Song Samples
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students. Use as many
Students, Plumbers, etc. in each
scene as desired. One student can
easily play several roles if needed,
and individual roles can be doubled
up. Lexi Miller has a huge number
of lines—her role can easily be split
into two or three (just add Miller
siblings!). Note that all roles can be
played by either boys or girls.
CHARACTERS:
Lexi Miller
Rumpelstiltskin
Lumpelbumpkin
Zed
Castle Manager
Chef
Animal Handler
Students (3)
Plumbers (3)
Knights (2)
Jester
Artist
Musician
King
Neuroscientists (2)
and a CHORUS composed of all actors 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 to a clip now!
Oh here's a little story that you think you know—
But you don't.
'Cause we changed it.
A girl who claims that she can turn some straw to gold—
But she can't.
Just rearrange it.
She's learning how to learn and she's quite excited
Learning how to learn and you're all invited
Learning how to learn and it's copyrighted
The Rumpelstiltskin Method
TM!
The Rumpelstiltskin Method.
You think a little man will do the job alone—
But he won't.
(spoken) He doesn't DO that anymore.
She's gonna have to learn to do it on her own—
And she will.
She's got a mentor.
She's learning how to learn and she's quite excited
Learning how to learn and you're all invited
Learning how to learn and it's copyrighted
The Rumpelstiltskin Method
TM!
The Rumpelstiltskin Method
The Rumpelstiltskin Method.
(LEXI MILLER sits alone, surrounded by a spinning wheel
and straw. SHE picks some up in despair, letting it run
through her fingers. Then SHE picks up her cell phone and
makes a call.)
LEXI: Hello, Rumpelstiltskin? My name is Lexi Miller and I need
your help. (SHE pauses to listen.) I'm in some room in the palace.
Maybe the king can tell you where.
(RUMPELSTILTSKIN, LUMPELBUMPKIN, and ZED
enter.)
LEXI: Whoa! That was fast.
RUMPY: It's what we do, Miller. Can I call you
Miller?
LEXI: Um—
RUMPY: Great. I'm Rumpelstiltskin, and these
are my associates, Lumpelbumpkin and Zed.
LUMPY: We don't keep our names secret
anymore. Company policy.
LEXI: I need your help. See, I sort of bragged at a party that I could
spin straw into gold. And I actually can't. And the king overheard
me and put me in this room so I could prove it.
ZED (with sympathy): Ohhhhh no.
LEXI (businesslike): So the straw is right here, and
if you could just take care of that and send me an
invoice, that would be great. I'm just going to sit in
the corner and play on my phone till you're done.
RUMPY (laughs): You want ME to do it for you?
Sorry, I don't do that anymore.
ZED (as in "I can't believe you said that"): Ohhhhh no.
LUMPY: Doing all this work for someone, never getting paid,
falling into chasms? It was a terrible business model.
RUMPY: So nowadays we're consultants. We're here to teach YOU
how to spin straw into gold.
LEXI: What? No way! I can't do that. Only magical people like you
can spin straw into gold. If I tried I'd just look ridiculous! And I
HATE looking ridiculous.
(RUMPY, LUMPY, and ZED look at each other sadly.)
ZED (as in "how sad"): Ohhhhhh no.
LUMPY: Miller needs a cautionary tale.
RUMPY: We'll sing you the ballad of Melody Smart.
(THEY sing, perhaps pulling out lutes or other
medieval-looking instruments)
Song 2 -
Listen to a clip now!
I sing you the ballad of Melody Smart
(Whoa Melody Smart)
In hopes that you'll listen and take it to heart
(Whoa Melody Smart)
Melody Smart did the best on a test
And her teacher said she had a chance to advance
(Whoa Melody Smart)
(Whoa Melody Smart)
Melody Smart opened up the new book
(Whoa Melody Smart)
The work looked so hard that her knees and hands shook
(Whoa Melody Smart)
Frightened to fail, she chose to turn tail
Closed the book with a smack and then gave it right back
(Whoa Melody Smart)
(Whoa Melody Smart)
She didn't take risks.
