of assistance you’ll be looking for.
If putting on plays is new to your school, you may want to outline some of the
educational advantages as well. (See our web site for a template you can use!)
Music (and the enclosed CD)
The audio recording is a teaching tool for helping your children learn all the
songs. The first recorded version features the composer and some talented
friends brilliantly singing the songs with dazzling musical accompaniment. The
second version of the show has just the accompaniments to all the songs. We
strongly encourage you to make a backup CD or computer file of the audio
recording in case it gets lost or damaged.
We suggest you introduce the music to your class by playing the recording
during a class work session. You might do this several times, starting well in
advance of your actual rehearsal of the show. The music will seem easy and
familiar when your students finally begin to sing the songs. Have all your
students learn all the songs. This is much more fun for the class, and it will
give you great flexibility in casting and substituting for absent performers.
Ready for some controversy? The easiest way of getting students to learn the
show is probably to copy the script and give it to them. Some teachers,
however, like to write all the lyrics to the songs on large poster-size sheets.
36
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This is a lot of work. If you choose to do this,
we have two suggestions: get some parents to
divide the work between them, or photocopy
the lyrics onto transparencies and use an
overhead projector. Other teachers like the
students to learn the songs by ear without
looking at the script.. Play the songs for a
week or so during class, and then play the
version of the recording without the words.
You’ll be surprised how well students respond
to the challenge of singing along.
Using a musician
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community member who might
be willing to play piano or guitar,
contact them early. Play them
the CD and show them the
samples of music on page 48 of
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comfortable with it (to order the
sheet music for Great Americans,
contact the publisher—flip to the
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option is to hire a professional.
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the schools. Maybe you can get
some money from your school
PTA. Regardless of who your
musician is, paid or not, be sure
to schedule at least one
rehearsal with them before the
performance. Your students will
need to get used to the sound of
a live player, and the musician
needs to learn the cues and get a
sense of what the children sound
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You can perform the show to great applause
by simply using the accompanying
recording. If you choose to use the CD for
the performance, get a volunteer to be in
charge of boombox. It’s very important
that this be the same person throughout
the rehearsals and the final performance.
The volunteer needs a script and lots of
practice with the class. If you can’t find a
parent, then try to snag an older student.
Don’t try to handle this yourself—you
need to keep your eyes on the students
and be free to solve problems as they
occur.
If you have access to the right equipment
you can manufacture copies of the entire
recording. Please don’t! It’s strictly illegal,
absolutely immoral, and government tests
indicate it is probably fattening. Really, we
expect better things from someone as nice
as you. (Did you see our Official Policy on
fair use, photocopying and audio
duplication on the second page? It’s a
masterful blend of tact, threat, and blatant
begging, so maybe this would be a good
time to review it.) What you can do is
copy one or two songs for any student.
Better still, record the song five times in a
row on the student’s CD (ask them to
bring one from home) and have him or
her sing along with the CD daily. This
kind of repetition really helps. Songs sung
by soloists and groups can be copied and
studied in the same way.
37
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Casting
Great Americans of the Twentieth Century was originally written to be
performed by a class of from twenty to thirty kids, but the show is very
flexible. How many Musicians are there? How many Roosevelt groupies?
Three? Five? (One teacher we know insists that odd numbers work best, and
who are we to argue?) Experiment a bit, keeping at least one strong singer in
each group. We recommend that you don’t create groups with more than seven
students, or the stage begins to look and sound like a rugby scrum.
We suggest waiting until the last week or two before you
pick specific children for each part. We don’t
recommend a formal audition. Instead, let various
children experiment with different roles and try out
different combinations. Perhaps a few friends will
discover they enjoy singing “Assembly Line” together.
Or perhaps several children will express interest in the
Musicians. Our one recommendation is that if you
choose to have soloists, be sure to pick actors who can
sing loudly enough to be heard over a possibly noisy
audience.
As you know, some children are a little shy about
performing and especially about singing in public. (The lyricist intentionally
swallowed his history book in the third grade in order to be excused from
singing “I’ve Got A Hammer” in front of the class.) You might want to ask if
there are any children who would prefer a speaking part instead of a singing
one. Respect their fears, but if you provide regular opportunities for
performance you’ll be pleased to see your students gain confidence.
Eventually, of course, you’ll need to
make a choice and probably a student or
two will feel hurt by the selection. We
have attempted to write in as many parts
as possible and to spread the singing
roles evenly throughout the cast, but
somebody is still bound to be
disappointed. Try to help them
understand that the selection in no way
reflects poorly on them. If you put on
more than one performance each year
you will be able to give different children
the opportunity to have a “starring” role.
