Anansi Learns An Important Lesson

Anansi Learns An Important Lesson

Onstage we five groups of villagers. Group 1 is downstage right, Group 2 is upstage right, Group 3 upstage centre, Group 4 is upstage left and Group 5 is downstage left. All groups are carving a drum (one person from each group acts as the drum that is being carved).

Grade 2 class performs their piece onstage as villagers look on and actively participate. When the class is finished, everyone applauds.

Anansi lounges lazily centre stage.

Movement Piece
(As group 1 of drummers drum, the villagers are doing their daily pdrum carving activities. Anansi lazes about. Group 1 drums through out this first section piece.)


First part of the Song 1

Villagers (all):
We carve our drums all day
Anansi turns his head away.

Anansi 1:
Working hard is not for me
Tricking people is the key
The charming spider that I am
I get my way whenever I can
As small as I appear to be
I’m very smart … just wait and see!

Beginning – in Guinea

Anansi 1: My fellow villagers, gather around. All villagers gather close to Anansi.

Villagers 1: Yes Anansi. What do you want from us now?

Anansi 1: I have a small request to ask of you. I need your help.

Villagers 2: What kind of help are you looking for?

Anansi: Well I need to carve a drum for the emperor. He will be paying me with gold. If you help me, I will share the gold with all of you.

Villagers 3: Anansi, is this another trick to get us to do all of your work for you?

Anansi: Of course not! I would never trick my fellow villagers.

Villagers 1: Okay Anansi. We’ll do this for you one last time because we would like to have some gold. If this is a trick though we will make you pay!

Anansi: I’ll take the drums along with me.
And bring back all the gold you’ll see.

One villager steps forward with the gold. (They should have this prop from the beginning.)

Anansi: Go and rest now because you have worked so hard. I will take care of everything!

Villagers go back to their original spots.
Anansi scampers off stage right

Villagers (not in unison):Where’s Anansi? He took our gold!

Villagers (all):
Selfishness fills his greedy heart.
Happily he goes to make a brand new start.

Groups 1 and Group 5 change places. All groups do their respective farming activities and sing as they are doing them.
Anansi weaves around the groups to upstage right, then goes to group 5. One villager is examining the potion bottle (They should have this prop at the beginning of the show.)

Middle – In Sierra Leone

Movement Piece
(As group 2 drums their rhythm, the farmers do their farming movements in rhythm. Group 2 drums through out quietly.)

Farmers (all):
Anansi arrives in Sierra Leone

(Anansi walks among them and discovers the magic potion.)

Farmers (all):
He sees a potion that makes things grow

Villagers gives him the potion.

Anansi: I hope the potion works. If I were bigger, no one would make fun of me

(Anansi drinks the potion)

Anansi 1: gulp gulp gulp gulp….ahhhhh! Oh what’s happening….I am feeling kind of weird. I think the potion is working!

KPOM! (drums!) All of a sudden Anansi is big!

Farmers (all):
A gulp of potion makes him tall
Now he feels like the king of all!

Anansi: I better run away before the farmers return and realize that I tricked them. They will be very angry!

(Anansi runs away)

Anansi goes to upstage right.

Farmers 1: I wonder if the crops have grown

Farmers 2: Let’s go see if the spider has finished spraying the crops

All Farmers: Oh NO!

Farmers 3: What has happened? What has Anansi done?

All Farmers: Where is he?

Farmers 1: Our crops have not grown!

Farmers 2: I think that we’ve been tricked.

All Farmers: (general expressions of disappointment)

Farmers (all):
Eight legs he has to do things faster
We didn’t think it would be a disaster

(Sadly the farmers walk away. Shaking their heads in disappointment.)

Farmers now become trees and animals like forest. Lion slinks out from group 3 to meet Anansi. (Should have a bag of coco beans) Anansi comes from upstage centre to meet lion.

Ending – in Ghana

Movement Piece
(Group 3 drummers (shakers) provide a rhythm as the chorus becomes a living forest. Shakers shake through out this section.)

(Anansi is walking proudly, hopping along tossing his bag of gold in the air. The evil lion is watching from the corner around the bush.)

Evil Lion: You’re pretty small for a spider

Anansi: NO, I’m not!

Evil Lion: I know of a way that you can become the biggest insect in the forest

Anansi: REALLY? How?

Evil Lion: I know of some magical cocoa beans that can do this

Anansi: Where is it?

Evil Lion: They’re growing on the largest tree closest to the Niger River. Look, can you see it?

Anansi: Ummm, I don’t think I can see it

Evil Lion: Don’t worry, if you get lost, just ask my villagers. In return for this secret, you must give me a few pieces of your gold

Anansi: Here you go.

Anansi gives Lion a few pieces of gold.

(And off he goes happily on his journey as the Evil Lion is laughing.)

Lion goes to upstage left and watches the scenes unfold.

Anansi: Walking, walking tall and lean

Villagers 1: Walking, walking all day long

(He comes across a group of villagers who are cooking a meal)

Groups 1 & 2 come forward to centre and are cooking a meal. Two people become the pot they are cooking.

Anansi: I’m lost. Can you help me get to the Niger River?

Villagers 1: Only if you give us something in return?

Anansi: Here is a golden nugget for your help.

One villager from the group comes forward to take nugget and points Anansi to stage left. Anansi stays to sing song and then leaves.

Anansi:
Walking, walking tall and lean
Can’t wait to find my cocoa bean

Villagers 2:
Walking, walking all day long
The cocoa bean will make him strong

(Anansi comes across a group of villagers who are having a celebration.)

All groups come forward to watch a dance. They form a semi circle and watch 1 solo dance and one duet. Then Anansi comes forward by breaking through the group centre stage.

Anansi: I’m lost. Can you help me get to the Niger River?

Villagers 2: Only if you give us something in return?

Anansi: Here is a golden nugget for your help

One villager comes forward and takes the cocoa bean. Points to stage left.

Anansi:
Walking, walking tall and lean
Can’t wait to find my cocoa bean

The groups return to their original places except for group 5 who take their places centre stage doing weaving or sewing motion.

Villagers 3:
Call: Walking, walking all day long
Answer: The cocoa bean will make him strong?

Anansi walks around the stage from stage left to stage right and meets group 5.

(Anansi comes across a group of villagers who are weaving fabric.)

Anansi: I’m lost. Can you help me get to the Niger River?

Villagers 3: Only if you give us something in return?

Anansi 2: Here is a golden nugget for your help

A villager comes forward and takes the nugget. She points upstage. Group 5 goes back to their original places. Anansi walks around the stage and returns to centre stage. One of villagers steps forward to become a tree.

(He finally arrives to the largest tree by the Niger River.)

Anansi 2: Finally, I made it!

The tree drops cocoa beans into Anansi’s hands and she eats them.

(As the cowbell beats a steady beat, Anansi climbs the tree and starts to eat as many cocoa beans as he/she can fit in his/her mouth. Slowly he/she starts to shrink in size.)

Anansi 3: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! What’s happening? I’m shrinking!

All the villagers and the evil lion are laughing at Anansi.

Villagers (all): WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND!

Dancers come forward and perform 3 dance moves as other villagers create an atmosphere of celebration. After they are finished, all villagers come forward to form a long line and bow. Lion comes forward to bow. Anansi comes forward to bow. They point to the musicians and bow.

THE END.