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A Radio Play Adaptation of Charles Dickens’A Christmas CarolWritten by Creative Educational Systems (CES). ? Copyright: 2016The Secret of the SolsticeA PlayWritten by Creative Educational Systems (CES)Published by:Creative Educational SystemsPO Box 2665Bowling Green, KY 42102? Copyright 2016 by Creative Educational SystemsFirst Printing 2014Printed in the United States of AmericaLibrary of Congress Cataloguing in Publication DataThe Secret of the Solstice/by Creative Educational SystemsISBN #0-942345Purchase of this publication does not entitle the buyer to presentation rights. All rights to presentation in any form or medium reside with CES. Royalty information and presentation rights can be obtained from CES. The purchase of this publication allows the buyer to duplicate the student activity pages for use by students in the buyer's classroom. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of CES, PO Box 2665, Bowling Green, KY 42102All rights reserved.For further plays and publications, please visit the Bookstore on our website at .The Secret of SolsticeCast ListAct 1Character:Description:Lines:The Young Fairies (11):Anise:Enthusiastic, loves to celebrate life and to dance7Saunf:Very sensitive and artistic, has strong preferences, likes and dislikes8Dhaniya:Sharp mind and excellent memory. Likes to find out how things are and so asks a lot of questions.8Til:Curious and inquisitive about the world 8Jeera:A timid fairy, a little awed by the strangeness of the world7Kesar:A sharp wit and a bit of a know-it-all9Haldi:Likes to argue in a nice way, very logical and quick to point out things that don’t make sense10Nutmeg:Light-hearted fairy. Loves to joke and make everyone feel happy.8Luang:Totally in awe of each new awareness; the world is a great classroom and each new lesson is amazing6Onion:Very much the dramatic one. Anything that is the least bit scary is likely to start crying.10Dalchini:The “scientist fairy”. A very keen observer of nature and the world.8Others:Grimaldi:A Gnome. Happy go lucky. A free spirit who loves life and adventure and is a bit mischievous as well. Insists on pronouncing the “g” in his name.15, many ad libs.The Unicorns (10):(These are the dancers. All have one solo line each and one chorus line.)Unicorn Leader:Elder UnicornYoung UnicornUnicorn MotherUnicorn FatherUnicorn AuntUnicorn UncleUnicorn GrandfatherUnicorn GrandmotherUnicorn BabyCast ListAct TwoCharacter:Description:Lines:DragonThe wise old teacher of the forest6Little CentaurThe young student, easily offended5GriffinA “teenage” creature who likes to joke and kid the others4GorgonAn older creature who, like the dragon, is one of the ones with a lot of experience in the ways of things4Father SatyrAn intellectual with a good grasp of history4Mother SatyrAn intellectual with a good grasp of history3Baby SatyrCurious and lively3Mother PegasusA kind soul, compassionate toward others4Father PegasusCulturally wise creature3Wood ElfCousin of Mountain Elf, a storyteller2Mountain ElfCousin of Wood Elf, a storyteller3Father TimeOld and Wise, from years of experience7Mother NatureKind and nurturing54 UnicornsLeader, Father, Mother1 each4 Little FairiesAnise, Saunf, Dhaniya, Nutmeg3 eachGrimaldiThe gnome2Note: Lines which are marked EVERYONE and indicated as ad libs, mean that everyone talks at once. The lines are indications of what to say, but each actor should pick out something to say that’s different as long as it fits the theme of that particular ad lib.Note: The cast size for Act 1 is designed for a class of 22. For a larger or smaller group, add non-speaking unicorn or fairy parts, or double up on the lines. The cast size for Act 2 is also 22 but includes 9 speaking parts from Act 1. These may be doubled if a different group is doing Act 2, but may also be carried over.The Secret of Winter SolsticeScriptAct 1,Scene 1: The Young Fairies home, under a tree root. (The young FAIRIES are preparing for winter. Outside it is getting dark and cold but a fire is going and it is warm and cozy in the FAIRIES home. They are young FAIRIES, less than a year old, and new to the ways of the world. The first group of FAIRIES enters, singing a traditional Christmas song, which they sing to each other, as they put down their boxes and hang up their wraps. The singing develops into a dance, and at the end the FAIRIES cheer each other and laugh.)