 | An easy, flexible, 25-minute musical play for grades 2-6. Comes with the script, audio recording (with both a vocal and instrumental version of each song), and a teacher's guide. No music or drama experience needed! |
 | ✓ Funny script ✓ Catchy tunes ✓ Flexible casting ✓ Dumb jokes
This hilarious retelling of the Purim story has the good stuff: heroic queen, wicked advisor, dumb king, and audience participation. Learn more! |
MusicalGr. 2-625 Min.
Musical Play: “The Really Goofy Purim Play”
Complete Script & Audio: $45 (other items also available)
We sell wonderful, short, funny plays and musicals for use in your classroom, after-school program, drama club, music class, summer school program, homeschool, and any other place where kids can thrive by participating in theater! If you are not familiar with us or how to use theater to teach, check out our Q&As.
Synopsis
Written both for Jews to celebrate the Purim holiday as well as schools looking for an exciting multicultural tale, our take on the traditional Purim story has Esther, Mordechai, Haman and all the usual plot twists with hilarious new interpretations. Brave women, an evil and powerful villain, a really dumb king, and audience participation---this story has it all!
Preview the script and songs!Key Concepts
Finally, a holiday with built-in goofiness: perfect for Bad Wolf Press! The Really Goofy Purim Play is And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Aligned with national standards! View the standards and vocabulary.Publication Info
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN:
978-1-886588-48-6
© 2009
Bad Wolf Press, LLC
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The Show
We want you to know what you're getting, so the cast list and first third of the script are available here! Bad Wolf shows are written for flexibility and can be edited however you like to meet the needs of your actors, school, curriculum, parents, astrological chart, latest whim, etc. If you have questions about the portions of the script not shown, please contact us.
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students. Use as many Attendants, Handmaidens, Estherettes, etc. as desired. Actors can easily play several roles, or a single role can be divided between multiple actors. All parts can be played by any gender.
CHARACTERS:
Two Story Tellers
Haman
King Ahasuerus
Attendants
Three Men
Queen Vashti
Handmaidens
Host and Hostess of Beauty Pagent
Two Pagent Contestants
Esther
Mordechai
Two Guards
Parade Singers
Estherettes
and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing
roles at the time.
Script
This is the first one-third of the script.
(CAST enters, faces audience, and sings:)
Song 1
Listen to
a sample!
CHORUS:
Some holidays don’t have much pomp
You’re not supposed to yell and romp
But we want you to hiss and stomp
Because it’s Purim, Purim, Purim.
FOUR SINGERS:
The Jews in Persia will find hope
FOUR OTHER SINGERS:
And will the villain triumph?
CHORUS: Nope!
FOUR OTHER SINGERS:
The king will still remain a dope
CHORUS:
Because it’s Purim, Purim, Purim.
It’s fun cheering Esther on
It’s fun taking sides
HAMAN (pushing his way to the front of stage):
Look out—bad guy coming through
CHORUS (to audience):
You can boo
SOME of CHORUS: Boooo.
That’s fun too.
SOME of CHORUS: Boooo.
We’re thrown in jokes and added song
We may have got a few things wrong
At least the show is not that long!
Because it’s Purim, Purim, Purim
Purim, Purim, Purim
Whoa
Purim, Purim, Purim,
Whoa oh oh oh.
STORYTELLER #1 (Enters and addresses audience): In ancient Persia, a long time ago, there lived a powerful king named Ahasuerus. He had a beautiful queen named…
STORYTELLER #2 (racing in, interrupting): Wait! First you gotta tell them about the villain.
STORYTELLER #1: Oh yeah!
(to audience)
This show has a villain. He’s an advisor to the king, and he’s
a very bad man.
STORYTELLER #2 (To the audience): And you guys in the audience get to participate.
STORYTELLER #1: Whenever you hear the villain’s name, you need to boo and hiss and stomp.
STORYTELLER #2: Let’s practice. The name of the villain is…Haman!
(AUDIENCE makes noise)
STORYTELLER #2: That was actually pretty…terrible. Come on, this
guy is EVIL.
