In 1976, Paul Lenzi and Geraldine Ann

Snyder became pioneers in theatre by creating

new plays written for young audiences. They

called themselves the Blue Apple Players. The

company merged with Walden Theatre in 2016;

together they create Commonwealth Theatre

Center. The company continues to tour new

plays for young audiences and has expanded its

reach by providing theatre education in school

classrooms and through our acting conservatory.

StoryTime Theatre was developed by Blue

Apple’s Education Department in 2012 as a way

of introducing students to story genre. In the

spirit of the Blue Apple founders, the Outreach

Department has created a new, original play

each year featuring a different genre of story.

This year we remount the first Storytime

Theatre play, A Molly Whuppy Adventure.

2012 — A Molly Whuppie Adventure

(Folktales)

2013 — Native American Myths

2014 — On the Trail of Daniel Boone

(Legends)

2015 — Rumpelstiltskin (Fairy Tales)

2016 — SkyHigh Tales (Tall Tales)

2017 — Fables: Anything But Aesop

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Omicah House recently joined the staff as an Artistic Associate for the company, but has

been seen in the previous musical tours of Three Pigs, Johnny Appleseed, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Red Riding Hood. He received a BFA from Roosevelt University’s Chi-

cago College of Performing Arts and has performed in Chicago, NYC, and now Louisville

is where he calls home. Along with performing, Omicah is the Vice President of the Louis-

ville Pride Foundation, which celebrates diversity and contributes to art and community

organizations for youth. You may have seen him in other touring productions, performing

around town, or teaching Blue Apple Outreach Programs at your school!

Annie Smith began work with Blue Apple Players in 2000 as a cast member of touring mu-

sicals. Throughout her 15+ years with the company, she has performed lead roles in more

than thirteen musicals, including the 2017 tour of Red Riding Hood. She has brought prior

administrative & marketing experience from Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys and top hotels in

the area to lead special events, marketing, and other administrative areas. Annie volunteered

for Walden’s Slant Culture Theatre Festival for the last two years in addition to time in sup-

port of the school her young children attend. Annie is married to Corey Smith, a sound

technician she met through Blue Apple more than 14 years ago.

Paula O. Lockhart is excited to return to Commonwealth Theatre Center. In the fall Paula

toured with Red Riding Hood: A Vaudeville Romp. She received her bachelor degrees in

Theatre and Communication from Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. She is currently com-

pleting her MFA in Performance at the University of Louisville. In the past, she has directed

at Macon Montessori and toured with UOfL’s Repertory Company. When she is not on-

stage, Paula spends her time exploring Louisville, writing, and singing. Past credits include:

Rose from Fences, Abuela from Bloodline Rumba, and Playwright in This Is Not The Play, Persephone/Semele from Polaroid Stories

Jennifer Pennington—Director

Jennifer holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan and a MFA in Theatre

from the University of Tennessee’s International Actor Training Academy. Jen has

worked across the country for over 20 years acting, directing and teaching with companies

such as: Kentucky Shakespeare, Theatre 502, Savage Rose Classical, P.S.Arts, EastLA

Classic Theatre, Inside Out Community Arts, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Michigan Theatre

Festival, Turner House Festival, Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, Arizona Shakespeare

Festival, and South Coast Repertory. Jennifer has appeared in the past three StoryTime

Theatre shows: A Molly Whuppie Adventure, Native American Myths, Legends—On the

Trail of Daniel Boone, Rumpelstiltskin and SkyHigh Tales. She is currently an Artistic

Associate with Commonwealth Theatre Center.

Tony Smith is very excited to be a part of this year’s StoryTime Theatre tour. He has toured

with Commonwealth Theatre Center’s most recent musical tours of The Boy Who Cried

Wolf and Johnny Appleseed. Tony has spent many years doing Theater for young

audiences, working with companies such as Stage One, Derby Dinner Playhouse, and

American Family Theater in Philadelphia. He has also worked as a Director and Choreogra-

pher for various productions throughout the Louisville and Southern Indiana area. Tony also

delves into the arts of Stand-up Comedy, Improv, and Aesthetic Bodybuilding. He hopes to

spend as much time performing on Louisville stages as he can.

