Igniting Wonder: Plays for Preschoolers

The Biggest Little House in the Forest

39 The Biggest Little House in the Forest Written by Rosanna Staffa Based on the book by Djemma Bider Directed by Peter Brosius The world premiere of The Biggest Little House in the Forest opened on April 30, 2010, at Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota. This production of The Biggest Little House in the Forest was funded in part by the United Arts Fund and the Bush Foundation. CREATIVE TEAM Scenic and puppet design by Eric J. Van Wyk Costume design by Mary Anna Culligan Lighting design by Rebecca Fuller Music composition and sound design by Victor Zupanc Dramaturgy by Elissa Adams Stage management by Jenny Friend and Stacy McIntosh Early childhood development consultant: Amy Susman-Stillman ORIGINAL CAST All characters performed by Autumn Ness CAST LIST narrator bernice (the butterfly) millie (the mouse) fred (the frog) rudy (the rooster) richie (the rabbit) bartholomew (the bear) 40 The Biggest Little House in the Forest Note: One actor performed all roles (with the animals featured as puppets) in the original production of The Biggest Little House in the Forest at Children’s Theatre Company in 2010. narrator: It was a beautiful day in the forest. When, all of a sudden . . . narrator discovers a cocoon. The cocoon opens and bernice the butterfly starts stretching her wings. An arpeggio accompanies the action. narrator: A butterfly! bernice: I am Bernice, the butterfly. bernice flies, dreamy, studied, “I am a dancer.” A house appears. bernice: Look at that! A little house! A perfect pretty little house! (bernice tiptoes to the house.) I wonder who lives here? (bernice peeks inside.) The Narrator (Autumn Ness) greets the audience in the world premiere of The Biggest Little House in the Forest by Rosanna Staffa, based on the book by Djemma Bider, in 2010. Photograph by Dan Norman. The Biggest Little House in the Forest 41 narrator: She peeked in and saw no one lived there. bernice: So many weeds! (The house is clearly abandoned. bernice removes the weeds.) It’s a perfect little house for a butterfly. (bernice pushes the door open, cautiously. It’s a dusty house, messy.) Oh, messy. (bernice walks around, sneezing because of the dust.) A-aaa-aachoo!...Excuse me. A little ... hmm ... dusty ... I’ll clean it up! (bernice starts cleaning the house, humming to herself.) bernice sings “I’ll Make My Little House.” bernice: I found a little house A perfect little house for a butterfly It’s where I want to be A perfect little house That’s just for me Sweep the floor. Tra-la-la-la aaachooo! Dust the walls. Tra-la-la-la aaachooo! aaachooo! Cleaning, sweeping, washing, dusting. Cleaning, sweeping, washing, dusting. Cleaning, sweeping washing, dusting. (Breaks into a sneezing fit.) Excuse me. How nice, so nice to have a clean house. So very nice Tra-la-la-la-la-la Just for me. bernice: Perfect! It will be . . . a perfect little house for a butterfly. bernice settles down in a cozy rocker. The fireplace is lit. The house is shiny and clean, and everything is just in the right place. It’s so cozy. Then lights go out on the house. 42 The Biggest Little House in the Forest A noisemaker sound (discretely manipulated by the narrator) announces the arrival of millie the mouse. The narrator looks around, searching. The narrator finds millie in her pocket. narrator: A mouse! millie plays, running over the narrator’s head and shoulders. millie discovers the house and looks in through the window. millie: Oh, a nice little house! A perfect little house! I wonder who lives here! millie rings the doorbell. bernice peeks from the upstairs window. bernice opens the door. millie: Hi! I am Millie the Mouse. bernice: I am Bernice the butterfly. millie: I’m wondering . . . could I live with you in this little house? bernice: Well . . . All right Millie, you’re welcome to stay. millie: Oh, thank you! bernice begins to enter her cozy house. millie opens wide the pocket of her apron, to show the contents. millie: Wait, I have seeds! Want to plant a garden? bernice: Yes! Thank you. millie: Let’s get to work! (bernice and millie find a patch of ground.) Right here. (a beat) Shovel. (narrator provides a shovel.) Thank you. (bernice and millie dig.) Seeds. (millie puts a handful in her mouth, then spits them out, planting the seeds in...