Drama: A Purpose for Writing by J Ross

Drama A Purpose for Writing

Northern Nevada Writing Project 2012 Melissa Bedford Sierra Vista Elementary

Rationale Initially I chose the topic of drama because it’s something I enjoy. I was told by my Masters Committee chair when conducting a research project its best to choose a topic that you’re interested in. Little did I know I would discover multiple benefits drama provides in education, such as building student self-confidence, practice with literacy skills, an opportunity for activities across the curriculum, high engagement levels, and a purpose for writing. The goal for teachers is to prepare their students to be “college and career ready.” However, I began to think of my own students and thought, as much as I want them to, not all of them will be going to college. In his book, Write Like This, Kelly Gallagher (2011) discusses how writing is not only a skill students need in school, but a skill they will need to succeed in the workforce (p. 3). When looking closely at the Common Core State Standards, although they are meant to help make our students “college and career ready,” they are really more focused on that “college readiness.” Students begin to see that the purpose for writing is to achieve academically and get into college. But what about my kids who don’t have college in their sights? How do I get them to become better writers if they don’t see a purpose for it? That’s where drama comes in. Highly engaging, drama can provide students with that purpose for writing. That writing can take the form of a script, a Chautauqua, an informative letter…drama is adaptable to incorporate any form of writing. As I conducted my research I found articles that supported the use of drama in education. I dove further into my inquiry and discovered a practice called “process drama,” which involves “imaginary, unscripted, and spontaneous scenes” where

students take on roles based on the topics their studying (Schneider & Jackson, 2000, p. 38). Teachers can then have their students compose written responses, which can take the form of the teacher’s choosing. As students take on these different roles they are highly engaged and when given the writing assignment have more of a “buy-in,” or purpose, for their writing. Essential Question Does drama provide students with a purpose for writing? Related Questions How can process drama help enhance learning? What drama activities can teachers use to support writing? Literature Review Drama is one of those words that doesn’t always have positive implications when associated with education. There are people who view it as nothing more than play and don’t consider it to be serious. When teachers do use drama they try to find other terms to use to describe their practice, such as “imaginative enquiry,” “experiential learning,” or “expressive art” (Bowell & Heap, 2010). There are benefits to using drama in the classroom, however, according to Bowell and Heap (2010), until members of the teaching community are willing to refer to drama as just that and not try to cover it up with fancy words, drama will not get the recognition it deserves.

During my research I found a number of resources supporting the use of drama. Advocates for drama argue that out of all the different art forms, “…drama involves the participant the most fully: intellectually, emotionally, physically, verbally, and socially” (McCaslin, 2000, p. 4). Drama stems from using one’s imagination, something that children do from a very early age. Moran (2006) discusses how when children participate in drama they have the opportunity to escape reality and take on different roles. When used in the classroom, as students take on these different roles they can develop a different perspective on the subject they’re studying. They learn about the troubles and morals of people other than themselves (McCaslin, 2000). Through these different lenses students are given a new reason for and interest in writing. Writing doesn’t have to be school chore, as many students see it. Through process drama, for example, students can “write in role” which allows them to think differently about what they’re going to write and the way they’re going to write it (Schneider & Jackson, 2000). In her study of process drama in her fifth grade class, Brenda Rosler (2008) found many benefits of having her students take on different roles, such as interpreting and analyzing multiples texts associated with the topic they were studying, high levels of student engagement, students taking on leadership roles, and peer collaboration. When her students were given the opportunity to be someone else Rosler gave them a new “voice in their learning” and a different understanding of history (p. 271). When students are given the chance to participate in drama activities that involve writing they get to practice the very essence of writing. The writing skills they work with

