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Is Christmas just a shopping spree? Is it a self-centered annual occasion aimed at collecting as many gifts as possible? What if you are in the midst of a war zone or a natural disaster such as devastating floods or scorching drought?
In Tagaytay City, Philippines, instead of the usual Christmas bazaars, we have organized a Read-Aloud and Readers Theater Showcase which will feature pupils and students from schools in the Tagaytay area starting in November. There’s no need to spend. Just pay attention.
The picture storybook to be read aloud is entitled, Annie D. Ant. The same book is also the basis of the script for the Readers’ Theater. The book is about an ant, a grasshopper and their animal friends who share meager resources and celebrate Christmas in the midst of El Niño (severe drought).
Here’s Part 1 of the Readers Theater Edition:
* * *
The Readers Theater Edition
by Carmelita C. Ballesteros
(Adapted from the author’s picture storybook)
CHARACTERS
Narrators 1 and 2, have an expressive voice and clear enunciation
(could be a boy and a girl, both girls, or both boys)
Annie D. Ant, has a young, kind voice
Georgia Grass-Hopper, sounds vain and selfish
Little Red Hen, a little loud and bossy
Poky Little Puppy, sounds arrogant and overbearing
First Little Pig, always seems curious
Second Little Pig, arrogant, laughs foolishly
Third Little Pig, proud, smart-aleck
(The Three Little Pigs could be all girls, all boys, or mixed)
Elsa the Elf, high-pitched, but nice voice
Mr. Lion, has a big voice, but sounds humble
Mr. Sheep, has a very loud voice
Mrs. Duck, almost as loud as Mr. Sheep
Mrs. Cow, has a cheerful voice
Mr. Turtle, has a mellow voice
STAGE DIRECTIONS
The children stand in a semi-circle, middle of the stage. On the right side facing the audience, the narrators are beside each other. Beside them are the major characters. The CHOIR members stand together, left side facing the audience. Ideally, there should be five microphones with stand. However, if there’s only one microphone, the teacher/coach can devise an efficient manner of using the microphone. The CHOIR does not need a mike. If a choir member will speak individually, he or she must use the mike.
OPENING MUSIC (Instrumental Version of “O Holy Night”, about 30 seconds)
NARRATOR 1: Annie D. Ant lives in an anthill near a river. Georgia Grass-Hopper, her half-sister, lives with her.
NARRATOR 2: Annie and Georgia are orphans. They live in the richest Animal Kingdom in the Philippines.
(Music: Instrumental Version of “Jingle Bells”, about 10 seconds)
ANNIE: (cheerful) What a bright and sunny day it is! Georgia and I are so-o-o lucky! Our anthill is rich with food. The water in the river is clean and sweet.
CHOIR: Clean and sweet. Water, please! From the river near the hill.
GEORGIA: (also cheerful) Good morning! Good morning, dear half-sister Annie!
ANNIE: Good morning, dear half-sister Georgia.
GEORGIA: Thank you, Annie. I’m just a homeless grasshopper, but you’re so kind to me.
CHOIR: I’m a homeless hopper, Hopping in the morning. I’m a homeless hopper, Hopping in the evening.
ANNIE: This is our home. Because you live with me, our home is filled with music and laughter.
NARRATOR 1: Annie boots her computer.
NARRATOR 2: Georgia dances and hums a song.
GEORGIA: Why do you love a stupid thing like a computer? I’d rather sing and dance! (hums “Jingle Bells”)
ANNIE: Hey, Georgia! Come here! Look at this e-mail from my friend in South Africa! I can’t believe it!
GEORGIA: What’s the matter?
ANNIE: We’ll have El Niño this year!
GEORGIA: What’s El Niño?
ANNIE: We won’t have any rain.
GEORGIA: Grrreat! I will dance and play and sing all year!
ANNIE: We won’t have any food.
GEORGIA: Wait a minute. That doesn’t sound too good. What should we do?
ANNIE: We must fill the dam with water. We must fill the storehouse with food. You must help me.
