LITTER BUGS
(A short musical play in two Acts)
by
Ranee Kaur Banerjee
CAST (in order of appearance)
Sun
Grass 1
Grass 2
Flower 1
Flower 2
Tree
Rana
Rinki
Kali the goat
Shamudada
Dustbin
Act I Scene 1: A Beautiful Day at the Park
Cast: Sun, Grass 1, Grass2, Flower, Tree, Dustbin, Rana, RinkiDark stage. After a moment, a cock’s crow is heard.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
Light begins to fade in very slowly.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
The sun shimmers awake and leisurely unfurls as the light becomes brighter.
Sun: “Oh yes!! You can say that again, Mr. Rooster!”
Rooster (offstage):“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
Sun: “Oh yes!!
Rise and shine,
Rise and shine
Awake and arise!
Open your eyes
After a night long and dark
It’s a beautiful day at the park!
C’mon everybody, show some spark
It’s a beautiful day at the park!”
Grass 1: (yawning) “Shake off the dew”
Grass 2: (stretching awake) “Stretch up nice and high”
Grass 1: “Don’t stoop”
Grass 2: “Don’t droop”
Grass 1: “Don’t Fall!”
Flower: (Smiling sleepily as she unfolds)
“Wake up and smile, don’t be shy
Just stand up straight and tall.”
Tree: (Waving his arms sedately)
“Take a deep breath with your nose in the sky
Fill up with fresh air; come on, one and all--
There’s enough oxygen in my soul
For all creatures great and small.”
Dustbin: (skipping in with a large trash bag full of rubbish—pointing to the audience) ‘
“As for you, out there in the hall—
If you don’t want the earth to cry
Here’s something you can try—
Pick up your trash, or the earth will die
And so will you all!
USE ME!!”
Enter Rana and Rinki to play:
Both together: “Oh, what a beautiful day at the park!”
All characters on stage do a skipping step and launch into song:
Sun: “Yes! Go!”
Chorus:
“It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Get up and show some spark
Rise and shine
The day is fine
The sun is bright and gay
What a wonderful time to play!
It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Don’t let the dew
Get to you
Don’t droop, don’t stoop, don’t fall
Just stand up straight and tall.
It’s a beautiful day at the park.”
Fade out.
Act I, Scene 2: Let’s Play.
The park is brightly lit up. The sun shimmers happily and indulgently in the left corner. The tree sways and hums on the right. The dustbin rests contentedly against the tree trunk. A clump of grass giggles and laughs with a flower while Rana and Rinki play hand in hand.
Rana: “I’m tired now, Rinki, let’s sit under the tree for a while.”
The two children go and sit under the tree.
Rinki: “I’m hungry too. Want to share a chocolate with me?”
Rana: “And you can share my biscuits.”
She takes out a chocolate and unwraps it. Rana opens his biscuits and the two children munch contentedly on their snacks. When Rinki’s chocolate is finished, she crumples the wrapper and throws it at Rana. The wrapper falls under the tree and the tree reacts sharply, looking at the children in disapproval. Rana promptly
throws his biscuit wrapper at her and the fight begins. As they run around, trying to find things to throw at each other, they discover the trash bag near the dustbin and find it full of plastic wrappers and packets. The children have a great time shouting, squealing and throwing things at each other and all over the park.
Each time the children throw something, the dustbin rushes to catch it, but can’t. She is so tired and panting from all that running. She is almost in tears at the mess the children are creating. Finally, she gives up and retreats under the tree, sobbing. That is the final straw.
All the natural elements close up and withdraw from the children. The children are oblivious and keep playing.
The sun: (very angry): I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE. I REFUSE TO BE A PART OF THIS DAY.
The sun shuts up. The sky darkens. Thunder is heard and it starts raining.
Rinki: “It’s raining. Let’s stand under the tree until it clears up.”
The children run to the tree, but the tree refuses to give them shade.
Rana: “I don’t want to play any more Rinki. Let’s go home.”
The children rush off, trying not to get wet. The park remains angry and gray.
Fade out.
End of Act I.
Act II, Scene 1: A Gloomy Day at the Park
The rooster crows: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The rooster crows again: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
But the sun refuses to shine. He opens an eye, says, “Harrumph!!” and turns his face away.
A gray, gloomy light shines on a depressed and dirty park. The plastic packets and wrappers lie strewn all over the park. The rain has collected on them and made huge puddles on the ground. The grass, flowers, tree and dustbin are all still and sad.
