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Carrying the Calf by Shirley Barrie play script cover

Carrying the Calf

by Shirley Barrie Canadian Author

A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class. More important than the karate training, the instructor challenges the group to find self-confidence, independence, and to choose their own destiny.

The scenes are linked by katas: the strictly choreographed, powerful sequences of movements that are a central part of karate.

Recommended for High Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 54 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
4 Characters
4 F
Set
Simple Set
Length
35 pages
Free Excerpt

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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

4 Characters

4 F
INDIRA [F] 170 lines
16, of South Asian extraction, has lived in Canada from the age of 5.
SHARON [F] 199 lines
16, born in Canada of West Indian parents.
ANN [F] 117 lines
Pushing 40, white, divorced mother of 4.
FIROZA M [F] 149 lines
Mid-late 20's, originally Ugandan of South Asian extraction, university educated.

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