congratulations! you have been entrusted with precious ... · orpheus eurydice arachne athena 4...

Congratulations! You have been entrusted with precious copyrighted material.

What that means is…

POSTING ANY PORTION OF THE SCRIPT OR AUDIO FILES ONLINE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, unless the site is password-

protected and only then to distribute materials to actors. Most classroom websites are public—DO NOT post our files there. Our super-sleuths

will find them and ask you to take them down.

ONLY the individual or school/organization named in the footer below is authorized to use this play, edit it as needed, and print/photocopy it for

the actors. This is a lifetime license (woohoo!). No performance royalties are due as long as ticket prices do not exceed $5.

If this is an individual license (see footer), it may only be used by one teacher/director at a time. Additional teachers/directors will need to

purchase their own licenses, or the school/organization can purchase a site license.

To purchase licenses or ask any questions, please contact us any time at badwolfpress.com.

If you’re still thinking of infringing on our copyright, please click here to see a picture of how this makes us feel. We want to be in business

forever and continue writing great plays. If you like what we do, please encourage your friends and colleagues to do the right thing and resist the lure of

illegal copying.

Thank you for your purchase, and we hope you have a wonderful experience with this show!

Individual License for Christine Proctor, purchased on 2/25/2017. This is copyrighted material. Contact badwolfpress.com for additional licenses.

http://badwolfpress.com?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=copyright&utm_campaign=dlproduct

https://s3.amazonaws.com/badwolfpress/images/copyrightinfringement.png

Pandora’s Socks and Other Fractured

Greek Myths

A Play for Kids

Script and teacher’s guide

By John Heath with Lisa Adams

Illustrations by Cara Burns Design

Bad Wolf PressSanta Cruz, California


A Word About Copyright and Copying • The purchaser is given lifetime performance rights for this play. No royalty

is due as long as the script is used for educational purposes and ticket prices do not exceed $5 each.

• The purchaser is given permission to reproduce ONE copy of this script for each student/actor.

• The purchaser is given permission to edit, add to, or omit any portion of the content of this script as needed.

• Unless a site license has been purchased from Bad Wolf Press, the reproduction of any part of the script for more than one teacher/director in a school or theater program is strictly prohibited. Each teacher/director involved with the play MUST have a legal copy of the script (either individual or site license).

• NO PART OF SCRIPT MAY BE POSTED ONLINE unless the site is password-protected, and then only to distribute materials to actors

• Video recording for non-commercial use is permitted. Any shared/posted recordings must include “by Bad Wolf Press” and link to badwolfpress.com.

• These materials may not be acted, read, or performed for commercial use of any sort without written permission from and royalty agreement with Bad Wolf Press.

From the AuthorsWe’ve spent a tremendous amount of time writing this musical, so we hope that you will do the honest thing and avoid illegal copying. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to purchase their very own copies rather than steal from friendly writers such as us.

© 2016 by Bad Wolf Press, LLCAll rights reservedISBN 978-1-886588-66-01st Edition BWP 0640

Bad Wolf Press216 Mt. Hermon Road Ste E372Scotts Valley, CA 95066Toll free: 1-888-827-8661www.badwolfpress.com


Table of ContentsPandora’s Socks: Script 4-33Teacher’s Guide 34-45 Introduction for the Teacher 34 Getting Started 35-36 Casting 36-37 Costumes and Props 37-38 The Set 38 Staging 39-40 Rehearsals and Assessment 41 Emphasis: Making the Words Come Alive 42 Final Performance 42-44 A Four-Week Timetable 43 A Last Bit of Advice 44 Curriculum Concepts and Vocabulary-Building in Pandora’s Socks 45Ordering Scripts for Students 46

3


Pandora’s Socksand Other Fractured Greek Myths

By John Heath with Lisa AdamsThe duration of the show is about 30 minutes

CHARACTERS:PrometheusEpimetheusThree Muses: Calliope, Terpsichore, ClioHeraZeusHebeHeraclesCerberus (non-speaking)PygmalionMidasPandoraDaedalusIcarusCupidAphroditeEchoNarcissusMedusaPerseusAndromedaBellerophonPegasusOrpheusEurydiceArachneAthena

4

FLEXIBLE CASTING:There are 28 parts, but the play can work with anywhere from 11-35 actors. For a smaller cast, each actor can play several roles and/or individual scenes can be cut. For a larger cast, larger roles (such as Pandora) can be split amongst multiple actors. An easy way to add more characters is to add more Muses (we’ve used three, but there are nine total) or have different actors play the Muses during their reappearance in scene 8. Note that all roles can be played by either boys or girls. See our note on page 35 of the Teacher’s Guide.


5

PROMETHEUS (entering, shouts): Epimetheus! Where are you? Epimetheus, get over here!

EPIMETHEUS (entering): Stop shouting. What is it, Prometheus?

PROMETHEUS: Did I see you with a woman?

EPIMETHEUS (reluctant, looks down): Maybe.

PROMETHEUS: I knew it! Where’d she come from?

EPIMETHEUS: Umm. I don’t know.

PROMETHEUS: Don’t mess with me. This is serious.

EPIMETHEUS (shrugs): I found her.

PROMETHEUS: You found her? Where?

EPIMETHEUS: In a box of cereal. Yeah, that’s it. Cereal.

PROMETHEUS: You did not! Tell me truth. Did Zeus give her to you?

EPIMETHEUS: No.

PROMETHEUS: DID ZEUS GIVE HER TO YOU?

EPIMETHEUS (mumbles): Maybe.

PROMETHEUS (exasperated): Epimetheus! We’ve gone over this a million times. What’s rule number one?

SCENE ONEPrometheus (pro-MEE-thee-us)Epithemeus (ep-i-MEE-thee-us)

Calliope (cuh-LIE-oh-pee)Terpsichore (terp-SICK-or-ee)

Clio (CLEE-oh)


6

EPIMETHEUS: Uh…Don’t bring a giant wooden horse into the city?

PROMETHEUS: That’s number 26.

EPIMETHEUS: Hmm…Watch where you step after a herd of centaurs goes by?

PROMETHEUS: That’s number 18.

EPIMETHEUS: How am I supposed to remember?! You’ve got so many rules!

PROMETHEUS: Rule number 1! It’s the most important of them all! Never, ever, EVER, EVER accept a gift from Zeus.

EPIMETHEUS: Why not? He’s the king of all the gods!

PROMETHEUS: Because Zeus HATES me, that’s why! You know the story. Everyone knows the story.

(The THREE MUSES enter)

CALLIOPE: I don’t think everyone knows it…

TERPSICHORE (points to audience): Yeah, I can see their faces. They’re LOST.

CLIO: Well, that’s why we’re here! Who better to tell them the story than us Muses?

CALLIOPE: Exactly. Storytelling is our BAG, baby!

TERPSICHORE: Here goes. Zeus wouldn’t give fire to humans. They had no light at night. No warmth in the cold. No cooking.

EPIMETHEUS: No roasting marshmallows?


7

CLIO (to EPIMETHEUS): No, dear. And no s’mores. (to audience) So Prometheus stole fire from Olympus and gave it to humans. Zeus swore he would get even with Prometheus and make life hard for humans.

PROMETHEUS: Exactly. Thank you, Muses. And so I’ve told everyone, including my dolt of a brother here, not to take anything from Zeus because it’s likely to be a trap.

EPIMETHEUS: Oh, right. Sorry.

CALLIOPE (to EPIMETHEUS): Where’s the woman now?

EPIMETHEUS: How should I know? She was all upset and left.

PROMETHEUS: Upset? About what?

EPIMETHEUS: Her shoes, or feet, or something. I wasn’t really paying attention.

PROMETHEUS: Come on, we have to find her.

