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Pirates From
Grammar Island
A Musical Play for Kids
Script, teacher’s guide, and audio recording
with songs and instrumental accompaniment
Ron Fink and John Heath
Illustrations by Leslie Stahle
Bad Wolf Press
Santa Clara, California
Thanks to Dana Shaw, who sang songs #2, 5, and 9; Mike Fishell, who played
guitar on songs #1, 2, 3, 5, and 8; and Brenda Tzipori, who sang on songs #1, 3,
4, 7, and 8.
A Word About Copyright and Copying
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Table of Contents
Pirates From Grammar Island Script
pages 4-24
Teacher’s Guide25-38
Introduction for the Teacher25
Getting Started26-27
Music27-28
Casting29
Costumes30
The Set 31
Staging 32-33
Rehearsals and Assessment34
A Four-Week Timetable35
Emphasis: Making the Words Come Alive
36
Final Performance36-37
A Last Bit of Advice37
Language Arts Concepts and
Vocabulary-Building in Pirates 38
Ordering Information39-40
Song List
1. “Pirates From Grammar Island” Class
page
5
2. “The Sentence Song”
Keepers of Sentences, Chorus
7-8
3. “He’s an Antonym”
Collector of Synonyms, Collector of Antonyms, Chorus
10-11
4. “It’s a Curse’”
Crewmen, Chorus
12-13
5. “Capitalize”
Officials, Chorus
14-15
6. “We Were Punctuation Pirates” Punctuation Pirates, Chorus
16-17
7. “Parts of Speech”
Librarians, Chorus 18-19
8. “Hunting for Some Verbs”
Scouts, Chorus
20
9. “I’m the Queen of Pronouns” Queen of Pronouns, Servant,
Chorus
22-23
10. “Pirates From Grammar Island” Class
24
(reprise)
3
Pirates From Grammar Island
By Ron Fink and John Heath
The duration of the show is about 25 minutes
CHARACTERS:
FLEXIBLE CASTING:
CAPTAIN COMMA
From 11-40 students.
SHMITTY
Use as many Crewmen,
DOWNING
Scouts, etc. as desired.
KEEPERS of SENTENCES:
One student can easily play
DECLARATIVE
several roles if needed,
INTERROGATIVE
and individual roles can
IMPERATIVE
be doubled up. Note that
EXCLAMATORY
all roles can be played by
either boys or girls; see our
COLLECTOR of SYNONYMS
comments on page 31 of
COLLECTOR of ANTONYMS
the Teacher’s Guide.
CREWMEN
OFFICIALS from the Capital Capital
PUNCTUATION PIRATES
ADVERB LIBRARIAN
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN
SCOUTS
QUEEN
SERVANT
and a CHORUS composed of all students who are not playing roles on stage at the time.
4
(Entire CLASS faces audience and sings:)
CLASS:
Song 1/11
We’re gathered here today for you
To tell a pirate tale
And we may have the strangest crew
That ever has set sail.
While other pirates search for gold
To fill their treasure chest
The heroes of our story have
Good grammar as their quest!
They’re pirates from Grammar Island
Pirates from Grammar Island
They will fuss and they will fume
’til everyone knows “who” from “whom”
Pirates from Grammar Island.
They don’t say “Arrrg” or “That’s me ship”
They don’t ask “Who ye be?”
The subjects of their sentences
And all their verbs agree.
They’re out to save all synonyms
And they love homophones
And every double negative
They send to Davy Jones!
They’re pirates from Grammar Island
Pirates from Grammar Island
They will fuss and they will fume
’til everyone knows “who” from “whom”
Pirates from Grammar Island.
They will fuss and they will fume
’til everyone knows “who” from “whom”…
(EVERYONE gasps for air)
Pirates from Grammar Island.
5
Instrumentation for
SONG 1: Accordion,
baritone saxophone,
triangle, two electric
guitars, bass, drums
(CLASS takes its place. CAPTAIN COMMA, SHMITTY,
and DOWNING enter or step forward; CAPTAIN holds a
treasure map:)
SHMITTY: Captain Comma, sir—why did you put ashore here?
CAPTAIN: We’re doing what we Pirates from Grammar Island
always do. Here, look.
(CAPTAIN points to spot on the treasure map. THEY ALL
look at it.)
