THE PUPPET SHOW
I attend a respite centre one day a week for the purpose of
giving my husband a break from the intense work of caring for me. The people who attend are elderly, (I’m one of the younger elderly,)
and often frail or disabled. Most of them still like to be as active as they
possibly can, and quite a few are involved in craft classes.Concerts are held every few weeks. Recently I had an
idea for keeping the craft class busy and the rest of us amused.
I would need to run it by the diversional therapist and she
would need to assist in the running of the project.
My idea was to have as many residents as possible bring in
discarded gloves and old clean socks to make puppets.
The writing group could be responsible for writing the
script; and the Men’s Shed could be responsible for making the stage and props. I have written a tentative script which includes active
audience participation.
In an effort to include as many people as possible in the action, I anticipate there will be audience participation, clapping cheering catcalls, boos, et cetera.
ACTION
To prevent the puppeteers, (well-chosen residents,) from
having eye contact with the audience, a short curtain is in place behind the
stage where the puppeteers are sitting. The curtain should be short enough that
the puppeteers can access the stage with their hand puppets.
When the puppet stage opens the curtain, we see on one side
a shop counter with the shopkeeper, Mr Thrifty, a potbellied man wearing a white
apron with a pencil behind his ear, standing behind the counter dusting with a
duster.
Suddenly onto the stage arrives Mr Thrifty’s first customers,
the Crimper family. There is Mrs Crimper, a short jolly woman who giggles
incessantly – Mr Crimper, a very straight tall man in a black suit--and their
three children, two boys, Timmy, twelve, and Jimmy six, who is leading a little
dog on a lead. Their daughter, Pinky Crimper, ten, sighs frequently in a
deprecating manner, because of the fuss and nonsense going on between the brothers.
During the play, Mr Thrifty tries to expel the dog from the
shop, much to the distress of little Jimmy who cries long and loud. When Mr
Thrifty offers him a lolly, Mr Crimper remonstrates loudly about the children
not being allowed to eat sweets.
Finally the dog is expelled, and Mrs Crimper gives her order
for groceries. She has a long list and rattles it off rapidly, causing Mr
Thrifty to rush about the shop collecting all the tins and boxes for her. By
the time the family leaves the shop, Mr Thrifty is exhausted.
The crimper family leave the shop with Mr Thrifty struggling
under the weight of the huge box of groceries. Under his arm he manages a bag
of potatoes. No one offers help.
When he returns, he collapses across the counter with his
head in his hands.
Suddenly, in through the back door Mrs Thrifty pokes her
head, just in time to see Mr Thrifty put his head down.
THE END
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