(THEY start to exit)

EPIMETHEUS: Don’t worry, she can’t have gone too far.

PROMETHEUS: Why?

EPIMETHEUS: ’Cause she was carrying this big thing around.

PROMETHEUS (stopping; worried): What kind of thing?

EPIMETHEUS: I don’t know. Maybe a box?

PROMETHEUS (screams): AAAAAAaaaach!

(PROMETHEUS chases EPIMETHEUS off stage and the MUSES exit.)


8

SCENE TWOZeus (ZOOS)

Hera (HAIR-uh)Hebe (HEE-bee)

Heracles (HAIR-uh-clees)Cerberus (SER-burr-uss)

(ZEUS, HERA, and HEBE enter. HEBE is dressed as a child/ teen who’s trying to look older.)

HERA: Zeus, what have you done? I recognize that smug little smile of yours. You’re up to something.

ZEUS: Oh Hera, you’re always so suspicious.

HERA: Maybe it’s because a lot of your thunderbolts have “accidentally” landed in my bathtub.

ZEUS (to HEBE): Your mother has no sense of humor. My goodness, what are you wearing? And is that a tattoo?

HEBE (defiantly): I’m sick of being so youthful. I want to grow up!

HERA: Don’t be ridiculous. Your name means “youth.” You’ll be a preteen forever.

HEBE: It’s not fair! I want to wear grown-up clothes and bicker with my husband just like you!

HERA: Oh sure, that sounds good. But give it a couple thousand years. The glow wears off.

ZEUS (waving at them): Ssshhh. Wait for it. Any second now.

HERA: What are you talking about? You DID do something, didn’t you?


9

ZEUS: Quiet! Listen.

(A horrible sound of screeching and crying and whistling slowly builds and then after awhile fades away. HEBE has been holding her ears.)

HERA: What was that?

ZEUS: Payback.

HEBE: What did you do, Daddy?

ZEUS: I had Hephaestus create a woman and I sent her down to Epimetheus. I gave her a jar with all sorts of nasty things in it. I just KNEW she’d open it.

HEBE: What kind of nasty things?

ZEUS: You know, evil stuff, like disease and miseries and subprime loans. Once they’re out of the jar, humans can’t ever put them back in. That’ll teach them for using my divine fire!

HERA: You really need to get a hobby.

(HERACLES enters. HE has a giant club in one hand, and is accompanied by CERBERUS, who can be an actor or a stuffed animal.)

HERACLES: Hey guys, you won’t believe what just happened!

HEBE (admiringly): Hi, Heracles.

HERACLES: Oh, hi, Hebe.

HERA: What’s with the three-headed dog?

DON’T YOU MEAN “HERCULES”?Well yes, they’re the same guy, but in this script we are using the Greek version of the name. Hercules is the Roman version. It can be fun to have students look up the Roman names for all of the characters in the show! (We do use a Roman name for one character—Cupid—so they can look up the Greek name in that case.)


10

HERACLES: This is Cerberus. I had to fetch him from Hades. (CERBERUS is sniffing HERA’s foot)Hey, get away from there! (To HERA)Sorry, Mom. He’s not house-trained yet. You should see my apartment.

HERA: Heracles, it’s time you knew the truth. I am NOT your mother.

HERACLES: Of course you are!

ZEUS: No, she’s right. You were born to a mortal woman.

HERACLES: But I’ve seen the movie!

HERA: The movie lied.

HERACLES (falling to his knees, raising hands to the skies): But if I can’t trust Disney, who CAN I trust? (quickly gets over it and stands up)Oh well. (brightens) Hey Hebe, you wanna go clubbing?

HEBE: You mean, like, dancing?

HERACLES: Er, no. I meant like clubbing some monsters! (lifts up his club)

HEBE (giggles): I’d LOVE to! And then let’s get matching tattoos!

(THEY exit arm in arm, with CERBERUS. ZEUS and HERA look at each other, and then run after them.)


11

SCENE THREEPygmalion (pig-MAY-lee-on)

Midas (MY-dus)Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)

(MIDAS and PYGMALION enter.)

PYGMALION: Please, Midas. Just one little touch.

MIDAS: No. Absolutely not.

PYGMALION: Come on, man! You can turn something small into gold. How ’bout an apple?

MIDAS: No way. I’ve had it with this golden touch thing.

PYGMALION: What about a walnut? Or a grape. Just one little golden grape.

MIDAS: Look, Pygmalion, I’m doing you a favor. This has been a disaster. Everything I touch turns to gold. Everything. I’ve got golden doors. Golden drapes. Golden pants. Have you ever worn golden pants?

PYGMALION (shivering): Sounds cold.

MIDAS: And heavy. They keep falling down. I’m a king, for goodness sake. It’s humiliating. This whole golden touch is more of a curse than a blessing. I wish I’d never asked the gods for it.

PYGMALION: But your wife must like the bling.

MIDAS: My wife? I kissed her the other day. Now she’s gold. The kids are gold. The DOG is gold.

PYGMALION: Come on, one last magic touch for your old friend Pygmalion!


12

MIDAS: What do you want a golden grape for?

PYGMALION: I need the cash.

MIDAS: For what?

PYGMALION: My next sculpture. I need a perfect piece of Parian marble so I can make a statue of the perfect woman.

MIDAS: The perfect woman?

PYGMALION: Yes! And then I’m going to dress it up and give it presents and pray to the gods to make it come alive and be my wife!

MIDAS (pause, looks at PYGMALION, then): You’re a sick man. You need to get some help.

PYGMALION: Oh, come on, please?

(PANDORA enters, holding a jar, and wearing shoes without socks.)

PANDORA: This is terrible, just terrible!

PYGMALION: Who are YOU?

MIDAS: Hey, wait, I recognize you. You’re Pandora. You’re that woman who opened the jar!

PANDORA: You know, that’s a very judgy tone. There’s a lot more to me than that one little mishap.

PYGMALION: Mishap? You let all the evils into the world.

PANDORA (defensive): Some GOOD things came out of this jar too, for your information.

MIDAS: Yeah? Like what?

PANDORA: Mangos.

MIDAS: Mangos?


13

PANDORA: And Spandex.

PYGMALION: They hardly make up for disease and death.

PANDORA (waving him off): Whatever. I prefer to see the jar as half-full rather than half-empty.

MIDAS: Why’d you open the lid in the first place?

PANDORA: I was looking for my socks.

PYGMALION: Socks? You brought evils into the world looking for socks?

PANDORA: When Hephaestus created me, he forgot to give me socks. I figured they were in the jar. I mean, why else would I have a jar?

MIDAS: Maybe to contain death and disease?

PANDORA: Oh sure, that’s easy to say NOW. Can we move past that? These shoes are giving me blisters. It’s terrible. I need to find some socks.

PYGMALION: Hey, I bet Arachne could weave you some socks.

MIDAS: Sure! She’s brilliant. Wove me a beautiful wool sweater. ’Course it’s a gold sweater now.

PANDORA: Arachne? Where does she live?

PYGMALION: Across the sea. In Athens.

PANDORA: Hmm. I think I know how to get there fast. Thanks! (runs off)

MIDAS (to PYGMALION): Okay, Pygmalion. One last golden grape for you. Then I quit.


14

PYGMALION: Fantastic! Thanks!

(HE shakes MIDAS’s hand. THEY start to exit.)

MIDAS: You probably shouldn’t have shaken my hand.

PYGMALION (pause): Oh yeah. Right. Drat.

(HE solidifies into a statue and MIDAS pushes him off stage)

SCENE FOURPandora (pan-DOOR-uh)Daedalus (DAY-duh-luss)

Icarus (ICK-a-russ)

(PANDORA enters, still holding jar. SHE holds the jar throughout the entire show.)

PANDORA: Daedalus! Daedalus, are you here?

