This is my nephew, Merrell. He's eight.
Merrell Street
where I live
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7 posts from January 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Shore
"Once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about." - Haruki Murakami. KAFKA ON THE SHORE
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Gotham Cool
Walked into first day of writing class today, and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but some great peeps from last class AND some old friends - Brigette, Pat, and Connie (who, among other fabulous roles, played Patty Mayonnaise in DOUG). "Patty!" I squealed. I sat next to Brigette and Pat and across from Connie (which made it possible to stick my tongue out at her). The only thing to make it more perfect would have been if Victor had been there (he'll be there next week); and Grace (she will not be there next week because she's busy exploring her awesomeness at NYU). Was a great first day!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Monday, January 02, 2012
NDAA
President Obama and most of Congress - including ALL NY representatives - has permanently lost my confidence and my vote. Sixth Amendment? Oh, no, we don't need that. 'I promise never to use this power I am now taking for myself....' Yeah, how many times have those infamous words been spoken by a rising despot. NDAA must be smashed. This is almost unbelievable.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
PENGUIN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY or AS YOU LICK IT
by Jason Merrell and True Michael Memmott
Here is the Christmas Puppet play my nephew, True, and I wrote and performed together, along with my sister, Deni, and nephew, Merrell.
"I want to write a play where all the animals have some sort of miscommunication but at the end they all come together and have a party and dance." This was True's concept.
"Okay," I said. "So let's follow that through. What puppets do we have and who is playing them?"
"I'm going to be the elephant. Merrell wants to be the Gorilla. The other puppets still open are the frog and the penguin."
"Okay, I'll be frog and penguin." I picked up the frog and put him on my left hand and picked up the penguin and put him on my right. I noticed immediately that frog had a long, dangly tongue and a fly permanently attached to the end of it. "Frog must have trouble speaking clearly with a fly on his tongue."
"Hello." I started spitting with my tongue permanently out. "Thith is fwag. I'm twying to tew you sohthig but thews a fwy on my wip."
"How about this. Penguin is throwing a Christmas party and he's very stressed about it."
"Hello everyone, I'm penguin and I'm throwing a Christmas party and I'm stressed." Penguin has a deep, raspy voice but he likes to giggle too.
"Hewwo. I'm fwag and I'm penguin's good friend and I wiww hewp him thwow the pawty."
Thus began Penguin's Christmas Party or As You Lick it...
INT. PENGUIN'S HOUSE - DAY
PENGUIN and FROG stand together in Penguin's living room.
PENGUIN
Hello everyone. I'm Penguin. I'm
throwing a Christmas party and
inviting all my friends and I'm so
stressed! I need to get everything
just right and there's so much to
do.
FROG
Hewwo Penguin.
PENGUIN
Hello Frog. I'm throwing a
Christmas party this year and I'm
so very stressed. Will you help me
get everything done?
FROG
Yeth of courth. I'd luthe to helt
you lith yow pawty.
PENGUIN
Good, well, some friends will be
coming over to get their party
assignments. Elephant will be
arriving first. Will you please
tell elephant that I'd like it very
much if he would trim the tree.
Got that? He needs to trip the
tree.
FROG
Yeth. He needs to twim the twee.
PENGUIN
Um... yes. Please do tell him to
trim the tree and bring it to the
party. I need to rush and there's
so much to do.
FROG
Okay, I on it.
EXIT Penguin.
FROG (CONT'D)
(to himself)
Twim da twee, twimm da twee.
Muthst wemembaw twim da twee
Enter Elephant
ELEPHANT
Hello Frog. Where's Penguin?
FROG
He'th pwepawing da pawty and he'th
thow thwethed. He wud wike you
thoo twim da twee.
ELEPHANT
What?
FROG
He would wike you to twim da twee
twim da twee. Now huwwy. Go on
now and twim da twee!
ELEPHANT
Oh, okay then. I'm off. See you
soon.
(aside as he leaves)
He wants me to...hmmm. Oh yes he
wants me to flip the flees! Yes.
