The Dance of the Ocean Going Away — Teaching Module

Production Notes

This play is prepared as a theatre teaching module. The script is expanded to include notes important to understand and incorporate in the planning process. Extensive notes are located at the end of the script as well. Performing a final version is encouraged, and different scenes may be performed by different player groups.

Theatre Games: Each scene begins with suggested theatre games chosen from the DT:FC collection. Please explore the Theatre Games section of this website for further or alternative games.

Setting and Props: The play happens in an open staging area with no set; the audience sits on three sides and plays the part of the ocean. No props; everything is mimed. The exception is the Musician, who may have instruments, pots and pans, or a designed soundtrack.

Oral Tradition: Repetition: Many lines in the play repeat. Repetition includes ideas as well as language.

Music: Music is included as part of the oral tradition experience. The Musician teaches the audience their cues. Lyrics of the simple songs can be chanted or sung to tunes invented during rehearsal.

Developmental Theatre Competencies: This production uses all five competencies:

• Physical Expression: Focus on Mime
• Vocal Expression: Articulation
• Risk Capacity and Management
• Context Awareness: Observation and Connection
• Resilience

Script

Scene I: The New House

(Enter Shore, Tide, and Wave, miming that they are carrying sticks, straw, and bundles.)

SHORE: Here we are at our new land. Look, there is the ocean. All that water — very big, blue, and beautiful water!

TIDE: The owner sold the land to us, saying we would see the ocean. And see the sky, and the countryside, all from our new land.

WAVE: We have never lived by the ocean before. Let’s put down all these things we brought here with us and admire the ocean. (They do this.) After all, we came to live here because our names are ocean names.

SHORE: Let’s introduce ourselves. (Moves to the edge of the audience — the ocean.) Hello. My name is Shore. Ocean, our sandy shore stretches from right here all the way back to here.

TIDE: (Moves to a different edge of the audience.) My name is Tide. I’m standing on the shore at this moment. I’m talking to you, Ocean. We’re going to build our house right here beside you.

WAVE: (Moves to a different edge of the audience.) My name is Wave. You, Ocean, you are many waves dancing forward and back, to and fro, up and down.

ALL: We are happy to be here with you, Ocean.

SHORE: The sticks, straw and bundles that we carried will allow us to build our house quickly.

TIDE: We can build it here, close to the shore. We will hear the sound of the ocean as we go to sleep.

WAVE: Let’s put our sticks here to build the floor and walls of our house.

SHORE: Let’s put our straw here to surface the roof.

TIDE: The door is right here. (Tide and Shore make an X in the sand with their feet.)

WAVE: Let’s put the four corners of our house in place.

(They sing the Song of the New House while they build. Musician accompanies.)

Song of the New House

It may be made of sticks, It may be made of straw, But we will love it just the same The best we ever saw. A house made out of sticks, A house made out of straw, Can stand the winter’s howling winds; No noses red or raw.

Chorus: A house, a house, It’s warm and dry. A little home to call our own. When in our beds we lie.

SHORE: No house we tried to buy was as welcoming as this one will be.

TIDE: I am so happy to be making our new house!

WAVE: I love building the house where we can listen to the sound of the sea.

(Second verse:)

The walls of woven sticks, The roof of woven straw; It will keep us warm and dry, There’s not a hole or flaw. The wind kept out by sticks, The rain kept out by straw; Cold weather does not frighten us, This house makes it withdraw.

SHORE: All our days of working have brought us to this place.

TIDE: We are very thankful we were able to buy this land by the ocean.

WAVE: We worked very hard to be able to buy this land.

SHORE: Now the ocean is right on our doorstep. (Gestures to include whole audience.)

Scene II: We Are Wet

TIDE: Look! The full moon is rising.

WAVE: Such a charming sight! I cannot imagine a more wonderful spot for us to live our lives.

SHORE: We did not know it would be as beautiful as it is.