Blending Genders
Do not feel bound by gender in
your casting of these or any parts.
All the parts in this show can be
played by boys or girls or any
combination. One of the great
things about the theater is that
Henry Ford really can be played by
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Y[lgjk `goeYfqJgkYHYjck
Kaf_]jk\gqgmoYfl$^gj]pYehd]7!
gj\gmZd]mhjgd]ka^l`Ylogjck
best for the size of your class.
38
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A^qgmj]fglYf]ph]ja]f[]\\aj][lgj$
c]]h[gklme]k$k]lkYf\klY_af_Yk
simple as possible.
Costumes
You don’t really need any costumes, but most kids (and certainly most
audiences) like them. However there is a very real danger that some parents
will start competing with each other to provide the fanciest costumes. We
suggest that when you first tell parents about the play, explain that the
costumes will be designed by you and the class, and so please don’t send in any
costume without asking you first. Try to be firm on this.
The fancier the costumes, the more self-conscious the performers and the
quieter they will sing. (As you may have guessed by now, getting some of your
students to project their voices to the audience will be one of your challenges.)
Make sure what they wear is comfortable, especially the hats (which, unless
they fit perfectly, tend to be very distracting). Keep hats—and wigs—to a
minimum. In general, beards are a bad idea. When in doubt, simplify.
For Great Americans of the Twentieth Century, we think you don’t really need
to try to capture the way any of these famous people actually dressed. The
easiest thing may be to go with a simple prop or two that help to explain the
area of expertise of any given character. But if you do want to go with
costumes, here are some sample ideas for a few of the characters to get you
started:
ANGELICA and WALLY WALTERS: They are hosting a TV awards show, so
they are quite dressed up (the equivalent of an
evening gown and tux). Wally has a microphone
and needs a bunch of food props.
WRIGHT BROTHERS: Any turn-of-the-century
outfits will do (pictures often show them wearing
derbies).
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: A trumpet, of course!
THE BABES: Golf club and a bat.
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: It would be great for the
audience, and especially your students, if you had
some large prints of some of her work hanging in
the classroom. She could enter with paintbrushes.
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You can see what we’re doing here. But really almost any convention will
work—it just depends upon how much time and energy you have and want to
put into it. Does Einstein have that wild hair? Does Thomas Edison have one
of those “Uncle Fester” lightbulbs in his hand? Does Eleanor Roosevelt remain
remarkably unstylish? Or do the actors simply wear street clothes, or t-shirts?
The Set
You don’t really need a set to put on a successful performance, so don’t worry.
Here’s one idea for set and staging in the classroom that has worked very well.
(If you have access to an auditorium or stage, you will have a bit more
flexibility.) If you want to make a “stage” so the audience can see better, you
can put students’ tables together.
The basic setting for this show is an auditoriumstage for an Oscar-like
presentation. But some scenes take place outside the auditorium, some
backstage. Think of the stage as divided into three different areas, each
representing a different setting. The center, main part of the stage is the
auditorium itself, where most of the action takes place. The left side of the
stage could be used for any action outside of the auditorium, such as the
opening scene and the scene with Wally, Einstein, and Edison in a trailer. The
right side of stage could be used for the scenes that take place “backstage” with
Wally. Clearly this demarcation is not exact, and all songs must be sung to the
audience with the actors in the front, middle part of the stage. But beginning
the scenes in distinct parts of the stage will help the audience determine the
setting more easily. See our sample stage setup on page 42.
By all means have the kids do most of the set-planning and building—it’s a
great art project. If you can get some grown-up assistance the whole thing will
flow smoothly and your kids will have a wonderful time. Once everything is
ready they’ll feel a real sense of pride and ownership.
40
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Staging
Whether you have access to a “real” stage or are performing in a classroom
with a constricted space, we recommend that you keep all the actors on
the “stage” at all times. You can have the students sit down on the floor or
on chairs until it is their turn to perform. These actors form the chorus for
the show and sing on every song, so they need to be present and facing the
audience at all times.
On the next page there is an aerial view of this kind of setup in a classroom.
You’ll notice that the kids’ chairs are being used by the audience (which is also
probably sitting in front of the chairs as well as standing in back).
