9. Five plays for grades 4 – 6

 

By Elaine Gallagher    

Plays are organized in three-month periods during the school year.

Among the five plays, there is a variety of difficulty. Choose the plays that are best suited for your students’ English level, so they enjoy the activity.

PLAYS FOR BASIC + ENGLISH LEARNERS: A-2 to B-1 (Grades 4 – 6)

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1. August – September – October

 

PLAY TITLE: George, the Tallest Giraffe

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: apple, cake, candy, lunch, cheese, chocolate, giraffe, egg, fruit, grapes, milk, bananas, I’d like, some, any.

SETTING: a jungle, with a tall tree….and maybe a little village (if you can make the scenery)

CHARACTERS

• George
• George’s  Mother
• Narrator
• Yellow Baby Bird

 THE PLAY

NARRATOR: George was a tall, tall, tall giraffe. He was taller than his mother.  He was taller than his father.  He was taller than anyone he knew. He was even taller than the biggest elephant. George was embarrassed at how tall he was.

GEORGE’S MOTHER: George, giraffes are supposed to be tall.

GEORGE: I’d like to be shorter.

NARRATOR: George decided that he was going to go for a long, long walk to see if he could find any other giraffe taller than he. So he left home, and left a note for his mother so she would not worry.

GEORGE: (READING HIS LETTER…) Dear Mother, I am going to the next village to see if I can find another very, very, very tall giraffe. If I do, I won’t think I am so strange.

NARRATOR: George walked a long, long, long time. He passed three villages but he saw no giraffes taller than he. George decided he would go home. He missed his family and he was tired. All of a sudden, George heard a strange sound.

YELLOW BABY BIRD: (HE IS LYING ON THE GROUND.) Cheep, cheep, cheep……. Help me, help me. I fell out of my nest and can not fly.  I am too little. If I can not get back in my nest, a cat might eat me.

GEORGE: Where is your nest?

YELLOW BABY BIRD: Up in that tree.  (POINTING UPWARD) No one can reach it because it is too high.  I have been here since morning and no one can help me.

(GEORGE SMILES…..A BIG, WIDE SMILE…)

YELLOW BABY BIRD: Why are you smiling?  I fell out of the tree.  I can not get back up in the tree because I am a baby bird and can not fly…..and you are smiling. I do not understand.

GEORGE:  I was always sad I was very, very tall. I was the tallest giraffe in many villages. But now…..now,  I can be useful. I can pick you up and put you back in your nest.

YELLOW BABY BIRD: Oh, thank you! Thank you!

NARRATOR: George felt so happy. George was never sad again.  He was proud and happy to be the tallest giraffe because……….

GEORGE: Giraffes are supposed to be tall. I have to go home now, and tell my Mother, that I am happy to be the tallest giraffe in our village.

 

THE END

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2. November – December

TEACHERS: 

1. You will need a CD of the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker Suite, to provide music for the play. Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairies is especially appropriate music for the play. It is on the CD of The Nutcracker Suite.(Suite is pronounced «sweet».) by the Russian composer, Tchaikovsky in 1892.
2. Explain to the class what a nutcracker is.  Maybe you can bring one to show them, the kind that looks like a wooden soldier, used decoratively at Christmas time.
3. Explain that this is a classic play from a ballet written by Tchikowshy, in ……….and Clara, the main character, falls asleep, and dreams that all her toys come alive on Christmas Eve.

 

PLAY TITLE: An Adaptation ofThe Nutcracker Suite

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY:nut cracker, godmother, waltzing, blink, festivities, dream, magical, reign, desperately, celebration, amazing, disobeyed, waltz.

SETTING: a beautiful living room, also the bedroom of Clara., toys for decoration

CHARACTERS:

• Godmother: (The Godmother is like a Narrator…She can read the parts she has, because they are long.) 
• Clara
• Mother
• Ballerina
• Teddy Bear
• Sugar Plum Fairy
• Rag Doll
• Rat King

THE PLAY

THE NUTCRACKER  (AN ADAPTATION)

(MUSIC is playing.  ENTER CLARA’S GODMOTHER. SITS IN CHAIR STAGE FRONT LEFT. )

GODMOTHER:  Good evening to you all and before I forget.. a very Merry Christmas!!!  This is a very special story,  about a very special girl named Clara.