TIDE: (Yawning.) Come! Let’s go to bed. It’s getting late and we have a lot to do in the morning.

WAVE: A lot of ocean to watch, you mean.

(All laugh.)

SHORE: Here’s the last of our belongings. We’ll put them all away.

WAVE: I’ll spread the sleeping quilts near the door so we can see the moon over the ocean as we go to sleep.

TIDE: I will help you.

(Musician plays a restful lullaby. Then plays sounds of the ocean getting louder. They wake up and discover the floor and bedding are wet.)

SHORE: What’s this? The floor is wet!

TIDE: The bedding is wet!

WAVE: I’m wet!

SHORE: The floor is wet, the bedding is wet, we are wet.

TIDE: This isn’t supposed to happen. The person who sold us our land promised us the ocean would not flood our land. There must be some mistake.

WAVE: We can’t sleep like this. Oh, we must do something!

SHORE: I will do something. I’ll really tell off that ocean. I’ll say if it knows what’s good for it, it’ll get away now, and I mean right now.

TIDE/WAVE: I’ll help you.

SHORE: All right (Crossing to audience.) Ahhh, excuse me, it’s Shore again, oh, Great Ocean, please. Uhhh, would you mind not making our house wet? You know we just moved in and we’re not yet used to the ways of the waves.

TIDE: Remember I am Tide, and we came here to live beside you. We want to come in and go out near you. We didn’t mean for you to live in our house with us.

(Silence except for the sound of the ocean waves.)

WAVE: (Louder.) Oh, wonderful ocean, remember my name is Wave. I implore you to take your waves away.

(Silence.)

SHORE: (Louder yet.) Grant our wish, mighty ocean.

(Silence.)

TIDE: The ocean waves have not gone away. Our floor is still wet. We are wet.

WAVE: Oh! The waves are still high. All our shouting doesn’t make it better. I guess we’ll just have to live with wet floors.

SHORE: (Upset, very loud.) Oh, you ocean, you. Look what you’ve done. You made our new house wet. You’ve made us all wet. And you don’t care, do you?

TIDE: I don’t think the ocean cares. It comes and goes. It doesn’t pay attention to us.

WAVE: There must be a way to make the waves stay away from our house. There must be…

TOGETHER: There must be a way to stay dry. There must be a way to stop being wet. There must be a way to make the ocean go away.

(Repeats.)

Scene III: The Tinker’s Idea

SHORE: Let us think about something else. Look at the sunrise! There are pink and gold clouds everywhere in the sky.

(Musician: clanking of pots and pans, spoons.)

TIDE: Listen! I hear the pots and pans seller coming our way.

(More sound.)

WAVE: The pots and pans seller? Oh — a tinker. We have an old pan that is wearing out. Maybe there will be a new one that will be just right.

SHORE: We don’t know this tinker. We should tell the tinker to move on.

TIDE: The tinker visiting will take our minds off being wet.

WAVE: Maybe the tinker will know how to make the ocean go away.

(Musician: Song as the Tinker enters.)

TINKER: A rusty old pot, a leaky old pan; Give it to the tinker, put a smile on the clan. A battered old pan, a dented old pot; Give it to the tinker, and love the new one a lot. (Chorus:) Pots and pans; pots and pans; A shiny new pot will brighten the day. Pans and pots; pans and pots; A shiny new pan drives gloom away.

SHORE: Just move on along. We don’t know you.

TINKER: Hello. It’s true that I haven’t met you before. Are you new around here?

TIDE: We are new. I’m Tide. The ocean is making our floors wet and wet floors mean wet bedding.

TINKER: Could I interest you in a nice pot to cook the fish you will catch in the ocean?

WAVE: I’m Wave. Because our bedding was wet, we were wet, and we were not able to sleep.

TINKER: And for this new house of sticks and straw, how about a kettle to heat fresh water?

SHORE: We don’t need any new pots or pans.

TIDE: We need to find some way to make the ocean go away from our house.

