chem mys tery - dramatic publishing...chem mys tery a child ren’s play by caleen sinnette jennings...

CHEM MYS TERY

A chil dren’s playby

CALEEN SINNETTE JENNINGS

Dra matic Pub lishingWoodstock, Il li nois • Eng land • Aus tra lia • New Zea land

© Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois.

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For per for mance of any songs, mu sic and re cord ings men tioned in this play which are in copy right, the per mis sion of the copy right own ersmust be ob tained or other songs and re cord ings in the pub lic do mainsub sti tuted.

©MMIX byCALEEN SINNETTE JENNINGS

Printed in the United States of Amer icaAll Rights Re served

(CHEM MYS TERY)

ISBN: 978-1-58342-643-2


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All pro duc ers of the play must give credit to the au thor of the play in allpro grams dis trib uted in con nec tion with per for mances of the play and inall in stances in which the ti tle of the play ap pears for pur poses of ad ver -tis ing, pub li ciz ing or oth er wise ex ploit ing the play and/or a pro duc tion.The name of the au thor must also ap pear on a sep a rate line, on which noother name ap pears, im me di ately fol low ing the ti tle, and must ap pear insize of type not less than fifty per cent (50%) the size of the ti tle type.Bio graph i cal in for ma tion on the au thor, if in cluded in the playbook, maybe used in all pro grams. In all pro grams this no tice must ap pear:

“Pro duced by spe cial ar range ment withTHE DRA MATIC PUB LISHING COM PANY of Woodstock, Il li nois”


Chem Mys tery pre miered at Stu dio Thea tre, Katzen Arts Center,Amer i can Uni ver sity, Wash ing ton, D.C., di rected by Caleen Sin -nette Jennings with the fol low ing:

CAST

Leon ard Lion, Simba, Mr. Rivera, Ojiisan . . . . . . . Aus tin ByrdReadin’ Rab bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex CohillSa rah Spi der, Ananse, Ao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alysa J. GillisOm i nous Oc to pus, Carmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vic to ria GoldenChar lotte Chee tah, Aka, Duma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erika HallStorytelling Snake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cas san dra HannanPolly Puppy, Bonita, Kin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maeve KochCu ri ous Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ezree MualemPanda Petrie, Mami Chiguapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda RollinsMuskular Musk rat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope RollinsOm i nous Oc to pus, Melinda Mon key . . Frankie Ga bri elle Sol o monBees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Brobst, Vishal Vaidya

PRO DUC TION STAFF & CREW

Com poser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex M. Tem plePi a nist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tay lor J. Wil liamsLighting De sign/Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin L. SullivanStu dio Thea tre Tech ni cal Man ager . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joshua DickStage Man ager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cee Cee SwallingAs sis tant Stage Man agers. . . . . . . . Katie Brobst, Vishal Vaidya

Spe cial thanks:

Dr. Monika Konaklieva, Barbara Tucker Parker, Alex Tem ple,Fernando Benadon, The fall 2008 class of PERF 450—Children’s Thea tre, the fac ulty and staff of the De part ment ofPer forming Arts, Amer i can Uni ver sity, Janney El e men tarySchool, Wash ing ton, D.C.

4© Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois.

CHEM MYS TERY

CHAR AC TERS

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE . . . . . . . . . . . scaly, slinky and coolMUSKULAR MUSK RAT . . . . . . . . . buff, car ries handweightsREADIN’ RABBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . glasses, al ways has a bookCU RI OUS CAT . . . . . . . . . cud dly, car ries a big ques tion markPANDA PETRIE . . . . . . . . . wears a white lab coat, car ries the

pe ri odic ta ble and a test tubeOM I NOUS OC TO PUS . . . . . has bags and sacks in each of her

eight ten ta clesSA RAH SPI DER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mathCHAR LOTTE CHEE TAH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . danceLEON ARD LION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . his toryMELINDA MON KEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mu sicPOLLY PUPPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . po etryAKAKINAOOJIISANSIMBADUMAKIMAANANSEBONITAMAMI CHIGUAPACARMENMR. RIVERABEE #1 (op tional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . set changerBEE #2 (op tional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . set changer


SCEN ERY: Light weight, hand-painted flats or butcher pa per that is un rolled to show set tings. Scarves cre ate the sea, the wind, fish, etc.

