Holly Y Folktale Plays: Common Tales From Un-common Folk
Plays for Children to Perform
Plays for Children to Perform
| Bear Says North -- Sample Pieces By Holly Y © 2005 A Holly Y Folktale Play for Children to Perform Adapted from a Russian Folktale |
Cast, in order of appearance:
trees, stands a tree with a low hanging branch.
- OWL
BEAR
BEAR FRIENDS
FOX
FOX FRIENDS
GROUSE
GROUSE FAMILY
trees, stands a tree with a low hanging branch.
Segment from Act 3:
OWL: Let’s hear from the alleged stolen property. Grouse, tell us what happened.
[Music: Theme for GROUSE.]
GROUSE: (Comes to center stage cautiously.)
[Lights: stage lights dim, spotlight comes on GROUSE.]
GROUSE FAMILY: (Gather around Grouse, but just at edge of spotlight.)
GROUSE: Ahem.
(Clears throat loudly with a high twitter.)
Ahem. Ahem.
FOX: (Enters spotlight.)
Bear didn’t touch your throat, Grouse. Get on with it.
(Exits spotlight.)
FOX FRIENDS: (Jeering from outside spotlight.) Yeah, Grouse. Get on with it.
GROUSE: (Glares at FOX.)
Well, Judge Owl, it happened like this. I was gathering sticks and leaves for our nest. The day was
perfect for nest building: blue, blue skies; new green leaves; light breeze – perfect!
GROUSE FAMILY: Perfect!
GROUSE: My mate and I had chosen our nesting spot in a clump of last year’s willows. That is to say, they
were new willows, with long slender branches and fresh willow scent. They were near the stream, but
not too near, just a perfect distance. We discussed the design because our nest had to be, well, perfect!
GROUSE FAMILY: Perfect!
FOX: (Enters spotlight.)
Enough with the perfect nest. This is perfectly boring!
(Exits spotlight.)
FOX FRIENDS: (From outside spotlight.) Yeah! Boring!
GROUSE: (Indignant.)
It’s just boring because foxes don’t build nests. Your children are raised in stinky, dirty holes. Ours are
raised –
OWL: (Shouting from the dark.)
Enough, Grouse! Tell us what happened when Fox allegedly stole Bear’s lunch.
GROUSE: (Grumpy. Fluffs feathers angrily.)
Very well. Bear surprised me, caught me and was going to eat me. Fox, who frankly wants to eat me
also …
FOX: (Steps into spotlight and smiles an evil grin. Exits spotlight.)
GROUSE: … ran up and teased Bear until Bear let me go.
(Returns, with much feather fluffing, to tree branch.)
GROUSE FAIMLY: (With much fluffing of feathers, returns to gather around GROUSE.)
[Lights: spotlight follows GROUSE to branch, then dims. Stage lights on.]
OWL: Is that all? That’s all that happened?
GROUSE: I was about to be lunch! I wasn’t paying attention to the details!
GROUSE FAMILY: (Shake heads, frown, fluff feathers angrily.)
OWL: You’re not much of a witness on your own behalf, Grouse. Do you have anything else to tell the
court?
GROUSE: May I ask the court for one small favor?
OWL: (Sighs.)
Very well, Grouse. You may ask.
GROUSE: Well, I just want to say, in light of today’s terrifying events, that the court should consider
eliminating Bear and Fox from the food chain.
GROUSE FAMILY: Hooray! Yay! Go Grouse! Way to go!
FOX: (Laughs, rolling on the ground.)
BEAR: (Rolls eyes dramatically.)
FOX FRIENDS and BEAR FRIENDS: (Shake heads, roll eyes.)
OWL: Let’s hear from the alleged stolen property. Grouse, tell us what happened.
[Music: Theme for GROUSE.]
GROUSE: (Comes to center stage cautiously.)
[Lights: stage lights dim, spotlight comes on GROUSE.]
GROUSE FAMILY: (Gather around Grouse, but just at edge of spotlight.)
GROUSE: Ahem.
(Clears throat loudly with a high twitter.)
Ahem. Ahem.
FOX: (Enters spotlight.)
Bear didn’t touch your throat, Grouse. Get on with it.
(Exits spotlight.)
FOX FRIENDS: (Jeering from outside spotlight.) Yeah, Grouse. Get on with it.
GROUSE: (Glares at FOX.)
