The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me Storyboard ACT 1 Act 1 is approximately 32 minutes. The show begins when the cast comes on stage. They are searching for someone who can choose the animal to bring Mary and Joseph safely across the desert. A spotlight shines on a young audience member who has been chosen for the job. They are given angel wings to help with their task. The Angel is nervous about this important task and may ask the audience to help them with the decision once all of the animals have auditioned. The first animal to audition is the Snake. It is very long and winds its way up to the stage past the audience! The Snake s body is made of a long sheet held up by the children s choir. Its head is round and silver with eyes and fangs. The Angel doesn t choose the Snake because it would be best to have an animal with four sturdy legs.
The next animal to audition is the Flamingo. She thinks she is the right animal for the job because she is pink! Again the Angel doesn t choose the Flamingo because they need an animal with four sturdy legs. Many other animals audition including a cat, lizard, hippopotamus, and elk. All of the animals tell the Angel why they should be chosen. The Angel is frustrated and yells to quiet them down. The Angel has two more animals to audition: the Lion and the Unicorn. The Lion is upset that the Angel asks about his qualifications. In frustration, he picks the Angel up. He does not hurt the Angel. The Lion explains to the Angel that he should be chosen because he is the king of the beasts! Photos by Scott Suchman 2
The Lion asks the other animals and children s chorus to help him sing a song about his strength. He also asks a stage hand, an usher, and an opera singer to join him on stage to sing! The Lion will invite the audience to sing along. You can sing along if you want to. The Unicorn s audition is next. When the Unicorn appears, the lights dim and a mirror ball is lowered from the ceiling. The mirror ball reflects small lights that slowly swirl on stage. The Unicorn has a magical horn. She also has a tendency to vanish and will only work at dawn. Photos by Scott Suchman 3
The Angel doesn t know whether to choose the Lion or the Unicorn. Both animals draw a lot of attention to themselves. The Angel decides that they need a plain but capable animal: the camel. A message arrives letting them know that none of the camels are available. The Donkey arrives and would like his chance to audition. He says he is not magical or fancy, but he is strong, a hard worker, and will put his head down and get the job done. The Angel declares that it is time to make a decision about which animal will carry Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The Angel asks the audience to help choose by cheering for either the Lion, the Unicorn, or the Donkey. You can cheer or clap if you want to. INTERMISSION There will be a 20 minute break. The lights will get brighter in the theater. Photos by Scott Suchman 4
ACT 2 Act 2 is approximately 30 minutes Mary, Joseph, and the Donkey travel a very long way through the desert. They travel by day and by night. When they arrive in Bethlehem, many different merchants have set up shop. Two of the merchants are butchers who are chopping up goat heads. The heads are props made out of fabric, other materials and paint that looks like blood. Other merchants are selling silk, spices, and water. There is also an Innkeeper. The Innkeeper quickly leaves because it is very busy in the city and his inn is now full. Photos by Scott Suchman 5
Mary, Joseph, and the Donkey arrive at the Bethlehem Inn. The Innkeeper tells them there is no space for them to stay. Every room is full. Mary and Joseph are scared that they won t find a place to rest. The Donkey is hungry and tries to find something to eat. He looks inside one of the big pots. To his surprise, each pot has a person inside of it. They are using the pot as a place to sleep! Joseph asks the Innkeeper one more time if they can have a room. The Innkeeper tells Joseph they can stay in the stable. The stable has animals in it, including a camel, an ox, a horse, a dog, and a cat. All of these animals are puppets operated by people. The animals discuss the meaning of the very large star in the sky. The Unicorn tells them the star means that a miracle will happen that night. Photos by Scott Suchman 6
Joseph thanks the Donkey for bringing them safely to Bethlehem. A light glows from within the stable. The Angel blows a horn to announce the birth of the baby. Mary and Donkey sing to the baby. Three shepherds and three kings arrive to see the baby. They bring gifts. The Lion and the Unicorn also come to the stable to greet the baby. They notice something is different about the Donkey. He now has a golden nose that gleams! Photos by Scott Suchman 7
The inn keeper arrives to see all of the visitors that have come to his stable. He lets them know that King Herod is also coming to town. Joseph is scared for the safety of the baby because he knows King Herod will try to find them. They must flee but they don t know where to go or how to get there in the dark. The Donkey offers to take them to safety in Egypt. His golden, glowing nose will help guide them in the dark. The Donkey, Mary, Joseph, and the baby leave the stable and head toward Egypt. At the end of the performance, all of the performers will come out onto the stage to take a bow. The End Photos by Scott Suchman 8