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Close this window. Public school teacher-leader Bernie Lambert conceived "The Bridges Project" for students as an outgrowth of her work with other teachers in the Keeping and Creating American Communities, project, sponsored by the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project. She and others held a region-wide contest, asking for true stories about coming to a new community for the first time. A group of drama teachers then read all the winning stories and found ways to dramatize them. I chose this set of three stories by very young students because they all shared the common theme of a language barrier. I thank my professor JoAllen Bradham for her advice, affirming my approach.
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The Language Trio
stories by Ronke Olowojesiku, Ingrid Jimenez, and Amy Liadapted by W. Scott Smoot Characters:
Original cast, June 15, 2001: Nicole Barre, Kelly Gaetano, Alena Reich, Bhavika Solanki 1st ACTRESS Je m'appelle Kera...2nd ACTRESS Me llamo Ingrid...3rd ACTRESS Wo de ming zhi shi Amy Li...ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 (1st Actress)Je vien de Madagascar, en Afrique.(2nd Actress)Soy de Mexico. (3rd Actress)Wo chong zhong guo lai. 4th ACTRESS What if you could not understand what people around you were saying?1st ACTRESS Quand je suis arrive a Georgia, je ne pouvais pas parle en Anglais.2nd ACTRESS Quando llegue a Georgia, no puile hablar inges.3rd ACTRESS Wo gang lai Georgia deshi hou, wo bu neng shou ying wen.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 (1st Actress)Est-ce que vous me comprenez? Est-ce que vous me comprenez?(2nd Actress) Me entiendes? Me entiendes? (3rd Actress)Ni neng ting dong wo ma? Ni neng ting dong wo ma? 2nd ACTRESS Kera Adison lived in Madagascar until it was getting too rough there.1st ACTRESS Amy Li came here from China when she was five and a half years old.3rd ACTRESS When Ingrid Jimenez came to the United States, she was in third grade. She didn't talk English. She was born in Mexico.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 My family had to move to Georgia.4th ACTRESS But she did not want to move.1st ACTRESS Even though she was a brave girl, she was scared.3rd ACTRESS What if the Americans were mean?2nd ACTRESS The more I thought about it...ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 ...the more I was scared.(MUSIC plays: confident, swaggering rhythm) 4th ACTRESS The rest of the family was not scared.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 Ha, do we look scared?3rd ACTRESS Naw, I'm not scared. Are you scared?1st ACTRESS They were acting like they had been to America.2nd ACTRESS You'll like it.4th ACTRESS It's not so rough there as in Madagascar.3rd ACTRESS Everyone there is busy with activities.1st ACTRESS The air is cleaner there.4th ACTRESS We will find you schools.2nd ACTRESS We will find a house.3rd ACTRESS We will find a job.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 We will get a Honda! Vroooom!3rd ACTRESS They tried to cheer me up.1st ACTRESS But when they tried to talk to someone -- "Est-ce que vous me comprenez?" -- they all laughed.(MUSIC imitates laughter under the next several lines) 2nd ACTRESS Whenever I'd gather my courage together to go up to a child, they would run away...3rd ACTRESS ...or laugh at how I looked, or my Chinese / English accent.1st ACTRESS My brother and I were having trouble. Our classmates just laughed at us.3rd ACTRESS Sometimes during breakfast I would cry because I simply could not communicate with other children.2nd ACTRESS Making friends was the most difficult obstacle I had to overcome in my life.3rd ACTRESS I would not give up. I knew that if I worked really hard without looking back, I would achieve my dreams... (Shouting over the LAUGHING MUSIC) I would achieve my dreams without my looks or the way I talked being laughed at.4th ACTRESS It is not right to laugh at her!(MUSIC stops) 1st ACTRESS It was Camki, a quiet girl.4th ACTRESS It is not right! What if you did not understand English?2nd ACTRESS The classroom grew quiet. That was the most she had said all year.1st ACTRESS Ms. Kay the teacher stood up and said...3rd ACTRESS "Camki is right. Now all of you say 'sorry.'"3rd ACTRESS An understanding janitor would give me a small piece of candy to make me feel good, because she knew how I felt.2nd ACTRESS I am so grateful to Ms. Hicks for helping me, and Mrs. Hawkins, who taught me ESOL, where I learned to talk and understand English.1st ACTRESS Camki, can you come over to my house and teach me English?4th ACTRESS Sure.3rd ACTRESS Things took a turn for the better. I would be able to learn English without much more hardship.2nd ACTRESS My mom doesn't know how to speak English. She always tells me...3rd ACTRESS Like I help you to learn how to tie your shoes and dress by yourself, now you have to help me know how to speak English.1st ACTRESS Camki, where are you from?3rd ACTRESS Soon, I would be able to speak without an accent.1st ACTRESS Tell me where you're from, Camki!2nd ACTRESS I will help my mom, because she is always nice to me. Oh! Like my best friend...3rd ACTRESS Tell me how to say these English words.1st ACTRESS Tell me!2nd ACTRESS She doesn't understand English. I like to help my friends.3rd ACTRESS As I look back, I see that communicating is hard, and important.1st ACTRESS Please?2nd ACTRESS I want to be a teacher like Mrs. Hawkins.4th ACTRESS I am from Madagascar, too!3rd ACTRESS If you set a goal and work without giving up, that goal will be reached someday, just like mine!1st ACTRESS and 4th ACTRESS Do you want to be my friend?Yes! 2nd ACTRESS When I get big, I'm going to help people who don't understand English.3rd ACTRESS I have bunches of friends who adore me for who I really am inside and not the out. My dreams are on the verge of coming true.2nd ACTRESS I am very glad for who I am right now.3rd ACTRESS And for not giving up before.2nd ACTRESS I like to speak two languages.1st ACTRESS This story is based on how my mother moved to the USA.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 This story is true...4th ACTRESS And only changed a bit.ACTRESSES 1,2, and 3 (1st Actress)Est-ce que vous me comprenez?(2nd Actress) Me entiendes? (3rd Actress)Ni neng ting dong wo ma? ALL FOUR ACTRESSES Do you understand me now?END OF PLAY |