Requirements:
- 45 minute run time
- Lots of characters (groups of characters). We have 50+ actors
in this play
- Easy to costume and stage
- FUNNY
- Involves modern music, singing, and simple dance
- Involves audience participation
- Has a comedic villain, maybe some minions
- Teaches a universal moral
- Has to do with reading and literacy
- Is original
Ideas
Main character: ! exclamation point
Villain: Prince Period
Tries to save the alphabet
Moral: understanding
You always hear the letters tell the story, how about the punctuation
for a change
Characters
TITLE: The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog
King, Comma: Can never make a decision
Prince Period of Punctuation Palace: tries to end sentences, wants to
overthrow KC
Minions: asterisks
Exclamation Point!: Hero, wants to discover where he fits in
Quizzical Question Mark?: Knows all but only speaks in questions
¨Quotation Mark¨: Narrator
#Hashtag: Dungeon
I and L: Exclamation Point’s parents
i: Exclamation points sibling
Andy the asterisk: only talking minion
Storybook: The story they create
Story Outline
- Open with ABC by Jackson 5, EP shows up and everyone hates him
- Exclamation goes with his parents, finds out he’s adopted
- Runs away because he’s sad
- C O P go search for EP, and run around the auditorium.
- comes across Andy the Asterisk
-
Goes to Punctuation Palace, meets Prince Period, etc.
Prince period recruits him to help end sentences
Exclamation point says what about about my parents?
Runs away to search for answers, finds question mark
QM tells him to make punctuation and letters understand each
other
Exclamation point tricks the two groups to meet up
They both don't want to make sentences with each other.
EP shows that they need each other
Somehow we make a book the end….or is tit? (ooo weee ooooo)
It’s not: If we all come together we can not only make
sentences but a whole story “but what story would we tell?” how
about… Our story! A story of...
The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog!
A Children’s Play by Andrew Pizzaz, Jacob Bedazzle, Nicholas
LemonStar, and Hayley Brings-it-to-the-table
SCENE 1- LETTER AUDITORIUM
The curtains open to a whole bunch of
letters on stage and in the crowd singing
“ABC” by Jackson 5. They’re dancing and
having fun.
A
(​after song ends) Alright everyone, line up!
Letters run on stage
A
(​aside) Hey kids, say the alphabet with us!
Letters say their name in order
!
(​after Z) And I’m UPSIDE DOWN I! YEAH!
The letters sigh and moan after exclamation point ruined their
song
A
Everyone stop (​moans and gives dirty looks at exclamation point)
Punctuati- (​corrects himself) upside down I, what are you
doing?!
!
I thought the song could use a little more OOMPH, ya know? Give
it that extra little pizazz.
A
No! It doesn’t need any more…”Pizazz” We will sing it how we
have always sang it! Everyone take 5, Upside down I, that’s been
quite enough from you today. Perhaps you should go home.
!
...you want me to leave now? Can I just stay to watch
rehearsal...I mean Q is killing it out there today…(​keeps
talking)
A
NOW!
!
Oh, ok. I’ll see you guys later.
No one makes eye contact. They all ignore him or brush him off.
He walks off the stage.
SCENE 2 - !’s Parent’s House
! arrives home, distraught. His adopted
parents, I and L, are aware that he is
ostracized, but try to make him feel
included.
!
Hey… I’m home from rehearsal!!
I
Oh, sounds fun, but why are you home so early?
!
(​playing it off) Oh, well they thought I was doing so well that
they gave me the whole day off!
L
(​consoling) I’m sure you we’re doing a great job!
!
You think so?
L
Of course I do, honey.
!
Yeah. Yeah! And besides, I can spend more time with Lil’ I now
that I’m home early! Oh! and I've got a new trick to show her.
LIL’ I comes running in. LIL’ I means everything well with
childlike innocence. L and I exit SR.
LIL’ I
You’re home! You’re home! Can we play? (​excited, jumps up and
down)
!
Yeah! Come on! I got something really cool to show you!
! does a handstand
LIL’ I
That’s so cool! (​claps hands, excited)
!
Whoa! (​loses balance and falls over, they both laugh)
LIL’ I
Can I try?
!
Yeah! Just be careful!
LIL’ I struggles, but gets it
LIL’ I
Now I’m just like you!
!
What do you mean? We’re already the same dummy! You’re my little
i, I’m your big I!
LIL’ I
(​sassy) No, no. You’re wrong. You’re my big brother, but you’re
not an I! A letter can’t be upside down, that´s silly.