Well, Judge Owl, it happened like this. I was gathering sticks and leaves for our nest. The day was
perfect for nest building: blue, blue skies; new green leaves; light breeze – perfect!
GROUSE FAMILY: Perfect!
GROUSE: My mate and I had chosen our nesting spot in a clump of last year’s willows. That is to say, they
were new willows, with long slender branches and fresh willow scent. They were near the stream, but
not too near, just a perfect distance. We discussed the design because our nest had to be, well, perfect!
GROUSE FAMILY: Perfect!
FOX: (Enters spotlight.)
Enough with the perfect nest. This is perfectly boring!
(Exits spotlight.)
FOX FRIENDS: (From outside spotlight.) Yeah! Boring!
GROUSE: (Indignant.)
It’s just boring because foxes don’t build nests. Your children are raised in stinky, dirty holes. Ours are
raised –
OWL: (Shouting from the dark.)
Enough, Grouse! Tell us what happened when Fox allegedly stole Bear’s lunch.
GROUSE: (Grumpy. Fluffs feathers angrily.)
Very well. Bear surprised me, caught me and was going to eat me. Fox, who frankly wants to eat me
also …
FOX: (Steps into spotlight and smiles an evil grin. Exits spotlight.)
GROUSE: … ran up and teased Bear until Bear let me go.
(Returns, with much feather fluffing, to tree branch.)
GROUSE FAIMLY: (With much fluffing of feathers, returns to gather around GROUSE.)
[Lights: spotlight follows GROUSE to branch, then dims. Stage lights on.]
OWL: Is that all? That’s all that happened?
GROUSE: I was about to be lunch! I wasn’t paying attention to the details!
GROUSE FAMILY: (Shake heads, frown, fluff feathers angrily.)
OWL: You’re not much of a witness on your own behalf, Grouse. Do you have anything else to tell the
court?
GROUSE: May I ask the court for one small favor?
OWL: (Sighs.)
Very well, Grouse. You may ask.
GROUSE: Well, I just want to say, in light of today’s terrifying events, that the court should consider
eliminating Bear and Fox from the food chain.
GROUSE FAMILY: Hooray! Yay! Go Grouse! Way to go!
FOX: (Laughs, rolling on the ground.)
BEAR: (Rolls eyes dramatically.)
FOX FRIENDS and BEAR FRIENDS: (Shake heads, roll eyes.)
Educational Activities
Science:
Compare the animals of the play to each other:
* Research how many babies each animal will typically have in one year (BEAR=1,
GROUSE=8, etc.).
Compare one of the animals to a human:
* Find drawings of the animal’s skeleton and of humans, and circle the parts of the bodies
that are different.
Dance:
Have children design a 5-minutes dance for each character based on the character’s musical
piece.
Drawing:
* Ask the children to draw the tree stump that OWL sits on, and the tree that GROUSE sits
on.
* Host a “Tree Drawing Art Exhibit” for parents.
Science:
Compare the animals of the play to each other:
* Research how many babies each animal will typically have in one year (BEAR=1,
GROUSE=8, etc.).
Compare one of the animals to a human:
* Find drawings of the animal’s skeleton and of humans, and circle the parts of the bodies
that are different.
Dance:
Have children design a 5-minutes dance for each character based on the character’s musical
piece.
Drawing:
* Ask the children to draw the tree stump that OWL sits on, and the tree that GROUSE sits
on.
* Host a “Tree Drawing Art Exhibit” for parents.
| Click on Bear to return to Bear Says North page. |
| Common Tales From Un-common Folk Holly Y Folktale Plays is a division of McMitty, llc. All ideas and elements of this website are copyrighted. |
| Click on Bear to return to Bear Says North page. |
To contact
Holly Y Folktale Plays:
Address:
Suite 303
1801 3rd Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone:
612-236-4065
E-mail: hollyy@
plays4children.com
Holly Y Folktale Plays:
Address:
Suite 303
1801 3rd Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone:
612-236-4065
E-mail: hollyy@
plays4children.com
To contact
Holly Y Folktale Plays:
Address:
Suite 303
1801 3rd Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone:
612-236-4065
E-mail: hollyy@
plays4children.com
Holly Y Folktale Plays:
Address:
Suite 303
1801 3rd Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone:
612-236-4065
E-mail: hollyy@
plays4children.com