include: “…developing fictional characters, setting the scene, generating dialogue, creating conflict, and developing a theme” (Whitney, 2006, p. 55). Whether adapting a text to a script or writing an original play, students need to know how to identify, create, and use these different parts of reading and writing in their own writing. Brian Woolland (2008) says that when teachers use process drama there’s not a big jump from that to writing dialogue. Writing dialogue is just giving people words. When educators can make that connection between process drama and playwriting it becomes more than just an extension activity, but “a way of exploring relationships between the spoken and the written word” (p.6). Students will have a deeper connection with writing when they see the relationship between the written and spoken word. Additionally, drama is an activity that provides the opportunity for students to work cooperatively. It becomes a “communal art” where “each person is necessary to the whole” (McCaslin, 2000, p. 4). Learning how to work cooperatively with peers is a beneficial skill for their success in the real world. In Whitney’s (2006) opinion most of the writing that occurs in the workplace is a collaborative effort. In the classroom students can both write and perform together. In their peer groups student leaders will begin to emerge, as Brenda Rosler (2008) saw in her classroom, developing those leadership skills as well. If teachers want to introduce students to the art of drama they can begin by using readers theatre, which still helps in developing literacy skills. In readers theatre it is not required for participants to memorize their lines, one of the requirements most commonly associated with the theatre. By taking off that pressure to memorize lines, which can appear to

be a daunting act, students may be more inclined to participate. Once students begin to feel more comfortable with drama teachers can start incorporating activities like process drama and playwriting into their lessons. Ultimately drama is fun and once students feel comfortable participating in those types of activities in class they will request to do more. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen firsthand how engaging drama can be and all I merely did was had students adapt scripts. I plan on incorporating process drama into my classroom and can only imagine how much more interactive learning will be.

Common Core State Standards 6.RL.2 – Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. 6.RL.3 – Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. 6.RIT.7 – Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) as well as words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. 6.W.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. 6.W.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. 6.W.4 – Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 6.W.5 – With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 6.W.9 – Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

6.SL.1 – Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. 6.SL.6 – Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Supporting Materials The following is a sample readers theatre lesson plan and script from Nonfiction Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers by Anthony D. Fredericks. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written at a second grade reading level. Readers theatre is a good way to introduce students to drama. They are not required to memorize their lines, which can take the pressure off of having to get up in front of an audience. There are many resources that provide premade readers theatre scripts. To assign roles teachers can either ask for volunteers or hold auditions. Auditions would be more â&#x20AC;&#x153;professional,â&#x20AC;? if wanting to really use theatre at its best. They also teach students responsibility and accountability in reading your best and practicing you literacy skills. This readers theatre script could still be used at higher grade levels to help students practice readers theatre and get used to its format. Sometimes easier texts can help older students feel less intimidated by an activity such as drama.

The following is a teacher example of a Chautauqua based on the life of Mark Twain. This could be used as a mentor text to inspire your students to write their own Chautauqua on a historical figure. Chautauquas are a fun way for students to do a research project. Students would need to access informational text and take out important information to really portray the life of their figure accurately. Teachers can have their students choose historical figures based on their social studies standards.

Mark Twain Chautauqua Hello, my name is Samuel Clemens, but you probably know me better as Mark Twain. Most people know me as the man who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is now referred to as “the Great American Novel.” What an honor. Well let’s see, where to begin? First off, I was born on November 30 in the year 1835 in the small town of Florida, Missouri. I know I know…you’re probably thinking there’s a town called Florida? I thought that was a state? Well it’s both. I was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. We didn’t live in Florida (remember the town, not the state) for too long. When I was 4 my family and I moved to another town in Missouri called Hannibal. Boy did I love Hannibal. Those two books I told you I wrote, well…the town of Hannibal inspired the towns for those stories. I had a lot of fun in Hannibal; watching minstrel shows, visiting the library, and seeing all the steamboats running on the river. Unfortunately in 1847, my dad died so my mom became the head of the household. It was hard on her so I decided to find some work to help support the family. When I was about 12 I was an apprentice at the Hannibal Courier. I would help print the paper. Then at 15 I got another job as a printer, since I already had experience doing that, with my brother Orion’s newspaper called the Hannibal Western Union. Sometimes I’d even get to write and edit articles for the paper. As much as I loved working with the paper my dream was always to work on a steamboat. When I was 21 I finally made that dream come true. I learned how to pilot, that means to drive, a steamboat and got my license in 1859. I loved piloting those steamboats on the Mississippi, but unfortunately the war broke out so my service was cut short. I served for a couple weeks for the Confederate Army, but my unit disbanded so I was left with nothing to do. I decided I would move out West. I

