A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Frog's Dance

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  5w, 6m, 2any gender (adult)

William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.

Encouraged by the spirits of his family, a disillusioned middle-aged man named Frog Jumps The Ground teaches his city-bred nephew, Elmo, the joy and power of Native American dancing.

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Frog's Dance

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 6m, 2any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary
Frog is met by the spirits of his family to tell him he must take in his city-bred nephew, Elmo, and teach him Native American culture, specifically how to dance. Disillusioned and bitter from an accident and missing his relatives, Frog eventually teaches Elmo and reminds himself of the joy and power he feels in dancing.
History
Frog's Dance made its premiere in a reading directed by William S. Yellow Robe, Jr., produced by the Bearhead Swaney Inter-Tribal Playwrights’ Centre in Arlee, MT in August 2014. Subsequent readings took place at the Oenobscot Theatre Rehearsal Space in Bangor, Maine in April 2017 and at the University of Maine in May 2017.
Keywords
Performing Groups
FROG JUMPS THE GROUND – Man, late 40s.
ELMO BLAINE – A teenager.
ELAINE JUMPS THE GROUND – Spirit, 30s.
NINA – Woman, early 20s, wife to Frog.
TYLER GRANT – Man, late 40s.
EMERSON – A teenager.
DENISE – A teenager.
DANCER and WARCRAFT DANCERS – Tormentors of Frog and Elmo.
ERVIN BIRD – A man, late 70s.
MINA FLYNN – A woman, late 70s.
MC ANNOUNCER – Mid-50s.
Various DANCERS of various styles.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting An undefined space.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Hold[s] space for many complications of Indigenous existence.” – Project MUSE
”Authentic and three dimensional... The dramatic plays Frog's Dance and To Cross synthesize these intersections of character struggle with particular adeptness, allowing the stories to retain their credibility even as they hold space for many complications of Indigenous existence.” – Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha, Project MUSE

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.

William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.

William Stanley Yellow Robe, Jr. (Assiniboine/Sioux) was a playwright, actor, director and teacher. He was a staunch advocate for Native and Indigenous playwrights, beloved by his students and revered by his audiences. His work has been produced around the United States and i ...

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