| Our review of early Texas history
covers from the arrival of the European explorers through annexation in 1845. Stephen
Austin, Sam Houston, Susannah Dickerson, and José Antonio Navarro are just some of the
colorful characters in this amazing story. From Moses Austiin's Promised Land to the rise
of cotton and cattle, The Texans is a tuneful exploration of the birth of the 28th state. CHARACTERS:
FLEXIBLE
CASTING:
From 11-40 students.
Use as many Explorers, Mission Builders, etc. as desired; one student can also play more
than one role. Note that all roles can be played by either boys or girls; see our comments
on page 35 of the Teacher's Guide. |
Teacher
Students: Anna, Barbara, Joey
Native Americans
Spanish Explorer
Mission Builders
Stephen Austin
Sara (Austins secretary)
Old 300 (men)
Old 300 (women)
Texan Fighters
Worried Texans
Susannah Dickinson and Friend
Texas Citizens
Sam Houston
José Antonio Navarro
Working Texans
Farmers (including Oil-Covered Farmer)
Cattlemen
and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing roles at the time.
(We see a classroom. A TEACHER stands at the front. STUDENTS are sitting on floor, looking
bored and tired.)
TEACHER: Okay, class, its time to review Texas history for tomorrows test.
BARBARA: But Miss Livingston, Im hungry.
JOEY: Yeah, cant we eat first?
TEACHER: Now class, we have to get up to when Texas becomes a state. And we only have half
an hour today.
ANNA: I cant wait half an hour. My brain needs food.
TEACHER: Well, what better brain food is there than a little history?
BARBARA: What do you mean?
TEACHER: Ive got an idea. Youre hungry. We need to cover the material. So
lets make lunch out of our lesson.
ANNA: You mean, like, eat history?
JOEY: Sounds pretty bland to me. Cant we have a burger?
TEACHER: Nonsense. We just need a little barbecue sauce. Everythings better with a
little barbecue sauce. Joey, Barbara, pull out that grill. Anna, get the history book
please. This is going to be fun!
ENTIRE CLASS:
Song 1
Lets cook, lets cook some history today
Lets cook, lets cook early Texas right away
Social studies makes great food
When theyre nicely barbecued
Lets cook, lets cook, lets cook
Some history today.
(A STUDENT puts a map of Texas on the barbecue. NOTE: Before something is put on the
barbecue throughout the show, it should be held up so the audience can see it):
Lets cook, lets cook some history right now
Lets baste, lets taste the lone star state will make great chow.
(A STUDENT puts a cut-out 1845 on the barbecue)
Even dates can be a thrill
When you pop them on a grill
Lets cook, lets cook, lets cook
Some history right now.
Oh historys great
Served up on a plate
Texas is a savory state
Oh historys fun
I like it well-done
JOEY:
I like mine on a big bun.
TEACHER (spoken): Thats the spirit! History and barbecue! They always go together!
CLASS:
Lets cook, lets cook some history today
Lets cook, lets cook early Texas right away
ANNA:
For this feast we dont need bibs
JOEY:
Cant we just toss on some ribs?
CLASS:
Lets cook, lets cook, lets cook
Some history today.
TEACHER: Now where should we begin our feast of history?
ANNA: How about when the Spanish first landed in Texas?
BARBARA: Or how about with the Native Americans? They were here long before the Spanish.
JOEY: Why not when the Spanish first met the Native Americans? I bet they had some great
lunches.
TEACHER: Thats a good idea. Lets put them on the grill and see what
happens.
(STUDENTS put Spanish Explorers and Native Americans from the history book on the
barbecue, and then move aside as the two groups appear. We see NATIVE AMERICAN working
hard with a hoe. After a few seconds, a SPANISH EXPLORER comes up to the NATIVE AMERICAN.)
EXPLORER: I have come from Spain in search of the Seven Cities of Gold.
NATIVE: Ive never heard of them.
EXPLORER: Impossible. The New World is filled with treasure. We have heard many tales of
the Seven Cities of Gold.
NATIVE: Sorry. My grandfather does tell a good story about the Five Caves of Rabid
Wolverines. I suppose something could have gotten lost in translation.
EXPLORER: Are you going to help me or not?
NATIVE: Im telling you youve got the wrong place and the wrong people.
EXPLORER: What?