Rana and Rinki run in. They try the skipping step. But this time, there’s no song, no chorus, no nature skipping with them.
They enter to play, only to splash in a puddle. They look around in dismay.
Rana: “How can we play in this park? It’s dirty and full of water.”
Rinki: “But this has never happened before! Even after it rains, the park is nice and dry by the next day. Why did this happen?
Rana: “Let’s call Shamudada and see if he can help. Shamudada!”
A bleat is heard off stage.
Rinki: “Shamudada?”
The bleat is heard again, louder this time.
Both children together: “Shamudada!!”
Kali the goat enters, bleating loudly. She comes up to the children and nuzzles them. The children hug her and laugh. Shamu dada enters
Shamu dada: “Well, what’s the matte—MY GOD, what happened here? It rained yesterday, but there was no storm, was there??”
Rinki: “How can we play here? And Shamudada, Rana and I have nowhere else to play. What shall we do??”
Rana: “Can you clean this up, Shamudada, please? Please?
Shamu dada: (Grumbling loudly as he begins to clean up the puddles of water. )
“Shamu dada this; Shamu dada that. Shamu dada is not God, is he? Shamu dada is also not a magician. Shamu dada is just an old man who breaks his back clearing up other people’s garbage—“
Suddenly, he finds the empty trash bag lying in the park and realizes that the litter that’s making the park dirty and waterlogged has come out of that bag.
Shamu dada: “How did this happen? I just cleaned out all the litter of the whole street and put it in this trash bag yesterday! Some stupid children must have done this—oh, my back! —Children who do these things should be flogged! They should be hung upside down by their toes! They should be punished and made to do one thousand one hundred and eleven long multiplication sums every day! They should be made to live in a roomful of garbage for a week!”
Rana and Rinki shrink and try to hide. They look at each other guiltily.
Shamu dada: “Don’t these children know that throwing garbage not only makes beautiful places like this park dirty, it is also harmful for all of us? Garbage stinks and rots and really bad germs grow in it. Then flies and rats swarm around it and spread disease! Plastic packets strangle the earth and stop water from entering the subsoil. They can suffocate trees and plants! And don’t these children realize that animals can choke to death if they try to eat the packets---Oh god, Kali! Are you all right? Kali?”
Kali has been nosing around and chewing the garbage as Shamu dada has been ranting and raving all over the park, picking up things and clearing the water. Suddenly, Kali begins choking and falls down. Shamu dada rushes to her and sees a plastic packet coming out of her mouth. He puts his had in and takes out a large packet. Kali does not respond to his shaking and calling. The children are in tears. All characters are concerned.
Shamu dada: (wailing): Look, look what those inconsiderate
children did to myKali. Oh, what will I do without her? Oh, Kali, Kali, my friend!
A shocked silence falls. The children are heartbroken and stricken with remorse.
Rana: We did this, Shamu dada. We threw all the rubbish around when we were playing yesterday! We are to blame for hurting Kali. Oh, Kali, we’re so sorry!
Rinki: We didn’t know this could happen. We thought we were just playing and having fun. We didn’t mean to do anything bad, Shamu dada, honest. God Promise.
Rana: We promise we’ll never do this again. Oh Kali—
Kali bleats weakly
Everybody at once: “Oh Kali—“
“She’s all right—“
“She’s going to be fine—“
“I promise I’ll never—“
“I’m so happy—“
Rinki: (hugging Kali) “We’re so happy you are fine, Kali. Come on, Rana, let’s pick up all the rubbish and make the park clean again.”
Rana, Rinki, Shamu dada and the Dustbin clean up the park.
The Sun begins shining again: Oh, Yes!
That’s much better!
C’mon y’all
It’s a beautiful day at the park!
All together--
Chorus:
“It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Get up and show some spark
Rise and shine
The day is fine
The sun is bright and gay
What a wonderful time to play!
It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Don’t let the dew
Get to you
Don’t droop, don’t stoop, don’t fall
Just stand up straight and tall.
It’s a beautiful day at the park.”
Shamu dada: (to the audience)
Remember, children, if we take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of us. Let us all stand up and take a pledge:
I will be aware
I will not litter
I will not waste
I will not pollute
I will care for Mother Earth and all her children.
Applause.
(A short musical play in two Acts)
by
Ranee Kaur Banerjee
CAST (in order of appearance)
Sun
Grass 1
Grass 2
Flower 1
Flower 2
Tree
Rana
Rinki
Kali the goat
Shamudada
Dustbin
Act I Scene 1: A Beautiful Day at the Park
Cast: Sun, Grass 1, Grass2, Flower, Tree, Dustbin, Rana, RinkiDark stage. After a moment, a cock’s crow is heard.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
Light begins to fade in very slowly.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
The sun shimmers awake and leisurely unfurls as the light becomes brighter.
