Creative Educational Systems

Is there a better way to get an experiential understanding of a Native American culture than by performing some of the folktales indigenous to its People? And one of the most colorful characters, bound to bring laughter to the performers and audience alike, is the Native American trickster, the subject of Coyote myths and legends. These three stories will delight and instruct both audience and cast. Synopsis:Coyote Tales is actually a collection of three Native American folktales: In Coyote and

Students will thrill at the chance to play the delightful characters in the Folklore Festival, and thoroughly enjoy the music and comedy. An African animal fable, a Medieval Japanese Fairy Tale, and a Greek myth come to life, as do their respective cultures. It's a delightful multicultural experience for the audience as well. Synopsis:The Folklore Festival is actually a collection of three multicultural folktales in one play: In Why the Hare Runs Away, during one of the worst droughts in histo

Synopsis:Harriet Tubman is a short biographical play script showing scenes from the long and rich historical life of this Black American heroine from early childhood to her escape to freedom, to her days as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, chronicling just a few of her amazing adventures during the time she lead almost 300 people out of slavery. Description of this Script:Duration: 35 to 40 mins. Genre: historical drama Cast Size: 1 female lead, 5 male and 5 female supporting roles, narr

Students will love learning about the life of Madam CJ Walker, America's first black woman millionaire. An excellent story for celebrating Black History. Description of this Script:Duration: 55 mins. Genre: historical drama Cast Size: 1 strong female lead, 5 f, 5 m, at least 16 smaller supporting roles (which can be double cast) plus expandable chorus Grade level: 4th grade to adult Production ideas: included at the back. Thematic curriculum ideas: included at the back. Synopsis of the Story:Sar

History will come alive for you, your cast, and the audience in this retelling of America's story, starting with life with the Native American Indians up until the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. All the familiar events, The Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, and Paul Revere's ride, highlight the tensions leading up to the American Revolutionary War. Synopsis: Early American history is retold as Tom Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and George Washington narrate. Starting with

All the beauty of William Shakespeare's classic play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is brought to life in this imagined first rehearsal by his acting troupe as they prepare for a presentation before the Queen. Various other Elizabethan characters join the fun as Shakespeare quenches fires and tries to inspire his actors to excellence with the performance but two weeks away. Synopsis:As William Shakespeare awakens on the morning of the first rehearsal of his play A Midsummer Night's Dream, he is r

This delightful folktale about the trickster spider Anansi comes to life in this play for younger elementary students and older. Youngsters will enjoy the humor in the story, performing the delightful animal characterizations, and will recognize the classic tale of African/ Caribbean origin. A wonderful short play for Black History Month presentations. Synopsis:In Anansi and the Sky God's Stories, the spider Anansi wants to save the Sky God's special stories for his own family, but finds he mus

Synopsis:Juan Bobo, the comic hero from Puerto Rico, seems to somehow bungle everything he tries, yet his good heart always leads him on the right course. Here, Juan manages to save the Queen's necklace, unearth a plot by the palace thieves, and earn himself a place of wealth and respect in the King's esteem, all because he is interested in befriending some of the palace garden's nightingales. Description:This 25-minute play script is a comedy with a variety of parts for a full class-load of stu

Let your students build their own self-esteem while at the same time seeing this folktale, of Latin American culture from the island of Cuba, come to life through their own performance. El Bizarron, though a peasant, has the strength not only of body but also of character to teach us that helping others, and not harming others, is the best way to real peace and happiness. Synopsis:The arrogant and rich "El Diablo" and his equally arrogant, vain wife Vanagloria take on a humble peasant servant ca

In this comical look a traditional medieval Japanese folktale, your students will experience the culture, and learn an important lesson about the value of the elders in a society. Synopsis of the Story:In The Wise Old Woman, a Japanese town's young lord, thinking that the town's elderly are a burden and a waste of resources, issues a foolish decree that all people over the age of 70 are to be taken to the mountain and left to die. One young farmer cannot bear to send his old mother to the moun