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Designed for Pre-K and Kindergarten Classes

In this activity students will explore the plot sequence of the

story. As a class, list moments the children remember from

the play. While often we encourage thinking about the story in

a linear way, it is best if they are allowed to brainstorm organi-

cally. Next, break into small groups and give each group a

large piece of paper. Assign each group a moment mentioned

in the brainstorm session. They should work as a team to

draw a picture of their assigned moment. As they are working,

move around the room asking students about the picture and

transcribing their answers. After pictures are complete, return

to working as a class to move the images into the order they

occurred in the play. Explain that when you put them together

correctly it creates what we call a story plot. Hang the pictures

sequentially around the room and invite students to walk the

plot of the play.

A folktale is a type of story that started out

being shared from person to person. No one

knows who first started telling the story. In

this way, the folktale is a great example of oral

storytelling tradition.

Explain to your class that, before people

had movies or television and before there

were even books, people told stories. Story-

telling happened most often with a person on

their feet and sometimes even included the

listeners to participate.

Next use this link to watch Storyteller

Anndrena Belcher tell the story “The Two

Gals” (the full URL can be found on page

__). Ask students to reflect on the play and

this new story. Then give them the handout

found on page 6. Have them list as many

similarities and differences as they can from

the two versions. You can have them work

individually or in groups.

Designed for Second Grade Classes

-

Recall: Gather Facts

What story elements

made Molly Whuppie

a folktale?

Interpret: Find Meaning

Why was Molly the

hero of the story?

Analyze: Take Things

Apart

How did Molly help

each of the characters?

Synthesize: Bring Things

Together

What lesson does this

story teach? Do you

think it is a good story

to tell?

Directly following the play,

lead a discussion using the

questions above. For older

classes you can use the

questions as writing prompts.

Designed for First Grade Classes

A colloquialism is a local or regional expression. It’s a kind

of phrase you might hear used by many people in one

particular part of the country, but you many not hear at all in

places outside of that region. Discuss with your class how in

A Molly Whuppie Adventure the actors use many colloquial-

isms from Appalachia. Naturally the students may come up

with phrases that they heard in the play or at home. Often

classrooms from students from other parts of the country, ask

if they can think of phrases that they use. Next, use the

Colloquialism Match-Up handout on page 5. You may

choose to have students work on these handouts individually,

in groups, or as a class.

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Designed for Third Grade Classes

A folktale is a story made up and handed down by the common people. Have students listen to or read other folk-

tales. There are selections of suggested folktales on pages 11-__. Next, use the headers below and list

characteristics students find in the folktales.

The plot follows

a pattern and is

filled with action

or adventure.

The setting is

simple but linked

to the place the

story is from.

The main charac-

ters are often

young with good

or bad qualities.

Many folktales

contain the Rule of

Three. Events seem

to happen in threes.

The theme of the

story usually re-

volves around values

within the culture.

Designed for Fifth Grade Classes

For A Molly Whuppie Adventure, the playwrights

took a story and adapted it into a play. Folktales are

often short narrative stories orally told in the third

person. However, plays must be written with only

dialogue—which is simply the words the actors say.

Therefore, to make a story into a play, the narrative

has to be adapted into a dialogue. Have your stu-

dents examine the text from Anne Shelby’s Molly

Whuppie and Blunderbore (pg. 8); this is the ver-

sion the writers adapted for the play. There are

selections from the original script provided on pages

9-10. Then, lead a discussion citing ways the play-

wrights incorporated their own ideas in the story.

Next, have your students explore adapting their own

stories. Break the class up into teams. Hand each

group a story using the suggested folktales on pages

___ (or stories you choose) and allow them time to

read. Give the teams the following instructions.

1.) Act it out. After reading the story with some

classmates, decide who should play what part,

stand up on your feet and bring the story to life

using the Actor’s Tools. Actor’s Tools are body,

voice, and imagination. No need for a script, just

make it up as you go along, we also call this im-

provisation. What do you think the characters

would say? How might they feel?

2.) After you’re finished acting it out, have your

group write down some of the things you heard.

