Lights, Camera, Action Series: Can Anybody Hear Me?

Can Anybody Hear Me?

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons

By Jacquelin Melilli •f orr ev i e w pur po sesonl y• For primary/secondary students

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Written by Jacquelin Melilli. Illustrated by Melinda Brezmen. (© Ready-Ed Publications 2005) This edition published by Ready-Ed Publications (2010) P.O. Box 276 Greenwood Western Australia 6024 Email: info@readyed.com.au Website: www.readyed.com.au

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 978 1 86397 639 8

Can Anybody Hear Me? WRITTEN BY JACQUELIN MELILLI © 2001

Inquiries

r o e t s B r e oo Jacquelin Melilli p u k S

Inquiries regarding performing rights and sales should be addressed to:

Website: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

Copyright:

About the Author

This play is fully protected by copyright and is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the Author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover than that in which it is published.

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Email: drama@jacquelinmelilli.com

Jacquelin Melilli was born in France to a French father and Spanish mother. She came to Australia at the age of four and a half. After mastering the English language, writing stories became her passion.

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Inquires should be addressed to the above address.

Permission to perform any play must be obtained from the author or the author’s agent. Royalties must be paid for each and every performance.

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Jacquelin also pursued her love of acting, performing in theatre and some small roles in film, television and corporate videos.

In 2001, Jacquelin began teaching drama at the Coffs Regional Conservatorium to students aged between 8 and 16 years. She has written five plays and produced and directed two of her plays into short films. These were screened at the Sawtell Cinema in 2002 to a full house.

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Subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright Act, no par t of this publication may lawfully be reproduced in any form or by any means – photocopying, typescript, electronic, recording (including video/digital recording) manuscript, mechanical or otherwise or be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without prior written permission.

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Photocopying of any part of the play script contained herein is expressly forbidden without payment of photocopying licence.

Jacquelin’s plays require little rehearsal time, minimum props and very simple sets, making them ideal for schools, travelling groups and for performing at Theatre Festivals. A smaller cast makes travelling to different venues easier to manage and the chance of all actors being present at every rehearsal are greater.

Jacquelin tries to avoid writing small roles, as she knows most actors like to be on stage as much as possible! Her plays are also ideal for converting into short film scripts, radio plays and puppet shows.

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Copyright Information ............................................ 2 About the Author ................................................... 2 About this Series ................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................... 5 Teachers’ Notes .................................................... 5 Curriculum Links ................................................... 6 Production Roles ................................................... 7 Stage Directions .................................................... 9 Extra Crew for Film Production ............................ 10 Where to Start ..................................................... 11 Storyboarding the Script ..................................... 12 Theatre/Film Planning ........................................ 14 Filming: Suggestion Notes .................................. 16 Using the Camera ............................................... 18 Shooting the Scenes ........................................... 19 Editing a Film ...................................................... 20 Producing a Radio Play ....................................... 21 Putting on a Puppet Show ................................... 22 Suggested Shooting Script .................................. 23

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Can Anybody Hear Me?

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Student Workheets: Teachers’ Notes .................................................... 25 Analysing Characters (Students’ Notes) ................ 26 Character Profiles ................................................. 28 Story Comprehension Activities ............................ 30

o c . che e r o t r s super Can Anybody Hear Me? About the Play ...................................................... 32 Suggested Costumes and Props .......................... 33 Cast and Background ........................................... 34 The Script ............................................................ 35

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About this Series This Lights, Camera, Action! series is designed as an informative starting point for creating professional dramatic arts performances through either film, stage play, radio show or puppet show. Each book contains an award winning script that is highly entertaining as well as topical. Comprehensive ideas and recommendations have been given throughout the series for making the most of these plays.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S There are four titles in this series:

Little Red Meets the Dingo Foreigners in Oztralia

Can Anybody Hear Me? Goldisocks and the Three Koalas

Each book in the series contains a full script that can be performed as either a screen play, stage play, radio or puppet show. Because many of the production roles are similar for each of the performances above, this information has been kept in one section and should be followed for all forms of the play. Presenting the material in this manner, allows you to decide what options to go with for your production (e.g. film, stage, radio or puppet show).

Production Roles

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Many of the behind the scenes roles are similar in nature (e.g. sound effects, costume design) and can be applied to any type of performance. Specific roles (e.g. film editor for a film, stage manager for a stage play) have been given special mention where relevant.

Making Film ©R eaa dyEdPubl i cat i ons This book contains very useful introductory notes on film production roles, storyboarding, camera shooting sequences, editing filmn andl much •f or r evi ewshots,p ur p ose sao ymore.

•You will note that the shooting sequences varies from the actual script so it is

Stage Play

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recommended that you read the full script (see Page 35) before being able to understand the suggested shooting script (see Page 23).

Extensive guidelines for staging a play are included as well as a section on stage directions for organising the entrance and exits of cast members.

Puppet Show and Radio Show Play

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Information is provided specific to producing the plays in this manner, however, the book mainly concentrates on requirements for film and stage play production. Much of this stage and film information can be applied to radio and puppet shows. There is much less work involved in putting on a radio play as there is no need for costumes or set design, lights, film etc. However, a thorough understanding of the script is an important part of preparation. This can be achieved by completing the student activity sheets on Pages 25-31. A radio play relies heavily on a director’s interpretation of the script and the actors’ interpretation of the characters.

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A puppet show is similar to a stage production with the exception that it’s the puppets who are seen by the audience rather than the actors, so directions for putting on a stage production should be followed.

Activity Pages To allow students a better understanding of characterisation, photocopiable activity pages have been included. Ideally, these sheets should be used early on, once an initial read-through of the full script has occurred.

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Teachers’ Notes A Successful Production Begins with a Good Script

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Can Anybody Hear Me? is a play that touches on how children deal with their feelings, working through problems, parental role modeling, different personalities and how each person copes with problems differently.

Why is drama so beneficial?

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Half the battle of creating a production is the time-consuming task of writing a good script. An effective script should be clear and easy for the audience to follow and preferably have a solid message that will stay in the mind of the audience. Dialogue should flow and be natural and the characters should be interesting and memorable. Finally, it needs to be entertaining with bursts of energy to keep the pace exciting. This makes choosing a good script a much easier task than writing one.

Drama is a great way to learn about human behaviour and, if delved into, can be quite complex with aspects of psychology being used to understand the characters portrayed. Understanding human behaviour is empowering as it allows students to better understand themselves and their peers, which in itself builds self-confidence. Drama also helps tremendously with communicating self-expression in a non-threatening way by enabling the actors to self examine their own feelings when portraying a character. Most actors are attracted to roles that they can relate to in one way or another.

Drama

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Not everyone likes to perform in front of an audience, yet most enjoy watching performances and having participated in the production in some way can be very rewarding. Ideally, encourage engaging the talents of the whole class to work behind the scenes in one way or another.

Using Can Anybody Hear Me? in the classroom:

Using the stage play as part of a reading program is a fun way to get students to enjoy reading. A read through would involve each student reading a section of the script, whether it is one line of dialogue or the action description. The script can then be read around the class and then continued from the first student down to the last again. In using this method, no set student plays a particular character role. Once students get through the first round, you’ll find some interesting voices will emerge! After the read through, work through the accompanying student activities: Analysing Characters/Character Profiles sheets and the

Readers

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Story Comprehension Activity Sheets provided on Pages 26-31.

Students can work in groups to create the most interesting voices for the characters and record them on CD to be presented as a radio play. This is a very good exercise in helping children express themselves via use of their voice. Those students, who do not like acting in any form, will still be needed to create the sound effects and music required for background noise.

Radio Play

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Involves the whole class in the process of putting on a production and the importance of working as a team for successful results.

This book contains detailed sections on what will be required.

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Puppet Show

Students can work in groups with some being voice actors and others in charge of music, lights and sound effects. Puppets can be made by the students or dolls and stuffed animals can be turned into puppets and dressed accordingly.

For the more ambitious, and for those who have access to a digital film camera and editing software, an introduction into filmmaking has been included. Making a film is a lot more involved and time consuming and therefore the project can be done over the year or over three terms. Choosing a short script of around 30 minutes is sufficient. It is strongly recommended that you shoot the scenes in a blocked period of two or three days to keep with continuity. If you shoot it over weeks or months you will get all sorts of problems such as the actor’s hair growing, a pimple that wasn’t previously there and so on – the list is endless. If all the preparation has been done thoroughly prior to shooting, there should not be any problems with shooting the script in two days and allowing a third day for any re-shoots or scenes the director is not completely happy about.

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Then again, you may not want to take the film project too seriously, but simply use it as a means of experimenting with the camera, angles, using different directors and comparing how differently each one would shoot a scene. You may want to break students up into groups and allocate them a scene each for filming. Use different actors and allow everyone to take on different roles in the crew – after all, it is only an introduction to filmmaking. We all need to start somewhere. Playing around first allows you to get a good feel for it.

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Film Production

For more information on putting on a stage play, radio play, puppet show or making a film visit: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

Curriculum Links

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• New South Wales – Creative Arts Strands: Drama: DRAS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, DRAS 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

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South Australia – Arts Strands: Arts Practice - 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3; Arts Analysis and Response – 2.4 Arts in Contexts – 2.6

Victoria – The Arts Strand: Performing Arts Sub-strand: Arts practice – ideas, skills, techniques and processes: 2.1, 3.1 Sub-strand: Responding to the arts – criticism, aesthetics and contexts – 2.2, 3.2

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Queensland – The Arts Strand: Drama; Level 2 Core: DR 2.1, DR 2.2, DR 2.3; Discretionary: DDR 2.4 Level 3 Core: DR 3.1, DR 3.2, DR 3.3 Western Australia – The Arts Strand: Communicating arts ideas; CAI 2, CAI 3 Strand: Using arts skills, techniques, technologies and processes; STP 2, STP 3 Strand: Responding, reflecting on and evaluating the arts; RRE 2, RRE 3, RRE 4 NT, ACT and Tas. (National Curriculum) – The Arts Strand: Drama Creating, Making and Presenting: Band B; Past and Present Contexts: Band B

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Production Roles The producer is responsible for raising funds, publicity, overseeing the budget and is overall in charge of the production. All decisions must be reported back to the producer. It is recommended that the teacher take this role with possibly an assistant producer to “learn the ropes”, especially where budgeting is concerned. A producer will need to draw up a budget with all the foreseen expenses listed and then calculate the cost of each ticket to recoup expenses and make a profit that may be set aside for the next production.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Director

Creates the vision of how the play/film is to be performed. Works as head of the production team to approve cast, costumes, set construction, lighting, sound, movement on stage/set, appearance of the stage/set, etc.

