Chasing the Light - autobiography
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On Tree 33
PUPPET MUSICAL Puppet show & songs Debney Meadows PS choir Term 2 -2008 Project idea - Maribel Steel for The Song Room
THE OUTLINE PUPPET CHARACTERS Mr Bumble Bee Lady ladybird Caterpillar Frog Snake Butterfly 3 little birds
THE STORY = THE MESSAGE
A group of insects come to live on the same apple tree - and experience a diverse community with many differences and discover what it means to share the same branch and in doing so, learn to problem solve several situations that arise. At first there is hostility, mainly from Mr Bumble Bee who appears selfish and unfriendly. Lady ladybird goes through feelings of rejection and loses her sense of belonging until Caterpillar shows her some kindness. Frog faces his own challenges of disillusionment when he can't find a friend to play with, confirming in his own mind that there must be something wrong with him because he's different... Suddenly, the small community of insects are threatened with extinction when Frog raises the alarm - the orchard is about to be chemically sprayed! Panic sets in... An unexpected hero comes to their rescue - and the creatures of Tree 33 finally discover true friendship through thoughtful co-operation - to live in harmony with each other is the greatest of gifts to give to another creature! THE PERFORMANCE The story is woven together through a descriptive narrative, combined with engaging visuals of the colourful puppets which is also supported through a variety of songs sung by the students from the Senior choir - a collaboration of words + visuals + song and rhythms
The jumior grades could be encouraged to draw the story in class after the performance and place all their individual works together into a class book "On Tree 33" to encourage further discussion... ON TREE 33 THE SONG LIST - SENIOR CHOIR 1. On Tree 33 (adapted lyrics) 2. True colours 3. Three little birds 4. It's not that easy being green 5. Shaking the tree 6. Lean on me 7. Believe it or not 8. Absolutely everybody - FINALE!
Written by Maribel Steel A music program supported by The Song Room THE NARRATION
Scene starts with birds singing track one - & sunny music... Bumble Bee and Ladybird puppets are getting ready to appear...
Reader 1. It was another sunny day in the apple orchard, bees were buzzing, blossoms were bursting out all over the branches of the apple trees! Ah, it was a lovely time of year. For Mr Bumble bee, it was the best time of year! "Oh my" he said excitedly, "what beautiful flowers, which one should I visit first?"
You see, Mr Bumble bee always found it difficult to make a decision but he did finally find a most lovely branch of apple blossom on Tree 33 and there, quite contently he began to gather the pollen. SONG 1: ON TREE 33
Reader 2. Then a beautiful red ladybird came and sat right next to Mr Bumble Bee and gave him a fright! AAHH! "Oh I'm sorry" said Lady Ladybird politely, "Um...can I sit here too, it's a lovely day" said the ladybird "It was...until YOU came along" said Mr Bumble Bee rudely Reader 2 cont... "Hmm, I could sit over here?" said the ladybird as she moved away a little "Or you could BUZZ off!" And so it went on all that day, Lady Ladybird would come over to Mr Bumble bee and he would buzz at her and she would jump back to her branch. Poor Lady Ladybird, she was only trying to be friendly. This was a new orchard for her too, she had to fly away from her other home and now she wasn't even welcome here on Tree 33? She felt so sad and so alone. A few ladybird tears fell from her little red cheeks as she started to cry.
SONG 2: TRUE COLOURS Reader 3. Along came a caterpillar - and asked her why she was crying? Lady ladybird told him that she was looking for a new place to live, somewhere where she could belong and make some friends...but she wasn't so sure now, Mr Bumble Bee was a very mean bee indeed! But the Caterpillar didn't seem too upset - he was trying to finish off his cocoon and asked ladybird if she would help him - only a few threads to go...she was delighted to help... So lady ladybird went to sleep that night feeling much happier than she had done for a long, long time. In the stillness of night, she listened to the strange sounds of the orchard and thought to herself that maybe she could belong here after all? She tried not to feel too scared in her new home, everything was so strange and so new...and she did finally drift off to sleep under the full moon light on her new branch, on her new tree, in her new home.
(sounds of the night - frogs...) - then transition to dawn sounds
Reader 4. The next morning, Lady Ladybird woke up with a smile and a happy heart...ah! - today is going to be a great day...but poor Lady Ladybird didn't know about the mean snake who lives under her tree and comes out every morning. He is very bossy, very mean.
Then a brave little green and gold frog jumps out of the long grass... "Hey, dude, wanna come and play leap frog?" he asks the snake... "EAT frog more likely" hisses the snake, who moves closer for a bite of the frog!
Whoops - the brave little Frog jumps up to a branch to escape from the snake and lands right next to Lady ladybird. Now the frog is feeling sad, no one wants to play with him...the orchard is no fun anymore... Lady ladybird didn't know quite what to say to her new friend, Frog. She wanted to help him feel better about himself. SONG 3: LEAN ON ME Reader 5. Then Mr Bumble Bee flew by - and told Lady ladybird to stop singing! It was giving him a headache! Couldn't they find another tree to live in? He really didn't want to share his branch with anyone especially silly creatures like them? Caterpillar crawled along the branch and told Lady ladybird that his cocoon was finished now, thanks to her help - he was going to try it out for size. They watched him curl up and close the door to his cosy cocoon - they weren't really sure what to expect next? Mr Bumble Bee said happily "Well that's one of you gone at least" and he glared at Frog and Ladybird who were feeling sad to see their friend disappear...they didn't know when they would see kind Caterpillar ever again? THEN - after a very long time - something strange happened... Reader 6. Caterpillar's cocoon started to creak - and crumble - and crack! OHH! The creatures on Tree 33 couldn't believe their eyes... (a butterfly now emerges from the cocoon)
SONG 4: BELIEVE IT OR NOT
Reader 7. But - then, suddenly - there was chaos in the orchard...the farmer was coming with his spray gun to spray all the apple trees as he did every year, It was the best way for him to make sure all the apples grew without any bugs or worms in them, he could sell his nice big apples at the market and get good money for his bright shiney red and green apples...but what about the creatures on Tree 33? They would be killed with the poisonous spray, it was a disaster, they only had seconds to live... what could they do? Reader 8. Poor little Frog didn't feel so brave now, he could feel his froggie asthma coming on - he fell over onto the ground expecting to die any moment...the farmer was standing right by their tree - he reached for the spray gun!... AAHH! Screamed the farmer as he ran from the orchard Reader 9. Snake had given the farmer such a fright that the poor man never came back into the apple orchard again! - Snake was a hero! All the creatures gathered round and thanked him for saving their lives...even grumpy Mr Bumble Bee changed his tune
4 Reader 9 cont... And so, all the creatures on Tree 33 - Mr Bumble Bee - Lady ladybird, - Caterpillar, now Butterfly - Frog - and Snake - learned that it was much more fun to live together in harmony, sharing their tree with each other. Snake even learned how to play leap frog with his new buddy, Frog and Mr Bumble Bee made the most scrumptious honey and apple muffins -with Lady ladybird's help of course... And the last I heard - absolutely everybody was having a great time!
SONG 5: - ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY
THE END! ( A basket of apples is passed around the audience so everybody has an apple and a freddo frog)
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Debney Meadows PS choir, Term 2 -2008
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