This may be Theseus' last chance to prove himself:
Hercules has already cleared out most of the "really good monsters." With
the help
of the clever Ariadne, daughter of evil King Minos, Theseus enters the
labyrinth. Will
he find his way out, or will his unreliable sidekick use the ball of
yarn to knit a sweater?
Theseus and the Minotaur is a great complement
to your curriculum resources
in elementary and middle school language arts and ancient studies. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Publication Information
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN: 978-1-886588-12-7
© 1998 Bad Wolf Press, LLC
Song Samples
Full Song List
1. "Theseus and the Minotaur"
2. "It's Tough to be a Hero"
3. "The Minotaur"
4. "You’re a Bronze Age Prince"
5A. "King Minos Is Here"
5B. "I’m Bad"
6. "Underwater Family"
7. "Come With Us"
8. "I’m Leaving"
9. "Give Me That Twinkie"
10. "Theseus and the Minotaur" (reprise)
Casting
Flexible casting from 12-40 students.
Use as many Athenians, Messengers, Nereids, etc. as desired;
one student can also play more than one role. Note that roles
are not gender-specific: Theseus and/or the Minotaur can easily
be played by a girl, for example; see our comments on page
39 of the Teacher's Guide.
Script
This is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Theseus (THEE-see-us), son of Aegeus
Bill (BILL), friend of Theseus
Aegeus (EE-jee-us), King of Athens
Athenians
Athena (uh-THEE-nuh), Goddess of Athens
Messengers from Crete
Minos (MIGH-nus), King of Crete
Poseidon (Poe-SIGHD'n), God of the Sea
Nereids (NIR-ee-ids), Goddesses of the Sea
A Ray (as in fish)
Daedalus (DEDD-l-us), builder of the labyrinth and slave of Minos
Icarus (ICK-er-us), son of Daedalus
Ariadne (ar-ee-AD-nee), daughter of Minos
Maidens, attendants of Ariadne
Minotaur (MINN-uh-tor)
Two Bards (or two small groups), narrators of the story
and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing
roles at the time.
(The CLASS enters, or is already on stage, forming a semi-circle facing
the audience. The music starts. As it builds, a member of the CHORUS
quickly strides forward to the very front of the stage, facing the audience;
then another CHORUS member moves forward, then another, until there
are THREE standing by themselves in front)
Song 1
THREE:
Long ago and far away in ancient Greece
The folks just had one name.
Socrates and Sophocles and Sosicles
They start to sound the same.
Someone chased a Gorgon, someone fought at Troy
And one guy roamed the sea
Gotta be a genius just to keep it straight
It all is Greek to me.
CHORUS: THREE SINGERS:
Theseus and the Minotaur
It's got a familiar ring
Theseus and the Minotaur
Something 'bout a ball of string?
CHORUS and THREE:
Theseus and the Minotaur
It's no mythological fluff
This one is classic stuff.
CHORUS: THREE SINGERS:
Long ago and far away in ancient Greece
La la la
The folks just had one name.
La la la la la la la la
Socrates and Sophocles and Sosicles
La la la
They start to sound the same.
La la la
CHORUS:
Someone chased a Gorgon, someone fought at Troy
THREE SINGERS: Oh yeah he did
CHORUS:
And one guy roamed the sea
THREE SINGERS:
Bee dee dee, bee dee dee, bee dee dee
CHORUS:
Gotta be a genius just to keep it straight
THREE SINGERS:
I wish I could
CHORUS and THREE SINGERS:
It all is Greek to me.
CHORUS: THREE SINGERS:
Theseus and the Minotaur
It's got a familiar ring
Theseus and the Minotaur
Something 'bout a ball of string?
CHORUS and THREE:
Theseus and the Minotaur
It's no mythological fluff
This one is classic stuff.
(CHORUS exits or sits down. BARDS enter, carrying large books from
which THEY read with appropriate drama. There can be two BARDS
(A and B), or two small groups of BARDS (groups A and B). The two
different bards or groups of bards wear different colors-e.g. one blue,
the other yellow. If there is more than one bard in a group, the spoken
parts should be distributed among them.)