climbed on a stagecoach and headed straight to Nevada. That’s right, Nevada! The very state we’re in right now! I thought I’d be able to strike it rich so I tried my hand at prospecting. You might know it better as mining. I never did have much luck in finding silver or gold. Out of money I decided to go back to a job I knew best, writing. I got a job with the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. That was the newspaper up in Virginia City. As I was writing I decided I’d start using a penname for my work. Since I loved steamboats I adopted the name of “Mark Twain” which meant 12 feet of water in steamboat speak. A lot of people started reading my writing. They found it friendly, funny, and satirical. That means funny in a sarcastic sort of way. I enjoyed poking fun at the rich. Finally, in 1865 one of my stories about life in Virginia City was printed in newspapers and magazines all over the country. It was called Jim Smile and His Jumping Frog. Seeing my stories success it inspired me to keep writing. Before my most famous pieces were published I got married to Olivia Langdon in 1870. I called her Livy. We had 4 children. After we got married we moved back to the East Coast to Buffalo. Soon after, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were published along with The Prince and the Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee and King Arthur’s Court. I wrote many books, short stories and articles. I died on April 21, 1910. I’m buried in Elmira, New York next to my beloved Livy. I was 74 years old.

The following is a piece of expository text used in a unit on World War I. It focuses on life in the trenches and the hardships the soldiers of that time faced. This text would be used when having your students participate in process drama, where the students are taking on a different role based on the topic theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re studying. For example, in this unit students would become soldiers fighting in World War I. This text would be used in addition to other resources, such as the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; social studies textbook. Teachers are encouraged to pull in other resources to enhance the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; knowledge so that they can fully take on their new role. Life in the Trenches Life in the trenches during the First World War took many forms, and varied widely from sector to sector and from front to front. Undoubtedly, it was entirely unexpected for those eager thousands who signed up for war in August 1914.

A War of Movement? Indeed, the Great War - a phrase coined even before it had begun - was expected to be a relatively short affair and, as with most wars, one of great movement. The First World War was typified however by its lack of movement, the years of stalemate exemplified on the Western Front from autumn 1914 until spring 1918. Not that there wasn't movement at all on the Western Front during 1914-18; the war began dramatically with sweeping advances by the Germans through Belgium and France en route for Paris. However stalemate - and trench warfare soon set in - and the expected war of movement wasn't restored until towards the close of the war, although the line rippled as successes were achieved at a local level. So what was life actually like for the men serving tours of duty in the line, be they front line, support or reserve trenches? Daily Death in the Trenches

Death was a constant companion to those serving in the line, even when no raid or attack was launched or defended against. In busy sectors the constant shellfire directed by the enemy brought random death, whether their victims were lounging in a trench or lying in a dugout (many men were buried as a consequence of such large shell-bursts). Similarly, novices were cautioned against their natural inclination to peer over the parapet of the trench into â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Man's Land.â&#x20AC;? Many men died on their first day in the trenches as a consequence of a precisely aimed sniper's bullet. It has been estimated that up to one third of Allied casualties on the Western Front were actually sustained in the trenches. Aside from enemy injuries, disease wrought a heavy toll. Rat Infestation Rats in their millions infested trenches. There were two main types, the brown and the black rat. Both were despised but the brown rat was especially feared. Gorging themselves on human remains (grotesquely disfiguring them by eating their eyes and liver) they could grow to the size of a cat. Men, exasperated and afraid of these rats (which would even scamper across their faces in the dark), would attempt to rid the trenches of them by various methods: gunfire, with the bayonet, and even by clubbing them to death. It was futile however: a single rat couple could produce up to 900 offspring in a year, spreading infection and contaminating food. The rat problem remained for the duration of the war (although many veteran soldiers swore that rats sensed impending heavy enemy shellfire and consequently disappeared from view). Frogs, Lice and Worse Rats were by no means the only source of infection and nuisance. Lice were a never-ending problem, breeding in the seams of filthy clothing and causing men to itch unceasingly. Even when clothing was periodically washed and deloused, lice eggs invariably remained hidden in the seams; within a few hours of the clothes being re-worn the body heat generated would cause the eggs to hatch. Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by high fever. Recovery - away from the trenches - took up to twelve weeks. Lice were not actually identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918.