(Song: Traditional Christmas Song)Christmas DanceSuggestion: “Jingle Bell Rock”ANISE: I love Christmas! This is the first year I have heard Christmas songs, and they are all so catchy. HALDI: This is the first year any of us have heard anything! We were all just born this year!JEERA: They told me that there is nothing like a Christmas song to put a fairy in a good mood, but I didn’t believe it until I heard one.SAUNF: Listen! Our brothers and sisters are coming! They are singing a song about the Chinese New Year that they just learned.(More FAIRIES enter, and as they take off their wraps and greet the others, they are singing a Chinese New Year song).(Song: Chinese New Year celebration)DHANIYA: Isn’t this a great time of year?TIL: I heard that for our ancestors this could be a scary time, but with all this singing and dancing, how could it be?DALCHINI: Listen! Here come the rest of the FAIRIES!(The FAIRIES are gathering in small groups on either side of the stage during the preceding dialogue. Suddenly the Diwali music is heard, as a new group of FAIRIES enter, singing and dancing. All the other FAIRIES join in).(Song & Dance: celebration of the Sun’s warmth; it is drawn, in style, from the festival of Diwali. This can be literally a dance from that festival, or an original one that maintains its flavor.)Diwali Dance (As the dance concludes, the FAIRIES arrange themselves around the stage in groups, roughly in a semicircle, opening downstage. As each FAIRY speaks, all turn towards them to listen. At times the speaker will cross the stage to direct a comment to another FAIRY, but will always include the other FAIRIES in their eye contact, too.)ANISE: I love to dance. SAUNF: I love that dance. It makes me feel young.KESAR: You are young. You’re less than a year old!HALDI: Actually, I believe all fairies like us love to dance.SAUNF: Yes, I know that’s true. We fairies love to celebrate. And I love that dance a whole lot!DHANIYA: Wasn’t that the same dance we did at the festival of Diwali?KESAR: Oh, yes. We celebrated that festival for five full days.ANISE: I love Diwali. It was such a festival of lights! Lights, lights, lights everywhere (ANISE points to imaginary lights still fresh in memory)!Diwali DanceTIL: Yes! I remember because it was November. We had lots of lights put up around the Grove, but the night itself was very dark. I was scared coming home.JEERA: It was the darkest I ever remember. The moon just disappeared!DHANIYA: Will the Moon ever disappear for good?KESAR: Well it seems to have come back this month, hasn’t it?HALDI: That doesn’t mean it won’t disappear again.KESAR: It disappears every month for a few days. Didn’t you notice?NUTMEG: And sometimes it looks like a banana.LUANG: (suddenly having a mind blowing awareness, looking straight out at the audience, like this is the most amazing thing he has ever realized) Wow!DHANIYA: By the way, has anyone noticed that the Sun seems to be disappearing?HALDI: What do you mean?DHANIYA: Every day the amount of daylight seems like it’s shorter and shorter.NUTMEG: You’re right. I noticed that too.DALCHINI: Yes, me too. Every night sunset seems to come a little earlier. Why I remember back in July we could stay outside and play in the forest long after dinner. But now we can’t. It gets dark too early.LUANG: I know! It’s dark way before dinner time. And it’s colder!DALCHINI: That’s because there isn’t as much Sun every day. Without the Sun there’s no heat! The Sun makes it warm, you know. It gives us heat.TIL: I thought the Sun gave us light!DALCHINI: It does. And it also gives us heat.LUANG: (with the same exaggerated sudden awareness) Wow!KESAR: And you know what else? HALDI: What?KESAR: The Sun isn’t going down in the same place anymore!HALDI: What do you mean?KESAR: You remember how we used to sit and watch the Sun go down over Golden Lake last June?HALDI: Yes. So what?KESAR: Now it’s going down over the pine forest!LUANG: (with the same exaggerated sudden awareness) Wow!TIL: (to LUANG) Do you always say “wow” when you learn something new?LUANG: Do I really do that?EVERYONE: Yes!LUANG: (with sudden awareness) Wow!