Flip the flees. I do love flipping
flees.
INT. ELEPHANTS HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Elephant grabs a large spatula whose flat is painted in
circular candy cane stripes. He beings flipping his flees.
ELEPHANT
Weee! Flip those flees! I do love
flipping you, you flees. Are you
good and flipped?
(puts them into his
favorite black, flipped
flees box)
INT. PENGUIN'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Penguin is standing in the living room entertaining himself.
Penguin enters.
PENGUIN
Okay, okay.
(huffing a bit)
Did you tell elephant to trim the
tree?
FROG
Oh yeth. He'th gonna twim da twee
and con to da pawty.
PENGUIN
Oh good. Thank you. That is such a
relief. Now, Gorilla is coming by
and I'd like you to ask him to ice
the cake. Will you do that? Ask
him to ice the cake.
FROG
Okay. I'w teww hin to ithe da kek.
PENGUIN
Oh good because I need to prepare
for this party and I'm so so
stressed!
Penguin exits and Frog continues humming to himself. Enter
Gorilla.
GORILLA
Hello Frog.
FROG
Hewwo Gowiwwa. How awe you tothay?
GORILLA
I'm... swell. Where is Penguin?
FROG
Oh, he'th pwepawing foh da pawty
and he'th tho tho swethed. He
would wike you to ithe da kek.
GORILLA
What? He would wike what?
FROG
Da kek. Da kek. He would wike you
to ithe da kek. Now he'th therry
thwethed and he needs you to ithe
da kek. Pleeth go ithe da kek.
GORILLA
Okay, okay. I'm off. See you at
the party
FROG
Duh dye.
GORILLA
(as he is walking)
So he wants me to... what? Ah,
price the plank! I do have a
fantastic plank. It's painted with
zebra stripes and everything and
it's even slappy! You can slap it
around anything and it will bend.
I'll get me that plank and take it
to monkey at the bank. He'll know
how to price that plank.
INT. BANK - MOMENTS LATER
Gorilla enters where Monkey waits at the bank.
GORILLA
Hello Monkey.
MONKEY
Hello Groilla. How may I help you
today?
GORILLA
Well, Penguin is having a Christmas
party and he wants me to price the
plank. Will you price this plank
for me?
MONKEY
But of course, Gorilla. Nothing I
like better than pricing a good
plank and my that is a good plank.
(stamps it with a sticky
price tag)
Happy Christmas, Gorilla. Your
plank is now priced.
GORILLA
Why thank you, Monkey. That'll do
fine.
INT. PENGUIN'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Frog is still in the living room humming. Penguin enters
again.
PENGUIN
Oh, this party is going to be grand
but I'm so so stressed.
Okay, frog, now lion is coming over
and I would like you to ask him to
mix the punch. Will you please ask
Lion to mix the punch?
FROG
But uth cuthe, Penguin. I would
luth to athk hin to lix da dunce.
PENGUIN
Mmm. Good. That will be
wonderful. I'm so so stressed.
Penguin exists and Frog continues humming. Enter Lion.
LION
Hello Frog.
FROG
Hwwo Lion. How awh you tothay?
LION
I'm fantastic. Where is penguin?
FROG
He'th pwepawing foh da pawty and
he'th tho thwethed. He would wike
you to lix da dunce.
LION
He would? He would wike me to...?
FROG
Lix da dunce. Lix da dunce. He'th
tho thwethed and he wanth you to
lix da dunce. Now go lix da dunce.
LION
Alrighty then.
INT. LION'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
LION
Penguin wants me to.... Hmmm. He
wants to lick the lunch! Oh, that
is a fine idea. I usaully have
such a lovely bit of Gazelle but
for Christmas this year I have this
delicious pink sprinkles doughnut.
I would be more than happy to lick
that lunch.
(pulls out his giant pink
doughnut and begins
licking it with vigor)
INT. PENGUIN'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Frog is still singing in the living room and Penguin enters
again.