!
Of course I’m an I, Mom and Dad are letters and I’m a letter
just like them!
LIL’ I
But you don’t look like Mom and Dad?
!
Well, how could I not be a letter if Mom and Dad are letters!
LIL’ I
Oh. OK!
LIL’I exits happily
!
I am an I... right?
pause, then exits
SCENE 3 - DINING TABLE
I, L, LIL´ I, and ! ​are seated around the
dining table. They are eating alphabet soup,
but it is not cannibalism, I promise.
! plays with his food and looks at it, confused
!
Hey mom, why am I not in the alphabet soup?
L
You can’t be in the soup if you’re eating it, sweetie!
!
Not like that! I mean I don’t have a little noodle in the soup.
I thought I was the I, but sis told me that I’m not an I, so
what letter am I in the soup?
L
Um, well… you’re… (​aside to I) honey say something!
I
Uh… you’re just upside down is all!
!
No, sis told me that letter can’t be upside down, so what letter
am I?
I
(​struggling) Well… you’re a special kind of letter… that isn’t a
letter actually… uh, you're something called a punctuation mark!
!
What does that mean?
I
Uh… well I don’t really know what a punctuation mark does
persay? But they live far away from Letterland, in a place
called Punctuation Palace.
!
Punctuation Palace? (​gets an idea) Where is it?
L
I heard it was just over Spacebar Bridge, but letters aren’t
allowed in.
!
Oh, uh, thanks so much mom and dad for dinner, it was great!
I’ve got to go, I’ve got to hurry if I’m going to make tonight’s
rehearsal!
I
Didn’t you already have rehearsal today?
!
Y-yeah, but like, we need m
​ ore. Gotta go!
L
Alright sweetie! I'm glad we got this all sorted out.
!
(​Clears his plate and leaves, says to the audience)​ Maybe if I
go to Punctuation Palace, they can tell me who I am!
SCENE 4 - SPACEBAR BRIDGE
! goes to walk through the audience and talk
to the kids while the stage is being set up.
! makes their way back to the stage when the
bridge is center stage. ANDY THE ASTERISK,
an old geezer, is guarding the bridge DSR. !
enters DSR.
ANDY THE ASTERISK
(​can’t see clearly who ! is) WhoooOooo goooOeees theeeEre?!
!
It’s me, I’m a… Well I don’t really know what I am.
ANDY THE ASTERISK
(​notices that ! is an exclamation point) Well, quit your
bumbling out here! There is a big meeting in punctuation palace
and the whole kingdom is there!
!
(​eagerly) Punctuation Palace, that’s where I want to go, can you
take me there?
ANDY THE ASTERISK
(​scoffs) Must I do everything for you! Follow old Andy you
ninny-muffin.
ANDY and ! exit stage DSL, mid-curtain opens, they re-enter DSL
in the palace
SCENE 5 - PUNCTUATION PALACE
The ¨palace¨ is little more than a throne (or
a chair…) center stage, with a flag on either
side displaying a period. PRINCE PERIOD is
lazily lounging on the throne, bored. His
subjects are sitting on the ground, spread out
around him.
ANDY THE ASTERISK
Here we are, the Punctuation Palace! It’s as glorious as ever,
why when I was a boy…
!
Wow, it’s awesome! And who’s that up on the podium?
ANDY THE ASTERISK
Kids these days. (​Grumbles because he was cut off) That is the
Prince of this land, Prince Period, why I’ll have you know that
when he was a young lad…
!
The Prince! Maybe he can tell me what I am!
ANDY THE ASTERISK
Why of course he can you simpleton! He knows everything to do
with this land, why that reminds me of a time when…
!
Then I’ll go talk to Prince Period and finallyANDY THE ASTERISK
HUSH UP CHILD! I’m trying to tell a story!
HASHTAG #1
Hear ye, hear ye, the Prince of Punctuation shall now
speak!(​recorder entrance for the PRINCE PERIOD)
SONG
(to the song from “All I Do Is Win”)
All I do is rule, rule, rule no matter what
Got power on my mind, I can never have too much
And every time I step up in the building
Everybody hands go up
And they stay there
And they say yeah
And they stay there
Up down, Up down, Up down
‘Cause all I do is rule, rule, rule
And if you goin’ in put your hands in the air
Make them stay there
PRINCE PERIOD
(​starts off charming, but really gets into it as he keeps
talking and ends up shouting) Hello, my plebeians, I thank you
all for coming today, though you didn’t have much say in the
matter. I stand before you with a plan! A glorious plan to once
and for all prove that us, the punctuation people of this great
land, are the epitome of script! We are simple, steadfast, and
superior! We will assume our God-given fate, our primal task of
decimating the inadequate forces of the proletarian scum, by
pillaging their homestead and denouncing their inferior system
of communication!