Frogs by the score were found in shell holes covered in water; they were also found in the base of trenches. Slugs and horned beetles crowded the sides of the trench. Many men chose to shave their heads entirely to avoid another prevalent scourge: nits. Trench Foot was another medical condition peculiar to trench life. It was a fungal infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary trench conditions. It could turn gangrenous and result in amputation. Trench Foot was more of a problem at the start of trench warfare; as conditions improved in 1915 it rapidly faded, although a trickle of cases continued throughout the war. The Trench Cycle Typically, a battalion would be expected to serve a spell in the front line. This would be followed by a stint spent in support, and then in reserve lines. A period of rest would follow generally short in duration - before the whole cycle of trench duty would start afresh. In reality the cycle was determined by the necessities of situation. Even while at rest men might find themselves tasked with duties that placed them in the line of fire.

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Others would spend far longer in the front line than usual, usually in the more 'busy' sectors. As an example - and the numbers varied widely - a man might expect in a year to spend some 70 days in the front line, with another 30 in nearby support trenches. A further 120 might be spent in reserve. Only 70 days might be spent at rest. The amount of leave varied, with perhaps two weeks being granted during the year. Stand To and the Morning Hate The daily routine of life in the trenches began with the morning 'stand to'. An hour before dawn everyone was roused from slumber by the company orderly officer and sergeant and ordered to climb up on the fire step to guard against a dawn raid by the enemy, bayonets fixed. This policy of stand to was adopted by both sides, and despite the knowledge that each side prepared itself for raids or attacks timed at dawn, many were actually carried out at this time. Accompanying stand to, as the light grew, was the daily ritual often termed the 'morning hate'.

Both sides would often relieve the tension of the early hours with machine gun fire, shelling and small arms fire, directed into the mist to their front: this made doubly sure of safety at dawn. Rum, Rifles and the Breakfast Truce With stand to over, in some areas rum might then be issued to the men. They would then attend to the cleaning of their rifle equipment, which was followed by its inspection by officers. Breakfast would next be served. In essentially every area of the line at some time or other each side would adopt an unofficial truce while breakfast was served and eaten. This truce often extended to the wagons which delivered such sustenance. Truces such as these seldom lasted long; invariably a senior officer would hear of its existence and quickly stamp it out. Nevertheless it persisted throughout the war, and was more prevalent in quieter sectors of the line. Inspection and Chores With breakfast over the men would be inspected by either the company or platoon commander. Once this had been completed NCOs would assign daily chores to each man (except those who had been excused duty for a variety of reasons). Example - and necessary - daily chores included the refilling of sandbags, the repair of the duckboards on the floor of the trench and the draining of trenches. Particularly following heavy rainfall, trenches could quickly accumulate muddy water, making life ever more miserable for its occupants as the walls of the trench rapidly became misshapen and were prone to collapse. Pumping equipment was available for the draining of trenches; men would also be assigned to the repair of the trench itself. Still others would be assigned to the preparation of latrines. Daily Boredom Given that each side's front line was constantly under watch by snipers and look-outs during daylight, movement was logically restricted until night fell. Thus, once men had concluded their assigned tasks they were free to attend to more personal matters, such as the reading and writing of letters home.

Meals were also prepared. Sleep was snatched wherever possible - although it was seldom that men were allowed sufficient time to grab more than a few minutes rest before they were detailed to another task. Dusk: Stand To, Supply and Maintenance With the onset of dusk the morning ritual of stand to was repeated, again to guard against a surprise attack launched as light fell. This over, the trenches became a hive of activity. Supply and maintenance activities could be undertaken, although danger invariably accompanied these as the enemy would be alert for such movement. Men would be sent to the rear lines to fetch rations and water. Other men would be assigned sentry duty on the fire step. Generally men would be expected to provide sentry duty for up to two hours. Any longer and there was a real risk of men falling asleep on duty - for which the penalty was death by firing squad. Patrolling No Man's Land Patrols would often be sent out into No Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Land. Some men would be tasked with repairing or adding barbed wire to the front line. Others however would go out to assigned listening posts, hoping to pick up valuable information from the enemy lines. Sometimes enemy patrols would meet in No Man's Land. They were then faced with the option of hurrying on their separate ways or else engaging in hand to hand fighting. They could not afford to use their handguns while patrolling in No Man's Land, for fear of the machine gun fire it would inevitably attract, deadly to all members of the patrol. Relieving Men at the Front Men were relieved front-line duty at night-time too. Relieving units would wind their weary way through numerous lines of communications trenches, weighed down with equipment and trench stores (such as shovels, picks, corrugated iron, duckboards, etc.). The process of relieving a line could take several frustrating hours.

