Unity Tree, The

From Plank Road Publishing

by Teresa Jennings

Teresa Jennings has created a meaningful, non-Christmas primary musical about love, understanding, and acceptance. Though it's great for any school's winter performance, it works well any time of the year. It can be performed with groups of almost any size. As with all of Teresa's musicals, it carries a valuable message and comes with everything you will need to produce a memorable performance.

A prominent tree with a large, vertical stripe right down its middle forms a distinct boundary between Catville and Dogburg. Alas, more than just the tree separates these two villages. Longstanding prejudice and intolerance dwell there as well.

Ironically, both Catville and Dogburg share at least one common characteristic: Their population is replenished during the occasional snowstorm in which it literally snows cats and dogs. Following one such snowstorm, a new kitten and puppy find each other before they find their "own kind." Being ignorant of the way things are "supposed" to be, they form a quick friendship. When the other citizens of Catville and Dogburg discover the alliance, they are appalled. They hasten to teach the young kitten and puppy that they're supposed to be enemies. Immersed in their closed-minded perceptions, the cats and dogs fail to notice that the kitten and puppy have slipped away to meet again. When their disappearance is noticed, both villages rise up in anger, swearing their youngest citizens have been dognapped (or catnapped) by the other. Only when the two youngsters return on their own, obviously happy and unharmed, do the antagonists calm down. The kitten and the puppy proclaim their friendship. They powerfully state their case (in song) that such a bond is possible for the others as well. Living and working together in harmony, helping each other through adversity, and sharing ideas and solving problems turns out to be an attractive alternative to all of the cats and dogs. They decide to set aside their prejudice and intolerance, and to embrace their differences. The vertical stripe is ceremoniously removed from the prominent tree and a new sign is attached which reads, "The Unity Tree." The boundaries have been blurred, and now they stand together, united.

The original songs include:

  • It's Snowing Cats And Dogs!
  • Let's Play
  • Just The Way That It Is
  • You'll Be Sorry
  • I'd Rather Be Your Friend
  • United We Stand

These songs are featured in piano/vocal arrangements in the Teacher's Handbook and with rich, professionally recorded orchestrations on the state-of-the-art recordings. The Teacher's Handbook also features a full script, detailed performance notes, suggestions for costuming and sets, and even reproducible posters and a program cover.

(Run time: 15-20 minutes)

About the Downloadable OptionThe downloadable version contains all the components the print version would, but in electronic format.

About the Convenience Combo Kit The Convenience Combo Kit includes both the Kit with CD and the Downloadable Kit.

About the Audio RecordingsAudio recordings contain full performance and accompaniment only (instrumental) tracks.

Prod. #
Product Description
Price
Qty
Options
UT-116
The Unity Tree - Kit with CD
Teacher's Handbook, Reproducible Student Parts & Performance/Accompaniment CD
In stock.
$64.95
UT-117
The Unity Tree - Downloadable Musical
Downloadable PDF and Performance/Accompaniment MP3s: 88.5MB
Always available
$62.95
UT-119
The Unity Tree - Convenience Combo Kit (kit w/CD & download)
Both Print and Download. Download is 88.5MB
In stock.
$74.95
UT-113
The Unity Tree - Hard Copy Book/Downloadable Audio
Hard copy book with downloadable Performance/Accompaniment MP3s: Downloadable audio is 83.7MB.
In stock.
$64.95
UT-112
The Unity Tree - Student Edition
Minimum of 5. Ownership of kit is required to buy Student Editions.
In stock.
$2.95

Sound Samples

Song Title
Player
It's Snowing Cats And Dogs!
First Dialogue
Let's Play
Second Dialogue
Just The Way That It Is
Third Dialogue
You'll Be Sorry
Fourth Dialogue
I'd Rather Be Your Friend
Fifth Dialogue
United We Stand

Audio clips available. Listen while you browse.