Only Hope

        by Helen Harvey

Set in a war-torn country, children in a refugee transit camp gather around an aid worker, who, frustrated at his inability to provide the help they really need, breaks down, on hearing their pleas for desperately needed help and love.

Aid worker:
Don't cry my children, please don't cry,
Look, the birds sing, even in this cloudy sky,
You have suffered, and paid the ultimate cost,
Your shattered dreams, to the wind are tossed.

Children's Chorus:
We are frightened, we are cold, how will we cope?
We have nothing left but dignity, and our eternal hope,
Help us please, and heal our pain,
Our carefree childhoods to regain.

Aid worker:
Be brave my children, hold your heads up high,
All I want is your happiness, and I promise I will try,
Look towards tomorrow, and the promised land,
We will make the journey hand in hand.

Baa, Baa, Baa

       by Howard Pflanzer

LEADER
We will destroy the terrorists
Root them out wherever they hide.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baa, baa, baa.

LEADER
We will punish evildoers
Wipe them out
Before they multiply.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baa, baa, baa.

LEADER
We must be vigilant
We must sleep with one eye open
Nothing will escape our gaze.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baa, baa, baapity, baa.

LEADER
We are in a war
It is life or death
Our way is goodness
Theirs is evil.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baapity, baapity, baapity, baa.

LEADER
Civilization against barbarism
Freedom against repression
We will triumph
With the help of God.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baa, baa black sheep
Have you any wool?

LEADER
Light against darkness.

CHORUS OF SHEEP
Baa, baa, baa
With the help of God.

Springtime at School

        By Mike Ingles

School ground. Kids arriving through the gate, late 50's.
Girls in poodle skirts, sweaters and saddle shoes
Boys in jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes

1st Boy:
snapping his fingers
Justa rockin to school, the principals a panic

2nd boy:
slapping at his pants
breakin all the rules, the janitors a manic

1st girl:
clapping her hands
I'm for cutting out, just cause spring has sprung

2nd girl:
using her finger to curl her hair
I'm dancing in the street, when the second bell has rung

Chorus:
Hey you'd better get back,
If you know whats good for you.
Ya gotta pickup the slack,
if ya do-wattacha-dowachtta-do-watta-do

all the kids now clicking their fingers

1st girl:
clapping out the rhythm
Well I guess that's so parents just wouldn't get it

1st boy:
joins the clapping
Yea my old man's a square and wouldn't forget it

1st boy and 1st girl:
together
Guess we gotta go we better learn something new

Chorus:
Yes! We gotta do-whatta do-whatta do-whatta..........Do!

Festival of Fish

         H.M. Davis

It is early morning in a Mediterranean village by the sea, where the main livelihood is fishing.
There is much excitement and happiness in the air as the villagers gather at the harbour, to watch the local fisherman prepare to set out for their day's fishing.
The villagers are gathered because today is their annual thanksgiving fiesta, and the fish caught will be cooked at the celebratory festival in the village square that evening.
The Captain of the lead boat in the village's small and ramshackle fleet addresses the children gathered at the front of the crowd.

Captain:
Come back later children
To welcome us home
There will be fish aplenty
For us all to share
We will sing and dance
Long into the night
To give thanks and praise

Chorus:
Sail safely, far out on the shining sea
Catch for us the jewels of the deep
The choicest catch your nets will reap
Come home quickly, because we'll be waiting
To start our evening of joyous celebrating

Captain:
Hoist the sails, away we go
Like our fathers and those before us went
Today's will be the finest catch of all
You will be so proud
I have no doubt

In Praise Of

            by G.O.Cruz

A libretto of Abraham's Covenant with God, the symbolic "contract" of the Old and New Testament bonds.
Based on Genesis Chapter 15.

Characters: 7 males holding Lit Lamps - portrayals of 2 parts of a heifer, parts of a she-goat, 2 parts of a ram - 2 persons representing whole doves - Abraham.

The stage is set as the Scriptures state: with the animals separated and the Lamps in-between. Abraham stands and stares in awe.

Chorus:
As Christ was separated at the cross
His soul went down to hell,
And His Spirit rose up

Chorus:
wails
Woe! Woe!

King David:
He'll not leave his soul in hell,
Nor suffer the Holy One
To see corruption.

Chorus:
And the eyes of the Seven Ages
Stood between the Old and New
Holding the Lamps of Light
To reveal what is all True

Abraham:
standing aside
What does this mean?

An Unseen Voice:
The Son of God was sacrificed,
The sacrificial Lamb,
His Blood was shed, But Light was
Spread, from Alpha to Omega.

The 2 Doves:
We represent healings in both
Old and New Testaments.

