Hänsel und Gretel

Hänsel und Gretel – Theaterstück
Die Figuren
der Erzähler - Omar
die Eule – Amanda
Shadow puppets
Hänsel -Jeff
Gretel - Princess
der Vater – Ryan
die Stiefmutter - Courtney
Marionetten
Hexe – Ryan
Hänsel – Jeff Gretel – Princess/ Courtney
die Zuschauer im Publikum
Szene eins: Vor der Bühne
This is the first part of the opening scene. Its main function is to introduce the story to the children and establish a
positive rapport with them. It focuses on the narrator and the owl. Some German words are introduced in this scene.
NOTE: Whenever the BOLD words appear in the text, a premade sign with that word must be held up to help the
children learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job to do this.
Erzähler: (Erzähler must be visible to the children) Hallo Kinder, my name is Omar. How are you
today? (wait for answer). Who knows the story of “Hänsel and Gretel”? (wait for answer),
Today you will see the play “Hänsel and Gretel” -- but in German. Before we start
though, I need some help from my friend Hedwig. Hedwig is a Eule. Kinder, would you
like to meet the Hedwig? (wait for answer). Oh Hedwig. . .
Eule: (Eule’s eyes light up, when she is involved in a scene) Hallo Omar, Hallo Kinder.
Erzähler: Hallo, Hedwig!
Eule: Hallo, Kinder, my name is Hedwig. (Open Curtain during the next sentence of Eule – first scene
behind the curtain will be the shadow puppets) I live in the woods here with Hänsel and Gretel. You
see, Kinder, Hänsel and Gretel come from Germany, so they speak German. Hey Omar,
do these Kinder speak German?
Erzähler: I don’t know, Hedwig. Kinder, can you speak German? (wait for answer). Well,
before we start the play, Hedwig and I will show you how easy it is to learn German – by
letting you learn some words in German. Are you ready, Kinder? (wait for answer). Are
you ready, Hedwig?
Eule:
I sure am Omar. Kinder, repeat after me: JA!
(Erzähler holds up sign and waits for
answer).
Erzähler: JA! means “yes,” Kinder. So when you want to say “yes,” what do you say,
Kinder? (JA!) (hold up sign and wait for answer).
Eule: See Kinder, German is easy. Are you ready for yet another word, Kinder? (wait and
help with JA! answer). The opposite of JA! Kinder - is NEIN! . Repeat after me: NEIN!
(Erzähler holds up sign and waits for answer).
Erzähler: NEIN! Means “no,” Kinder. So when you want to say “no,” what do you
say? (NEIN!) And when you want to say “yes”? (JA!) (holds up sign and waits for answer).
Eule: Prima Kinder. Now - are you ready to see the show? (JA! Wait and help with answer).
Remember, it is in German, so listen closely. (Eule’s eyes dim and the Erzähler turns toward the puppet
theater.)
Szene Zwei im Wald
(Daytime Forest Szene)
Szene Zwei is a continuation of the Szene eins with more German in a background review of Hänsel and Gretel. It
again includes the narrator and the owl. The first of the three movement-association words is introduced in this Szene.
NOTE: whenever words in the text are in BOLD, a premade sign with that word must be held up to help the children
learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job to do this.
Szene setting: A white piece of paper is hung before the stage and a lap will shine onto it from the back. The cut out
shadow puppets will enter the stage when indicated.
Erzähler: (Erzähler must be visible to children while pretending to read from book) Es war einmal ein
Vater (Vater pops up) und eine Stiefmutter (Stiefmutter pops up). Sie lebten in einem Haus im
WALD.
Eule: (Eule’s eyes light up.) Hallo, Kinder! Do you remember me? (JA! wait and help with answer).
It’s your friend Hedwig. Do you want to learn yet another German word? (JA! wait and help
with answer). In German, WALD means forest. Can you say WALD Kinder? (wait while
Erzähler holds up sign).
Erzähler: When you hear the word WALD, Kinder, we are going to put our arms
together up over our heads to look like a tree so we can make a great big forest.
Eule: So, Kinder, what word do we say when we do this . . . (Erzähler und Teilnehmer make the
tree movement and help children remember WALD for answer).
Erzähler: Where do Hänsel und Gretel live, Kinder?
(WALD, help with answer, make movement).
Eule: Good job, Kinder! Let’s get back to the story . . . (Eule’s eyes turn off).
Erzähler: Also, Vater und Stiefmutter lebten in einem Haus. (Shadow puppets are moved when
names are mentioned again) Sie hatten zwei Kinder. Der Sohn heißt Hänsel (Hänsel pops up). Die
Tochter heißt Gretel (Gretel pops up). Die Famile hatte kein Essen. Hänsel und Gretel hatten
Hunger.
