LS French play 2012: Bonjour America!

Plot: French students coming to the US and going to an American school.

F 1: French student who comes from Gap. Kind of geeky and annoying.

F 2: French girl who lives in Gap as well.

F 3: French student who lives in Paris.

F 4: French student. Homesick. Misses French food. Lives with USP 3.

US 1: American student at school who first doesn’t know where the Alps are and then pretends

he/she knows all about it. Always goes to the bathroom when he is being challenged.

US 2 (boy): American student who is well educated and tells people where and what things

are. Kind of geeky.

US 3: American student who is interested in knowing the French kids. Nice and social.

US 4: American student who challenges US 1. Does not get along with US 1.

US 5: American student confused about the twins.

USP 1: American parent (parent of US 1). Pretends to know a lot and goes to the bathroom

when being challenged.

USP 2: Parent of US 2. Well educated. Just started learning French but has an excellent accent.

USP 3: Mom of US 3. Impressed that US 2 speaks French so well. Takes his/her French student

to a French restaurant.

USP 4 (boy): Husband of USP 3 and dad of US 3. Interested in trying new items on the menu in

a French restaurant.

T 1 and T 2: French Twins: Always get confused. Drive the American students crazy because

they don’t realize they are 2 of them. Create major confusion.

Professeur: French teacher. Finds a mouse in the classroom while teaching.

Student #1: First student to point out the mouse in the classroom. Mean student who actually

placed the mouse in the classroom

Student #2: Second student to see the mouse in the classroom. Gets sent out of the room.

Works with étudiant #1, as an accomplice.

Directeur: School director who enters the classroom after the French teacher saw the mouse.

Maître D: Host at the French restaurant.

Serveur: Waiter at the French restaurant.

Narrator: Introduces the play and makes the transitions between the scenes.

Roles # of lines student substitute

French student # 1 7 + 3 10 US parent # 1 French student # 2 7 + 8 15 US parent # 2

French student # 3 4 + 13 17 US parent # 3 French student # 4 8 + 5 13 US student # 4

US student # 1 8 + 8 16 Waiter

US student # 2 (boy) 4 + 11 15 US parent # 4 (boy) US student # 3 10 + 6 16 Maître D

US student # 4 5 + 7 12 Narrator US student # 5 15 + 2 17 Student class # 2

Twin # 1 7 + 5 12 French teacher

Twin # 2 6 + 4 10 Student class # 1 US parent # 1 3 + 6 9 French student # 1

US parent # 2 8 + 6 14 French student # 2 US parent # 3 13 + 4 17 French student # 3

US parent # 4 (boy) 11 + 2 13 US student # 2 (boy)

French teacher 5 + 6 11 US student # 1

Student class # 1 6 + 4 10 US student # 3 Student class # 2 3 + 8 11 French student # 4

School director 3 + 0 3 Mme. Boulle

Maître D 6 + 7 13 Twin # 1 Waiter 8 + 6 14 Twin # 2

Narrator 7 + 5 12 US student # 5

PLAY: Bonjour America! Narrator: (Written by 5th grade students) Have you ever been confused, embarrassed, and then felt really bad about it? Then maybe you will sympathize with our American student who does not understand why he has to repeat everything he says to this lovely French student who is visiting the US.

At school: 8:30am (twin scene) US 5: Hi! Welcome to our school. T 1: Merci! Thank you! US 5: What’s your name? T1: Pardon? US 5: Your name? My name is Tricia and you? T1: Oh, je m’appelle Cécile. US 5 : Cicily ? T1 : Non, Cécile. US 5 : Well, welcome Cicily ! Today we are going on a field trip. We are going to visit Monticello. Do you know about Thomas Jefferson? T1: (with a French accent) Thomas Jefferson? Oh oui! He speaks French very well. US 5: You mean he spoke French very well. Because I can assure you he is not speaking anymore! T1: Oh, why not? US 5: Because he is dead! I am going to get my backpack, I’ll be right back. (5 minutes later) US 5: Ready? T2: Ready for what? US 5: For our field trip. T2: Where are we going? US 5: Monticello! Thomas Jefferson... T2: Thomas Jefferson? Oh oui! He speaks French very well. US 5: He spoke French very well. Remember, he is not speaking anymore! T2: Oh, why not? US 5: Because he is dead! T2: I go get backpack. US 5: (talking to US 4 who just arrived) Have you met the French girl? US 4: Which one? US 5: Cicily! Brown curly hair. US 4: Yeah. She is really nice. Why? US 5: I think she suffers from short term memory. US 4: Really? She seems fine to me. Are you sure you are not the one suffering from a mental disease? Twin 1 and Twin 2: On y va? US 4 : On y va ! US 5 : (Stays behind, confused, mouth open...)