Chorus:
It's the Sign of the Promised Son

A Short Essay on Imaginary Solitude (With George Washington)

                     by Zack Sims

George Washington is to the side of the stage.

George Washington:
joyous
I should like some new silverware!

Chorus:
There is a chicken outside the coop tonight,
lost and traveling through the woods
to find daylight.

enter Hen

George Washington:
Joyous
Rust is fire in slow motion!

Chorus:
Oh No! It's a fox!

enter Fox

Hen:
nervous
You have me so afraid I cannot move!

Fox:
Don't worry, chicken, I will take care of you
tonight, and take you back to your home.

Chorus:
Fox and Hen spend the night playing memory games
until the sun rises, and the fox leads the way back home.

George Washington:
There is a star alone in the sky.
When it finally turns around:
Constellations! Behind him this whole time!

Dance, Shout, Sing!

                     By Sara R. Haystead

Katherine is a warm, loving young woman who has just begun caring for a group of young children, possibly in an orphanage setting.
She tries to uplift their spirits with this song.
She gestures for the children to gather around.

Katherine:
enthusiastically
People laughing
People dancing
Come now, children
Sing of sunshine
Sing of joy
Every girl, every boy

A few children:
Dance, shout, sing!

Katherine:
Show the world you’re happy

Children:
Dance, shout, sing!

Katherine:
No reason to be sad

Children:
Dance, shout, sing!

Katherine:
Put on happy faces

Children:
Dance, shout, sing!

Katherine:
Show the world you’re glad

Katherine:
gesturing for more children to join
I’ll sing a song
You sing along
Come now, children
I’ll sing of sunshine
And of joy
Every girl, every boy

All children:
Joyfully
Dance, shout, sing!
Show the world you’re happy
Dance, shout, sing!
No reason to be sad
Dance, shout, sing!
Put on happy faces
Dance, shout, sing!
Show the world you’re glad

End with children surrounding Katherine, some embracing her.

My Darling, My Love

                     By Sara R. Haystead

Two lovers, William and Fiona, timidly express their deep love for one another.
They begin, each on opposite ends of the stage.

William:
looking toward the ground
Oh, my love
You bring so much joy to my life
I feel like I’m born again

Fiona:
gazing warmly and lovingly at William
My love
I once was apprehensive
But now I’ve fallen

William and Fiona pace toward one another as the chorus sings

Chorus:
My darling, my love
So deeply we are
In love

William:
arms outstretched toward Fiona
Oh, my darling
You uplift me
Your sun shines through the rain

William places arms around Fiona’s shoulder, Fiona places arm around William’s waist

Fiona:
My darling
Oh, how I need you
I live and breathe for you

The couple embraces, singing together, with the chorus

Chorus:
My darling, my love
So deeply we are
In love

William and Fiona:
Gazing into one another’s eyes
And should the sun set
On all our days
We will still have love
In so many ways

William and Fiona:
My darling, my love
So deeply we are
In love

The couple embraces warmly.

In You I Will Live On, Love

                     By N.M. Brewka

A woman in red stands center stage, pointing upward while looking straight ahead.

Woman in red:
My body came from the seed of stars, the blood of sunlight, the bones of the moon.

Chorus:
Mother, mother, endless, eternal, divine, my heart, my silver river.

Woman in red:
These children rend me sad and guileless with loss, loss of you.

Chorus:
Flesh finds new strength in every woman born from herself, mother from mother.

Woman in red:
All lifts, all rises, all floats, all shimmers and shines, glorious, abundant.

Chorus:
Grief has no heart, no substance, only love does, only love does.

Woman in red:
Lowers arm, points to chorus
In you, I will live on, love.

Chorus:
Cymbals, drums, lightning, opening blossoms, warm rain.

Woman in red:
Breath, not death..

Chorus:
In me, you will live on, love.

Existential Possibilities

                     by Morelle Smith

A young troll sits on a gate near a bridge, contemplating life and his place in it, his lack of desire to be scary and nasty and his general ineptitude for trollness

Chorus:
Lurking under bridges,
Acting guardian for gates
What can his real purpose be?
How can he tempt his fate?

Child comes round the corner on a bicycle, too fast, falls off. Young Troll helps her up
Child:
Who are you? Do you live near?

Young Troll:
By the bridge not far from here.
But who I am is a puzzle to me
For I'm not what they say I ought to be.

Child:
Oh thats just conditioning.

Young Troll:
incredulous
You feel it too?

Chorus:
Do you sing your own song
Or walk with the crowd?
Do you go for excitement
Or just do whats allowed?

Child picks up bicycle, turns it round, about to leave
Child:
Goodnight kind fairy -

Young Troll:
That is not what I am, - or
Maybe it is, for -
As I think, therefore I am.

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