WAVE: Do you know how to make the ocean go away?

TINKER: Hmm. You may need to get its attention first. Have you tried shouting at it?

SHORE: Yes, but the ocean ignored us. The waves just kept coming.

TINKER: I’ll bet you just weren’t loud enough. You need to frighten it away.

TIDE: We don’t want to make the ocean angry at us. It could blow up a storm. We could lose our whole house. Give and take, take and give goes a long way.

WAVE: I want to know how to frighten the ocean away. How do we do that?

TINKER: By making so much noise with pots and pans that it leaves. Here’s how: first bring the biggest pots you have and wooden spoons.

(All nod.)

TINKER: Then up-end the pots and beat on them with your spoons.

(All nod.)

TINKER: I’ll help you so that together we can make even more noise.

SHORE: I’m not sure about you helping us, Tinker.

TINKER: It’s the least I could do for new customers… er, and for such nice people as yourselves.

TIDE: I hope this plan works. I hope the ocean doesn’t get upset at us.

TINKER: Oh, I think the plan will work and the ocean won’t be upset.

WAVE: I’ll get the pots in the house. They’ll make plenty of noise. (Exits into ’house’, returns with ’pans’ and ’spoons’, and hands them around.) Here are our pots and spoons. Now let’s make noise.

(Musician: Pots and Pans noise increases.)

TINKER: Are those the biggest pots you have?

SHORE: What’s the matter with these pots? We can make plenty of noise with them.

TINKER: Here try this one…it’s twice as large as your little pots. With it you can really get the ocean’s attention. (Beats very large pot with a spoon.)

(Musician: Very loud and deep pot noise.)

TIDE: That’s a really big pot. It looks big enough to frighten the ocean. It frightens me.

WAVE: It’s so much bigger and louder than our pots. How much is it?

TINKER: It costs a very small amount.

SHORE: You are tricking us into buying new pots and pans!

TINKER: I’m trying to help you make the ocean go away.

TIDE: I want to beat on the pot and frighten the ocean.

WAVE: No! I offered to buy it. I get to beat on that one.

TOGETHER: No, I get to beat on the big pot! No, I get to! I get to!

TINKER: This kind of noise just annoys the ocean — and me. Pay attention to scaring off the sea.

SHORE: You’re right Tinker. Come, Tide. Come, Wave. Let’s make some noise.

(All prepare. Musician increases noise level.)

TINKER: Are you ready?

BOTH: Ready!

TINKER: One, two, three… (Noise.)

Again… (More noise.)

And again… (Even louder noise.)

(Silence…the sound of ocean waves.)

ALL: (All four look at each other.) This isn’t working.

SHORE: I don’t think the ocean can hear us. Maybe it doesn’t have ears.

TIDE: Thank you very much, Tinker. Here’s your pot.

WAVE: We won’t be needing it any longer.

TINKER: Hey, wait now! You used the big pot! Now you pay me!

TIDE: But it didn’t frighten the ocean. (Shrugs.)

TINKER: Of all the ungrateful… (Starting to pack up and leave.) I give you an idea and what do I get? Nothing, that’s what.

WAVE: Now, now, there’s no need for you to get angry. Your idea did not work!

TINKER: I hope your bedding gets sloppy wet. I hope you get wrinkles from lying in all that water.

SHORE: We’re the ones who have to sleep in wet blankets if we don’t get the sea to leave us alone.

TINKER: I hope… wait! Could I interest you in a tea pot? Hot tea to keep you warm while you are wet?

SHORE: Tinker, last night I saw some lights further down the shore. You might have better luck selling something there.

TINKER: But… but…

TIDE: Thank you, Tinker. We have much to do now. You’d best be on your way.

TINKER: But… but…

WAVE: Goodbye, Tinker!

(Tinker exits.)

SHORE: I thought the Tinker would never leave.

TIDE: At least we didn’t make the ocean angry at us.