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Narrator: (Written by 5th grade students) If you wonder why you have to learn your geography when we live in a world with Google maps and GPS, it’s probably so that you won’t make a fool of yourself one day, like this student who confuses a French city for a store. Yes, that’s right, you heard me… I did say “a store”!

Recess: 10:15am US 1: Where do you live? F 1: J’habite à Gap. US 1: Did you just say Gap? The store? F 1: Non, Gap dans les Alpes! US 1: What’s « les Alpes » ? US 2: The Alps of course ! You know, the mountains that separate France and Switzerland. Everyone knows that! US 1: Yeah... I knew that!... I was just checking... you know... see if you knew... US 2: Sure you were! Well, since you know everything about the Alps, why don’t you tell us the name of that big mountain? US 1: Heu… That’s on the tip of my tongue. It starts with M like mountain of course. US 2: Good guess. It’s called Mont Blanc. It’s the highest mountain in Western Europe and it measures 4,810.45 m (15,782 ft). I assume the translation of Mont Blanc is on the tip of your tongue as well. US 1: No! I actually know it and I would love to tell you but right now, I have to go to the bathroom. See you tomorrow!

__________________________ Narrator: (Written by 5th grade students) Just think about your day for a minute. Teachers handing out papers and papers and more papers … and books… and quizzes… and homework. Maybe we should move to France where they do the same thing but … they take a 2 hour break for lunch!

Lunch 12:00pm US 3: Hey! F 1: Salut! US 3: What’s your name? F 1: Je m’appelle __________ US 3: Where do you live? F 1: J’habite à Gap. US 3: Gap? The store? US 1: No you dumb dumb! Gap, in “les Alpes” the Alps ! Everyone knows that! You see, the Alps are the mountains that separate France from Switzerland. US 4: Isn’t Switzerland next to Italy as well? I thought the Alps were also in the Northern part of Italy. Aren’t they? US 1: Oh, I have to use the bathroom. Excusez-moi...

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Narrator: (Written by 5th grade students) Dans la classe de français, vous allez entendre un joli poème qui s’appelle “Automne.” Oh, excusez -moi, did I just speak French? I was so excited about my French class I just got carried away. Sorry about that! Anyway, I hope you’re not scared of mice…

In French class: 2:00pm Professeur: _____________, debout ! Récitez le poème « Automne ». Étudiant #2: Automne. Il pleut….. Automne. Il pleut des feuilles…. Excusez-moi ! Professeur: Asseyez-vous ! Professeur: _____________, debout ! Récitez le poème « Automne ». Étudiant #1 : Automne. Il pleut des feuilles jaunes, il pleut des feuilles rouges. L’été va s’endormir et l’hiver va venir sous la pointe de ses souliers gelés. Professeur: Excellent ! Asseyez-vous. Classe, répétez! A, E, I, O, U. Étudiants: A, E, I, O, U! Professeur: BA, BE, BI, BO, BU Étudiants: BA, BE, BI, BO, BU! Étudiant #1: Madame, madame! Une souris! Professeur: Une souris dans la salle de classe? Étudiant #1: Oui. Professeur: C’est ridicule! Continuons... JA, JE, JI, JO, JU Étudiants: JA, JE, JI, JO, JU! Étudiant #2: Madame, madame! Une souris! Professeur: C’est ridicule! Sortez! Classe, répétez! GA, GUE, GUI... Une souris! Une souris! AHHHHH! (Students do the victory dance in the class. The director of the school arrives in the hall) Étudiant #1: Shhh, the director is coming... Directeur: What is going on in here? Étudiant #1: (students all calm and faking studying) We don’t know. The teacher left in a hurry. Étudiant #2: Yeah! She must have had an emergency! I hope she is ok. Directeur: What class was it? Étudiants: Le français! (The bell rings) Directeur: Ok then. Well... “au revoir”! Étudiants: Au revoir! Bonne journée!

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Narrator: (to be done by 5th graders in class) Sometimes, people in one country can do something very natural to them which can totally shock people from another country. A simple gesture can turn into something rude and unexpected. Sometimes not knowing culture differences stinks (if you know what I mean…).

