INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE TRACKS

 

“POSSUM GOES TO SCHOOL”    5:30 Min.

FOR USE WITH THE AXTELL “POSSUM” PUPPET

 

©  COPYRIGHT 2002 AXTRAX PUBLISHING

DIV. OF AXTELL EXPRESSIONS! (805) 642-7282

 

WRITTEN BY STEVE AXTELL, GREG JACKSON

PERFORMED BY: STEVE AXTELL

          MUSIC, SOUND EFFECTS AND ENGINEERING BY: GREG JACKSON

RECORDED AT: TREEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS and AXTELL ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

LEGAL NOTICE:  By purchasing this routine you have the right to perform this routine and it’s musical components in live performances only.    Not for use on television or on Video Productions without written permission.   Limited Warranty of 3 weeks  to replace damaged media.  No refunds on electronic media.

© Copyright and Trademark Axtell Expressions, Inc.      All rights reserved.

 

SEE OTHER AXTRAX AVAILABLE FOR THE MAGIC DRAWING BOARD AND AXTELL PUPPETS AT  www.axtell.com

 

 

CD TRACK #1:           Performance  (Does not include your practice lines - use this to perform live.)

CD TRACK #2:          Rehearsal       (Includes your practice lines (YOU) that you will perform live.)

CDTRACKS #3-8      (Music only     For vents who want to do both parts and cue the music.

   Cues are numbered in the script.)

                                    #3: Opening Music

                                    #4: Truck rfx

      #5: Scary music

      #6: Bings

      #7: Look at Me

                                    #8: Closing Music

 

                             

PAUSES HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE RECORDING TO ANTICIPATE AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

YOU CAN MODIFY THE (YOU) LINES TO FIT YOUR PERSONALITY.  REWRITE AND BE CREATIVE!

 

 

SOUND ADVISE: You can perform this routine by playing the CD on a quality "boom box" portable stereo player in small areas, or over a professional sound system in large areas such as an auditorium or outside. Do not play on a small inexpensive CD player because the sound will distort when you try to play it loudly. 

 

 

 

 

 

The CD should be played with plenty of volume.  Kids will be laughing hard and will miss the routine if it is too quiet, and adults may keep laughter to a minimum for fear of missing parts of the program.  The volume of the CD should be set about the same as if you were speaking over a microphone to be heard by the group, or louder. 

 

It is best to have the CD played over a public address system and have the soundman preset the volume level to be compatible with the your microphone level.

 

 

(#3)                        OPENING MUSIC

                    

 

                              (As music begins, you bring out the possum by the tail)

 

POSSUM:             (Snoring)

 

YOU:                     Today, boys and girls, we are going to learn about a special         animal…this is R.K Possum.

 

POSSUM:             (Still upside down – move the tail slightly so he moves a bit when speaking) That’s right...I’m a possum (snoring once again)   (LAUGHTER)

YOU:                     As you can see, he’s just pretending to be asleep.

 

POSSUM:             That’s right…(snore)    (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     This is what’s known as ‘playing possum’.

 

POSSUM:             ‘Playing possum’...(snore)   (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     (Putting him on) Come up here. You know you shouldn’t be sleeping right now.

 

POSSUM:             (Groans) Oh… you’re right.

YOU:                     Could you explain to the kids why                                     you pretend to sleep?

 

POSSUM:             So I don’t have to listen to you talk!                   (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     That’s not it.  Tell them.

 

POSSUM:             Well, when something’s chasing us, and we lay real still, we look like we’re dead. Then they’ll leave us alone.

 

YOU:                     Oh, so that keeps you safe from harm.

 

POSSUM:             Yeah, unless we get hit by a truck.

 

 

(#4)                        TRUCK FX

 

 

(Possum convulses and turns upside down freezing straight out.)     (LAUGHTER) 

 

YOU:                     (clear throat)

 

POSSUM:             (while on back upside down) That’s why they call me R.K. Possum.

 

YOU:                     I don’t get it.

 

POSSUM:             (sitting up) R. K…Road Kill.    (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     Well, you should always look both ways before you cross the road.

 

POSSUM:             That’s impossumible!     (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     You mean, “impossible.”

 

POSSUM:             Yeah, that’s what I said, “impossumible”.

 

YOU:                      Why can’t you watch out when you cross the road?

 

POSSUM:             ‘Cause it’s dark at night.   We’re nocturnal ya’ know.