Try writing it down like the dialogue of a play.

Remember, the rule of playwriting is “show, don’t

tell.”

After each group is finished, invite students to

perform the plays for the class.

Designed for Forth Grade Classes

In “A Molly Whuppie Adventure” the main

character lives on a farm in the Appalachian

Mountains. On her journey she meets a log,

a sheep and an apple tree. All of these things

would be common to find in her backyard,

but there is something magical about them;

they can talk!

Ask your students to think about what is in

their backyard. Explain that your backyard is

bigger than just the land behind your home.

A backyard is what you live near. Your

backyard can include the sidewalk, the park

across the street, a store on your block, or

other places you can walk. For classrooms

with students with special home life circum-

stances, you may want to instead focus on the

“backyard” of the school.

Ask: Molly falls into a well, what might you

find in your backyard that could transport

you to somewhere magical? Next, have each

student choose one inanimate object they

might encounter. Then ask them to imagine

what that thing would say if they had an inter-

action with it. Every good story needs an

ending, so let them choose how to conclude

their story. On page 7 there is a template

provided for students to organize their plot

by drawing the story’s beginning, middle, and

end.

For an extended writing assignment, have

them write the dialogue they have with the

object. An example of written dialogue can

be found on page 9-10.

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That’s a knee slapper.

Digging up potatoes

I’m tuckered out.

A lot

I feel peckish.

Hungry

She’s full of beans.

Getting ready

He is turning up spuds.

Funny story

You should head on yonder.

Tired

Thanks a heap!

Excited

They are her kin.

Go over there

He was fixin’ to go to the store.

Family

-

Match the underlined word or phrase to the matching synonym .

6

After watching Storyteller Anndrena Belcher tell the story “The Two Gals”

and seeing the play “A Molly Whuppie Adventure,” reflect upon the two

versions. They are very similar, but they are different too. As a folktale

that was passed down through generations orally (spoken), the story has a

tendency to change and evolve.

Identify some things from the story and the play that are the

same or different.

SAME: DIFFERENT:

Example:

There are two sisters Names of the sisters

Beginning

Middle

End

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Use the boxes below to organize the events of your story.

Molly and Blunderbore A Folktale from Appalachia

Excerpt from Anne Shelby’s The Adventures of

Molly Whuppie and Other Appalachian Folk Tales

D own down down she dropped, through air and then water and then air

again. Hit bottom and knocked herself out.

When she came to, she was in another world, and not knowing exactly what to do

in the situation, Molly Whuppie got up and started walking down the road.

She walked and she walked, and she came to a log a-laying in the road. She was

about to step on it and go on, when she thought she heard it speak.

“Walk around me, little gal,” said the log. “Don’t squash me down in the mud.”

So Molly walked around the log and went on.

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MOLLY

What happened? Where am I? None of this familiar at

all.

(She looks around)

Hmm, this place looks strange.

(She notices the ground)

A path! Well, I know what a path is for, so I guess

I’ll walk on it. I don’t know what else to do.

(She walks)

It kind of looks like my home. But something’s dif-

ferent. What is it? Mountains everywhere. Alrighty.

Birds in the air. Alrighty. Flowers on the ground.

Alrighty. Log on the path. Al. . .

LOG

Hey, little gal.

(MOLLY stops. Looks around.)

MOLLY

Huh. Could a sworn I heard something. Oh well.

(She shrugs, begins to step on log)

LOG

Don’t step on me, little gal!

MOLLY

(to audience)

Did you hear something?

LOG

Hey, little gal. Down here.

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Molly Meets Log “Except from A Molly Whuppie Adventure”

*Used with special permission from the playwrights*

MOLLY

Did you talk?

LOG

Sure did.

MOLLY

Well, I never.

LOG

Never?

MOLLY

No, never!

LOG

You must not be from around these parts.

MOLLY

Can all logs talk here?

LOG

All the ones I ever talked to. There might be some too

stuck up though.

MOLLY

This is some place.

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Molly Meets Log “Except from A Molly Whuppie Adventure”

*Used with special permission from the playwrights*

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O nce upon a time there was a boy called Jack. He lived with his mother. They were

very poor. All they had was a cow.