(Suddenly the door to the Fairy home bursts open, and ONION comes running in. ONION is obviously very upset and is crying and runs to the center where some FAIRIES immediate gather around)ONION: Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Bwaahhhh! (ONION’s crying is loud and overly melodramatic, much like Lucy Arnaz would have).EVERYONE: (ad lib) What’s the matter? Onion, why are you crying? What’s up, Onion? What’s the matter? Etc.ONION: It’s awful. Just horrible!EVERYONE: (ad lib) What? Tell us! What’s going on? Etc.ONION: It’s the Sun King!ANISE: What about him?ONION: He looks so…. so…. so pale! EVERYONE: (all the Fairy’s murmur in a concerned way, ad libbing) Pale? I wonder why? Is he okay? Could he be dying? I wonder what’s happening to him? Etc.TIL: I heard from one of the older fairies that the Sun King is dying!EVERYONE: (unison) Dying!!TIL: Well, that’s what they said.ONION: (bursts out crying again) Bwaaahhh!NUTMEG: Don’t cry, Onion (puts an arm around ONION).SAUNF: (trying to comfort ONION) Yes, maybe the older fairies are wrong. Maybe the Sun King will get better! Remember the song we learned?(Song: Plants call to the Sun which rewards the ferns which waited until it returned).ONION: No. I saw Sun King myself! I’m sure he’s dying! Bwaaahh! (bursting out crying again.)(This sends all the FAIRIES into fits of worry, some crying, some consoling others, some talking rapidly in an agitated way to each other) (Suddenly, GRIMALDI, the gnome, bursts in the door, coming right into the center). GRIMALDI: (excited and joyful, he is loud and boisterous, expecting to be entering a party) Is everybody happy?!?!(There is a quick pause while everyone looks at him. Then…)ONION: Bwaaahh!(All the FAIRIES look sad and downtrodden)(Dance: of sadness)(in the style of Jar of Hearts-string quartet)GRIMALDI: (after looking around) What in the world is the matter with all of you?NUTMEG: Well, if it isn’t our old friend Grimaldi, the gnome (pronounces it without pronouncing the “g”)!GRIMALDI: That’s g-nome to you!TIL: (Thinking it’s a special greeting) Well, g-nome to you too.JEERA: Haven’t you heard?DHANIYA: The Sun King is dying?JEERA: What are we going to do without the Sun??HALDI: Without the Sun, it will be nighttime all the time!DALCHINI: All the plants will die without the Sun’s light!SAUNF: And all the animals which eat plants will have no food!JEERA: It will be dark and cold all year long!ONION: Bwaaahhh!GRIMALDI: What are you talking about!! The Sun King isn’t dying! (All the FAIRIES stop in silence to listen to GRIMALDI. He goes on, grinning at his next announcement) He’s already dead!!(There is a stunned silence, as if everyone is holding their breath. Then suddenly)ONION: Bwaaahhh!(All the FAIRIES resume their lamenting, ad libbing expressions of concern)GRIMALDI: (going from one to the other) For goodness sake, will you all stop lamenting!SAUNF: Why should we?NUTMEG: And why aren’t you?Haldi: Aren’t you the least bit worried??GRIMALDI: No, not in the least.EVERYONE: What??? (they all stop and look up)GRIMALDI: Look, you obviously are very young Fairies and don’t know the secret of the Solstice.EVERYONE: (suddenly very proud, and feeling insulted, ad libbing) What do you mean? I protest. We’re not that young. We know a thing or two, you know. Etc.GRIMALDI: So. (Everyone listens) You do know the secret of the Solstice!?EVERYONE: (after a slight pause, they ad lib while nodding) Yes, yes we do, yes, yup, you bet, etc. (the assent dies as GRIMALDI looks pointedly from one to another. They look at one another and then suddenly realize they don’t know. Ad libbing) No! No, we don’t, no, never heard of it, what secret, etc.GRIMALDI: Well, would you like to know the secret of the Solstice?EVERYONE: (a slight pause, they look at each other and then start nodding, ad libbing). Well… yes, yes we do, I do, yes, tell us, etc.GRIMALDI: Well, follow me then, everybody. And hurry, or we’ll miss the celebration.(He runs toward the door. When the FAIRIES hesitate, he grabs the wrist of the nearest Fairy and starts to pull her out the door.)GRIMALDI: Come on!(The rest of the FAIRIES look at each other, not sure what to do at first, and then follow GRIMALDI out the door. Some are eager and run straight out, others stop to grab scarves and shawls, and others exit in groups, chattering amongst themselves.)Act 1, Scene 2: Outside, in front of the Fairy house.