AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Heart of America Council

Divide audience into 7 parts.  Assign each a part.  Explain they are to respond loudly when their character is named.

Characters:                Response

Cowpunchers............ Whoopie

Timid Ladies.............. Scream (falsetto)

Bucking Broncos ..... Gallop (slap hands on knees)

Six Shooters .............. Bang; Bang

Bandits ...................... Steek'em up

Rattlesnakes ............. Hiss ominously

Cattle........................... Moo

Ride 'em Cowboy...... all shout – Ride 'em Cowboy

Are you listless, tired out of sorts? Do you need excitement and new thrills? Then go to Texas! There you will find COWPUNCHERS, BUCKING BRONCOS, RATTLESNAKES, SIX SHOOTERS and just enough TIMID LADIES.

How well I remember one night on the Bar-B-Que ranch, the CATTLE were in the corral and the RATTLESNAKES were rattling their babes to sleep and the COWPUNCHERS were telling tales to the TIMID LADIES, when all of a sudden the BUCKING BRONCOS began cutting up, and you could hear the CATTLE for a mile. Like a flash, the COWPUNCHERS pulled out their SIX SHOOTERS and made for the corral. The RATTLESNAKES ran for cover, the TIMID LADIES collapsed in a cactus bush.

Stealthily, from around the corner of the ranch house crept the BANDITS. "Aha, just as I thought - much better than CATTLE, huh, Pancho? So your young friends have deserted you. We could be very good friends. "The TIMID LADIES shrank further into the cactus. Aha, Pancho, See they are such TIMID LADIES, we will have to teach them a few things."

The BANDITS quickly carried the TIMID LADIES to Gory Gulch where their horses were waiting. The TIMID LADIES screamed but to no avail - the CATTLE were making too much noise. The TIMID LADIES screamed, "Where arc you taking us?"

" Down Mexico way, my little tortilla." At this moment, the TIMID LADIES sank their teeth into the BANDITS arms. The BANDITS let out a terrific yell that rang out over the range above the noise of the CATTLE and the stamping of the BUCKING BRONCOS.

In an instant, the COWPUNCHERS were on THEIR BUCKING BRONCOS, SIX SHOOTERS in hand, riding hard and fast in the direction of the BANDITS.They could hear the cries of the TIMID LADIES.

The BANDITS spurred their horses on; the COWPUNCHERS were gaining - 50 yards, 30 yards, 10 yard. Now the BUCKING BRONCOS were at the foot of the hill. The noise of the SIX SHOOTERS was terrific.

Pancho pushed one of the TIMID LADIES off his horses, the other BANDITS followed suit. "Reverse," cried the COWPUNCHERS, shifting their reins. Immediately the BUCKING BRONCOS fell into reverse until the TIMID LADIES could regain their feet. The COWPUNCHERS swooped the TIMID LADIES up into the saddles beside them and galloped rapidly away. The TIMID LADIES shouted, "RIDE 'EM COWBOY"

Pioneer Trip - Audience Participation Skit

Viking Council

Instructions: Throw beanbags (or peanuts, candy, nuts, etc.) into audience as you reach blanks in the story. Whoever catches it fills in the blank with items pioneers would need when moving to a new farm. 

Today when we move we put our things in a large truck and are settled in our new home within a week. But did you ever wonder about the pioneers?

This is a story about a pioneer family named Jones who moved from their old home to a new farm. To carry all their things, Mr. Jones will get a __1__ pulled by __2__. To cook their meals, Mrs. Jones will take her __3__, __4__ , __5__ (as many cooking utensils as they can name).  To cut wood they will need a __6__. When Mr. Jones goes hunting, he will need a __7__.

Junior Jones will help herd the __8__ along the way. To help her mother plant a garden when they get to their new home, Sally Jones will take __9__. To prepare the ground for their new garden they will need a __10__.  They will probably build a cabin out of __11__, and to store vegetables will dig a __12__. Mrs. Jones will probably cook in a __13__, and their plates will be made from __14__ or __15__. When it gets cold, everyone will wear woolen __16__.

One possible set of answers:

1. Covered wagon                          9. Seeds

2. Oxen                                             10. Plow (pulled by ox)

3. Cast iron frying pan                  11. Logs or sod

4. Kettle                                           12. Cellar

5. Pots and pans, rolling pin        13. Fireplace

6. Ax or Saw                                    14. Wood

7. Rifle or Gun                                 15. Pewter

8. Cow                                              16. Long johns

Variations –

·         Put the answers in a hat and have people pull one out each time you come to a blank. See how comical it would be.

·         Prior to reading, have people call out 16 nouns relating to the old west and use them in the order given to fill in the blanks.

The Sad Tale Of Two Famous

Circle Ten Council

Divide the audience up into 3 groups and assign them each a name and sound.

WILD BILL HICCUP:  .................................... Hic-c-cup

HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE:...................... Ooops!

CACTUS:  ................................................... Eeech, Ouch!

Let me tell you the story of two famous cowboys from western history.  Yep, you guessed it!  They are WILD BILL HICCUP and, his sidekick, HAP-A-LONG CATASTOPHE.  It seems that WILD BILL HICCUP was constantly plagued with long seizures of hiccups for which there seemed to be no cure.  Many doctors all over this land of sagebrush and CACTUS had tried to cure him, but it was all in vain.  Nothing worked!

WILD BILL HICCUP’s buddy, HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE, was also plagued with a peculiar ailment.  It seems that he was so clumsy that he was like a bull in a china closet.  He stumbled his way from one catastrophe to another. Out in this land of sagebrush and CACTUS these two men kept each other company and tried to keep out of the way of others so as not to disturb any more people than necessary.  Thus WILD BILL HICCUP and HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE were together constantly. One day while trying to mount his horse, HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE spooked his horse with his usually bumbling.  The horse ran off into the sunset. With much effort and many tries to stay on, HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE made it onto the horse with WILD BILL HICCUP and off the two rode through the land of sagebrush and CACTUS.  After riding awhile, they caught sight of the horse.  It had calmed down and was slowly walking among the CACTUS.  Wouldn’t you know it!  WILD BILL HICCUP got so excited at finding the horse that he began to hiccup violently and of course, HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE being the way he was, could not take the jerking of his friend on the horse.  Just as they came to the next big CACTUS, WILD BILL HICCUP gave out a tremendous hiccup, which sent HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE sprawling right into the middle of the CACTUS!  That frightened the horse again and sent him running off into the sunset.

The last anyone saw of our western heroes, HAP-A-LONG CATASTROPHE was still trying to mount WILD BILL HICCUP’s horse, only to be sent flying back into the CACTUS by a giant hiccup from his friend.  I’m sure after many trials and failures, our heroes must have felt the whole thing was pointless, but the CACTUS was still there reminding them of it’s point.