Assistant Director Stage Manager

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Producer

(Film) Carries out tasks set out by the director, such as organising casting calls and rehearsals; making sure the actors are ready to go on set; making sure everything runs smoothly and sorting out problems as they arise.

(Theatre) Is the first to arrive at the theatre prior to a performance and the last to leave the theatre after a performance. A stage manager oversees all activities on the stage and is responsible for any problems that may arise during a performance. Prior to a performance, the stage manager thoroughly checks all scenery, props, costumes, lighting and sound to make sure everything is ready and in place for the performance.

The stage manager arranges for the actors to be at the theatre at least an hour prior to performance and advises actors of “half hour curtain call”, “fifteen minute curtain call”, ”five minute curtain call” and finally advises the actors to take their places prior to calling “Curtain!”. The stage manager must also communicate with the lighting and sound directors and the ushers to make sure everything is ready prior to calling “curtain”.

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Costume Designer

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Chooses team members to help design costumes and make the necessary arrangements to obtain them. This may mean compiling a note to send home to parents with detailed information/drawings of what exactly is needed.

Second hand clothing shops are an excellent place to find costumes, wigs and even props! You may also be able to get the co-operation of the Textiles and Design class to make costumes for the production.

o c . che e r o t r s uArtists Make-Up ,s Hair per

Chooses team to help with putting on make-up, styling hair and wigs. A basic make-up kit should consist of: foundation (to suit character), powder, make-up pencils for brow and lips, brushes and sponges, make-up remover and hair spray. Most actors will already have these items and may prefer to bring their own make-up bag to rehearsals.

Set Designer

Chooses team to design the set as per the director’s instructions. This may be as simple as choosing class members who are talented artists to paint backdrops, on either butcher’s paper or suitable fabric to be hung as a background. Props can also be made from cardboard boxes, papier mâché, etc.

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Prop Assistant/s

Prompter/s

Need to organise props and familiarise themselves with the script to make sure props are in place when required during the performance. Must have replacement props organised in case any prop gets damaged or lost. Must be at every rehearsal.

Must be very familiar with the script and actions of actors. Responsible for prompting actors quietly from backstage if they forget their lines. Must be at every rehearsal.

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Fundraiser/s

Works with the director to create appropriate sound effects or music to accompany production. Special care must be taken to come in exactly on cue with music or sound effects. Must be very familiar with scripts and be at every rehearsal.

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Works with the director to create appropriate lighting and mood during the performance. The lighting director must be familiar with the script and be present at every rehearsal.

Funds may need to be raised depending on the scale of the production.

A budget will need to be worked out and discussed between the director and producer. Playing Theatre Sports is a fun way to raise funds. For more information visit: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

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Stage Directions

It is good practice for the director to use the correct referrals for directions on stage.

Refer to the diagram below and ensure everyone has a copy. A fun warm-up game prior to rehearsals is for the director to call out a section of the stage randomly and have the actors run to that section as quickly as possible.

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The back of the stage: UPPER STAGE RIGHT, UPPER STAGE CENTRE, UPPER STAGE LEFT

The front of the stage: (closest to the audience) DOWN STAGE RIGHT, DOWN STAGE CENTRE, DOWN STAGE LEFT

Note:

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The centre of the stage: CENTRE STAGE RIGHT, CENTRE STAGE, CENTRE STAGE LEFT

The director who is watching/directing the actors from the audience’s point of view must remember that his/her RIGHT is the actor’s LEFT hand side. So care must be taken when giving instructions to actors so as not to cause confusion.

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Extra Crew -

For Film Production Camera Operator/DOP

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An excellent exercise for the entire class to be involved in. Students may work in pairs or groups. Each group must have access to a computer with editing software installed and make up their own edited version of the production. You will find each version to be edited differently according to the student’s interpretation and talents. Let the audience be the judge as to whose version they prefer.

Lighting Director Sound Director

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(DOP=Directory of Photography) This may be one person or a team who takes turns in operating the camera.

A DOP should be creative and work closely with the director in regards to using different angles to create a mood or sense of presence for the audience.

Must be aware of both interior and exterior lighting. Works with a crew.

Needs to be aware of sounds that may not be picked up by the camera’s microphone. They can still be recorded separately on the day of shooting and added later during editing. Sound director works with a crew.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Continuity Assistant •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Takes notes and photos (a digital camera is very handy) of every single take in filming so that continuity is kept between the different setups of the scene. For example, an actor may be eating a banana in one scene. If he/she has only taken one bite in the first take, it would look out of place if half the banana is gone in the final take.

Or an actor may be wearing glasses in a scene and may forget to put them back on for the following scenes. A team of two people would be better – one to take notes and one to take photos. Notes should also be taken on camera angles, lighting, props and furniture, etc.

A storyboard is a series of drawings of the scenes as they will be shot on film. Each scene is drawn in the camera angle in which it will be shot as discussed with the director. Every detail is drawn, including the cutaways (see Page 20) so that when the time comes to shoot the scene, everyone is clear on how it will be filmed and will know which angles and what effects/moods the director wants to create.

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The two sticks that are struck together to mark a sync sound take at the commencement of each scene. It is helpful to have a small whiteboard detailing the scene and “Take” number held up in front of the camera when filming of the scene begins. Hitting a pen on the whiteboard can create the clapper sound needed. All this helps with editing later. A director will usually call “Rolling” to start the camera rolling, and then call “Mark it” to the person holding the clapper.

Dailies/Rushes

Someone will need to arrange for the day’s unedited work print of the film to be seen by the director and camera operator. This can be done on a television monitor to ensure that everything shot that day was successful and doesn’t need to be re-shot the following day.

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Where to Start

The teacher/producer will need to choose a suitable director. Both director and producer need to become very familiar with the script as they will be choosing the cast and crew and making all the major decisions whilst working closely together. The assistant director/ stage manager will also be closely involved.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Read Through

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Start with a read through of the script, allowing different students to read different roles until the director can decide whom to cast in each role. It is important for everyone to be present at the reading – even the crew will need to be very familiar with the script and the directions for sound and lighting given in the script. Choose a few of the crew to read the stage directions out loud during the read through.

It is important for actors to understand the characters they are playing so as to avoid situations where actors play themselves or overact in an unnatural way. The Analysing Characters and Character Profiles worksheets (see Pages26-30) will help develop an understanding of the roles and are very beneficial for the whole class to do after having read through the script a number of times.

Allow students to choose which character they would like to analyse, making sure all characters are covered.

Character Research

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The producer can assist here by making sure that “friends” are not chosen for specific roles, and that the most suitable person for each role should be carefully selected. Actors play a very important part in the overall success of a production and therefore it is very important to choose the right actor for the role. Consideration needs to be given when casting that a daughter/son is not taller than her mother/father and if possible, an effort should be made to keep a balance with resemblances. Once the cast and crew have been chosen, the director should allow each person to do their job and bring their own special talent to the production. A director should not become a “control freak”. They should be flexible in some areas, yet remain firm when it comes to the final decision about how the production should be performed.

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Choose Cast and Crew

It is recommended that you select understudies for the cast. If someone is away or becomes sick or injured during a scheduled performance, it could jeopardise all the hard work that has gone into making the production. If you are working on a theatre production and you have a large class, you may consider splitting the group into two and having them perform on alternate nights.

o c . che e r o t r s super Rehearsals and Blocking

Actors: Once rehearsals begin the director can begin to block where he would like the actors to stand/move for each scene. For short plays, it is recommended that actors read their scripts for two rehearsals only.

They should make an effort to remember their lines as soon as possible to allow for character development and freedom of movement without the hindrance of holding a script. From this point on, PROMPTERS are an important part of rehearsals and must be in tune with each of the actors on the stage so as not to cause long pauses when prompting!

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Storyboarding the Script r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

The director would have a vision of how he/she wants the story viewed by the audience which is where the use of “Close-up”, “Long Shots”, etc. comes in. If the director wants the audience to see a particular expression on an actor’s face, he/she would choose a close-up shot. If the director wants to emphasise an action, he/she would choose a longer/wider shot. Storyboarding all of these shots makes it clearer to the camera operator and crew involved on exactly how to set up each shot when filming begins. This saves valuable time further down the track when weather conditions or time limits can affect the shoot. See the illustrations on the following page for examples.

The StoryBoard

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For Film Production: The director and storyboard artists will need to work together to sort out how the shots will be filmed. As this is quite a time-consuming task, this process should begin at the same time as rehearsals. It would be a good idea to have the storyboard artists present at rehearsals so they can listen in to the director guiding the actors. They can then create the storyboard according to these instructions.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Picture 1. CLOSE-UP: Biker puts helmet on

Picture 3. MID SHOT: Profile - biker rides to screen right

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Picture 4. VERY LONG SHOT: Biker rides to screen right Picture 5. CLOSE-UP: Boot on pedal

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Picture 2. LONG SHOT: Biker rides towards camera, race banner in background

o c . che e r o t r s super Picture 6. CLOSE-UP: Exhaust pipe shooting flames

Picture 7. LONG SHOT: From rear, biker rides towards finish line Picture 8. CLOSE-UP: Biker’s head as he passes finish line flag

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LS Biker rides toward camera, race banner in background

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CU Biker puts helmet on

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• VLS Biker rides to screen right

CU Boot on pedal

CU Exhaust pipe shooting flames

LS Biker rides away from camera

CU Biker in helmet

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MS profile biker rides to screen right

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Illustration based on material from “Producing Videos: A complete guide” by Martha Mollison. Illustrator: Anthea Stead

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Theatre/Film Planning Props and Costumes

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Some costumes may need to be altered if they are to be used in a fight scene or a scene that requires a quick costume change. Velcro dots glued or sewn to fabric just behind buttons are excellent for a quick change or for fight scenes where the costume needs to be ripped. For a ripping scene, preprepare the costume by cutting the fabric where the rip should be and glue or sew Velcro dots in place. You’ll also get the added ripping sound of the Velcro when it is pulled apart.