(ENTER: CLARA WALTZING.  MOTHER FOLLOWS)

GODMOTHER: I don’t say that she’s special just because she’s my god  daughter but because everybody who knows her can’t help but remark about her kindness, her gentleness with others, her generous spirit and most of her great capacity to love.

MOTHER:  Come along Clara, it’s time to go to bed.

CLARA: Oh…… read me a story ,mother, please do.  I promise that I will fall right off to sleep before you’re finished.

MOTHER:  I’m sure about that!  Especially because tonight is Christmas Eve…

CLARA: That’s right!  Tonight is Christmas Eve the most special, the most magical night of the year.  It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born and with him hope and love will reign all over the Earth!

MOTHER: That’s right…tonight anything can happen.

GODMOTHER: This Christmas Eve was going to be a very unique one for our little Clara. She had all different sorts of toys and you would think that with so many of them she wouldn’t have time to play with them all, but you don’t know Clara.  She not only gave each of them a name but she loved them so dearly that they were like brothers and sisters to her. That Christmas I had made her a nutcracker in the shape of a toy soldier and she took to him right away.

CLARA: Now I’m really sleepy mother. (YAWNS AND STRETCHES )  But before I fall asleep I must say goodnight to all my toys.

(BEGINS WALKING AROUND THE ROOM SAYING GOODNIGHT AND GIVING A KISS TO HER TOYS.  SHE STOPS IN FRONT OF THE SOLDIER )

CLARA: Goodnight my Nutcracker, I haven’t thought of a name for you yet.  But don’t you worry I’ll think of something soon.  I hope you’ll be happy here….I hope that you’ll stay.

MOTHER: Wherever would he go Clara?  I’m quite certain he feels at home with all the other toys.

CLARA: (GETTING INTO BED YAWNING ) You never know, Mother…toys can be so strange sometimes.  He’ll only stay if he feels at home.  I must think of a name for him.

(MUSIC. MOTHER KISSES HER GOODNIGHT AND CLARA BEGINS TO FALL ASLEEP)

GODMOTHER: Clara was right.  Toys can be so peculiar.  Only a toy that is truly loved lasts a long time.  And as all of Clara’s toys were loved, they not only lasted forever but when she slept they came to life!

(MUSIC. THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY COMES TO LIFE FIRST AND USES HER WAND TO WAKE THE OTHER TOYS, ONE BY ONE. TOYS BEGIN TO WAKE UP ALL EXCEPT THE NUTCRACKER.)

BALLERINA: Whoooooo are you???? SHE POKES HIM.)

TEDDY BEAR: (WALKING AROUND THE NUTCRACKER, AND MAKING FACES) What a strange looking character.  He doesn’t move…He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t even talk!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Let him be.  Can’t you see that he’s new?

RAG DOLL: And so?  What does that have to do with anything?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Well, when a toy is new, well you know ….he’s new!

TEDDY BEAR: And soooo?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: And so Clara hasn’t had time to get to know him yet.  To get to love him yet.  Why he doesn’t even have a name as yet!

RAG DOLL: I still don’t understand what you’re trying to say Sugar Plum Fairy.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Why every toy knows or should know that a toy doesn’t…can’t come to life unless he is truly loved by the child who owns him.

BALLERINA: Oh…I see!  Well poor little thing.  I hope he stays.

TEDDY BEAR: Ok! Ok! Enough talk, it’s Christmas Eve and time for the festivities to begin.

RAG DOLL: That’s right….it’s that magical time of year when the gates of Toyland open up and we celebrate the joyous occasion of the night!

BALLERINA: Sugar Plum Fairy! Wave your magic wand…open the gates of Toyland and let the celebration begin.

(ENTER  SOME STUDENTS, HUMMING «WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS»…THEN THEY WALK THROUGH THE STAGE AREA AND LEAVE.)

GODMOTHER:  Poor Nutcracker.  He wanted so desperately to join in all the fun but he couldn’t.  But wait….are those visions of the nutcracker soldier dancing in Clara’s mind?  Could it be that as she sleeps she dreams of her brand new toy?

TEDDY BEAR: Bravo! Bravo!  What’s next? 

 (PAUSE)

BALLERINA:  Why are the toys taking so long?

(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)

RAT KING:  What is this?  What is going on here? 

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY:   Who…who are you?