(Outside it is bitter cold and the snow is deep. The FAIRIES wrap their capes about themselves and shiver. They all lean in the same direction as they walk, as if bucking a stiff winter wind. Their eyes are half closed against the blowing snow, and their bodies are hunched and pulled in as they wrap their cloaks tightly around themselves to hold in their body heat. The sound of whistling, howling wind is heard in the background. GRIMALDI, on the other hand seems, if not warm, is at least cheerful and content, calling encouragement to the FAIRIES).GRIMALDI: Come on, everybody. Just twenty two more leagues to go. TIL: (despairingly) Twenty leagues!??ANISE: I’m already frozen.KESAR: This snow is too deep to walk in.GRIMALDI: Aw, come on. You can do it! This is just like a walk over a lily pad.DHANIYA: I don’t think my legs will move anymore. They’re frozen stiff.ONION: I’m soooo cold!(The FAIRIES are beginning to give up. They have stopped making forward progress and are beginning to huddle in groups for warmth.)GRIMALDI: This? Cold?? This is nothing. This is like spring weather. We need to get some more chill around here. Jeera, go see if you can find some more cold weather and bring it over here.JEERA: Whattt???GRIMALDI: Just kidding.Safron: We’re not going to make it.JEERA: We’re going to freeze into statues right here on this spot.NUTMEG: They’re going to find us in the morning. A bunch of white fairy statues all covered with snow… like this! (poses in a weird freeze)DALCHINI: What morning? The Sun has died, remember? SAUNF: No one else is going to find us, because everyone else is going to be frozen too.ANISE: Oh, Buddha, please help us!(At the prayer for help, the howling wind sound stops. The clearing they are in suddenly becomes a bit lighter. The sound of prancing hoofs is heard off stage. )DHANIYA: What’s going on? What’s that sound?DALCHINI: It sounds like many horses all prancing through the forest.NUTMEG: I don’t feel so cold anymore.(Suddenly the UNICORNS burst into the clearing. They are magnificent beasts, with shimmering silver hair, with long flowing tails and manes, and with silver horns on their foreheads. They seem to be emitting their own glow, which is the source of light in the clearing. They prance in a circle at first and then in patterns to a kind of ethereal music, executing a ballet-like dance).ANISE: It’s the Unicorns!EVERYONE: (ad lib) Look! They’re beautiful. Wow. How pretty!(Dance of the Unicorns)(The FAIRIES stand mesmerized during this display. They have forgotten all about the weather. In fact they seem not to be feeling cold anymore. At the end of the dance, the UNICORNs stop and the UNICORN LEADER approaches the FAIRIES).UNICORN LEADER: Why it’s Grimaldi, the gnome. (pronounces it without the “g” sound, which prompts GRIMALDI to correct him).UNICORN GRANDMOTHER: And all the young fairies, too.GRIMALDI: “G-nome,” sir. (he over exaggerates the “g” sound)UNICORN UNCLE: And g-nome to you, too.UNICORN AUNT: Why have you called upon us, young fairies?ANISE: Called upon you?UNICORN GRANDFATHER: One of you must have prayed to Buddha. That’s why we are here: In answer to your call. But why aren’t you at the Solstice celebration?ELDER UNICORN: Don’t you want to share in the Secret of the Solstice?SAUNF: We do, but we couldn’t walk anymore.NUTMEG: Yes, the storm was so cold we were sure to freeze into statues right on this very spot.UNICORN BABY: You poor little things! DALCHINI: Funny, though, I don’t feel as cold anymore.YOUNG UNICORN: Come, little Fairies. You can borrow our light and our warmth, for now. ELDER UNICORN: When you get to be older Fairies, you will understand how to make your own light and warmth. UNICORN FATHER: For now, though, you can use ours to keep away the winter cold.UNICORN MOTHER: Come, ride on our backs and we’ll take you to the Grove quickly.UNICORNS: (all, ad libbing) Yes, come on. You can ride on me. I’ll carry you. Etc.FAIRIES: (they cheer, ad lib excitedly) Yay. Wow, thank you. I’m so happy! We’ll be there in no time. I want to ride on that one! Etc.GRIMALDI: (hustling around, helping all the FAIRIES up onto the backs of the UNICORNS) All right, everybody. Up you go! All aboard for the Grove! Easy does it now. Up you go there.