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Actors should work with props, wigs and costumes as soon as possible so as to become familiar and comfortable with using or wearing them. If costumes are not ready, then rehearsing with similar clothing is helpful. The costume designer should be working behind the scenes during rehearsal time to prepare costumes and make sure they are clean, ironed and properly put away for the next rehearsal/performance.

They should also be present during rehearsals to assist actors with costume changes.

With amateur productions it is best to keep things simple. If there are limitations with staging, then try to improvise by perhaps using freestanding lights or lamps and even a torch as a simple spotlight. Make sure you have new batteries in the torch and a spare torch handy (with new batteries) in case the inevitable happens and the torch dies mid-performance. If a proper stage is available then experimenting with the lights whilst actors are rehearsing is an advantage. Lighting is important, particularly if shooting a film, as bad lighting or the wrong use of coloured gels can make an actor’s face look splotchy, especially if heavy stage make-up is used.

Lighting

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On a stage, lights are already set in place. Learning to operate them is not difficult. For beginners, keeping things simple is best. If you have an experienced lighting director then the use of gels, spotlights and stroboscopic lights may be discussed with the director. Care must be taken if using stroboscopic lights during a performance as the constant flashing may cause some people to have epileptic fits. If using stroboscopic lights, a warning must be given in the performance program of their use. It is best to keep the use of stroboscopic lights to a minimum. Importantly, the lighting director should be present at every rehearsal.

If the performance space is small, a CD player can be used for recorded sound effects and/or music. Keep in mind that the audience must be able to hear it, so the sound person should position him/herself in view of the actors but remain out of view of the audience. If it is to be an open-air performance, the use of body microphones would be a big advantage. If not, stand up microphones can be placed down stage left and right at each corner with perhaps some microphones on short stands placed in front, down stage centre also. If performing on a stage, the sound director should be present at every rehearsal and be very familiar with the sound equipment so no technical problems arise during the performance. For filming, the use of body microphones is also highly recommended.

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Sound

o c . c e her r Set Design o t s super

Set design need not be expensive. For an amateur production, making simple backdrops is sufficient. For example, a backdrop can be made by joining pieces of butcher’s paper together and painting a background on it to suit the scene. This can be taped onto the wall. Another alternative that can easily be stored away and reused is painting a backdrop on calico that has been sewn together. Glue the top of the background onto a long roll such as what is used for roll down blinds and attach the roll to a pre-made A-frame or hang the backdrop from the ceiling if possible. If more than one background scene is required, they can easily be changed around between curtain calls.

Furniture can be borrowed and moved around. If the scenes change from one room to another, simply throwing a cover over a lounge or chair can make it look different or, alternatively the furniture can be moved around. Filming is easier as the cast and crew can move to different locations, such as the kitchen or lounge room.

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Make-Up

HOT TIP GENERAL APPLICATION: The first step is applying the foundation with a colour to suit skin tone.

Foundation should be applied to all exposed areas up to the hairline, around the ears and down the neck to the top of the costume. Then apply the rouge to the highest part of the cheekbone and blend it downwards. Eye shadow is applied first on the upper eyelid and then eyeliner is applied to the upper and lower lids to make the eyes appear bigger. Use a lip liner to trace the lips. For fuller lips trace just above the lip line and then colour in with lipstick.

OLD PERSON: To create the look of an old person, apply a darker foundation starting first with a darker shade under the eyes and in the cheek hollows. A brown eye pencil can be used to draw fine lines around the mouth and eyes. Then apply the foundation. Brown shadow makes the eyes look old. Talcum powder combed through the hair will give a grey appearance if a wig is not available. Streaks with white mascara are also good.

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There are three types of theatre make-up: grease paint, pancake and crème stick. For small theatres and film, a more natural look is best when applying make-up. Heavily applied make-up with brighter shades is normally used for large theatre or open-air performances where the actor’s features need to be seen from a further distance. Mostly, make-up should be used sparingly and checked at dress rehearsal under the stage/set lighting so that any adjustments can be made.

Once the director is happy with the look of the make-up and it has been checked under the lights and through the camera (if filming), apply loose powder to the face to set the make-up. The loose powder also diminishes the “shiny” look. When performing, the heat radiating from the lights can make an actor perspire, so loose powder needs to be kept handy and re-applied when needed.

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(Theatre) As previously mentioned, the stage manager is the first to arrive at the theatre prior to a performance and the last to leave the theatre after a performance. He/she oversees all activities on the stage and is responsible for any problems that may arise during a performance. Prior to a performance, the stage manager thoroughly checks all scenery, props, costumes, lighting and sound to make sure everything is ready and in place for the performance.

Stage Manager’s Role

If you are putting on a show for the public, you will need a publicity team to spread the word in advance. This can be done via use of posters, flyers, Internet newsletters, word of mouth, newspaper editorials, radio and possibly television spots. Create a buzz so that people become curious to see what all the fuss is about. Supply photos of the cast to newspapers and ask for interviews for newspapers, radio and television.

Ticket sales should start at least two weeks prior to opening night.

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Publicity

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(For Film Productions) Editing can make or break your film. It is often overlooked when watching a film but editing is a very important part of telling a story. The editing process is something every student can have a go at. It is a lot of fun and fairly simple to learn. (See Editing a Film on Page 20 for more information.) Editing software for Apple Macs is called iMovie and is usually already installed on the Macintosh. Windows XP computers should come with a copy of Windows Movie Maker installed. For more details check:

Editing

iMovie: Windows Movie Maker:

www.apple.com/ilife/imovie www.windowsmoviemakers.net

Ushers

The stage manager will be in charge of ushers. Ushers are primarily there to serve the audience and make them feel welcome and comfortable. They are responsible for collecting tickets and guiding people to their seats promptly so that the show can start on time. Ushers will need to advise the audience about rules regarding flash photography and unauthorised filming of the show.

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Filming: Suggestion Notes r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Filming is done out of sequence to the story, with all the indoor scenes filmed separately to the outdoor scenes. A Suggested Shooting Script has been provided on Page 23.

Choice of Shots

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If you have decided to film the production of Can Anybody Hear Me? the following notes can be used as a guide to filming techniques and suggestions for how best to approach the project. Keeping in mind that filming will usually take place in the school grounds, improvising will be needed to suit each situation. The indoor scenes can be set up on stage as they would in a theatre production. Outdoor scenes can be filmed in a suitable part of the school grounds.

An important part of telling your story depends on the careful choice of shots. Because of the limits of the camera’s frame, an action shot would require enough distance for the viewers to see what is happening as a whole. For an emotional scene, a closer shot is preferred so the viewers can see the actor’s facial expressions. Camera shots and their abbreviations are described as follows:

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Wide Shot (WS): Most opening scenes start with a wide shot such as a view of a particular landscape, building or crowd of people.

Very Long Shot (VLS): Where the actor and his surroundings can be seen from a distance.

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Long Shot (LS): A full body shot of the actor from head to feet, fitting into the frame.

Medium Long Shot (MLS): A shot of the actor’s head to thighs, fitting into the frame.

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Mid Shot (MS): A shot of the actor’s head to waist, fitting into the frame.

Medium Close-Up (MCU): A shot of the actor’s head to chest, fitting into the frame.

Close-Up (CU): A portrait shot of the actor, fitting into the frame.

Big Close-Up (BCU): A close-up of the actor’s face fitting into the frame.

Extreme Close-Up (ECU): A shot of an object or particular part of an actor such as his/her mouth or eye, filling up the frame.

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Long Shot (LS)

Medium Long Shot (MLS)

Mid Shot (MS)

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Very Long Shot (VLS)

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Close-up (CU)

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Big Close-up (BCU)

Extreme Close-up (ECU)

ILLUSTRATION TAKEN FROM “PRODUCING VIDEOS: A COMPLETE GUIDE BY MARTHA MOLLISON ILLUSTRATOR: ANTHEA STEAD

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Using the Camera r o e t s Bo r e The Tripod p ok u S

The tripod is a very useful piece of equipment. It allows for height adjustment of the camera and avoids the jerky movements of hand holding the camera.

It also allows for panning and tilting (see below). It is particularly important to become very familiar with how to set up the tripod so that the legs are secure and tightened before placing the camera onto it.

Moves Using Tripod

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For beginners, hand holding a camera is not recommended due to the difficulty of keeping the shot steady and preventing jerky movements when the operator attempts to walk to keep the action in shot. When setting up the camera it is very important to take into consideration whether the angle is one where the camera is looking down at the actors – making them seem smaller and inferior – or whether the camera is looking up at the actors – which may give the audience a sense of being inferior. Care should be taken by the camera operator who may have set the camera up to accommodate for his/her height rather than the effect required for the scene.

Panning describes moving the camera horizontally from right to left or left to right, to either show the distance between a person and object, or to follow an action. It is important to check that the tripod legs have been set up evenly or the panning may turn out slightly slanted.

Panning

Tilting occurs when moving the camera vertically, both up and down, to emphasise height or depth. For example, starting at a person’s feet then slowly tilting the camera upwards towards the head; emphasising the height of a building by tiliting the camera from bottom to top; or filming an action such as jumping from a parachute.