Sun: “Oh yes!! You can say that again, Mr. Rooster!”
Rooster (offstage):“Cock-a-doodle-doo…”
Sun: “Oh yes!!
Rise and shine,
Rise and shine
Awake and arise!
Open your eyes
After a night long and dark
It’s a beautiful day at the park!
C’mon everybody, show some spark
It’s a beautiful day at the park!”
Grass 1: (yawning) “Shake off the dew”
Grass 2: (stretching awake) “Stretch up nice and high”
Grass 1: “Don’t stoop”
Grass 2: “Don’t droop”
Grass 1: “Don’t Fall!”
Flower: (Smiling sleepily as she unfolds)
“Wake up and smile, don’t be shy
Just stand up straight and tall.”
Tree: (Waving his arms sedately)
“Take a deep breath with your nose in the sky
Fill up with fresh air; come on, one and all--
There’s enough oxygen in my soul
For all creatures great and small.”
Dustbin: (skipping in with a large trash bag full of rubbish—pointing to the audience) ‘
“As for you, out there in the hall—
If you don’t want the earth to cry
Here’s something you can try—
Pick up your trash, or the earth will die
And so will you all!
USE ME!!”
Enter Rana and Rinki to play:
Both together: “Oh, what a beautiful day at the park!”
All characters on stage do a skipping step and launch into song:
Sun: “Yes! Go!”
Chorus:
“It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Get up and show some spark
Rise and shine
The day is fine
The sun is bright and gay
What a wonderful time to play!
It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Don’t let the dew
Get to you
Don’t droop, don’t stoop, don’t fall
Just stand up straight and tall.
It’s a beautiful day at the park.”
Fade out.
Act I, Scene 2: Let’s Play.
The park is brightly lit up. The sun shimmers happily and indulgently in the left corner. The tree sways and hums on the right. The dustbin rests contentedly against the tree trunk. A clump of grass giggles and laughs with a flower while Rana and Rinki play hand in hand.
Rana: “I’m tired now, Rinki, let’s sit under the tree for a while.”
The two children go and sit under the tree.
Rinki: “I’m hungry too. Want to share a chocolate with me?”
Rana: “And you can share my biscuits.”
She takes out a chocolate and unwraps it. Rana opens his biscuits and the two children munch contentedly on their snacks. When Rinki’s chocolate is finished, she crumples the wrapper and throws it at Rana. The wrapper falls under the tree and the tree reacts sharply, looking at the children in disapproval. Rana promptly
throws his biscuit wrapper at her and the fight begins. As they run around, trying to find things to throw at each other, they discover the trash bag near the dustbin and find it full of plastic wrappers and packets. The children have a great time shouting, squealing and throwing things at each other and all over the park.
Each time the children throw something, the dustbin rushes to catch it, but can’t. She is so tired and panting from all that running. She is almost in tears at the mess the children are creating. Finally, she gives up and retreats under the tree, sobbing. That is the final straw.
All the natural elements close up and withdraw from the children. The children are oblivious and keep playing.
The sun: (very angry): I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE. I REFUSE TO BE A PART OF THIS DAY.
The sun shuts up. The sky darkens. Thunder is heard and it starts raining.
Rinki: “It’s raining. Let’s stand under the tree until it clears up.”
The children run to the tree, but the tree refuses to give them shade.
Rana: “I don’t want to play any more Rinki. Let’s go home.”
The children rush off, trying not to get wet. The park remains angry and gray.
Fade out.
End of Act I.
Act II, Scene 1: A Gloomy Day at the Park
The rooster crows: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The rooster crows again: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
But the sun refuses to shine. He opens an eye, says, “Harrumph!!” and turns his face away.
A gray, gloomy light shines on a depressed and dirty park. The plastic packets and wrappers lie strewn all over the park. The rain has collected on them and made huge puddles on the ground. The grass, flowers, tree and dustbin are all still and sad.
Rana and Rinki run in. They try the skipping step. But this time, there’s no song, no chorus, no nature skipping with them.
They enter to play, only to splash in a puddle. They look around in dismay.
Rana: “How can we play in this park? It’s dirty and full of water.”
Rinki: “But this has never happened before! Even after it rains, the park is nice and dry by the next day. Why did this happen?