DOWNING (looking): Wow. The treasure map says this place is
loaded with grammar.
SHMITTY: (pointing to map again): And right here, on this X,
we’ll find all eight parts of speech.
CAPTAIN: Exactly.
(FOUR GUARDIANS of SENTENCES enter. They wear
signs that read: DECLARATIVE, EXCLAMATORY,
IMPERATIVE, and INTERROGATIVE.)
DOWNING: Hey, look, someone’s coming.
DECLARATIVE: We are the Keepers of the four main kinds of
sentences. I guard Declarative sentences, which are sentences that
make a statement. And this is the Keeper of Interrogatives.
INTERROGATIVE (to PIRATES): Who are you? Where did you
come from?
(pulls a photo out of pocket)
Would you like to see a picture of my pet moose?
IMPERATIVE: Stop asking questions!
DECLARATIVE (gesturing to IMPERATIVE): That’s the Keeper
of Imperatives. He gives commands.
6
EXCLAMATORY: I can’t stand it! I’m always last! This stinks!
DECLARATIVE (gesturing to EXCLAMATORY): And this is the
Keeper of Exclamations—he’s filled with strong feelings.
SHMITTY: So, what do you all do?
IMPERATIVE: Tell them!
EXCLAMATORY: Ooh, I can’t wait!
INTERROGATIVE: Can I go first?
DECLARATIVE: You certainly may.
INTERROGATIVE:
Song 2/12
What can I say?
Where do I start?
Don’t you like my question mark?
Instrumentation for
SONG 2: Piano, bass,
drums, electric guitar,
organ
Why is there air?
Why is it cold?
Why do I sound two years old?
ALL FOUR:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question…but
Imperatives are saucy
They’re commanding and they’re bossy
Just telling you what to do.
7
EXCLAMATORY:
This is so fun!
I’m feeling proud!
Holy smokes I sure am loud!
I gotta shout!
I gotta scream!
Think I had too much caffeine!
ALL FOUR and CHORUS:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question…but
Imperatives are saucy
They’re commanding and they’re bossy
Just telling you what to do.
IMPERATIVES:
Clean up your room!
Finish your food!
Sit up straight and don’t be rude!
Stand over there!
Pick up your clothes!
Don’t put carrots in your nose!
ALL FOUR and CHORUS:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question…but
Imperatives are saucy
They’re commanding and they’re bossy
Just telling you what to do.
Just telling you what to do.
8
CAPTAIN (to SHMITTY and DOWNING): I’ll take these
Keepers to our ship. On Grammar Island we need all four kinds of
sentences. You two start searching for those parts of speech.
(SENTENCES and CAPTAIN exit.)
DOWNING: How are we supposed to do that?
SHMITTY: Here come a couple locals. Let’s ask them.
(COLLECTORS enter)
DOWNING (to COLLECTORS): Hi there, we’re Pirates from
Grammar Island.
SYNONYM: Welcome. I’m a Collector of Synonyms.
DOWNING: I LOVE synonym. Especially synonym toast. And
those synonym rolls with the icing? They’re the best.
SYNONYM: Synonyms, not cinnamon. Words that mean the same
thing. Identical. Alike. Parallel.
SHMITTY: Well, maybe you can tell us what it’s like around here.
SYNONYM: It’s a friendly land. Neighborly. Amicable.
ANTONYM: And hostile, angry, malcontent.
SYNONYM: Just ignore him. He’s a Collector of Antonyms. Let
me tell you about our land.
9
SYNONYM:
It’s burning and it’s torrid
It’s sweltering and hot
Song 3/13
ANTONYM:
It’s freezing something horrid
It’s cold in every spot.
SYNONYM:
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
It’s waterless and arid
It’s withered up and dry
ANTONYM:
So wet you cannot bear it
I wouldn’t tell a lie.
SYNONYM:
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
BOTH:
Synonyms all mean the same
But antonyms just don’t
SYNONYM:
When I say yes, of course you will
ANTONYM:
I’m here to say you won’t!
SYNONYM and HALF OF CHORUS:
The land is high and soaring
10
Instrumentation for
SONG 3: Two electric
guitars, organ, bass,
drums
ANTONYM and OTHER HALF OF CHORUS:
The land is rather low
SYNONYM and HALF OF CHORUS:
The wind is loud and roaring
ANTONYM and OTHER HALF OF CHORUS:
So quiet when it blows.