BARD A: Ancient Athens was once ruled by good king Aegeus. He
had a son named Theseus, who wanted to become a famous hero.
BARD B: Lo, I see Theseus now with his trusty sidekick, Bill.
BARD A (Looking startled, HE drops formal presentation and addresses
BARD B): Bill? That can't be right. All the rest of the Athenians have
long,
complicated names. Erichthonius. Philomela. But "Bill"? Are
you sure?
BARD B: Of course I'm sure. What---you think I didn't read the story?
You think I'm making this up as we go along?
BARD A: It wouldn't be the first time. Didn't you once tell how the
Greeks captured Troy by hiding themselves inside a giant wooden weasel?
BARD B: What's wrong with that? I'm an artiste! I will not let tradition
cramp my genius.
BARD A: Your brain has got a cramp. Come on, let's go. Theseus and...
(pause, looks at BARD B with disgust)
... "Bill" are here.
(THEY exit. THESEUS and BILL enter)
BILL: Theseus, you've got to cheer up. Your chance to be a hero
will come.
THESEUS: Like the time you said I could leap tall buildings in a single
bound? I was in the hospital for a month.
BILL: I didn't mean it literally. It was a metaphor.
THESEUS: You're not helping, Bill. A trusty sidekick is supposed to
help.
Breaking into this hero business is no piece of cake.
Song 2 -
Listen now!
THESEUS: :
It's tough to be a hero these days
It's hard to find employment that pays
So few monsters to awaken
All the good ones have been taken
It's tough, it's tough
BILL: Shoo bee doo doo bop
It's tough, it's tough
BILL: Shah la la la
It's tough, it's tough
BILL: Shoo bee doo doo bop
It's tough to be a hero these days.
I want all of Greece to resound with my name
But Hercules gets all the press and the fame.
He's laying waste cities while I waste my prime
While he's killing hydras I'm just killing time.
THESEUS and BILL:
It's tough to be a hero these days
It's hard to find employment that pays
So few monsters to awaken
All the good ones have been taken
It's tough, it's tough
CHORUS: Shoo bee doo doo bop
It's tough, it's tough
CHORUS: Shah la la la
THESEUS and BILL:
It's tough, it's tough
CHORUS: Shoo bee doo doo bop
THESEUS:
It's tough to be a hero these days.
I just missed Medusa
BILL: He had a sore throat
The Golden Fleece called
BILL: But he just missed the boat
THESEUS and BILL:
The Sphinx is deriddled and stuck in a zoo
I/He's gotta find something heroic to do.
THESEUS, BILL, and CHORUS:
It's tough, it's tough
Shoo bee doo doo bop
It's tough, it's tough
Shah la la la
It's tough, it's tough
Shoo bee doo doo bop
CHORUS and BILL
(holding out the word "days"):
It's tough to be a hero these days...
THESEUS:
I wanna
I wanna
I wanna
I wanna be a hero.
(THEY exit. BARDS enter)
BARD A: So Theseus and Bill tour the countryside looking in vain for
epic adventures. They've completely forgotten that today is the day that
Minos, evil King of Crete, arrives in Athens. Each year Minos comes to
take young Athenians back to Crete to be eaten by the Minotaur.
BARD B (surprised): You're kidding.
BARD A: Well, what did you think was happening each spring when the
finest young Athenians disappeared?
BARD B: You mean they weren't going to Florida for spring training?
BARD A: No! Baseball hasn't been invented yet.
BARD B: Then what's all this talk about a Homer?
(Enter AEGEUS and ATHENIANS)
BARD A: I knew you hadn't read the story.
(to audience)
Now here comes the father of Theseus, the good King Aegeus.
(BARDS exit)
AEGEUS: Come along, Athenians. I'm sorry that you must be handed
over to Minos and his terrible Minotaur.
AN ATHENIAN: But why do we have to go? Can't you just send a box
of chocolates or something?
AEGEUS: Minos demands the children of the most respected citizens of
Athens as victims for the Minotaur.
ANOTHER ATHENIAN: I swear my parents aren't respected. Nobody
even likes them.
