The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer’s classic collection of tales come to life in the brilliant full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Under the direction of Catherine Grootenboer , the drama team at St. Columba Anglican School in Port Macquarie NSW, Australia went on a journey into the distant medieval past, while keeping the message relevant and relatable to today’s audience: “It was a great introduction to Medieval Theatre storytelling. Easy to break up into sections and rehearse. Some very funny scenes – great to show that even though we feel like we are so different from people in the past, we aren’t!”

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For….Cross-curricular. Cross-curricular is a magic word for many admins and quite frankly there’s a good reason for that. Here in the 21st century we no longer live in an isolated world and students shouldn’t be taught in isolation. What we do in the drama classroom has always had implications outside of the drama classroom and it’s time to showcase that connection. If you want students to increase their critical thinking skills, their communication skills, and their collaboration skills, reach out across department lines! You can do plays that will interest your history department, english department, social studies, technology and more. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think. All the best with your search!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in the brilliant full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? The original text of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer can be a bear to get through. Old English is not fun. I had to take an Old English course in university at 8:30 in the morning. It was not my best work. But these tales have always stayed with me, mostly because once you get beyond the language the characters and the stories are actually… fun. Some of them are more than fun, they’re downright bawdy. I knew The Canterbury Tales would make great stage material filled with interesting characters and a wide variety of stories. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A lively, raucous, storytelling romp. With love, death, and no rhyme for orange. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The ensemble of pilgrims, all unique but all on the same path. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s all about the characters. There’s little set, no special effects, and it can be done with next to no lighting or sound. Make those characters three-dimensional with specific physicality and vocal variety. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Sure it’s cross-curricular but the characters are so much fun. That’s the selling point.

Great characters, lots of humour, strong ensemble work and a lively adaptation of a classic collection. Lindsay Price’s The Canterbury Tales is all that – and so much more. Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in a brilliant full-length adaptation. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. The student performers at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California all had the chance to shine – as they tackled this comedic adaptation from top to bottom, giving their own unique twist on the production: “We opened The Canterbury Tales last night and it went SO well! This show was 100% designed and built by students: sets, costumes, props, lighting, sound, publicity, stage management, and run crew.”

Are you looking for a great ensemble piece that gives every performer a chance to shine? Look no further than the classical adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price, where Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Co-directed by Kimberly Schooley and Bronwyn Wyngaard the students from Bishop Mackenzie International School in Lilongwe, Malawi were all able to take part and shine throughout this production, showcasing their talents and involving everyone from beginning to end: “The Canterbury Tales was the perfect play for a large, combined middle and high school cast in our international school in Malawi, known as “the Warm Heart of Africa.” The individual tales provided manageable parts for less experienced actors, and the pilgrim roles gave my more experienced students a wonderful platform to polish their skills. I was even able to include the extra students that auditioned by doubling some characters (the best was Death cast as two creepy old women played by a boy and a girl wandering around the stage together and speaking in unison). The costuming and set design we did as an afterschool activity on its own, which included even more student ownership of the process. I have directed many of Theatrefolk’s scripts, because they are wonderfully written with children in mind, while at the same time providing the adults in the room with plenty of sophisticated and not so sophisticated laughs. The audience reception for our two-night run was overwhelmingly positive. Thanks, Theatrefolk and Lindsay!”

Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in the brilliant full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. There are great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Led by director, Jeff Marontate , the students at Vincent Massey Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario had a great time taking on this fun-filled classical adaptation. Great sets, great students, great success! “We had so many students audition for the play that we expanded the number of cast members, and added a (silent) nun to accompany our Prioress. The show was great fun, and the kids had a blast!”

