幼儿英语话剧创作及优化

一、主题的明确性

一个故事讲述一个道理,一台话剧呈现一个主题。任何一个幼儿英语话剧都应该有一个明确的主题,所有情节和剧情的发展变化应该围绕主题展开。幼儿英语话剧的主题的设置应考虑幼儿的情感道德认知水平,与幼儿日常生活活动领域相结合,以此来促进幼儿对话剧主题和语言内容的理解。只有主题明确了,后期的内容创作才有据可依,创作出来的剧本才会完整而充满意义。因此,在创作或改编话剧剧本的时候,首先应该明确该剧本所要表达的主题思想。例如,《狮子与老鼠》(The Lion and the Mouse)这一故事所呈现的主题为Everyone has need of others；《龟兔赛跑》(The Rabbit and the Tortoise)则告诉孩子们这样一个道理：Slow and steady wins the race。Andrew Lang改编的经典话剧《小红帽》(Little Red Riding Hood)所表达的主题Protect myself,而后期这一故事经过了很多次改编,每一次改编都突出了不同的教育主题,如Robert Reed将此经典剧本改编成《小红帽奶奶的秘方》(Granny Red Riding Hood's Secret Recipe)突出另一主题：Never underestimate your grandparents,同样来自经典故事脚本,两种改编创作所表达出来的主题思想却截然不同。

二、情节的连贯性

话剧的各部分情节设计应围绕主题展开,层层递进,确保连贯性。幼儿的认知水平是有限的,因此,在情节设定的时候应考虑幼儿认知水平的特点,每一个情节的设计应该有一定的因果联系。事件的发展应以起因、经过、结果的基本顺序展开,倒叙或者插叙的情节描述对于年龄大一点的孩子来说可以理解,而对于幼儿来说可能会造成认知上的障碍。在转场的时候,如果前后情节无法顺承,那么就需要在前一个情节结尾或者后一个情节开头设置一些联系,如简单的暗示、出现一个新的人物,或者运用新的道具和不同风格的音乐效果配以旁白进行表现。

例如,在下面一篇《给猫系铃铛》(Belling the Cat)的话剧创编文稿中,我们可以看到情节设计中的非连贯性表现：

Cat：I'm hungry,so many mice here,ha...ha...ha,meow!

Mouse 1：The cat is coming.What shall we do?What shall we do?

(Mouse 2 turns over the food plate and escapes in a hurry)(Music)

Mouse 3：Where is the cat?Is the cat coming?

Mouse 1：Wait!Wait!There is still much food.Let's take them!

在这一节对话稿中Mouse 3和Mouse 1之间的对话就欠连贯,Mouse 3的提问在这一对话中没有得到回答,那么我们需要加一个角色以承接Mouse 3的话,因此,我们可以做下面这样的处理,看起来就连贯多了。

Cat：I'm hungry,so many mice here,ha...ha...ha,meow!

Mouse 1：The cat is coming.What shall we do?What shall we do?

(Mouse 2 turns over the food plate and escapes in a hurry)(Music)

Mouse 3：Where is the cat?Is the cat coming?

Mouse 4：Yes,it is!Run!

Mouse 1：Wait!Wait!There is still much food.Let's take them!

又如：

Scene Two：

Mouse 3：Let's put some poison in her water.If she is dead,we will never be afraid of her.

Mouse 4：That sounds a good idea.But,who is brave enough to poison her?

Mouse 1：Let me try!

Mice：Cheer up!You are so brave.

Mouse 1：Thank you.

(While the cat is sleeping,Mouse 1 goes to put poison in her water,and the cat wakes up in a sudden)(Music)

Cat：What did you put in my water?Don't run.

(Mouse 1 escapes in a hurry but is eaten by the cat unfortunately.)

Mouse 2：We should find another way to cope with her.

Mouse 5：I know.I have an idea.And you will agree with me.Let's put a bell on the cat.

Mouse 2：Good idea!

Mouse 3：A bell?It's noisy.

Mouse 5：We can hear the bell so we can escape from the cat!

Mice：Yeah!Good idea!

　　Scene Three：

Mouse 5：Now,who is going to put a bell on the cat?

Mouse 2：Oh,not me!That cat is too big.

Mouse 3：Not me!I'm afraid of the cat.

Mouse 4：Not me!I'm too short to bell the cat.

Mouse 5：Me?OK.Let me try.I can do it.

Mice：It's you!It's you!Great!

...

