Naomi Shihab Nye

Shoulders   Naomi Shihab Nye

A man crosses the street in rain, stepping gently, looking two times north and south, because his son is asleep on his shoulder.   No car must splash him. No car drive too near to his shadow.   This man carries the world’s most sensitive cargo but he’s not marked. Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE.   His ear fills up with breathing. He hears the hum of a boy’s dream deep inside him.   We’re not going to be able to live in this world if we’re not willing to do what he’s doing with one another.   The road will only be wide. The rain will never stop falling.

Assignment #14 (Optional extra credit): GROUP PROJECT: Adapting a fable or fairy tale story theater style for the stage

AGENDA:

In small groups, you will be adapting a fable or fairy tale for the stage.

Your project requires:

1. A script for a skit with parts for a narrator and other characters.

2. A set and costume design (make slide show of Google images).

3. A song to be sung for the skit by a character(s) to set the scene.  You can write the words to any famous melody or use music in the background.

4. A performance for the class.
What is the difference between a fable and a fairy tale?

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-fable-and-vs-fairy-tale/

1. Review with students the elements of a fable: characters, setting, events and a moral. In most fables the characters are animals. These animals usually represent specific human qualities(personification).

2. Review the concept of a moral. Tell students that fables are meant to teach a lesson or moral. The moral is usually revealed at the end of the fable. Sometimes the moral is delivered as a statement, such as "Be happy with what you have," or "It is easier to think up a plan than to carry it out."

http://aesopfables.com/

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/


example:
The Beaver and the Lumberjack
By Carol Montgomery ©2010

From the early part of the script after the narrators and Lumberjack have been introduced...

Narrator 1:  Beaver lived around that river, heard the moans and appeared.

Beaver:  (happily)  Yo!  Hey there!  What's up?  Why all the commotion?

Lumberjack:  (moans)  I'm a poor, honest, hard-working man who makes a living cutting down trees and selling the wood.  But, I accidentally dropped my axe just now in the river.  I have no other way to make money.  (moans louder)

Beaver:  No problem, Friend.  I can swim.  It happens.  I'll be right back.

Narrator 2:  So, Beaver slid down the steep bank and dove into the river, retrieving an axe of solid gold.  (Continued...)

Assignment #13 Monologue

The Monologue

See sample monologues:

http://www.monologuegenie.com/basketball-therapy-monologue.html

Exercise: The Monologue

ONE: Dealing with the Past

It is a common practice with monologues that a character relates a past story in order to illuminate something that is currently happening the plot of the play.

The problem with these types of monologues is when a character says, "I remember." "I remember" creates an insular experience; it's something that only happened to the character and it's difficult for the audience to share in the event. The audience doesn't remember.

Another problem with past monologues is the use of the past tense. When something has happened in the past, it's over, it's done. Using the present tense is much more alive and active.

EXERCISE

1. Write a monologue where the first line is 'I remember when...' and uses the past tense. Have a character talk about a childhood memory that has significant impact on how they are today.
2. Re-write the monologue, taking out all mentions of 'remembering.' Just tell the story.
3. Re-write the monologue in the present tense.
4. Read aloud the first version and then the third. Discuss the differences.

TWO: Making the Story Count

If a character tells a story in a monologue - "I went to the grocery store and THIS JUST HAPPENED," there has to be something besides the base story going on for the audience. There has to be more. The story has to show something: a character flaw, a plot point we didn't know, a lie, a romance, and so on.

EXERCISE

1. Write a monologue where the character tells a story about going to a parade.
2. Re-write the monologue so that by telling the story, the audience sees the character is a liar.
3. Re-write the monologue so that by telling the story, the audience sees the character is heartbroken.
4. Re-write the monologue so that by telling the story, the audience sees the character is in love.

THREE: The Need to Speak

In every monologue a character must 'need to speak.' Otherwise, why is the monologue there? In every monologue you write, you must determine the need for the character to speak. What drives the character? Is there anything that stands in the way of the character's need to speak? The character doesn't necessarily have to succeed with what they need. Maybe they're too afraid, or they change their mind, or there's something stopping them. Obstacles are good! But start with the need and then see what happens.

EXERCISE

Choose one of the following needs. What kind of character would have that need? Give them a name, an age, and a physical appearance. Who are they talking to? Who is the listener? What is the relationship? Decide if your character will succeed or fail with their need. Now write the monologue.

1. The character needs to reveal a secret to the listener.
2. The character needs to prove something to the listener.
3. The character needs to reveal they love the listener.
4. The character needs to reveal they hate the listener.
5. The character needs to stand up to the listener.