Codes of the Old West-Drama Set

Codes of the Old West-Drama Set

Themes: Using a cowboy theme and "codes of the old west" as a springboard for Bible stories such as: The Good Samaritan, Gideon, Paul & Silas, Nabath & the vineyards, and David & Saul.
Categories: Children, Bible Characters 
Summary:

Billy, who likes to be known as Billy the Kid, is very excited to be at The Wild Stallion Cowboy Camp.  He thinks all there is to being a cowboy is "ridin' and shootin'.  His sister, Jill, has no aspirations of being a cowgirl but has been sent to keep an eye on her brother, who seems to have a knack for getting into trouble.  Throughout the series Billy learns there's more to being a cowboy than he originally thought and begins to learn why the codes of the old west are so important. 

Part 1:  We meet the new "campers" and learn the first code of the old west: "Never pass a stranger on the trail without saying "howdy."  Based on the  Good Samaritan.

1. Billy:  A wanna be cowboy who's only goal is to "shoot" as many things as possible
2. Jill: Billy's sister who'd rather be doing just about anything than attending a cowboy camp with her brother
3. Don: A sensitive, artistic type who'd rather be at art school.  He was sent to cowboy camp because his father thinks art isn't "manly" enough and hopes being a cowboy will toughen him up a bit.
4. Rex: One of the main ranch hands who watches over the group and teaches the lessons of the old west
5. Durango: A ranch hand who only speaks in cowboy lingo, which only Rex can seem to understand.  He continually drives Billy insane with all his "crazy" talk.

Billy is driving his sister crazy trying to shoot everything in sight.  Jill is so busy trying to get him to stop, it takes her awhile to notice the nice guy sitting in the corner. She wants to say hello, but Billy advises against it, since he is a stranger and probably wants to be left alone. But when Billy heads off to find some "chow," Jill decides to introduce herself and becomes acquainted with Don, who she discovers is quite the artist.  After Billy gets in trouble with Durango, one of the ranch hands, he discovers he's not been at camp very long and has already broken the first code of the old west: being hospitable to strangers.

Part 2:  Code #2: "Cowards ain't tolerated in any outfit worth its salt." Based on the story of Gideon.

The campers find themselves working with Sonny, a rodeo clown, who informs them part of their training will include distracting the bulls in order to keep the cowboys safe.  Billy isn't so sure about that: he thinks it's too scary, even if he will be inside a padded barrel the whole time.  He wants no part of it!  But when Jill and Don say they'll do it, Billy doesn't want to be the only one looking like a coward, so he agrees to it, even in the face of fear.  He learns that having courage doesn't mean you aren't ever afraid; it means having the guts to do something in spite of that fear.

Part 3:  Code #3: "Cowboys are pleasant even when out of sorts." Based on Paul & Silas.

The campers are getting cranky: they're tired, sore and hungry.  When Chase, an experienced cowgirl begins to challenge Billy and he finds he can't keep up with her, it's enough to make him crazy.  But when Durango waltzes in speaking the cowboy lingo he can't understand, it pushes him over the edge when he finds out Chase understands every word.  Billy loses his "cool" and his temper flares, only to discover he's broken yet another code in the process. 

Part 4: Code # 4: "Never bother you're pardner's horse."  Based on Nabath & the vineyards.

Today, Wyatt, the ranch's best wrangler, is showing the group how to rope and wrangle a cow.  The group practices on "cow chairs" (regular chairs).  Billy thinks a cowboy of his caliber should be able to do this easily and doesn't understand why he even needs to practice.  His friend, Don, tries to tell him it's much harder than it looks but Billy won't listen.  He finds out the hard way Don was right, but to make matters worse, Jill seems to be a natural at it, rubbing salt in his wounded pride.  Billy reacts badly and tampers with his sister's chair.  When Rex finds out, he reminds Billy that cowboys don't mess with another man's horse, or in this case, the "cow chair."

Part 5:  Code #5: "Never try on another man's hat." Based on David & Saul's armor.

While waiting for lunch, the campers are introduced to Zane, the handsome, "cool" ranch hand who happens to be Rex's nephew.  Jill is quickly infatuated, which makes  Don jealous.  When he asks Billy what Zane's got that he doesn't, Billy replies, "style, muscles and the most awesome cowboy hat ever."  Convinced that the hat is what makes Zane so appealing, Don and Billy decide to try on Zane's hat when he leaves it behind to go swimming with Jill.  Don and Billy each feel confident in Zane's hat but when they start arguing over it, they accidentally tear it.  When Rex finds out he explains that a cowboy's hat is sacred and that you never, ever try on another man's hat!

 
Notes:

This is a series of 5 skits. The skits build upon each other, and each are about 5-8 minutes long. Due to the nature of the skits, they cannot be sold separately.

This series was originally written as a companion to someone else's VBS program about Codes of the Old West/Cowboy theme. It's fun series with characters your kids will never forget!

*These skits contain actual cowboy lingo (words and phrases) that your group of kids will love to learn and repeat.  More fun than a barrel o' monkeys!

 
Style: Comedy

$45.00
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Characters: 9 (6 Male, 2 Female, 1 Neutral)
Length: 5-8 minutes
No in set: 5
 
Excerpt (Sample)

Setting: The Wild Stallion Cowboy Camp ranch. The stage can be decorated as simply or as elaborately as you like in the theme of the .Old West..

 As the skit opens, Don sits quietly in a corner with a sketch book, drawing.  He is not dressed in cowboy fashion at all.  He has a somewhat .preppy. look, with dress pants, and a buttoned or collared shirt. 