(All the FAIRIES are each grabbing the back of a UNICORN, swinging one leg as if to lift it up and over the UNICORN’s back, as they settle behind the UNICORN, holding on its mane. JEERA is left without a unicorn partner, so the UNICORN LEADER, who already has a fairy on its back, rides over and swoops JEERA up onto its back, as well. As all the FAIRIES get mounted, the UNICORNS start prancing, the FAIRIES prancing and bouncing behind them as if riding on their backs. The UNICORNS fall into a line with the FAIRIES riding behind them in delight. GRIMALDI, who has been helping them all aboard, finds himself standing in the center, looking around, satisfied that everyone is okay).GRIMALDI: There. That does it then. Everyone safely aboard? Good. (pause. He suddenly realizes he is the only one not riding). Hey. Hey wait! Wait for me! I want a ride too. Wait for me!! (Song: a verse of a traditional seasonal carol or similar up beat song should be sung by all as the UNICORNS start to move. In the U.S., this would be in the style and mood of “Sleigh Bells”:-- --.)(The UNICORNS can prance in a circle or other pattern while they and the FAIRIES sing. GRIMALDI continues to chase some of the UNICORNS in a random pattern, trying hard to swing his leg up and over the backs of one of them, missing, and falling down, getting up again, and chasing another UNICORN, all the while calling out to them to wait for him).[Exit all with GRIMALDI running after them]Act 2: A clearing in the forest(The Grove, a clearing in the forest, has a magical feeling, with a warm glowing light. The presence of winter does not seem to be felt here. Many creatures are gathered, including many magical creatures, animals and older FAIRIES. The creatures are arranged in small clusters in an approximate semicircle opening towards downstage. Other creatures enter, dancing, as the seated creatures look on in delight.) (Dance: Magical Mood dance)(When the dance has finished, and the dancers have settled themselves amongst the other creatures, storytelling and teaching begin, with the DRAGON center stage and other creatures sitting near its feet.)DRAGON: And so, during the time when we here in the Northern hemisphere experience winter, we know that the Sun is shining most strongly not here but on the Southern hemisphere of this sphere, our Earth.LITTLE CENTAUR: Wait. (standing up) What do you mean? Our Earth, this planet we are standing on, is a sphere? DRAGON: Yes. It’s like this coconut, only very big (pulls out a coconut to show the others and illustrate the story).LITTLE CENTAUR: You mean the Earth is round?? (advances to the DRAGON, and looks closely at the coconut in DRAGON’s claw, then looks back at the ground).But it looks flat to me. (LITTLE CENTAUR points away towards the horizon. A number of the other animals murmur in agreement and look around at the ground, some reaching out to run their hands over its flatness).DRAGON: That is just because it is so big! Look, supposing you were a tiny flee on this coconut.GRIFFIN: If you need a flee for this demonstration, Dragon, you can get one from Little Centaur, who always has a lot of them.LITTLE CENTAUR: (indignantly) Hey! There are no flees on me.(All the creatures start laughing. LITTLE CENTAUR looks embarrassed and walks away with his face in his hands).DRAGON: Okay, now, this is supposed to be a joyous occasion. Let’s not hurt each other’s feelings. Griffin, you should apologize to Little Centaur for saying that.GRIFFIN: I’m sorry, little one. I was just kidding you. I didn’t mean to insult you. (going to him and putting an arm around him) I know you don’t have flees.LITTLE CENTAUR: (feeling better) Well, okay. (He turns around and comes back to DRAGON, pointing to the coconut) But what about this imaginary flee on the coconut? (He makes a point of emphasizing the word “imaginary” looking around at the other creatures as he does.)GORGON: I understand what Dragon is trying to say (advances excitedly, grabbing the coconut from DRAGON and holding it up)! The flee is so small that when it walks on the coconut it thinks it is walking across something flat. FATHER PEGASUS: Yes, Gorgon! It is only because we can see the whole coconut that we know that it is really round like a ball.FATHER SATYR: That’s right, Pegasus. And when the Sun shines on the top half of the ball, our Earth, it