1. Skits and Puppet shows
Skits
Heather Bowen Mulvihill

2. Types of Plays: Role-playing Pantomime Charades
Traditional plays and skits
Puppet shows

3. Why do we have plays? Entertainment and Creative expression
Recognition
Practicing public speaking
Self-confidence and Personal satisfaction
Relate information
Importance of team work and cooperation
Develops powers of observation, coordination, and timing, listening skills
Achievements and Electives

4. Achievement and Electives:
Tiger
what to do if lost?
How to react in house fire.
Elective 20-Public Service Announcement
Elective 21-Puppet show
Wolf
elective 1e, mask for a skit
Disability awareness
story of Akela
Bear
achievement 4, Tall tales
achievement 8, local history
achievement 11, Be ready
elective 10, masks
elective 13, magic

5. Achievements and Electives:
WEBS
Showman
Puppetry
Music
Drama
Cub Scout Academics Belt Loop and Pin
Disabilities Awareness
Good Manners
Nutrition
Heritage
Languages

6. “If it isn’t fun for everyone, it isn’t fun.”
choosing a play:
Age of Scouts acting
Target audience
Avoid:
Racism
Divorce
Love Stories
Sexuality and Profanity
Unpatriotic themes
Gruesomeness and Disrespect
Physical Disabilities
Nationalities
Physical characteristics
Religious beliefs
“If it isn’t fun for everyone, it isn’t fun.”

7. Choosing a play cont’d Don’t be afraid to alter to fit your needs
Add characters
Rewrite lines
Add props
Add sound effects
Reassure the actors that the audience is laughing with them not at them

8. Sound effects Add appeal Give a spark
Give a shy scout the roll of soundman
Pre-record sounds
How-to Book, page. 5-14, 5-29
Coconut shells--horse hooves
Paper crumples--fire
Beans in cans--rain and hail
Metal cookie sheets--thunder
Fan for wind
Spray bottle for mist or rain

9. Scenery: Create your mood Set the scene Bed sheet back drop
Corrugated cardboard
Science project tri-folds
Look for patterns in coloring books
Have the scouts fill in with paint what you have sketched
Keep in mind the audience view
Keep perspective and size in mind

10. Costumes: Plastic garbage bags Paper bags Cardboard boxes Wigs & Masks
Halloween Costumes
Dad’s closet
Goodwill
Salvation Army
Yard sales
No cross-dressing!

11. Make-up: Halloween make-up Mom’s make-up Cornstarch for hair powder
DO NOT USE:
Latex paint
Sharpies
Tempura paint
Mr. Clean erasers
Strong odors

12. Resources: usscouts.org Cub Scout Leader “How-To” book
Cub Scout song book
Group Meeting *Sparklers*
Cub Scout *Magic*

13. Write Your own Play: Consider your available space
Consider the boys in your den
Number of actors
Give every boy a part
Kind of actors (scouts or puppet, or both)
Pick a subject or end goal
What’s your title (either serious or funny)
Play length
Keep it simple, keep it short
Your stage

14. Write your own Play Part 2:
let the boys help write the skit
avoid long dialogues
scenery props should be simple
give stage direction
stimulate interest by walk-ons
be sure the audience can hear,
coach the boys to speak loudly, clearly, slowly
Use your Den Chief

15. Puppets Shows

16. Puppets, a history No one knows Egypt, China, India Middle ages
Royalty
Scholars, poets, artists

17. Tips for puppeteers:
Let the boys decide on type of play and types of puppets used
Use informal lines
Keep puppets and theaters in proper scale
Give puppeteers room
Frequent exits and entrances of puppets
Keep actions clear, simple and exaggerated

18. Stages: Hand puppet stages A doorway Table with cloth over front
Cardboard box
A doorway
With a table or hanging twin sheets

19. Lighting: Darken the room Illuminate the puppets
Goose neck lamps
Flashlights
Small spot lights
Christmas lights
Black lights
Dimmer switches
Don’t set lights where they shine in the audience’s eyes
Use tin cans as house lights

20. Types of puppets:

21. And Finally: Practice, practice, practice
Don’t wait till the last minute, it’s not fair to the scouts……or the audience!