monologue/dialogue for DD9...suggestions?

[wildernesslodgelover]

This is the second year that DD's school is having a talent show. While I think my DD is awesome and special and wonderful (the way all mom's feel about their kids, I guess ) I can't say she has a "talent" she can showcase. She is athletic, gets good grades, etc but I cannot think of anything to showcase these attributes. I was thinking she could do a funny, cute, or maybe even serious momologue or a dialogue with a friend. Any suggestions? Any links with info? I am off to do some googling now, but thought maybe someone on this board is a drama tracher, or has had experience in this.

Oh, if you can think of another talent for her to do, that would be ok, too. She is open to suggestions. Last year one girl did a hula hoop show, some girls did dances, some girls sang, one did a baton twirling...you know, typical elementray talent show stuff!

Thanks!

 

[KikiFan]

You might check out "Member of the Wedding" and "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds" They both have some great monologues for girls that age.

You might also look for a monologue book for kids. Borders usually has a few to chose from.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Thank you! I have googled a bit, but it seems I will have to look at a book, apparently they don't give monologues or dialogs away for "free!"

 

[BratTink]

Why are you trying to find something for her to do? I feel like if its her talent show, she should do it herself.

 

[agnes!]

You might want to take a look at classic poems, perhaps "The Ride of Paul Revere" or "Casey at the Bat" or some Lewis Carroll - "Jabberwocky", "Walrus & the Carpenter". If she's advanced and likes history, she might like doing The Gettysburg Address. It's short but really packs a wallop. Plus, we adults love it when a kid memorizes a famous poem or speech. Kids use to do it all the time - not so much now.

If she does a poem or a well-known speech, she should do it as if it were a monologue - Who/What/When/Why... Why was this poem/speech written? Who is saying these lines? What is the backstory of the poem/speech?

If there are any children's theatre gourps in your area, you could always call up the director and ask for ideas.

agnes!

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Hmm. I have a couple poems. I don't know if they would be appropriate. I grew up in the Bible belt so this one would be appropriate there:

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER'S HAND

By Myra Ross Welch (1926)

'twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile:

"What am bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar! A dollar!" then "Two! Only two?"
"Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice . . .
And going for three . . . " but no.
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a carolling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars! And who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! Who'll make it three?
"Three going once? Three going twice?
"And going . . . and gone!" said he.

The people cheered but some of them cried,
"We do not understand!
What changed its worth?" -- Swift came the reply,
"The touch of the Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
And battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A "mess 'o pottage"
A glass of wine
A game and he travels on.
He's "going" once
And "going" twice
And "going" . . . and almost "gone"

Then along comes the Master, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul or the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.


This poem was popular around school when I was nine:

The Cold Within by James Patrick Kinney

Six humans trapped by happenstance
in black and bitter cold
Each possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,
the first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire
She noticed one was black.

The next man looking 'cross the way
Saw one not of his church
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.

The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned
>From the lazy, shiftless poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.

And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

The logs held tight in death's stilled hands
Was proof of human sin,
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.


If you are looking for something humorous check a Shel Silverstein book out from the library.

 

[agnes!]

Oh! Just thought of a good one! Look up "Goops", also the author who wrote that poem. The stuff is great, you'd never guess it was written around the turn of the last century - timeless classsics.

agnes!

 

[NHdisneylover]

My kids like to do the old "Who's on first" skit by Abbot and Castello. You can go through and edit it down to something shorter if it is too much for her and a friend. It is still funny and "costumes" would be easy--ball shirts and caps, etc.

ITA it is easy to find online by googling and you should also be able to find a video clip of them performing it to show her. The kids google and watch both Abbot and Castello and knock offs pretty regularly.

 

[mamacatnv]

Not a monologue but a couple of ideas that were done last year at DD's talent show.

Puppet Show - 1 student, 2 sock puppets and the use of the over head projector to put the background up. This was actually really cute and the kids enjoyed it.

Say no to Meth skit - This was a performed scenario of a kid being offered drugs and how the kid went to an adult with the problem.

Another idea would be to portray a character with a brief description of who they are along with a costume to match.

 

[mickeyboat]

We had a Kindergartener last year do some tumbling, and a first grader tell jokes. Several second graders got together and performed a song they had learned in music class for their Canada night performance.

My 2nd grade daughters plan to tell jokes this year. I am not sure they will have the nerve in the end, but that is what they are planning.