WAVE: Whew! I thought we’d have to pay for the big pot.

SHORE: Anyone knows you can’t frighten the ocean by simply banging on the bottom of some pots.

TIDE: What a silly idea.

WAVE: But there must be some way to make the ocean go away.

SHORE: Yes, but I don’t know what it is. Oh, what will we do?

TIDE: I hope that someone will come that knows what to do.

Scene IV: The Neighbor’s Idea

(Enter Neighbor.)

(Musician accompanies Song of the Neighbor.)

Song of the Neighbor

Do you have a house to raise? I’ll lend a hand; I’ll lend a hand. Something you don’t understand? Give me your hand; give me your hand.

I’m a good neighbor; Just give me a call. I’m a good neighbor; I’ll give you my all.

NEIGHBOR: Excuse me, friends, let me introduce myself. I’m your neighbor from down the way. I was just passing by and I…

SHORE: Yes… Neighbor. My name is Shore. Is there something you want?

NEIGHBOR: Oh, I don’t want anything for myself. I wonder if…

TIDE: My name is Tide. We were just visited by a Tinker. If you’re trying to sell us something, we don’t need any.

WAVE: My name is Wave. It was hard to get the Tinker to leave.

NEIGHBOR: Friends, I’m not selling anything. I’ve lived by this ocean for many years. I saw you building this house yesterday. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help you.

SHORE: If you have lived here for some time, maybe you know a way to make the ocean go away.

TIDE: Last night the ocean came into the house and soaked our blankets. Yuck!

WAVE: We had to sleep in them. Bleck! Does this happen to you?

NEIGHBOR: No. My house is built up on that hill. Part of that hill is your property also.

SHORE: Do you have a way to make the ocean go away from our house?

NEIGHBOR: Well, I believe I do know a way. The ocean is always hungry. Feed the ocean some rice cakes and muffins. It may grant your wish and move away from your house.

TIDE: What luck! We have some rice cakes and muffins left in our food boxes. We baked more than usual so we could have food for our moving day.

WAVE: Let’s quickly get them. We can feed some to the sea.

(Musician: Explores splashing and plopping noises — maybe involves the ’ocean’ in making the sounds.)

SHORE: Here they are. (Shore throws three times far out.) There’s a rice ball. And a muffin. And another muffin.

TIDE: They’re sinking. Do you suppose the sea is eating them?

WAVE: No, the waves still are washing onto the shore near our little house!

SHORE: Here, Tide, Wave. We’ll try some more. (All throw.) Those don’t seem to work either.

NEIGHBOR: May I try?

TIDE: Go ahead. It was your idea in the first place.

NEIGHBOR: (Throws.) Are they working yet?

WAVE: No. If anything the water is deeper than it was.

NEIGHBOR: That’s strange. The ocean was satisfied every other time we threw food to it. Of course, the ocean is only satisfied for a little while.

SHORE: But we want the waves to leave our house alone forever.

TIDE: We want to sleep in dry beds!

NEIGHBOR: I’m sorry feeding the ocean didn’t work, friends. There is no way to command the ocean to stop forever.

WAVE: We’re sorry too. (Starts to cry.)

NEIGHBOR: I don’t know what more I can do to help you right now, new friends. (Exits.)

(All crying, walking about.)

Scene V: The Wise Person and the Sieve

SHORE: What will we do? We can’t sleep in a brine-soaked bed.

TIDE: And if the waves come much higher, the whole house will be waterlogged. What will we do?

WAVE: (Stopping crying.) Who is that?

SHORE: (Also stopping.) Who? Where?

WAVE: That person over there.

TIDE: Where?

WAVE: The one sitting so still on that rock by the ocean.

SHORE: Why sit there like that?

TIDE: Not moving at all.

WAVE: Let’s go ask our questions of that person!

(Walk to Wise Person — revealed in ’ocean’.)

SHORE: Hey there! What are you up to just sitting here?

TIDE: This is our land now.