NATIVE AMERICAN:
Song
2
Do I look like an Inca to you?
Some rich king with a golden throne or two?
Would I sweat or freeze all day
In a pueblo made of clay
If I owned a big condo in Peru?
EXPLORER (moves across stage to another NATIVE AMERICAN, dressed differently, who holds
the paddle to a canoe): Hey you, where is the gold?
NATIVE AMERICAN #2:
Do I look like an Aztec to you?
Is there one single pyramid in view?
So forget what youve been told
Therere no cities made of gold
There are no silver crowns in my canoe.
NATIVE AMERICANS:
Therere Apaches on the plains
Who ride swifter than the breeze
Karankowas on the coast
Smeared with alligator grease.
Weve got furs and skins to peddle
But not a single precious metal.
NATIVE AMERICANS and CHORUS:
Do I look like an Inca to you?
Some rich king with a golden throne or two?
Would I sweat or freeze all day
In a pueblo made of clay
If I owned a big condo in Peru?
(THEY exit; TEACHER and STUDENTS appear again)
TEACHER: So what happened after the Spanish arrived?
ANNA: They built some towns and tried to settle Texas as a province.
BARBARA: And they built missions, although a lot of them werent very successful.
JOEY: Yeah, missions! Many were founded by that great missionary, Sir Francisco Brisket.
And in his honor well put on the barbecue a nice big brisket that my mom bought
yesterday at the
ANNA: Joey!
TEACHER: I think your stomach is on its own mission, Joey.
JOEY: But what about Sir Francisco? He deserves some recognition. Maybe we could just sear
a hot dog and salute it or something.
TEACHER: Here, Joey. Put this mission on the grill and try to concentrate on some real
history.
(JOEY puts a picture of a mission on the barbecue and THEY step aside. We see THREE
MISSION BUILDERS marching along. ONE is the LEADER; the other TWO, carrying shovels and/or
a Spanish flag, clearly struggle to follow along.)
LEADER: Come on, men, weve got to found another mission before sundown.
MISSION BUILDER #1: Cant we rest for a minute? I think Ive got a boulder in my
boot.
LEADER: Forward. We must lay claim to all of this land for Spain.
MISSION BUILDER #2: But this province of Texas is huge. Were in the middle of
nowhere.
MISSION BUILDER #1: Werent we in the middle of nowhere last month?
MISSION BUILDER #2: And the month before that.
LEADER: Lets goweve got a job to do.
MISSION BUILDER #1: And it looks like were going nowhere in hurry once again:
TWO MISSION BUILDERS:
Song 3
We got our orders from the King of Spain
Defend our land through heat and dust and rain
But staking out claims, man is it the pits
Lets plant a flag or two and call it quits.
LEADER: Come on, quit dragging behind.
TWO MISSION BUILDERS:
He says get tougher, boy, and be a mensch
You gotta build a buffer gainst the French
But I just see swamps, deserts and ravines
And I dont even know what buffer means.
ALL THREE:
We are on a mission
Put a mission here
Thats our job
On the frontier.
We are on a mission
Put a mission here
Thats our job
On the frontier.
TWO MISSION-BUILDERS:
So here we are to civilize this land
You might as well build cannon out of sand
And meanwhile Im so tired, thirsty, hot and damp
That even my old pants have got a cramp.
LEADER #1: Come on, lets go! You! Treat that shovel with respect!
THREE MISSION BUILDERS and CHORUS:
We are on a mission
Put a mission here
Thats our job
On the frontier.
We are on a mission
Put a mission here
Thats our job
On the frontier.
(THEY exit. TEACHER and STUDENTS reappear.)
BARBARA (holding history book): Oh, I know what comes next.
TEACHER: What is it?
BARBARA (pulling out figure): Its time for Stephen Austin, the father of Texas.
TEACHER: Thats right. In the early 1820s Mexico gained independence from Spain.
Stephen Austin thought Mexico might want to populate Texas with Americans who would be
loyal to Mexico.
JOEY: But why would people from the U.S. want to move to a Mexican province?
ANNA: How about 5000 acres of land for each family at just pennies an acre?
JOEY: That would do it.
BARBARA: But it still wasnt easy to get people to comeTexas was a tough place
to live.
TEACHER: Well lets see how Stephen Austin managed it.