One morning, Jack’s mother told Jack to take their cow to market and sell her. On the way, Jack

met a man. He gave Jack some magic beans for the cow.

Jack took the beans and went back home. When Jack’s mother saw the beans she was very

angry. She threw the beans out of the window.

The next morning, Jack looked out of the window. There was a giant beanstalk. He went

outside and started to climb the beanstalk.

He climbed up to the sky through the clouds. Jack saw a beautiful castle. He went inside.

Jack heard a voice. “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!” Jack ran into a cupboard.

An enormous giant came into the room and sat down. On the table there was a hen and a golden

harp.

“Lay!” said the giant. The hen laid an egg. It was made of gold. “Sing!” said the giant. The harp

began to sing. Soon the giant was asleep.

Jack jumped out of the cupboard. He took the hen and the harp. Suddenly, the harp sang, “Help,

master!”

The giant woke up and shouted, “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!” Jack ran and started climbing down the

beanstalk. The giant came down after him.

Jack shouted, “Mother, help!” Jack’s mother took an axe and chopped down the beanstalk. The

giant fell and crashed to the ground. Nobody ever saw him again.

With the golden eggs and the magic harp, Jack and his mother lived happily ever after.

The end.

Jack and the Beanstalk A English Folk Tale

Adapted by Cambridge English Online

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O nce upon a time there was a little girl. Her name was Goldilocks. She had golden

hair.

One day Goldilocks was walking in the forest. She saw a house and knocked on the door. She

went inside. Nobody was there.

Goldilocks saw three bowls on the table. She was hungry.

“This porridge is too hot! This porridge is too cold! This porridge is just right!” Goldilocks

ate all the porridge.

Goldilocks was tired now. “This chair is too big! This chair is too big, too! This chair is just

right!” But the chair broke!

Goldilocks was very tired. She went upstairs. “This bed is too hard! This bed is too soft! This

bed is just right!”

Soon, the bears came home.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge!” said Daddy Bear.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge!” said Mummy Bear.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge - and it’s all gone!” said Baby Bear.

“Someone’s been sitting on my chair!” said Daddy Bear.

“Someone’s been sitting on my chair!” said Mummy Bear.

“Someone’s been sitting on my chair - and it’s broken!” said Baby Bear.

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!” said Daddy Bear.

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!” said Mummy Bear.

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed - and she’s still there!” said Baby Bear.

Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears. “Help!” She ran downstairs and into the forest.

She never came back again.

The end.

Goldilocks and The Three Bears A Traditional Folk Tale

Adapted by Cambridge English Online

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A poor woodcutter and his wife had two children named Hansel and Gretel. Their

mother died when they were young. Hansel and Gretel were very sad. Soon their

father remarried but their stepmother was very cruel. One day, she took the children deep into

the forest and left them there. Clever Hansel had some breadcrumbs in his pocket and had

dropped them on the way so that they could find their way back home. Alas! The birds ate all

the crumbs and they couldn’t find the path that led back home.

Hansel and Gretel went deeper and deeper into the forest. They were hungry and tired.

Finally, after walking for a long time, they saw a cottage made of chocolate, candies, and

cake. “Look, Hansel! A chocolate brick!” shouted

Gretel in delight and both ate it hungrily.

Now, a wicked witch lived there. When she saw Hansel and Gretel, she wanted to eat them.

She grabbed the chil­dren and locked them in a cage. The witch decided to make a soup out of

Hansel and eat him first. She began boiling a huge pot of water for the soup. Just then, Gretel

crept out of her cage. She gave the wicked witch a mighty push from behind and the witch fell

into the boiling water. She howled in pain and died instantly. Hansel and Gretel found

treasure lying around the cottage. They carried it home with them. Their stepmother had died

and their father welcomed them back with tears of joy. They never went hungry again!

The end.

Hansel and Gretel A German Folk Tale

Found on shortstoriesshort.com

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M any hundred years ago there lived an honest old woodcutter and his wife.

