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Email us at [email protected] or call us toll-free at (888) 827-8661 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. 39 39 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 1