Tilting

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f or r evi ew pur posesonl y• Zooming

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Using a Dolly

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Cameras have a zoom function that allows you to change the shot size from a long shot to a mid shot without having to physically move the camera and tripod.

This action makes it easy to prepare for your next shot or you can zoom into an object or person whilst the camera is rolling. Zooming, however, can create problems later when editing, so be aware of the effect zooming might have during the filming process.

The director may want the camera moved closer to the object or actor as opposed to zooming closer or further. If this is the case, a dolly is used which is a wheeled cart to which a tripod can be attached so that the camera can be moved smoothly backwards or forwards, or from left to right to change the angle of the shot. Improvise by using a trolley such as one that is used to carry an overhead projector. Make sure the wheels are well-oiled! Another idea is the use of a wheelchair. This however would mean that the camera operator would have to hand hold the camera which may work well for any walking shots where a bit of shakiness is not as noticeable.

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o c . che e r o t r Microphones s s uper

The camera’s microphone (or “mike” as it is usually referred to) picks up all sounds from all directions. This is ok if you’re filming indoors and you have some control over sound, but if you are filming outdoors the microphone will pick up all the ambient sounds such as birds, traffic in the distance, a dog barking and even the slightest bit of wind. Although it’s good to have these ambient sounds to give your film more realism, it can be a problem if the sounds ruin the mood and the actor’s voices cannot be heard.

Shotgun/gun mikes

These are called “gun” mikes because they are long and thin. They pick up sound from the front and can be used from a considerable distance. Gun mikes can be mounted on booms and then held high above the source of the sound so as not to be seen in the frame when filming.

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Body mikes

Body mikes are tiny microphones which can be clipped to the actor’s clothing or taped onto the body. Care needs to be taken when attaching them so that they are out of sight.

Sound

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k Lighting S

Lighting for film is also different to a theatre production. If working indoors, any fluorescent lights are best turned off, as it is difficult for the camera to reproduce correct skin tones and colour balance. To keep things simple, lighting is about being aware of shadows which can either ruin the shot or enhance or create the mood you are looking for. Improvising can be done with the use of lamps. Light reflectors can be large pieces of white cardboard or the silver foil windscreen reflectors used in cars. These are used to reflect light that may cause shadows.

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Sound for film is different to a theatre production. Sound is normally recorded on location or on the set. If your sound equipment is limited you can use the camera’s microphone to separately record sounds or you can use a sound effects CD. It is also possible to download sound effects from the Internet. Check out: www.filmsound.org/sound-effects/libraries.htm soundfx.com

Shooting the Scenes © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons

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Film scenes are shot out of sequence to the story for a number of reasons. One reason is because it helps with continuity if all indoor scenes are filmed in sequence followed by any outdoor scenes or vice versa.

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For example, let’s say you have two different lounge room scenes to shoot which are at two different characters’ homes. Both homes would be decorated differently so rather than packing up and re-arranging the set a number of times to fit in with the sequence in the storyline, it is much easier to film ALL interior scenes in the one lounge room first and then the set can be re-arranged to portray the second character’s lounge room.

This method saves time and reduces the chance of costly continuity mistakes, such as in the case where you may forget to include a piece of furniture or prop that was in an earlier scene, meaning that you would have to go back and re-shoot that scene.

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The same rule applies with outdoor scenes where control can be lost to the weather. If you are blessed with the exact type of weather that is required in the script, then shoot as much as possible whilst you are able to and make use of as much natural light as possible. An early start during the day is best, when you can make the most of natural lighting before it becomes too bright during the middle of the day. Brightness can cause harsh shadows and a lot more effort will be needed to balance out the light. The use of light reflectors will help here.

Colours are also important with lighting. It is not advisable for actors to wear white as it is extremely reflective of light. Similarly, black or navy blue is very absorbent of light – add stripes or polka dots with these colours and the camera will be thrown off focus!

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Editing a Film

r o e t s Bo r e Editing Terms p ok u S Establishing Shots

Begins with a wide shot to allow the audience to become orientated with the surroundings. Mostly, the first shot in a film begins with an establishing shot, however, establishing shots can also be used further in the film where a location changes completely.

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A film is a story told within a time limit. The story may happen in a day or it could span over a few years.

Through editing, time can be manipulated to cover a span of minutes, hours, days or years, all within a few shots! So shortening time, fine tuning and cutting out the bloopers are some of the major purposes of editing. Considering there would have been several takes taken for each scene, there will be a lot of unusable footage. A director and editor cannot afford to get attached to footage. A lot will end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak, no matter how much a director or editor may love that footage. If it doesn’t quite fit in or make sense in the whole picture, it must be removed. A scene which seems to drag on will need to be cut down. Keep only what you need to tell the story.

This is when an actor leaves the frame during a shot and re-enters it in a different scene. It’s a way of shortening the time span and cutting out the unnecessary bits such as a character leaving his house, getting into his car, driving to a new location and entering another building. For this to work when it is finally edited, the frame must be left clear on exiting and remain clear when entering, otherwise the transition will not be smooth.

Entering and Exiting

Cut-ins attention which would otherwise be missed in a wider shot. For example, there may be ©R ead yEdPubl i cat i ons

Cut-ins are a closer look at something the director may want to bring to the audience’s

a midshot of a character speaking, followed by a cutaway shot of the character’s fingers crossed behind his/her back, followed by a shot of two characters shaking hands.

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Cutaways are snippets of film shot, which are relevant to the story. Cutaway scenes are mostly shot on location at the time of shooting the film. For example, the character may be in the bush, so a cutaway shot might be of a flowing river or a koala in a tree which can later be added to the longer shot when editing.

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Cutaways

Stock footage refers to footage that someone else has shot which will fit nicely into your scene, such as a shot of a waterfall which is not on location but may be needed in your scene.

Although most cameras have inbuilt transitions such as fade in/fade out, it is best to refrain from adding transitions until editing the complete film. Depending on which editing software package (e.g. iMovie) you are using, the transition choices will depend on the director and editors’ decision as to which transition choice is most appropriate for each scene.

o c . c e hOuter r Fade In o t s super Transitions /

This is when a shot fades to either black or white, leaving the screen blank.

Fade to black is normally used on the last shot of the film to depict the ending.

Fading out followed by a fade in to a new shot depicts the passing of time or change in location.

A dissolve is the term used when one shot fades away and another appears. It joins the two shots together by cross dissolving the footage. The speed of the dissolve is important. You want the dissolve in a chase scene to be quick compared to a dissolve in a waltz dance scene. The editor must always be aware of the mood of each scene.

Dissolve

The audio is the sound recorded with the footage. Your editing software will have audio tracks that allow you to manipulate the audio. You may decide to add music in the background at some point/s. In order for the music not to override the dialogue, you will need to adjust the music track to reduce the volume whilst the dialogue is spoken and then re-adjust as necessary.

Audio

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Producing a Radio Play

A radio play relies solely on a good script, dialogue, music and sound effects to capture an audience and enable them to visualise the story in their “mind’s eye”. Therefore, producing a radio play requires the chosen cast to develop their voices so as to be heard and understood. The voice is a powerful tool. The quality of the voice is dependant on tone, resonance, pitch, power and tempo. Sloppy pronunciation, mumbling or a monotonous droning voice are not acceptable.

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Timing when delivering lines should be well-rehearsed, yet seem spontaneous. Good technical assistance with music and sound effects is very important.

Script

Sift through the script and highlight where sound effects are needed. Select the sound technicians who will be in charge of operating the CD player. They must be present at every rehearsal with a back up technician.

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Most importantly, the director must be chosen carefully and should have a good ear for vocal expression by the actors allowing him/her to direct accordingly.

When preparing to produce a radio play, it is the actors’ voices that must be rehearsed and directed. Actors must learn to listen to themselves and train their ears to hear correct sounds that will enable them to pronounce and phrase the words correctly. This is where recording the dialogue becomes quite helpful. During every rehearsal, the dialogue should be recorded with the inclusion of the sound effects and then played back and discussed. Once the actors are comfortable with their lines and how to portray their character, you may want to proceed with the master recording. The use of an omni-directional microphone is best.

Rehearsals

© Re adyEdPubl i cat i ons Sound effects •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Sound effects should be used sparingly and should support the story and suggested action. Too many sound effects may make the play difficult to produce and detract from the story. Sounds that must be timed precisely with the dialogue should be done manually, e.g. a knock on the door.

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Sound effects or music that serve as background or mood-setting should be pre-recorded on a blank CD in sequence to the script and marked according to its sound, such as: Track 1: Introduction music, Track 2: Typing on computer, etc. Make sure to leave long enough pauses between sound effects. The specially made soundtrack for the script can then be used at every rehearsal using a CD player or through the sound system to be used during the “true recording”.

HOT TIP: Sound effect technicians should stick with using the same sound system they have been using during rehearsals. If a CD player was used throughout rehearsals, then changing to a bigger and better CD player or sound system at the time the ‘true recording’ is to take place, may result in failing the sound effects cues for the simple reason that the sound technician is not as familiar with the new equipment. Don’t make last minute equipment changes!

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Where to find sound effects: There are many sound effects CDs available for purchase or some can be downloaded from the Internet. Try: www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/production/html/sound.html

Converting Can Anybody Hear Me? Stage Play into a Radio Play This can be done individually by each student and then notes are compared and discussed as a group. The script notes can be rewritten into the narrator’s dialogue and sound effects can be highlighted in different colours to depict either music or sounds needed. Extra sound effects will be needed such as mini cymbals to symbolise a magical sound when the toys come to life, music box sound to symbolise the ballerina, circus music sound for the clown, robot type sounds for mechanical man and so on.

The radio play version of Can Anybody Hear Me? is available at www.jacquelinmelilli.com Ready-Ed Publications

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Putting on a Puppet Show Puppet shows are fun and very simple to organise. A show can be as simple as using Barbie and Ken dolls in appropriate costumes and stuffed toy animals. Make sure the scale of the puppets is realistic. A stuffed dog shouldn’t be twice the size of the doll being used.