Eule:
(Eule’s eyes light up)
Hallo, Omar. Hallo, Kinder.
Erzähler: Hallo again, Hedwig!
Eule: Kinder, what’s happening in the story now? Does the family not have a TV?
(NEIN help with answer erzähler and teilnehmer participate also) Does the family not have a boat? (NEIN
. . .) Oh, I know, Kinder. -- They have no food (JA . . .) Ok, Kinder. I’m flying back to my
tree to watch the rest of the show. Bye, Omar. Bye, Kinder. (Eule’s eyes dim).
Erzähler: (with help from children) Bye, Hedwig. -- Kinder, let’s see what happens now as
the story begins. (exits).
Szene Drei: mit dem Elternhaus)
This is the first scene with the other puppets and their lines. It is the beginning of the story. It is set at night time in the
family’s house before they must journey into the woods the next morning – still being portrayed by the shadow
puppets. The second of the movement-association words is used in this Szene, along with an appearance from EULE.
NOTE: Whenever the bold words in the text appear, a premade sign with that word must be held up to help the
children learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job to do this.
Vater: Was sollen wir tun? Wir haben kein Essen und kein Geld. (Vater cries AAAH!).
Steifmutter: Morgen GEHEN wir mit den Kindern in den WALD und lassen sie da.
Aber jetzt müssen wir ins Bett.(Der Vater und die Stiefmutter exit)
(Eule’s eyes light up and Erzähler appears)
Eule: Hallo, Kinder! Did you hear the word WALD?
(help make movement for the forest and wait
for answer and help with JA response).
Erzähler: Kinder, do you want to learn another German word? (help with JA response)
GEHEN Kinder - means to walk in German. Can you say GEHEN,
Kinder? (hold up sign). When we hear the word GEHEN, Kinder, we are going to hold our
hand out like a road and use our fingers as feet to walk across it, like this (Erzähler shows
movement like “letting fingers do the walking”). So -- what do we say when we do this? (make
movement and help repeating the word).
(Eule’s eyes dim and Erzähler turns back toward the stage) (Hänsel and Gretel pop out)
Hänsel: Gretel, Papa hat gesagt, dass er uns morgen im WALD (pause, der Erzähler helps with
motion) lässt. Was sollen wir tun?
Gretel: Ich werde mir etwas ausdenken. Aber jetzt schlafen wir. Gute Nacht, Hänsel.
(yawns).
Hänsel: Gute Nacht, Gretel. (yawns).
(Both appear to lie down) (Eules’s eyes light up and Erzähler turns to the audience) – curtain closes - the shadow play
is over and the scene change is happening behind the closed curtain. Next image – forest, nothing but trees. Curtain
stays closed.
Eule: Hallo, Kinder! Where are the Vater and the Stiefmutter planning on leaving
Hänsel und Gretel tomorrow? Will they leave them in Disney World? (help with NEIN
answer). Or maybe on the beach? (help with NEIN answer). Oh I know. The Vater and the
Stiefmutter will leave Hänsel and Gretel in the forest (help with JA answer). What was the
German word for “forest” again, Kinder? (help with WALD answer and make movement).
Erzähler: Let’s see what happens in the morning, Kinder . . .
(Eule’s eyes dim and Erzaehler turns back toward the stage – the curtain opens)
Szene Vier – Im Wald bei Tageslicht
This Szene takes place during the walk into the forest the following morning. This Szene contains the most German so
far in the story with a brief appearance by Eule at the end. NOTE: whenever the bold words in the text appear, a
premade sign with that word must be held up to help the children learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job to do
this.
Scene setting: a forest backdrop – Hänsel and Gretel are on stage, carrying their chunk of bread. While walking,
Hänsel drops bread out of his pocket) ( *see if possible with marionettes*)
Erzähler: In the morning – the Vater divided the last loaf of bread they had into four
equal pieces and gave both Hänsel and Gretel a piece, gave one to the step mum and kept
one for himself. They set off walking into the forest but soon get separated.
Vater:
(Voice comes from off stage)
Laß uns in den WALD GEHEN (pause, Erzähler helps with the two
motions).
Hänsel:
Ich habe einen Plan. Ich streue das Brot, während wir GEHEN.
Teilnehmer helps with motion). Dann, können wir den Weg züruckfinden.
(to Gretel)
(pause,
Gretel: Gute Idee, Hänsel.
(They walk for a while longer. Moon drops down to indicate night – Ryan responsible – since he is backstage but is not
yet playing- if okay with Ryan?)
(Waldszene in der Nacht)
Erzähler: (voice only) . . . and Hänsel und Gretel didn’t know where to go anymore.
The moon had risen and they had walked all day. They were hungry, thirsty and very
tired. Finally, they couldn’t walk any further, and fell asleep under a large tree.