(BARBARA puts image on barbecue, THEY step aside. STEPHEN AUSTIN appears, pacing, holding
a piece of paper.)
AUSTIN (as he paces, to himself): I just cant figure it out.
(shouts)
Sara, Sara, can you come in here?
SARA (entering, holding a memo pad and pen): Yes, Mr. Austin?
AUSTIN: Sara, I need some help with this flyer. Im not getting much response on this
Texas deal. I cant understand. The land is fertile, cheap, theres plenty of
water.
SARA: How many families do you need?
AUSTIN: I promised the Mexican government Id bring in 300.
SARA: How many have responded to your ad?
AUSTIN: Four. And thats counting the Siamese twins twice.
SARA: Hmmn. Would you mind if I looked at the flyer?
AUSTIN: Please.
(Hands it to her.)
SARA (reads it, then responds): Well, its a good flyer. An excellent flyer. But I
think you may need to make it more alluring. You know, pretty it up a bit.
AUSTIN: Ive got to be honestits not going to be a picnic in this colony.
SARA: Oh, yes, of course. But you just need to give it the right spin.
AUSTIN: Spin?
SARA: Trust meI see a great future in spin. Here, let me show you. You read me a
line from the ad, and Ill give it a slight rewrite.
AUSTIN:
Song 4
No towns and no neighbors for miles across
SARA:
Get out of the traffic and be your own boss.
AUSTIN:
You must become Catholic to join in our crew
SARA:
Come visit our missions and learn Latin too.
BOTH:
Americans wanted
Come south and come west
Theres land for the asking
Its Mexicos best
Americans wanted
Down Mexico way
Americans wanted today.
AUSTIN:
Some Indians may scalp you and cut off your ears
SARA:
The natives are frisky and love souvenirs.
AUSTIN:
And some are fierce cannibals youll have to fight
SARA:
The locals will have you to dinner one night.
BOTH and CHORUS:
Americans wanted
Come south and come west
Theres land for the asking
Its Mexicos best
Americans wanted
Down Mexico way
Americans wanted today.
AUSTIN:
Youll all become Mexican citizens then
SARA:
You wont pay a penny in taxes again.
AUSTIN:
No towns and no neighbors for miles across.
SARA:
Get out of the traffic and be your own boss.
BOTH and CHORUS:
Americans wanted
Come south and come west
Theres land for the asking
Its Mexicos best
Americans wanted
Down Mexico way
Americans wanted today.
Americans wanted today.
(THEY exit. Two MEN and Two WOMEN enter, looking dirty and tired, but not defeated.)
MAN: Well, Austin said it would be tough, but I didnt think it would be this
hard.
WOMAN: Its always hard being the first.
MAN #2: Thats right. But we should be proud bein part of the Old 300, the
first families to come to Austins colony.
WOMAN #2: We are. But theres no time for bustin out with pridewe got
work to do.
OLD 300 MEN:
Song 5
Were the Old 300
Our life heres mighty plain
Spend our days out hunting
And praying for some rain.
OLD 300 WOMEN:
Were the Old 300
Weve got no stove or bed
Theres no cloth for sewing
No flour for making bread.
ALL:
But hey, hey we are staying
Hey were on our own
We are not running or straying
Texas is our home.
OLD 300 MEN:
Were the Old 300
Up early evry morn
Planting fields of cotton
And tending fields of corn.
OLD 300 WOMEN:
Were the Old 300
We work until we hurt
How can we clean cabins
With floors made out of dirt?
ALL 300 and CHORUS:
But hey, hey we are staying
Hey were on our own
We are not running or straying
Texas is our home.
Hey hey we are staying
Hey were on our own
We are not running or straying
Texas is our home.
(THEY exit. TEACHER and STUDENTS reappear.)
Song List
Click on the song name to hear samples in
mp3 format. Please note that internet song samples have low fidelity and rest assured that
the CDs we sell sound much better. Problems hearing the music? Visit our Audio Help page.
| Vocabulary
Terms From The Texans: Birth of Lone Star State |
bland
baste
chow
savory
rabid
wolverines
translation
pyramid
swifter
peddle
sear
staking
mensch
buffer
ravine
acre
Siamese twins
alluring
spin
frisky
fierce
cannibal
tending
tribute
mustang
artillery
convention
liquidate
assets
brash |
Historical
Terms
The New World
Seven
Cities of Gold
Inca
pueblo
Aztec
Apache
Karankowas
province
mission
Mexican
Independence
Old 300
immigration
tariff
Santa Anna
Alamo
Davy
Crockett
Jim Bowie
Antonio Fuentes |
Colonel
William Travis
Its victory or death.