(DAEDALUS and ICARUS enter, each holding a pair of wings)

DAEDALUS: Hello. Who are you?

PANDORA: I’m Pandora.

ICARUS: Hey, Dad, it’s the girl who let out all the evils.

PANDORA (annoyed): You know, it’s a lot more nuanced than that.

DAEDALUS: What are you doing here?

PANDORA: Are you still working on those wing things? I need to get to Athens to get some socks.

DAEDALUS: As a matter of fact, I think we’ve finally got the wings ready. This invention has GOT to work.


15

ICARUS (to PANDORA): Dad’s hit kind of a dry spell.

DAEDALUS: The king won’t let us leave, so I’ve been trying for three years now to find a way out of here across the sea. First there was the disaster with the submarine.

ICARUS: I thought air holes were a good idea too.

DAEDALUS: Thanks, Icarus. Then the cold air balloon fiasco.

PANDORA: You mean HOT air balloon?

DAEDALUS: Hot air? Whoa. Maybe that was the problem.

ICARUS: And don’t forget the giant slingshot, the dolphin-propelled jet ski, and the three-story pogo stick.

PANDORA: It could hop on water?

DAEDALUS: Oh sure, that seems like such an obvious question after the fact.

ICARUS: But Dad’s busted out of his inventor’s slump with these fantastic new wings. We’re gonna FLY right outta here.

DAEDALUS: You bet, son. (to PANDORA)See, we collected bird feathers and I fastened them to these leather straps with wax. As long as we don’t get too close to the water and get the feathers wet, we should be all set. I’ve got an extra set in the shop—you’re free to give ’em a whirl.

PANDORA: Thanks, but…maybe I’ll just wait to see how they work.

DAEDALUS: Suit yourself. You might see if Pegasus will give you a ride. I hear he’s working for Uber these days.


16

PANDORA: Pegasus, of course! Great idea. Well, good luck to you guys! (SHE exits.)

ICARUS: Dad…you don’t think we’ll have any problems with these wax-coated wings, do you? Up close to the sun where it gets really, really warm?

DAEDALUS (thinks): Naaaaah. Let’s take the plunge!

(THEY run off stage flapping their wings.)

(APHRODITE and CUPID enter. CUPID holds a bow.)

APHRODITE: Cupid, I want you to be a bit more careful with that bow of yours.

CUPID: Aw, Mom—you take all the fun out of being an irresponsible deity with a sharp weapon.

APHRODITE: I’m not saying you can’t target random people and make them fall tragically, hopelessly, disastrously in love.

CUPID: That’s a relief, ’cause that’s pretty much my whole thing.

APHRODITE: But I, the mighty Aphrodite, goddess of love, am starting to get a bad name. Take the Paris and Helen affair—there was an entire war over that one.

SCENE FIVEAphrodite (APH-ro-DIE-tee)

Cupid (CUE-pid)Echo (ECK-oh)

Narcissus (nar-CISS-uss)Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)


17

CUPID: I’m an artiste, Mom. I’m pushing the boundaries. Creative geniuses are often misunderstood.

(THEY now encounter NARCISSUS and ECHO. NARCISSUS stares at himself in a mirror the entire time. ECHO gazes at NARCISSUS longingly.)

APHRODITE (pointing to ECHO and NARCISSUS): So what happened here?

ECHO: Here!

CUPID: Oh. Them. Well, I was trying something new. I shot one of my arrows at Echo’s heart.

ECHO: Echo’s heart!

APHRODITE: WHY does she keep repeating—oh, wait. She must be the nymph cursed to repeat words she has heard.

ECHO: Words she has heard!

CUPID: Yep. It can be really annoying.

APHRODITE: No kidding.

CUPID: So she fell madly in love with Narcissus here. But then I shot an arrow at his knee.

APHRODITE: His KNEE? So what happened?

CUPID: He fell in love with himself. APHRODITE: See, that’s what I’m talking about! This is getting out of hand. In love with himself? What good is he now? All he can do is become a TV newscaster or a politician!


18

CUPID (suddenly looks to the side): Hey, there goes someone who would make another great experiment. (starts to exit)

APHRODITE: Cupid! Stop!

CUPID (waving HER off): It’s just King Oedipus. What could go wrong? (HE exits)

APHRODITE: Kids these days. (turns to NARCISSUS)So how’s it going, Narcissus?

NARCISSUS: Look at this guy in the mirror! What eyes! What a smile! And when I wink, he winks right back.

ECHO: Right back.

NARCISSUS: He even thinks like me. If I move to the side, he moves to the side. When I strike a pose, he strikes a pose.

APHRODITE: What about Echo over there? She seems to have a crush on you.

ECHO: Crush on you!

NARCISSUS: Wow, I’m really getting popular! First this guy in the mirror, then Echo.

PANDORA (walking swiftly in): Excuse me. Anybody know where I can find Perseus?

APHRODITE: Say, aren’t you that girl who…

PANDORA (interrupting): Yes, okay! Jeez, that was like so yesterday.

ECHO: Yesterday!


19

PANDORA: What was that?

APHRODITE: Ignore her. Looking for Perseus? Try the third palace down the road on the right.

PANDORA: Thanks! (exits)

APHRODITE: Well, I guess I’ll just leave you two to pine away from unrequited love. (cheerfully)Oh well. C’est la vie!

NARCISSUS: As happy as I am right now, somehow I have a feeling this love thing will come back to bite me.

ECHO: Bite me!

(THEY ALL exit.)

SCENE SIXPerseus (PER-see-uss)

Medusa (med-OO-suh)Andromeda (ann-DRAW-med-uh)

Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)

(PERSEUS enters. MEDUSA’s head is on a table next to him. Cut a hole at the top of a large box and have an actor sit or kneel in the box with just her head sticking out. Put a tablecloth around the head so it looks like it’s sitting on a dining room table.)

MEDUSA: Okay, hero boy, what now?

PERSEUS: Just give me a minute to think, will you, Medusa? I didn’t realize I was going to be stuck with an immortal head.

MEDUSA: Come look me in the eyes when you talk to me, Perseus.


20

PERSEUS: No way! You think I’m an idiot? I saw you turn all my men into stone.

MEDUSA: That was an accident.

PERSEUS: An accident? Every time you petrified one of them you hummed the theme music from Rocky.

MEDUSA: It’s your own fault. Why did you want to cut off my head anyway?

PERSEUS: It was a heroic quest kind of thing.

(ANDROMEDA enters.)

ANDROMEDA (upset, pointing to MEDUSA): Are you still talking to her? Isn’t she dead yet?

MEDUSA: What part of “immortal” don’t you understand, Andromeda?

ANDROMEDA (ignoring MEDUSA): Perseus, I can’t deal with this anymore. Just because you saved me from a sea monster doesn’t mean I have to share a house with…with…this thing. You have to get rid of it.

PERSEUS: I’m sorry, Andromeda. But I can’t just throw her away. Someone may find her and get turned into stone.

MEDUSA: Yeah, sweetie. Remember your little hubby here used my head to turn that sea monster and all his enemies into stone. I’m a hero!

ANDROMEDA: You’re a hideous monster.

MEDUSA: You’re just jealous.

ANDROMEDA: Jealous? Of you? Look at you. All you’ve got is a head!

MEDUSA: An IMMORTAL head.


21

ANDROMEDA: And all those horrible snakes instead of hair.

MEDUSA: I like to think of them as “deadlocks.” Get it?

PERSEUS (chuckling): That’s a good one.

ANDROMEDA (turning on PERSEUS): Would you stop encouraging her?

PERSEUS: I’m sorry. I’ll figure out something.

MEDUSA: And I have LOVELY eyes. Why don’t you come closer and take a look?

PERSEUS: Stop it.

