Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 07:30:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Robert Trevi <trevicollection-AT-yahoo.com> To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Question for children's show performers The idea that God is watching, or that someone will one day know about our secret sins, is perhaps a blunt, but nevertheless effective policeman to keep society civil. Though it may be that you cannot use God as the policeman in public shows not associated with a particular church (Sunday school puppet shows), you could have a character who serves as the conscience for your thief. And, as it is a puppet show, it could definitely be the puppeteer him or herself, either working a marionette or a hand puppet. The puppeteer could appear with the puppet on stage, and any disapproval from the puppeteer could be handled in a comic way. Or... the puppeteer could be the one who makes a moral lapse, and the puppet could disapprove. Maybe that would work if the puppeteer warns the puppet about taking something without permission once or twice... and then the puppet returns the compliment when the puppeteer is tempted to take something. Or... maybe the omniscient god could be replaced by a character, like a respected grandparent or friend (or a non-sectarian angel, balanced by a definitely non-denominational devil), who would be disappointed by the main character stealing and hurting another. Instead of focusing on spiritual punishment, or even an earthly spanking (or long prison stretch), the playwright could focus on how disappointed someone the main character respects would be if the main character stole. That, after all, is also a way to look at God's disapproval of one member of his creation stealing from another... that's it's letting God down that matters, not that God will release the Hounds of Hell. Though Hounds of Hell, and Greek Furies, are nothing to be laughed at. Of course, Oscar Wilde did a pretty good job of depicting the effect of sin on the soul of a person who appears to get away with all sorts of enormities in the classic "Portrait of Dorian Gray." The portrait itself rots away to show Gray's inner moral rot, while he dances through life, swollen on pleasure and even murder, until the effects of his naughtiness are finally visited upon him. One doesn't have to be a member of any one religion -- or any religion at all -- to understand what that story is trying to say. Robert --- Brett Roberts <bdr1020-AT-hotmail.com> wrote: > It's not really a spiritual > >issue as much as a respect issue -- > > Thanks Linda! > > As a child, I always had it drilled into my head > that I shouldn't do bad > things because "God is watching me". That helps a > lot. I was trying to > figure out what a child's point of view would be. I > don't know why this was > giving me writers block, but it was. > > Thanks, > Brett > > Brett Roberts > The Comedian for Kids > http://kidscomedian.com/ > > Brett's school and library shows > http://educationalmagician.com/ > > Brett's Comedian for Kids Blog > http://kidscomedian.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > >From: LSnyder262-AT-aol.com > >Reply-To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > >To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > >Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Question for children's > show performers > >Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 09:49:54 EDT > > > > > >In a message dated 8/21/06 9:44:08 AM, > bdr1020-AT-hotmail.com writes: > > > > > > > I'm finding it difficult teaching this moral > without > > > bringing in spiritual beliefs. The problem I'm > having is that sometimes > > > people get away with stealing so there aren't > any consequences to this > > > behavior. There are long term consequences, but > kids K- 3rd grade might > >not > > > understand that. > > > > >If your target is K - 3, I don't think you need > to overcomplicate the > >message. Stealing is wrong because -- from the > child's poing of view -- > >they > >wouldn't like it if someone stole their things. Put > it in Golden Rule terms > >and > >don't even bring up how people sometimes get away > with it. After all, > >people get > >away with just about any crime or sin you can name. > It's not really a > >spiritual > >issue as much as a respect issue -- one of the many > constraints we impose > >on > >ourselves so we can live together as a society. > > > >Linda > >_______________________________________________ > >List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > >Admin interface: > >http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > >Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > _______________________________________________ > List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > Admin interface: > http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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