A Short Play: Because of Winn-Dixie

Transcription

1 After reading Because of Winn-Dixie, your students might enjoy performing this play that summaries the main events from the story as much as mine did! Cast of Characters: Narrator Opal - a 10-year-old girl Winn-Dixie - a shaggy, friendly dog (this role can easily played by a stuffed animal or by! an actor) Store Manager - the manager of the Winn-Dixie grocery The Preacher - Opal s father Miss Franny - a librarian in her 60 s Otis - a shy guitar player that works in a pet store Gloria - A blind woman with a creative personality Scenery: 2 tables tablecloth stuffed dog for Winn-Dixie Scene 1 - Opal enters the Winn-Dixie (set with 2 tables to create an aisle, perpendicular to the audience) Narrator: Opal and her father, the preacher, moved to Naomi, Florida. Although he loved Opal, sometimes Opal felt alone. That was all about to change, when Opal walked into the Winn-Dixie. Suddenly there s a big commotion in one of the aisles (crashing sound). A huge dog is running full-speed through the store (toss stuffed dog down the aisle) and everyone is trying to catch him. Store Manager: Get that thing out of here! (Standing over the dog pointing at the door. Opal comes down the aisle and stops in front of the dog.) Narrator: The dog smiles up at Opal. Opal smiles back. Store Manager: Someone - call the pound! (bing sound - for an idea - Opal jumps up like she just was shocked - she has an idea!) Opal: Wait! That s my dog. Come here boy, come Winn-Dixie! Store Manager: Whoever heard of naming a dog Winn-Dixie? (stands back with his hands raised up) Parent Child Education.com 2012! 1

2 Opal: Well, I did! (facing the store manager - then turns to Winn-Dixie) I hope you like your new name, boy. (Start walking with Winn-Dixie). You re a stinky, mess. I ll get you cleaned up. Scene 2 Opal s home, a trailer (2 tables become the trailer - set in a line with a space between for a doorway) (Opal and Winn-Dixie walking home) Opal: Winn-Dixie, my daddy is a good man. I don t call him daddy, I call him preacher because he spends so much time preaching or writing sermons or deep in thought. It s hard for me to think of him as a daddy. Preacher, I found a dog and I want to keep him. The Preacher: You know we can t keep a dog in this trailer. Opal: But I d have someone to talk to and I haven t been able to make any friends in Naomi. The Preacher: Oh, we can keep him for a little while and see how it goes. (Opal and Winn-Dixie walk outside and Opal starts to wash him) Opal: Mama left home when I was 3. I don t know why. Preacher doesn t like talking about her. I think it makes him sad but I still want to know about her. Should I keep asking him? Narrator: Winn-Dixie looks at her, almost nodding. Opal: Well, I ll think about it. (The Preacher comes outside - walk between the tables) Opal: Look how good Winn-Dixie looks after his bath. (Winn-Dixie shakes and gets Opal and Preacher wet. Opal and the Preacher laugh) Preacher, tell me about Mama. I don t need to know a lot, just a few things. The Preacher: Okay, I ll tell you...10 things. Scene 3 - Opal and Winn-Dixie outside the town library. 2 tables set perpendicular to each other with Miss Franny sleeping on the desk. Narrator: The next day, Winn-Dixie runs up some steps to a building. Opal: Sorry, Winn-Dixie. You can t go in there! It s a library! Wait here. (motions Winn- Dixie to stay with her hand. Miss Franny is asleep on the table as Opal walks in and starts looking at the books and startles Miss Franny). Parent Child Education.com 2012! 2

3 Miss Franny: Ahh (pointing her finger at Winn-Dixie) The bear s back! Opal: (eyes following her finger)that s my dog, Winn-Dixie. He s not a bear. Miss Franny: I had a bad experience with a bear a long time ago. You must think I m a silly old thing. Opal: A bear. Here? Miss Franny: It s a long story. Opal: (starts to sit down) I love long stories, but can Winn-Dixie come in to listen too? He gets lonely without me. (Miss Franny shakes her head yes. Opal and Winn-Dixie sit down in front of her). Miss Franny: The bear sneaked into the library when I was a young girl. I was reading Gone with the Wind when a shadow crossed over the book. I ignored it but then...i slowly looked up to see a huge bear standing on his hind legs. I didn t know what to do. I was scared. At first I didn t move and neither did he. Then he started moving away and I threw my book at him. He turned and picked up the book and then he was gone. It was my only copy of Gone with the Wind back then pages. It was a big book. Everyone that would remember the bear, all my friends and family are gone. I m the only one left from those days. (Miss Franny looks at Winn-Dixie, Winn-Dixie looks at Miss Franny) Well now, that dog is smiling at me. Opal: Miss Franny - Could we be friends? You, me and Winn-Dixie? Miss Franny: That would be just grand. Scene 4 - Pet Store (table set perpendicular, tablecloth over tables and stuffed animals all over) (Otis is playing a guitar - Opal and Winn-Dixie walks into pet store and Otis stops playing. The animals go wild - perhaps stagehand under table tosses animals in air). Otis: Yikes! Help me catch them! (Opal and Otis scurry around but the animals keep moving around) Opal: There are too many of them! Play your guitar again - that made them calm. (Otis starts playing again and the animals quiet down. Opal puts the animals under the table). Otis: I take the animals out because they don t like being locked up. Music makes them happy. Opal: Your music makes me happy too! Do you ever play for people? Parent Child Education.com 2012! 3