ALL BUT PRINCE PERIOD whisper, confused.
(​scoffs frustrated that his people are stupid) We will take over
Letterland!
ALL BUT PRINCE PERIOD AND ! now understand, shouts of
excitement.
!
(​aside to the audience) No...no this isn’t right. (​shouts) YOU
CAN’T DO THIS!
ANDY THE ASTERISK
What are you doing!
PRINCE PERIOD
What commoner dares to speak out against their loving, handsome,
and level-headed Prince!
!
(​Walking to the princes podium from the crowd) The letter people
are ​nice, and ​gentle, and ​kind! You shouldn’t take over our
home.
PRINCE PERIOD
Your home? (​scans him and laughs) Why you’re not a letter! How
could one of my own punctuation marks defy my people in such a
traitorous way!
!
I’m not a traitor! And I know I’m not a letter either... but my
family are letters and I love them very much!
PRINCE PERIOD
I’ve heard enough of this blasphemy! Guards! Take him to the
dungeon!
HASHTAGS 1 & 2 rise, move toward !
!
(​as he’s being dragged off stage) No! No you can't do this! The
letter people are good! They’re good! I’m telling you!
HASHTAGS 1 & 2, ! exit
SCENE 6 - PUNCTUATION DUNGEON
The dungeon is set up on stage. It is little
more than a small door DSR - the rest of the
stage is an imagined dungeon. HASHTAG 1 & 2
are guarding the door.
HASHTAG 1
This is your new home! Better get cozy!
HASHTAG 2
Yeah! I hope you’re really cozy down here and have a fantastic
time!
HASHTAG 1
(Facepalm ​to HASHTAG 2) No, we don't want him to actually be
cozy, I was just mocking him.
HASHTAG 2
Yeah! Heh, we don't actually want you to be cozy! We’re just
mocking you..
HASHTAG 1
No.. that’s not what I… stop repeating everything I say
HASHTAG 2
You hear that traitor! We don’t want you repeating what we…
(​gets smacked upside the head by HASHTAG 1) dude lay off my
tag!!
HASHTAG 1
(​shakes head) There are no words to describe how much I hate
you.
!
Can you let me go please, I have to get home…
HASHTAG 1 AND 2
No!
HASHTAG 1, 2 exit. “Sweet Home Alabama” begins playing
!
(​singing) Sweet home Letterland
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Letterland
Lil’ I, I'm coming home to you
! sighs
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
So you want to get home?
!
What? Who was that!?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Maybe I can help you on your journey?
!
Yes, please! I need to get home and warn the letters!
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Home?
!
Yes!
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Letters?
!
YES!
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
(​beat) … Home?
!
Can you help me or not?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Before I help you, would you like to hear the history of this
kingdom? I believe your answer doesn’t quite matter though,
because I must tell you, yes?
!
Of course, thank you so much Mr…?
QUIZZICAL ?
My name is Quizzical Question Mark and I can only speak in
questions... or can I? AAAAAND I know all... or do I?
!
Do you?
QUIZZICAL ?
Do I?
!
...Do you?
QUIZZICAL ?
Do I?
!
TELL ME ALREADY!
QUIZZICAL ?
(​ignores, jumps straight into the history of the kingdom)
There is a long kept secret between the lands that only myself
and Prince Period know. Punctuation and Letters need each other
to create things called ​sentences! When letters and punctuation
come together, they create wonderful sentences used to express
themselves. Many, many beautiful sentences were formed under the
kind King Comma, and the people of Punctuation Palace and
Letterland lived together in peace. However, King Comma began to
grow old and could not finish thoughts like he used to, so
Prince Period was given the throne. At first Prince Period was a
loving and caring ruler, but soon he grew jealous of the letters
- he thought they took up too much of a sentence. He wanted to
create sentences using only punctuation! So he sent the letters
away to Letterland and he turned his castle into Punctuation
Palace! Now Prince Period wants to invade Letterland and put an
end to all sentences!
!
End all sentences!? Wait… You didn’t ask a question?
QUIZZICAL ?
What?
!