We’ve also positioned the students
in groups on the stage. This is just
one possibility. You’ll need to
experiment with this—remember,
students will probably play more
than one one role in this show. The
challenge is to place the students so
they are not in the way when they
are not performing, so they can get
where they need to be easily during
the show, so they can move about
during their “numbers” as they need
to, and so they can be heard when
they sing. Here are a few ideas we’ve
gathered from teachers who have
performed our shows:
The Joys of Masking Tape
QgmoaddoYfllgeYjcl`]khglkgf
the stage where students are to stand
and/or sit throughout the
h]j^gjeYf[]&L`]k]
eYjck[Yf
]YkadqZ]k]lgmloal`eYkcaf_lYh]
gfl`]^dggj&EYjco`]j]kgdgaklk$
small groups, and the chorus will
stand during each scene. This will
c]]h]n]jqgf]afhdY[]Yf\eYc]
your job of managing thirty energetic
actors much easier.
Y Most of the action of the play—the singing, narration, and
movement—should take place at the front of the stage. The audience
cannot see or hear what’s going on in the back.
Y Make certain that when the students sing they are facing the audience.
They can move around, look at each other, do whatever you want before
and after their song, but they must move to the front of the stage and face
the audience when it is their turn to sing. They can stand side by side, or
the taller ones can be behind the shorter ones, or those in front can sit
down—whatever you like—but their mouths should be turned towards the
front.
Y Don’t put all the actors and groups of actors in straight lines. This is
not very exciting and too regimented—the stage begins to look like a face
off between the British and the colonists in the Revolutionary War. Bunch
them together in different formations as they wait for their moment to
“star” at the front of the stage.
41
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Y Don’t have the students “dance” while they are singing. Making music
of any kind while moving is extremely difficult for anyone of any age to do.
Moreover, the students are likely to turn away from the audience during
their dance, and that, you will remember, is a no-no.
YAnd you’ll notice we keep writing “dance” instead of dance. Isn’t that
annoying? The point here is that you don’t have to choreograph a
Broadway number and the students don’t have to know anything about
formal dance. We want you to think of this as an opportunity for
MOVEMENT. What we’re after, and the audience is craving, is some visual
excitement to match the musical fun. No need to get fancy. When in doubt,
think silly and simple.
Painted Backdrop
Auditorium
Backstage of
Auditorium
Outside of
Auditorium
Wally
Angelica
Teacher
Audience
42
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A Four-Week Timetable
Week One
1. 20 minutes a day listening to songs
Week Two
1. 20 minutes a day listening to and singing the songs
2. Review curriculum connections with class.
3. Maybe move to the songs a bit
Week Three
1. 30 minutes a day singing songs, moving around
2. Read script together, taking turns with different parts.
3. Plan physical production: costumes (if using), props, staging.
4. Halfway through the week, ask students to write down or tell you
the parts they most want (in order) and make your
selections by the end of the week.
Week Four
1. One hour daily
2. Get the play on its feet where you will be performing.
3. Use masking tape to mark where students will be (you can
color code).
4. Perform for another class and invite that class to write reviews.
5. Record the rehearsal/performances so your students can see and
hear what they’re really doing.
6. Do more performances for other classes. Aim for at least three
performances in front of kids before performing for
families.
7. Perform for families. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
8. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
9. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
43
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Rehearsals and Assessment
After the students have learned the songs and the show has been cast, you will
need to start teaching them where to stand and how and when to move. You
will also need to work on individual songs, and you will soon discover that
you have to work on their behavior especially when they are NOT on center
stage. Don’t worry about the quality of the overall performance when you
begin. Remember, this is all part of the learning process, so take advantage of
the new opportunities for teaching and assessment. Again, teachers have come
up with a wonderful variety of ways to make rehearsals a central part of their
students’ learning. Here are some of their tips:
YDon’t panic. Rehearsals early on, and even up to the day of the
performance, can be quite rough. The kids will pull through when it counts.
Y Each day ask the students to give suggestions on improvement: What can
everyone do to make the show better?
YAsk the students to self-evaluate as well: How did I do my job? How can I
do better next time? (This can be done verbally or in writing.)
Y It is best to have several full dress rehearsals so students can get used to
them. Do these in front of an audience so students learn to project.
YRecord a rehearsal and have the students analyze it. What was good?
What could have been done better? This is a very valuable tool. When the
students see themselves fidgeting and fooling around, when they can’t hear
themselves sing, they will discover for themselves what they need to work on.
Y Ask a student audience to think like a director and then write anonymous
comments. It’s surprising how helpful these comments can be.
44
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Third-Grade Kids Recommend the Following:
* Everyone has to work together as a team.
* Cast members don’t need to give directions to
others while on stage. It’s distracting. Let the
person have some “wait” time and the teacher
will help get them back on track.
* Don’t worry about making a mistake. The
audience probably won’t pick it up.
