Below, are some of my favorite Literature assignments that I enjoyed working on and presenting.
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Plays/Skits
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Here is a skit my friends Arianna, Almarie, Jason, Michael, John, and I put together inspired by the book Of Mice &Men. We acted out some of our favorite scenes from the novel and sang a few songs that we thought tied into the scenes. I thought we did a good job and I'm happy I was able to have the opportunity to do it with my friends.
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Of Mice and Men: The Musical
Cast
John S. as Lennie
Jason as George
Michael as Curley
Halle as Candy
Arianna as Slim
Almarie as Carlson
Act 1
(George and Lennie)
Scene I
(*Lennie and George sitting nearby river*)
Lennie: Ain’t we gonna have no supper?
George: Get some sticks, I have three cans of beans
Lennie: I like beans with ketchup
George: We ain’t got no ketchup
(*Lennie gets up and finds wood in brush*)
(*Sound of splashing*)
(*Lennie comes back with one stick and other hand behind his back*)
George: Alright Lennie, give me the mouse!
Lennie: (*shrugs*) I ain’t got no mouse
George: Let it go Lennie, let it go
Lennie: No please no, no please no
George: Let it go, let it go. That dead rodent, you need to throw.
Lennie: Ne please no, no please no. Just in my pocket I can stow.
I just want to touch the fur.
George: Please get rid of it!
We can get you the land and the rabbits.
(*Lennie takes his hand behind his back and strokes the mouse in his hand*)
Lennie: I wasn’t doing nothing bad with it. Just strokin it.
(*George snatches mouse out of Lennie’s hand and throws in any direction*)
(*Lennie was on the verge of tears.*)
George: Aw Lennie. That mouse ain’t fresh. You get another mouse that’s fresh, and I’ll let you keep you a while.
Fin.
Act 2
(George, Lennie, Slim, Carlson, Candy)
Scene I
(*Slim carrying puppies*)
Slim: Look here y'all, my dog gave birth to some puppies. Any y’all want some of em? If not, imma have to drown em in the creek.
George: Oh, Slim, I don’t know, a puppy is a lot of work. I’d have to think about it. Where would it even sleep? Surely not in the dang bunkhouse?
Lennie: Puppies? What’s this all about puppies? Oh George can I have one pleaseee?
(*fade away from the scene and focuses on Lennie. George and Slim sit down and look up at Lennie. Lennie sings *)
Lennie: When we want to live off the fatta the lan’
And I want to pet the rabbits
My dream about animals on the farm
Oh my happy habits
And puppy I will be petting you till I’m 70
And I want to pet the puppies cause they’re fluffy
I’m thinking bout how
I can pet the puppies in different ways
Maybe just a stroke of the fur
Well me I want to pet you every single day
I just want to tell you I am
So puppy now
Hop right into my loving arms
Purr until I show you my love no harm
Stay on my lap until you’re warm
Cause I want to pet you all day
(*Slim and George stand up again.*)
Lennie: Oh George, can I please have a puppy?
George: Okay, fine.
Scene II
(*Scene transition, workers are in the bunkhouse now*)
Carlson: Candy, I think it’s time for your old pooch to be put down. It’s been stinkin’ up the bunkhouse and has no use anymore
Candy: But-
Carlson: Candy please! It’s best for the dog.
Candy: Okay fine.
(*Carlson takes Candy’s dog from Candy outside of door*)
Candy: (*to dog as leaving*) Oh won’t you stay with me. ‘Cause you’re all I need
(*Candy’s dog gets shot [gunshot sound]*)
(*Carlson enters room again*)
Carlson: SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT
(*Candy sits down*)
(*dim lights*)
Candy: in the paws of a doggy
run away from here
from this dark cold bunkhouse
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the paws of a doggy
may you find some comfort here
Scene III
(*Scene transition focus on Slim and George*)
(*take out cards*)
George: Thanks for givin Lennie that pup
Slim: Oh, it was nothin, I woulda drown ‘em anyway. So funny that you and him go everywhere together
George:How so?
Slim: I dunno none of the guys travel together. I think it’s sorta funny that a smart guy goes with a cuckoo
George: He ain’t a cuckoo. He’s dumb, but ain’t crazy
Slim: How long you and Lennie know each other?