(Hänsel and Gretel lie down *see if this works with marionettes – curtains stay open) (Erzähler turns to audience and
Eule’s eyes light up)
Eule: Hallo, Kinder, what’s happening now? Was Hänsel leaving a trail of bread because
he wanted to eat it later? ( help with NEIN answer) Was he leaving a trail of bread for the forest
animals to eat? (help with NEIN answer) Oh, I know, he was leaving the trail of bread crumbs
so that he and Gretel could find their way back to Vater and Stiefmutter! (help with JA answer)
Oh Kinder, I think Hänsel and Gretel are waking up. (The puppets start to get up and strech) Let’s
get back to the story.
(Erzähler turns back to the stage and Eule’s eyes dim – pull moon back up)
\
Szene Fünf - Waldszene bei Tageslicht
This scene is set in the morning in the forst. The father and stepmum are still nowhere to be found. Hänsel and Gretel
are confused, eventually decide to try to find their way home but get lost. NOTE: whenever the bold words in the text
appear, a premade sign with that word must be held up to help children learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job
to do this.
Gretel: Wo sind Vater und Stiefmutter?
Hänsel: Ich weiss es nicht. Lass uns hier auf sie warten.
(Erzähler turns to the children)
Erzähler: Hänsel and Gretel wait for Vater and Stiefmutter to come until it got dark, but
there was still no sign of their parents. They fell asleep and now – in the morning of the
next day, the parents still are nowhere to be found. What do you think? Should they walk
home, Kinder? (help with ja or nein answer)
Gretel: Hänsel, ich kann nicht mehr warten. Ich habe Hunger und Angst und ich will
nach Hause gehen.
Hänsel: Ok, gehen wir.
(While Erzähler is talking, Hansel und Gretel act out the motions of walking.)
Erzähler: Hänsel agrees to trying to find their way home. He still hopes that their
parents will come and find them. Hänsel and Gretel start to walk back to their house but it
is dark and the hungry birds have eaten the bread trail that Hänsel left. Hänsel and Gretel
walked deeper and deeper into the forest.
Szene 6 - Waldszene horus later
This scene is set hours later – after a long walk. It is focused on Hänsel und Gretel, with the introduction of the Hexe.
The last of the movement association words is introduced here. NOTE: whenever the bold words in the text appear, a
premade sign with that word must be held up to help the children learn the word. Usually it is the Erzähler’s job to do
this.
Hänsel: (in a whiny voice) Ich habe Hunger. (the gingerbread house is being lowered on strings and placed in
the far right corner of the stage)
Gretel: Dann nehmen wir diesen Weg und …
Hänsel: (interrupting her) Guck mal! Ein Haus!
(They start running towards the house and begin eating the
candy off of it)
Erzähler: Hänsel und Gretel get very excited, for this is not an ordinary house. This
house is made of gingerbread decorated with all types of delicious candy and icing.
Imagine a house, Kinder, where the windows look like glass but are made of sugar and
the smoke stack is made of chocolate!
Hexe: (calling from offstage) Knusper, knusper, Knäuschen! Wer knuspert an meinem
Häuschen?
Hänsel und Gretel: Der Wind, der Wind, das himmlische Kind!
(They laugh and keep eating as the witch walks on the stage. The children gasp) (Eule’s eyes light up and
Erzähler turns to the audience)
Eule: Kinder, Kinder…it is a HEXE! Kinder do you know what a HEXE is? A HEXE is
the German word for a witch. So when you hear the word HEXE, we are going to act like
a witch, like this… (Erzähler und Teilnehemer show motion, show sign)
Erzähler: So Kinder, whose house are Hänsel and Gretel eating? (help with HEXE answer and
hold up sign)
Eule: Do you think Hänsel and Gretel can trust the HEXE? (help with NEIN answer and hold up
sign) Good job, Kinder. Now let’s see what Hänsel and Gretel do …(Eule’s eyes dim and
Erzähler turns back to the stage.)
Hexe: Ei, ihr lieben Kinder, kommt herein und bleibt bei mir.
Hänsel: Gehen wir, Gretel, vielleicht hat sie gutes Essen und warme Betten.
Gretel: (hesitantly) OK… (follows Hänsel).(Curtains close – scene change. The next scene will be in the witch’s
kitchen) Eule und Erzähler speak in the meantime (Eule’s eyes light up and the Erzähler turns to the audience)
Eule: Hallo Kinder. Hänsel and Gretel went with the witch. They decided to go into her
house. Do you think that was a good idea for Hänsel and Gretel to go inside this house?
(help with NEIN answer) That’s right, Kinder, because she is a mean HEXE (help with movement
and hold up the sign) and she wants to eat Hänsel and Gretel !