The Battle of San Jacinto
Republic of Texas
Cherokee
annexation
territory
statehood
bales of cotton
longhorn
tallow
hides
Vocabulary
From Stage Directions
pace
memo |
Top of Page
Teacher Reviews:
To submit your own review, just e-mail it to ron@badwolfpress.com
Be sure to include your school name and what grade you teach.
"I purchased my first play, The Texans,
as a fourth grade teacher in Dallas, Texas. While many of the students had been in the
country for several years, it was the first year in an 'English only' class for any of
them. My challenge was to get them not only to speak up, but to stand up and sing loud and
clear in front of an audience. Little did I know at the time that you had already done all
the hard work for me. It was so easy. I just popped in the CD and gave them the words.
Everyone tried out for parts. I found a special education student in my class to be a born
star. When she took the stage, she radiated personality, enthusiasm, and confidence.
In the twenty years that I have been teaching, I have tried many products and programs
that are supposed to help children. I don't think that I have ever found anything that
provides as much benefit to students with so little preparation. Everything is there for
you. The songs are perfect! The are educational, yet often amusing on many levels. You
guys are brilliant! You have a devoted customer and fan in me"
---Lori Becerra, Teacher (4th grade), Ben Milam Elementary, Dallas, TX
"The songs were good, informational, and had humor. Students learn better when they
think they are 'playing.' The songs are educational, but also entertaining."
---Patti Bradley, Teacher (4th grade), Taylor Elementary, Burleson, TX
"The play followed our Texas history
curriculum quite accurately...I would tell teachers that have never done a play before
that Bad Wolf plays are definitely where they should start. The directions are clear and
easy to follow."
---Linda Centera, Teacher (4th grade), Dunaway Elementary, Waxahachie, TX
"The show was extremely entertaining and
also fit with our school's curriculum. For anyone who has reservations about doing one of
these plays, I just want to say it really is as easy as Bad Wolf Press states. We did the
program with about 100 fourth graders for PTA performances and with minimal effort from
the teachers the performances were hits with both the kids and adults."
---Rachel Baker, Teacher (4th grade), Fernandez Elementary, San Antonio, TX
"The songs and script are perfect. What a
wonderful sense of humor! History is a great avenue of learning. Kids and adults of all
ages love being with plays like this. It's easy, too. Our whole school watched us
perform."
---Linda Busby, Teacher (4th and 7th grades), Rees Elementary, Houston, TX
"I loved all the detailed instructions. The play allowed each student to 'shine.'
Some of the more reserved students really expressed themselves openly through their
character. The Texans was a perfect culminating activity to conclude our year long study
of Texas history."
---Juanita Fox, Teacher (4th grade) Coker Elementary, San Antonio, TX
"I loved seeing the children try something new...Our whole school looks forward to
our performances. The children seem to gain a great deal of confidence too."
Peggy O'Leary, Teacher (4th grade), Kimberlin Academy, Garland, TX
Top of Page
Two of You are Planning to
Put the Play on Together??
If you ask us, we always suggest having just one class put on a play. We
think each kid is more involved, and we think it's easier for you to deal with a smaller
number of students.
But lots of teachers disagree with us. They've been happily doing
the plays together for years.
In fact, Amy Anderson, the teacher who does four musicals a year (and she talks about this on our home page) thinks two classes
together is the way to go.
But if you're gonna go this route, we want each of you to have your own
copy of the Book/CD set.
There are three very good reasons:
Each of you will start with a real book and CD, on heavy-weight paper
with an easy-flip binding. And your disc will have all the track numbers clearly marked
for each song both with and without singing. The numbering alone will save you real time
and frustration.
We'll throw in our famed "Earthworms on Parade" CD. Y'know,
that's the one with the six goofiest songs about earthworms ever written. A $9.95
value.
Last but not least, you'll not be breaking any copyright rules.
One of our Book/CD sets costs $39.95, but if you purchase two, the price
drops to $30 each. So the second play is only $20!
Questions? Call or email Ron Fink at (888) 827-8661 or ron@badwolfpress.com
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