Nevermind. I ​have to show everyone what we can create when we
come together! I have to get everyone to meet at Space Bar
Bridge (​looks at jail cell) But I’m still locked in jail. How am
I going to warn everyone about Prince Period?
QUIZZICAL ?
I might have the keys to the jail door, do you want them?
!
Yes Please! Wait... why do you have those?!
QUIZZICAL ?
I like to hang out here sometimes.
!
Still not a question.
QUIZZICAL ?
What?
!
Anyway, thank you Quizzical Question Mark… (​suddenly remembers)
Oh, before I leave can you tell me what kind of punctuation mark
I am?
QUIZZICAL ?
(​examines him) Hmm… are you known for being loud?
!
(​Says very loud) That sounds just like me!
QUIZZICAL ?
Perhaps you are an exclamation point?
!
An exclamation point…(​ponders, then says while leaving) thank
you, thank you so much for all your help!
! exits
SCENE 7 - !’s Parents’ House
!
Mom, dad!
L
(​relieved) Upside Down I! Where were you? We were worried sick!
!
I went to visit Punctuation Palace to find out who I am and I
met an old asterisk and an evil prince and weird guy who only
spoke in questions… sometimes? But that's besides the point! I
need your help to gather all the people in Letterland at the
bridge!
I
Oh my gosh! Wait, why does everyone need to be at the bridge?
!
The evil Prince Period is trying to run all of the letters out
of Letterland, but I have a plan to stop him!
LIL’I
What can I do to help big I?
!
Go with mom and dad and get all the letters to meet at Spacebar
Bridge! And I’m not an I, lil’ I, I’m an exclamation point!
LIL’I
Oh, OK!
They all run off stage to gather all the letters
SCENE 8 - SPACEBAR BRIDGE
The letters wait by the bridge with ! in the front, the
punctuation people march on stage
PRINCE PERIOD
Hold! (​everyone stops marching) What is this?
!
They’re letters and I’m an exclamation point! And we’re here to
show you why we won’t leave!
PRINCE PERIOD
You again! Andy Asterisk seize the infidel!
ANDY THE ASTERISK
With all due respect, let's hear what he has to say first your
highness! There were many a time in my youth when patience
proved-
PRINCE PERIOD
No no no! No need for a story, I'll give them 5 minutes, but no
more!
!
Thank you sir! We wanted to show you why the letter people and
the punctuation people need each other!
PRINCE PERIOD
Poppycock! Us punctuation don’t need you boastful letters!
!
No, actually it's the opposite, we need you! Watch this!
All the letters scramble around and create the words “LET US
STAY” in that order.
And when I jump onto the end of the words (​! jumps into place)
we become a sentence! (​speaks to audience) Do you know what it
says kids?
Kids scream “LET US STAY!”
Louder!
Kids scream “LET US STAY!” even louder
PRINCE PERIOD
But that sentence has too many letters! There's only one
punctuation mark for 9 letters, that simply won't do!
!
I may only be the only punctuation mark, but I have the most
important job in the sentence! Quizzical Question Mark told me
that I'm an exclamation point, meaning I make sentences loud and
full of energy! So when I jump onto the end of the sentence, I
turn “let us stay” into… LET US STAY!
The letters and ! chant let us stay 3 more times loud and with
high energy
PRINCE PERIOD
(​feeling inadequate) ...but you make sentences full of life and
energy. I would only end them.
!
You don't end sentences, you allow new ones to be created!
Without you everything would be one long run on sentence! I
would go as far to say that you are the most important
punctuation mark of all!
PRINCE PERIOD
The MOST important you say? Well… I suppose I could get used to
a title like that... yes I think it quite suits me ​(Looks off to
the side with arms raised proudly) Prince Period, the most
important and handsome of all!
!
So you’ll let us stay!
PRINCE PERIOD
Well… (​long pause as the letters beg to stay) I suppose you can
stay!
Everyone cheers and walks off stage except for !
!
(To the audience) When letters and punctuation marks come
together they create amazing sentences! And when you put enough
sentences together, you can create an entire story!
STORYBOOK enters
But what kind of story should we tell?
STORYBOOK
How about the story of an exclamation point who teaches
punctuation marks and letters to create sentences - your story!
!
My story? But what would we call it?
STORYBOOK
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog - it uses every
letter in the alphabet!
!
(​bashfully) Can I give it an extra little oomph?
STORYBOOK
Go ahead!
!
THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG… EXCLAMATION POINT!
Cue bows