ANDROMEDA (to PERSEUS): Can you at least take her off the table? We have to eat there. And we’re having guests over tonight.

MEDUSA: Guests? I love guests. Who’s coming?

ANDROMEDA: As if! You’re not invited.

MEDUSA: Just put some flowers in my ears and use me as a centerpiece. I don’t mind. Or you could put me at the HEAD of the table? Get it?

(ANDROMEDA stares at PERSEUS, who’s chuckling again; HE quickly stops.)

PERSEUS (happy to change the subject, looks offstage): Hey look, someone’s coming to the door. (shouts)Come on in!

PANDORA (entering): Are you Perseus?

ANDROMEDA: Yes he is. And who are you?

PANDORA: I’m Pandora.


22

MEDUSA: Hey, aren’t you the girl who opened the box?

PANDORA: Okay, yes, alright, yes. So shoot me. And it was a jar.

MEDUSA: I heard it was a box.

PANDORA: No, look… (holding up jar)…it’s a jar.

MEDUSA: I’m pretty sure it was a box. Everyone says “Pandora’s box.”

PANDORA: No. Somebody mistranslated “jar” when they were converting the Greek to Latin. (shakes jar) LOOK AT IT! IT’S A JAR! (noticing MEDUSA is just a head)Whoa! What happened to you?

MEDUSA (looking at PERSEUS): He cut off my head.

PANDORA: Oh. Well, I love your hair.

MEDUSA (to ANDROMEDA): See?

PERSEUS: What can I do for you, Pandora?

PANDORA: I’m searching for some socks. I need to get to Athens so Arachne can make me some. So I was sort of hoping I could borrow Pegasus, your flying horse.

MEDUSA: Perseus didn’t fly on Pegasus, dearie. Perseus had winged sandals.

PANDORA: But I saw it in a movie!

ANDROMEDA: The movie lied.

PANDORA (falling to her knees, raising hands to the skies): But if I can’t trust Warner Brothers, who CAN I trust?


23

PERSEUS: You want Bellerophon.

PANDORA: Who?

MEDUSA: Bellerophon. He’s the hero who flew on Pegasus.

PANDORA: Oh. Okay. Sorry. (exits)

MEDUSA (calling after her to no avail): Wait! I’ve got something in my eye! Could you take a look? Hey! (to PERSEUS and ANDROMEDA)How about you guys? Could you lend me a hand? Seriously, it’s an eyelash or something. (PERSEUS and ANDROMEDA exit)Hey! Come back here! I’m in discomfort! (pauses, looks at audience)Hey you. In the second row. Yeah you. Could you scratch my nose? It’s itching something fierce. I won’t look at you, I promise. (gives very broad, “innocent” smile)

PERSEUS (from offstage): I’m going to give you to the Titans to use as a soccer ball if you don’t stop it.

MEDUSA (to audience): Well, gotta run!

(MEDUSA runs off stage in her box.)

SCENE SEVENBellerophon (buh-LAIR-i-phon)

Pegasus (PEG-uh-suss)Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)

(PEGASUS and BELLEROPHON enter.)

BELLEROPHON: It’s just not fair, Pegasus. I’m as great a hero as any of them.

PEGASUS: Are you still going on about this?


24

BELLEROPHON: It’s easy for you to be so blasé. EVERYONE knows about Pegasus the flying horse. But nobody seems to know about Bellerophon.

PEGASUS: You gotta let it go.

BELLEROPHON: But think of my deeds! I slew the mighty Solymoi.

PEGASUS: The mighty who?

BELLEROPHON: The mighty SOLYMOI. You know, you were there and we… (gets it)You’re messing with me, aren’t you?

PEGASUS: A little.

BELLEROPHON: Okay, I see your point. Nobody’s heard of the Solymoi. How about the Amazons? I fought the Amazons too.

PEGASUS: EVERYBODY has fought the Amazons. Theseus fought the Amazons. Heracles fought the Amazons. Achilles fought the Amazons.

BELLEROPHON: All right, all right, I get it. But what about the Chimera? You and I took down that fire-breathing monster. Head of lion. Tail of a serpent.

PEGASUS: With the body of a goat.

BELLEROPHON: So?

PEGASUS: So don’t you think the goat part sort of undermines the whole “monster” thing?

BELLEROPHON: It’s not fair! I just need a break, one really good monster that they can write epics about. You know, like a minotaur, or a hydra, or a sphinx. I gotta get an agent.

PEGASUS: Well, you’ll have to do it without me.


25

BELLEROPHON: What? We’re a team.

PEGASUS: I’m going into retirement.

BELLEROPHON: You can’t.

PEGASUS: I already bought some grassland in Florida.

BELLEROPHON: You’re putting yourself out to pasture?

PEGASUS: Yep.

BELLEROPHON: Ah come on, just one more adventure. One great moment of glory. I’ve got it! We’ll fly all the way up to the palace of the gods!

PEGASUS: Beep beep beep! My hubris alarm is going off.

BELLEROPHON: What’s “hubris”?

PEGASUS: The kind of arrogant and defiant attitude that gods like to punish people for. Are mortals supposed to fly up to Olympus?

BELLEROPHON: Probably not. But what’s the worst that can happen?

PEGASUS: The first thing that comes to mind is that Zeus could hurl a thunderbolt at us and you could fall all the way back to Earth. But it’s your call.

(THEY start to exit. PANDORA enters)

PANDORA (reaching out to THEM): Hey wait! Come back! I need you to fly me to Arachne so I can get some socks.

BELLEROPHON: Sorry, we’re off to Olympus.

PANDORA: But how will I find Arachne?


26

PEGASUS: Ask Tiresias. He knows everything.

PANDORA: Isn’t Tiresias dead?

PEGASUS: So what? Good luck!

(THEY exit.)

PANDORA (indicates jar): At least they didn’t ask about this.

BELLEROPHON (from offstage): Hey, aren’t you that girl who opened…

PANDORA (interrupting, yells): YES! YES, OKAY! I DID IT! (calms down)They are so annoying. Telling me to ask a dead prophet. Why I’d have to go down to Hades just to… (idea strikes)That’s it! I need to descend to the underworld to ask Tiresias where I can find Arachne.

(PANDORA exits.)

SCENE EIGHTCalliope (cuh-LIE-oh-pee)

Terpsichore (terp-SICK-or-ee)Clio (CLEE-oh)

(MUSES enter)

CALLIOPE (addressing audience): Hello again!

TERPSICHORE: We’ve come to assure you that Pandora’s quest will not go on forever.

CLIO: We could see the worried looks on your faces.

CALLIOPE (pointing to someone in the audience): Especially his. (directly to him)Don’t worry. It’s going to be over soon.


27

TERPSICHORE: It’s true that the off-Broadway previews of the show ran over seven hours.

CLIO: But we’ve cut quite a bit, including the reenactment of the fall of Troy through a dream ballet.

CALLIOPE: That scene alone went on for over an hour!

TERPSICHORE: As it is now, Pandora is getting very close to finding Arachne.

CLIO: So let’s get back to the underworld, shall we?

(MUSES exit, blowing kisses and waving.)

SCENE NINEOrpheus (OR-fee-uss)

Eurydice (yuh-RID-uss-ee)Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)

(ORPHEUS and EURYDICE enter. ORPHEUS walks slowly the entire time, with EURYDICE walking a few feet behind.)

ORPHEUS: Not too much farther, Eurydice, and we’ll be out of the underworld.

EURYDICE: I’m right behind you, Orpheus. Just don’t look back.

ORPHEUS: You keep saying that. Don’t worry, I’ve got this under control.

EURYDICE: I know you do. It’s just that, well, you’re a poet, and sometimes you have trouble with linear thinking.

ORPHEUS: But my poetry has saved you!