...And the Smell Finally, no overview of trench life can avoid the aspect that instantly struck visitors to the lines: the appalling reek given off by numerous conflicting sources.

Rotting carcasses lay around in their thousands. For example, approximately 200,000 men were killed on the Somme battlefields, many of which lay in shallow graves. Overflowing latrines would similarly give off a most offensive stench. Men who had not been afforded the luxury of a bath in weeks or months would offer the pervading odor of dried sweat. The feet were generally accepted to give off the worst odor. Trenches would also smell of creosol or chloride of lime, used to stave off the constant threat of disease and infection. Add to this the smell of cordite, the lingering odor of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant mud, cigarette smoke and cooking food... yet men grew used to it, while it thoroughly overcame first-time visitors to the front. (Source: http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm) Trench Warfare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUCaqptNqKM&feature=related

Following reading this text, watching the corresponding YouTube video, and reading the students’ social studies textbook, students will participate in a hands-on activity where they simulate life in the trenches. The teacher creates the trenches in his or her class room by dividing the room using desks and creating a “No Man’s Land.” The students are split into armies and they battle using crumbled up paper, or “bombs.” After the simulation the students write a letter home to a loved one they haven’t seen in over a year about life in the trenches. Encourage the students to go into detail on how difficult life is, pulling information from the textbook and/or the addition resources.

Student Samples The following are two student samples from my sixth grade class during the 2011-2012 school year. Both scripts were adapted from grade level leveled readers from Houghton Mifflin. The first is an adaptation of The Vaqueros and the second is an adaptation of The Quest for Medusa’s Head. In The Vaqueros the students made more changes to the original story to accommodate for the members of the group, such as changing the genders of some of the characters. In The Quest for Medusa’s Head the students stuck very closely to the original story, only changing some of the settings to accommodate our performance space. The handwritten examples were the first drafts of the scripts. The students and I “shared the pen” while writing the first draft, however there were times I would need to write more of the play to speed up the writing process. This is something I need to think about revising to make sure the students do the majority of the writing. Before writing the script the students had to identify the characters, setting, and plot of the story they were adapting. Once the characters were identified the students began to brainstorm which character they wanted to portray and proceeded to write the dialogue. Once the first drafts were complete the students, as a group, typed up their scripts on the classroom computers. These are the examples that follow the handwritten drafts. I did not have the students take their scripts through the writing process as much as I would have liked. This is another aspect of playwriting I plan on modifying.

The following is a sample of a script written in the spring of 2011 by my sixth grade students who participated in our school’s after-school program. The story is based on a Mexican folktale called La Llorona. La Llorona is about a woman who drowns her children and, in remorse, walks the banks of the river searching for them, crying out “Mis hijos.” When adapting stories into scripts students don’t have to have a tangible piece of text. They can adapt stories they know orally. Many cultures have a history of passing along their stories orally, so by adapting one of those it’s a great chance for students to share their heritage as well as get that story on paper. This script was adapted using a similar process to the previous samples which were adapted from leveled-reader books. The students had to determine the story structure, plot, setting, and characters. After they determined the story elements the students began to write the script. Because it’s a Mexican folktale the students incorporated Spanish into their script, further representing their heritage. I felt it also helped make the story more accurate. To make sure the non-Spanish speaking audience members could still understand the storyline the students wrote the script where many responses in the dialogue translated the Spanish parts. Once the script was finished, auditions were held and the students rehearsed and performed their play.

La Llorona Written By: The 6th Grade Students at Sierra Vista

Scene 1 – Gardening Carmen: ¡Que deliciosas los tomates! Norelia: ¡Que ricas los cebollos! Carlos: Muy Buena comida. Norelia: We should make these vegetables into a soup para cena a noche. Carmen: Bien idea. Family dinner. Jose: Good idea. Let’s go find the kids. They can help. Carlos: ¿Donde estan los hijos?