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Choose the cast who will be the “voice actors”. As they will be out of view of the audience, they will need to have well-projected voices. Secondly, choose the cast who will manipulate the puppets. You may have the cast both manipulate and speak the character roles. However, to enable good voice projection and not be inhibited by the restrictions of the puppet stage, it is best for voice actors to work separately offstage – in view of the puppets, yet out of view of the audience and possibly with the use of a microphone.

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Cast

A very simple puppet stage can be created using two ladders which support the painted backdrop. The painted backdrop can be made using a large piece of calico. Students can then paint the appropriate scenery on the backdrop and glue the top of the backdrop onto a large roller such as is used in pull down blinds. Screw some holes into the ladder and attach the backdrop. The backdrop is then rolled up ready to use. If there are different scenery changes, make a few different backdrops and unroll them between scenes.

Puppet Stage

An even better alternative (if possible) is to use old vinyl roll down blinds and design the scenery with crayons and paint. Have a hunt around second-hand shops or garage sales for old blinds.

Include requests in school newsletters.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Sound and Lighting •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Use old pull down blinds or calico fabric

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Keep in mind the same things as you would for a theatre production although, for puppet shows, the lighting is best kept simple. If wanting to depict night time or to create a mood of tension, lights can be dimmed and a torch can be used as a spotlight.

Steps on and off with pull down blinds

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A-frame ladder

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A-frame ladder

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For: Can Anybody Hear Me?

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Please note: The script for the stage play Can Anybody Hear Me? (on Page 35) has two scenes. However, when converting a stage play into a film script, scenes are broken down differently and therefore do not relate in any way to the stageplay’s scene numbers. The following suggested shooting sequence shows how the script could be shot using a total of six scenes. The director may, however, wish to break the scenes up even more into smaller scenes.

If you are filming Can Anybody Hear Me? simply as a fun project to allow students to get the feel of filming and you would like to cut down the length due to time limitations, the singing and dancing scene of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” can be deleted.

IMPORTANT: For those who have never made a film before, you may want to start out with making a five or ten minute film first. If this is the case then use the Suggested Shooting Script sequence below as a guide and take excerpts of the script and condense the story to five or ten minutes.

©Filming Re ady E u bl i ca t i snotes on terminology has beend usedP in the notes below.

Refer too then filming Page 20. At the end of each scene, a note for editing is included so you know where the scene willv fiti ine your film. p •f o r r e w ur posesonl y•

Scene 2

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Scene 1

MOTHER AND FATHER ARGUING

MOTHER AND FATHER IN SARAH’S BEDROOM

(Centre)

All cast members are in this scene so careful choice of shots is needed as it would be very difficult for all the toys to stand perfectly still for too long. Continuity assistants will need to take digital photos of the exact positioning of the toys on the set as well as their facial expressions, focal points and body positions. This is important so that the following scenes are not affected by any changes in the positions of the toys. The toys should be given one spot each on the set to focus on, so their eyes remain looking in the same direction. It would be very helpful to make sure this particular scene has been well-rehearsed so that not too many takes are required. Closer shots would be recommended so the toys are not always in view. It is best not to have any of the toys standing directly behind Sarah and her Mother and Father so as to keep them out of shot.

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Suggestion: This scene can be started with a long shot of mother and father arguing. Sarah can be seen in the background with her hands covering her ears.

You can either zoom in a closer shot of Sarah or cut to Sarah with her hands covering her ears.

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 4

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Scene 3

Scene 5

FATHER SPEAKING WITH SARAH

TOYS TRY TO SOLVE SARAH’S PROBLEM

(Sarah’s bedroom)

This scene can be broken up with the beginning and ending dialogues as follows:

Start the scene with Father at Sarah’s door asking to come in, and then proceeding to enter. Once again, keep in mind that toys need to be still so careful planning of shots is needed as well as the scene being wellrehearsed prior to shooting.

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EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 2

START: Teddy Bear: We care about you Sarah and we know exactly how you feel.

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Barbie Doll: You guys have got it all wrong. Sarah, the way to shake those blues away is to party girl. Do some grooving. Shake those booties!

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Scene 4

SARAH ENTERS HER BEDROOM/TOYS COME TO LIFE It is recommended to avoid taking any close-ups of the toys when Sarah enters the room, so as not to bring attention to them until they actually “come to life”. This will create more of a surprise for the audience. Again, ensure that the toys are in the exact same positions for their still shots prior to them coming to life. The toys coming to life should be wellchoreographed with each toy moving in a way that shows its characteristics. Some of the school’s musicians may like to compose an opening number to give this scene a magical and exciting feel to it.

Scene 6

BARBIE AND TOYS’ DANCE SCENE

This scene should also be well-choreographed and rehearsed prior to shooting. It is up to the director’s discretion whether to include music in this scene or whether to just have the toys/actors sing it through.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 3

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Optional Scenes

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If there is more than one camera available for shooting the director may want to consider assigning a camera operator to shoot all the cut-ins and cutaway shots. Suggested shots include: • Sarah’s hand tugging Father’s sleeve.

• Shot of Sarah’s point of view (POV) looking up from the floor at her parents after she faints. (The camera operator can lie on the floor and point camera up to the parents.)

• Gorilla’s mask.

• Rag Doll’s pen and pad.

• Mechanical Man’s button on his back which Rag Doll presses to switch him back on.

• Barbie Doll standing still (scene when Mother and Father look at her then back at Sarah).

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WORKSHEET

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SStudent Worksheets:

Teachers’ Notes

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STUDENT

Knowing the character is an essential part of preparation for any sort of theatrical production. Understanding the script is another important step. Use the following student worksheets with your class as an introduction to the play.

Character Profiles © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Story Comprehension This activity can be completed following initial read-throughs of the script.

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Students can complete a character analysis for EACH character of the play. Alternatively, they can choose to focus on only the character that they will be portraying.

Hand out the Analysing Characters activities (sheets 1 and 2 on Pages 26-27) prior to the Character Profile sheets and read through as a class, using examples where possible. Make sure students use the most of the workspace given and encourage them to put as much description into their character analysis as possible.

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Analysing Characters - 1 Use the notes below to help you complete the character profiles on Pages 28-29.

r o e t s Bo r Era born e p o u k Mannerisms S

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Nationality

What country was the person born in? Does he/ she have an accent?

Examples include fidgeting, fiddling with hair, nail biting, cracking knuckles, nervous twitches, excessive blinking and so on.

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(This point can be left out if not applicable.)

Examples are: A hippie born in the ’60s. If the character is older, e.g. a grandparent, find out roughly when he/she was born and study that era.

Part of a person’s personality is reflected by the era he/she was born in and the beliefs and values at that time.

Family Background

Same questions may be asked about parents. Were his/her parents hippies? Workaholics? Strict? Easy going? Well-educated? Wealthy? Poor? Famous?

Criminals? Did his/her parents divorce? One or both parents die? Was the character put in foster homes, raised in an orphanage or by close relatives? Does the character have siblings?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Physical Appearance •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Characteristic

Introverted , Extroverted

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Aggressive , Gentle

Attitudes and Beliefs

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Is the person young or old? Tall or short? Strong and muscular? Weak and sickly? Hunched over?

Hairy? Toothless?

What is the character’s attitude to life? Does he/ she take life seriously or is he/she reckless? What is his/her attitude towards family, money, and social issues? What are the character’s personal beliefs?

What is the character really passionate about?

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Nervous , Laidback

Good Points

Optimistic , Pessimistic Generous , Stingy Kind , Cruel

Does the character have any particular talents or skills? Does he/she take the time to help someone in need? Is he/she reliable?

Popular , Unpopular Hard worker , Lazy Leader , Follower

Over reacts , Stays calm Bossy , Takes orders

Bad Points Is the character selfish or have an ego problem.

Does he/she tend to run away from problems or pass the blame?

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Analysing Characters - 2 Use the notes below to help you complete the character profiles on Pages 28-29.

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Dress Code

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A person’s hairstyle may also be influenced by the era they grew up in. Some people keep the same hairstyle they have always had as it gives them a sense of security. Once again, an extroverted person may have a radical hairstyle or high maintenance hair (bleach blonde, coloured, teased and sprayed).

A job or occupation can also dictate hairstyles.

• What circumstances, conditions and events from the past are responsible for the present life of the character?

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Some extroverted people like to wear loud, unusual or revealing clothes. Introverted people may be more conservative. A person’s job or occupation may also dictate what he/she wears. For example, a businessman may wear suits whereas an artist may choose casual clothes.

• Does the character have strong ideas, opinions and feelings? Is the character easily swayed from these convictions?

• Are the character’s goals worthy or are they dishonest?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons • Has the character been greatly affected by •f o r r e v i e w p u r p os esoro nl y• his/her success failure?

Education

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Give details about his/her type of job, hobbies and interests if applicable.

• How have other characters been affected by one character’s success or failure?

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Is the character academic? Creative? Sporty? Welleducated? Entrepreneurial?

• How does this character feel about those who stand in his/her way?

Biggest Influences . te o c . che e r o t r s super Personal Goals

Who were the biggest influences in the character’s life? Was it a parent, sibling, relative, friend or possibly an outside source?

• What do you like or dislike about this character’s personality?

• Are there strong motivations for what this character says and does?

What are the character’s personal goals and how does this influence his/her behavior? What lengths does the character take to achieve his/her goal/s?

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Character Profile A Complete the character profile and paste or draw a picture into the box.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

Characteristics: ________________________

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Mannerisms: __________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

Family background: _____________________

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Age: _________________________________

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Era born: ______________________________

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Nationality: ___________________________

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Physical appearance: ___________________

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Attitudes and beliefs: ____________________

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m . u

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Name: ________________________________

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Character Profile B Type of job: ____________________________

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Good points: ____________________________

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Bad points: _____________________________

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Hobbies and interests: ____________________

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Dress code: (include hairstyle, jewellery, etc.)