COS TUMES: Char ac ter hats. Ba sic black cos tumes adorned with pa per plates and pipe- cleaner ver sions of an i mal bod ies. Move ment and ges tures to in di cate an i mals.

MU SIC: The lyr ics in this play may be sung to mu sic youcre ate, or spo ken with move ment and mu si cal back ground,or spo ken rhyth mi cally like a rap. In fact, Muskular Musk -rat’s pieces about “Mus cles” was meant to be chanted.What ever de ci sions you make about mu sic, I en cour ageyou to be cre ative to sat isfy the de mands of your bud getand your au di ences.


CHEM MYS TERY

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE.SSSo happy to be hereSSSurprising but it’s trueI’m SSStorytelling SSSnakeWith a sssstory for youRe lax, I’m not scaryI’m here to cel e brateTo solve the Chem Mys teryYou know what? I can’t wait.

(Sings ex cerpt from SONG: CHEM MYS TERY.)

IN THE AIR, ON LAND AND SEAALL AROUND IS CHEMISTRYMY TWO HELPERS—THESE TWO BEESLIVE AND THRIVE THROUGH CHEMISTRYCOME ALONG, PLEASE COME WITH MEHELP SOLVE THE CHEM MYSTERY

I want to in tro duce you to a friend of mine. But you’llhave to travel with me to a spe cial cor ner of the LoonyVerse, a place called Imag ine Na tion, a spot on theshores of the Whim Sea called Zooville. We’re at Zoo -ville School where stu dents take only one class—theirvery, very fa vor ite! (School bell rings.) Sa rah Spi derloves math.


SA RAH SPI DER (count ing her eight legs). 5-6-7-8! I loveit!

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Leon ard Lion loves his tory.LEON ARD LION. Zooville was first founded in Imag ine

Na tion over 1,000 years ago. Yes!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Char lotte Chee tah spends her

whole day danc ing

(CHAR LOTTE dances across the room)

CHAR LOTTE CHEE TAH. And one, and two, and three,and bow!

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Polly Puppy is crazy for po -etry.

POLLY PUPPY (writ ing in her jour nal).I slipped on a peelAnd I have the proofIt fell on the groundFrom the roof-roof-roof

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And Melinda Mon key justcan’t play enough mu sic

(MELINDA plays some thing halt ingly on her re corder.)

MELINDA MON KEY. I’m get ting better ev ery day! READIN’ RABBIT (with his nose in a book). Can you

please keep it down!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Hey, Readin’ Rab bit, in tro duce

your self.

8 CHEM MYSTERY


(SONG: READING)

READIN’ RABBIT (sing ing).EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHTAND EVERY TIME YOU LOOKYOU WILL FIND ME READINGFROM A STORY IN A BOOK

STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLDTHEY SUIT MY TASTE JUST FINEEARLY MORNING, THROUGH THE DAYAND ’SPECIALLY AT BEDTIME.

READING IS MY PASSIONREADING IS MY JOYA STORYBOOK FROM ANY SHELFBECOMES MY FAVORITE TOY

READING IS DELICIOUSREADING IS SUCH FUNIF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A READERREADIN’ RABBIT’S NUMBER ONE.

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT (do ing push ups). Hey, hey,never mind that silly old book. Look what I can do.Watch me. Betcha can’t do this!

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. In and out of gym class,Muskular Musk rat al ways shows off.

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. GIMME AN M!ALL. MMUSKULAR MUSK RAT. GIMME A U!ALL. UMUSKULAR MUSK RAT. GIMME AN S!

CHEM MYS TERY 9


ALL. SMUSKULAR MUSK RAT. GIMME A CLE!ALL. CLE!MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. WHAT’VE YOU GOT?ALL (puz zled). Moosl? Mewsclee?MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. NO! M-U-S-C-L-E SPELLS

MUS CLE!

(SONG: MUS CLES)(Rapped by Muskular Musk rat)

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT.I’M MUSKULAR MUSKRATWITH MUSCLES GALOREI’M ALWAYS TRAININGTO GET THE BEST SCORE

RUNNING AND JUMPINGRACING AND RIDINGHOPPING AND THUMPINGSWIMMING AND GLIDING

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. What’s this on my arm?ALL. A lump?MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. It’s a mus cle!MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. What’s this on my leg?ALL. A bump?MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. It’s a mus cle!