* Use expression.
* Don’t talk or play while on stage.
* Background needs to sit still and be quiet so
as not to be distracting.
* Pay attention.
* Wait for the audience to stop clapping before
speaking again.
Emphasis: Making the Words Come Alive
One of the challenges in putting on children’s plays is to get your students to
treat the lyrics and dialogue as language, to speak and sing in natural rhythms.
The key is to have the students emphasize the right words and syllables. Kids
often sound great when they’re singing but terrible during dialogue. You need
to model speaking with expression. Have them analyze their lines for action
words—exciting words that make the lines come alive. Then show them how
to stress these words to bring out the meaning. Scenes always work best when
the actors know which words need to be stressed. Again, we suggest recording
the dialogue so students can discover what they really sound like.
45
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Final Performance
Your most important performance will probably be for the students’ parents
and families. There is a tradeoff in setting the time. More people can come if
you do it in the evening, but the problem is that you’ll have to go back to
school and all thirty kids will have to remember (and be able) to return. Many
teachers perform only during regular school hours.
If Something Goes Wrong:
Ignore it!
Tell your students that if something goes wrong,
they should continue with the play as though
fgl`af_oYkYeakk&Alogfl`]dhlgklghYf\l]dd
fellow actors what to do.
If you’re new to this you might be a bit nervous. Remember that the parents
are there to watch their children and they’ll be pleased with almost anything.
When it comes out well, you’ll be a star. If it comes out wonderfully, you’ll be
nominated for Teacher of the Century. As we suggested above, we strongly
urge you to do a number of informal performances (dress rehearsals) for other
classes. You might start with younger kids, since they tend to be easily
impressed. Then move up to the students’ peers and older kids. Since the
shows are informal it’s okay to stop the action if the kids are having some
problems. The main thing is to let them get used to performing. Don’t worry if
your musician (if you have chosen to use one) isn’t available for every
performance—just use the audio recording.
During the show you should be in clear view of the students. You’re there to
help the kids remember what they need to do and encourage them when they
do well. You can cue all group singing and mouth the lyrics to help keep the
class together. If some of the lyrics seem difficult to memorize, you may want
to hold up signs with key words or pictures to remind the kids what comes
next. Some teachers just go ahead and sing along on the group songs.
Print up a program, and don’t forget the invitations to the parents. A cast party
is traditional after the last performance of a play. The kids will really enjoy it
and it will provide a great chance for the parents to talk with one another and
congratulate themselves for managing to arrange such a wonderful teacher for
their kids. (This may sound flippant but we’ve heard people say things like this
at every post-performance party we’ve attended. There’s nothing like a
genuinely good school play to fill parents with joy and gratitude.)
46
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Turning on the Applause Sign
L`]Ym\a]f[]oYflklgYhhdYm\$Zmlalf]]\klgZ]lgd\o`]falkl`]ja_`l
time to clap. Since you have no applause sign, the actions themselves of the
klm\]flY[lgjkemklkYqdgm\dqYf\[d]Yjdq$
GcYq$o]j]\gf]oal`l`]
scene, you can applaud now.” To convey this message to the audience, the
performing students need to do two things: they must stop all movement,
and they must face the audience. If they start moving the second they finish
l`]kgf_$l`]Ym\a]f[]oaddfglcfgol`]k[]f]ak[gehd]l]\&>afYddq$\gfl
be afraid to clap yourself at the right moment. The students deserve it, and
the audience will follow your lead. This is especially important after the
very first song. If those watching the show understand at the beginning that
l`]qYj]Yddgo]\Yf\]ph][l]\lgk`gol`]ajYhhj][aYlagf$l`]qoadd
continue to do so throughout the show.
Last Bit of Advice
When you’re learning to cook, you follow the
cookbook to the letter. If the recipe calls for 1 1/2
cups of fresh smelt, you put in 1 1/2 cups of fresh
smelt. Later, after you gain some confidence, you
loosen up and take some chances. The same thing
happens with putting on a play—after a few tries,
you’ll be spicing up the show at every turn. We’ve
tried to give you an accurate and workable recipe for
a really fun show, but feel free to do anything that
seems best for you and your class. And if you have
any great ideas, or even good ones, please contact us
so we can include them in the next version of this
show.
47
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The Complete Piano/Guitar Music for Great
Americans of the Twentieth Century
The complete score for piano and guitar accompaniment is available from Bad
Wolf Press.
This compilation includes all the music for Great Americans of the Twentieth
Century and is in an easy piano style with complete guitar chord suggestions.