is summer on the top half, but winter on the bottom half. MOTHER SATYR: But when the Sun shines on the bottom half, it is summer there, but winter for us here in the Northern half of the ball.BABY SATYR: Is the Sun going to go away soon here in the Northern part of that ball, while it is making summer on the bottom part?GORGON: Well it never goes away completely here, Baby Satyr. Except, of course, in the Far North, closer to the North Pole.FATHER PEGASUS: But Baby Satyr in on the right track. The days do get shorter and shorter during this time of year. Every day there are less daylight hours.MOTHER PEGASUS: And so it gets very cold in winter. With less daylight, there is less heat, too.SATYR MOTHER: (she explains to BABY SATYR) The shortest day of the year is tonight. It is called the Winter Solstice (she shivers, and BABY SATYR snuggles up to her, shivering too).WOOD ELF: We elves tell the stories of our ancestors about how sometimes, when the days started to get really short in winter, everyone would get very scared. They thought the Sun was dying and was going to disappear altogether.MOUNTAIN ELF: They were so scared the started to have ceremonies every Winter Solstice to scare away the darkness and bring back more light. They wanted the cold and the darkness to go away.PEGASUS MOTHER: I don’t blame them for that!PEGASUS FATHER: Do your ancestors’ stories say what kinds of rituals and ceremonies everyone used? You know, the ones they told to scare darkness away and bring back the Sun?(During the following section, as various creatures describe a particular ritual, other creatures act them out in pantomime. After each pantomime is done the creatures return to their places in the circle and listen intently.)WOOD ELF: Oh yes (walking to the side of the stage and beginning to storytell). In a place called Northern Europe, people built huge bonfires to celebrate the return of the Sun with more light and heat.MOUNTAIN ELF: Some even tied apples to tree branches to remind themselves that Summer, and all growing things, like fruit and vegetables, would come again.(PEGASUS FATHER comes forward and pretends to be a tree in the middle of the stage, while PEGASUS MOTHER pretends to tie imaginary apples to his branches. Other creatures point and giggle at the silliness of PEGASUS FATHER acting like a tree. DRAGON shushes them. Nearby, all the SATYRs pantomime placing wood on a fire, lighting it and warming their hands).FATHER SATYR: (he breaks away from the “fire” and starts to tell another story) In another ancient place called Rome, people would celebrate for a week to drive away the darkness and depression … (At this, DRAGON and GORGON advance. LITTLE CENTAUR and BABY SATYR come up to them and hand them crowns to put on and bow low to them) MOTHER SATYR: And everyone would switch places. Masters would switch places with servants.(DRAGON hands the crown back to LITTLE CENTAUR and indicates for him to put it on. GORGON does the same with BABY SATYR. LITTLE CENTAUR and BABY SATYR stand in the middle looking very important, while DRAGON and GORGON bow to them).FATHER SATYR: Even criminals were treated with respect.(GRIFFIN sneaks into the front of the stage, looks around as if to see if anyone is watching. and then pretends to “steal” the coconut, but is caught by the two PEGASUS’s. GRIFFIN puts its claws up in surrender. But instead, the PEGASUS’s bow to him with respect, and GRIFFIN, with a surprised look at the audience, shrugs and then nods back.)MOTHER SATYR: Not only that, but the Romans gave each other presents.BABY SATYR: Just like we do today!(GORGON and DRAGON advance again, giving each other imaginary candles, which they take to the opposite sides of the stage, shielding the imaginary flame with their claws. They put them on BABY SATYR and LITTLE CENTAUR who have become evergreen “trees” at the sides of the stage.)FATHER SATYR: Sometimes they gave each other candles, which were a symbol for driving away the darkness. Sometimes they put the candles on trees.(Song: Roman Celebration Song)FATHER PEGASUS: (beginning another culture) I have heard that in many places, like Scotland, people were sure that without the Sun at Winter Solstice, evil spirits like ghosts, witches and trolls walked around the Earth. (At this, everyone makes an eerie ghost sound, “ooooo,” which startles BABY SATYR who runs into the lap of his mother. Everyone laughs.)