Winter Play Also by the author Can I Call ThIs God? developInG a deeper sense of belIef and a more holIsTIC ConneCTIon beTween faITh and aCTIon. E-mail [email protected] or [email protected] for more information. Winter lay Scripts to Inspire PSeasonal Celebrations Brian G. EslinGer Ames, IowA GreenmAn PublIshInG Copyright © 2008, 2010 by Brian G. Eslinger. All rights reserved, except those permissions specifically granted on page 87. Published by Greenman Publishing, Ames, Iowa. [email protected] ISBN 978-0-9800843-1-3 Printed in the United States. Cover design by Joel Geske, Ph.D., Ames, Iowa. Medium: Watercolor on rice paper. Special thanks to Marilyn Keller for her assistance in developing the text and to the Unitarian Sunday School Society for a grant to assist with production and distribution. Contents Introduction 1 Staging a Play 3 Building a Celebration 7 The Tailor of Gloucester 9 Adapted from the 1903 story by Beatrix Potter Saint George and the Dragon 21 A retelling of the 11th-century British folktale The Scottish Shepherd’s Story 31 An original tale inspired by a classic story Good King Wenceslas 45 Adapted from the 19th-century carol by John Mason Neale A Christmas Carol 57 Adapted from the 1843 story by Charles Dickens La Befana 77 A retelling of the traditional Italian folktale Permissions 87 vi Winter Play Introduction Why We Celebrate Where I live in the Midwest part of the United States, winter is often a long, cold, dark time of year. It is also a time filled with the magic of snowfall, the joy of seasonal celebrations, and the warmth of special times with family and friends. For me, winter is a time of renewal and reflection. This desire for introspection is not an original sentiment; Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Winter Solstice all When we strengthen celebrate miracles of the season while inviting us our communal ties, to contemplate the parts we play in this universe we share. (Those sharing the Earth’s southern those bonds of family hemisphere and picnicking in the warm outdoors and friendship get us on New Year’s Day will note some different through dark times, both holidays marking their winter season.) figurative and literal. Part of this celebration and contemplation happens when we strengthen our communal ties, those bonds of family and friendship that get us through dark times, both figurative and literal. By gathering as a community, even for just one night, we create new bonds and strengthen old ties. I’ve learned that these events that call us together are not the only creators of community. Planning and rehearsing for such seasonal festivities also build relationships. When these joint adventures include people of all ages, important bridges are formed between generations, and bonds based on shared stories are forged. In the congregation where I led the ministry for 13 years, we were mindful of such goals when creating our winter celebrations. Whether they occured on the night of the Solstice, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, the Feast of Saint Stephen’s, or New Year’s Day, these events on our calendar offered us an opportunity to gather and an excuse to celebrate. The plays in this book offer starting points for such events. The Tailor of Gloucester, Saint George and the Dragon, The Scottish Winter Play 1 Shepherd’s Story, Good King Wenceslas, A Christmas Carol, and La Befana offer different ways to approach a winter celebration, each with a sense of humanity, heart, and humor. These six plays offer I wrote or adapted these six stories to be different ways to centerpieces of winter celebrations at the congregation I served in Ames. While we performed these plays approach a winter on Christmas Eve in our Fellowship Hall, they celebration, each with lend themselves equally well to other dates and a sense of humanity, other venues. Several are appropriate for schools or heart, and humor. community centers, as well as religious settings. My acting troupes consisted of young people ages 5 to 15. However, these plays easily accommodate multigenerational casts, providing a welcoming opportunity for children and adults to create together. At the core of these six stories are values we strive to embrace in our lives, values we are reminded of during the winter holidays. 2 Winter Play Staging a Play Simplicity is the key. The first time we embarked on staging one of these plays, the details quickly became overwhelming. Props, costumes, lighting, set design, rehearsals, direction, and on and on. However, when we stepped back and remembered what we were trying to achieve — a production that our kids would be proud of and that we would have fun creating together — the details became easier to manage. Finding people who are interested in specific aspects of the production and letting them go is helpful. Know people who like to build things? Let them envision the sets and make them real. Know a sewing group open to new projects? Members can create hats, tunics, or animal ears. Set design Keep the stage simple. Mind you, I say this after we built a two-level wooden tower. But that tower became a set piece for four of the six plays. Arrange the set so tables and benches can remain onstage, limiting the scene changes to small, handheld props such as bags, Keep it simple. baskets, or brooms that characters can carry on and Details become easier off as they participate in scenes. to manage when you Consider the entire room when arranging step back and recall the the space you have. At times, we have performed with all staging in a compact area; at other times, purpose of the event. our characters have traveled up and down aisles and throughout the audience. One year, we performed in the round. A raised platform can help audience members see the production, especially when young actors are involved. Winter Play 3 Costumes Outfitting the cast is both fun and challenging. When staging A Christmas Carol, we rented a few key costumes from Iowa State University Theatre’s costume department for a reasonable fee. These few rentals allowed us to better use hats, shawls, and other items borrowed from congregation members. Allowing the kids to create their own costumes often results in some, shall we say, innovative interpretations of their roles. Yet even these costumes, with a few specific suggestions, often worked well. Reusing items is helpful. The coat created for the Tailor of Gloucester was the king’s coat in Saint George and the Dragon, a wise one’s costume in The Scottish Shepherd’s Story, Good King Wenceslas’ outerwear, and one of the items stolen from Ebenezer Scrooge’s bed chamber. One coat, five plays. Lights and sound We were fortunate enough to have in our group a lighting expert who had at his disposal a follow spot — a type of spotlight that could move to follow the action. With his help, we created fairly simple lighting changes that shifted attention from one setting to another. While this opportunity was certainly appreciated, such lighting is not essential to staging these plays effectively. In fact, one year we went a bit overboard with the lighting, and it ended up detracting from the performance. Working with actors on voice projection and facing the audience is the most important sound work you can do. But we have found it helpful to place area microphones to pick up most of the dialogue, and we have sometimes pinned wireless microphones to key characters who move about the stage or room. Rehearsals Rehearsing is another challenge. To accommodate the complex schedules of families, all these plays had to make the most of a minimal number of rehearsals. The broad range of abilities in our casts required broad ranges of 4 Winter Play parts. All actors had roles matched to their comfort and ability levels. We tried to create every opportunity for them to succeed and to give each one a special part, as well. All were expected to learn their lines We tried to create every outside of rehearsal time. We made the most opportunity for our actors of the time we did have together, frequently rehearsing in smaller groups. Toward the end to succeed and to give each of each rehearsal, we came together to work on one a special part, as well. blocking (how actors move during the play) and to run through the entire script. Each year as the production date neared and the loose strings seemed too many to tie up, prospects for pulling it all off looked as bleak as that winter sky. But every year, actors and volunteers rose to the occasion, and the young actors amazed me with their ability to learn their lines, follow direction, and put on a compelling play. Winter Play 5 6 Winter Play Building a Celebration Each of these plays can stand alone or anchor a larger program. Many include suggestions for singing carols or involving a choir (adult, children’s, or mixed). Use your imagination. What carols, poems, or readings would reinforce the message you’d like to send home from this event? What skills or talents does your community have that could be shared during such a festivity? One of these plays could be the Winter celebrations seed for a winter festival with artisans, musicians, can remind us of what and food. we human beings share Each of the six plays offers a different that brings hope and perspective on the winter season. Some, such as The Scottish Shepherd’s Story and Good King Wenceslas, joy into our lives.