SYNONYM and COMPLETE CHORUS:
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
Don’t don’t listen to him—he’s an antonym
He’s an antonym.
(COLLECTORS exit. CAPTAIN enters, in a hurry, with
THREE CREWMEN following.)
CAPTAIN (to THREE): I told you, get back to the ship.
FIRST CREWMAN: Please, you has to help us.
SECOND CREWMAN: We am begging you!
DOWNING: Captain, why are Jones and Jackson talking so funny?
CAPTAIN: It’s a horrible tale. Half the crew has caught the
Grammar Pirate Curse.
DOWNING: Oh no! Not the Grammar Pirate Curse!
CAPTAIN: I’m afraid so.
DOWNING: Not the Grammar Pirate Curse!
11
CAPTAIN: You don’t have any idea what this curse is, do you,
Downing?
DOWNING: No sir. Not the slightest.
SHMITTY: It sometimes happens on long voyages. Reading
material runs out. Pirates forget how to make a complete sentence.
And before you know it, the Pirate Curse—they can’t make their
subjects and verbs agree.
THIRD CREWMAN: It are a terrible fate!
THREE CREWMEN:
Song 4/14
When we speaks
We is freaks
We be in a jam
Instrumentation for
SONG 4: Piano, bass,
synthesizer
We is stuck
Out of luck
Don’t know who we am.
CHORUS (including PIRATES):
It’s a curse
It’s a curse
And this curse could not be worse
Your grammar’s out to sea
Subjects and verbs must work together
Oh, but yours all disagree.
THREE CREWMAN:
People gawks
When we talks
We is lost for sure
For so long
We be wrong
Does you have a cure?
12
CREWMEN, CHORUS, and PIRATES:
It’s a curse
It’s a curse
And this curse could not be worse
Your grammar’s out to sea
Subjects and verbs must work together
Oh, but yours all disagree.
Oh, but yours all disagree.
(THREE CREWMEN EXIT)
CAPTAIN: Well, did you two have any luck finding the parts of
speech?
SHMITTY: I’m afraid not, Captain.
DOWNING (reaching into pocket, pulls out something): I did
find this.
(hands it to CAPTAIN)
CAPTAIN: This is a peach pit, Downing.
DOWNING (very proud): Yes, sir!
CAPTAIN: I said “parts of SPEECH,” not “parts of a PEACH.”
DOWNING: Oh.
(Holds up something between his fingers)
Does that mean you don’t want the stem?
(TWO OFFICIALS enter)
OFFICIAL #1: Welcome, welcome, welcome.
OFFICIAL #2: We are the elected leaders of the Capital Capital. It’s
just over that hill.
OFFICIAL #1: The Capital Capital is the Capital of Capitals.
13
OFFICIAL #2: It’s where we keep all the words that begin with
capital letters.
OFFICIAL #1: We’ve got capital words of every sort.
OFFICIALS:
Song 5/15
Got nouns that act quite proper
Like Africa and Zeke
The twelve months live here with us
And each day of the week.
The first word in a sentence
And there’s the pronoun I
The main words in a title
They’re all the reasons why…
You must capitalize
Capitalize
Take the first letter and supersize
Don’t underline or italicize
Take the first letter and capitalize.
There go some family members
The only ones we claim
Have no possessive pronoun
Or are followed by a name.
So if you write “my uncle”
The “u” requires no fuss
But call him “Uncle Leonard”
Then he belongs to us.
OFFICIALS and CHORUS:
You must capitalize
Capitalize
Take the first letter and supersize
Don’t underline or italicize
Take the first letter and capitalize.
14
Instrumentation for
SONG 5: Two electric
guitars, piano, bass, drums
OFFICIALS:
There’s President McKinley
Captain Kirk and old King James
We get titles of positions
When used with proper names.
They’re lots of other reasons
A word can end up here
Though each word may be different
This one thing should be clear…
OFFICIALS and CHORUS:
You must capitalize
Capitalize
Take the first letter and supersize
Don’t underline or italicize
Take the first letter and capitalize.
Capitalize.
(OFFICIALs exit)
SHMITTY: It sounds like an interesting place.
