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SOME WISE...SOME
OTHERWISE
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Program written, built and performed by Kathleen Jacobs
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Under Kathleen’s guiding hand,
seven volunteers from the audience don costumes and join puppets
to act out the “wise” and “otherwise” antics of a
memorable group of comic characters. In this trio of tales from
India, China and Iceland, foolish folks make all the wrong
decisions for all the wrong reasons. Their impulsive approach to
life’s predicaments produces unexpected results. As children
laugh at these folk’s hilarious disasters, they learn that
forethought leads to “wise” decisions.
The folks in these plays are known as “noodle heads”. It soon
becomes apparent why. In, CLOSE THE DOOR, a very stubborn
husband and his equally stubborn wife have an unusual
confrontation with the villainous Sir-Steal- a Lot. The noodle
head couple’s ridiculous argument results in their downfall.
We discover the flaw in Duke Noodle’s clever scheme to quiet his
noisy neighbors, Blacksmith Bump-Thumb and Carpenter
Smash-a-Finger in TOO MUCH NOISE. The audience observes
that hasty problem solving results in a problem still unsolved.
The closing tale, THE MAN, THE WOMAN & THE FLY, is best
described as slapstick comedy. The situation progresses from bad
to worse as one “otherwise” decision after another compounds
Granola and Graham Cracker’s problems. The students witness the
disastrous snowball effects of lying, impulsive decisions and
silly noodle head reasoning.
Fools are sometimes “wise” and the “wise” are sometimes
fools. In SOME WISE…SOME OTHERWISE, both fools and the
“wise” learn how stubbornness, impulsiveness and lack of
forethought result in “otherwise” decisions.
These multicultural tales show the universal and timeless appeal
of human folly. Life-size puppets, child volunteers in fanciful
costumes, oversize props and a ridiculous chase scene all
contribute to the merriment.
Kathleen concludes this fun filled program by showing everyone how
to construct a “BIG” mouth puppet for their own productions.
SOME
WISE...SOME OTHERWISE
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| Characters learn: |
Make
wise choices |
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Consequences
of poor decisions. |
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| Literacy: |
Reading, Writing, Creative thinking |
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| Arts: |
Creative dramatics, Creative movement, |
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Construct a "Big-Mouth" Puppet |
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Multicultural Tales: |
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| 1. |
TOO
MUCH NOISE, a Chinese story |
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THE
MAN, THE WOMAN & THE FLY, a tale first heard in
Iceland |
| 3. |
CLOSE
THE DOOR, a story with Indian, Russian, English, and
Jewish variations |
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Teacher’s Guide and Puppet Construction
Directions are Provided.
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SOME WISE...SOME
OTHERWISE
| SAMPLE ACTIVITIES FROM TEACHER’S GUIDE |
| "WISE"
& "OTHERWISE" BEHAVIOR |
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| 1. |
Graham and Granola
act impulsively. List examples of their “noodle head” thinking.
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| 2. |
Ask children if they… Ever acted without thinking? Lied to cover
up a mistake? Did something stupid just because a friend told them or
dared them?
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| 3. |
Choose a current classroom topic and make a chart of “wise” &
“otherwise” behavior.
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TOPIC |
“WISE” |
“OTHERWISE” |
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On the bus |
Talk quietly |
Hang out windows |
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Use of Drugs |
Cure disease |
Get high |
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Fire prevention |
? |
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Design a
poster to illustrate your best ideas. |
| MULTICULTURAL
TALES |
Creative
Dramatics/Writing |
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| 1. |
Have
you heard the tale, "CLOSE THE DOOR" or a slightly
different variation of it before? This story is truly
multicultural, with different parallels in many lands. Folktales
have no set text, but are endlessly re-created in the retelling.
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| 2. |
Kathleen’s
play is based on an Indian version. In her tale the villainous Sir
Steal-a–Lot enters through the open door and steals a lot. Ask
children what other people, animals or objects might come through
the open door. Pick a country or continent (Kenya, Antarctica,
etc.) and imagine what else might enter. Form groups and make up a
story about what happened. Act it out.
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| 3. |
Did
any group match one of these variations? In the Russian tale,
the farm animals cross the threshold and trash the place while the
couple refuse to move or speak. A thief smears ashes on the faces
of the hard headed pair in the Jewish version. The English King
& Queen have their crowns removed by the villain. In China, a
flood drowns the stubborn couple! |
SOME WISE...SOME
OTHERWISE
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| Who? |
PreK
to grade 6 and Family audiences. |
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| Where? |
Schools,
libraries, camps, museums, theaters, festivals |
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and community events throughout the Mid-Atlantic |
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States. Tours on the East Coast are planned. |
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| When? |
Anytime! We tour year round
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| Audience
Size |
up
to 350 people |
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| Program
Length |
Full-length performances are 50 to 55 |
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minutes long. Shorter 25-35 minute shows |
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are available. |
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| Staging
Options |
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| •Preferred:
Raised stage 16 feet wide X 14 feet deep with |
| center stairs
to access the audience. |
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•Floor level space approximately 16 feet
wide X 14 feet deep. |
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Seat children on the floor to insure them an unobstructed |
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view. |
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| Sound |
Performer provides own sound system with wireless |
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microphone. |
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Exceptions: Festevals and large venues. |
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| Electrical |
2 outlets on stage. |
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| Lighting |
Basic lighting. General wash with a concentration of |
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light on center and front of stage. House lights |
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are kept on low because performer travels into |
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the audience. |
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| Setup/Strike
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Set
Up: 1 hour, Pack Up: 45 minutes |
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| Loading/Parking |
Please arrange for our van to unload/load |
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as close as possible to the venue entrance. |
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Provide free parking close to loading area. |
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SOME WISE...SOME
OTHERWISE
“I want to thank
you for the wonderful puppet program you presented ‘with’ our
children…I was especially impressed with the way you focused on the
characters in the stories as being ‘wise’ or ‘otherwise’. What
a clever way to have the audience reflect upon the tale.”
Principal, Colonial
Elementary, PA
“We have heard endless compliments from children and adults…The
combination of your theatrical abilities and the magical talent of
making ‘actors’ out of the audience are truly remarkable.”
Manager, Children's Services, Dauphin County Library, PA
“If I graded the program I’d give it an A+, 100% and 2 thumbs
up.”
Ryan, Brandywine-Wallace Elementary, PA
"The program involved students in a creative, FUN way…One of the
best programs I have seen."
Teacher, O’Conner Elementary, Mesa, AZ
“Excellent
integration of folklore, character education, reading, writing &
art. There was something for everyone."
Teacher, Neff Elementary PA
“The students loved the stories.
As teachers the message was most powerful in helping students understand making
thoughtful choices."
Teacher, Boonsboro Elementary, MD
Excellent Performance! Teachers responded with great
reviews…Motivating and dynamic”
Assistant Principal, Bel Air Elementary, MD
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