Nature's House
by Donal Davoren, Frank Nelson

Name: Nature's House
Brand: Donal Davoren
SKU: 9780573693632

Nature's House Book Cover — Nature's House Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

One Act 40 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

A one-act musical play for young performers and audiences.

Original songs and music add fun and impact to a story about an imaginative girl’s visit to a sorcerer’s magical abode, where she learns about our planet’s ecosystem.

The play may be performed with adults and young people or entirely by children with imaginative costumes and hand props.

Accompaniment tracks are available.

The setting can be realistic or fanciful or as minimal and suggestive as you please, with only a painted background drop or screen.

The original production was toured with only a two-fold screen and a three-step step ladder, all appropriately and colorfully painted to represent the following, as described in the playbook.

“The action takes place before and within a rambling but strange old house.

It seems to have no real entrance door and the windows are shaped rather like clouds.

Some interior rooms are visible, as in a cut-away view.

These are equipped with unusual furnishings which appear to be fashioned of unlikely substances, such as mist or snow, or streams of water, or tree branches and colorful leaves or flowers, swarms of insects, or even live animals, reptiles or birds.

A little cockeyed weather vane, a real one, is attached to the roof.”

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
POKIE BRONAKOWSKI A very independent little girl with a highly developed sense of curiosity.	female	—	A very independent little girl with a highly developed sense of curiosity.
POKIE’S FRIEND A schoolmate, not as adventurous as Pokie. May be played by the same actor who plays C.C. Otter and the Weatherperson.	male	—	A schoolmate, not as adventurous as Pokie. May be played by the same actor who plays C.C. Otter and the Weatherperson.
MR. CHANGE A bizarre character played by a female actor. It is quite obvious she is only pretending to be a gruff old man, perhaps the caretaker of Nature’s House. She wears a peculiar costume festooned with an assortment of masks tied on with ribbons, and wears one or another of these masks at all times until the very end of the play. The masks depict the many moods of “faces” of nature: bright and sunny, dark and stormy, bland or sleepy, beautiful, aloof, sorrowful, furious, etc.	male	—	A bizarre character played by a female actor. It is quite obvious she is only pretending to be a gruff old man, perhaps the caretaker of Nature’s House. She wears a peculiar costume festooned with an assortment of masks tied on with ribbons, and wears one or another of these masks at all times until the very end of the play. The masks depict the many moods of “faces” of nature: bright and sunny, dark and stormy, bland or sleepy, beautiful, aloof, sorrowful, furious, etc.
OXMOLLIES ONE, TWO and	—	—	and
THREE The OXMOLLY TRIO; three oxygen molecules, all in black but with iridescent globes over their hands which are used as hand puppets.	—	—	The OXMOLLY TRIO; three oxygen molecules, all in black but with iridescent globes over their hands which are used as hand puppets.
C.C. OTTER A fastidious fellow, champion swimmer, terrific dancer, and master of the waltz. He is a French Canadian sea otter.	male	—	A fastidious fellow, champion swimmer, terrific dancer, and master of the waltz. He is a French Canadian sea otter.
MA HOGANY A wise old tree, any tree, all trees, all forests. May be played by the same actor who plays Aunt Helios.	male	—	A wise old tree, any tree, all trees, all forests. May be played by the same actor who plays Aunt Helios.
AUNT HELIOS A wonderously energetic individual who motivates everyon with her super sunny cheerleader attitude.	female	—	A wonderously energetic individual who motivates everyon with her super sunny cheerleader attitude.
WEATHERPERSON A “talking head” weather announcer.	—	—	A “talking head” weather announcer.