Life's a Stage

“No More Trouble” – performed by: Erykah Badu (tribute to Bob Marley)

I chose this song because it talks about not needing any trouble and what we need is love.  It is a really beautiful song.  I imagine this song at the end of the performance, in a way it is telling the audience to continue and love one another and stop causing trouble.

“A Change Is Gonna Come” – performed by Lauryn Hill (acoustic) (originally by Sam Cooke)

I chose this song because it talks about hoping for a change yet times right now are tough.  Again, this is a great song.  I imagine this song being played really anywhere within the musical…the opening, while Cassie and her brothers walk to school, or after Mama lost her job teaching.  The lyrics fit in well with what is happening through out the plot.

“You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover” – performed and written by Bo Didley

I chose this song because it relates to the plot very well.  It talks about not judging people by what you see; you have to know the person first.  I think this song also fits in very well pretty much any where in the story.

Cassie – Yara Shahidi

Stacey – Adrian Kali Turner

Christopher John - Bobbe J. Thompson

Little Man – Tyree Brown

TJ – Tristan Wilds

Mama – Regina King

Papa – Shemar Moore

Uncle Hammer – Curtis Jackson

Big Ma – Maya Angelou

Mr. Morrison - Terry Crews

A Letter to Miss Thomas

Dear Miss Thomas,

I think you are such a kind woman.  The minute you saw little Bud all swollen and infected you nurtured him.  Poor Bud had to act manly around all those men and he didn’t want to complain or cry about some swollen hornet stings or an infected hand.  I think that it was very sweet of you to order him a good meal.  It must have warmed your heart watching him gulp his food up so quickly.  A nice meal of meat loaf, okra, and mashed potatoes really makes a tummy feel good!  Bud had gone through so much before meeting you and I think you came into his life at a perfect time.  He needed a nurturing figure so badly since he lost his mother four years ago.  When you were at the Sweet Pea and he started crying it meant so much to him that you were there.  It was as if you were an angel, pulling him out of his chair and sitting him on your lap rocking him and telling him that you understood.  You even brought me to tears with your compassion.  It was then that he felt you letting him know he was finally home.  When Bud heard you arguing with Herman E. Calloway about letting Bud stay that made him feel safe I’m sure; to have someone on his side probably was a huge relief for him.  He did not want to go back to The Home.  I’m sure you know already, but that picture you gave Bud of his mom that was sitting on your dressing table for so many years meant so much to him.  As you may know he only had that one picture of his mother that he carried around for so long.  To have a picture that was up close and he could see her face and have her eyes follow him where were ever he went is priceless to him.  You see, Miss Thomas, you had such an impact on Bud’s life and you should be proud of it.  You have such a big and warm heart.

Thank you for your kindness.

Color in Film

If I were to make this story into a film I would chose to make it in color versus black and white.  I think that it is important to show the audience color because of many reasons.  One reason would be to show the colors of Ramona’s drawings.  One moment that is important for making the film in color is when Ramona is reviewing her Christmas list after finding out her father was lost his job.  It is a very important moment and it gives the audience a better image when it is filmed in color.  On page 2215 ‘Ramona studied her crayons, chose a pinky-red one because it seemed the happiest color, and printed one more item on her Christmas list to make up for all she had crossed out.  One happy family.  Besides the words she drew four smiling faces and beside them, the face of a yellow cat, also smiling.’  Another moment that seems to make the story important to be in color rather than black and white is when Ramona gets her sheep costume and is about to be in the play at church.  ‘She yanked off the white terry-cloth headdress with pink-lined ears that she was wearing and stuffed it into the pocket of her car coat……She squirmed on the lumpy terry-cloth tail sewn to the seat of her pajamas.  Ramona could not pretend that faded pajamas printed with an army of pink rabbits, half of them upside down, made her look like a sheep, and Ramona was usually good at pretending.’ (2243)  Throughout this chapter, Ramona and the Three Wise Persons, it is important for the audience to feel what Ramona is feeling every time she looks down at her faded pink pajamas.  Her father tries to convince her that no one will notice, with one of his grandmother’s quotes, “Those pink bunnies will never be noticed from a trotting horse.” (2243)  Ramona feels better when she meets the girls playing the three wise persons and one of them paints a black nose on Ramona.  Somehow the black nose takes away the feeling of not looking like a sheep with her faded pink rabbit pajamas.  ‘Ramona felt so much better, she could almost pretend she was woolly.  She peeled off her coat and found that the faded pink rabbits really didn’t show much in the dim light.’ (2245)  There are even small things within the story that really help the audience paint a picture in color.  A small reference to color is made on page 2244, ‘Ramona’s eye caught the reflection of her face distorted in a green Christmas ornament.’  Even though it is such a small reference, the audience wouldn’t have that knowledge of the smallest detail such as a green ornament hadn’t the film been made in color.