A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Story of Chelm

Short Play, Comedy  /  5w, 11m

Linda Gaye Shapiro

When some heavenly machinery malfunctions, half a bag of foolish souls is dropped in the town of Chelm. They come to life and become obsessed with raising money to build a bathhouse for their shadows, who stubbornly lie in the dust all day long. After a number of moneymaking schemes are bungled, Hea…

A Story of Chelm

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 11m
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Theatre for Young Audiences, Fables/Folktales
  • Suggested Use
    • UIL Approved
    • Competition or audition material
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences, Children (Age 6 - 10), Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13)

Details

Summary

When some heavenly machinery malfunctions, half a bag of foolish souls is dropped in the town of Chelm. They come to life and become obsessed with raising money to build a bathhouse for their shadows, who stubbornly lie in the dust all day long. After a number of moneymaking schemes are bungled, Heaven is forced to intervene in this comedy based on a Yiddish folktale.

History

A Story of Chelm premiered at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in 1983.

Keywords
Performing Groups
BIG G - God as a business man
WINGS - A vice-president of the heavenly firm
FLUNKY - Part of Big G's retinue
SECRETARY - Part of Big G's retinue
REBECCA - A small pretty woman in her early twenties; newly wed
SHLEM - A good-looking but lazy young man who is forever falling asleep
NACHMAN - The old man of the town
JACOB - The rich man of the town; older and fatter than Reisman 
JUDITH - His wife; a status conscious matron
TANEY - Their daughter; a slightly chubby girl of fourteen
SHIKSEY - Also their daughter; a pretty girl of sixteen
RABBI -  A dignified older man
SHAMUS - The temple handyman; curiously nondescript
BRICKMAN - A middleaged shyster businessman
BERGMAN - His cousin, an older shyster businessman

Cross-gender casting is encouraged. Wings and Big G can be either gender.

  • Time Period Not Applicable
  • Setting

    An imaginary shtetl somewhere in Eastern Europe

  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No intermission, Physical Comedy
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

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Authors

Author

Linda Gaye Shapiro

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