(Song: Scottish song of how Fire and Water keep away the evil spirits)MOTHER PEGASUS: That song is so true! And in order to protect themselves, people had to help their neighbors, so they were kinder, and gave each other presents at the Solstice.(LITTLE CENTAUR comes to the center and beckons to BABY SATYR. They turn their backs on each other. They pretend to be mad at each other. Then they peek to see if the other is looking. Finally LITTLE CENTAUR reaches for a present behind its back and gives it to BABY SATYR, who jumps up and down in excitement, and then reaches behind his back, bringing out a present for LITTLE CENTAUR, who gasps excitedly too.)GORGON: In some places, people dressed as animals and birds, and danced and chanted. DRAGON: They thought that these celebrations and special rituals had to be done exactly right. If they weren’t, the people might not be able to grow their fruits and vegetables next year.(Song: Winter solstice )(FATHER and MOTHER SATYR approach each other and begin a dance. Others join in, and pretty soon all the creatures are engaged in dancing a song of celebration to the Winter Solstice.)(Dance: Winter Solstice celebration. Mood: celebratory)(As the dance nears its end, GRIMALDI enters on one side of the stage leading the UNICORNS bearing the young FAIRIES and they pause to watch the dancing. As the dance concludes, everybody claps. GRIMALDI keeps clapping after everyone else has stopped).GRIFFIN: (spotting them) Hey, look everyone! It’s Grimaldi the gnome (he pronounces it without the “g”) the Unicorns, and the young Fairies.GRIMALDI: (getting frustrated) G-nome!GRIFFIN: (thinking he has sneezed) Ge-sundheit!(Some of the creatures rise and go to greet the UNICORNS and FAIRIES. Others move in groups to the other side of the stage, talking softly in groups).UNICORN LEADER: Look here she comes!UNICORN FATHER: It’s Mother Nature.(Mother nature Entrance Dance)(The crowd parts in the center as MOTHER NATURE comes forward. She carries a bundle. There is a light coming from it. She is beaming down at it. FATHER TIME walks beside her).UNICORN MOTHER: And look what she has!FAIRIES: (who have dismounted from the UNICORNS, are now ad libbing) What? What is it? What’s in that bundle? Where is that light coming from? Etc.FATHER TIME: (beckoning them forward) Come forward and see for yourselves, young fairies. I know you are too young to have ever seen this before.(The FAIRIES gather around MOTHER NATURE, peering at the bundle).ANISE: Why it’s a baby!SAUNF: And it’s glowing!FATHER TIME: It’s the new baby Sun King.DHANIYA: But Grimaldi told us the Sun King was dead.GRIMALDI: (waving from the side of the crowd) Yep! I sure did. It told them, and then I told them there was a secret to the Solstice.NUTMEG: He told us he wasn’t afraid that the Sun King had died.ANISE: Aren’t you all afraid of what will happen without the Sun?FATHER TIME: Not at all. You see, young Fairies, each year, the old Sun King comes to the Grove at this time of Winter Solstice to die.MOTHER NATURE: And each year, Father Time takes his spirit and gives it to me.FATHER TIME: And Mother Nature gives the spirit new life (points to the bundle). MOTHER NATURE: And here he is: The new baby Sun King. (She raises the bundle for everyone to see, and everyone applauds and cheers). Isn’t he beautiful?SAUNF: So the Sun King is coming back?FATHER TIME: Yes. But he is still little and his power isn’t strong yet. He will grow big and strong over the next few months until, by summer, he will be as big and brilliant as ever.MOTHER NATURE: And this is not just true of the Sun King. It is true of all of the creatures on Earth. DHANIYA: You mean that all of us will live, and then die, and then live again.FATHER TIME: That, little ones, is the great Secret of the Solstice: DRAGON: The great cycle of life.GORGON: Everything that lives, dies, and lives again.