EURYDICE: Of course it has! You’re a wonderful singer. That’s one of the reasons I married you. That and your nice house on the lake.


28

ORPHEUS: When you died, I couldn’t live without you. I was down. Depressed. It was pure melancholy.

EURYDICE: I missed you too. And the hot tub.

ORPHEUS: So I said to myself, hey, Orpheus, you should go down to the underworld and bring her back. Sing a beautiful song about love to Hades and Persephone. They’ll be so impressed they’ll just have to send Eurydice back with you. And it worked!

EURYDICE: You were marvelous. I can’t wait to be back at the house, lying on the deck with a lemonade and a good book.

ORPHEUS: And with me.

EURYDICE: Oh yeah, absolutely! ORPHEUS (starting to turn around): Here, let me give you a hand over these rocks.

EURYDICE (shouts): DON’T TURN AROUND!

ORPHEUS: Oops. Sorry. I forgot there for a second.

EURYDICE: Try to focus a little. Whew, that scared me. I saw my life flash before me. Again. There went the beautiful hardwood floors, the boathouse, the Sleep Number® bed. I really missed that bed when I was dead. And you, of course. I missed you very much.

ORPHEUS: Don’t you think it’s weird that Hades gave you back to me with the one condition that I not look back at you until we leave the underworld completely?

EURYDICE: Oh, it’s just one of those folklore things, I suppose. Someone tells you that you can go into any room in a house except the last one on the second floor. You just KNOW you’re gonna have to go into that room.

ORPHEUS: Wow. It’s almost like I’m doomed to fail. (shrugs)Hey, I think I can see the opening to the upper world. And somebody is coming down!


29

EURYDICE: Are you sure? What kind of moron would want to go down to Hades? I mean, besides you. Because you love me.

PANDORA (entering): Hi there! I’m Pandora.

ORPHEUS: Hello. I’m Orpheus and (he turns around to introduce EURYDICE, thus looking directly at HER)...this is my wife, Eurydice.

EURYDICE: Don’t!

ORPHEUS: Ooops.

EURYDICE (walking backwards as if being dragged by some unseen force, holding her hands out towards ORPHEUS): They’re taking me back!

ORPHEUS (very dramatic): O cruel world! I feel such melancholy. (to EURYDICE, who is almost off stage)I miss you already.

EURYDICE: I miss you too. And all our lovely granite countertops.

(SHE exits.)

PANDORA: What just happened here?

ORPHEUS: Don’t worry. I’ll just have to go get her again.

PANDORA: Do you know where I can find Tiresias?

ORPHEUS: The prophet? Sorry, no. I was just visiting the dead for a few hours. What do you need him for?

PANDORA: I’m trying to find out how to get to Athens to find Arachne.

ORPHEUS: Arachne? The weaver?


30

PANDORA: Yeah, I need some socks.

ORPHEUS: Arachne moved. She lives five minutes from here. Set up a nice little tapestry-making business in the garment district. (points)Up to the light, take a left, just down the road. There’s a giant loom looming over the driveway. You can’t miss it.

PANDORA: Thanks! That’s fantastic.

(SHE exits one way.)

ORPHEUS: Now what was I doing? Oh yeah. Eurydice. (heading back the other way, towards the side he entered; very dramatically)O melancholy, such melancholy.

(HE exits.)

SCENE TENArachne (uh-RACK-nee)Athena (uh-THEE-nuh)

Pandora (pan-DOOR-uh)Hebe (HEE-bee)

Heracles (HAIR-uh-clees)

(ATHENA and ARACHNE enter, talking. ARACHNE is a spider.)

ARACHNE: Athena, we’re like best friends forever, right?

ATHENA: Absolutely, Arachne. You’re like a sister from another mister.

ARACHNE: So I have a question. And I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.


31

ATHENA: Sure, fire away.

ARACHNE: Okay. You know how you turned me into a spider?

ATHENA: Man, did we have some fun that day or what!

ARACHNE: Yeah. Ha. We sure did. Well, uh, do you think you could maybe turn me back into a human again?

ATHENA: What? You don’t like the spider gig?

ARACHNE: Who, me? Oh, no, it’s been such a…a…surprise. But, I mean, there are some downsides too. I’m still getting used to the fangs. And with all these legs, it’s costing me a fortune in shoes.

ATHENA: You’re so funny, Arachne. It’s one of the reasons I love you.

ARACHNE: So...could you reverse the whole thing?

ATHENA: No can do, mi amiga. Once we deities change something, it can’t be undone.

ARACHNE: You’re still mad at me, aren’t you?

ATHENA: Of course not. I mean, sure, it was annoying when you refused to credit me with teaching you how to weave. And then when you challenged me publicly to a weaving contest, I may have thought you were out of line. But that’s water under the bridge.

ARACHNE: I was out of line. I understand why you were upset, definitely. It’s just that, well, given that we’re BFFs, I didn’t really think you’d take away my human form FOREVER.

ATHENA (still going on): And when the contest was over and YOU—a mere mortal—tied with ME, the master of arts and crafts…well, I was just going to zap you to SMITHEREENS!


32

(ARACHNE laughs uncomfortably)

ATHENA: But then I said no, Athena, you’re the goddess of wisdom. Count to ten! Calm down. So I did. And then I turned you into a spider. Since you love spinning. It was so YOU!

ARACHNE: Yeah, but it’s also “me” to be a person. Like I used to be. You know?

ATHENA (puts arm around HER): Embrace change, Arachne.

ARACHNE: So it’s a definite “no”?

ATHENA: I could maybe give you some more eyes.

ARACHNE: Oh, no thanks. Four pairs are plenty.

(PANDORA enters.)

PANDORA: Hey! Hi there. Can you tell me where I could find Arachne?

ARACHNE: I’m Arachne.

PANDORA: Arachne the GIRL, not Arachne the giant spider.

ARACHNE: We’re the same. Unfortunately.

PANDORA: Oh wow, that’s a bummer. Cute shoes, though!

ATHENA: Say, aren’t you the girl who opened the jar of evils?

PANDORA (straightens up): Yes I am. I’ve just gotta own it. But at least I kept Hope in the jar.

ARACHNE: Hope? What was Hope doing in a jar of evils?

PANDORA: Beats me.

ARACHNE: And what does it mean that Hope is still in the jar?


33

PANDORA: I really couldn’t say.

ARACHNE: Do we have Hope, or is it still hidden from us?

PANDORA: Look, I have no idea! I came to life and there was a jar in my hands. No instructions. No warning. No literary analysis. Yet somehow it’s all my fault for opening the thing. ALL I’VE EVER WANTED IS WARM FEET, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!

ARACHNE: You poor thing. I’ve got every size and color in that jar over there. Help yourself.

PANDORA (hesitant): Are you sure it’s safe to open it?

ATHENA: Absolutely. Nothing but warm fuzzies in there.

(PANDORA takes a deep breath and opens the jar, pulling a pair of socks out and raising them up in triumph. The CLASS applauds. HERACLES and HEBE enter with their clubs.)

HEBE: Hey, what’s everyone cheering about?

ATHENA: Pandora finally completed her quest.

HERACLES: Completing quests is the BEST! I do it all the time. Let’s party.

HEBE: You heard him, everybody! Time to go CLUBBING!

(Techno music plays as the whole CLASS runs on stage, waving clubs in the air.)

THE END


34

Teacher’s Guide

IntroductionPandora’s Socks and Other Fractured Greek is a play designed to be performed by elementary and middle school classes, particularly by students in the third through seventh grades. The older students will of course do a more polished job, but please don’t be afraid of having your younger students perform this show. They’ll have a great time (this is not your regular school play) and their parents will have a ball.