It is absolutely necessary if you plan live musical accompaniment of the show.
Budding piano students may also enjoy playing some of the catchy tunes
including “Rosa Parks,” “Fav'rite Roosevelt,” and “They Call Me Babe.”
48
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Complete Your Collection
Can’t get enough? You can also purchase sheet music and extra/replacement
CDs for this play.
We also offer money-saving site licenses and school packs for entire grade
levels or schools. See our web site or catalog for more details!
Want to order copies of this play or CD for students? Good news! Through
our Musicals for Munchkins program, your students can buy them for halfprice as long as at least seven books or CDs are purchased at the same time.
One check only is to be sent and we will ship all the materials to the same
address. It’s the perfect and inexpensive way for a teacher to put high-quality
literature and music into young impressionable minds. Contact us to order!
The fine print: this offer is for student use only. No one who buys through the
Musicals for Munchkins program is authorized to produce this show. Teachers
may purchase copies at regular retail price only. We are cheerfully making
this show available to students at a price barely above cost. Please don’t take
unauthorized advantage of our simple-mindedness and turn us into just another
crestfallen and cynical team of songwriters squeezing the last nickel out of the
innocent children of America.
And if you liked this play, you have to try our other equally flavorful
musicalizations! See the next page or our web site for the full list.
To order from Bad Wolf Press
If you have any questions about ordering from Bad Wolf Press, please contact
us at any of the addresses or numbers listed below. Be sure to check out our
web site for teacher tips on producing plays, as well as partial scripts and songs
from all our shows.
Have you any ideas or suggestions regarding musicals? Let us know so we can
alert the rest of the civilized world!
Please contact us at:
Bad Wolf Press
P.O. Box 388
Santa Clara, CA 95052-0388
Toll Free: 1-888-827-8661
www.badwolfpress.com
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1
What Other Plays Does Bad Wolf Publish?
You can read the first third of any of these plays (and
listen to sample songs) at www.badwolfpress.com
Character Education & Special Skills
Language Arts
Character Matters (Grades 1-4)
Character Matters II (1-5)
Bullies Anonymous (3-7)
Good Manners (2-6)
Munchkin Mediation: Conflict Resolution
in Oz (3-6)
Test-Taking Strategies (2-6)
Aesop’s Fables Deluxe (K-3)
America’s Tallest Tales (3-7)
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (1-5)
The Case of the Missing Paragraph (3-7)
Coyote Steals the Summer (K-3)
The Emperor’s New Clothes (2-6)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears (K-3)
Grammarosaurus (1-4)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1-5)
Little Red Riding Hood (2-5)
Macbeth, The Musical Comedy (5-9+)
Noun and Verb (Mini) (3-6)
Pirates from Grammar Island (3-6)
Shakespeare Unshackled (5-9+)
The Tale of the Chinese Zodiac (1-5)
Theseus and the Minotaur (4-8)
History and Social Studies
13 Colonies (3-8)
The American Revolution (3-8)
American Symbols (K-4)
California Missions—and More! (2-6)
European Explorers in the New World (3-7)
Friendly Neighborhood Helpers (K-3)
Gold Dust or Bust (2-6)
Great Americans of the 20th Century (3-8)
Hatshepsut, Queen of Denial (4-8)
The Incredible Westward Movement (2-7)
Map of the World (Mini) (3-6)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Mini) (3-6)
The Texans (2-6)
U.S. Geography (2-6)
U.S. Constitution (4-8)
U.S. Presidents: Washington to Lincoln (3-8)
We Come From Everywhere (2-5)
Science and Math
Biomes: Animals & Plants in their Habitats (1-4)
Conservation (Mini) (3-6)
Earthworms Make America Great (K-3)
The Environmental Show (3-6)
The Garden Show (2-6)
Geology ROCKS! (2-6)
Geometry (Mini) (3-6)
It’s Electrifying (1-5)
Life Cycles (1-4)
Mastering Math (2-6)
Name that Internal Organ (4-7)
The Nutrition Show: Hansel and Gretel
Eat Right! (K-3)
The Oceanography Show: Tide Pool Condos (3-7)
The Rumpus in the Rainforest (1-5)
Vacation on Mars (1-5)
The Weather Show (1-4)
Holidays
Bad Wolf ’s Holiday Songs for the Classroom (K-2)
The Really Goofy Purim Play (2-5)
The Turkeys Go On Strike (2-6)
The Winter Holiday Show: A Multi-Species
Celebration (3-6)
Questions?
Contact us toll-free at
(888) 827-8661
or
[email protected]
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66