The Covenant Lower School Presents
A Musical Written by Mr. Jerry King

Lyrics by Julie Nemeyer

Music by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman
The simple stories told and retold by a people (“folk tales”) can be a wide, welcoming, and surprisingly clear window into their hopes, their fears, their deep values and wisdom, their jokers and heroes. Every culture has its own tales passed on from generation to generation around campfires, in ceremonial gatherings, and at bedtime.

We have assembled six from various parts of the globe to bring to life for you. In these stories, we have found humor, trickery, war, honor, cleverness…, and some things that just leave us scratching our heads! 
And animals! Lots of animals! It is almost universal that the sharpest observations of human behavior can best be told through animals: foxes, bears, oxen, storks, colts, even wily spiders.

We hope you enjoy our stagings of these six folk tales, along with some music and movement for each. And then, may you, like us, be more attuned to the many interesting, surprising, and wonderful human stories all around us. We are so different; and yet, we share so much in common!

Production Team

List of 13 items.

  • Director

    Jennie Bottas

  • Music Director

    Julie Nemeyer

  • Choreographer

    Fifth Grade Cast & Julie Nemeyer

  • Set Design

    Jerry King

  • Set Construction

    Chad Austin

  • Costume Design

    Jerry King

  • Costume Construction

    Katie Perry, Lauren Thompson

  • Set Painting

    Chad Austin, Upper School Visual Arts 3 Students

  • Photography

    Amanda Calabro, Lydia Warren

  • Fine Arts Chair

    Jerry King

  • Director of Facilities

    Greg Porter

  • Ticket Sales

    Amy Duprey

  • Program Design

    Jeff Kildea

Cast

List of 32 items.

  • Emeline Anderson

    Ida’s Brother, Horse, Narrator

  • Lucy Barr

    Mrs. Guinea Hen, Narrator, Ensemble

  • Parker Barrett

    Anansi, Daghda Soldier, Ensemble

  • Gwyneth Besecker

    Shopkeeper, Yam, Formorian Soldier, Ensemble

  • Cate Bryce

    Townsperson, Narrator, Trees and Water

  • West Catherine Carr

    Narrator, Kid, Yam, Formorian Soldier

  • Molly Ciesel

    Narrator, Bushbaby, Townsperson, Tree

  • McKinleigh Dezio

    Narrator, Daghda’s Soldier, Ensemble

  • Reese Estes

    Uaithne, Narrator, Kid, Yam

  • Colbie Frazier

    Narrator, Horse, Trees and Water

  • Raegan Godwin

    Narrator, Kid, Yam, Formorian Soldier

  • Rowan Green

    Narrator, Townsperson, Bushbaby, Tree

  • Sophia Griffin

    Narrator, Old Woman, Yam

  • Miranda Holbrook

    Stork, Blacksmith, Narrator, Townsperson

  • Sylvie Homan

    Fox, Horse, Red Enemy

  • Chloe Kardell

    Ensemble, Old Angry Woman, Daghda Soldier

  • Kiley Kotarski

    Crow, Narrator, Townsperson, Red Enemy

  • Julien Krop

    Brother Bull, Narrator, Daghda Soldier

  • Lily Lawrence

    Narrator, Townsperson, Trees and Water

  • Corinne Lee

    Ida, Cheese, Narrator

  • William Mathew

    Shifty, Fox, Red Enemy

  • Aiden McNew

    Ida’s Brother, Mayor’s Son, Bushbaby, Tree

  • Eliza Belle Mutter

    The Daghda, Shopper, Ensemble

  • Lily Paphitis

    Fox, Saddler, Narrator, Townsperson

  • Truitt Peters

    Mama Turtle, Narrator, Formorian Soldier

  • Gracie Pickett

    Rooster, Townsperson, Trees and Water

  • Declan Poindexter

    Bear, Kid, Formorian Soldier

  • Lena Sanker

    Narrator, Daghda Soldier, Ensemble

  • Grant Smith

    Old Man, Narrator

  • Ryland Thompson

    Mayor, Narrator, Red Enemy

  • Sophie Thompson

    Ida’s Brother, Fox, Townsperson, Red Enemy

  • Magnus Waldruff

    Ida’s Dad, Townsperson, Narrator, Bushbaby

Special Thanks

Special thanks to our outstanding cast families and Birdwood administration and faculty for your support and assistance!

Thank you to our Covenant Business Partners!