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT.I’M MUSKULAR MUSKRATTHE STRONGEST IN THIS SCHOOLI’M PUMPED, I’M STOKEDAND 100% COOL.

10 CHEM MYSTERY


I’M MUSKULAR MUSKRATTHE STRONGEST IN TOWN

ALL. HEY, MUSKULAR MUSK RATMUSKULAR MUSK RAT. YO!ALL. PLEASE SIT DOWN!

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. All the stu dents at ZoovilleSchool work very hard.

CU RI OUS CAT (from off stage). Why?!!!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Did you hear some thing? (She

lis tens, then shrugs.) As I was say ing, all of the stu dents at Zooville School…

CU RI OUS CAT (from off stage). Why?!!!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Okay, that time I def i nitely

heard some thing.CU RI OUS CAT (from off stage). Why, oh why?STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Ah yesssssss. Here co mes

some one who does not go to Zooville School. CU RI OUS CAT (from off stage). Why, oh why, oh why???STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Be cause she does n’t have a fa -

vor ite class, and be cause she’s too busy ask ing…

(CU RI OUS CAT en ters and in ter rupts with a song.)

(SONG: WHY?)

CU RI OUS CAT (sing ing).WHY IS THE SUN SO BRIGHT?WHY IS THE GRASS SO GREEN?WHAT MAKES OUR MILK LOOK WHITE?WHAT TURNS THE WATER TO STEAM?

CHEM MYS TERY 11


WHY, OH WHY? WHY, OH WHY?WHY DO I HAVE THESE QUESTIONS?WHY, OH WHY?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. This is the spe cial friend I told you about. This is Cu ri ous Cat.

CU RI OUS CAT (sing ing).WHY DOES THE SKY MAKE RAIN?WHAT MAKES A FLOWER GROW?WHAT WORKS INSIDE MY BRAIN?HOW WILL I EVER KNOW!WHY, OH WHYWHY, OH WHYWHY DO I HAVE THESE QUESTIONS? WHY, OH, WHY?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Cu ri ous Cat, have you pickeda fa vor ite class yet?

CU RI OUS CAT. I wish I knew what I want to study.READIN’ RABBIT. You can share my book.

(SONG: READING – re prise)

READIN’ RABBIT (sing ing).EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHTAND EVERY TIME YOU LOOKYOU WILL FIND ME READINGFROM A STORY IN A BOOK…

12 CHEM MYSTERY


CU RI OUS CAT (in ter rupt ing the song). But what is yourbook made of? Why are the pages smooth? What wouldhap pen if I…?

READIN’ RABBIT. Don’t tear the pages!CU RI OUS CAT. Don’t you want to know what the pages

are made of? READIN’ RABBIT. NO! I just want to read the sto ries on

them. Like the Af ri can story “Ananse and Her Mag i calThread”…

CU RI OUS CAT (in ter rupt ing). What’s a spi der web madefrom?

READIN’ RABBIT. Or the Mex i can story “The Chiguapas Who Live Un der wa ter”…

CU RI OUS CAT (in ter rupt ing). How do peo ple breathe un -der wa ter?

READIN’ RABBIT. Or the Jap a nese story “Aka and theMagic Color”…

CU RI OUS CAT (in ter rupt ing). Why are there so many dif -fer ent col ors?

READIN’ RABBIT. Oh, Cu ri ous Cat, you never pay at ten -tion to my sto ries!

CU RI OUS CAT. I’m sorry, Readin’ Rab bit. Come back!READIN’ RABBIT. Can’t. I’m go ing to Read ing Class!

(He ex its.)MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. Psssst! Cu ri ous Cat, why don’t

you work out with me?

(SONG: MUS CLES – re prise)

MUSKULAR MUSK RAT (rap ping).RUNNING AND JUMPINGRACING AND RIDING

CHEM MYS TERY 13


HOPPING AND THUMPINGSWIMMING AND GLIDING

MUSKLAR MUSK RAT. Watch me lift these weights.CU RI OUS CAT. Why are they so heavy?MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. Who cares? I can lift these

twenty times. (Counting.) 1-2-3-…CU RI OUS CAT. Why do you sweat? MUSKULAR MUSK RAT (still lift ing and count ing).