在这一部分文稿中,情节2 Scene Two和情节3 Scene Three的分段处理不是很到位。情节2中给猫下药的计划落空,又提出了给猫系铃铛的建议,而情节3则是讨论谁给猫系铃铛的话题,相对来说,给猫下药应该是一个完整的情节,从讨论到实施再到失败,应该是一个整体,所以,情节2的结尾部分应该放在情节3的开头,与后面的讨论谁来系铃铛衔接更紧密。

修改后：

Scene Two：

Mouse 3：Let's put some poison in her water.If she is dead,we will never be afraid of her.

Mouse 4：That sounds a good idea.But,who is brave enough to poison her?

Mouse 1：Let me try!

Mice：Cheer up!You are so brave.

Mouse 1：Thank you.

(While the cat is sleeping,Mouse 1 goes to put poison in her water,and the cat wakes up in a sudden)(Music)

Cat：What did you put in my water?Don't run.

(Mouse 1 escapes in a hurry but is eaten by the cat unfortunately.)

Scene Three：

Mouse 2：We should find another way to cope with her.

Mouse 5：I know.I have an idea.And you will agree with me.Let's put a bell on the cat.

Mouse 2：Good idea!

Mouse 3：A bell?It's noisy.

Mouse 5：We can hear the bell so we can escape from the cat!

Mice：Yeah!Good idea!

Mouse 5：Now,who is going to put a bell on the cat?

Mouse 2：Oh,not me!That cat is too big.

Mouse 3：Not me!I'm afraid of the cat.

Mouse 4：Not me!I'm too short to bell the cat.

Mouse 5：Me?OK.Let me try.I can do it.

Mice：It's you!It's you!Great!

三、句式的简短性

幼儿英文话剧文本内容的长度和词汇句型的复杂程度直接影响幼儿对话剧的理解程度和欣赏效果,因此,在创编幼儿英文话剧剧本的时候需要考虑文本和句式的简短性。幼儿英语话剧的对象为幼儿,针对不同年龄段的幼儿,话剧的时间长度有所不同。但是,整体上来说,以10—15分钟为宜。那么,在这样一个时间跨度内,把握好故事的情节数量以及每一情节的时间长度就显得十分重要了。一般来说,以幼儿的接受能力和水平,一台话剧表演,呈现的情节设定为3—4个为宜,每一情节表演时间控制在5分钟左右。因此,在每一情节中,文本内容的长度不宜过长,句式的使用应以简短的句型为主。为了突出英文话剧语言的效果,在幼儿脑海里形成有效的印象,话剧文本的词汇或句式还应该多运用押韵和重叠。

案例一

Cat：I'm hungry,so many mice here,ha...ha...ha,meow!

Mouse 1：The cat is coming,what shall we do?What shall we do?(www.xing528.com)

(Mouse 2 turns over the food plate and escapes in a hurry)(Music)

Mouse 3：Where is the cat?Is the cat coming?

Mouse 4：Yes,it is!Run!

Mouse 1：Wait!Wait!There is still much food.Let's take them!

在这一部分,Mouse 1用两句同样的What shall we do?What shall we do?表现了它的紧张与害怕,采用的就是重叠的表现手法。

案例二

In the jungle,Lion was sleeping.He was taking a nap.A small,furry little creature,a mouse was walking through the jungle not paying any attention to where she was walking.Suddenly,she stepped right on the top of Lion's nose!The Lion woke up with a start and let out a great big“ROAR!”

Then he reached out and he grabbed the little mouse between his paws.The little mouse begged,“Mr.Lion,I didn't mean to step on your nose.Please let me go.”

But the Lion shook his head“No!No!I wouldn't let you go.”

The little mouse begged again,“If you let me go,I promise to be your very best friend and help you whenever you are in need.”

改编成话剧后：

Scene One：(道具上台摆好,音乐起)

Cat：What a nice day today!Let's play some games together.

Rabbit：Yeah,what do you want to play?

Dog：How about the Hawk-and-Chicken?

Rabbit&Cat：That's too boring.Do you have any idea?(对老鼠说)

Mouse：I'd like to play the Hide and Seek.

R.C.D：Great!It's a good idea.Here we go!

Rabbit：But...who's first?

Dog：Let's play paper,scissor and stone.