Erzähler: Kinder, Hänsel and Gretel don’t know that the HEXE (help with the motion,sign) is
mean and wants to eat them. You have to warn them, OK? Ok, Kinder, help Hänsel and
Gretel. Lets yell HEXE! Maybe Hänsel and Gretel hear us before its too late! (help with
HEXE movement and hold up the sign) (While kids yell HEXE, the curtain opens again. The Erzähler turns back to
the stage and Eule’s eyes dim.)
Szene sieben - Im Hexenhaus
This scene starts as the children enter the house. It is brief, but mostly in German. There is much action needed by the
puppets here, along with enthusiasm. NOTE: when the bold words in the text appear, hold up the corresponding
premade sign.
Scene setting: On stage – we see the inside of the house – the kitchen. A kettle hangs down from the back of the stage,
the oven is on the right of the stage and the cage on the left.
Hexe: (in an evil laugh) Ha, Ha, Ha ! Ihr dummen Kinder! Jetzt habe ich euch! (The witch throws
Hänsel in a cage and send Gretel to the kettle, to start cooking)
Hexe (to Gretel) Du musst mir im Haus putzen und kochen helfen und deinem Bruder viel
zu Essen bringen.
(Gretel cooks, brings Hänsel food and starts to sweep the floor. *see if possible with marionettes)
(Marionettes act out Eule’s words. Eule’s eyes light up)
Eule: Kinder – the witch forced poor Gretel to cook fattening food for Hänsel - every day
– and feed it to him. In the evenings, the witch would demand Hänsel to stick his finger
through the cage door to see how much fatter he had gotten already.
Erzähler: Hänsel was clever. He knew that the witch had poor eye sight, and he tricked
her every evening. Instead of his finger, he stuck a little chicken bone through the cage
door and every evening, the witch came to the same conclusion: Hänsel still was not yet
fit to be eaten!
Eule: Kinder: Hänsel is smart JA? (help with the JA motion)
Erzähler: But one evening – Kinder – the witch grew impationed:
Hexe: Dein Bruder wird nie dick! Ich will ihn jetzt essen! Los Gretel, mach ein Feuer im
Ofen und koch ihn für mich.
Erzähler: and the witch decided to have Gretel cook Hänsel for her...right now.
Eule: Gretel went to light the oven, but hoping to save her brother and herself from the
Hexe -- she made a plan…
Szene Acht - Im Hexenhaus -- mit Feuer
This scene is the last scene of the play. It is a continuation of szene 7, starting with Gretel by the fire. It is relatively
brief, ending with Erzähler und Eule. Note: Whenever the bold words in the text appear, hold up its corresponding
premade sign. Its generally the Erzählers job to do this.
Gretel: HEXE, (pause, hold up sign, Teilnehmer help with movement) ich weiss nicht, was ich
machen soll.
Hexe: (approaching fire) Dummes Mädchen! Wie oft hast du schon den Ofen angezündet!
(Marionettes act what Eule says)
Eule: The Hexe opened the oven door and stuck her head in to show Gretel how to light
the oven correctly, when Gretel came up from behind the HEXE -- pushed her head first
into the now lit oven and -- closed the door.
Hexe: Aiyyyyyy!!
[falls through the oven door and disappears]
Gretel: (running over to Hänsel) Die HEXE (pause, help with movement, sign) ist tot! Die
HEXE (pause, help with movement, sign) ist tot! Wir sind frei!
Hänsel: Gut gemacht, Gretel! Gehen wir nach Hause…
Erzähler: When they were leaving the house of the HEXE, Hänsel und Gretel found
chests full of gold and pearls in the house.
(the curtains close)
Eule: They took as much of the gold and the pearls as they could carry and walked back
home to their fathers house. This time they found their way back out of the forest easily.
Erzähler: Their father was overjoyed to see them. He had not had a moment of
happiness since the Stiefmutter and him had left the children in the forest. The
Stiefmutter had long since died.
Eule: And thanks to all of the jewels and gold that Hänsel and Gretel had brought home
from the house of the HEXE , they lived together happily ever after and never had to go
hungry again.
(curtains open again: Only Hänsel and Gretel are on stage with the forest back drop.)
Erzähler: Well, Kinder, I sure liked that story… did you? (help with JA answer, hold sign) Oh –I
see Hänsel and Gretel have returned to the stage, just one last time - Since they only
speak German, do you want to tell them all the word of their language that you learned
today? JA (help with movement, words, and signs)
JA! NEIN! WALD! GEHEN! HEXE!
Eule: Good job, Kinder. See how happy you have made Hänsel and Gretel by learning
their language and how easy and fun it was? Hänsel and Gretel now have a special treat
for you – to thank you for learning so many words of their language! We hope you will
enjoy it! Have a good day…TSCHÜSS! (waves good bye and have Hänsel and Gretel wave good bye as
well)
Eule: TSCHÜSS, Kinder!