GEORGIA: Okay, okay!
CHOIR: We won’t have any rain, We won’t have any food, El Niño’s a global bane, El Niño’s never any good.
NARRATOR 1: Annie and Georgia are stocking food and water in preparation for El Niño.
NARRATOR 2: There are food baskets and pails of water around.
ANNIE: Let’s go, Georgia. We have to keep going. Our dam is almost full.
GEORGIA: But it’s almost midnight. I’m tired and sleepy. Can’t we do this tomorrow?
ANNIE: But our food storehouse is only half-full. You don’t want to go hungry, do you? We have to work harder.
GEORGIA: All right. Just one more pail of water and one more basket of corn.
CHOIR: I’m so tired, I’m so sleepy. My face is a mess, My life is a mess!
NARRATOR 1: Some neighbors notice and get curious.
NARRATOR 2: They ask Annie and Georgia what they’re doing.
LITTLE RED HEN: (suspicious) Good evening, Annie. Good evening, Georgia. Why are you working late into the night?
POKY LITTLE PUPPY: Good evening, ladies. Georgia, you look terrible! Your hair is a mess!
FIRST LITTLE PIG: Hi, Annie. Hi, Georgia. What have you got in your baskets?
SECOND LITTLE PIG: And why have you been fetching pails of water? Are you trying to empty the river? Ha-ha-ha!
THIRD LITTLE PIG: (clears his throat) It’s two seconds past twelve in the evening. Good morning, everyone!
ANNIE: Your watch is too fast. It’s only 11: 30 in mine.
GEORGIA: I’m going to bed. I’m vvv-e-r-y tired. Good night, everyone.
LITTLE RED HEN: Hey, not too fast. Tell us what you’re doing.
GEORGIA: (yawns) Annie got an e-mail from her South African friend.
ANNIE: My friend warned that we shall have El Niño this year. We won’t have any rain. And we won’t have any food. So we are stocking food and water.
LITTLE RED HEN: But Annie, this is the richest animal kingdom in the whole wide world!
POKY LITTLE PUPPY: There’s no need to stock food and water. You and Georgia shouldn’t lose sleep over a silly e-mail.
ANNIE: It’s not a silly e-mail. I surfed the Internet. It’s true. The global weather forecast says we’ll have El Niño this year. All of us must stock food and water.
FIRST LITTLE PIG: E-mail? Internet? El Niño? Global… global what?
GEORGIA: (exaggerates) Global weather forecast.
SECOND LITTLE PIG: Ha-ha-ha! El Niño? How silly! Global weather forecast? How foolish! Ha-ha-ha!
THIRD LITTLE PIG: We don’t believe you. We don’t believe in computers and e-mail. El Niño? That’s crazy!
CHOIR: El Niño is a child, oh, no! E-mail is a letter, not really! Stock food and water? oh, no! That’s crazy! That’s crazy!
(Music: Instrumental Version of “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”)
NARRATOR 1: Soon, April and May are gone. The Philippine summer is over.
NARRATOR 2: Everyone has been waiting for the rain. June comes and goes, but there is no rain…
ANNIE: This is the longest summer in my whole life. April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Seven months!
GEORGIA: Annie, I can’t understand it. Why has the grass turned brown and dry?
ANNIE: Because the river has dried up. The farms have dried up, too. Look at
the trees! Over there! The leaves have turned yellow and red and brown.
GEORGIA: So this is what El Niño means. Annie, I feel so sad.
ANNIE: Yes, this is what El Niño means. Oh, Georgia, I’ve never felt so sad in my entire life.
CHOIR: Brown grass makes me sad, I’ve never felt so bad. Brown grass makes
me sad, I’ve never felt so bad!
NARRATOR 1: There is a knock at the door.
NARRATOR 2: Knock! Knock!
ANNIE: Who is it?
LITTLE RED HEN: I’m your neighbor. I’m the little red hen. Can I have some water, please?
ANNIE: Sure! Come in. Have a seat. (1,305 words)
End of Part I