The Ballad of Thoreau

Homeschoolers looking for a strong environmental theme or introduction to the

writings of Henry David Thoreau might enjoy accessing the free play and

education materials for “Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau” written by songwriter

Michael Johnathon.

“Walden” is a four character, two act play about the final two days Henry

David Thoreau spent in his cabin before leaving Walden Pond. In an age of global

warming, oil wars, bio-fuels and a political year, what Thoreau wrote has

special relevance for today.

This is an excellent tool to introduce audience of all ages to America’s

greatest literary giant at a time when the Earth and the environment have become

very important. Over 4,000 schools colleges and theaters performed the play

this past spring. Now, many are registering to perform the play autumn 2007 or

Earth Day 2008 as a theatrical or in-class event.

Some are performing it as a “play reading” (when actors portray the

characters but read from the script) and others simply read it within the classroom

environment and discuss it afterward. Other create a full blown theater event,

selling tickets, etc. However you choose to use the play, it can only help

students understand Thoreau and Earth issues better.

The play is FREE to homeschoolers, simply request a password at:

producer@waldenplay.com, visit the website (www.waldenplay.com) and download the plays

script, music, posters and a lesson plan.

This entry was posted on July 10, 2007 at 10:02 am and is filed under Curriculum, History, Language Arts, Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.