7-8-9-10!CU RI OUS CAT. What’s sweat made of?MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. Cu ri ous Cat, you and your

ques tions are driv ing us crazy! CU RI OUS CAT. I don’t mean to! Come back, Muskular

Musk rat!MUSKULAR MUSK RAT. Gotta go to gym. See ya! (She

ex its jog ging.)STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And Sa rah Spi der scur ries off

to math.SA RAH SPI DER (as she scur ries off). Frac tions, ad di tion,

di vi sion, MUL TI PLI CA TION!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And Leon ard Lion can’t wait

to mem o rize more dates.LEON ARD LION (show ing off as he ex its). The first pres i -

dent of Zooville was Har old Hippo. He was fol lowed by Ab i gail Al li ga tor and… (He ex its.)

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Char lotte Chee tah’s off todance class.

CHAR LOTTE CHEE TAH. Turn, walk, walk, leap, leap!(Exits.)

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Polly Puppy can’t wait toshare her lat est poem

14 CHEM MYSTERY


POLLY PUPPY (writ ing in her jour nal as she ex its).Give me wordsI want them nowRoof-roof-roofAnd bow-wow-wow

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And Melinda Mon key marches to her merry mel ody…

(MELINDA MON KEY ex its play ing joy fully.)

CU RI OUS CAT. Ev ery one has a class to go to ex cept me. STO RY TELL ING SNAKE (to the au di ence). Don’t you

think that’s ssssad? (Au di ence re sponse.) Ev ery day,when her friends leave for their fa vor ite classes, Cu ri ous Cat just wipes away her tears. Then she goes look ing for an swers to her many ques tions. She walks up the moun -tains of Imag ine Na tion. The view is al ways spec tac u lar. But in stead of find ing an swers to her ques tions, Cu ri ousCat just thinks up more.

(SONG: WHY? – re prise)

CU RI OUS CAT (sing ing).WHY ARE THE MOUNTAINS HIGH?WHY ARE THE VALLEYS LOW?WHY IS THERE BLUE IN THE SKY?WHY’S IT SO HARD TO KNOW?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And the moun tains are nothelp ful at all. Be cause they echo her ques tion…

MOUN TAINS (echo ing). Why-y-y-y-y.

CHEM MYS TERY 15


STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Then Cu ri ous Cat walksthrough the for ests of Imag ine Na tion. The birds soar,and the tall trees wear bril liant green leaves. The sur -round ings are spec tac u lar. But in stead of find ing an -swers to her ques tions, Cu ri ous Cat just thinks up more.

CU RI OUS CAT (sing ing).WHY DO THE BIRDS HAVE WINGS?WHY DO THE TREES GROW TALL?WHY DON’T I KNOW THESE THINGS?WHY DO I KNOW NOTHING AT ALL?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And the tall trees and the soar -ing birds are not help ful at all. Be cause they sing out onthe wind…

BIRDS & TREES. Why-y-y-y-y!STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. Finally, Cu ri ous Cat ar rives at

her fa vor ite place in all of Imag ine Na tion. The WhimSea al ways wel comes her. Al though she does not likethe wa ter (cats never do), she loves to stand on thebeach and watch the waves roll in and out. The sur -round ings are spec tac u lar. But in stead of find ing an -swers to her ques tions, Cu ri ous Cat just thinks up more.

CU RI OUS CAT (sing ing).WHY IS THE SEA SO WIDE?WHY IS THE WATER DEEP?WHY DOES THE SEAWEED HIDE?WHY DON’T FISH GO TO SLEEP?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. And the fish are not help ful atall. Be cause they sing up through the wa ter.

16 CHEM MYSTERY


SEA WEED & FISH (gur gling). Glub-glub-why-glub-glub-why?

STO RY TELL ING SNAKE. snrut tsuj taC suo ir uC yllausUaround and goes home. But sud denly, she sees some one

,reh sdraw ot gni klaw ssssssinging an amaz ing sssssong!

(PANDA PETRIE en ters. She’s in a white lab coat. Shecar ries test tubes and a large poster folded un der her

ehs ,resolc steg ehs sa tub yltfos gni gnis strats ehS .mragets louder.)

CHEM MYS TERY 17


chem mys tery - dramatic publishing...chem mys tery a child ren’s play by caleen sinnette jennings...

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