RAT KING: I am the Rat King!  The new ruler of Toyland!  I am the one who says what should happen and when it should happen…what are you all doing with my subjects?

RAG DOLL: Well, it’s Christmas Eve, the most important night of the year.  It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY:  And every year we celebrate His birth by inviting the toys from Toyland to come and visit us and share in the Christmas spirit.

RAT KING: Well not this year! This year they won’t!  Like I said, I’m the new king and as far as I’m concerned there won’t be any Christmas celebrating tonight!

TEDDY BEAR: Now look here you… you….you RAT!  This is a very special night and you can’t stop it from happening even if you tried!

RAT KING:  Maybe not but I can forbid my subjects from coming to visit you and you can do nothing about that! Now what sort of Christmas Eve celebration will it be then?

RAG DOLL: You be careful with what you do Mr. Rat…we…we…we have a soldier here to protect us and he’ll see to it that you don’t get away with your evil plan.

RAT KING:  A soldier?  A soldier? (WALKS OVER AND POKES AT THE NUTCRACKER) Ha!  Is this what you call a soldier?  Why he doesn’t even move…he can’t even talk!  HA! You’ll have to do better than that!

(EXITS LAUGHING )

GODMOTHER:With that the evil Rat King took off, set in his ways to ruin Christmas Eve.  Poor nutcracker.  He wanted to help but he couldn’t move. Wait!  Clara is still thinking about him, maybe, just maybe she’ll come to love him in her dreams.  Look…he’s beginning to move!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Did you see that?  He moved!

TEDDY BEAR: (GOES OVER TO CLARA IN THE BED) Oh Clara, dear Clara….please give him a name, chances are we’ll be needing his help tonight.

BALLERINA: Now what do we do?

RAG DOLL: Yes, what about our Christmas celebration?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY:  Don’t worry, the toys won’t let us down.   I know they’ll come when we call them.  Watch…

(SHE WAVES HER MAGIC WAND) 

TEDDY BEAR: Oh that was so much fun and that horrible Rat hasn’t shown a whisker yet.

RAG DOLL: Maybe we’ll have our Christmas after all.  Call in the next ones, Sugar Plum Fairy

(SHE WAVES HER MAGIC WAND)

GODMOTHER: They were all having so much fun, even the nutcracker who could begin to feel himself tingle with life.  Then, suddenly…

(MUSIC.  ENTER RAT KING)

RAT KING: Stop all this fun and festivities right now!!!  I thought I had made myself clear!  There will be no celebrating tonight!  Not a single more toy will dance! Not a single more voice will sing or else I will punish all the toys in Toyland and you will never see them again!

(AS HE BEGINS TO EXIT, THE NUTCRACKER BLOCKS HIS PATH WITH HIS SWORD)

RAT KING: And what’s this?   (BEGINS TO LAUGH) You think you can stop me my little toy soldier?  My little lifeless nutcracker?  Ha! Ha! You’ll need more than that to get the better of me.

(EXIT  RAT KING)

TEDDY BEAR: Now what do we do?  I don’t want the other toys to get into trouble for our fault.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Well I’m afraid there’s nothing that we can do.  Tonight is Christmas Eve and with it comes a special feeling.. a feeling of hope and peace for all the world.  The toys must sing…they must dance…they don’t know how to do anything else.

RAG DOLL: Well if it must be, then let it be!

BALLERINA: That’s right…nobody can take away Christmas.  Let the show continue!

GODMOTHER: And so they continued their celebration… the nutcracker becoming more animated as the seconds passed.

TEDDY BEAR: Lovely, just lovely!

RAG DOLL:  Shh! Listen!

(THEY ALL APPROACH CLARA’S BED. )

CLARA: (IN HER SLEEP) Ivan…your name will be Ivan!

BALLERINA: That’s it!  She’s given him a name! She really loves her nutcracker soldier.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: (APPROACHES THE NUTCRACKER AND WAVES HER WAND OVER HIS HEAD) Now my dear little nutcracker…you have found the true love of a little girl. Now you will become one of us!

(THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO LIFE AND BEGINS TESTING OUT HIS ARMS AND LEGS).

NUTCRACKER: Can it be?  Is it true?  Am I really real?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Once you have been filled with the special love of a special child and been given a name you come to life.  Welcome nutcracker.  Welcome Ivan, welcome!

TEDDY BEAR: This is truly a most magnificent, a most blessed night!