You gotta let it out!
(HAMAN walks on, carrying and admiring a snow globe)
Look, there he is! It’s…HAMAN!
(HAMAN turns to look when his name is called. AUDIENCE should let him
have it.
HAMAN approaches audience, stares in annoyance.)
STORYTELLER #1: Now you’re ready! Let’s get this thing going.
(STORYTELLERS exit. KING AHASUERUS enters with ATTENDANTS. HAMAN runs up and falls on his knees.)
HAMAN: Welcome, your most graciousness. How is your royal splendidness today?
KING (dejected): Ah, it’s Queen Vashti again. She doesn’t like the new crown I bought her. And it’s so wonderfully SHINY!
HAMAN: I’ve brought you something. I found it in the bazaar.
(HE shakes up the snow globe and hands it to the KING)
KING (holding it up): Look how it sparkles! A perfect gift from my
favorite advisor…
(pause; then with special clarity for the audience)
…Haman!
(AUDIENCE should make noise. The STORYTELLERS can peek in from the side when the word “HAMAN” is said to encourage the audience. HAMAN should give the AUDIENCE a dirty look.)
KING (delighted): Can you find me another one of these?
HAMAN: Right now, your glowingness?
KING: That would be splendid! This one’s broken—the snow has stopped.
HAMAN: But you just have to shake it a bit and…
ATTENDANTS (together): His majesty does not shake.
HAMAN: I shall return promptly, your imperiousness.
(Exits; to audience HE gives the “I’m watching you” signal
with two fingers to
the eyes and then back to the audience).
Song 2
Listen to
a sample!
KING:
Show me something shiny and I want one
Something that has sparklers—I’ll take two
Candlesticks and mirrors and some tinsel
I love clothes with sequins, well, don’t you?
ATTENDANTS (spoken): Absolutely, your highness!
KING:
Put some little diamonds on my slippers.
ATTENDANT (spoken): Right away.
Pour some extra glitter on my bed
ATTENDANT (spoken): Of course!
Someone go and fetch my prize possession
My favorite spot for sparkle--is my head!
I love my crown
ATTENDANTS: Loves his crown!
I love my crown
ATTENDANTS: Loves his crown!
Wax it here
Buff it there
Make that sucker glow
Oh you know I love my crown.
(INSTRUMENTAL: KING dances with his crown; that is, with his crown
as
his partner. ATTENDANTS join in.)
See it sparkle!
I love my crown!
Shine! Shine!
KING and CHORUS:
I love my crown
ATTENDANTS: Loves his crown!
KING and CHORUS:
I love my crown
ATTENDANTS: Loves his crown!
KING, ATTENDANTS, and CHORUS:
Wax it here
Buff it there
Make that sucker glow
Oh you know I love my crown.
KING:
Oh yes I do
KING, ATTENDANTS, and CHORUS:
Oh you know I love my crown.
(KING and ATTENDANTS exit. STORYTELLERS enter.)
STORYTELLER #1: The King had a big party to celebrate his new snow globes.
STORYTELLER #2: He also wanted to show off his beautiful queen, Vashti, to all the guests.
STORYTELLER #1: So he ordered her to put on her new crown and come dance.
STORYTELLER #2: But Vashti refused! The men at the party were shocked.
MAN #1 (stepping forward): In Persia, women must obey their husbands. It’s the law!
MAN #2 (stepping forward): What a terrible example to set for all the wives of the kingdom.
MAN #3 (stepping forward): What do YOU say, Haman?
(AUDIENCE reacts.)
HAMAN (stepping forward): I say she must be punished!
STORYTELLER #1: And that’s just what King Ahasuerus did.
STORYTELLER #2: He banished Vashti from the palace forever.
(VASHTI and HANDMAIDENS enter; OTHERS exit.)
HANDMAIDEN #1: Vashti, what will we do now?
VASHTI: We’ll be fine.
HANDMAIDEN #2: But I LOVED living in the palace.
HANDMAIDEN #1: I know. All the clothes and jewels.