In fact, one of the really nice things about this play is the response you’ll get from parents. You’ll find them grateful for the opportunity to see their child perform in a truly fun show full of comedy and wit. Indeed, rumor has it that some parents have so thoroughly enjoyed the performance that they have had to have the smiles surgically removed from their faces in order to be taken seriously at work.

Lately educators have been talking about teaching “across the curriculum,” that is, using large projects and themes to connect the various skills and subjects to be studied. Pandora’s Socks is ideal for this since you can easily connect your study of mythology with art, theater, and reading under the guise of a fun show.

If you’re an experienced producer of classroom shows, then Pandora’s Socks will be a snap. If you’re new to this sort of thing, relax! Putting on a play is a wonderful experience for your kids, and it’s a heck of a lot easier than you probably think. This introduction is designed to provide you with all the necessary tips for a smooth and joyous production. We consulted teachers whose classes have performed our shows and asked them what they wished they had known before they started. We listened carefully, and now it’s all here for you.

Doing a little script-tease

We strongly suggest that you do not send home copies of the script with each student. The problem is that the parents will read the script and when they come to watch the play, well, they’ll already know what to expect. We think your best bet is to copy only the lyrics and dialogue for your actors. Let Mom and Dad help their child learn their parts, but give your parents the gift of being pleasantly surprised when they see the performance.


35

Getting Started

Figure on about a month from first introduction to final performance. This may sound like a lot of time, but in the beginning you will most likely incorporate the play into your normal teaching time. In order to get the jokes in the play, students will need to know the stories and characters first, so you’ll need to work on the myths beforehand or concurrently. We have an example of one reasonable timetable on page 43. When you get around to casting and staging the show you’ll need more time again. You’ll also want to schedule additional time for the creation of sets, props, and costumes (if you decide to use them—see our advice below).

So relax and have some fun. We’ve written this show so you can get out of it what you want. If you choose to work very hard, managing every detail—go ahead! Really! You’ll probably have a high quality performance. But make sure that’s the level of activity and stress you’re comfortable with. Don’t let the parents turn this into a Broadway production. You can also choose to be low-key about it all. Tell yourself that these are just kids, your audience isn’t paying fifty dollars a ticket, and you won’t have a perfect show. You’ll stay more relaxed and enjoy the experience. It just depends upon your own personality and the students themselves. No matter how you approach this show, remember it’s the process that is important for the students’ education: the reading, creating, thinking, and developing self-esteem that go into learning the show are the real point to the final performance anyway. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have as much fun doing all this as your students!

Blending Genders

All the parts in this show can be easily played by boys or girls or any combination. And don’t hesitate to add actors or double up roles if that works best for the size of your class. If you’re concerned about the amount of dialogue for a particular role, then have two or three kids play the part. This is theater, and no one in the audience will mind once they understand the convention.


Here’s a bit of time-tested advice if you’re new to this type of production: get another teacher at your school to put on Pandora’s Socks at the same time. You can share sets and costumes and bounce ideas off one another. Your classes can watch each other rehearse and the students can give feedback to their peers. This process has proven to be a great aid to novice directors, and students learn a lot by participating in the assessment and development of the show (more on this later). (Note: Under the Bad Wolf Copyright arrangement, you can copy this script all you want for your students. Your fellow teachers, however, will need to purchase their own copy —hey, who wouldn’t want their own copy?—if they are putting on the show at the same time.)

Some teachers like to have as much parental help in the classroom as possible; others prefer to work with the kids without interference. Wherever you fall on this continuum, you’ll probably find it useful to ask for a certain amount of help. Be sure you send a parents’ letter at the onset of the project. Include performance dates and tell exactly what sort of assistance you’ll be looking for. If putting on plays is new to your school, you may want to outline some of the educational advantages as well. (See our web site for a template you can use!)

CastingPandora’s Socks was originally written to be performed by a class of from eleven to thirty kids, but the show is flexible. For a smaller cast, each actor can play several roles and/or individual scenes can be cut. For a larger cast, roles with a lot of lines (such as Pandora) can be split amongst multiple actors. An easy way to add more characters is to add more Muses (we’ve used three, but there are nine total) or have different actors play the Muses during their reappearance in scene 8. And of course you can add your own favorite characters from Greek mythology! We just recommend that you don’t create groups with more than seven students, or the stage begins to look and sound like a rugby scrum.

We suggest waiting until the last week or two before you pick specific children for each part. We don’t recommend a formal audition. Instead, let various children experiment with different roles and try out different combinations. Perhaps three friends will discover they enjoy being Muses together. Or perhaps several children will express interest in being gods or goddesses (doesn’t everyone at some point?).

36Individual License for Christine Proctor, purchased on 2/25/2017. This is copyrighted material. Contact badwolfpress.com for additional licenses.

37

As you know, some children are a little shy about performing. There are parts here with fewer lines, as well as a non-speaking part for Cerberus the three-headed dog (and certainly if there are more students desiring a similar part, you could add a variety of mythological creatures to the scenes!). You might also find that if you provide regular opportunities for performance, you’ll see your students gain confidence. We’ve heard countless stories of kids who take a small part in their first play only to request a major role in the next one!

Eventually, of course, you’ll need to make a choice and probably a student or two will feel hurt by the selection. We have attempted to write in as many parts as possible and to distribute the dialogue to many cast members, but somebody is still bound to be disappointed. Try to help them understand that the selection in no way reflects poorly on them. If you put on more than one performance each year you will be able to give different children the opportunity to have a “starring” role.

If you’re not an experienced director, keep costumes, sets and staging as simple as possible.

Costumes and PropsIn general, the fancier the costumes, the more self-conscious the performers— and the quieter they will speak. Make sure what they wear is comfortable, especially the hats (which, unless they fit perfectly, tend to be very distracting). Keep hats, wigs, and beards to a minimum. When in doubt, simplify!

The easiest way for an actor to “become” a character is to wear a simple sign around his/her neck with the appropriate label (e.g. “Heracles”). An easy way to unify the cast visually is to have everyone wear a “toga” made with a bedsheet. But you don’t need to dress up like ancient Greeks, either! Everyone could wear a black t-shirt, or you could assign a different color to each scene/group. If you want to go the t-shirt route, check out our online shop at badwolfshirts.com. You can use our illustrations plus standard clip art to design custom shirts for your actors.


In addition to the few props required for the play to make sense (such as Pandora’s jar and socks), you can also use props to identify each character, which is actually how these characters were depicted in art from ancient times all the way through the Renaissance and beyond! For example, Hera is often shown wearing a crown or hat. Aphrodite may be accompanied by a dove, Athena by an owl. Zeus has his thunderbolts, and of course Cupid his bow and arrow. Heracles can be distinguished from other Greek heroes by his club and lion-skin cape. Having your students track down their characters in art makes a wonderful research project (and art history lesson)!

The good news is that the audience will accept whatever you do, as long as it doesn’t distract them from what’s going on in the play. It’s all up to you, of course, but again, we think your life will be happier, and the show just as good, if you keep this as simple and easy as possible.

The SetYou don’t really need a set to put on a successful performance, so don’t worry. We think the show can best be performed on a bare stage or in your classroom. (If you have access to an auditorium or stage, you will have a bit more flexibility.)

Pandora’s Socks does not need any kind of “realistic” setting. The play takes place all throughout ancient, mythological Greece—and the mysterious place of theatrical convention—so there’s no need for distinct backgrounds for each scene. You can have the students paint a backdrop with the title of the show on it and images of an ancient Greek landscape (with intact temples, not in ruins!), or illustrations of the characters in the show. However you set it up, remember that all dialogue must be directed at the audience, with the actors in the front, middle part of the stage. See our sample stage setup on page 40.

By all means have the kids do most of the set-planning and building—it’s a great art project. If you can get some grown-up assistance the whole thing will flow smoothly and your kids will have a wonderful time. Once everything is ready they’ll feel a real sense of pride and ownership.