CAPTAIN: But not what we’re looking for. We need to find the
parts of speech and get back to Grammar Island.
(PUNCTUATION PIRATES race up to CAPTAIN,
SHMITTY, and DOWNING, fall down at their feet.)
PUNCTUATION PIRATE #1: Please, you’ve got to take us away
from here.
PUNCTUATION PIRATE #2: We were Punctuation Pirates. We’ve
been abandoned on this land for 10 years.
SHMITTY: Punctuation Pirates?
15
PUNCTUATION PIRATE #3: We used to scour the seven seas
stealing people’s punctuation.
PUNCTUATION PIRATE #1: Until we were caught. We’ve been
cast away here as punishment.
PUNCTUATION PIRATES:
Song 6/16
We were Punctuation Pirates
Yo ho!
We had punctuation greed
We pillaged the Bahamas
Purloining people’s commas
“Steal those colons!” was our creed
“Steal those colons!” was our creed.
We were Punctuation Pirates
Yo ho!
We were punctuation punks
Just plunderin’ and trollin’
For every semicolon
Hoarding periods in trunks
Hoarding periods in trunks.
We hunted down question marks
They’re money in the bank
And any loose parentheses
Were forced to walk the plank.
We were punctuation pirates
Yo ho!
We grabbed each apostrophe
Because of all our actions
No one could make contractions
No possessives sailed the sea!
No possessives sailed the sea!
16
Instrumentation for
SONG 6: Piano
PUNCTUATION PIRATES and CHORUS:
We were Punctuation Pirates
Yo ho!
We found punctuation gold
We cleared out every seaway
Then sold it all on eBay
It’s a tale that’s seldom told
It’s a tale that’s seldom told.
SHMITTY: Can we help them, Captain? Please? Pretty
pleeeeeease?
(SHMITTY and the PUNCTUATION PIRATES all get
down on one knee, hands folded in front of their faces, with
pathetically pleading faces)
CAPTAIN: Okay. I can’t let fellow pirates rot away. But you have to
promise you’ll leave punctuation alone. Now follow us back to the
ship.
(ALL PIRATES exit. TWO LIBRARIANS enter. THEY are
having an argument. )
ADVERB LIBRARIAN: I tell you clearly, adverbs are the finest
parts of speech in the entire world. Absolutely.
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN: Adverbs? Adverbs are just adjectives
gone bad. What would the world be without adjectives? It wouldn’t
be pretty, I’ll tell you that.
ADVERB LIBRARIAN: We have this same argument every day.
It’s time we settled it. Finally.
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN: That would be splendid. But how?
ADVERB LIBRARIAN (looking around, sees AUDIENCE): What
about THESE people?
17
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN (looks at audience): Them? I don’t
know.
(points to one audience member)
That one over there looks like someone who would dangle a
participle.
ADVERB LIBRARIAN (to audience): Excuse us. Could we bother
you for a moment? You see, I’m an Adverb Librarian. I loan out
adverbs. Carefully. Thoughtfully.
(with pride)
Brilliantly.
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN: And I’m an Adjective Librarian. If
you’d like to check out a word like “strong” or “tall” or…
(with pride, suggesting he’s talking about himself)
“perfect”—you come to me.
ADVERB LIBRARIAN (still to audience): Don’t pay attention to
him—he’s adverbially challenged.
Song 7/17
ADVERB LIBRARIAN:
Of all eight parts of speech of which you ought to be aware
It’s only adverbs that will tell you how or when or where.
No matter if you do it badly, frequently, or there
If you do it with an adverb you can do it anywhere.
BOTH LIBRARIANS:
Adverb pronoun preposition
Adjective and noun
Interjection verb conjunction
That’s all we have found.
Adverb pronoun preposition
Adjective and noun
Interjection verb conjunction
That’s all we have found.
18
Instrumentation for
SONG 7: Synthesizer,
flute, bass, drums, piano
ADJECTIVE LIBRARIAN:
Of all eight parts of speech with which you’re sure to have some
fun (ha ha ha!)
It’s adjectives that tell how many, what kind, or which one.
No matter if you’re grumpy, green, or seventeen, or wet
If you hang out with an adjective you’ll be the greatest yet.
