Whoopi Goldberg's Alice - Mondavi Center

Dear Ms. Whoopi Goldberg,I’m one of your greatest fans. You’re a terrificwriter, and you were so funny in the movieSister Act. What I like best about you is all thenice work you do for children, education, andcharities around the world.Your bestest fan,AliceMs. Goldberg wrote theoriginal book Alice.Kim Hines turned itinto a play.A “Shout-out” toKim HinesIt’s hard to change a book into aplay. Playwrights often have to addcharacters and situations to make thestory come alive on stage. For Alice,playwright Kim Hines added Betty, theStreet Person, Sherman, Mrs. Rump,Kooli-KoolBob, and Jaz. Can youimagine how different my adventurewould have been if I hadn’t met thesepeople?You, the PlaywrightAsk your teacher to show youthe script to a play. It looks alot different than a book or apoem. You’ll see that a play ismade of dialogue, or the words spokenin conversation by the characters in aplay. Try writing a short scene. You anda friend can take turns coming up withsix lines of dialogue.44Just Make it Up!When I can’t find the rightwords to express what I’mfeeling, I just make themup. Sal says I have my ownspecial language, but “gi-gun-dofantast-ti-co” makes sense, doesn’t it?Get together with a group ofclassmates and make up five newwords. Vote on your favorite and shareit with your class. Have your classmateswrite a sentence for each new word.Share the sentences with each other.Alice Script page 22BETTY:Let me see that ticket…See?ALICE:(holding it up)BETTY:I can't read it from there. Move a little closer.(Alice moves a step closer)ROBIN:Now, Alice…(whispering)WINNER!!!

Who says Time flies?In my play, Time skates.Alice Script page 26ROBIN:But, where are we?(Immediately a lighted signappears that says: “THE BIG CITYVIDEO & GAME ARCADE”)SAL,ALICE & ROBIN:“The Big City Video & Game Arcade.”(Simultaneously lights and soundsbump on: the sign takes on aneon glow, and lights appear of allsorts of colors and effects. Soundsof games being played, peoplehaving fun.)Hey guys, LOL stands for“laugh out loud.” All in a NameCreative writers can makeup names that are reallyclues about a person. Whatdo you think Kooli-KoolBoband Mrs. Ima Rump are like, just fromtheir names alone? Write a sentencedescribing them. After you meet themon stage, see if you guessed right. Ifyou were a character in the play, whatwould your name be?Free-Stylin’ withthe BoysIt was so cool to free-style—you know, rap withoutplanning what to say. Haveyou tried writing a short rapwith a friend? Take turns coming upwith lines that rhyme and you mighthave a hit on your hands.You know, actorsfree-style too.F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R ʼ S D E S KDear Alice,Sometimes actors aren’t told exactlywhat to say in plays or movies. Instead,they ad-lib, or make up a speech onthe spot. People in the Big City ad-libmany times. Watch and listen to thestory closely.You know actors free-style, too. Sometimes actorsaren’t told exactly what to say in plays or movies.Instead, they ad-lib, or make up a speech on thespot. People in the Big City ad-lib many times.Watch and listen to the story closely.Yours truly,Shirley Jo Finney“Help a sistah—please”“Pass the sock”Can you guess when the actors are ad-libbing?5