One fine morning the old man went off to the hills with his billhook, to

gather a bandle of sticks, while his wife went down to the river to wash the dirty clothes.

When she came to the river, she saw a peach floating down the stream; so she picked it up,

and carried it home with her, thinking to give it to her husband to eat when he should come in.

The old man soon came down from the hills, and the good wife set the peach before him,

when, just as she was inviting him to eat it, the fruit split in two, and a little puling baby was

born into the world. So the old couple took the babe, and brought it up as their own; and,

because it had been born in a peach, they called it Momotaro, or Little Peachling.

By degrees Little Peachling grew up to be strong and brave, and at last one day he said to

his old foster parents: "I am going to the ogres' island to carry off the riches that they have

stored up there. Pray, then, make me some dumplings for my journey."

So the old folks ground the grain, and made the dumplings for him; and Little Peachling,

after taking an affectionate leave of them, cheerfully set out on his travels.

As he was journeying on, he fell in with a monkey, who gibbered at him, and said: "Kia!

kia! kia! Where are you off to, Little Peachling?"

"I'm going to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure," answered Little Peachling.

"What are you carrying at your girdle?"

"I'm carrying the very best dumplings in all Japan."

"If you'll give me one, I will go with you," said the monkey.

So Little Peachling gave one of his dumplings to the monkey, who received it and

followed him. When he had gone a little further, he heard a pheasant calling: "Ken! ken! ken!

where are you off to, Master Peachling?"

Little Peachling answered as before; and the pheasant, having begged and obtained a

dumpling, entered his service, and followed him.

A little while after this, they met a dog, who cried: "Bow! wow! wow! whither away,

Master Peachling?"

"I'm going off to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure."

"If you give me one of those nice dumplings of yours, I will go with you," said the dog.

"With all my heart," said Little Peachling. So he went on his way, with the monkey, the

pheasant, and the dog following after him.

When they got to the ogres' island, the pheasant flew over the castle gate, and the monkey

clambered over the castle wall, while Little Peachling, leading the dog, forced in the gate, and

got into the castle. Then they did battle with the ogres, and put them to flight, and took their

king prisoner. So all the ogres did homage to Little Peachling, and brought out the treasures

which they had laid up. There were caps and coats that made their wearers invisible, jewels

which governed the ebb and flow of the tide, coral, musk, emeralds, amber, and tortoise shell,

besides gold and silver. All these were laid before Little Peachling by the conquered ogres.

So Little Peachling went home laden with riches, and maintained his foster parents in

peace and plenty for the remainder of their lives.

The end

The Adventures of Little Peachling A Japanese Folk Tale

From Folktales from Japan

Folktale Genre:

"Definition of folktale." Merriam-Webster's Student Dictionary. Web.

Sweetland, Robert. “Folk Tale - description of story elements and quality characteristics.” HoB: A

Site for Educators, www.homeofbob.com/literature/genre/fiction/folktales/elements.html.

Folktales that appear in guide:

“Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Learn English Kids, British Council, learnenglish-

kids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/short-stories-goldilocks-and-the-three-bears-

transcript.pdf.

“Hansel and Gretel.” Short Stories, shortstoriesshort.com/story/hansel-and-gretel/.

“Jack and the Beanstalk .” Learn English Kids, British Council, learnenglish-

kids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/stories-jack-and-the-beanstalk-transcript-final-

2012-09-21.pdf.

“ The Adventures of Little Peachling.” Folktales from Japan, University of Pittsburgh,

www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html.

“The Two Gals | Kentucky/Appalachian Culture.” KET Education, PBS LearningMedia,

ket.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/appcul.arts.drama.twogals/kentuckyappalachian-culture-the-

two-gals/#.WrFON2rwaUl.

We hope you have enjoyed this year’s performance of StoryTime Theatre— A

Molly Whuppie Adventure. We request that you take a few moments to fill out

a survey to help us understand how we can continue to meet your classroom

needs. When completed, your name will be entered into a drawing to win a

$100 gift card to Amazon! Visit the link below:

www.commonwealththeatre.org/show

Special thanks to:

The Shubert Foundation and Communities in Schools of Clark County!

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