Storytelling through drama and working together in large groups where everyone has an important role to play has been as satisfying to the participants as it has to the audience Performers as young as seven and eight have worked as happily and harmo niously as teenagers and often in a drama club as part of a mixed age group The following suggestions for casting staging set design props and costumes are intended as a starting point one pos sible way You and your students will discover many others Let the power of Robert Munsch’s stories and your own creativity be your guide Running Time Each play can be performed in 8 to 10 minutes but much depends on the space kinds of participation costuming and changes and size of cast Presentations if two or three of the stories are put together can be given in 20 to 30 minutes allowing for a change over of cast Enjoy Irene N Watts 8
Angela’s Airplane
CAST Narrator Father Angela Wings two Airplane Lights two Radio Voice Airport Personnel luggage handlers firefighters traffic cop ambulance people air stewards travelers businesspeople families variety of ages Doctor Truck Driver Secretary Nurse STAGING The CAST sits on the floor around the playing area in a half circle Their focus is on the NARRATOR and the actors Exits and entrances are created by characters entering the play ing area and returning to their places when finished An exit may be as simple as a character facing upstage away from the audience ANGELA and her FATHER are seated next to each other at the start of the play 10
SET DESIGN A barstool chair or box for the NARRATOR is set downstage right or left close to the audience A small stepladder for ANGELA center with steps facing upstage away from the audience represents the airplane One bench or two boxes chairs is placed on each side of the airplane stepladder A hat coat stand is placed upstage right or left or hats may be placed on the floor in front of the cast PROPS AND COSTUMES the button board large circles painted or made of felt in red yellow black and green two flashlights two cutout wings hats caps for FATHER and AIRPORT PERSONNEL 11