George: Bout as long as I can remember, we’re from the same town, Auburn
*George shuffles cards*
George: His aunt Clara took him when he was a baby and raised him. When aunt Clara died, Lennie jus came along with me to work. We sorta got used to each other after a while.
Slim: Oh, funny
George: Yeah, funny
Fin.
Act 3
(George, Lennie, Curley, Slim, Carlson, Candy)
Scene I
(*Curley, Slim and Carlson walks in*)
(*Lennie, George and Candy looks towards the door.*)
(*Lennie sitting on the floor, while George and Candy stand up from seat when men come in*)
Curley: I didn’t mean nothing Slim. I just asked you.
Slim: Well you’ve been asking me too often. I’m getting God dang sick of it. If you can’t look after your own God dang wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay off of me.
(*as Slim speaks, Curley turns slowly and glares at Lennie.*)
Curley: What the heck are you looking at?
(*Lennie stares in the distance while sitting. Then he comes back to reality from a 3 second daydream.*)
Lennie: Huh?
Curley: (enraged) Come on, big guy! Get up on your feet.
(*Lennie looks at George helplessly. Then stands up and tries to walk backward.*)
(*Curley punches Lennie in his face as Lennie walks backwards.*)
(*Lennie screams and staggers, shocked with the blood.*)
(*Lennie turns to George.*)
Lennie: George? Make him let me alone.
(*Lennie backs up to the wall. Then Curley punches him in the face again and Lennie falls.*)
(*George stands up.*)
George: Get him Lennie! Don’t let him do it!
Lennie: Make him stop George!
Slim: That dirty little rat. I’ll get him myself.
(*Slim rushes towards Curley, but George holds him back.*)
George: Wait a minute. Get him Lennie!
(*Curley swings a punch.*)
(*Lennie holds his fist tightly. Curley tries to pull his fist out, but Lennie still holds on.*)
(Curley keeps punching Lennie with his free hand.*)
(*Curley then falls to the floor and flops constantly.*)
George: Leggo of him. Let go Lennie.
(*Lennie stares at Curley in shock, but still holds on to his hand.*)
George: Let ‘im go, let ‘im go. That poor man, you need to let go.
(*Lennie suddenly lets go.*)
Slim: (*with hand on his face facing towards to the floor*) We have to get him to a doctor.
(*looks up, turns to Curley, and points at him furiously*) If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to. If you try and get this guy canned, we’ll tell ever’body and’ then you will get the laugh.
Curley: I won’t tell.
(*Slim helps Curley up and places his arm under Curley’s arm to lean on. Then he helps Curley out the door.*)
(*Lennie turns to George.*)
Lennie: George I’m scared!
(*George places hand on Lennie’s shoulder.*)
George: Don’t you worry, don’t you worry child
Curley won’t tell on you
Don’t you worry, don’t you worry now
Lennie: Can I still tend the rabbits?
George: Yeah
Fin.
Cast
John S. as Lennie
Jason as George
Michael as Curley
Halle as Candy
Arianna as Slim
Almarie as Carlson
Act 1
(George and Lennie)
Scene I
(*Lennie and George sitting nearby river*)
Lennie: Ain’t we gonna have no supper?
George: Get some sticks, I have three cans of beans
Lennie: I like beans with ketchup
George: We ain’t got no ketchup
(*Lennie gets up and finds wood in brush*)
(*Sound of splashing*)
(*Lennie comes back with one stick and other hand behind his back*)
George: Alright Lennie, give me the mouse!
Lennie: (*shrugs*) I ain’t got no mouse
George: Let it go Lennie, let it go
Lennie: No please no, no please no
George: Let it go, let it go. That dead rodent, you need to throw.
Lennie: Ne please no, no please no. Just in my pocket I can stow.
I just want to touch the fur.
George: Please get rid of it!
We can get you the land and the rabbits.
(*Lennie takes his hand behind his back and strokes the mouse in his hand*)
Lennie: I wasn’t doing nothing bad with it. Just strokin it.
(*George snatches mouse out of Lennie’s hand and throws in any direction*)
(*Lennie was on the verge of tears.*)
George: Aw Lennie. That mouse ain’t fresh. You get another mouse that’s fresh, and I’ll let you keep you a while.
Fin.
Act 2
(George, Lennie, Slim, Carlson, Candy)
Scene I
(*Slim carrying puppies*)
Slim: Look here y'all, my dog gave birth to some puppies. Any y’all want some of em? If not, imma have to drown em in the creek.