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Biggest influences: ______________________

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Education: _____________________________

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Personal goals: _________________________

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Story Comprehension Activities

A

Read through the script of Can Anybody Hear Me? and complete the following.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

1. Why do you think Sarah was trying to get her parents’ attention whilst they were arguing?

4. How does Mechanical Man handle problems? ___________________________________ ___________________________________

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5. How does Clown handle problems?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

2. Why do you think Sarah felt so frustrated?

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3. How does Teddy handle problems?

6. How does Rag Doll handle problems?

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Story Comprehension Activities

B

Read through the script of Can Anybody Hear Me? and complete the following.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

7. How does Barbie handle problems?

Teac he r

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10.What did Sarah do to find out the truth about whether her father would have preferred to have a son? ___________________________________

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11. Why do you think it was important for Sarah’s father to be honest about how he felt? ___________________________________ ___________________________________

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8. How does Ballerina handle problems?

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9. Which of the toys do you most relate to and why? ___________________________________

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12. How do you solve your problems?

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About the Play

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Can Anybody Hear Me? An Australian Fairytale WRITTEN BY JACQUELIN MELILLI (©) 2002

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Coffs Jetty Memorial Theatre •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• FIRST PERFORMED AT FOR THE

Spring on Stage Theatre Festival 2002

Coffs Regional Conservatorium Drama Troupe

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DIRECTED BY JACQUELIN MELILLI

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Original Cast

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BY THE

Sarah...........................................................Camille Softley Sarah’s Father............................................. Adrian Marinic Sarah’s Mother .................................. Stephanie McFarlane Ballerina ............................................... Laurinda Harradine Barbie Doll ..................................................Hannah Brauer Clown .................................................................. Tresc Bax Mechanical Man.......................................... Alex Shellback Rag Doll....................................................... Corrine Softley Teddy Bear .........................................................Erin Gatley

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Suggested Costumes and Props r o e t s Bo r e

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Costumes:

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Father:

Trousers, shirt, tie, belt, shoes, watch, wedding ring, hair gelled back.

Sarah:

Pyjamas, slippers, gorilla mask, toy gun.

Teddy Bear:

Bear costume. Face painted.

Teac he r

Dress, stockings, shoes, necklace, hair tied in a loose bun, earrings, watch, wedding ring.

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Mother:

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •Rag f o rr ev i ew r po esstriped onstockings, l y• Doll: Raggedy Anne p typeu costume ands make-up: Mechanical Man: Silver costume, long sleeves and pants. Face and hair painted silver. Silver boots.

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Clown:

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Barbie Doll: Ballerina:

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pantaloons, apron with pocket and hanky poking out. Woolly red wig, braided with big colourful ribbons. Big buckled shoes.

Pad and pen.

Clown costume, bright coloured wig, big red nose. Face painted, juggling balls.

Cowgirl costume, denim fringed skirt, American flag top, cowgirl hat and boots. Handbag with accessories.

o c . che e r o t r s suProps: per

Ballet costume with tutu, stockings and ballet lace up slippers.

Tiara.

Four stage boxes. Two placed together to resemble bed and covered with doona and pillow. Other two boxes to be placed backstage on either side, left and right of the bed (centred). Ballerina to stand on one. Rag Doll to lean on the other.

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Teac he r

An Australian Fairytale Cast

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r o e t s Bo Can Anybody r e p ok u S Hear Me?

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Setting the Scene

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Sarah ................................................... around ten years old Sarah’s Father ....................................... a busy working Dad Sarah’s Mother ....................... a.very organised Super Mum Teddy Bear .................................... sensitive and affectionate Rag Doll .............................. homely, kindhearted and caring Barbie ....................................... vain, superficial, a party girl Ballerina ........................... disciplined, dedicated, determined Mechanical Man .............................. logical and unemotional Clown .................................................... a joker, very artistic

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Amidst her mother and father arguing, Sarah wants to be heard. Instead she gets sent to her room. One magical night, Sarah’s toys come to life to help her sort out some of life’s difficult problems. Teddy fixes everything with cuddles. Barbie thinks looking beautiful is best. Rag Doll bakes delicious treats in times of stress. Ballerina focuses on a strict regime of very little food and plenty of dancing to fulfill her dreams. Clown laughs his way through everything and Mechanical Man tries to solve everyone’s problems – or is he the cause of them?

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Script

Scene One

Setting: Front stage curtain is closed. Sarah’s mother and

father are arguing. They stand far enough down stage centre to allow Sarah room to move behind them. The argument is becoming quite heated. Both are completely unaware of how loud they are shouting.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Sarah is standing S downstage right with her hands covering her ears.

Mother:

I can’t believe you took money out of our bank account without talking to me about it first.

Father:

Well believe it. It’s my account too.

You know the was.

How © Rea dy Ewhat dP uagreement bl i cat i on scould you not tell me?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Mother:

The reason I didn’t tell you was because I knew you’d kick up a stink and I was right!

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Mother:

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Father:

How dare you! You don’t think buying YOURSELF a $2000 car stereo gives me the right to kick up a stink?

o c . cfather As her mother and become louder, Sarah approaches her father e h r ocompletely engrossed t r and tugs at his sleeve.e Both mother and father, s s r upe in their argument, ignore Sarah.

Father:

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Not now, Sarah. (Turning back to Mother) Look, I work hard and I don’t see why I should have to ask you for permission every time I want to buy something.

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Sarah attempts to get her mother and father’s attention by faking a fainting spell.

Sarah:

I think I’m going to faint!

She places her wrist on her forehead and falls to the floor, raising her legs in the air and shaking them before dropping them to the floor. Her mother and father don’t notice.

Father:

spree?

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Mother:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SHow would you feel if I went out on a $2000 spending (Shrugs his shoulders) You can do what you like.

You do anyway.

Sarah gets up off the floor.

Sarah pulls at her Father’s sleeve again.

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Sarah:

Father: Sarah:

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Mother: I do not! I’m not as selfish as you are. That money •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• was for our holiday.

(Stamping her foot) Daddy, I need to talk to you.

o c . c e That’s not fair!

Why is it that grown-ups are allowed her r o st to behave s likeu children and children are supposed to per I said, not now!

behave like grown-ups and you’re allowed to get mad and shout at each other and if I try to get mad, you send me to my room!

Sarah’s mother and father look at each other then turn and yell at Sarah.

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Mother & father:

Go to your room, Sarah!

Sarah:

See! Nobody listens to me!

Sarah walks away downstage left with her head down as both her mother and father continue to argue.

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Teac he r

Father:

r o e t s Bo r Look, making me feel guilty is not going to work this e p oksomething from time. I earn the right to buy myself u S time to time. I work hard, I deserve it.

Mother:

I work hard too, you know!

Father:

And do I ever stop you from buying yourself anything?

Never! Your wardrobe is full of clothes, shoes, makeup. You name it, you’ve got it, but do I complain? No!

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Downstage left: Sarah pokes her head out from behind the stage •She f or r ev i ewonto pu r p ose sdramatically onl y•drags curtain. lowers herself the floor and

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Sarah:

Help me. Somebody, help me!

Sarah goes unnoticed. Exits downstage right.

. t Mother: e Father:

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herself across the stage as if she is dying.

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That’s different, I’m a woman. A woman was born to shop. It’s in our genes! Besides, I don’t spend thousands of dollars in one hit. I buy things when they’re on sale.

If I was to add up all the little things you bought on sale it would add up to thousands of dollars! So you see, we’re even in the long run.

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Mother:

Don’t use that psychology stuff on me. It’s not logical!

The point is, you’ve spent our holiday money so you’ll have to send that stereo back and get a refund.

Sarah enters downstage right wearing a gorilla mask and carrying a gun. She points it at her mother and father.

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Sarah:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Hands up, this is a hold up! u S

They still don’t notice. Sarah exits downstage left in a huff.

Father:

Oh, no I’m not. I’ve waited years to buy this stereo and every time I’ve gone to get some money out of our account, it has always been spent on something else. Well, I’ve finally sneaked in there before you! © Re ad yEd Pu bl i ca t i ons (He rubs his hands together and chuckles)

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Father begins to walk downstage left.

Where are you going? Nothing’s been solved yet.

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Father:

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Mother:

There’s nothing to solve. It’s done. Now get over it.

(Exits downstage left)

o c . che e r o t r s supe r Mother follows him exiting downstage left.

Mother:

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Don’t you walk away from me!

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Scene Two

Front stage curtain opens to reveal Sarah’s bedroom. Sarah enters centre stage left, walks over to her bed centre stage and sits on it. She is surrounded by her toys. A big teddy bear, a Barbie doll, a mechanical man, a ballerina, a rag doll and a clown. Sarah looks sad and frustrated.

Can anybody hear me?

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Sarah:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u could walk down the street in my underwear and S Inobody would notice. Does anyone care? (Yells out)

She places her elbows on her knees and props her chin into her palms.

Slowly, her toys come to life.

(Altogether) canb hear you. © Rea dyEdWe Pu l i c at i ons •f orr evi ew atpher ur po se sonl y• Startled, Sarah looks around toys in amazement.

Toys:

Wow! Am I dreaming?

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Sarah:

The toys move in a dreamlike way, slowly at first, then they click and become realistic. Teddy sways gently, wrapping his arms around himself in a cuddle. Barbie walks around “catwalk” style, occasionally flipping her hair back, Mechanical Man is constantly moving in slow motion with jerky staccato movements, Ballerina dances around the stage. Rag Doll is floppy, trying to keep her body and head in balance.

Clown is juggling some balls with a big grin on his face.

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Teddy moves over to Sarah and sits on the bed beside her. He gives Sarah a big cuddle. Sarah leans her head on Teddy’s shoulder, enjoying the cuddle.