BOTH LIBRARIANS and CHORUS:
Adverb pronoun preposition
Adjective and noun
Interjection verb conjunction
That’s all we have found.
Adverb pronoun preposition
Adjective and noun
Interjection verb conjunction
That’s all we have found
That’s all we have found.
(LIBRARIANS exit. CAPTAIN, SHMITTY, and DOWNING enter.)
CAPTAIN: I could have sworn I heard someone talking about the
parts of speech.
SHMITTY (pointing to SCOUTS who have just entered): Maybe it
was them.
CAPTAIN: Excellent! These are the scouts I sent out in search of
some special parts of speech.
(to SCOUTS)
Well, did you find anything?
SCOUT #1: It was brutal, Captain.
SCOUT #2: Those things are a lot trickier than they look.
19
SCOUTS:
Song 8/18
We’ve been hunting for some verbs
Action verbs are all around
But those critters jump and run and climb and swim and scatter
up and down.
We’ve been hunting for some verbs
We’ve been looking high and deep
Gonna have to wait until they sit and rest and read and
stop and sleep.
Instrumentation for
SONG 8: Synthesizer,
organ, bass, drums,
electric guitar
When parts of speech
Are out of reach
Then all of us are doomed
We can’t tell what
Or when or how
Or who did what to whom.
SCOUTS and CHORUS:
We’ve been hunting for some nouns
Any person, place, or thing
Something like a hamster or a mountain or a little ball of string.
We’ve been hunting for some nouns
But they slip between our toes
Gonna bait a trap with articles ’cause nouns are really
fond of those.
When parts of speech
Are out of reach
Then all of us are doomed
We can’t tell what
Or when or how
Or who did what to whom
Or who did what to whom.
(SCOUTS exit.)
20
CAPTAIN: This is disastrous. How can we return to Grammar
Island without any parts of speech?
DOWNING: We could take our ship.
CAPTAIN: You’re not helping, Downing!
DOWNING: I was just answering the question.
SHMITTY: It was a rhetorical question. The Captain was just sort
of pondering the situation.
CAPTAIN: What I would give for just a single pronoun!
(QUEEN of PRONOUNS enters, elegant, with a
SERVANT)
QUEEN: Did I hear someone ask for a pronoun?
DOWNING: I think it was a rhetorical question, ma’am.
CAPTAIN: Quiet, Downing! This could be our last chance.
(to QUEEN)
And who are you?
QUEEN: I am the Queen of Pronouns. I rule over all the
pronouns.
SHMITTY: Do you rule indefinite pronouns?
QUEEN: Every one of them.
SHMITTY: Intensive? Demonstrative?
QUEEN: Those too.
SHMITTY: Reflexive? Interrogative? Personal?
21
QUEEN: ESPECIALLY the personal pronouns, which means I rule
over “you” as well.
QUEEN and SERVANT:
Song 9/19
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
I’m the queen of “you”
I own “him” and “her” now
“He” is all mine too.
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
“They” will not rebel
“Hers” and “yours” and “ours”
I rule “those” as well.
“Both” and “few” and “some” and “each”
They’re the same great part of speech
Pronouns do not need a king
’Cause I’m the boss of “everything.”
QUEEN, SERVANT and CHORUS:
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
“It” is sure to please
“We” and “us” and “others”
I’m in charge of “these.”
I lead “them” and “their”
“Someone” serves me tea
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
“All” belongs to me.
“Both” and “few” and “some” and “each”
They’re the same great part of speech
Pronouns do not need a king
’Cause I’m the boss of “everything.”
22
Instrumentation for
SONG 9: Bass, drums,
piano
QUEEN, SERVANT, and CHORUS:
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
I’m the queen of “you”
I own “him” and “her” now
“He” is all mine too.
I’m the Queen of Pronouns
“They” will not rebel
“Hers” and “yours” and “ours”
I rule “those” as well
I rule “those” as well.
(QUEEN and SERVANT exit)
CAPTAIN: Well, we’ve failed. We didn’t even get a single part of
speech.
DOWNING: Too bad. But we did learn a whole lot of stuff.
SHMITTY: He’s right, Captain.
CAPTAIN: You know, Downing, we DID learn a good deal. We
came looking for Grammar, and Grammar we found.
SHMITTY: We can take all our new knowledge back and spread
the news!