George: Oh, Slim, I don’t know, a puppy is a lot of work. I’d have to think about it. Where would it even sleep? Surely not in the dang bunkhouse?
Lennie: Puppies? What’s this all about puppies? Oh George can I have one pleaseee?
(*fade away from the scene and focuses on Lennie. George and Slim sit down and look up at Lennie. Lennie sings *)
Lennie: When we want to live off the fatta the lan’
And I want to pet the rabbits
My dream about animals on the farm
Oh my happy habits
And puppy I will be petting you till I’m 70
And I want to pet the puppies cause they’re fluffy
I’m thinking bout how
I can pet the puppies in different ways
Maybe just a stroke of the fur
Well me I want to pet you every single day
I just want to tell you I am
So puppy now
Hop right into my loving arms
Purr until I show you my love no harm
Stay on my lap until you’re warm
Cause I want to pet you all day
(*Slim and George stand up again.*)
Lennie: Oh George, can I please have a puppy?
George: Okay, fine.
Scene II
(*Scene transition, workers are in the bunkhouse now*)
Carlson: Candy, I think it’s time for your old pooch to be put down. It’s been stinkin’ up the bunkhouse and has no use anymore
Candy: But-
Carlson: Candy please! It’s best for the dog.
Candy: Okay fine.
(*Carlson takes Candy’s dog from Candy outside of door*)
Candy: (*to dog as leaving*) Oh won’t you stay with me. ‘Cause you’re all I need
(*Candy’s dog gets shot [gunshot sound]*)
(*Carlson enters room again*)
Carlson: SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT SHOT
(*Candy sits down*)
(*dim lights*)
Candy: in the paws of a doggy
run away from here
from this dark cold bunkhouse
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the paws of a doggy
may you find some comfort here
Scene III
(*Scene transition focus on Slim and George*)
(*take out cards*)
George: Thanks for givin Lennie that pup
Slim: Oh, it was nothin, I woulda drown ‘em anyway. So funny that you and him go everywhere together
George:How so?
Slim: I dunno none of the guys travel together. I think it’s sorta funny that a smart guy goes with a cuckoo
George: He ain’t a cuckoo. He’s dumb, but ain’t crazy
Slim: How long you and Lennie know each other?
George: Bout as long as I can remember, we’re from the same town, Auburn
*George shuffles cards*
George: His aunt Clara took him when he was a baby and raised him. When aunt Clara died, Lennie jus came along with me to work. We sorta got used to each other after a while.
Slim: Oh, funny
George: Yeah, funny
Fin.
Act 3
(George, Lennie, Curley, Slim, Carlson, Candy)
Scene I
(*Curley, Slim and Carlson walks in*)
(*Lennie, George and Candy looks towards the door.*)
(*Lennie sitting on the floor, while George and Candy stand up from seat when men come in*)
Curley: I didn’t mean nothing Slim. I just asked you.
Slim: Well you’ve been asking me too often. I’m getting God dang sick of it. If you can’t look after your own God dang wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay off of me.
(*as Slim speaks, Curley turns slowly and glares at Lennie.*)
Curley: What the heck are you looking at?
(*Lennie stares in the distance while sitting. Then he comes back to reality from a 3 second daydream.*)
Lennie: Huh?
Curley: (enraged) Come on, big guy! Get up on your feet.
(*Lennie looks at George helplessly. Then stands up and tries to walk backward.*)
(*Curley punches Lennie in his face as Lennie walks backwards.*)
(*Lennie screams and staggers, shocked with the blood.*)
(*Lennie turns to George.*)
Lennie: George? Make him let me alone.
(*Lennie backs up to the wall. Then Curley punches him in the face again and Lennie falls.*)
(*George stands up.*)
George: Get him Lennie! Don’t let him do it!
Lennie: Make him stop George!
Slim: That dirty little rat. I’ll get him myself.
(*Slim rushes towards Curley, but George holds him back.*)
George: Wait a minute. Get him Lennie!
(*Curley swings a punch.*)
(*Lennie holds his fist tightly. Curley tries to pull his fist out, but Lennie still holds on.*)
(Curley keeps punching Lennie with his free hand.*)
(*Curley then falls to the floor and flops constantly.*)
George: Leggo of him. Let go Lennie.
(*Lennie stares at Curley in shock, but still holds on to his hand.*)
George: Let ‘im go, let ‘im go. That poor man, you need to let go.