WISE PERSON: Excuse me, I was just watching the ocean. Am I bothering you in any way?

WAVE: You’re trespassing on our property.

WISE PERSON: I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this rock in the ocean belonged to anyone in particular. So you’ll not be further offended, I’ll remove myself from your land. (Starts to leave.) So I’ll be sure to get off your land, just how far does it go?

WAVE: To the top of that hill that you see.

WISE PERSON: Thank you. (Starts to leave again.)

SHORE: I guess we made it clear enough we own this land.

TIDE: And that no one can push us around.

WAVE: The way that person was just staring at the ocean. Maybe this is the one that knows how to make the ocean go away.

SHORE: Maybe! Hey, stop! Wait a minute before you go away.

TIDE: Before you leave there is a question we’d like to ask you. We built this house near the sea yesterday.

WAVE: But our floor got wet from the ocean waves.

SHORE: Last night while we were sleeping our bedding got wet. We got wet.

TIDE: Do you know a way to make the ocean leave our house alone, forever?

WAVE: A way to make the ocean go away.

SHORE: We’ve tried shouting at the ocean;

TIDE: We’ve tried making a lot of noise to get its attention;

WAVE: And giving muffins in case the ocean was hungry.

SHORE: But none of these things worked.

TIDE: Can you tell us a way to make the ocean go away from our house?

WISE PERSON: Hmm. I think perhaps I can. But first I must ask you a question.

SHORE: If you know a way to make the ocean go away, ask anything you like.

WISE PERSON: First a question. Do you have a strainer in your house?

TIDE: You mean something to strain away the water after cooking vegetables? Or noodles?

WAVE: Is it a round pan with lots of very small holes all over it? If so, we have a strainer.

WISE PERSON: Yes. Please bring the strainer and a tea cup and I’ll ask my question.

SHORE: I know where they are. I’ll fetch them and be right back. (Exits.)

TIDE: Ah, we’re sorry we spoke so sharply to you, just now. We didn’t know who you were. Or that you would be willing to help us.

WISE PERSON: Thank you for explaining. I am happy to help you if I can.

WAVE: Ah, here’s Shore with the strainer and teacup.

SHORE: Here is the strainer and here is the teacup. Now what’s your question?

(Musician: Sound of water dripping rapidly.)

WISE PERSON: My question is this. How can you fill this strainer with ocean water?

TIDE: (Goes to the ’ocean’ edge and tries to fill the strainer by dipping the teacup in the ocean.) The water runs out as quickly as I put it in the sieve.

WAVE: We could stop up the holes with leaves or pine pitch or something, then the water wouldn’t run out.

WISE PERSON: Yes. However, then it would not be a strainer any longer.

SHORE: That’s true. If we stop up the holes it can’t be a strainer. Let’s try again! (They go into the ’ocean’ and try to fill it several times, without success.)

TIDE: (Frustrated, coming back to the Wise Person.) Oh, we give up! Can you fill this strainer with water?

WISE PERSON: Easily. Here, let me show you. (Wise Person throws strainer into the ocean.)

WAVE: Oh, don’t throw it out into the ocean!

WISE PERSON: Why not? Now it is filled with water and it is still a strainer. That was the answer to how to fill the strainer with water.

SHORE: But we’ll never get it back. Now we don’t have a strainer.

WISE PERSON: We can get another strainer from a tinker I know. And I’ll bring it to you after you do the dance of the ocean going away.

Scene VI: The Dance of the Ocean Going Away

ALL: The dance of the ocean going away?

TIDE: What is that dance?

WAVE: Will you teach it to us?

WISE PERSON: Yes, I will. Now listen carefully. First you must take your house completely apart and tie it up into bundles you can carry on your head and shoulders.

TIDE: Just yesterday we carried our house in bundles of sticks and straw on our heads and shoulders all the way here.

SHORE: Our whole house back into bundles? Are you sure we need to do this? We just built the house yesterday.

