Dramatizing Fables and Skits

Each year Bet ty Wekerle provides h e r French s t u d e n t s wi th a n opportuni ty to 'ham i t up' when her c lasses perform fab les in French. Second- through fourth-year French s t u d e n t s wr i te , cast, produce, d i r e c t , and per form well-known f a b l e s for the i r language classes. T h e per formances a r e t h e n recorded on v ideotape and shown to o t h e r c lasses and to parents . The f a b l e s help t h e c lass t o g e t b e t t e r acquain ted as well. S t u d e n t s l e a n t h e rudimentary a s p e c t s of d r a m a , receiving hints about a c t i n g as well as technica l e x p e r i e n c e serving as t h e s tagecrew.

Other t e a c h e r s wishing to under take a s imi la r project will benef i t f rom t h e guidelines s h e uses. S t a r t with a well-known fable . In wri t ing t h e scr ip t , fol low t h e sequence of e v e n t s b u t elimi- n a t e non-essentials. Use only vocabulary t h e

Planning t h e set...

s t u d e n t s a l ready know, a n d inc lude t h e class's p r i v a t e jokes; use popular or fo lk songs tha t tiein with t h e fable . Provide a p a r t f o r every student, so t h a t e a c h will a p p e a r at l e a s t once.

When c a s t i n g t h e play, l e t s t u d e n t s volunteer f o r e a c h par t . P r a c t i c e both in t h e classroom and on s tage. Memor ize l ines a n d c r e a t e simple sce- nery. Each s t u d e n t is responsible for his own cos tume, a n d props a r e provided by volunteers. If possible, have t h e person who i s t o videotape the f a b l e w a t c h t h e play pr ior to tap ing i t . Attempt to have a re laxed a t m o s p h e r e pr ior to taping t o a l low a c t o r s to relax.

Fables p e r f o r m e d in p a s t y e a r s include "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Three Bears,"

Discussing t h e script ... "Lit t le R e d Riding Hood," "Snow White," "The Three L i t t l e Pigs," "The Wizard of Oz," "Peter Pan," and "Alice in Wonderland."

I t is considerably eas ie r to b a s e t h e scr ip t on a well-known fable . However , or iginal sc r ip t s may a l so b e used. O n e c lass w r o t e a n original script e n t i t l e d "Mother Goose Convention." The plot f o c u s e d on t h e story-book c h a r a c t e r s ' desire to modern ize the i r images. Second-year students a r e m o r e a b l e to p r e p a r e a f a b l e of this nature, b u t f i rs t -year s t u d e n t s c a n e n a c t a sk i t using f ami l ia r m a t e r i a l f r o m the i r t ex tbook, providing a c o m p a r a b l e chal lenge.

Many of t h e f a b l e s b e c o m e musicals , and the s tudents , a l though s o m e h a v e t rouble carrying a t u n e , enjoy s inging songs. Most of t h e songs used a r e well-known t u n e s with F r e n c h lyrics. For ins tance , in "The Wizard of Oz," t h e munchkins

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q5uivez la route e n br iques jaunes" to t h e neof "Follow t h e Yellow Brick R o a d " N o t a l l gusedin the fables , however , a p p e a r e d in t h e @al, For example, in "The Wizard of Oz," t h e catsang "Something's Burning" in F r e n c h when kxarecrow caught on f i re . Folk songs c a n a l s o kmployed, e.g., "There's No Place Like Home" h h c h . hsme fables t h e s t u d e n t s p r e s e n t adver t i se -

lints or commercials during s c e n e changes. In bway, the class makes t h e s c r i p t the i r own Peation. Students a lso l ike to work proverbs a n d knignexpressions in to t h e fables. T h e m o r a l of Ilhe Emperor's New Clothes" b e c a m e "Clothes bnotmake the man." In "The Wizard of Oz," t h e Ictors included a favor i te saying of the i r neigh- kng German class. A l i s t of c r e d i t s was a l s o W a t the end of many of t h e fab les , in which txhactor was listed wi th his par t .

Enjoying the applause. Rehearsing t h e gestures ...

Possibilities for use e x t e n d beyond filming. Theclasses plan t o s t a g e a n Academy Awards in the spring with col lege professors serving as judges. They will a lso per form the i r f a b l e s f o r a local ETV channel. The f a b l e s a r e a n idea l oppor- tunity for a foreign language f i e l d t r ip , s i n c e French classes from o t h e r schools c o m e t o see theshows 'live.' When t h e f a b l e s w e r e shown at a PTAOpen House, t h e p a r e n t s w e r e thr i l l ed to see their children on t h e screen. They will also b e prformed in t h e annual state French contes t .

The fables do not h a v e to b e professional to b e valuable learning experiences. "One works f o r perfection, b u t then re laxes a n d enjoys t h e out- come--and laughs at t h e mistakes."

Cindy Skibell Coroiicldo High School, Lubbock , T e x a s

Bet ty Weker le Coronado High School, Lubbock , Texas

Ralph M . Carter T e x a s T e c h University

Ms. Wekerle and Dr. Carter led a preconfer- ence workshop on this topic at the 1975 ACTFL annual meeting. Participants in the workshop were given opportunities to explore the various activities discussed in the above article in great- e r depth.

"Welcome to the World'' The New Jersey Foreign Language Teachers

Associat ion still has copies of i t s four-page bro- c h u r e ava i lab le for purchase. The publ icat ion points o u t t h e mul t ip le benef i t s of s tudying a foreign language and is sugges ted f o r dis t r ibut ion t o prospec t ive s tudents , gu idance counselors , PTA members , Boards of Educat ion, e t c .

Welcome to t h e World is sold in p a c k e t s of twenty- f ive for $2.25 per packet , pos tage paid. With a n order of 1,000 o r more , o n e c a n s e l e c t one's own colors of paper s tock and ink (school colors might b e a good choice). To order , send a c h e c k (payable to NJFLTA) to Ms. Jacquel ine Benevento, Collingswood Senior High School, Collingswood, NJ 08108.