(*Lennie suddenly lets go.*)
Slim: (*with hand on his face facing towards to the floor*) We have to get him to a doctor.
(*looks up, turns to Curley, and points at him furiously*) If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to. If you try and get this guy canned, we’ll tell ever’body and’ then you will get the laugh.
Curley: I won’t tell.
(*Slim helps Curley up and places his arm under Curley’s arm to lean on. Then he helps Curley out the door.*)
(*Lennie turns to George.*)
Lennie: George I’m scared!
(*George places hand on Lennie’s shoulder.*)
George: Don’t you worry, don’t you worry child
Curley won’t tell on you
Don’t you worry, don’t you worry now
Lennie: Can I still tend the rabbits?
George: Yeah
Fin.
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Gypsy Queen PlayTo the left is the Gypsy Queen, a Spanish Folktale, my friends Shannon, Ivan, Jullian, Vaizaah, Isabella, & I performed in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This play is about a prince who sets out to find his true love and stumbles upon a tree of oranges. In each orange was a maiden demanding bread. The prince gave bread to the third maiden who later became a dove because the gypsy's daughter wanted to marry him. In the end the third maiden marries him and they live happily ever after. I really enjoyed playing the gypsy and would love to do this play again if I ever have the opportunity.
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Christmas PlayTo the right is the Christmas play Jason, Darren, Derek, Courtney, Veronica, & I performed together. This play is about a tree (Derek) who wants to be a Christmas tree. His woodland friends all come together to decorate him into a Christmas tree in return for all the things the tree has done for them. This play shows the true meaning of friendship and how we shouldn't just take, we should give back as well. I had fun portraying the role of a doe and loved helping to make props. |
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Projects
Eleanor & Park Teleplay
Novel By: Rainbow Rowell
After gym class Eleanor, DeNice, and Beebi talk and hang around until everyone is gone. Tina and the other girls have been teasing Eleanor about the way she looks, after every gym class. The girls finally start walking to the locker room.
DeNice: (cheerfully) Hey! Didn’t you notice Tina and the other witches were ignoring you today?
Eleanor: (happily) Yeah, they must have run out of things to say about my hair.
Beebi: (joyfully) Wait a second! Hold on! They could’ve called you Wendy.
DeNice: (joking) Or even Ronald McDonald!
Eleanor: Oh be quiet you two!
All of them are laughing all the way to the locker room.
DeNice: (anxiously)Hurry up Eleanor! Everyone is eating all of my nachos!
Eleanor: Okay fine. Go ahead! I don’t want to keep you two from starving to death.
Beebi: (unsurely) Oh, if you say so.
Beebi and DeNice leave the locker room babbling about nachos. Eleanor opens her locker, but it’s empty.
Eleanor: (confused) Where are my clothes?
Eleanor scrambles around, looking for her clothes. She’s slamming lockers left and right and making lots of noise.
Eleanor: (angrily) Oh my gosh! WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES! (sarcastically) Haha Tina. Very funny.
Mrs. Burt: (yelling) What is going on?
Eleanor: (silently) I’m just looking for my clothes.
Mrs. Burt: (authoritatively) Well Eleanor, you should always use the same locker every single time. We’ve gone over this every-
Eleanor: (calmly) Somebody, I mean, I think somebody stole it.
Mrs. Burt: (mumbling) Dumb girls.
Mrs. Burt then starts opening the other lockers and Eleanor looks through the trash.
Mrs. Burt: (relieved) Eleanor! I found them!
Eleanor walks to Mrs. Burt and discovers that her clothes are in the toilet. Eleanor covers her mouth and Mrs. Burt hands her a plastic bag for the clothes.
Mrs. Burt: (directing) Eleanor, go fish those out while I write you a pass to Mrs. Dunne, the counselor.
Mrs. Burt leaves Eleanor to take out the clothes. Eleanor sticks her hand into the toilet and pulls out each piece, one by one. Eleanor walks out and towards the counselor’s office with tears on her face and a water trailing behind her. Some students notice her and laugh at her outfit. Then she spots Park. She runs as fast as she can into the counselor's office without making contact.
AT HOME…..
Eleanor’s Mom: (sweetly) Eleanor, it’s going to be okay. You’re so lucky to have a friend like Tina.
Eleanor: (blandy) Yeah I’m very lucky.
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