 

YOU:                     Why don’t you tell the kids what “nocturnal” means.

 

 

(#5)                        SCARY MUSIC

 

 

POSSUM:             ‘Nocturnal’ means (in a sneaky voice) we like to sneak around at night when it’s dark and scary…something spooky could be behind a tree looking at you, and….(possum turns and looks at you then screams in fright pulling back) Aaaaah!    (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     What’s the matter!?

 

POSSUM:             You scared me! (breathing hard)    (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     OK, calm down, calm down.  Let’s talk about something else. What do you like to eat?

 

POSSUM:             Cookies, candy, cake, ice cream…   (LAUGHTER)

 

YOU:                     Stop, RK. I mean ‘possum’ food.

 

POSSUM:             Oh, normally we eat berries n’ fruits, bugs and general “omnivorous” food.

 

YOU:                     OmniWHATious?  

POSSUM:             Omnivorous.

 

YOU:                     So, eating lots of different things makes you                                                                 “omnivorous”?

 

POSSUM:             Yeah, so I’m nocturnal…

 

(#6)                      BING

(you point to his eyes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 and omnivorous (BING) (you point to his mouth).

 

 

 

 

YOU:                     Those are big words!

 

POSSUM:             Well, I won’t even tell ya’ about my tail.

 

YOU:                     What about your tail? (hook tail around your finger)

 

Hey, let go of my finger!   (LAUGHTER)

 

 

POSSUM:             Well, that’s called ‘Prehensile’. It’s exactly like an extra hand ‘cause it can grip onto things.

 

YOU:                     Well, that’s neat! Can I have my finger back, please?

 

POSSUM:             Oh, sorry.

 

YOU:                     Thank you.

 

 

 

POSSUM:             Well, I guess that makes me nocturnal (BING) (you point to his eyes),

 

omnivorous (BING) (you point to his mouth),

 

and preeeehensile (BING) (you point to his tail).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU:                     Wow!

 

POSSUM:             Now, you probably already know that I’m a “marsupial”, right?

 

YOU:                     A what?

 

POSSUM:             A marsupial. You see, our lady possums they have a pouch on their tummies to carry the babies in. Kangaroos are also marsupials. We’re kinda like them!

 

YOU:                     Wow! You’ve got quite a ‘possum’ vocabulary! 

 

POSSUM:             Yep!

 

 

(#7)                        LOOK AT ME

 

 

                                             Look at me,

I’m R.K. Possum

Listen up now

I’m simply awesome,

I’m  Nocturnal… (you point at eyes while you say….)

 

YOU:                                    You’re awake at night.

 

POSSUM:                            Omnivorous… (you point at mouth)

 

YOU:                                    You’ll eat anything!

 

POSSUM:                            Prehensile… (you point at tail)

 

YOU:                                    What a handy tail!

 

POSSUM:                            Marsupial. (you point at tummy)

 

 

YOU:                                    A pouch on the tummy.

Let’s repeat those big words after him.

 

POSSUM:                            Nocturnal… (you point at eyes)

 

YOU:                                    (repeating with audience) Nocturnal!

 

POSSUM:                            Omnivorous… (you point at mouth)

 

YOU:                                    Omnivorous!

 

POSSUM:                            Prehensile… (you point at tail)

 

YOU:                                    Prehensile!

 

POSSUM:                            Marsupial. (you point at tummy)

 

YOU:                                    Marsupial!

 

POSSUM:                            Now here comes my favorite verse…two, three, four…

Nocturnal… (you point at eyes)

 

YOU:                                    Nocturnal. (encourage kids to join in)

 

POSSUM:                            Omnivorous… (you point at mouth).

 

YOU:                                    Omnivorous.

 

POSSUM:                            Prehensile… (you point at tail)

 

YOU:                                    Prehensile.

 

POSSUM:                            Marsupial. (you point at tummy)

 

YOU:                                    Marsupial.

 

POSSUM:                            You know we possums are the very best

                                             I can tell that you are so impressed.

And now it’s time for me to get (music slows down) some…(yawn) rest.

                                             (music stops he snores)

              

YOU:                                    RK (you shake him)….RK…(can’t wake him up). You’re so impossumible!   (Pick him up by the tail and walk off stage shaking your head.)

 

 

(#8)                                       CLOSING MUSIC

 

 

 

 

END