PENGUIN
So so so. Oh oh oh. How stressed
i have been but now have have
everything in hand and all will be
just perfect for this, my Christmas
party. Frog, thank you so very
much for helping me. The guests
should be arriving at any moment.
Will you help me push this planter
into the center for the tree?
FROG
But uth cowth, Penguin.
Enter Elephant.
ELEPHANT
Hello, Penguin. Hello Frog. I'm
so happy to be at your party.
PENGUIN
Welcome, Elephant. Did you trim
the tree? We can put it in this
planter.
ELEPHANT
I brought my favorite black box
full of flipped flees. I flipped
the flees just like you asked. Oh
yes, those flees are good good and
flipped.
PENGUIN
Flip the flees?! What?
ELEPHANT
Oh yes. And I also brought my
favorite spatula just in case you
thought those flees might need just
one more flip.
PENGUIN
What?
ELEPHANT
Oh yes. I flipped those flees
good.
PENGUIN
(panicking and panting)
Okay, okay. So let's see what
you've got. Oh, Elephant. These
aren't flees. These are Christmas
lightening bugs. But they do look
good and flipped, yes. Bring them
here with me and let's see what we
can do.
Both exit together with the box and flees and Elephant's
spatula. Frog continues humming. Enter Monkey and Gorilla.
FROG
Hewwo Gowiwwa. Hewwo Montee.
GORILLA
Hello Frog
MONKEY
Hello Frog. Happy Christmas.
Enter Elephant and Penguin. The have decorated the spatula
with the sparkly, jewel-like Christmas tree bugs and both
plant it in the planter together.
PENGUIN
Hello Monkey. Hello Gorilla.
Welcome to the party. We've been
making some adjustments. Look at
this lovely flipped flee tree we've
constructed.
Lots of oohs and aahs.
PENGUIN (CONT'D)
So, did you ice the cake?
GORILLA
I price my favorite plank. See,
I've priced the plank just as you
asked; with monkey's help, of
course.
MONKEY
Oh, yes. That plank is good and
priced. It is a lovely plank.
PENGUIN
Priced the plank?! What? How?
What?
GORILLA
Isn't it lovely. It has zebra
sripes and everything.
PENGUIN
Oh my goodness. Oh.... Well,
let's take a look at it. Oh yes it
is a lovely plank. Bring it here
and let's see what we can do.
GORILLA
If you slap it, it will bend and
fit around everything. It is a
very flexible plank.
PENGUIN
Hmmm.
(Penguin takes the plank
and slaps it around the
bottom of the Flipped
Flee planter)
Well, would you look at that. What
a lovely Christmas Flee skirt that
makes, Gorilla.
GORILLA
Oh yes, it really is a great plank.
PENGUIN
Indeed.
Enter Lion
LION
Oh, hello Penguin! I'm so happy to
be here at this your Christmas
party... Hello Elephant. Hello
Frog. Hello Monkey and Gorilla.
I've brought my lunch and it's good
and licked.
PENGUIN
Welcome Lion. Did you mix the
punch?
LION
I licked the lunch just as you
asked. It's a good good lunch and
it's good good and licked.
PENGUIN
Licked the.... What?
LION
Oh yes, and here it is. It's my
favorite pink sprinkles Christmas
doughnut lunch and believe you me,
it's good and licked.
PENGUIN
I can see that. Oh oh oh... Okay.
Bring here that licked lunch.
Well, everyone. How stressed I was
about preparing Christmas. And
frog. Oh frog. How glad I am that
all of you could come to my party.
Look how much we've done with what
we've got. We have Elephant's
Christmas Flee Tree and a zebra
striped plank skirt.
Everyone oohs and aahs.
PENGUIN (CONT'D)
And now, with your permission,
LIon, I think we should all lick
the lunch. And then dance!
LION
Oh yes, certainly. Let's all lick
that lunch.
All gather around and lick lick lick that lunch. Then they
dance around.
The End.
It may sound a little silly but it's loads of fun to perform.
There's room for lots of improv and everyone has fun in the end, too.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Not 'ever-seeking' but Seeking
"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." -D&C 10:21