At the welcoming party F 2 : __ Bonjour! Ça va? F 3 : __ Comme-ci comme ça, et toi? F 2 : __ Super! F 3 : __ Je m’appelle Robert, et toi? Comment t’appelles-tu? F 2 : __ Je m’appelle Isabelle. Où habites-tu? F 3 : __ J’habite à Paris, et toi? Où habites-tu? F 2 : __ J’habite à Gap. F 3 : __ Le magasin? F 2 : __ Mais non! Gap dans les Alpes! F 1 : __ Tu habites à Gap ? F 2 : __ Oui. F 1 : __ Moi aussi ! Quelle coincidence! (very excited) On peut parler ? USP 1: Oh, I just love having a French student in my house. It reminds me of the good old days when I was taking French lessons. My French is still very good. I even impressed myself the other day! What about you? Do you speak French? USP 2 : I am learning it right now. USP 1 : Really ? “Parlez-vous français?” USP 2: (with a perfect French accent!) Oui, un peu. Je ne parle pas beaucoup mais je ne me débrouille pas trop mal. C’est marrant quand je dis que j’apprends le français, tous les gens me posent la même question. Amusant, non ? USP 1 : Oh, I have to use the restroom. Excusez-moi!... USP 3: Wow! Your French sounded amazing! How long have you been studying? USP 2: Oh... just a few weeks. USP 3: What did you tell her? USP 2: She asked me if I spoke French so I told her I didn’t speak much but I wasn’t too bad at it. I also told her that it was funny that every time I mention that I am learning French everybody was asking me the same question. Funny, isn’t it? USP 3: Well, that was surely very impressive. Although, I am not sure she/he was very impressed by it... USP 2: How is your French student? USP 3: Good. I think! She/he is very nice but I think she/he is very homesick, already. He/she has only been here for 2 days! USP 2: Oh no! She/he misses her/his family? USP 3: No, that’s actually going alright. She/he misses the food. She/he won’t eat anything! I tried burgers and pasta, even pizza! USP 2: Maybe you should try “quiche” instead! USP 3: You are right! That’s what I’ll do. I’ll take her/him to a French restaurant tonight. My husband doesn’t like French food but he’ll just have to deal with it! USP 2: I wish I could be a fly to see his reaction when they show him the menu! Let me know how that goes! Good luck! As they say in French : « Bonne chance » !

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Narrator: The next time you have a family dinner, make sure you observe everybody at your table. I bet you that at least one person has their left hand under the table. In France, this is as bad as taking off your shoes in a social context. I know, the French can be weird with all their do’s and don’t but what can I say, they still have the best desserts!...

At a French restaurant Maître D: Bonsoir! Vous avez une réservation? USP 4 : A reservation ? Heu, yes. Oui. Oui oui. Maître D : Sous quel nom s’il vous plaît ? USP 4 : Pardon ? Maître D : Sous quel nom ? USP 3: Honey, I think he wants your name. USP 4: Oh, oui! My name. Goldyburger! Party of 4. Maître D: Golly, Gold, Goldyburger. Une table pour 4 personnes, oui? USP 4 : Pardon ? Maître D : 4 personnes ? USP 4 : Oui. Maître D : Par ici, s’il vous plaît. Votre serveur va arriver. Serveur : Bonsoir ! Vous désirez boire quelque chose ? F 4 : (with a strong French accent) He wants to know what you want to drink. USP 3: Could I have some water please? Serveur: De l’eau? Bien sûr! Perrier, Evian, Vittel, laCroix, Contrex, Badoit... USP 4 : Goodness gracious ! All those are water ? Humm... Un Perrier, s’il vous plaît. Serveur : Et pour vous ? F 4 : Une limonade, s’il vous plaît. US 3 : Un coca cola. USP 3 : Me too ! Un coca cola s’il vous plaît. Serveur : Un Perrier, une limonade et deux coca. (while the waiter gets the drinks) USP 3: I like this place. Very “chic.” What do you think? F 4: I like it! It smells very good! It smells like home! Thank you for taking me here. USP 4: You are welcome. US 3: You have to help us with the menu. Serveur: Voilà! Un Perrier, une limonade et deux coca. Ce soir, la soupe du jour est un velouté de petit pois. Nous avons aussi des escargots, du lapin sauté et des cuisses de grenouilles. Je vous laisse choisir... USP 3 : What did he say ? F 4: He said they had snails, rabbit or frog legs. USP 4: Oh Goodness gracious! What about the “bla bla bla petits pois”? F 4: Velouté de petits pois? That’s a creamy soup with peas. USP 4: That sounds safer. I’ll have that. Serveur: Vous avez choisi? F 4 : Un velouté de petits pois s’il vous plaît. USP 4: What she said... USP 3 : Petits pois... US 3 : Petits pois...

Serveur : 4 velontés de petits pois. Tout de suite... F 4 : I think you will like the desserts better. US 3: What do they have? F 4: Chocolate mousse, crêpes, homemade ice cream, apple pies, crème brulée... US 3: Yum! That sounds good...Serveur: Voilà! Bon appétit! USP 3, USP 4, US 3, F 4: Merci!

__________________________ Narrator: We are going to leave our family to their dinner. I hope you have enjoyed this one day in America!

Fin