38Individual License for Christine Proctor, purchased on 2/25/2017. This is copyrighted material. Contact badwolfpress.com for additional licenses.

39

StagingWhether you have access to a “real” stage or are performing in a classroom with a constricted space, we recommend that you keep all the actors on the “stage” at all times—it reduces commotion during and between scenes. You can have the students sit down on the floor or on chairs until it is their turn to perform.

On the next page there is an aerial view of this kind of setup in a classroom. You’ll notice that the kids’ chairs are being used by the audience (which is also probably sitting in front of the chairs as well as standing in back).

We’ve also positioned the students in groups on the stage. This is just one possibility. You’ll need to experiment with this. The challenge is to place the students so they are not in the way when they are not performing, so they can get where they need to be easily during the show, so they can move about during their scenes as they need to, and so they can be heard when they speak.

Here are a few other general ideas we’ve gathered from teachers who have performed our shows:

❖ Most of the action of the play—the dialogue and movement—should take place at the front of the stage. The audience cannot see or hear clearly what’s going on in the back.

❖ Make certain that when the students speak they are facing the audience. They can move around, look at each other, do whatever you want before and after their lines, but they must move to the front of the stage and face the audience when it is their turn to talk. They can stand side by side, or the taller ones can be behind the shorter ones, or those in front can sit down—whatever you like—but their mouths should be turned towards the front.

The Joys of Tape

You will want to mark the spots on the stage where students are to stand and/or sit throughout the performance. These “marks” can easily be set out with painter’s (removable) tape on the floor. Mark where individuals, small groups, and the chorus will stand during each scene. This will keep everyone in place and make your job of managing thirty energetic actors much easier.


❖ Don’t put all the actors and groups of actors in straight lines. This is not very exciting and too regimented—the stage begins to look like a face off between the British and the colonists in the Revolutionary War. Bunch them together in different formations as they wait for their moment to “star” at the front of the stage.

40

Painted Backdrop

Teacher (on a chair or desk)

Audience

Students (seated or standing as Chorus)


41

Rehearsals and AssessmentAfter the show has been cast, you will need to start teaching the kids where to stand and how and when to move. You will also need to work on individual scenes, and especially on the students’ behavior when they are NOT on center stage. Don’t worry about the quality of the performance when you begin. Remember, this is all part of the learning process, so take advantage of the opportunities for teaching and assessment. Again, teachers have come up with a wonderful variety of ways to make rehearsals a central part of their students’ learning. Here are some of their tips:

❖ Don’t panic. Rehearsals early on, and even up to the day of the performance, can be quite rough. The kids will pull through when it counts.

❖ Each day ask the students to give suggestions on improvement: What can everyone do to make the show better?

❖ Ask the students to self-evaluate as well: How did I do my job? How can I do better next time? (This can be done verbally or in writing.)

❖ It is best to have a couple dress rehearsals so students can get used to them. Do these in front of an audience so students learn to project.

❖ Video-record a rehearsal and have the students analyze it. What was good? What could have been done better? This is a very valuable tool. When the students see themselves fidgeting and fooling around, when they can’t hear themselves talk, they will discover for themselves what they need to work on.

❖ Ask a student audience to think like a director and then write anonymous comments. It’s surprising how helpful these comments can be.

Third-Grade Kids Recommend the Following:

* Everyone has to work together as a team. * Cast members don’t need to give directions to others while on stage. It’s distracting. Let the person have some “wait” time and the teacher will help get them back on track.* Don’t worry about making a mistake. The audience probably won’t pick it up.* Use expression.* Don’t talk or play while on stage.* Background needs to sit still and be quiet so as not to be distracting.* Pay attention.* Wait for the audience to stop clapping before speaking again.


42

Emphasis: Making the Words Come AliveOne of the challenges in putting on children’s plays is to get your students to treat the dialogue as language, to speak in natural rhythms. The key is to have the students emphasize the right words and syllables. You need to model speaking with expression. Have them analyze their lines for action words—exciting words that make the lines come alive. Then show them how to stress these words to bring out the meaning. Scenes always work best when the actors know which words need to be stressed. Again, we suggest video-recording a rehearsal so students can discover what they really sound like. There are also tons of theater exercises online that you can use to improve the kids’ volume, projection, and expression.

Final PerformanceYour most important performance will probably be for the students’ parents and families. There is a trade-off in setting the time. More people can come if you do it in the evening, but the problem is that you’ll have to go back to school and all your kids will have to remember (and be able) to return. Many teachers perform only during regular school hours.

If you’re new to this you might be a bit nervous. Remember that the parents are there to watch their children and they’ll be pleased with almost anything. When it comes out well, you’ll be a star. If it comes out wonderfully, you’ll be nominated for Teacher of the Century. As we suggested above, we strongly urge you to do a number of informal performances (dress rehearsals) for other classes. You might start with younger kids, since they tend to be easily impressed. Then move up to the students’ peers and older kids. Since the shows are informal it’s okay to stop the action if the kids are having some problems. The main thing is to let them get used to performing.

During the show you should be in clear view of the students. You’re there to help the kids remember what they need to do and encourage them when they do well. You can mouth dialogue or hold up signs with key words or pictures to remind the kids what comes next.

If Something Goes Wrong: Ignore it!

Tell your students that if something goes wrong, they should continue with the play as though nothing was amiss. It won’t help to stop and tell fellow actors what to do.


43

A Four-Week Timetable

Weeks One and Two

1. Use the play in conjunction with your study of Greek myth, perhaps introducing a scene at a time to correlate with the myths and characters studied. Discuss how the “fractured” stories/characters in the play compare and contrast with the traditional versions. Get students trying out different parts via Reader’s Theater.

Week Three

1. 30 minutes working on scenes, taking turns with different parts.3. Plan physical production: costumes (if using), props, staging.4. Ask students to write down or tell you the parts they most want (in order) and make your selections by the end of the week.

Week Four

1. One hour daily2. Get the play on its feet where you will be performing.3. Use removable tape to mark where students will be (you can color code).4. Perform for another class and invite that class to write reviews.5. Video-record the rehearsals/performances so your students can see and hear what they’re really doing.6. Do more performances for other classes. Aim for at least three performances in front of kids before performing for families.7. Perform for families. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.8. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.9. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect.


44

Print up a program, and don’t forget the invitations to the parents. A cast party is traditional after the last performance of a play. The kids will really enjoy it and it will provide a great chance for the parents to talk with one another and congratulate themselves for managing to arrange such a wonderful teacher for their kids. (This may sound flippant but we’ve heard people say things like this at every post-performance party we’ve attended. There’s nothing like a genuinely good school play to fill parents with joy and gratitude.)

Last Bit of AdviceWhen you’re learning to cook, you follow the cookbook to the letter. If the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of fresh smelt, you put in 1 1/2 cups of fresh smelt. Later, after you gain some confidence, you loosen up and take some chances. The same thing happens with putting on a play—after a few tries, you’ll be spicing up the show at every turn. We’ve tried to give you an accurate and workable recipe for a really fun show, but feel free to do anything that seems best for you and your class. And if you have any great ideas, or even good ones, please contact us so we can include them in the next version of this show.

Turning on the Applause Sign

The audience wants to applaud, but it needs to be told when it’s the right time to clap. Since you have no applause sign, the actions themselves of the student actors must say loudly and clearly, “Okay, we’re done with the scene, you can applaud now.” To convey this message to the audience, make sure there is a pause between scenes (a moment when actors have exited and the new set of actors has not taken the stage yet). The easiest way to tell the audience exactly what to do is to lead the clapping yourself. The students deserve it, and the audience will follow your lead. This is especially important after the very first scene. If those watching the show understand at the beginning that they are allowed and expected to show their appreciation, they will continue to do so throughout the show.


