Terri and the Turkey is a hilarious short play about a family’s gathering for Thanksgiving. The potatoes are mashed, the cranberries are crammed, and the yams are all yammed. There’s just one thing left to do, kill the turkey. Grandpa happily delegates the gruesome job to Dad who passes it off to his son who cons Terri into doing it. The stress of it all has taken its toll on poor Tom the turkey and when Terri attempts to chop off his head, he has a heart attack! Will Tom be the main entree at Thanksgiving this year or will he get a pardon? A great play for older elementary and middle school students to perform!
Wade Bradford was born and raised in the often wet and sometimes windy state of Washington. At the age of 19, Wade fell in love with a girl who lived out-of-state, so he moved to the often sunny and sometimes shaky state of California. He earned a Masters in Literature from CSUN. Wade currently teaches English at Moorpark College. In 2011, his first picture book, Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? (edited by Red Fox Literary agent Abigail Samoun) was published by Tricycle Press/Random House. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly said of the book: “This book deserves a place on the shelves next to the Magic School Bus series.” Wade’s second picture book, Around the World in a Bathtub, is now available through Charlesbridge Publishing. His latest books are Papa Bear’s Page Fright and There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor. In addition to writing picture books and novels, Wade has written over 35 plays, including CSI: Neverland, Promedy, and Tomorrow’s Wish. Oh, and the girl he fell in love with? She and Wade have been married for over 23 years!
Excerpt from the play:
CAST OF CHARACTERS
TOM
GRANDMA
GRANDPA
MOM
DAD
SON
TERRI
PIG
SETTING: The humble home of Grandpa and Grandpa. An animal pen is nearby
Narrator
Thanksgiving. A time of joy and celebration. Of food, relaxation, and family. A day beloved by everyone. Everyone that is except…Tom Turkey!
(A Turkey named Tom walks on stage left, flapping his wings.)
TOM
Gobble, gobble!
On stage right, Grandma and Grandpa enter. Tom listens to them as they speak.
GRANDMA
I mashed the potatoes, I crammed the cranberries, I yammed the yams, and now it’s time for you to do what you always do on Thanksgiving Day.
GRANDPA
Watch football?
GRANDMA
No! It’s time to prepare the turkey.
TOM
Prepare? That doesn’t sound so bad.
GRANDMA
Prepare? That’s such hard work! I have to pluck the feathers.
TOM
Ow!
GRANDPA
And pull out the innards.
TOM
Eek!
GRANDPA
And toss him in the oven.
TOM
Oh my!
GRANDMA
But don’t forget. First, you must chop off his head.
TOM
(Grabs his neck, fearful.) And all this time I thought I was going to be the guest of honor.
(PIG enters.)
I’ve got to get out of here! These people are going to eat me!
PIG
Oink, oink. Welcome to my world, buddy.
GRANDPA
Well, I guess I better get busy.
A happy couple, Mom and Dad, enter.
MOM and DAD
Hi, Grandpa!
MOM
Happy Thanksgiving.
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