Category: Poetry Theater

Santa’s Feeling Sick

Poetry Theater

A Christmas poem in three voices

Santa's Feeling Sick by Kenn Nesbitt

Adapted from the poem “Santa’s Feeling Sick” by Kenn Nesbitt, from the book A Festival for Frogs.

Summary: This activity involves a performance where Santa Claus is found feeling unwell, and a doctor diagnoses his unusual ailment.

Presentation Suggestions: Encourage students to perform the poem in front of the class. Each student takes on a role, and they should act out their parts while delivering their lines. Santa, who has a non-speaking role, will act out feeling sick.

Props:

Santa hat and beard for the student playing Santa.
A doctor’s coat and stethoscope for the student playing the Doctor.
A pretend phone for the student playing Daddy.
Optional: A small Christmas tree to indicate the source of Santa’s allergic reaction.

Delivery: The lines of the poem should be read expressively, with appropriate emotions. Daddy should sound concerned, the Doctor should appear professional and decisive, and Santa should convincingly act out being unwell. This will help bring the poem to life and engage the audience. For tips on reciting poetry, please read this post about How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert.

Characters and Their Roles:

Narrator: Provides the main narrative and sets the scene.
Daddy: Describes Santa’s symptoms and calls for the doctor.
Doctor: Diagnoses Santa and explains his condition.
Santa: Acts sick throughout the play without speaking.

Santa’s Feeling Sick

Santa:

(Acts sick in a chair, visibly shivering, reacting to the conversation silently)

Narrator:

Daddy called the doctor,
and told him,

Daddy:

“Please come quick.
Santa’s in the living room
and feeling somewhat sick.

“Santa’s slightly out of sorts.
He’s looking rather ill,
showing certain symptoms
like a fever and a chill.

“Sad to say, he’s shivering
as if he has the flu.
Please come look. I’m sure you’ll know
exactly what to do.”

Doctor:

(Arrives and examines Santa)

Narrator:

Twenty minutes later,
when the doctor bustled in,
Santa got examined
from his elbow to his chin.

Doctor:

“Santa…”

Narrator:

said the doctor,

Doctor:

“It’s as clear as it can be…
You’ve got tinselitis;
you’re allergic to their tree!”

Ending:

End with the children reacting to the funny diagnosis, perhaps with laughter or mock surprise, to emphasize the playful nature of the poem.

Permission is given for individual school classes to perform this play and to make as many copies of the play as are needed for the students’ use. You can find my general permissions for teachers here and my general permissions for students here. For use of this play outside individual classes, please contact me for permission.

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Kenn Nesbitt

Kenn Nesbitt, former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, is celebrated for blending humor and heart in his poetry for children. Known for books such as "My Cat Knows Karate" and "Revenge of the Lunch Ladies," he captivates young readers globally.

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I Went to the Doctor

Poetry Theater

A poem in two voices

I Went to the Doctor by Kenn Nesbitt

Summary: A child goes to the doctor with numerous ailments and gets a memorable cure.

Presentation Suggestions: Have the students read or perform the poem in front of the class. Students can act out the different lines while they read them.

Props: A white coat for the doctor, a toy syringe, and perhaps some small stickers or markers to draw “bumps” on the child’s arms or face.

Delivery: The child’s lines should be read with emotion, expressing fear and surprise. The doctor’s lines should be read with great seriousness. For tips on reciting poetry, please read this post about How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert.

Characters:

Child
Doctor

I Went to the Doctor

Child:

I went to the doctor
all covered in bumps.
He said,

Doctor:

“you’ve got chicken pox,
measles and mumps.”

Child:

He said,

Doctor:

“you’ve got whooping cough,
tetanus, rubella,
digestive dysfunction
from green salmonella.

“You’ve got halitosis
and elephantitis.
You’ve also got athletes foot
and laryngitis.

“You’re covered with head lice,
mosquitoes and fleas.
You’ve even got pink-eye
and mad cow disease.

“What’s more you’ve got cooties,
a cold and the flu,
but don’t be upset;
I know just what to do.”

Child:

He told me,

Doctor:

“I promise
this won’t hurt a bit,”

Child:

then grabbed a syringe
like a barbeque spit.

He made me bend over
the seat of my chair
then plunged that big needle
in my you-know-where.

So now I’m all cured of
my cooties and fleas,
my whooping cough, measles
and mad cow disease.

He cured me of every last
sniffle and bump,
and now I’m all better
except for my rump.

THE END!

Permission is given for individual classes and schools to perform this play and to make as many copies of the play as are needed for the students’ use. For use of this play outside individual schools and classes, please contact me for permission.