WISE PERSON: Yes, I’m very sure. We have to show the ocean you are willing to move.

TIDE: We dance the ocean going away, moving back a little. Then the ocean does the same.

WAVE: We are lucky the house comes apart easily.

(Musician accompanies Song of Moving the House.)

Song of Moving the House

The walls of woven sticks, The roof of woven straw; Come down to move once more. We’ll do the dance without a flaw. The ocean will be kept out by sticks, The waves kept out by straw; The water does not frighten us, The ocean will withdraw.

Chorus: A house, a house, It’s warm and dry, A little home to call our own. When in dry beds we lie.

SHORE: There, our house is all back into sticks, straw and bundles.

TIDE: And everything is on our heads and shoulders.

WAVE: We are ready to learn the dance of the Ocean Going Away.

WISE PERSON: Yes, you are. Hold tight to the sticks, straw and bundles. The first step of the dance is to turn and face the ocean. Now close your eyes.

SHORE: Hold tight to the sticks and straw.

TIDE: Face the ocean…

WAVE: Close our eyes.

WISE PERSON: Having done this, you begin to dance. Put your left toe behind your right heel. Shift your weight backwards. Now put your right toe behind your left heel.

SHORE: Left toe behind right heel…shift our weight backwards.

TIDE: And right toe behind left heel… shift our weight backwards.

WISE PERSON: You must repeat this step three thousand times. Remember, you must keep your eyes closed. If you open them before the end of three thousand steps, you will spoil the magic of the dance.

WAVE: We promise. We will do the dance exactly as you have taught us.

SHORE: I have a feeling this dance may work.

TIDE: Yes, the dance of the ocean going away is magic. I can feel it.

WAVE: Thank you for teaching us this dance.

SHORE: We must keep doing the dance exactly as the Wise Person taught it to us. Face the ocean…

TIDE: Close our eyes. Then put the left toe behind the right heel…Shift weight backwards.

WAVE: And the right toe behind the left heel. Shift weight backwards.

(They move backward very slowly, carefully balancing the sticks, straw, and bundles.)

(Neighbor enters, observes the dance.)

SHORE: Two hundred twenty-one, two hundred twenty-two…

TIDE: Two hundred twenty-three, two hundred twenty-four…

WAVE: Two hundred twenty-five, two hundred …. (Fading out.)

(Neighbor goes to Wise Person.)

NEIGHBOR: Do you know what my new neighbors are doing? I mean, why are they carrying their house’s sticks and straw and their bundles backwards with their eyes closed?

WISE PERSON: They are doing the Dance of the Ocean Going Away.

NEIGHBOR: The Dance of the Ocean Going Away?

SHORE: (Fading in.) Five hundred twenty-one, five hundred twenty-two…

TIDE: Five hundred twenty-three, five hundred twenty-four…

WAVE: Five hundred twenty-five, five hundred …. (Fading out.)

(Musician: Makes pot/pan noises as Tinker enters.)

TINKER: (Grumbling.) I’ve been to the other side of the cove and I didn’t sell even one pot. What are they doing?

NEIGHBOR: (To Tinker.) They are doing the Dance of the Ocean Going Away.

TINKER: They are moving their house away from the ocean! That’s a good way to see the floors don’t get wet.

NEIGHBOR: I didn’t think of such a simple solution.

TINKER: I didn’t either.

SHORE: (Fading in.) One thousand five hundred twenty-two…

TIDE: One thousand five hundred twenty-two. One thousand five hundred twenty-three… One thousand five hundred twenty-four…

WAVE: One thousand five hundred twenty-five…. (Fading out.)

TINKER: It’s such a simple solution. I was trying to move the waves away from the house.

NEIGHBOR: So was I!

TINKER: But now I see that this is a much better way.

WISE PERSON: The three of them were not ready to hear this solution.

NEIGHBOR: How could you know they weren’t ready to hear?