 Billy and Jill enter.  Billy is dressed in complete cowboy attire: cowboy hat & boots, jeans, a flannel shirt etc.  He has toy guns in his hands.  Jill is dressed somewhat less .cowgirl-ish. but she does have on a cowboy hat. 

 As Billy enters, he points and shoots his gun at anything and everything, making loud 'shooting. noises with his mouth. Neither of them notices Don, in the corner.

 Billy:                 (pointing his gun at something) Bang! Bang! (pointing his gun at something else) Bang! Bang!

 Jill:                   (irritated) Billy, will you stop doing that!

 Billy:                 I can't!  I'm excited! We're finally here! (points the gun and 'shoots. her) Bang!

 Jill:                   I know you're excited but you've been doing that for the whole trip.  Two hours is long enough!

 Billy:                 (does it again) Bang!

 Jill:                   Stop it!

 Billy:                 I can't stop.  I'm a cowboy and that's what cowboys do; they shoot stuff.

 Jill:                   Cowboys do other things besides just shoot stuff.

 Billy:                 I know.  They ride too.  Shoot and ride; that's all they do.

 Jill:                   I'm pretty sure they do more than that.

 Billy:                 What do you know?  You're not a cowboy.

 Jill:                   (correcting him) Cowgirl.

 Billy:                 You're not one of those either.  Why are you even here?  This is a cowboy camp.

 Jill:                   Believe me, I'd rather be anywhere else but here but Mom & Dad made me come to keep an eye on you. 

 Billy:                 Great, just what every cowboy wants.his big sister hanging around, spying on him.

 Jill:                   It's no picnic for me either.  I'd rather be hanging out by the pool with my friends than watching you make a fool of yourself.

 Billy:                 What makes you think I'm going to make a fool of myself?

 Jill:                   Because I live with you.  I've seen you in action.

 Billy:                 Wrong answer. Bang! ('shoots. her again)

 Jill:                   (screams) Quit it! (she looks around and notices Don is staring at her and Billy'she quickly looks away) Oh my gosh.  I'm so embarrassed! (she slaps Billy's arm) Look what you made me do!

 Billy:                 (clueless) What? 

 Jill:                   You made me look like an idiot in front of that guy over there!

 Billy:                 (Billy glances at Don) Who cares? (he continues to point his gun and shoot, although without the noise-he just does the actions)

 Don has gone back to his drawings

 Jill:                   I do.  I don't want to look stupid on the first day.

 Billy:                 Too late!

 Jill:                   (glancing at Don again) Besides, he's kinda cute. 

 Billy:                 Eewww!  TMI!

 Jill:                   What's TMI?

 Billy:                 .Too much information..  I don't want to know the details about your love life! 

 Jill:                   Who said anything about a love life?  I just think maybe we should go and introduce ourselves.

 Billy:                 Bad idea.

 Jill:                   Why?

 Billy:                 Because cowboys always keep to themselves that's why. They don't go pokin. around in a stranger's business.  Besides, I don't think he even is a cowboy.

Jill:                   How do you know that?

 Billy:                 Look at how he's dressed'real cowboys don't dress like that.  Where's his hat? Where's his boots?  He looks like he should be on the cover of GQ magazine not on a ranch.

 Jill:                   Maybe he doesn't like flannel.

 Billy:                 (gasps) Don't even think that! Every cowboy likes flannel!

 Jill:                   If you say so. 

 Billy starts sniffing the air'the more dramatic the funnier it will be

 Jill:                   What are you doing?

 Billy:                 I smell food! 

 Jill:                   So?

 Billy:                 So, I'm hungry!

 Jill:                   We just ate an hour ago!

 Billy:                 I used up all my energy shooting everything on the way over here.  I'm gonna go grab me some grub!

 Jill:                   We just got here.  Don't you think we should wait for the manager or something? 

Billy:                 (rolls his eyes at her) They don't have managers here, Jill.  This isn't the mall. They have wranglers and ranch hands.  Learn the lingo, why don't ya?   And try not to embarrass me!

 Jill:                   Me?  Embarrass you

 Billy:                 Yeah!  Now, I'm goin. in search of grub.  Are you coming or not?

 Jill:                   No.  I think we should stay here and wait.

 Billy:                 Suit yourself.  I'm outta here! (he exits, shooting things as he goes)

 Jill looks around for a moment then walks over to Don

 Jill:                   Hi.  I'm Jill.

 Don:                (looks up) Hi.  I'm Don.

 Jill:                   Are you here for the cowboy camp?

 Don:                Unfortunately, yes.

 Jill:                   Unfortunately?  Why do you say that?   

Don:                My dad made me come here.  I want to be an artist but my dad doesn't think it's .manly. enough.  So, he thought spending a week here would help.

 Jill:                   Are those your drawings?

 Don:                Yeah.  (shows her his sketch pad)

 Jill:                   These are really good.  I can see why you want to be an artist.

Don:                Thanks.  How about you?  Why are you here?

 Jill:                   I was sent to keep my brother out of trouble.  I'm not that interested in being a cowgirl but who knows?  Maybe it will be more fun than we think.

 Don:                (gives her a wink and a smile) Things are already looking up.

 Durango and Billy enter.  Durango has got Billy by the collar and is 'dragging. him in. He stands near Jill and Don.

 Billy:                 Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..(whining as he's being dragged in)

 Durango:         (to Jill) Does this bull nurse belong to you? (indicating Billy)

 Jill:                   (confused) Bull nurse?

 Durango:         Yeah.  I caught him sniffin .round the crumb castle looking fer some hot rocks.

 Jill:                   (with a confused look on her face) I'm sorry, I don't understand what you just said. 

 Durango:         Why? Don't you speak English?   I said he was sniffing around for hot rocks, you know dough gods and bear signs.by the chuck wagon.

 Jill:                   Huh?