Casting

Flexible casting from 8-40 students.
Use as many Sloths, Monkeys, Ants, etc. as desired; one student can also play more than one role. Note that roles are not gender-specific; see our comments on page 30 of the Teacher's Guide.

Script

This is the first one-third of the script:

CHARACTERS:

Frog
Toucan
Jaguar
Sloth Family
Boas
Explorers
Howler Monkeys
Army Ants
Shaman
Storytellers
and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing roles at the time.

(CHORUS is seated on floor. FROG enters, staring longingly up towards the sky.)

STORYTELLER: Once, not very long ago, in the Amazon rainforest, there lived a
frog. This is his story – the story of a frog with an impossible dream that came true.

STORYTELLER: The leaves are so thick in parts of the forest that less than ten
percent of the sunlight reaches the jungle floor. Creatures may spend their whole
lives without ever seeing the sun. There, on a log, lives the frog with his dream.

Song 1
   

FROG:
Just once I gotta see the sky
Just once above the trees
Just once I gotta get up high
Just once beyond the leaves.

Just once I wanna have some fun
I've got to get a plan
Just once I wanna feel the sun
Just once I wanna tan.

CHORUS:
He's tried leaping like a lizard
He's tried jumps of every sort
But he's stopping all that hopping
'Cause he's a hundred feet too short!

FROG:
Just once I wanna leave my log
To see if skies are blue
Just once I wanna be a frog
Who casts a shadow too.

Just once I gotta see the sky
Just once above the trees
Just once I gotta get up high
Just once beyond the leaves.

CHORUS:
He's tried leaping like a lizard
He's tried jumps of every sort
But he's stopping all that hopping
'Cause he's a hundred feet too short!

(TOUCAN enters, wing/arm in a sling)

STORYTELLER: The Frog's friend the Toucan has stopped by to see what Frog
was singing about. Toucan hurt his wing the day before-and it still hurts.

FROG: Hello, Toucan. Can you fly me up to see the sky above the trees?

TOUCAN: I can't – my wing doesn't work. Every time I try to fly I just buzz around
in a circle until I get dizzy.

FROG: Then how will I ever get up to the sky?

TOUCAN: Here comes the Jaguar. Maybe he will give you a lift up the tree.

(JAGUAR enters)

FROG: Hello, Jaguar. Can you take me up to see the sky above the trees?

JAGUAR: Don't be silly! Why would you ever want to go up there?

Song 2
   

I'm a cool cool cat
This is where it is at
Here on the jungle floor.

Where the plants smell sweet
And there's critters to eat
Here on the jungle floor.

Who needs more?
Who needs more?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
Tell me, man, what are you looking for?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?

There are bugs to trounce
Oh it's so fun to pounce
Here on the jungle floor.

It's so dark and damp
What a great place to camp
Here on the jungle floor.

CHORUS and JAGUAR:
Who needs more?
Who needs more?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
Tell me, man, what are you looking for?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?

I'm a cool cool cat
This is where it is at
Here on the jungle floor.

Where the plants smell sweet
And there's critters to eat
Here on the jungle floor.

(JAGUAR exits)

STORYTELLER: The Frog was disappointed, but still determined. He
spotted a family of sloths up in the branches of the tree.

FROG: Hello, Sloths. Can you take me up to see the sky above the trees?

Song 3
   

SLOTHS:
I'm a sloth
I would help you up this tree
I'm a sloth
But I'm lazy as can be
I'm a sloth
So before I can agree to your request....[a good pause]
...I need to rest.

(SLOTHS fall asleep).

FROG: Hey, wake up!

SLOTHS:
I'm a sloth
I'd be down there in a blink
I'm a sloth
But I'm just too tired to think
I'm a sloth
Why just yesterday I blinked and ate some sap...
...I need a nap.

Did you see that?
DId you see that?
I'm getting set to go
Did you see that?
DId you see that?
I just moved a toe.

(THEY fall asleep again.)

TOUCAN: Hey you guys, wake up!

SLOTHS and CHORUS:
I'm a sloth
I'd come bounding in a blur
I'm a sloth
But I find it hard to stir
I'm a sloth
I've got algae in my fur two inches deep... ...I need some sleep.

(SLOTHS exit)

Song 4
Vocal      Instrumental

(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)