My Kitten Won’t Stop Talking

Poetry Theater

A poem in two voices

My Kitten Won't Stop Talking by Kenn Nesbitt

Adapted from the poem by Kenn Nesbitt in The Tighty-Whitey Spider published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

Summary: A child finds that their cat has learned how to talk and does so constantly.

Presentation Suggestions: Have the students read or perform the poem in front of the class. Have the students act out the different lines while they read them.

Props: A cat costume or cat ears for the kitten character, if available.

Delivery: The lines of the poem should be read with poetic rhythm. For tips on reciting poetry, please read this post about How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert.

Characters:

Child
Kitten

My Kitten Won’t Stop Talking

Child:

My kitten won’t stop talking.
She just prattles night and day.
She walks around repeating
nearly everything I say.

My kitten never says,

Kitten:

“Meow.”

Child:

She never even purrs.
She mimics me instead
in that annoying voice of hers.

She waits for me to speak,
and then she copies every word,
or begs me for a cracker,
or says,

Kitten:

“I’m a pretty bird.”

Child:

I’m not sure what to do, and so
I simply grin and bear it.
She’s been this way since yesterday;
that’s when she ate my parrot.

THE END!

Permission is given for individual school classes to perform this play and to make as many copies of the play as are needed for the students’ use. All other reproduction and performance is prohibited. For use of this play outside individual classes, please contact me for permission.

Rapunzel! Rapunzel!

Poetry Theater

A poem in three voices

Rapunzel Rapunzel by Kenn Nesbitt

Adapted from the poem by Kenn Nesbitt in My Hippo Has the Hiccups, published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

Summary: Prince Charming visits Rapunzel to find that she has cut off her long hair.

Presentation Suggestions: Have the students read or perform the poem in front of the class. Have the students act out the different lines while they read them.

Props: A short pink wig and a rope for Rapunzel, and a crown and a stick horse for Prince Charming, if available.

Delivery: The lines of the poem should be read with poetic rhythm. For tips on reciting poetry, please read this post about How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert.

Characters:

Rapunzel
Prince Charming
Narrator

Rapunzel! Rapunzel

Prince Charming:

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel! You’ve cut off your hair!
Your billowing tresses are no longer there.
That mohawk you’re sporting is spiky and pink.
I’m really not certain just what I should think.

“I came here expecting to clamber a braid,
ascending your tower to come to your aid.
Instead I have suffered the greatest of shocks
to find that you’ve cut off your lovely blonde locks.”

Rapunzel:

“Prince Charming, Prince Charming,”

Narrator:

Rapunzel replied,

Rapunzel:

“I have no intention of being your bride.
We will not get married. We will not elope.
I’ve cut off my hair and I’ve braided a rope.

“You came here to visit me once every day,
and promised that soon you would take me away,
but you were too clueless to even conceive
of cutting my hair off so we could just leave.

“I cannot believe you were such a big dope.
I come and I go as I please with my rope.
And so, I’m afraid I can’t give you my hand.
In spite of the fabulous wedding you planned.”

Narrator:

From then on Rapunzel was known through the land.
She toured the world in a rock and roll band.
And silly Prince Charming, with rocks in his head,
rode off and got married to Snow White instead.

THE END!

The Dentist Pulled My Tooth Out

Poetry Theater

A poem in two voices

The Dentist Pulled My Tooth Out by Kenn Nesbitt

Adapted from the poem by Kenn Nesbitt in The Aliens Have Landed at Our School!, published by Running Press.

Summary: A child visits an overly enthusiastic dentist.

Presentation Suggestions: Have the students read or perform the poem in front of the class. Have the students act out the different lines while they read them.

Props: A lab coat and pliers would be great props, but if they are not available the poem can be performed without them. At the end of the poem, have the child character stretch their lips over their teeth to appear toothless.

Delivery: The lines of the poem should be read with poetic rhythm. For tips on reciting poetry, please read this post about How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert.

Characters:
Child
Dentist

The Dentist Pulled My Tooth Out

Child:

The dentist pulled my tooth out
and he thought it was such fun
he grabbed his pliers
and dental pryers
and pulled another one.

Dentist:

“Yippee! Hooray! What awesome fun!”

Child:

he shouted out with glee.
He grinned a grin
then went back in
and pulled out number three.

Then number four and number five
and numbers six and seven
were followed by
a cheerful cry
Of

Dentist:

“Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven!”

Child:

He took a few more from the top
and some from underneath,
he yanked them fast
until at last
he’d pulled out all my teeth.

Without my teeth I cannot chew;
I just eat soup and mush.
But don’t be sad
I’m kind of glad–
I’ll never have to brush!

THE END!

Category: Poetry Theater

Santa’s Feeling Sick