Cheers to the classics! In the brilliant full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price, Chaucer’s classic collection of tales come to life. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. With a script that uses modern English text, this play offers great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Under the guidance and direction of Drama Teacher (and Theatrefolk playwright!), Michael Calderone, the talented student group at Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut successfully brought this cross-curricular classical adaptation to life. From directors to cast members to the stage manager, there was a definite cohesive community feel to this production. “Lindsay Price’s The _Canterbury Tales_ was just the right script for our winter slot, traditionally our one-act production. The one-acts allows for us to rehearse small, complete scenes independently of each other and then bring them together for the production weekend. The difficulty was finding a script, author or theme that could tie the desperate acts together and not have the appearance of completely random scenes. The Chair of our English Department suggested we look at Canterbury Tales which would tie in nicely with the 10th grade English curriculum. After searching the internet for various versions I came across Lindsay’s which, luckily for us, was neither too simple or sophomoric, nor was it too lofty as the Royal Shakespeare version. It was the perfect length, struck the right tone, and satisfied everything needed for our one-acts slot. I was able to cast the individual stories considering everyone’s schedules and abilities, from those who hadn’t had stage time in the past to those who had a few shows under their belts. Lindsay reduced the number of “pilgrims” from the original Chaucer into a manageable ensemble who be came both storytellers and a neat tie-in to the production as a whole. These roles in my production went to our stalwart drama kids who had the time and the experience to carry the important role of holding the show together. The biggest question from the English Department was if the Miller’s Tale was included in the play; and to their joy and fear I told them that it was. But, don’t fear, Lindsay’s version is tame enough for the youngest of audience members yet suggestive enough to give those in the know a good laugh. Long story, short: Lindsay’s script ticked off many boxes for our school production. The English Department felt validated, the audience enjoyed themselves and, most importantly, the students had a great time!”

If you’re looking for a classical adaptation with great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work, keep reading! In the lively, full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price, Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life – in modern day English! Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script – and the talented students at Firm Foundation Christian School in Battle Ground, WA all shone brightly. Thanks so much to Dori Millay and Ada Henderson for sharing their story: “We recently performed The Canterbury Tales. Being a small, private school, with limited staging and students, it can be difficult to find plays that work for us. This play was fabulous!! Our group of 10 actors each got to play a variety of parts. We had a wonderful response from our audiences; lots of laughter!! I’m so glad that I stumbled upon this play!! I’ll be checking the Theatrefolk website next year when planning begins!” Amazing job, Firm Foundation Christian School!

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About…Classical Adaptations! Who’s looking for a little arts integration? How about some cross-curriculum? Or how about a great story turned into a great play. It’s time for ten classical adaptations. Adaptations are my favourite type of play to write. It’s an intriguing challenge to take a story in one form and determine what will make it a theatrical experience. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Shuddersome: Tales of Poe Original: Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe Not only our most popular adaptations, but one of our most popular plays! Specters, ghosts and ghouls come alive in this vivid theatrical vision of Edgar Allan Poe’s best works including: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death. Hamlette/Mmmbeth Original: Hamlet & Macbeth by William Shakespeare The first of many of Shakespeare adaptations. We’ve paired Hamlette and Mmmbeth together because they make for a hilarious evening of theatre. Imagine if you will that “Hamlet” was not “Hamlet” at all, but “Hamlette” – a woman! Great for competitions. AND in Mmmbeth everything goes wrong. The witches take over the storytelling, Queen Duncan would rather open a donut franchise than die, Lady M’s a bloodthirsty June Cleaver, and the murderers are preoccupied with creating a commercial for their services. Introduce your students to the world of the Bard with these parodies. Will and Whimsy Original: Sonnets by William Shakespeare Shakespeare was meant to be performed, not read. This vignette play does that by bring his sonnets to life. Modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text. Mix and match the sonnets to your whimsy! Lord of the Pies Original: Lord of the Flies by William Golding In this parody piece a pie shop erupts into panic after Franny, a brash cat-lady, announces the arrival of the apocalypse. SHe starts to reconstruct society and takes out anyone who stands in her way with baby food and scotch tape. Drum Taps Original: Drum Taps by Walt Whitman The poems in Drum Taps represent Walt Whitman’s first hand account of the Civil War. See the words, the emotion, the blood come to life in this theatrical adaptation. This is not your typical poetry reading. This is war. Alice/Through The Looking Glass Original: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll These two make excellent theatrical companion pieces. Both are one-act adaptations of the famous novels by Lewis Carroll. They follow Alice’s adventures down the rabbit hole and across the life-sized chess game. Fantastical physical journeys! The Canterbury Tales Original: *The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer* Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life! A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. Each and every performer gets a chance to shine in this spirited, charming script. Text uses modern English. Pandora’s Fire Original: Pandora’s Box, Ancient Greek Myth Everybody knows the story of Pandora. Her curiosity got the better of her and she is to blame for releasing all the ills into the world. But is that the whole story? Pandora’s Fire is a wonderful mix of Ancient Greek choral storytelling with a modern twist. Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark Original: Hamlet by William Shakespeare Denmark is plagued with zombies led by Hamlet’s uncle/step-father, the current king. Will Hamet become a zombie himself? A gruesomely comic adaptation of the Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, this version blends original text with new, zombified dialogue – written in iambic pentameter! The Tragicomedy of Julia Caesar Original: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Sarah and Dave think it would be fun to direct a play for drama club. And they both love Julius Caesar. What could go wrong? Oh, a post-death dance number, Brutus is allergic to peanut butter, Rome is now Georgia, and giant killer robots. That’s all….

