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STUDY GUIDE
Table of Contents
Synopsis page 2
About the Authors page 2
List of Characters pp. 3-4
Enrichment Activities pp. 4-6
Captain of the Crossing Guards
By Gretchen Zyndorf
Directed by Amy Heuring
Music by David Nelson Jex
Lyrics by Gretchen Zyndorf
Script by Gretchen Zyndorf
Produced by the Valentine Theatre
Synopsis
Monica, captain of the crossing guards at St. Angina Elementary School, must choose a
successor as she prepares to graduate into middle school. She is the best crossing guard in the
history of St. Angina’s School, so filling her shoes will be difficult. Six junior crossing guards are
eager to blow her golden whistle and take her place by bringing their own special talents and
skills to the job. Who will be chosen to follow in Monica’s footsteps? As Monica is making her
decision, strange, new crossing guard signs appear, throwing both the junior crossing guards
and kindergarteners into an explosion of confusion, silly symbols, and upside-down directions
that Monica and the crossing guards need to figure out before the school day ends.
Setting
Outside of St. Angina’s Elementary School on a sunny day at the end of May
About the Authors
Gretchen Zyndorf (Librettist/Lyricist) is a former elementary school teacher who always has
enjoyed the performing and visual arts. Gretchen says about the show, “I can’t
begin to tell you how exciting it is to hear your ideas said and sung by a terrific
cast…If I had known it was this much fun—I would have started writing plays a
lot sooner! Watching Captain of the Crossing Guards come to life has been
one of the happiest endeavors I have experienced…we hope you enjoy Captain of the
Crossing Guards as much as we have enjoyed bringing Monica and the gang to life. Thank you
for spending an hour on 5th Street and School Bus Drive.”
David Nelson Jex (Composer) is a Professor of Music at the University of Toledo. He has
degrees from the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, and a
Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case
Western Reserve University. Dr. Jex enjoys making music in and for the theatre.
His theatre credits include conducting productions of Candide and Pirates of
Penzance. Productions that he has composed music for include UT productions
of Mother Courage and Romeo and Juliet, as well as the Toledo Repertoire Theatre’s A
Christmas Carol. His ballet compositions are The Great Pancake Escape and The Ugly Duckling.
Characters
The Crossing Guards:
Monica-- is the Captain of the Crossing Guards. She is calm, cool, and respected by crossing
guards, kindergarteners, and school administrators, alike. She has to make the most im-
portant decision of her young life, so far—who will replace her as captain next school year?
Bradley Krupnick—wants to be an anchorman on the evening news. He always has a micro-
phone and is ready to interview teachers, students, citizens at a moment’s notice. Bradley
has his finger on the pulse of the bus stop—who’s coming, who’s going…who’s overslept
and didn’t change out of their pajamas. He is the twin brother of Jennifer Krupnick
Jennifer Krupnick—wants to be a dancer and knows she can teach all the children to not just
cross but dance safely across the street. Jennifer can also sing the crossing guard rules. She
also carries a telescope to spot talent, as well as crossing guard infractions. Jennifer knows
how to be the boss. She is the twin sister of Bradley Krupnick.
Amanda—is a feminist/activist/ecologist. She usually sits alone at lunch because her pro-
jects take up a lot of space at the lunch table, and she has no time to waste. She is busy
making graphs on bus efficiency, seat belt usage, and solar-powered school buses. Amanda
wants the best world (and school crossing) possible.
Juan—is a talented rapper and role model. All the children look up to him because he re-
spects what they say and how they feel. He speaks in rhyme and holds up talk bubbles. Juan
thinks rhyming his “sick beats” will keep the kindergarteners safe on the streets.
Rosealee—marches (or crosses) to the beat of her own drummer. She often trips and falls
off the curb, so the kindergarteners learn the safety rules by helping Rosealee cross the
street. She has empathy and is a true friend to all, even mice. Her motto, “If I can make it
across the street, so can you!”
Sparky—is a labradoodle who is a loyal, friendly crossing guard. He always obeys the signals
and signs. Sparky was educated in Switzerland, so he brings an international flair to St. Angi-
na’s. To help the kindergarteners remember the safety rules, he passes out pamphlets and
puppy treats. Sparky rounds up stray kids and herds them to their classrooms. Sparky gets it
done!
Characters (cont’d)
The Adults:
Mr. Roosevelt—is the wise and magical bus driver who watches out for all the children at St.