(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)

RAT KING: I warned you all.  I told you that if you disobeyed my orders and continued with the celebration I would punish all the toys in Toyland! Now you will  only have yourselves to blame!

NUTCRACKER:  (TAKING OUT HIS SWORD) On guard, you scoundrel!  No on will be allowed to stop the spirit of Christmas. I won’t let you get away with it!

(THE NUTCRACKER AND THE RAT KING HAVE A SWORD FIGHT.  THE NUTCRACKER KNOCKS THE RAT’S SWORD AWAY AND SO HE RUNS OFFSTAGE.  THE TOYS ALL CHEER AND HUG THE NUTCRACKER.)

GODMOTHER: And that was the last time the King Rat was ever to be seen.  He ran far away from Clara’s house and never stepped foot again in Toyland which was from then onward protected by Clara’s brave and kind nutcracker soldier….Ivan.

TEDDY BEAR: Ohh…. look…the sun is coming up.

BALLERINA: Time for us to take our places.

RAG DOLL:  It most certainly has been the best ….

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: The most magical…….

TEDDY BEAR: The most unforgettable Christmas ever!

NUTCRACKER: (TO THE AUDIENCE) Christmas is a time for dreams to come true…if mine did, maybe yours will too!

(MUSIC. CLARA WAKES, AND YAWNS, AND STRETCHES )

CLARA:  I had the most amazing dream….

(SEES THE NUTCRACKER STANDING GUARD OVER HER BED)

………….and how did you get here my nutcracker?

(PAUSE)

CLARA: Ivan, that’s your name..   Your name is IVAN. 

(MUSIC. CLOSE CURTAINS)

GODMOTHER: Like I told you, that was a very unique Christmas Eve for Clara. I hope you all have paid special attention to the message of our story tonight, that  we must never let anyone take away the true spirit of Christmas and like the Nutcracker  we must never be afraid to stand up for what we believe in.  HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

 (MUSIC)

ALL ENTER – FINALE

THE END

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3. January – February

 

PLAY TITLE: Paul, the Proud Peacock

SPECIFIC     VOCABULARY: shorter, taller, older,  peacock, younger, long, proud, excited, happy, sad, scared, giraffe, lion, elephant, handsome, feathers.

SETTING: A garden or farm

CHARACTERS:

• Narrators 1 and 2
• Goose + 3 more geese
• Turkey + 3 more turkeys
• The farmer

 

THE PLAY

 

NARRATOR 1:A peacock is a beautiful bird. The female peacock is very plain and is called a “pea hen”.  When we think of a peacock, usually, we are thinking of the male.  The male peacock is outstanding.  It has huge, gorgeous tail feathers that fan out into a beautiful arch shape. Paul, the Peacock,  had a good, happy, peaceful home on the farm. 

NARRATOR 2: There were no kids running after him to pull out his tail feathers like at a hotel garden. Paul was peaceful, and he was proud. He spent much time teaching the turkeys, the chickens, the ducks, the geese, and the swans how to be proud.  Only the swans understood how to be proud, so they were easy to teach. 

PAUL: (TO A GOOSE) You are so elegant…..

GOOSE: Thank you, Paul. (She stands up a little taller, and looks more proud of herself. )  

PAUL: (TO A TURKEY) You have such a beautiful neck and gobbler. 

TURKEY: I never thought I had a beautiful neck. Thank you. GOBBLE..GOBBLE…. (The turkey gobbles and stretches his neck a bit longer, and he seems to grow taller.)

3 TURKEYS: Gobble, gobble, gobble. (Standing tall and proud)

PAUL:  (TO A GROUP OF 3 MORE GEESE) What gorgeous smooth white feathers you have, and such a nice long neck, too.

THE THREE GEESE:  OH..Paul, you are sooooooo kind.

(THEN….the 3 geese fluffed up their feathers and stood tall, making typical squawking sounds that geese make.  They honked in loud, proud voices. )

FARMER:  Paul, why do you teach everyone on my farm to be proud? I know that there is a saying, ‘Proud as a peacock’, so you need to be proud. But we also hear other sayings such as, ‘Silly as a goose’, or “He’s a chicken’, when someone is cowardly. Or we hear, ‘What a turkey’, about someone who fails at something. So WHY do you try to help everyone to be proud?