CAPTAIN: Come on, pirates—we’re heading home to Grammar
Island in victory!
23
CLASS:
Song 10/20
They don’t say “Arrrg” or “That’s me ship”
They don’t ask “Who ye be?”
The subjects of their sentences
And all their verbs agree.
They’re out to save all synonyms
And they love homophones
And every double negative
They send to Davy Jones!
They’re pirates from Grammar Island
Pirates from Grammar Island
They will fuss and they will fume
’til everyone knows “who” from “whom”
Pirates from Grammar Island.
They will fuss and they will fume
’til everyone knows “who” from “whom”…
(EVERYONE gasps for air)
Pirates from Grammar Island.
THE END
24
Teacher’s Guide
Introduction
Pirates From Grammar Island is a musical play
designed to be performed by elementary classes,
particularly by students in first through the fifth
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 Pirates From
Grammar Island 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.
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,
well, they’ll already know what to expect. We
think your best bet is to copy only the lyrics
and dialogue 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.
25
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). All
you have to do is move your
lips! Remember, the audio
recording demonstrates all the
songs.
Getting Started
Figure on about a month from first introduction
to final performance. This may sound like a lot of
time, but 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 35. We suggest that you 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).
For some time now 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. Pirates From Grammar Island is ideal for this
since you can easily connect art, music, theater, grammar, and reading under
the guise of a fun show.
Is Pirates an opera or
a musical?
And what’s the difference,
anyway? 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
“artistic.” In truth, there’s no
meaningful distinction and you
can call this show whatever
you like without offending
us. (Our own expression for
this show is “a stunning piece
of contemporary American
theater.” Go figure.)
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 low-key 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
Pirates From Grammar Island, remember
it’s the process that is important for the
students’ education: the reading, creating,
singing, thinking, and developing selfesteem 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!
26
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 Pirates From
Grammar Island 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). (Note: Under
the Bad Wolf Copyright arrangement, you can copy this show all you want for
your students. Your fellow teachers, however, will need to purchase their own
copy (hey, who wouldn’t want their own copy?) if they are putting on the show
at the same time.)
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 audio recording)
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. You can also purchase replacements
from Bad Wolf Press.
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.
27
Ready for some controversy? The easiest way of getting older students, and
younger readers, 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. 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. They
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.
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.
Using a musician
If you know of a parent or other
community member who might be willing
to play piano or guitar, contact them
early. Play them the audio recording and
show them the samples of music on page
39 of this book to be certain they are
comfortable with it (to order the sheet
music for Pirates, contact the publisher—
flip to the back of this book). Another
option is to hire a professional. You may
find someone to work for less than you’d
think—even starving musicians like to
help 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 like.
28
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 provide one or two songs to
each student to help them learn
solos or small group parts. They
can sing along with the recording
daily. This kind of repetition
really helps!
Casting
Pirates From Grammar Island was originally written
to be performed by a class of from eighteen to
thirty kids, but the show is very flexible. How many
Punctuation Pirates are there? How many Scouts?
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 “It’s A Curse” together. Or perhaps several children will express
interest in being a Librarian. 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.
Learning About Musical
Instruments
You will notice that at the beginning of
each song in the script we’ve included a
little box that lists the instruments used
in the recording of that song. This is a
great chance for your students to start to
learn to recognize the sounds of different
musical instruments. You can play the
CD and have the students pick out the
different sounds. Your students may want
to do some research: what’s a baritone
saxophone, for example?
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.
29
If you’re not an experienced director,
keep costumes, sets and staging as
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. (We
think decorated T-shirts and baseball caps can cover just about any costuming
needs. Of course, we are biased—our own wardrobe still consists mostly of
T-shirts and baseball caps.)
For Pirates From Grammar Island the simplest thing would be to hang a
cardboard sign around the actors’ necks that say “Collector” or “Queen of
Pronouns” etc. The audience will accept whatever you do, as long as it doesn’t
distract them from what’s going on in the play. To unify the cast visually, have
all the actors wear simple black t-shirts. Some of the characters can have
props: we suggest, for example, that the Captain has a treasure map (see Song
#2). Of course, keep pirate weapons to a minimum. And some can have funny
costumes—the Punctuation Pirates can look a bit worn and torn, for example.