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Teddy Bear:

We care about you Sarah and we know exactly how you feel.

Sarah:

You do?

Rag Doll:

Sure we do.

Sarah:

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Sarah:

Well sweetheart, it’s not like you don’t ignore us when it suits you. We have feelings too you know.

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Barbie Doll:

r o e t s Bo r e How’s that? p ok u S (Speaks with an American accent) How can you have feelings, you’re a toy?

(Speaks with a French accent) Some grown-ups © Re adyEdPubl i cat i ons think that children don’t ‘ave feelings just because zhey don’t about zhem.

•f orr evi ewtalkp ur p osesonl y•

Ballerina:

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Teddy Bear:

Mechanical Man: Clown:

I can’t really talk about them because I just feel sad or angry sometimes without really knowing why I am.

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Sarah:

Exactly, that’s why cuddles fix everything! (Teddy wraps his arms around Sarah)

o c . c e herthere’s more tos r Nonsense, life than cuddles. We must o t s r u e p get to the root of the problem.

There’s nothing a good old joke won’t fix! Do you know why eggs don’t tell each other jokes?

Everyone shakes their head.

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Clown:

Because they’re afraid of cracking up.

Everyone laughs.

Clown:

So, why did the tomato blush?

r o e t s Bo r e Clown: Because he saw the salad dressing. p ok u S Everyone laughs.

Clown:

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Teac he r

Everyone shrugs their shoulders.

And, why was the little strawberry upset?

They all shrug their shoulders again.

Because his mother and father were in a jam. © Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons They all laugh •f oragain. r evi ew pur posesonl y• Clown:

Ragdoll:

Ok, that’s enough thanks, Clown. Personally, I think there’s nothing like freshly-baked cookies and milk to ease away those troubles. Of course, chocolate cake will also do the trick as long as it has plenty of icing, jam and cream. Fudge! Yes fudge is another good one! (Takes pen and pad from her pocket) Can I take your order? I can whip anything up in a jiffy!

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Ballerina:

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Did you hear the one about ...?

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Clown:

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Please, don’t talk about food. I zhink I’m going to faint. I ‘aven’t eaten in ages! (Puts her wrist to her forehead in fainting mode. Teddy grabs hold of her to settle her) 41

Barbie Doll:

Rag Doll, can’t you think of anything else besides food? You could be a little more considerate. You know I’m on a diet.

Clown:

You’re always on a diet. Do you know how to spell DIET? It’s DIE, (Pretends he’s dying) with a T at the end.

Ragdoll:

nightmare, not to mention collagen injections in the lips. That’s extremely painful!

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Teac he r

Barbie Doll:

r o e t s Bo r e pyou’re always telling those stupid okjokes. It takes And u Sa lot of effort to look like this. Lipo-suction is a

Haven’t you learnt yet that beauty comes from the inside?

Barbie Doll:© Re Oh, please, look Mechanical Man. In wouldn’t ad yE datP ubl i ca t i o s call four double ‘A’ batteries beautiful.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think you’re all beautiful.

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Teddy Bear:

Mechanical Man: I take two D size batteries, thank you. Now enough about beauty and feelings. It’s all hogwash! You must learn to use logic to solve problems ... problems ... prob ... (He shuts off and flops forward in a semibent position)

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Ragdoll:

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o c . che e r o t r s super

I can fix him. Your cousin Jordan didn’t switch him off last time he was here and Mechanical Man walked straight out the door and fell down the stairs. He’s had a loose wire every since. Poor thing! It’s bad enough having a stuttering problem without conking out in mid sentence as well.

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Rag Doll presses a button on Mechanical Man’s back and he comes back to life.

Clown:

Problems, problems, problems. (He says each word as he juggles a ball) Who cares about problems?

Life’s about having fun, not worrying about problems.

Sarah:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S (Lifts pen to pad) Would some honey cakes help?

Well how do you ever solve anything then?

Teddy Bear:

Zhere you go again, talking about food. I must not zhink about food. Dance, dance, dance! (She dances around the stage with a determined look on her face) Dancing take away allt your troubles © Rea dy Edwill Pu bl i ca i on s Sarah.

When you dance, everybody loves you. Zhey simply •f orr ev i ew ur p os sonl y• cannot takep zheir eyes offe you.

Barbie Doll:

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Sweetheart, you’re so skinny, people would have trouble finding you. Has anorexia ever entered your mind?

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Ballerina:

Absolutely, and a great big hug.

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Ragdoll:

o c . che Barbie looks outraged and glares at Ballerina.r e o r st super Ballerina:

Ha, you should talk! Rubber thighs!

Sarah:

Ballerina, why are you afraid of eating?

Ballerina:

Well zat is a silly question. Everybody knows zat a ballerina must be slim and tall and in ze best physical condition. If we are not, we are simply thrown out of ze Royal Ballet Academy.

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Sarah:

Well surely that’s not the end of the world. Aren’t there other academies or other things you could do?

Ballerina:

What else is there? Ballet is my life. It is every ballerina’s dream to belong to the Royal Ballet Academy.

Ballerina:

Clown:

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Sarah:

r o e t s Bo r e p o Isn’t it best to follow your heart? k u S

Oh, no, no, no! I did not work so hard to give it all up now! I must be ze prima ballerina. The stage belongs to moi.

Oh, brother! I think I’m going to throw up!

ad yE dgreat!

Pub i cat i o ns and a Teddy Bear:© Re Well that’s just Anl anorexic ballerina bulimic clown!

•f orr evi e w pur posesonl y•

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Waffles are good for an unsettled stomach. And they don’t smell so bad when you throw them up. Waffles anyone? (Lifts pen to pad)

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Ragdoll:

Mechanical Man: A little grease and oil is more to my liking, liking, liking ... SHUTTING DOWN! (He conks out coming to a stop in a semi-bent position) Barbie Doll:

o c . che e r o t r s upsale er This guy’ss garage material. He’s going to need more than a grease and oil change!

Ragdoll:

Have a heart, Barbie!

Barbie Doll:

I didn’t come with accessories.

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Rag Doll moves towards the mechanical man in her floppy way and pushes the button on his back. He comes back to life.

Mechanical Man: I heard that, Fat Lips. You’ve been trying to get rid of me ever since I came here.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

That’s because a mechanical man does not belong in Sarah’s room. You are clearly a boy’s toy. An annoying reminder that Sarah’s Dad had hoped for a son!

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Barbie Doll:

All the toys looked shocked that Barbie would let this slip out. Sarah bursts into tears.

Sarah:

(Sobbing) What did you say?

© Rea dy Ewhat dP ubl i caHow t i ocould nsyou be so Teddy Bear: Now look you’ve done! thoughtless? (Bursts into tears also) I need a hug.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Barbie Doll: Sarah:

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Teddy Bear: Sarah:

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Teddy grabs hold of Sarah. Both cry on each other’s shoulders.

(Mimicking) Oops! I did it again!

Now I understand everything! (She wails)

o c . ch e What do you mean, Sarah? r er o st super

Mum and Dad were fighting again tonight. I tried to interrupt them but they sent me to my room. I feel like I’m invisible sometimes. Now I understand why they don’t pay any attention to me. It’s because they wanted a boy, not me!

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Teddy Bear:

Oh dear! That can’t be right. I’m sure Barbie heard wrong. She’s had her ears pinned back you know, it came with her face-lift at no extra cost.

Barbie Doll:

How dare you tell everyone my beauty secrets!

r o e t s Bo r e p oyou switch him (Angrily looking at Rag Doll) Cank u Soff again?

Mechanical Man: As if we didn’t already know!

Clown:

Careful Mechanical Man. She’ll sue the pants off you.

Mechanical Man: I’m not wearing any.

Clown:

© Re ad EdPubl i cat i ons Just asy well.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• (Wrinkling up their noses) Eeewww!

Sarah:

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Stop it! This is a disaster and all you care about is your looks. (Glares at Barbie) I’m never playing with you again.

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All:

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Barbie Doll:

o c . che e r o t r ssold you off years ago. uIp er Don’t you s talk. should have

Mechanical Man: Ha! Now who’s garage sale material Miss Snooty Airs!

Sarah:

I always was suspicious of you. (She turns to Teddy) So it’s true then! They didn’t want me?

Teddy Bear:

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Oh dear! I don’t know what to do in these situations.

Would a cuddle help you to feel better?

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Sarah:

I guess so.

Teddy gives Sarah another big cuddle. Sarah snuggles into Teddy.

Mechanical Man: That won’t solve her problem. Sarah you have to be more precise. What exactly is your problem?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Mechanical Man: I have a spell check. You could try spelling it out?

Are your wires that loose or do you have a hearing problem?

Sarah slaps her forehead.

Sarah:

It doesn’t matter.

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Sarah:

Mechanical Nonsense, of course itl matters or wouldn’t be ©Man: Rea dyEd Pub i cat i oyou ns moping. Now spill the beans. We must solve this •f orr ev i ewright pu r pbefore ose on y • problem away Is conk outl again.

Please do.

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Barbie Doll:

Sarah cringes and looks like she’s about to burst into tears.

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o c . che e r o t r s super Sarah shakes her head.

Ragdoll:

Teddy Bear:

Oh dear, you’re upsetting her. Let me handle this.

Would you like me to bake you a coconut slice?

(Lifts pen to pad)

No, I think she needs another cuddle.

Teddy cuddles Sarah again. Sarah looks overwhelmed.

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Clown:

Let me handle this. I’m sure to cheer her up.

Clown does some cartwheels, then attempts to walk on his hands before falling in a heap on the floor. They all laugh.

Clown:

I’ve got an idea Sarah. Do you want to run away with me and join the circus? It’s been a dream of mine for years, but you never let me out of this room.

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Teddy Bear:

Ragdoll:

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Sarah bursts into Stears. Teddy looks dismayed.

Oh quick, let me fix it. (Cuddles Sarah again) You shouldn’t have mentioned running away. That’s a stupid idea.