VASHTI: Well I’m not going to miss a thing! I HATED this place. Eat this. Wear that. Dance NOW! I’ve got my own plans, and they don’t involve wearing stupid crowns!
Song 3
Listen to
a sample!
VASHTI:
I’ve got a future in retail
I’m a natural at sales
Gonna be a star
Down at the bazaar
Selling off my crown and veils.
Oh
Gonna be a big star in retail
HANDMAIDENS:
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah!
VASHTI:
I’ve got a future in retail
Watch how far I will go
Pad my resume
Get an MBA
Soon I’ll be a CEO.
Oh
Gonna be a big star in retail
HANDMAIDS:
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah!
VASHTI:
Pay my own rent
HANDMAIDS: Yeah!
VASHTI:
Buy my own bread.
HANDMAIDS: Yeah!
VASHTI:
Nothing bright and shiny on my head.
HANDMAIDS: Yeah!
VASHTI:
Dress how I like
HANDMAIDS: Yeah!
VASHTI:
I’m wearing pants!
HANDMAIDS: Yeah!
VASHTI:
Choosing where and when I want to dance!
HANDMAIDENS and CHORUS:
She’s got a future in retail
She’s a marketing brute
Nothing she can’t do.
HANDMAIDENS:
Infomercials too!
HANDMAIDENS and CHORUS:
She’ll make Walmart look minute.
VASHTI:
Oh
Gonna be a big star
HANDMAIDENS: Big star!
VASHTI:
In retail
HANDMAIDENS: Retail
HANDMAIDENS and CHORUS:
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
VASHTI, HANDMAIDENS, CHORUS:
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!
(VASHTI and HANDMAIDENS exit. STORYTELLERS enter.)
STORYTELLER #1: King Ahasuerus soon missed his queen.
STORYTELLER #2: His friends told him to hold a beauty contest to find a NEW queen.
STORYTELLER #2: Ministers were sent throughout the land to bring all the most beautiful women to the palace.
(HOST and HOSTESS enter. THEY each hold a microphone.)
HOST: Good evening, and welcome to the final round of our Persian Pageant of Pulchritude.
HOSTESS: That’s right, Biff. We’ve gathered the most beautiful women from all 127 provinces. And now we’re down to the final three contestants.
HOST: And here they are.
(THREE CONTESTANTS enter. One is ESTHER. SHE remains calm. The other TWO CONTESTANTS smile obnoxiously and pose ridiculously throughout. THEY ALL stand to the side as the song begins.)
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
The Songs
Click on any song to listen to a snippet. Click the cart icon to purchase any track for $1.
Standards
Common Core and Other National Standards
History/Social Studies
- National History Standards 1, 6, and 7 for K-4th
- National Social Studies Standards 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10
Language Arts
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity: Range of Text Types for K-5th
National Core Arts Standards
- Music - Anchor Standards 4-6
- Theater - Anchor Standards 3-6
- Dance - Anchor Standards 1-6
Vocabulary
pomp
romp
triumph
advisor
graciousness
bazaar
imperiousness
tinsel
sequins
banish
retail
veil
résumé
brute
infomercial
minute (adj.)
pulchritude
beguile
beam (verb)
repartee
pedigree
versatile
scribe
motivation
lackey
nosey
orbit
repulsive
petty
dismayed
decree
bling
Muse
gallows
promote
hues
Phrases and Slang
a dope
take sides
a natural
bully for you
dumb as a rock
in a fix
stumbling block
plot device
chow down
in a jam
risk life and limb
riding high
save one’s neck
inner voice
the blues
the munchies
j’accuse
PhD
MBA
CEO
an offer you can’t refuse
Rachel (verified owner) –
I was attempting to do this with my 2nd grade Sunday school students. They loved the read through, even my challenging kids were engaged. Unfortunately, we went through it one week, assigned parts. Week 2 several of those kids were absent and others who had not been there showed up. After trying a new read through, I determined it wasn’t going to work. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time. It was also a bit challenging for the students (just challenging enough, but going through explaining took time that we didn’t have). It is a cute show and hopefully one day I will be able to do it.