It’s all up to you and your students, but again, we strongly advise that you keep
this as simple and easy as possible.
30
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.
Pirates From Grammar Island does not need to have a “realistic” setting. That
is, the action occurs in the mysterious place of theatrical convention, so there’s
no need for distinct backgrounds for each scene. You can make a backdrop
with the title of the show running across a giant picture of an island. Or you
might paint the background with lots of different grammatical words (e.g.
“adverb” and “subject-verb agreement.”
Blending Genders
However you set it up, remember that
all songs must be sung to the audience
with the actors in the front, middle part
of the stage. See our sample stage setup
on page 33.
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. And
By all means have the kids do most of
don’t hesitate to add actors or double
the set-planning and building—it’s a
up roles if that works best for the
great art project. If you can get some
size of your class. If you’re concerned
grown-up assistance the whole thing
about soloists, then have two or three
will flow smoothly and your kids will
have a wonderful time. Once everything kids play a part. This is theater, and
no one in the audience will mind once
is ready they’ll feel a real sense of pride
they understand the convention.
and ownership.
31
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. 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 Tape
You will want to mark the spots on the
stage where students are to stand and/
or sit throughout the performance.
These “marks” can easily be set out with
painter’s tape on the floor. Mark where
soloists, small groups, and the chorus will
stand during each scene. This will keep
everyone in place and make your job of
managing thirty energetic actors much
easier.
❖
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 clearly what’s going on in the back.
❖
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.
❖
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.
32
❖
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.
❖
And 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.
33
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 especially on their behavior
when they are NOT on center stage. Don’t worry about the quality of the
performance when you begin. Remember, this is all part of the learning
process, so take advantage of the 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:
❖
Don’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.
❖
Each day ask the students to give suggestions on improvement: What can
everyone do to make the show better?
❖
Ask 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.)
❖
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.
❖
Video-record 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.
❖
Ask a student audience to think like a director and then write anonymous
comments. It’s surprising how helpful these comments can be.
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.
34
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 painter’s tape to mark where students will be (you can
color code).
4. Perform for another class and invite that class to write reviews.
5. Video-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.
35
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 videorecording a rehearsal so students can discover what they really sound like.
Final Performance
Your most important performance will probably be for the students’ parents
and families. There is a trade-off 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 your 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 nothing was amiss. It
won’t help to stop and tell 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.
36
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.)
Turning on the Applause Sign
The audience wants to applaud, but it needs to be told when it’s the right
time to clap. Since you have no applause sign, the actions themselves of
the student actors must say loudly and clearly, “Okay, we’re done with the
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
the song, the audience will not know the scene is completed. Finally, don’t
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 they are allowed and expected to show their appreciation, they will
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.
37
Language Arts Curriculum and VocabularyBuilding in Pirates From Grammar Island
Key Terms and Concepts
Pirates covers the following basic aspects of grammar: parts of speech, types
of sentences, subject-verb agreement, capitalization, synonyms and antonyms,
types of pronouns. The following grammatical terms and phrases are used in
Pirates:
synonyms
antonyms
homophones
double negatives
apostrophe parenthesis contractions
proper nouns
comma
articles
capital letters
dangling participle
colonsemicolon
punctuationpossessives
adverbnounadjectivepronoun
verbinterjection
conjunctionpreposition
declarative interrogativeexclamatory
imperative
rhetorical question
General Vocabulary-Building (words and phrases)
crewDavy Jones
caffeineparallelmalcontent
questlocalsamicable
torridfuss
fumesaucycinnamon
hostilesweltering
horridaridsoaringgawkcapital
supersize
italicizehoardscourBahamas
purloinplundertrollingeBayseaway
splendidscoutbrutaldoomeddisastrous
ponder
rebel
“put ashore” withered up “out to sea”
President McKinley
Captain Kirk King James
“money in the bank”
“walk the plank”
38
The Complete Vocal Score for Pirates From
Grammar Island
The written music for this show is available from Bad Wolf Press in lead sheet
format: the melody, words, and chord symbols.
This compilation includes all the songs for Pirates From Grammar Island and
is highly suitable for musicians on the go. It is absolutely necessary if you plan
live musical accompaniment of the show.
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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 the world.
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
badwolfpress.com
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