Is there a better way to get an experiential understanding of Native American culture than by performing one of its folktales? And one of the most colorful characters, bound to bring laughter to the performers and audience alike, is the Native American trickster Coyote. This story explains the origin of fire and will delight and instruct both audience and cast. Synopsis:In Coyote, the Firebringer, Coyote experiences cold weather for the first time when the Seasons are created. He decides that h

What a wonderful chance for students to exercise both their dramatic and their musical abilities in this adaptation of the Egyptian Cinderella story complete with song lyrics for a musical production! Once again, kindness and self-sacrifice are rewarded, and the selfish get their comeuppance in this multicultural fairy tale adventure from Egypt. Synopsis:In Rhodopis and the Song of the Falcon, Rhodopis (the Egyptian Cinderella), a Greek girl with fair hair, has been made a slave to a kind maste

Description:A delightful comedy, this play is good for upper elementary, middle and high school students. This 25-30 minute one-act features 3 strong male characters, 2 strong female characters, with many smaller supporting roles and a Greek chorus which is expandable in size, depending on the number of students to be cast. It can be intergenerational, as there are both strong adult and child roles. Production ideas for sets, costumes, etc.. are provided. Synopsis:When the God of the Underworld

Young science students will thrill to the clash of ideas about the nature of the universe presented here in play form, which they can act out. As the ancient Greek astronomers debate whether the sun or the earth is the center of the universe, the evolution of scientific thought comes to life for the actors who are performing and watching this play. Synopsis:At the meeting of the Athens (Greece) Astronomical Society, the hostess anxiously presents their most famous guest speaker of all time, the

Can history, literacy, and the arts be integrated all at the same time? Imagine your students presenting a readers' theatre performance of this story of a young cowboy's coming of age in the American Old West. They will feel good about themselves, improve their reading and speaking skills, and teach themselves and their audience something about the realities of cowboys in the Wild West. Synopsis:When a young lad finds himself looking for work in the Wyoming of the Old West, he takes a job as a c

Synopsis:In the middle of Victorian England, Oliver Twist, an orphan boy makes his way to London after being thrown out of the workhouse for asking for more porridge. He is taken in by Fagin and his gang of girl and boy thiefs who earn their living pickpocketing. Oliver finds his wealthy grandfather and cousin but is still in danger from the evil Bill Sikes, the murderer and thief who fences Fagin's stolen goods, and who fears that Oliver will reveal his and the gang's identities. Description of

What better way to learn the essence of the ancient culture of Japan than to act out one of its traditional stories? Your students will experience, first hand, the delightful story of a woman who learns that kindness is its own reward and that not everything comes in large packages... sometimes the most precious things are actually the smallest. Synopsis:In The Sparrow Maiden, an old man and an old woman live on the side of the mountain. They are very different, the man being kind and the wo

Synopsis:As a Chinese and Islamic trader trade spices for carpets, we learn why the sailors from the Islamic countries became the middlemen between the Asian and European countries. In the next scene, the Islamic trader is haggling about price (which is now increased 5,000%!) with an Italian merchant, overheard by Christopher Columbus and his parents. Columbus vows to become a rich merchant, against his parents' will, but on his first voyage, his uncle's ship is attacked and destroyed by pirates

Is there a better way to get an experiential understanding of Native American culture than by performing one of its folktales? And one of the most colorful characters, bound to bring laughter to the performers and audience alike, is the Native American trickster Coyote. This story will delight and instruct both audience and cast, as it explains the origin of the stars and why Coyote howls at the sky. SYNOPSIS:In Coyote and the Stars, the People are asked by First Man and First Woman to each bes

Is there a better way to get an experiential understanding of Native American folklore than by performing one of its tales? And one of the most colorful characters, bound to bring laughter to the performers and audience alike, is the Native American trickster Coyote. This story explains the origin of the blue bonnet flowers and will delight and instruct both audience and cast with a good moral. Synopsis:Coyote and the Blue Flowers is a variation on the legend of how the blue bonnet flowers were