WISE PERSON: I asked them to solve a problem. They had a tea cup and a strainer and I asked them to fill the strainer with water.

NEIGHBOR: Water will run out of the strainer as quickly as you fill it from the cup.

TINKER: And if you plug up the holes it will no longer be a strainer.

NEIGHBOR: How about putting the strainer in the water?

TINKER: Or throwing it far out to sea?

WISE PERSON: You both are right. But when I threw the strainer into the sea, they could not understand it was them living near the sea. They only worried that they would never get back their strainer.

TINKER: But the ocean still wet their floor. Something had to be done.

NEIGHBOR: They were not ready to understand the solution was to move themselves.

WISE PERSON: Yes. I taught them the Dance of the Ocean Going Away. Doing this dance they move their house away from the ocean.

SHORE: (Fading in.) Two thousand nine hundred ninety-six…

TIDE: Two thousand nine hundred ninety-seven.

WAVE: Two thousand nine hundred ninety-eight.

WISE PERSON: Two thousand nine hundred ninety-nine…

ALL: Three thousand!

WISE PERSON: Open your eyes, dear friends.

SHORE: They are open. Oh look! The magic has worked. The ocean is far away.

TIDE: Yes! That dance is so strong. We can make our house again, just as it was, now that the ocean has gone away.

WAVE: Let us unpack our house.

NEIGHBOR, TINKER, WISE ONE: Can we help you build the house?

SHORE: Yes! Here are bundles of sticks for the walls,

TIDE: Straw for the roof.

WAVE: And this is the song we sing:

(Musician accompanies. Song of the New House — reprise.)

NEIGHBOR: And now your house is warm and dry…

TINKER: And here is a fine, sturdy strainer as a present for your new house.

NEIGHBOR: Filling a strainer with water; do you know other such tests?

WISE PERSON: Well, yes. There is the riddle of the needle in the haystack.

TINKER: Oh, tell us that one! I want to hear!

WISE PERSON: I will. But first we can all dance the Dance of the Ocean Going Away.

(Musician accompanies. Song of the Ocean Going Away.)

Song of the Ocean Going Away

ALL: The ocean going away, The ocean going away; High ho, the merry O The Ocean going away.

WISE PERSON: We’ll dance a dance and sing a song, Soon everyone will sing along.

ALL: The ocean going away, The ocean going away;

WISE PERSON: This house is warm and dry; All blessings now can multiply.

ALL: The ocean going away, The ocean going away.

WISE PERSON: They danced the dance that paid the price; Thus they have taken my advice.

ALL: The ocean going away, The ocean going away.

WISE PERSON: So warm and dry they rest content; This magic dance a wonderment.

ALL: The ocean going away, The ocean going away, The ocean going away.

(Exit. Musician: sound of the ocean surf. Players return as themselves, Musician joins them, all bow.)

THE END

Facilitator Notes

On the Wayfarer’s Journey: This play begins at the Nigredo — the characters are already in difficulty when we meet them. This is unusual; most DT:FC plays begin at Home. The play demonstrates that a story can begin at any point on the journey arc.

Debrief Prompts:

• The ocean didn’t change — Shore, Tide, and Wave had to change. Can you think of a time when the solution was to change your own position, not the thing that was bothering you?
• The Wise Person didn’t just tell them the answer. Why not? What did the strainer puzzle help them understand?
• The Tinker’s idea didn’t work. The Neighbor’s idea didn’t work. But they weren’t mean ideas — they were just wrong. How do you feel when your idea doesn’t work?
• The Dance of the Ocean Going Away is 3,000 steps! Why do you think the Wise Person asked them to take so many steps?

Additional Notes for Facilitators:

• Ocean science: this play opens opportunities to discuss tides, moon cycles, and the rotation of the earth.
• Music: talent in the class or community can partner to create musical accompaniment and singable melodies for the songs.
• Cultural inflection: the play can be set in another country with community-contributed cultural specifics.