Rana: “Let’s call Shamudada and see if he can help. Shamudada!”
A bleat is heard off stage.
Rinki: “Shamudada?”
The bleat is heard again, louder this time.
Both children together: “Shamudada!!”
Kali the goat enters, bleating loudly. She comes up to the children and nuzzles them. The children hug her and laugh. Shamu dada enters
Shamu dada: “Well, what’s the matte—MY GOD, what happened here? It rained yesterday, but there was no storm, was there??”
Rinki: “How can we play here? And Shamudada, Rana and I have nowhere else to play. What shall we do??”
Rana: “Can you clean this up, Shamudada, please? Please?
Shamu dada: (Grumbling loudly as he begins to clean up the puddles of water. )
“Shamu dada this; Shamu dada that. Shamu dada is not God, is he? Shamu dada is also not a magician. Shamu dada is just an old man who breaks his back clearing up other people’s garbage—“
Suddenly, he finds the empty trash bag lying in the park and realizes that the litter that’s making the park dirty and waterlogged has come out of that bag.
Shamu dada: “How did this happen? I just cleaned out all the litter of the whole street and put it in this trash bag yesterday! Some stupid children must have done this—oh, my back! —Children who do these things should be flogged! They should be hung upside down by their toes! They should be punished and made to do one thousand one hundred and eleven long multiplication sums every day! They should be made to live in a roomful of garbage for a week!”
Rana and Rinki shrink and try to hide. They look at each other guiltily.
Shamu dada: “Don’t these children know that throwing garbage not only makes beautiful places like this park dirty, it is also harmful for all of us? Garbage stinks and rots and really bad germs grow in it. Then flies and rats swarm around it and spread disease! Plastic packets strangle the earth and stop water from entering the subsoil. They can suffocate trees and plants! And don’t these children realize that animals can choke to death if they try to eat the packets---Oh god, Kali! Are you all right? Kali?”
Kali has been nosing around and chewing the garbage as Shamu dada has been ranting and raving all over the park, picking up things and clearing the water. Suddenly, Kali begins choking and falls down. Shamu dada rushes to her and sees a plastic packet coming out of her mouth. He puts his had in and takes out a large packet. Kali does not respond to his shaking and calling. The children are in tears. All characters are concerned.
Shamu dada: (wailing): Look, look what those inconsiderate
children did to myKali. Oh, what will I do without her? Oh, Kali, Kali, my friend!
A shocked silence falls. The children are heartbroken and stricken with remorse.
Rana: We did this, Shamu dada. We threw all the rubbish around when we were playing yesterday! We are to blame for hurting Kali. Oh, Kali, we’re so sorry!
Rinki: We didn’t know this could happen. We thought we were just playing and having fun. We didn’t mean to do anything bad, Shamu dada, honest. God Promise.
Rana: We promise we’ll never do this again. Oh Kali—
Kali bleats weakly
Everybody at once: “Oh Kali—“
“She’s all right—“
“She’s going to be fine—“
“I promise I’ll never—“
“I’m so happy—“
Rinki: (hugging Kali) “We’re so happy you are fine, Kali. Come on, Rana, let’s pick up all the rubbish and make the park clean again.”
Rana, Rinki, Shamu dada and the Dustbin clean up the park.
The Sun begins shining again: Oh, Yes!
That’s much better!
C’mon y’all
It’s a beautiful day at the park!
All together--
Chorus:
“It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Get up and show some spark
Rise and shine
The day is fine
The sun is bright and gay
What a wonderful time to play!
It’s a beautiful day at the park.
Don’t let the dew
Get to you
Don’t droop, don’t stoop, don’t fall
Just stand up straight and tall.
It’s a beautiful day at the park.”
Shamu dada: (to the audience)
Remember, children, if we take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of us. Let us all stand up and take a pledge:
I will be aware
I will not litter
I will not waste
I will not pollute
I will care for Mother Earth and all her children.
Applause.
Comments
Thank you Leann
Please feel free to perform this play with your youth group if it is a not-for-profit endeavour. All I ask for is credit and maybe an appropriate write-up and pictures for my records.
If you plan to sell tickets and earn from the performance, I would appreciate a heads up and we can settle on a small fee that you could pay to my Paypal account. I'll use the money happily for my nature workshops with kids.
In actual fact, the message is more important than any monetary gain I may get for it.
Let me know if you need the sound effects and the recorded song and I'll send you a copy via e-mail.
Best wishes for the performance and hope you have a fun time putting it up on stage with your young troupe. Wish I could see it.
Ranee