Golliwhoppers

by Flora B. Atkin

American folklore in four scenes. 7 to 9 players who act, sing, narrate, mime, chant, dance and play simple musical instruments. 50 minutes . $ 6.50

What is a Golliwhopper? It's a tall tale, in the robust American tradition of Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe. It's a sun legend from a western native American tribe. It's an Appalachian mountain ballad or an animal cante-fable from the South, celebrating traditional American virtues like optimism and common sense. It's a stretched out-story--you couldn't call it a lie--that captures the exuberance of our country's early days. Put four of them together in a polished theatrical package--complete with mime, ballad, dance, dialogue, even puppetry--and you have Golliwhoppers!

Golliwhoppers! was written for the American bicentennial more than a quarter of a century ago, and promptly became our most produced play ever. But the quality of its writing and sources is such that while other bicentennial plays have come and gone, this one just keeps going on forever, with companies bringing it back again and again, and every season bringing new theatres--from colleges and professional touring companies to middle and high schools--discovering it.

The actors, who use different skills in each tale, love the challenge and versatility the play demands. Everybody plays an instrument, whether it's a kazoo, a fiddle, or a washboard. The square dance caller in one scene may be manipulating a hand puppet in another. The diversity of resources that brings these whoppers to life help you capture the wide age span from kindergarten through sixth grace, or even junior high. Said one reviewer, "Golliwhoppers! fills a tall order--that of enrapturing kids while educating them, too. Whoops and cheers!"