45

Curriculum and Vocabulary-Building in Pandora’s SocksKey Concepts

Pandora’s Socks reinforces students’ familiarity with the following characters, concepts, and myths:

❖ Greek deities: Zeus, Hera, Heracles, Hebe, Aphrodite, Cupid (Eros), Athena❖ The dispute between Zeus and Prometheus; the creation of Pandora❖ Pygmalion❖ King Midas and the Golden Touch❖ Daedalus and Icarus❖ Perseus and Medusa❖ Orpheus and Eurydice❖ Narcissus and Echo❖ Bellerophon and Pegasus❖ Arachne❖ hubris

Additional characters/terms from Greek mythology mentioned in the play:

❖ Hephaestus❖ Hades (the god) and Persephone❖ Hades (the underword)❖ Mt. Olympus❖ Titans❖ Monsters and creatures: hydra, centaur, minotaur, chimera, sphinx ❖ Enemy warriors: Solymoi, Amazons❖ Oedipus❖ Tiresias❖ Paris and Helen (Trojan War)❖ Achilles

General Vocabulary-Buildingsmug bicker mishap nuanced Parian marble slump deity “artiste” pine (v.) unrequitedimmortal centerpiece mistranslate blasé “put out to pasture”hubris prophet linear underworld melancholysmithereens divine literary analysis subprime loan


46

Share the LoveWant to order copies of this play for students? (optional) Good news! You can buy scripts for students at half-price as long as at least ten books are purchased at the same time. One check only is to be sent and we will ship all the materials to the same address. It’s the perfect and inexpensive way for a teacher to put high-quality literature into young impressionable minds. Contact us to order!

The fine print: this offer is for student use only. No one who buys through the student program is authorized to produce this show. Teachers may purchase copies at regular retail price only. We are cheerfully making this show available to students at a price barely above cost. Please don’t take unauthorized advantage of our simple-mindedness and turn us into just another crestfallen and cynical team of playwrights squeezing the last nickel out of the innocent children of America.

And if you liked this play, you have to try our other plays and musicals! See the next page or badwolfpress.com for the full list.

To Order from Bad Wolf PressIf you have any questions about ordering from Bad Wolf Press, please contact us at any of the addresses or numbers listed below. Be sure to check out our web site for teacher tips on producing plays, as well as partial scripts and songs from our shows.

Have you any ideas or suggestions regarding plays and musicals? Let us know so we can alert the rest of the civilized world!

Please contact us at: Bad Wolf Press 216 Mt. Hermon Road Ste E372 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 Toll Free: 1-888-827-8661 www.badwolfpress.com


1

Character Education & Life Skills • Bullies Anonymous (Grades 3-7) • Character Matters (1-5) • Character Matters II (1-5) • Good Manners (2-6)• Mother Goose’s Character Camp (K-3)• Munchkin Mediation: Conflict Resolution in Oz (3-7)• Social Skills: How to Interact with Human Beings (3-7)• Test-Taking Strategies (2-6)

History and Social Studies • 13 Colonies (3-8) • The American Revolution: 1763-1789 (3-8) • American Symbols (K-4) • California Missions—and More! (2-6) • European Explorers in the New World (3-8) • Friendly Neighborhood Helpers (K-3) • Gold Dust or Bust (2-6)• Government & Citizenship (1-5) • Great Americans of the 20th Century (3-8) • Hatshepsut, Queen of Denial (3-8)• The Incredible Westward Movement (2-6)• Map of the World (10-Minute Mini Collection) (3-7) • Martin Luther King, Jr. (10-Minute Mini Collection) (3-7)• The Texans: Birth of the Lone Star State (2-6)• U.S. Constitution: The Reality Show (3-8) • U.S. Geography (2-6) • U.S. Presidents: Washington to Lincoln (3-8) • We Come From Everywhere (1-5) Holidays• Bad Wolf ’s Holiday Songs for the Classroom (K-2)• The Really Goofy Purim Play (2-6)• The Turkeys Go on Strike (2-6)• The Winter Holiday Show: A Multi-Species Celebration (1-5)

Language Arts• Aesop’s Fables Deluxe (K-3)• Alice’s Adventures with Idioms (2-7)• America’s Tallest Tales (2-6)• Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (1-4)• Cinderella: A Modern Makeover (2-6)• Coyote Steals the Summer (1-4)• The Emperor’s New Clothes (1-5) • Expository Writing: Case of the Missing Paragraph (3-8) • Goldilocks and the Three Bears (K-3)• Grammarosaurus (1-4)• Jack and the Beanstalk (1-5)• Little Red Riding Hood (2-6)• Macbeth, the Musical Comedy (4-9+)• Martina y Pérez: A Bilingual Tale (2-6)• Noun and Verb (10-Minute Mini Collection) (3-8)• Pandora’s Socks and Other Fractured Greek Myths (Non-Musical) (3-7)• Pirates from Grammar Island (2-6)• Shakespeare Unshackled (5-9+)• The Tale of the Chinese Zodiac (2-6)• Theseus and the Minotaur (2-6)

Science and Math• Biomes: Animals & Plants in their Habitats (1-5)• Conservation (10-Minute Mini Collection) (3-7)• Earthworms Make America Great (K-3) • The Environmental Show (2-7) • Forces & Motion (Non-Musical) (2-8)• The Garden Show (1-5) • Geology ROCKS! (2-6) • Geometry (10-Minute Mini Collection) (3-7) • It’s Electrifying (2-6) • Life Cycles (1-4)• Mastering Math (2-6)• Matter and Its Properties: The Science of Stuff (1-6)• Name that Internal Organ (3-7)• The Nutrition Show: Hansel and Gretel Eat Right (K-3)• The Oceanography Show: Tide Pool Condos (2-6)• The Rumpus in the Rainforest (1-5)• Vacation on Mars (1-5)• The Weather Show (1-4)

What Other Plays Does Bad Wolf Publish?You can read the first third of any of these plays, listen to sample songs, read reviews, and

learn more about the curriculum, standards, and vocabulary at badwolfpress.com. Click any title or category below to go directly to its web page.

Questions?Email us at

[email protected] call us toll-free at

(888) 827-8661


http://www.badwolfpress.com/character-education-life-skills?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/bullies?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/charactermatters?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/charactermatters2?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/manners?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/charactercamp?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/munchkin?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/socialskills?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/testtaking?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://www.badwolfpress.com/history-social-studies?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/colonies?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/revolution?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/symbols?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/missions?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/explorers?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/helpers?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/golddust?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/government?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/americans?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/hatshepsut?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/westward?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/minis?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct


http://badwolfpress.com/texans?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/constitution?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/geography?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/presidents?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/everywhere?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/holidays?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/holidaysongs?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/purim?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/turkeys?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/winter?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/winter?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://www.badwolfpress.com/language-arts?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/aesop?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/idioms?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/tales?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/anansi?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/cinderella?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/coyote?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/emperor?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/paragraph

http://badwolfpress.com/goldilocks?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/grammarosaurus?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/jack?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/littlered?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/macbeth?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/martina?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct


http://badwolfpress.com/pandora?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/pirates?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/shakespeare?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/zodiac?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/theseus?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://www.badwolfpress.com/science-math?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/biomes?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct


http://badwolfpress.com/worms?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/environmental?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/forces?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/garden?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/geology?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct


http://badwolfpress.com/electrifying?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/lifecycles?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/math?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/matter?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpres.com/organ?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/nutrition?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/oceanography?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/rainforest?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/mars?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com/weather?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

http://badwolfpress.com?utm_source=dlproduct&utm_medium=playlist&utm_campaign=dlproduct

mailto:[email protected]

congratulations! you have been entrusted with precious ... · orpheus eurydice arachne athena 4...

Documents