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Large Casts! Maybe your policy is to give a part to everyone who auditions. Or maybe your drama club is bursting with students. Either way, you need plays with a lot of characters. And not just characters who stand in the background holding up the scenery. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! The Pauper Princess Cast size: 10M+28W+34 Either A twist on The Price and the Pauper with two girls in the lead roles and Elizabethan England as the location. The Princess is Princess Elizabeth and the Pauper is a girl hiding as a boy in a location theatre production. A huge cast with roles for everyone who tries out. Rebootilization Cast size: 13M+15W+25 Either, Expandable to 85+ Stories all over the world are under attack. Pages are going blank in a pandemic so big, the government’s involved. SynCryn has the original narrative DNA for every story and it’s an easy reboot process, so long as…. nothing goes wrong. Parts for everyone. The Absolutely Insidious and Terrifying Truth About Cat Hair Cast size: 8 Either, Plus ensemble of 8-100 A hilarious piece with an insanely large cast. How will you theatricalize cat hair that is plotting the downfall of humanity even as we speak? Personification at its best. Circus Olympus Cast size: 6M+9W, expandable to 12 M+20W A gleeful celebration of greek myth with excellent large cast expansion and parts for all abilities. Circus elements are optional and are suggested for each myth. Being Bianca: The Semi Complete Guide Cast size: 2M+10W+38 Either When told she should engage in volunteer work, Bianca decides on a great service to mankind: She will teach us all how to “Be Bianca.” (the semi-complete guide). Every life step is Bianca-ized! It may not be the best idea, but it is the most entertaining. The Myths at the End of the World Cast size: 2M+3W+2 Either, Expandable to 30 Four campers are not only lost in the wood, they are lost at the edge of the world with no land, water, stars or sun. The only thing to do is to release stories from around the world and from the wind. Excellent opportunities for mask and movement. A unique cross- curricular storytelling adventure. The Art of Rejection Cast size: The Art of Rejection 1M +1W+14 Either, Chaired 13 Either Two plays that look at being alone – whether it’s the only letter in a sea of numbers, or alone in making the right decision to sit or stand. A combination of humanity and the avant-garde the two together make for a great competition piece. The Canterbury Tales Cast size: 4M+4W, Easily Expandable to 16+19W Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in a full-length adaptation. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Cobweb Dreams Cast size: 2M+17W+7 Either Cobweb Dreams is a fun-filled fantasy that runs parallel to the events of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Cobweb is not having fun in Titania’s train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn’t have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. Oh will this midsummer night never end? The Snow Queen Cast size: M+20W+31 Either A magical theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a sister’s love, an ice cold heart, and a fantastical journey. It’s the original Snow Queen story brought to life.

This week we spread the love for The Canterbury Tales adapted by Lindsay Price from Chaucer.