She didn't branch out.
She didn't work hard.
She took the safe route.
If only she'd put her ego aside
And cared about learning as much as her pride
She would have been smarter if she really tried...
If only she'd put her ego aside.
I sing you the ballad of Melody Smart
(Whoa Melody Smart)
In hopes that you'll listen and take it to heart
(Whoa Melody Smart)
It's scary to struggle to do something new
But you'll never soar high if you won't even try.
(Whoa Melody Smart)
(Whoa Melody Smart)
(RUMPY, LUMPY, and ZED exit.)
LEXI (folding hands across chest): Cautionary
tale, my foot! Melody Smart was right. She knew
her limitations, and so do I. Humph!
(CASTLE MANAGER, CHEF, and ANIMAL HANDLER
enter.)
MANAGER (setting up blankets and pillows): Hello there, deary.
We're here to make your stay a little more comfortable.
CHEF (removing cover from tray): Help yourself to my finest
creations. All locally sourced and farm-to-table, of course.
HANDLER: And can I interest you in a comfort animal? People
get nervous staying here sometimes. I have cats, dogs, snakes,
goldfish...oh wait, never mind, we stopped offering fish after that
whole "squashed mackerel" incident.
LEXI: Oh wow, this is so nice! Especially since it looks like I'm
going to be here forever. FOREVER! (SHE starts to sob.)
MANAGER: Oh, don't cry, dear.
I'm sure you will figure it out soon.
CHEF (holds out tray): Nourishing
food will help. Quinoa bowl? Kale
chips?
HANDLER: And a snuggle with
this flying squirrel!
LEXI: I'll NEVER figure it out! Don't you understand? You're
either able to turn straw into gold or you're not. There's no way to
LEARN something like that.
MANAGER: If we listened to that kind of talk, we'd never be where
we are today.
(THEY sing:)
Song 3 -
Listen to a clip now!
MANAGER:
They said I'd never do it
I didn't have the brains
But I went out and did it
The fire was in my veins.
I studied hard until I finished my degree:
Certified in Castle Hospitality.
ALL THREE:
You are what you are
Well not quite true:
You get what you get
Then you have to DO!
We're born with different traits and talents, yes that's so
But anywhere you start there's always room to grow.
It's all about your mindset, don't you know.
COOK:
They said I'd never do it
I didn't have the skills
But I went out and did it
I went through all the drills.
I used to burn my toast, but I became a pro:
Now I cook with truffle oil and escargot.
ALL THREE:
You are what you are
Well not quite true:
You get what you get
Then you have to DO!
We're born with different traits and talents, yes that's so
But anywhere you start there's always room to grow.
It's all about your mindset, don't you know.
ANIMAL HANDLER:
They said I'd never do it
I didn't have the guts
But I went out and did it
I showed them who was nuts!
No matter what the odds, I kept my dream afloat:
Now I train the alligators in the moat.
ALL THREE and CHORUS:
You are what you are
Well not quite true:
You get what you get
Then you have to DO!
We're born with different traits and talents, yes that's so
But anywhere you start there's always room to grow.
It's all about your mindset, don't you know.
(THEY exit. LEXI sits down and picks up the straw and tries
running it through the spinning wheel without success. Out
of nowhere the STUDENTS bust in and start looking around
for places to hide.)
STUDENT #1: Did she see us?
STUDENT #2: I don't think so.
STUDENT #3: Let's hide under the straw!
(THEY get down on the ground and start flinging straw on
top of themselves.)
LEXI: Hey! HEY! What is going on here? Who are you?
STUDENT #1: Oh hey, sorry. We're hiding from our teacher.
STUDENT #2: She's going to throw us in the dungeon!
LEXI: I think this IS the dungeon.
STUDENT #3 (screeches in terror): I want my mommy!
LEXI: Why, what did you do?
STUDENT #2: We haven't been investing in our health.
LEXI (confused): Is that like investing in the stock market?
STUDENT #1: No, no. It's taking care of your body.
STUDENT #3: So you'll be focused and ready to learn.
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.