I can have that slice baked in a jiffy. Or, cookies and © Re ad yE dP ubl i cat i ons milk always fixes everything.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• You guys have got it all wrong. Sarah, the way to

Barbie Doll:

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shake those blues away is to party, girl. Do some grooving. Shake those booties!

Barbie breaks into a rap song and dance routine. Sarah watches, wide-eyed. The toys join in with Barbie.

. te Barbie Doll: Toys:

o c . che e r o t r s super

(Singing rap style) Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

White as snow!

Barbie Doll:

And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.

Toys:

Sure to go!

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Barbie Doll:

It was a little lamb.

Toys:

It was a little lamb.

Barbie Doll:

Its fleece was white as snow.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Barbie Doll: Mary, Mary, Mary. u S Its fleece was white as snow.

Toys:

Mary, Mary, Mary.

Barbie Doll:

Had a little little lambie.

Toys:

Had a little little lambie.

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Toys:

© Rea dy E dPu l i ca t i o nssong and Barbie Doll: Hey, yo.

(Repeat 4b times, then repeat “Hey, yo”p 4u times •f orr ev i ew r pagain) osesonl y• Sarah:

(stands up and yells over the singing) Will somebody just listen to me! What good are you toys?

I need someone to listen to me.

m . u

Hey, yo.

w ww

Toys:

. te o c A knock is heardc off stage. The toys rush back into their original . e he r opening positions and freeze. o t r s super Father:

Sarah. Can I come in?

Sarah walks back and sits on her bed.

Sarah: Ready-Ed Publications

Sure, Dad. 49

Enter Father from centre stage left.

Father:

I’m sorry about before.

Sarah:

That’s OK.

r o e t s Bo r e Did something? pyou want to talk to me abouto u k SIt doesn’t really matter.

Father sits on the bed next to Sarah.

Sarah:

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Teac he r

Father:

Father:

Are you sure? It seemed important.

Sarah:

(Shrugging her shoulders) Not really.

Father:

OK, then.

Do want mel toc tuck you in?s © Re ad yEyou dP ub i at i on •f orr evi ew ur po ses l y •Dad. (Rolling her p eyes) I’m getting tooo oldn for that

Father:

You’ll always be my little girl.

w ww

Sarah:

Father: Sarah:

. te

m . u

Sarah:

(Takes a deep breath, deciding to speak up) Dad, I’m thinking about giving up gymnastics.

o c . che e r o t r s super I’ve been thinking about taking up soccer instead.

(Looks shocked) Why’s that? You’ve worked so hard sweetheart and you’re doing so well.

Father:

(Looks very surprised) Soccer? Why on earth would you want to play soccer? That’s not like you at all.

Sarah:

Well, you’d like it if I played soccer wouldn’t you?

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Father:

(Looking confused) Sarah, what is this about? You and I both know you’d hate playing soccer. What’s got into you?

Sarah:

Ok, well what about if I played golf with you?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Nothing, Dad. I just thought if I played soccer or

Golf? Why would you want to play golf? It’s never interested you before. Sarah, what’s going on in that head of yours?

Sarah:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Father:

something, you could be my coach and we could do stuff together.

Father looks at Sarah intently, thinking for a while.

Ok, soisE this way ofi telling me that © Rea dy dyour Pu bl c at i on swe need to spend more time together?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Father:

Father:

Why would I not want to?

Sarah:

I don’t know, maybe you kinda wished I were a boy or something.

. te

Father: Sarah:

m . u

Not if you don’t want to.

w ww

Sarah:

o c . ch e What gave you that idea? r er o st super

I don’t know. I suppose all Dads wish they had a son.

Father:

Sarah, who have you been talking to?

Sarah:

Barbie blurted it out.

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(Sarah points her thumb over to where Barbie is standing) I’m never playing with her again. I’m going to start collecting cars.

Father looks over to the Barbie doll then back at Sarah. He feels her forehead to see if she is running a fever. He calls offstage to Mother.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Enter Mother from S centre stage left. She stands beside Father.

Shelley, can you come in here a minute.

Mother:

What is it?

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Father:

Father stands up and whispers in Mother’s ear. They both look at Barbie Doll then over to Sarah.

Sarah, what’s nonsense about your © Re ady Edthis Pu bl i ca t i on sfather wanting a boy? You know your father loves you. We •f orr evdo. i ew pur posesonl y• both

Sarah:

w ww

Mother: Sarah:

. te

Well then, why do you two fight all the time and never pay attention to me?

m . u

Mother:

What do you mean we never pay attention to you?

You know that’s not true!

o c . c Yes, it is.

Just tonight you were both arguing and I e h r o and you wouldn’t t r was e trying tou get attention s s er pyour

listen to me. I even pretended to faint and you didn’t notice. Then I dragged myself across the room as if I was dying and you didn’t notice. When that didn’t work, I put on a gorilla mask and pointed a gun at you and you still didn’t notice me!

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Mother:

A gun? Where on earth did you get a gun?

Sarah:

Don’t sweat it. It was a toy gun. You know, the things boys love to play with. I finally got the hint.

Father:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Oh, Sarah, you’ve got it all wrong. Sometimes your father and I get caught up in our own world and we don’t realise that the people we love the most are feeling neglected. We are really sorry, sweetheart.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Mother:

I also thought about what you said, about adults behaving like children and children being expected to behave like adults. You were right, Sarah. Your mother and I need to be more careful how we behave in front of you. It is our responsibility to set a good © Rea dyE Pyou’ll ubl i cat i ons example.

Id hope forgive us.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Father:

There’s one other thing, Sarah. I have to admit, I was a little shocked when you brought up my having wanted a son. I’m not going to lie to you, I had hoped for a boy before you were born but that was before I knew any better. As soon as I took one look at you, I fell in love with you right away. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Except for your mother of course!

. te

m . u

That’s OK, Dad You’re only human after all.

w ww

Sarah:

o c . che e r o t r s super

They all laugh.

Mother:

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Now, there’s one more thing that’s worrying me.

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Sarah:

What’s that, Mum?

Mother:

What’s the story with the talking doll?

They all look at the Barbie doll who is standing perfectly still with her plastic smile intact.

Mother:

m . u

. te

ew i ev Pr

w ww

Father:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Well, toys aren’t perfect either. Barbie is obsessed with plastic surgery. She thinks looking beautiful is going to make her happy. Rag Doll likes to solve problems by baking delicious treats, which drives Ballerina crazy because she hates to eat in case she puts on weight and gets thrown out of the Royal Ballet Academy. Personally, I think she’s living someone else’s dream. She really just wants to be accepted and she’s scared of change. Teddy’s very emotional, hed keeps hugging you to © Re adyE Pu bl i ca t i odeath nsand is always nice to everyone. That’s his way out of •f orr evi e wany pu r p os eso nl ycracking • dealing with bad stuff.

Clown’s always jokes and being silly. He’s the kind to run off and join the circus at the first sign of trouble. And Mechanical Man is so serious and logical about everything. He’s so keen to solve problems that he forgets to listen to what the problem really is.

Teac he r

Sarah:

o c . che e r o t r She gets its from me, course! s up eofr How did our daughter get so smart?

They all laugh and hug each other. The toys wink at the audience as lights fade.

FINAL CURTAIN

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Other Plays Also Available by Jacquelin Melilli Little Red Meets the Dingo

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

- Award Winner at the Spring on Stage Theatre Festival - 2001 (previously known as Twin Red Riding Hoods. Also available on film)

Teac he r

Foreigners in Oztralia

ew i ev Pr

Little Red ignores her mother’s warnings about using the Internet Chat Rooms. Little does she know, the deceitful dingo, Din is planning his moves. When her mother drops out of yet another family gathering to put her career first, Little Red reacts by inviting Din to Granny’s birthday party with disastrous results. Little Red is taken hostage

by Der the dopey dingo, whilst Din is making Granny sign over her fortune in exchange for Little Red. Does the woodchopper come to the rescue? Does Din get his just desserts? You bet! Cast of six - three females/three males. One Act. Approximately 45 minutes. (Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

An Australian farce set in the outback with Anita and Frederick Higginbotham, an upper crust couple from England, visiting the outback for a taste of the real Australia (as portrayed in the travel brochure). Bazza and Shazza, the layback, kindhearted couple are their hosts living out in the sticks. Having first touched down in Sydney amidst the duty free shops, Anita & Frederick are in for a real shock when the reality of outback living is introduced to them. Bazza and Shazza’s six kids educate Anita and Frederick about Australia’s native animals with some hilarious results. Cast of ten - three males/three females and four children (can be male or female). One Act. Approximately 30 minutes.(Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Goldisocks and the Three Koalas

. te

Lost Child

m . u

w ww

- Award Winner at the Spring on Stage Theatre Festival – 2001 (also available on film) Goldilocks is ready to retire from her Fairytale career and has placed all her hopes on her daughter Goldisocks to follow in her footsteps. The problem is, Goldisocks has her own dreams to play soccer. With the “Big Audition” coming up, the pressure is on for Goldisocks to perform. However, having sneaked off to play soccer instead of going to her singing and dancing lessons, Goldisocks is in a bit of a jam. Her solution is to run away with a rest stop at the Three Koalas’ house, where Papa Koala just happens to be the Hot Shot Soccer Coach and Baby Koala surprises them all! Cast of six - three females/three males. One Act. Approximately 40 minutes.

(Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

o c . che e r o t r s super

A dark and shocking play centered around Jade, her friend Lexie, the undesirable and dangerous Tarik and Cass and the ill effects of drug addiction and the consequences attached. Jade, since losing her father at the age of ten, feels that she has also lost her identity. She numbs her pain by slowly self destructing, almost taking her best friend Lexie with her. Her younger sister, Skye is caught in the middle, bailing Jade out when things get tough.

Cast of eight - six females/two males or four females/two males with voice overs. Two Acts. Approximately 1 hour.

Script available from www.jacquelinmelilli.com

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