4301 Van Buren St.  University Park,  MD  20782      301-927-5599   

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"Fantastic!  My students loved it!"
- Roosevelt School

Story Board




"There's a land that you and I can live in, past the mountains keeping us apart.  We can get there just by building bridges, from hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart...come along and step into the future..."

-excerpt from Building Bridges

 

Pre show: A puppeteer/music teacher teaches the audience the chorus of the show's peace anthem "Building Bridges" with hand gestures. A CD of the show's two main songs, as well as lyric charts, are supplied to the school at no charge as part of the pre and post-show lesson plan package.
Listen to "Building Bridges"!

View Instructional Video for teaching "Building Bridges"
We meet Dysseus and his grandmother. He has a squabble with his brother over a comic book and writes in his journal after his grandmother warns him about Squeaky, one of his classmates.
Justine and her father discuss her science project, and Justine tells her father about trouble she's been having with Angel, a classmate. Her father assures her that he will talk to the other child's parents if things do not improve.
On the bus, we meet Squeaky, Reggie, Angel and Mack the bus driver. Angel and Justine have a problem as do Squeaky and the bus driver. Dysseus expresses admiration for Squeaky, and Justine voices her frustration with Angel.
In class, Reggie leads the audience and his classmates in the song "I'm Special, You're Special". We see him as a class clown as he takes multiple bows after his performance.

Listen to a song from the show!
Mrs. Burnett talks to the class about peer mediation, the four steps of conflict resolution, and has the students journal about their heroes of non-violence: Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Gandhi, etc.
At chorus practice, Justine and Dysseus sing a solo during "Building Bridges".
In the cafeteria, Justine and Angel continue to have problems, and Squeaky takes Reggie's hat. This scene is performed as a Rap operetta.
On the playground, Justine and Angel are prevented from having a fight by Mrs. Burnett, who takes them to peer mediation. Reggie and Squeaky also end up in peer mediation following a disagreement about Reggie's hat.
In peer mediation, the girls come to an agreement and sign a contract stating the boundaries of their new relationship.
At the mall, Justine and Angel meet and find a common ground, and the source of a new friendship.
The science projects are due. Reggie has a comic scene with his bridge made of cooking pans. Justine and Dysseus, working together, present the show finale, a big, visual production telling the story of how cats and dogs learn to live together. This scene features a reprise with an audience sing-along of "Building Bridges".
Listen to "Building Bridges"! 

"Super. Kids loved it, staff enjoyed it. It was great that the kids knew the song in advance! My first time seeing it! Excellent! Please come again!!"
 -Sunset Elementary

*This production requires a space 21 feet wide and a ceiling height of 11 feet. Puppets are viewed at 6 feet from ground. Children sit on floor (or chairs) and the first row is 8 feet from stage. An aisle is required in the audience. Max audience size: 400*.

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4301 Van Buren St.  University Park,  MD  20782      301-927-5599