A Song of Sherwood
      by Clyde Ray List   2011

Act I: Deep in Sherwood Forest

A survey team is lost in darkness. As they march to the front of the stage, they sing: "Corner Stones."

They discuss why they "seem to be in Sherwood Forest instead of Sherwood Oregon." They are distracted by a young girl dancing alone among the trees.

She sings: Marian Loves Robin She explains the basic conflict of the play. She is interrupted by the sound of distant music. She disappears into a Group of Madrigal Singers who just happen too be passing by.

Enter the Sheriff of Nottingham, as one of the madrigal singers. He turns his attention to the surveyors. He thanks them for coming and promises to "go ahead and clear out all these Shakespeare people for you."

Appalled by his message, the crew quietly leaves the stage while he sings "Oh How I Hate the Color Green ."

Like rowdy teenagers, the "Shakespeare People" react to his message with a Pan Dance. They turn the Sheriff into a tree. Lost in the shade, he sings: "Could Somebody Tell Me Who's the Good Guy?".

He is interrupted by Marian singing: "Dolphin Songs"

Forgetting that he is a tree, the Sheriff starts singing too. Surprised to hear a tree singing, Marian attacks the tree and it runs away. She decides that she must be a goddess afterall.

She sings: "We Are The Queen of the Forest."

Robin Hood appears. He makes fun of Marian's upper class accent. This leads to a sword fight, but the scene ends happily. Together they sing: "Just Another Love Song" while The City of Sherwood gradually replaces Sherwood Forest.

Act II:
City of Sherwood Street Scene

A radio is playing the latest Robin Hood Festival commercial. Everyone is enjoying the festival except for a little girl who runs through the crowd searching for Robin Hood. She joins a group of kids who are looking for Robin Hood too. They run to an old man (AKA, The Sheriff of Nottingham). They beg him to tell them another Robin Hood story. He agrees to tell them another story if they pretend to be the characters in the story. They do the story about Robin Hood and Little John. The story ends abrubtly when a Bounty Hunter accuses the Sheriff of Not Telling the Truth.

The children are suddenly The Shakespeare People again. They dance about the stage in as confused a manner as possible while the cityscape fades back into the forest. At last, they and all the characters who appeared in this play gather around a camp fire and sing "Midnight is Falling."

Other Works

The Planet


Boudica


Best I Could Do

LINKS

  • Sherwood Oregon Robin Hood Festival
  • Robin Hood Festival Facebook
  • Clyde's Website