Denae

 

[TinkerTracy]

Online there's an Alice in Wonderland monoluge that you can view and print online. I was going to use it for something a few years ago but ended up not. I think that it would be cute for a 9 year old to do something like that. It wasn't too long either.
http://www.monologuearchive.com/c/carroll_001.html

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Thanks for the great ideas! I love them!


brattink-My DD is not allowed to surf the internet, and she can't get in the car and drive to the bookstore. I wanted a few leads before I gave her some choices. If you are going to be so negative and try to stir the pot, don't be so obvious that you are desperate to do so. Your post was pathetic.

 

[beeayekay]

Scary Poems for Rotten Kids by Sean O'Huigin
http://www.amazon.com/Scary-Poems-Rotten-Kids-OHuigin/dp/0887531776

This is a terrific book with poems kids absolutely LOVE. I used it with at-risk low achieving 3-5th graders in Title 1 for choral and oral reading. I even had a few kids who wanted to learn the poems. My son and his friend presented a poem from this book at his school's talent show when he was in the fifth grade.

Good luck,

babs

 

[maelstrom]

She could try doing a section of a play by herself or with a friend. For an older girl I would suggest The ****** Monologues (I know that word is censored here, which is so sad), but probably not for an elementary school aged girl. Does she have any favourite plays?

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Scary Poems for Rotten Kids by Sean O'Huigin
http://www.amazon.com/Scary-Poems-Rotten-Kids-OHuigin/dp/0887531776

This is a terrific book with poems kids absolutely LOVE. I used it with at-risk low achieving 3-5th graders in Title 1 for choral and oral reading. I even had a few kids who wanted to learn the poems. My son and his friend presented a poem from this book at his school's talent show when he was in the fifth grade.

Good luck,

babs

Thank you, babs! That book looks cute and definitely something my DD would enjoy. My only "but" is that she attends a christian school, and they frown upon stuff that has anything to do with creepy and scary. The school itself is not ridiculously conservative, but they try to appease evryone, including the ultra religious that send their children to the school.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

She could try doing a section of a play by herself or with a friend. For an older girl I would suggest The ****** Monologues (I know that word is censored here, which is so sad), but probably not for an elementary school aged girl. Does she have any favourite plays?

Oh, LOL I am sure The ****** Monologues would not go over well at her school (LOL...maybe she should do the Jane Fonda version? Heehee! ) I am embarrassed to say that she does not have any favorite plays...we are terribly uncultured in our family! Remember...our idea of an exotic, ethnic vacation is spending extra time at World Showcase!

Thank you for the suggestions, keep 'em coming. I do appreciate everyone brainstorming with me.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

BTW, I agree it is kind of sad that a clinical word for a female body part is censored.

 

[beeayekay]

Thank you, babs! That book looks cute and definitely something my DD would enjoy. My only "but" is that she attends a christian school, and they frown upon stuff that has anything to do with creepy and scary. The school itself is not ridiculously conservative, but they try to appease evryone, including the ultra religious that send their children to the school.

My son and his friend presented their poem at a Catholic grade school and the principal, who was a nun and the pastor of the church were howling because of the, um, interpretation of the poem by these two angelic altar servers.

There are some poems in the book that are not creepy/scary, per se, just kid-type gross!

Good Luck!

babs

 

[maelstrom]

BTW, I agree it is kind of sad that a clinical word for a female body part is censored.

Censoring ****** is the same as censoring "foot" or "arm" or "stomach" to me. They're clinical names for body parts, and nothing to censor or be ashamed of, especially just the word itself!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

My son and his friend presented their poem at a Catholic grade school and the principal, who was a nun and the pastor of the church were howling because of the, um, interpretation of the poem by these two angelic altar servers.

There are some poems in the book that are not creepy/scary, per se, just kid-type gross!

Good Luck!

babs

LOL, Babs...that sounds better! I will look into it further. You know, sometimes those amazon reviews can steer you away from a great book, or influence you to buy something that you end up thinking is awful, ya know? There were only 3 reviews, and two mentioned that the kids had to be mature enough to handle some of the themes, could give them nightmares, etc. The school is k-8, I wouldn't want to freak out the little ones! Then again, I guess they mean only certain stories....you are saying that some are less scary and morbid than others, correct? I will see if they have it at our local bookstore later today. Thanks again, I am glad you clarified.