After School Program
The After School Program meets for approximately six to eight weeks, two days a week for an hour session. Children may sign up for this program on a voluntary basis with their parent's permission. They are chosen on a first come basis until enrollment reaches approximately fifteen children.
First term's children will study the art of puppetry. They will make their own puppet creations, study three falsetto voices suitable for puppets, write their poems, (one modeled after our Chinese Buddhist poem), and recite their poetry with their puppets.
Second term's children will study the art of acting on stage, and rehearse a play suitable for production on stage.
Script - Adapted from Two of Everything
(Chinese music plays softly in the background.)
Scene I
Narrator: Mr. and Mrs. Haktak live outside a small village in the countryside of China. They are peasants, old and very poor. Their garden provids the only food that they eat. Sometimes when the harvest is plentiful, Mr. Haktak trads turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables for clothing, lamp oil and fresh seeds.
This scene opens with Mr. Haktak digging in his garden. Suddenly his shovel hits something hard.
Mr. Haktak: This is very strange. (Picks up a large pot.) I have been digging for many years, yet I've never seen this pot before. I'll take it home to my wife; maybe she'll know what to do with it.
(Mr. Haktak strains as he walks back and forth on stage with the big pot. Then his purse falls to the ground.)
Scene II
Narrator: The pot was very heavy for Mr. Haktak. He stumbled and fell. His last five coins fell to the ground. Quickly Mr. Haktak picked up the purse with coins and tossed them into his pot.
This scene opens with Mr. Haktak giving the pot to his wife.
Mrs. Haktak: What a strange looking pot. Where did you find it?
Mr. Haktak: I found the pot while digging in the fields.
Mrs. Haktak: What am I going to do with it? It is too big to cook in and too small to bathe in.
Mr. Haktak: (Shrugs his shoulders and leaves.)
Mrs. Haktak: (Leans over the pot.) Oh my, now my hairpin fell into the pot and it is the only one I have. What is this? (She pulls up two hairpins and two purses. She runs to the edge of the stage and shouts...) Mr. Haktak, Mr. Haktak...
Mr. Haktak: What is it? What happened?
Mrs. Haktak: Look, I found two hairpins and two purses in the pot. The pot is magic.
Mr. Haktak: (Jumps up and down.) We are lucky; let's put my coat into the pot. (Pulls up two coats.) Quick, quick let's put more things into the pot. (Cups, teapots, etc. are put into the pot and two of each are pulled out.) If only we had some meat to put into the pot.
Mrs. Haktak: Don't worry, my dear husband. I know how we can get anything we want.
(Mrs. and Mrs. Haktak begin to put purses into the pot and pull out others, emptying them on the floor.)
Scene III
Narrator: Mr. Haktak leaves for town with a long list of things to buy in the village. Now instead of a basket full of vegetables he carries a basket of coins. Mrs. Haktak finishes all of her chores and sits down to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea. Mrs. Haktak loves her magic pot, stoops over to look inside just as Mr. Haktak comes in the door with his arms full of purchases. Mrs. Haktak is startled and falls into the pot. (Actors pantomime actions while narrator speaks.)
Mr. Haktak: (Places packages on the floor and goes to retrieve his wife. When his wife comes out of the pot another pair of legs protrudes from the pot.) Two more legs, oh my. What is this? (Another Mrs. Haktak comes out of the pot, looking confused.)
Mrs. Haktak: (Screams.) I will not have another wife. Put her back into the pot now.
Mr. Haktak: No, then I will have three wives instead of two. (Mr. Haktak walks backwards as he speaks and falls into the pot.
Two Mrs. Haktaks: (The two Mrs. Haktaks goes to retrieve the husband. They pull him out, and now there are another pair of legs perturbing from the pot.) Two more legs. Oh my, what is this?
(Another Mr. Haktak comes out of the pot looking very confused.)
First Mr. Haktak: What good is another Mr. Haktak? This is not a good pot after all. Now all of our troubles are going to double.
First Mrs. Haktak: Calm down, my good husband. I am sure we will all become good friends.
Second Mrs. Haktak: That is true, and with our pot we can make two of every kind so that there will be enough to go around.
Narrator: (Actors Freeze.) With all of their good fortune, the Haktaks built two fine new homes. Each new home had identical teapots, rice bowls, silks and bamboo furniture. (Two students carry posters with new houses and stand behind the Haktaks.) The houses looked exactly alike except in one house was hidden a big pot. Now you can be sure the Haktaks were very careful not to fall into the pot ever again.
