The Joys of Spring: A Children's Play in Three Acts

The Players (from left): Harper (age 2), V (age 5), Betsy (age 3), L (age 5)

Dear George,

When I recently visited J and K and kids in New Orleans, the weather was just about perfect, and our grandchildren, V and L, and I decided to put on a play in honor of Spring.  Family friends brought two more budding actresses, Harper and Betsy, to the performance, so they joined in too.  Here is how our play went.

Love,

Dave

The Joys of Spring

Narrator (henceforth N):  Welcome to our play.  We’re so glad you could be here.  This is a three-act play entitled “The Joys of Spring”.  The role of The King of Winter will be played by L.  V will be The Queen of Spring.  Betsy will be The Princess of the Flowers.  And Harper will be The Princess of the Butterflies. 

Act One.  The Children Go to Michigan

N:  Once upon a time, not so long ago, the children took a trip to Michigan to visit Mum-Mum (their grandmother Linda).  It was the middle of January, and the ground was covered in snow.  The children were very excited because they almost never see snow in New Orlean. 

They ran around in the snow, going this way and that.  (Children run around stage.)

Then they picked up the snow and threw it high in the air.  (Children throw snow.)

And they made lots of snowballs.  (Children throw imaginary snowballs.) 

And everyone was very happy and having a good time.  [End of Act One]

Act Two.  The King of Winter Brings a Storm.   

N:  The children ran so far that they found themselves lost in the forest. 

Just then The King of Winter appeared, and he brought with him a great storm.  (L steps forward and flexes his muscles.)

The King summoned great winds.  (Children wave arms back and forth and make whooshing, wind-like noises.)

The ground was so icy that the children slipped and slid.  (Children slip and slide around the stage.)

And then the great snowfall came.  (Children raise their arms up and down with the falling snow, making snowfall sounds: pitter-pitter-pitter….)

Soon the children were very cold.  (Children start to shiver and shake.)

V:  I am so cold – I am freezing.

L:  I am freezing too.

Betsy:  I am freezing too. 

N:  The children wonder what they are going to do.  Then V has an idea.

V:  Let’s get the bunnies.  They will take us to their nest, and we will all be warm.

(The children go to the rear of the stage and bring out porcelain bunnies.  Then they go with the bunnies and all lie down in the bunnies’ nest.)  [End of Act Two]

Act Three.  The Arrival of Spring

N:  The children slept and slept for the rest of the winter.  They slept through all of January, then all of February, and then all of March.  But on April 1^st the Queen of Spring arrived, and all the children woke up.  (V stands up, does a pirouette, and waves her wand.  The other children get up too.) 

N:  The warm sun came out.  (Children make circles over their heads with their arms, then lean from side to side.)

And the trees burst into bloom.  (Children hold arms straight up and open and close their fingers.)

And so did the flowers.  (Children open up their arms like flower petals and wave back and forth.)

V:  Spring is here!

L and Betsy:  Hurray!  Spring is here!

N:  Then the children found their way back to Mum-Mum’s house.  She was very excited to see them.  And everyone lived happily ever after. 

The End of the Play

The players and their parents take a bow

G-mail Comments

-Donna D (3-30):  david, this is so wonderful!  the children probably dont' realize how wonderful their grandpa is to do this with them.

-Linda C (3-29):  Absolutely adorable