Song Samples
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students.
Use as many Hens, Lost Boys, etc. as desired. One student can easily play several roles if needed, and individual roles can be doubled up. Note that all roles
can be played by either boys or girls.
CHARACTERS:
Cinderella
Puss in Boots
Fairy with the Turquoise Hair
Queen
Goose
Dog
Pig
Beauty
Beast
Little Red Hens (3)
Peter Pan
Tinkerbell
Lost Boy
Witch
Wolf
Emperor
Pinocchio
Stepsisters (2)
Rapunzel
Thumbelina
Country Mouse
City Mouse
Trainees (6)
and a CHORUS composed of all students who are not playing roles on stage
at the time.
Script
This is the first third of the script.
(CLASS enters and sings:)
Song 1 -
Listen now!
Our show features
Famous creatures
From great fairy tales
So don't think twice
To take advice
From fairies, beasts, or singing mice.
Cinderella
She will tell ya
How to act real nice
Before you go
Pinocchio
Has something he wants you to know...
Character matters three times more
Than anything we've learned before
Hope you enjoy our jeu d'esprit
As we ramp up our empathy.
Cinderella
She will tell ya
How to act real nice
Before you go
Pinocchio
Has something he wants you to know...
Status and glamour, fame galore
And money oozing out each pore
Character matters three times more
Character matters more.
Character matters more.
(Actors sit facing the audience in a semicircle around stage. CINDERELLA, PUSS IN BOOTS, AND FAIRY enter.)
CINDERELLA: Welcome to today's empathy training session! I'm Cinderella.
PUSS: I'm everyone's favorite fashion-forward feline, Puss in Boots.
FAIRY: And I'm the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair. We are the current members of the Fairytale Advice Council.
QUEEN (a trainee) (rises/raises hand): Excuse me. You don't have turquoise hair.
FAIRY (sighs): Yes, my parents had a strange sense of humor. Nonetheless, that is my name.
CINDERELLA: Let's get started. We are here today to teach you about empathy and good character.
PUSS: We have set up these training sessions all over the kingdom.
FAIRY: And not a moment too soon. According to the latest report from Compassion Digest, sympathy, empathy, concern, and solicitude are measuring at record lows. [SHE refers to chart]
PUSS (dramatically): Ours, my friends, is a world in Empathetical Crisis!
GOOSE: That sounds really scary, but...um...I have a question.
CINDERELLA: We are happy to answer any questions.
(GOOSE looks at PIG)
PIG (stammers): Right...well. Um... (looks at DOG)
DOG: Well...it's just that...um...
PUSS: Spit it out, man!
GOOSE, PIG, and DOG: WHAT IS EMPATHY, ANYWAY?
(THEY sing:)
Song 2 -
Listen now!
Empathy it's sounding so exciting
What it is though isn't really clear
Maybe you can chew it
Maybe you shampoo it
Maybe it can make all of your acne disappear.
Empathy I think it's made by Honda
Drive an Empathy right off the lot
I think I have guessed it
Maybe we ingest it
A little deep-fried empathy could really hit the spot.
We're confessing
We're just guessing
What could empathy be?
Improvising
We're surmising
Empathizing must be...
Must be something!
Empathy it sounds a bit contagious
Hope that penicillin does the trick
Maybe it's a creature
Help us fool the teacher
Tells us how to spell and then do all our math real quick!
PIG, DOG, GOOSE, and CHORUS:
We're confessing
We're just guessing
What could empathy be?
Improvising
We're surmising
Empathizing must be...
Must be something big.
(PIG, DOG, and GOOSE return to their seats.)
FAIRY: I'm glad you asked. As you see on the chart, we have many terms that are related. Empathy, sympathy, compassion...
PUSS: Yes. And all of them mean that we try to understand and feel for other people.
CINDERELLA: But empathy is slightly different from the others. It means that we feel the feelings of someone else.
TRAINEE #1: But that's impossible! I'm myself and he's himself and she's herself.
PUSS: An apt observation.
FAIRY: But that doesn't mean you can't understand another person's emotions.
PUSS: Exactly. Everyone knows I am a very clever cat. But I also felt empathy for my master, and that's what inspired me to be so very clever on his behalf.
FAIRY: And I felt empathy for Pinocchio, which is why I helped him. What a deranged little puppet he used to be.
CINDERELLA: Now we're going to hear from some other people who learned empathy and transformed their relationship. Please welcome Beauty and the Beast!
(BEAUTY and BEAST enter, while TRAINEES applaud)
BEAST: Hi there, glad to be here.
CINDERELLA: As everyone knows, these two didn't always get along.
BEAUTY: She's right. I didn't understand him at all.
BEAST: She thought I was scary and smelly!
BEAUTY: Well...you were.
BEAST: Sometimes when you live alone, you start to let things go.
BEAUTY: But once I listened to him, I realized that he was sad and lonely. I understood why he was acting the way he was. Like throwing tantrums. And refusing to bathe.
BEAST: I was working through some stuff, okay? So yes, at first I didn't appreciate how she was always shoving soap at me. And shampoo. And deodorant.
BEAUTY: Don't forget the Febreze!
BEAST: But once I listened to her, we began to trust each other.
BEAUTY: We understood each other's feelings.
BEAST: And now we're best friends!
(BEAUTY and BEAST sing:)
Song 3 -
Listen now!
BEAUTY:
I have to say when we first met
You struck me as one ugly pet
Your howling and your hygiene just weren't cool
And almost way too late I spied
The gentle beast beneath the hide
And now I do not even mind the drool
BOTH:
We're walking hand in paw
Best friends you ever saw
A beauty and a beast now who'd have thought?