Scene 2 – Kids playing hacky sack. Chavo is talking about camping & roasting marshmallows. Rosa – Let’s go find mami and papi. Chavo – Yes. Vamanos.

Scene 3 Lupita – Mami, papi, Chavo had an idea about going camping. Marisol – Si, Si. Please please. ¡Por favor! Jose – I don’t think it’s a good idea. Lupita - ¿Por que? Norelia – Have you heard of La Llorona? Marisol – No. Chavo – ¿Quien es La Llorona? Carlos – We will tell you about La Leyend Sobre La Llorona.

Carmen – Maria was a very beautiful girl…

Scene 4 – In Mexico (Maria is walking down the street. Pablo walks up to Maria.) Pablo - ¡Hola! ¿Como estas? Maria – Estoy muy bien. Pablo – Tu es muy bonita. Maria – Gracias. Pablo - ¿Estas qasada? Maria – No, I am not married. Pablo - ¿Quieres hacer mi novia? Maria – No, I don’t want to be your girlfriend. Por que no tienes pesos. (Pablo leaves) (Juan walks up to Maria) Juan – Hola. My name es Juan. ¿Como te llamas? Maria – Me llamo Maria. Juan – Maria. What a beautiful name. ¿Quieres ira comer? Maria - ¿Donde? Juan – We could go to mi casa. I have fresh mangos. Maria - ¿Mangos? ¡Estas locos! You’re so poor! And fat! Juan – Lo siento Maria. Would you like to buy some mangos? (Maria walks away) (Pedro approaches Maria)

Pedro - ¡Hola! Maria – Hola. Pedro – When I grow up, quieres hacer mi novia? Maria – (she laughs) Only if you’re rich. (Maria walks away)

Scene 5 (Manuel comes to town riding a donkey) (Maria sees Manuel) Maria - ¿Quien es ese chico bonito? (Maria begins to flirt. He ignores her so she faints.) (Manuel goes over to Maria) Manuel - ¿Estas bien? Maria – Oh si. Esta muy caliente outside. Manuel – Si, it is. Me llamo Manuel. What is your name? Maria – My name is Maria. Manuel – Could I get you something to drink? ¿Agua? Maria – Si, I would love some agua. (Manuel takes Maria to get something to drink)

Scene 6 Carlos – One year later… (Manuel and Maria are out to dinner) Manuel – It’s such a beautiful night under the moon and the stars.

Maria – Si, it is. Manuel – Maria, I have una pregunta para ti. Maria - ¿Que es tu pregunta? (Manuel gets on his knee. He puts a handkerchief down.) Manuel – Will you marry me? Maria – ¡Si! ¡Si! ¡Me voy a casar contigo! (They hug)

Scene 7 Norelia – Many years go by and Manuel and Maria have two children…Natalia y Pancho. Jose – Maria has grown older and bossier. Maria – Did you feed the kids? Did you make dinner? Manuel – I thought you were going to do that. Maria - ¡Aye dios mio! I do it all the time! Manuel – I work hard everyday. All I ask is for you to take care of the children. Maria – If you don’t like it, leave! Manuel – Si, I’m leaving esta casa. Maria – No, por favor. Don’t leave! Manuel – Que mal. I’m already tired of you. (Manuel leaves)

Scene 8 Carmen – Two years later Manuel goes to visit his children. Manuel - ¡Hola mis hijos! I missed you very much. ¿Como estas?

(Maria sees Manuel and starts twirling her hair) Maria – Hola Manuel. ¿Como estas? (Manuel rolls his eyes and continues to talk to his children. Maria gets jealous) Maria – Why won’t you talk to me? (Manuel still ignores her. Maria throws a plate)

Scene 9 Carlos – Maria is angry that Manuel pays more attention to the kids than her. Jose – She decides to take matters into her own hands… Maria – Vamos a rio. We’ll have a picnic by the water. Chico – Yay! Chica – Si!

Scene 10 Maria – Mis hijos, go play by the river. Chico – OK mama. (Maria walks up behind her kids and whispers…) Maria – Te vas a morir. (She pushes her children in the river)

Scene 11 Norelia – Maria runs home. She is very nervous. Carmen – Feeling guilty she goes back to the river that night to try and find her children. Carlos – She walks by the river crying… Maria – Mis hijos. Mis hijos.