(A pause, while the FAIRIES consider this).NUTMEG: I want to help the baby Sun King to grow big and strong. I will teach him where the wild Nutmeg grows.ANISE: I want to help too. (Looking at MOTHER PEGASUS) Can I teach him to call the birds and listen to the sound of the wind?MOTHER PEGASUS: Of course, Anise.SAUNF: I am sure that when he is older and stronger, the flowers will bloom at his touch.DHANIYA: And the birds will return to the forest to sing their songs.MOUNTAIN ELF: The air will be warmed with his breath, and winter will be gone again for a while. MOTHER NATURE: Then the Sun King will run and play with you in the forest.LITTLE CENTAUR: With me too?MOTHER NATURE: Yes with you too, Little Centaur.BABY SATYR: Me too, me too! MOTHER PEGASUS: With you, and with all the creatures of this Earth. WOOD ELF: For once again our gifts will have made the baby Sun King strong and he will give us his warmth and light. FATHER TIME: So let us celebrate the Secret of the Winter Solstice, and the rebirth of the Sun(Song and /or dance: The gifts of spirit. Mood: joyful) EndCES BOOKSCES offers publications and products, based on the premise that an Enlightened Education must provide nourishment for the mind, the heart and the creative spirit within us all.Sunrise at 602: Enlightened Classroom Management. The true story of Lydia Sacasa Hill, a teacher who found herself teaching the worst, out of control class in the school. Discover how she developed a motivated, disciplined class; and raised their reading test scores by two full grade levels in 3 months. 86 pages, pbk, spiral bound. $15.00 (downloadable at a 47% discount at the CES website—see below).Teaching Curriculum Through the Arts. Includes: Multiple Intelligences, Critical Thinking, Student Motivation, The Teaching of Literacy, Designing the Arts-Based Curriculum, Creative Problem Solving, Artists in the Classroom, Student Activities, Bibliography, Resources, Lists, and Index. 145 pages, pbk. spiral bound. $25.00.Play With Purpose—A Student Workbook for Teaching Curriculum Through the Arts, this workbook offers dozens of challenging activities with learning strategies in Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences to apply what they are studying to their daily lives. 56 pages, pbk. spiral bound. $10.95.Curriculum Adventures—Four arts-in-education curriculum guides for teachers which feature lesson plans, time lines, student activities, illustrations and curriculum based plays, with production notes and cross-curriculum instructional strategies: pbk, spiral bound. $15.00 each: Exploring Columbus: A Multicultural Perspective. Life in Ancient Greece: Mythology. Children of the Sun: The Culture of Mexico. The Folklore Festival: A Multicultural Framework.Producing the School Play. Includes How to Write a Play, Acting & Directing, Characterization & Oral Interpretation, Playmaking and the Multiple Intelligences, Costume Design, Scene Design & Stage Lighting, The Rehearsal Process, Involving Students Who Don’t Want to Perform, Bibliography, Resources, Lists, and Index. 152 pages, pbk, spiral bound. $25.00.Playwrighting. This manual for playwriting can be used by the novice to acquire the skills of playwriting, or it can also be used by the experience playwright to polish and hone his or her playwriting skills. It is perfect for the teacher who wishes to have a guide for teaching playwriting to young playwrights which clearly identifies the process and provides many activities through which to teach it. 43pages, pbk, spiral bound. $12.00Two Boards and a Passion: eleven plays for teenage actors (and up). 262 pages, pbk, spiral bound. Production notes, Authors’ Inspiration, and curriculum suggestions. $37.Holly Day Tales. A multicultural collection of 5 Winter holiday plays. Includes: Dickens’ A5Cristmas Carol, Hanukah Lite, The Hanukah Story, The Reindeer Solution and The Kwanzaa Play. 83 pages, pbk, spiral bound. $15.00Plays for the Study of Black History. Includes African folktales Why the Hare Runs Away, and 3 Anansi Tales, Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, and the biographical play Madame C.J. Walker. $15.The Theatre of Hans Christian Andersen. A collection of 5 dramatizations of Andersen fairy tales—The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Nightingale, and The Princess and the Pea. 64 pages, pbk, spiral bound. $15.00.For full descriptions of publications including individual play scripts and discounts, visit our website at or contact CES, PO Box 2665, Bowling Green, KY 42102; email: dove_08816@; call 1-732-668-8286. ................
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