It took a while to see
That you're a lot like me
And now, hurrah!
We're walking hand in paw.
BEAST:
Although you shuddered at first glance
You were willing to give me a chance
And saw the good inside of me somehow
Despite a shower and good hair rinse,
I still don't quite look like a prince
But things are looking rosy for us now.
BOTH and CHORUS:
We're walking hand in paw
Best friends you ever saw
A beauty and a beast now who'd have thought?
It took a while to see
That you're a lot like me
And now, hurrah!
We're walking hand in paw.
And now, hurrah!
We're walking hand in paw.
(BEAUTY and BEAST exit.)
FAIRY: I love that story. Each one tried very hard to relate to the other.
PIG: I still don't get it.
DOG: Me either. I don't know how talking helps you understand somebody else.
CINDERELLA: Talking is an important part of it. But you also have to engage your emotions.
GOOSE: Engage your emotions? What does THAT mean?
PUSS: It means that you really try hard to imagine yourself as the other person, and feel what they feel.
CINDERELLA: And now we're going to practice doing just that. (to PIG, DOG, and GOOSE) You might recognize our next guest.
(LITTLE RED HENS enter)
PIG: Oh no! It's the Little Red Hen!
GOOSE: Our old roommate!
DOG: She's always so mad at us!
HEN #1: Hello, there. Do you even understand why I was so angry?
(PIG, DOG, and GOOSE shake their heads)
HEN #2: Hel-LO! You refused to help Little Red Hen do ANYTHING! And then you got upset when she wouldn't share her food with you.
HEN #3: So typical. I lived in a house with a goat once. She ATE my nest! And my rare book collection.
HEN #2: I'm so glad we chickens all moved in together.
HEN #3: Me too. We have achieved Hen Zen!
HEN #1: It IS a lot nicer living with folks who think about each other's feelings.
FAIRY: All right, trainees. Try to imagine that you are the Little Red Hen as you listen to her story.
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Wolf Products and Licensing
How does your pricing and licensing work?
A: In short: each teacher/director using the play should have a copy of it. That's it! Your purchase gives you the right to use the play with as many classes as you wish, to photocopy the script for your actors, and to put on as many performances as you wish. This one-time purchase gives you a lifetime license. See below for more information on site licenses (for 3+ teachers or whole schools).
Q: What comes in the package?
A: Every musical play comes with the script and a 12-page Teacher's Guide that provides lots of tips and advice for using the play from start to finish. It also includes the audio recording for the play, which has all the songs both WITH and WITHOUT vocals. Sheet music is NOT included with the basic package, but it is available for $12. Extra/replacement CDs are also available for $12.
Every non-musical play comes with the script and the 12-page Teacher's Guide.
Q: I'm just one teacher putting on a play. If I use the play with multiple classes, do I have to purchase multiple licenses?
A: No! Your purchase gives you a lifetime license to be used with as many actors and classes as you wish. If other teachers/directors wish to use the play as well, they will need to purchase their own licenses.
Q: Do I need to purchase scripts for students?
A: No! Your purchase includes permission to photocopy the script for your actors.
Q: What is a "site license"? How do I know if I need one?
A site license is the economical choice when a whole school or grade level wants to put on the same play. Instead of each teacher/director having to purchase a script, the school/site can purchase
a site license. This comes with three copies of the play (or one digital download) and permission to make copies for any additional participating teachers, as well as all the actors. You do NOT need to purchase both a site license and individual copies of the play; just buy one or the other.
Q: I understand that I can get two or more scripts for $35 each. Do they have to be the same play?
Nope! The discount applies whether you are purchasing multiple copies of the same show or single copies of multiple shows.
Q: What is the difference between the printed and digital versions? Which one should I get?
There is no difference in terms of content. The printed version of a musical play comes with an audio CD in a plastic sleeve in the back of the book. The digital version comes with two downloadable files: the script (PDF format) and the songs (individual MP3 files compressed in ZIP format). The advantage of the digital version is that you will not pay shipping and you can start using it instantly. Please read the question following this one about the technical requirements for digital files.
Non-musical plays are available in the form of a printed book or a PDF file.
Q: What are the technical requirements for the digital version?
- You will need to have Adobe Reader (free) or another software application that can open PDF files.
- You will need to be able to open ZIP files. The vast majority of computers should be able to do this without difficulty. If you wish to download the music directly to your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app that will open ZIP files. Many free ones are available.
- You will need to have some kind of audio player (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) that will play MP3 files.
Advanced technical knowledge is not required; but please note that we do not have the ability to offer technical support for issues related to digital files. If you are unsure, it is probably best to stick with the printed version.
Q: What is your return/exchange policy?
A: Bad Wolf proudly offers a 100% guarantee. You can always exchange a product for another or get a full refund. No time limits, no questions.
Q: Is it OK if I edit the script?
A: Yes! Consider the play to be a jumping-off point. You are always welcome to change or omit anything that doesn't work for your class, administration, or parents. You are welcome to rewrite
lyrics, lines, or jokes -- or add your own! (The kids love doing this, by the way.)
Q: How long does shipping take?
A: We say that you should allow for one week within the U.S., but most orders are shipped the same day and arrive 1-3 days later. International orders usually take around two weeks to arrive.
Q: Do I need to pay any performance royalties?
A: As long as your admission price is less than $5 per ticket, you never need to pay performance royalties with a Bad Wolf show. If you decide to charge more than $5 a ticket, or if you are using one of our plays for a PAID workshop, camp, assembly, etc., pay only a low 1-2% royalty on gross revenues. See our royalty page to view the rates and pay.