Jose – She begins to run, but trips on a rock and hits her head. She dies.

Scene 12 Norelia – Back in the village… Uriel – Have you seen Maria? Adriana – No. ¿Donde esta? Alejandro – No se. Have you seen sus hijos? Uriel – No, esta muy rado. Adriana – Si, it is weird.

Scene 13 Carlos – Maria reaches the gates of heaven but hey won’t let her in. St. Peter – Lo siento Maria. I can not let you in to heaven. Maria – Buy why? St. Peter – You murdered your own children. Maria – I’m sorry. Era un accidente. Please let me in. (She cries) St. Peter – You get una mas chansa. You must find your children. Jose – St. Peter sends Maria back to the river to find her children.

Scene 14 Carmen – Maria walks along the banks of the river trying to find her children. Norelia – The villagers begin to hear a sound in the wind. Alejandro – Did you hear that found Maria’s body by the river? Adriana – Si, es muy terrible. Uriel – And they never found her children.

(It begins to get windy) Adriana – Have you noticed una diferencia en the wind? Alejandro – Si, it sounds like someone is crying. Uriel – It sound like Maria. Adriana – It does? Uriel – Si. Listen… Maria – (whispers) Mis hijos… Jose – The villagers hear the crying every night and give Maria the name “La Llorona.”

Scene 15 – Back in today’s time Carlos – That’s why you can’t go camping. Rosa – Well, can we go if you come with us? Jose – Are you bromeando? Carmen – Were you not listening to le leyend? Lupita – Just come with us. ¡Por favor! Norelia – No. Carmen – Lo siento. (Parents walk away) Chavo – Esta bien. We will just go without them.

Scene 16 – Kids are out camping Rosa – It’s dark out. Chavo – Don’t worry. Rosa – I want to go to mi casa, por que estoy asustada.

Lupita – Don’t be scared. Chavo – Come on! Don’t be una gallina. Rosa – Fine. I’ll stay.

Scene 17 – In the village Carlos – ¿Donde estan los ninos? Carmen – No se. Jose – Do you think they went camping? Carlos – I think you’re right. Carmen – They are in big trouble. Norelia – A que ir a asustar a los ninos to learn a lesson? Jose - ¿Como? Norelia – Let’s scare them with La Llorona. Carlos – Si. Esta un gran idea. Norelia – You should start screaming, “¡Aye no llorona!” Jose – Y tu Norelia should say, “¡Aye mis hijos!,” to scare los ninos. Carmen – Si. Vamanos.

Scene 18 – At camp Chavo – Are you still scared Rosa? Rosa – Kind of… (Parents are sneaking up behind the children) Jose - Oh, there they are. Lupita – Do you think La Llorona is real?

Chavo – No. She can’t be. Carmen – (starts whispering while the kids talk) Mis hijos… Rosa – Sshhh… Did you hear that? Lupita – What? Chavo – What was that? Rosa – Let’s hide! (Kids run into the tent and hide in their sleeping bags)

Scene 19 (All the parents start laughing) Jose – That will teach them a lesson. Carlos – Great idea Norelia. Carmen – Si Norelia. Bien hecho. Norelia – Gracias. (Back in the tent) Rosa – Wait… I know that laugh. It’s my mami y papis. Lupita – It is! Chavo – Let’s get back at them. (The kids come out and see the parents laughing. They sneak up behind the parents and scare them) (Everyone laughs and begins to roast marshmallows) Chavo – You should have seen your faces. Carlos – Tu tambien.

Carmen – Los siento we had to scare you. Lupita – It’s ok mami. Rosa – Si papi. At least it was a joke. Chavo – Papi, is La llorona really real? Jose – Well mi hijo… (It begins to get windy and everyone begins to listen. They all hear something) Norelia – Do you hear that? Carmen – ¿Escuchar lo que? La Llorona – Mis hijos… Mis hijos… Carlos – I think it’s time to go home. Jose - ¡Si! ¡Vamanos! Rosa – No puede ser La Llorona. Chavo – No esta verdad… (Everyone runs away leaving behind their camping gear) (La Llorona walks on stage) La Llorona – Si, es verdad. Black out

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