ANOTHER ATHENIAN: Me too. Dad cheats on his taxes. I don't qualify.
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Additional Comments and Reviews:
"Although my class is only second graders, we chose this play because
we study Ancient Greece. They are doing a fabulous job with this play.
The benifits were enrichment of subject matter, an opportunity for
children to practice some of the creative intelligences, and confidence-building.
The script is clever and engaging and easy for them to follow. I love
the fact that the guide was so clear and helpful. The songs are fun,
especially 'I'm Bad' and 'Give me that Twinkie.' My class is so excited
and motivated to present this play! The enthusiasm from the audience
was fantastic.
My students have kids from kindergarten through fifth grade stopping
them in the halls to tell them how much they loved the play. My parents
were ecstatic! As one mom put it, 'Performing this play has created a memory
for the students and their families they will treasure.' Thank you. I
had been looking for plays for some time. This one is perfect! Thanks
again for such a teacher-friendly, fun play to perform!"
---Trish Brown, Teacher (2nd grade), Olive Chapel School, Apex, NC
"The music is catchy, so the kids never forgot the lyrics. They
learned key concepts
while having fun. I can't wait until the next one! I teach the kids in
the gifted
program in my system. Some love to be center-stage while others have
no desire
to perform solo. These plays allow me to give them opportunities to participate
at
a level at which each chld is comfortable."
---Shelia Cain, Teacher (4th-5th grade, gifted and talented), Petham
Elementary, Petham, GA
"Yesterday my sixth-graders performed Theseus and the Minotaur
for about 150
children, parents, and administrators. I am still reeling from the total
pride and joy
I felt with their performance! The songs were wonderful and the script
kept the
audience attentive."
---Joy Brilliant, Teacher (6th grade), Ventnor Middle School, Ventnor,
NJ
"I loved Theseus and the Minotaur. My 4th grade boys (who think
they're pretty
sophisticated) grumbled a little. Then I started playing the music during
class time.
Enthusiasm began. When I assigned parts, it was great to see so many
kids get so
much stage time. The music was the greatest, and the jokes were right
on with the
boys and parents. I received lots of compliments; here are a few: 'Best
play I've
seen at Gilman.' 'Kids were fabulous---even the ones who don't
usually come
forward.' 'I laughed 'til my sides hurt.'"
---Jennie Iglehart, Teacher (4th grade), Gilman School, Baltimore, MD
"My 6th grade class just finished three back-to-back presentations
of Theseus and
the Minotaur yesterday: it was a hit! The school just loved it! And
as you advertise,
our kit makes it nearly impossible for a musical not to work! Because
we didn't
practice much, I was worried sick about the performances. But the kids
pulled it
off and were awesome. The play fit perfectly with our 6th grade curriculum
and
standards. I enjoyed tying this aspect of multiple intelligences into
my curriculum."
---Seu Hee Kim, Teacher (6th grade), Horizon Elementary, Glendale, AZ
"The music was catchy, and it had a lot of humor. Also, I liked
the change in the
ending from the original. Your guide had lots of good suggestions. The
CD was
great! For those of us who can't play well enough, having the music was
wonderful.
The price was reasonable. Your website with previews was very helpful...I
have
seen so many extremely shy kids just blossom into confident, poised speakers."
---Stacy Sakimoto, Teacher (2nd-6th grades), King Liholiho Elementary,
Honolulu, HI
Common Core and Other National Standards
Language Arts
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- 4th, 5th: Phonics and Word Recognition, Fluency
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity:
History/Social Studies
National Core Arts Standards
Vocabulary
Socrates
Sophocles
Sosicles
Gorgon
Troy
mythological
literally
metaphor
prime
hydra
Medusa
The Golden Fleece
Sphinx
vain
matador
olé
Bronze Age
Titanium
Zinc
bust
monarch
labyrinth
sultan
renown
boast
Grecian
reign
corduroy
weft
woof
centaur
Cyclops
brimming
eclair
Vocabulary From Stage Directions
stride
distributed
formal
ponder
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.
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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.
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- 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.
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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.)
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