PAUL: Yes, I have heard those sayings, too.  But so have all the turkeys, the geese, and the chickens. When they hear those things, they become, more timid, and unfriendly.  When they feel good about themselves, they stand tall, and they are happier, and they help everyone to be happy, too.  So I spend my time praising the other animals. If we are all proud, we ALL will be happy.  It will help everyone on the farm.

FARMER: I hope that you keep teaching everyone to be proud. I never knew how important it is to be proud. I am so proud that you are living on my farm.

PAUL: You are the best farmer in the world. I am so happy you chose to take me home with you. You are terrific!

NARRATOR 1: The farmer stood a little taller, puffed out his chest a bit more, and looked proudly at his farm, and at Paul.

NARRATOR 2: Paul, the proud peacock looked back at the farmer, and spread out his beautiful tail feathers. He was proud that the farmer liked him to teach others to be proud.

 

THE END

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4. March – April

 

PLAY TITLE: Samantha, the Slithering Snake

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY:What’s the matter? I feel awful.           I feel warm. I feel terrible. I feel sick. The doctor said, «Take an aspirin.» herself, himself, myself, yourself, break, fall, feel, have, hit, hurt, ride, telephone, helmet, baseball bat.

SETTING:  A grassy place, like a back yard, a rock (home), and a clock for a prop.

CHARACTERS:

• Samantha
• Her mother
• Chorus

THE PLAY

(ACTIONS:Samantha, the snake, is slithering very slowly to her home. )

MOTHER: What’s the matter, Samantha?

SAMANTHA: I feel terrible. I feel warm. I feel awful!  I feel sick!

CHORUS: Poor Samantha…She’s sick.

MOTHER: Poor Samantha. Let me give you some hot chicken soup. That always helps me when I am sick. Then, I will give you one baby aspirin, and you will feel better soon.     

(ACTIONS: Samantha curls up and goes to sleep. A clock moves ahead 3 hours.)

MOTHER: Samantha, dear, you’ve slept for three hours. How do you feel?

SAMANTHA: I feel great!  I feel like myself.  I want my baseball cap and my bat and ball!  I am ready to play baseball! Mother, you are best doctor I know.  The chicken soup and baby aspirin helped me feel better. THANK YOU!

CHORUS: Samantha feels Great! Terrific!

MOTHER: I feel great because YOU feel great! Now, your friends are here to play. Have fun!

CHORUS: Bye Samantha. Bye Samantha’s Mother!

 

THE END

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5. May – June- July

 

 (A-2 or B-1 English Level)

TEACHER: The NARRATORS can read their lines from a small card, if necessary. They don’t have to memorize their parts.

PLAY TITLE: The Friendly Foxand the Rapid Rabbit

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: choose, baseball, coin, insects, soccer, tennis track, volleyball. I think it’s fun. Which is the fastest? fox, rabbit, thought, caught, decided, slept, came, found, invited, missed, ran, went, ate, jumped, entered, city, country, characters, setting, fable, summary, laughed, sleeping, going to, sing.

SETTING: The countryside

CHARACTERS:

• Friendly Fox
• Rapid Rabbit
• 12 Narrators
• Turtle
• The CROWD …The rest of the class

 

THE PLAY

 

NARRATOR 1: Once upon a time there was a friendly fox, and a rapid rabbit.  Usually, foxes eat rabbits, but this fox was friendly. He just wanted to be friends with the animals.  He was happy eating the left-over food that the farmer left near the big garbage bucket.

NARRATOR 2:The rabbit could run very quickly and loved to have races with the other rabbits because Rapid Rabbit always won!

TURTLE: Will you race with me , Rapid Rabbit?

RAPID RABBIT: No…you are too slow.  It would not be an exciting race.

TURTLE: Please, race with me.  I always see only  rabbits  running the race.  I want to try, too.

CROWD: Please race with the TURTLE, RAPID RABBIT.

RAPID RABBIT: O.K., if you insist. But it won’t be fair.  I can run so much faster than you.

TURTLE: That’s OK”, said the Turtle.  I just want to have the opportunity to race against you. I don’t expect to win.

NARRATOR 3: So the turtle and the rabbit lined up.  The Friendly Fox said that he would be the judge. The rabbit and the turtle had to run all the way to the end of the field and back again to the Friendly Fox.

FRIENDLY FOX: Ready…..set…..almost time to go. One, two, three….GO!!!!