4 Otis: I used to play on the street - because that s what I love to do but the police made me stop. I had to promise not to play outside. Scene 5 Gloria Dump s Jungle backyard set 2 tables with space between (Opal and Winn-Dixie walk through the gate) Opal: Is this the place they said a witch owns? That eats children? (Opal bumps into Gloria sitting in a chair) Aak! Please don t eat me! Gloria: Good heavens, child - eat you? Opal: Did you see my dog? Gloria: Was he the flash that ran by that nearly ate my hand as he was stealing my sandwich? Opal: Oh, sorry about that, Winn-Dixie does love a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so do I. I m Opal. Gloria: My name is Gloria Dump. Ain t that a terrible name (laughs at herself) Dump. Opal: My last name is Buloni. Sometimes kids call me Lunchmeat at school. Gloria: (ha) Well pleased to meet you Lunchmeat. Would you care to join me for lunch? Opal: Can Winn-Dixie join us? Gloria: He already has! (chuckling to herself). My eyes aren t too good so I rely on my heart. Tell me about yourself so I can see you with my heart. Opal: I think the first thing you should know is I don t have a mama. Something made her go away and I don't know what. Narrator: Gloria eats her sandwich and Opal keeps talking. Gloria: My goodness, girl. You sure can talk. I have a clear picture of you now. Opal: (looking around the garden) I sure like your garden. Can I come back tomorrow? Gloria: (looking around) Not much will change by then! Opal: Of course, I want to see you too! Parent Child Education.com 2012! 4

5 Scene 6 Inside the trailer tables set same as scene 5 to be used as beds Narrator: One night there is a thunderstorm and Winn-Dixie is terrified. He runs around the trailer and knocks down the Preacher. Preacher: Winn-Dixie! Opal: I don t know what s wrong. He doesn t seem like himself. Preacher: (takes Opal to sit down on the bed and their heads follow Winn-Dixie as he runs back in and forth in the trailer) When the storm is over, the real Winn-Dixie will come back. Opal: We get lots of storms in the summer. Will this happen every time? Preacher: We ll just have to be sure he stays in the trailer during a storm to keep him safe. Scene 7 Town of Naomi Opal and Winn-Dixie walk through town waving to all of her new friends. Narrator: Opal and Winn-Dixie visit their new friends but Opal still feels lonely. Opal: I ve been thinking about mama but it makes me feel like the hole you keep feeling with your tongue after you ve just lost a tooth. I keep going to the empty spot, the spot where I feel she should have been. Narrator: One night Opal and the Preacher talk. Opal: Do you think about mama a lot? Preacher: I do, Opal. Opal: Why did she leave? Preacher: I don t know. I never understood it. We were so happy, for what seemed like a long time. But then she started drinking... Opal: Was I bad? Was it my fault she started to drink? Preacher: It was never your fault Opal. (Preacher walks away and Opal walks over to Gloria) Narrator: The next day, Opal tells Gloria about her talk with the Preacher. Parent Child Education.com 2012! 5

6 Gloria: The Preacher is hurting. Opal: Everyone s hurting. It makes me so sad. I want to do something to help. But what?...i know, we need a party, right here in your yard. We ll invite everyone we know. Gloria: I can make some punch. Opal: And how about egg salad sandwiches? Scene 8 Gloria s backyard 2 tables set in a row with a space between them (Miss Franny, Gloria, Preacher and Otis are meeting each other in the jungle backyard) Narrator: Opal and Gloria have turned the backyard into a fairy land with lit candles. Opal: This is great having everyone here, isn t Winn-Dixie? Narrator: Suddenly there is a rumble of thunder and rain pours down. Gloria: Everyone go inside. Save the sandwiches! (Everyone rushes around the yard then stand by the tables. Winn-Dixie is put under the table) Miss Franny: Is everyone okay? Opal: I think so. Wait! Where is Winn-Dixie? Oh no, he s scared of thunderstorms. He ran away. I was suppose to keep him safe. (She runs out of the gate.) Preacher: Opal come back! (Everyone looks for Winn-Dixie) Narrator: They search for hours. Preacher catches up to Opal Preacher: There s only so much looking that we can do. Opal: You re going to give up! You always do. Did you even look for mama? Preacher: I couldn t stop her. I tried, Opal. I really tried. (Preacher breaks down and starts to cry) Losing Winn-Dixie upsets me too! I love that dog. Opal: I know you do. (Opal hugs her dad and they start to walk) (Otis is playing the guitar and everyone is listening as they walk into the garden) Narrator: There is a soft, howling sound. Opal: Winn-Dixie? (she bends down to hug Winn-Dixie) Parent Child Education.com 2012! 6

7 Gloria: He was here all along, hiding under the bed. (Otis, Gloria, Miss Franny and Preacher start pantomime a song. Opal steps away from the group and speaks to the sky.) Opal: Mama, I know you ll never come back but my hearts not hurting anymore. It s full up. I ve got friends and Winn-Dixie and daddy. Parent Child Education.com 2012! 7