Angina’s. He is the adult supervisor of the crossing guards, so they come to him to help them
sort out their problems. Monica asks Mr. R’s advice when making her big decision.
Mrs. Bentley—is the school principal. She is a positive, upbeat, yet firm influence. All the
crossing guards and kindergarteners love and respect Mrs. B and don’t want to disappoint
her.
Richard the Road Sign Guy—is a frustrated artist who used to work as a sign painter for the
county transportation department. After a phone call from the St. Angina school secretary,
Richard is pressed into service once again…and the confusion begins.
Sound FX Guys 1 & 2—are in charge of the props and some of the special effects in the show.
They also play some of the extra characters and are the janitors at St. Angina Elementary
School.
Old Monica—is 6th grade Monica’s future self…if she decides to be a crossing guard forever.
Old Monica comes to Young Monica in a candy-infused dream to give her some sassy but nec-
essary advice about growing up.
The Kindergarteners:
Timothy—is a kindergartener who breaks the safety rules and runs in circles.
Janie—is a confused kindergarten girl who gets her jacket in a twist.
Captain of the Crossing Guards Enrichment Suggestions
Language Arts (Speaking and Writing)
Write a rap (like Juan) or poem to share with
the class on one of these themes from the
show: school safety, climate change/the
environment/nature, growing up, friend-
ship, a topic that is important to you.
If you were Monica, who would you have cho-
sen as the new captain of the crossing
guards? Write a paragraph explaining your
choice.
Cooperative learning—write and perform a
commercial (live or on video) about a ser-
vice or product (real or imagined).
Bradley Krupnick wants to be an anchorman
when he grows up. Watch the local news
with your class or another adult. What tal-
ents does Bradley have that would make
him a good newscaster? What skills does
Bradley still need to learn?
Science
Investigate the fuel sources for the buses in
your school district. What kind of fuel do
they use (diesel, ethanol, biodiesel, gaso-
line, hybrid)? What is the gas mileage of
the average school bus?
Amanda would like to see solar-powered
school buses in the future. Is that possible?
Investigate the use of solar power for
school buses and other vehicles.
Investigate why avalanches occur. Can ava-
lanches be prevented? If so, how?
Like Amanda, create posters to encourage re-
cycling around your school.
Investigate these alternative energies (solar
power, wind power, hydroelectric power).
What are the advantages and disad-
vantages of each?
Math Skills
Probability—Monica has to choose a new
crossing guard captain from six possible
junior crossing guard candidates. What is
the probability of one of the guards being
chosen as captain?
Story Problem—Mr. Roosevelt gives Monica a
$10.00 gift card to the local candy store. If
Monica buys one pound of gummy worms
at $2.98 per pound, two candy bars at .79
each, and half pound of Nerds at $6.50 per
pound, how much money does Monica
spend? Does Monica have any money left
on her gift card? If so, how much?
Values Education (Decision-Making)
Why do you think choosing the new crossing
guard captain was so difficult for Monica?
Who helped Monica make her decision?
What are some important decisions you might
have to make?
Will you make these decisions by yourself?
Explain.
Will you ask for help? Explain.
If you do ask for help, whom will you ask?
Why?
Geography
Sparky spent some time in Switzerland before attending St. Angina Elementary School. Here are some fun
facts about Switzerland:
Switzerland produces the most chocolate in the world
The Swiss eat more chocolate per capita than any other country
Switzerland is the only country with a square flag
Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes
Switzerland has four official languages—French, Italian, German, and Romansch
Snowboarding, skiing, and mountaineering are popular sports
60% of the country’s electricity comes from a hydroelectric power source.
Here are two websites with further information about Switzerland:
https://kidsnationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/Switzerland/#switzerland-alphorns.jpg
https://www.oddizzi.com/teachers/explore-the-world/places/europe/switzerland
Here are three websites with free handouts for classroom lessons:
Standardized test practice— https://www.studenthandouts.com/00/199806/switzerland-map-worksheet.pdf
(Answer Key: 1. B 2. D 3. A 4. C 5. A 6. 100 miles)
Word Search—https://www.studenthandouts.com/00/199801/switzerland-word-search-puzzle.pdf
Alphabetical Order practice—https://studenthandouts.com/geography/europe/western-europe/
switzerland/switzerland-cities-abc-alphabetical-order-worksheet.html