From Pema: In Fourth Grade we are putting on a play. We have to practice our play a lot. At first we had four groups that met separately. The groups were, Ellis Island, tenement life, street scene, and modern immigration. Each fourth grade teacher led each scene. All the fourth graders were put into each group.
When we started to write the scripts we would rehearse all the lines that we had so far. We did a little bit of improv in the beginning. After a week or two some groups started assigning the parts.
Once each group was done writing their scripts we all went into the auditorium and practiced the whole play. Everyone started adding music to the scripts and we started putting together where everyone was going to be. We practiced altogether three times. The second time we did we went to Houston and the third time we did it in the music room. On the third time we added the Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor Raps made by fourth graders. It was really fun to add the raps to the play.
We just went to the high school P.A.C which is where all the plays happen. We are going to put on our play in the high school. We got to see the backstage it was an amazing experience. It took us a little bit over an hour to finish the rehearsal. And we still hadn’t rehearsed the whole play. It got a little boring backstage since we had to be really quiet.
The hardest part of practicing the play is remembering everything. We can’t wait to perform the play.
From Thomas: The script was not easy to write. This is because we had to cut and add pieces. We also had to practice for homework and in class. We cut pieces because we didn’t have enough time to perform them. We also had a lot of actions in the script because it would not be a play without actions. It’s a musical so we a lot of songs in the play. We have 4 scenes that are 10 minutes plus a beginning and end scene that are each 10 minutes so 10X6=60 so the play is an hour long.
From Max: We made our own costumes out of materials from our house. Different people have different costumes. I am an inspector, other people are immigrants and modern day immigrants. Some people need props. I need a buttonhook and a podium. The immigrants have dirty costumes and the inspectors have hats and jackets. Modern day immigrants would dress in modern day clothes and the judge would wear a robe. Juno, the Statue of Liberty, would wear a green dress.
From Andrei: To make a musical, you need music and song. We sang a lot of songs like “Give Me Your Tired Your Poor” and “Far From My Homeland.” “Give Me Your Tired Your Poor” came from the poem “The New Colossus,” a poem written by Emma Lazarus about the Statue of Liberty. For “Far From My Homeland” we edited the words a little for each scene so it was connected to that scene. For street scenes, they edited the words so it was about peddlers and boys and girls playing on the streets. For the Ellis Island scene they made the words about inspection. In music, we made raps for “Far From My Homeland” and that is where the raps in the end came from. My scene is Modern Immigration, my favorite line from our song is, “I miss my culture but I can make a better life.”
Pema,
I like how you included the stage direction, and how we added it after we started to write the script. I am also amazed how you remembered how many days we practiced, and exactly what we did on those days. Great Job!
I am very excited to do the play.
Ryder I am excited to do the play in front of our parents on Friday. But I am most excited to do the end scene because the whole Fourth Grade is on stage getting into the beat of the rappers rapping their songs that they made up. You are on stage with Drew rapping aren’t you, anyway you did a great job.
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I can’t wait to do the play and I loved doing improv
I’m really nervous. i just can’t stop thinking about the play.
I loved doing improve in the play!
I am really disappointed I won’t be here for the play. But it’s a lot of fun rehearsing.
I loved practicing the play! I can’t wait for tomorrow when we do the play for the whole school! My favorite part in the play is when the whole grade does the rap. Great job Pema, Andrei, Max, and Thomas! 🙂
I loved doing improve too! But my favorite part was actually acting in the play and doing the dress rehearsal. I also think Pema,Andrei,Max, and Thomas did a great job. 🙂
I think the raps are really fun to do and it is different from the rest of the play. I am really excited to perform the play!
I’m super excited for the play!!!!! 🙂
Thomas, I agree that it was hard writing the script because we had to cut and add a lot of stuff.
I really like the raps. The are funny, awesome and swag. I hope the play is the best play ever. I am really interested to see how the play goes. Good job Pema, Thomas, Andrei, and Max =)
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I am super excited to do the play, it is my favorite thing that we do in 4th grade. Even if it was very hard to learn our lines. It will be vary fun to do the real thing with all the lines mesmerized (hopefully everyone will have them mesmerized). 🙂 🙂 😀
Andrei, one of my favorite lines in the entire play is “I miss my culture but I can make a better life.” It puts the entire song together.
I agree with Tess, my favorite part of the play is the rap! I hope I remember my lines!
There’s only a few more days till the play!! I can’t wait!!!
To andrei,
did we write the rap from far from my homeland or Give me your tired your poor?
I agree with Tess and Lucia one of my favorite parts of the play, is the rap!! I hope I remember my lines. One of my personal favorite parts of the play process, is when we all get to practice in the HS P.A.C. It feels amazing to act where the MS and High schoolers get to act. It isa cool experience for us!!
Good Luck!! I hope we will all remember are lines and do a good job !!!!!!!!!!!!! :] :} :] 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 :0
I am so nervous to put on the play because there will be so many people watching us. I also like the raps and the songs. I had a lot of fun rehearsing the play and I hope it goes well.
Im really exited for the play and how we get to proform it in front of our parents.
I liked Andrei’s post and it was very thoughtful I liked how he added his favorite line from his scene. But he should include his favorite line from the whole play unless that line was his favorite in the play
I loved the play because we all had to work together to make the script and we all had to help each other because of ques.
Ha the picture of Ava lying on the floor is really funny!!
I am in the Tenement scene we had to do so many rehearsals it was really fun and I am super excited to put on the play.
I like the whole play.There is not a specific part that I like the most. And I can’t wait to put it on!
By the way Thomas it is Sarajevo (SAR-I-AVO) not (SARA-HEVO).
I am super excited to do the play in front of our parents. I am also really nervous. I am having troublememrising my lines. I’m so excited to be the kid. By the way I have really bad stage fright. The picture of all of us is funny most of us are staring at Estelle and others are just talking. Only Ryder, Stella, Luca, Lucia, Max and Julia are the only ones looking looking at the camera. I admit I’m not looking at the camera.
I am super excited to do the play in front of our parents. I am also really nervous. I am having trouble memorizing my lines. I’m so excited to be the kid. By the way I have really bad stage fright. The picture of all of us is funny most of us are staring at Estelle and others are just talking. Only Ryder, Stella, Luca, Lucia, Max and Julia are the only ones looking looking at the camera. I admit I’m not looking at the camera.
I am super excited to do the play in front of our parents. I am also really nervous. I am having trouble memorizing my lines. I’m so excited to be the kid. By the way I have really bad stage fright. The picture of all of us is funny most of us are staring at Estelle and others are just talking. Only Ryder, Stella, Luca, Lucia, Max and Julia are the only ones looking looking at the camera. I admit I’m not looking at the camera. I hope the play goes well.