ACT 50th Anniversary Script
Actor 1: Good Afternoon! We’re students from the Bessie Carmichael Elementary and Middle School.
Actor 2: And we just wanted to say: You’re Welcome!
Actor 3: We mean, you’re welcome to ACT!
At ACT Words and music by Peter Sroka
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Welcome to the theater,
the historic Geary Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
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Sit back and relate
to the stories we create,
Let the stage become your gate at A.C.T.
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The American Conservatory Theater
is the company that brought us here today,
to this 1910 one thousand forty seater.
It's the place where you are about to celebrate 50 years.
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Welcome to the theater,
The historic Geary Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
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The script is where we start,
then the process shapes the art.
Everybody plays a part at A.C.T.
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The American Conservatory Theater,
Imagination can become reality.
Words and sound and light trigger your feelings.
A kind of magic happens here that you will see on this stage.
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Welcome to the theater,
the historic Geary Theater!
Thank you for coming to A.C.T
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Actor 4: This year, just like the 3rd year MFA students, we worked on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.
Actor 5: “Good Sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself!”
Actor 6: Which means: Stop bullying me, sis.
Actor 5: “If I be waspish, best beware my sting!”
Actor 6: Which means, Don’t mess with me!
Actor 4: We got inspired by Shakespeare’s text and we wrote some original scenes based on the play.
Actor 2: And then we wrote a rap.
Actor 3: We wrote a rhyme.
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ALL: About "The Taming of the Shrew"
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The Perfect Mate
by the students of Galing Bata in grades 4/5/6
This is the story called Taming of the Shrew,
It’s an old, old story that isn’t very new,
It’s about two sisters who fought like cats,
Their father didn’t know what to do with those brats.
Baptista was a father who was very rich,
Katerina was his daughter and they thought she was a witch,
Bianca, the younger one, they thought she was nice,
But little did they know she was cold as ice.
Suddenly 4 men walked into their life,
3 of them wanted Bianca for their wife,
But Baptista said, “Hold on, who will marry Kate?”
Petruchio said, “I will, she’ll make the perfect mate!”
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Money, money, money, money, money, money, money!
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Actor 5: We'd like to close our set today with a song that celebrates art history.
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Actor 6: In fact, one of the artists mentioned in the song performed on this very stage back in the day.
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Harlem Renaissance words and music by Peter Sroka
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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My name is Louis of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a musician of the Harlem Renaissance.
Louis Armstrong, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Ella of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a singer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Ella Fitzgerald, scoobie doo-bop-bop-bop-bop.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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My name is Langston of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a poet of the Harlem Renaissance.
Langston Hughes, “It was a long time ago.”
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Josephine of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a dancer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Josephine Baker, wa-wa-wa-wa-wa!
I am one of many artists of those days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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My name is Bill of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a dancer too, of the Harlem Renaissance.
Bill Bojangles Robinson, tap-tap-tap-tap.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Paul of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was an actor of the Harlem Renaissance.
Paul Robeson, “OH DESDEMONA!”
I am one of many artists of these days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. 3 X
Yes, we are the artists of Harlem, New York City.
Harlem Renaissance!
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All: That's all folks!
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At ACT (reprise)
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Sit back and relate to the stories we create,
Thank you for coming to A.C.T!