Featuring Cultural Role Models from
Around the World

Character role models can be found imbedded in folklore, legends, biographies and stories from many nations around the globe. Some have stood the test of time, others were so remarkable they deserve to be told and retold. Bringing these stories to life through drama ensures that the stories become memory-builders.

A GERMAN CHRISTMAS

A widow and her two children find themselves homeless just days before Christmas. After finding an abandoned building to call their home, they soon discover that an old man has claimed the same dwelling. Two guardian angels overseeing the conflict go to work in order to entwine the lives of both the man and the family in the most fulfilling ways imaginable.

THE CRANE’S GRATITUDE

A favorite folktale from Japan tells the story of a poor childless woodcutter and his wife living in the woods on the outskirts of a small town in the cold of winter. During one of his wood-cutting trips, the old man finds a crane caught in a thicket. He takes the time to untangle the creature and then lets it go free. Later that week, his kindness is tested again when a young lady knocks on the door of the old couple’s cottage, needing a place to stay on a snowy night. Consistently, the couple give and give some more when opportunities arise. As the story completely unfolds, it becomes apparent that the couple were being tested and then rewarded unbeknownst to them.

SMALL THINGS

This story, featuring cultural aspects of India, depicts Mother Teresa as she became aware of the suffering of the street people of Calcutta while she worked in a girls’ school. Being a nun, she had made a vow of poverty. How could she help when she had nothing? This incredible story unfolds as Mother Teresa steps out of the monastery anyway into a new life on the streets of Calcutta, and discovers that she didn’t need a large bank account or even skills in health care. She gave herself and used small items that she found to make a huge difference for the people she met. Her message: “Do Small Things With Great Love.” The scripts and music are royalty-free and can be copied for all students in one performance. All we ask is that you not share the scripts with other performing groups.