(石头剪刀布两遍,第一遍全出石头,第二遍老鼠出布,其他的出石头,老鼠赢了)

Mouse：Yeah...I'm the winner,I seek and you hide.Go,go,go to hide.I'm coming.3…2…1…

(老鼠找啊找,找了很多地方,最后,在一棵大树底下发现了一条很像小狗的尾巴,连忙抓住并且大声说道)

Mouse：Ha ha,Doggy,I got you,I got you.Come on,don't hide any more.Get out,you such a fat guy.

(狮子怒吼的声音)

Lion：What are you doing here?Don't you know I'm sleeping?

Mouse：S...S...sorry,sorry,sorry!(小老鼠边搓手边说)

Mouse：It's not my fault.I thought it's dog's tail.

Lion：What?You mean my tail looks like a dog's tail?

Mouse：No,no,no...I didn't mean that.

(狮子很生气,他跳起来并抓住了老鼠的衣领)

Mouse：I'm so sorry,let me go,please.

Lion：No way.

Mouse：I'll do everything you ask me if you let me go.(小老鼠谄媚的做动作,帮狮子捏胳膊,捶背,用屁股推狮子一把)

Lion：Well,I'll think about it.

Mouse：Mr.Lion,you're so handsome.

Lion：I know that,and?

Mouse：You're one in the million.Look at your face(亲一口),so handsome and look at your tail,so long,so strong,so powerful!No one can compare with you in the forest.

Lion：Stop.That's enough.But you did bother me.(狮子用手指着老鼠边走边说)I can't sleep well.So I'll eat you,I'm hungry now.

Mouse：Oh no,please,I'm really,really sorry for that.If you let me go,I promise to be your best friend.

Lion：You?An eensy,teensy,weensy little mouse want to be my friend?You are just joking!(狮子张嘴准备吃老鼠)

Mouse：Oh,please,let me go!(唱)Let me go,let me go,I can be your friend forever；Let me go,let me go,I can be your friend forever；Let me go,let me go,and I will help you whenever in the future.

(老鼠带着狮子翩翩起舞,狮子很享受舞蹈,老鼠趁机逃走)

这一版本在原版的基础上在话剧开头部分增加了一些生活性的内容,使得话剧更契合幼儿日常生活活动。在语言的使用上几乎都采用简短句式。

四、转场的简洁性

话剧的转场是指两个场景或者两个话剧片段之间采用一定的技巧实现场景或情节之间的平滑过渡。幼儿话剧创编的过程中一定要注意其舞台表演的可操作性,换句话说就是转场的简洁性。迅速而简洁的转场能够保持幼儿对整个话剧节目的专注力,吸引幼儿跟随话剧表演顺利进入下一个情节。那么,在做幼儿英语话剧转场设计的时候要注意场景或情节之间的联系以及角色和道具的上下场顺序。如果前后场景之间无直接的实物承接,那么就需要借助于旁白进行过渡。

案例

Scene One：

Queen：Hunter!Go to find Snow White and kill her.

Hunter：But she is the princess.

Queen：Kill her,bring her heart to me.

Hunter：Oh,oh,ok.

Scene Two：

Hunter：Oh!Help,help,help me.

Snow White：I heard someone needs help,where are you?

Hunter：Here I am,please help me.

Snow White：You look hurt.Let me give you a hand.

Hunter：What kind of a beautiful girl,your stepmother let me kill you,but you're so kind.I can't kill you,you can go anywhere you want to go.Never come back,please!

Snow White：But if you let me go,how can you escape my stepmother.

Hunter：It doesn't matter,I will take a bear's heart to her.

Snow White：Thank you very much,goodbye!

Hunter：Bye bye!

Scene Three：

Narrator：Snow White,tired and hungry,met the seven dwarfs.

Dwarf1：Who are you?Why are you here?

Snow White：I'm Snow White.My stepmother wants to kill me.Please help me!Let me stay with you.

...

在节选的这一部分改编后的《白雪公主和七个小矮人》(Snow White and Seven Dwarfs)的幼儿英语话剧中,有两次转场,看似内容不多,但是转场中需要考虑的却很多。按照情节设定,Scene One结束后,话剧的整体背景发生了变化,由皇宫背景转换为森林背景。王后下场,猎人从皇宫场景进入森林场景,白雪公主出场。三个重要人物的场景转换如果中间没有任何语言交代的话,话剧的整体表现就不够自然流畅。因此,在Scene One和Scene Two中间增加旁白的内容显得尤为必要。Scene Two和Scene Three之间加入了旁白“The snow white,tired and hungry,met the seven dwarfs.”将情节交代得更完整,使整个事件发生的层次感更加清晰。