The Sunday School Teacher of Oz

The "Sunday School Teacher of Oz" is intended to be performed by adults with simple costume changes for the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. The set should include a small area with a table and chairs for the Sunday School class (off to the side) and a garden scene with a rainbow (center). The opening scene can be performed in front of the stage area.
Before the skit is performed the audience should rehearse the two songs. You will need music for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  "We're Off to See the Teacher" would be best without accompaniment. Print the words to both songs in a bulletin and tell the audience that whenever these songs are heard in the skit, they should sing along. The narrator should encourage the group singing.
The skit is intended to be corn-ball, so don't be afraid to be a little silly with it. A nice touch to add is a bucket filled with confetti to be thrown into the audience when the witch runs away. It's an old trick, but kids love it. Make sure they are seated on the floor near the front. Have fun!
Rev. Nancy Kraft Ferris

The Sunday School Teacher of OZ
CHARACTERS:
Narrator Dorothy - a Sunday School student Mom - Dorothy's mom Dad - Dorothy's dad Mr. Morgan - a Sunday School teacher Cindy (Scarecrow) - a fellow student Tom (Tinman) - a fellow student Wicked Witch of the Week-end
Scene 1 - at Dorothy's house. Dorothy wearing nightgown.
MOM: Now Dorothy, we don't want to talk about it anymore. You know that you are going to Sunday School.
DOROTHY: But mom. It's the only day all week that I can sleep in. And I'm so tired.
DAD:  You're tired because you stayed up too late last night. Now get yourself dressed or you'll be late for Sunday School.
DOROTHY: Awe. Can't I just stay home this once. I promise I'll watch some of the preachers on T.V.
MOM:  Dorothy, we're leaving in 5 minutes.
DAD:  And you better be dressed!
NARRATOR:  And so Dorothy did what her parents told her to do. But she didn't like it! Sunday School seemed like such a waste of time to her. She would much rather spend her Sunday morning sleeping or watching T.V. But she went to Sunday School instead. And when she got there she found the same old kids sitting in her class. And they were studying the same old stories.
Scene 2 - students are seated around a table in a Sunday School classroom.
MR. MORGAN:  And so we continue this week with the story of Noah and the Flood. Cindy, why don't you begin reading for us. We'll start with Genesis, Chapter 9, Verse 11.
CINDY: (fumbling in her Bible) Genesis?
TOM:  Yeah. Genesis, dummy. Don't you know where Genesis is?
MR. MORGAN:  Why don't you help her, Dorothy?
TOM:  I can't believe you don't know where the book of Genesis is. Sometimes I think you were born without a brain. Hey, Cindy. Where were you when they passed out brains?
ANNIE:  Where were you Tom, when they passed out hearts? You have got to be the cruelest person in the world. Absolutely heartless!
MR. MORGAN: All right, that's enough. Here Cindy, let me help you. (He leans over Cindy's shoulder to point out the passage. While he does this Annie throws a paper wad at Tom.) Who did that? (silence) I want to know who threw that.
TOM:  I know, but I'm not gonna rat on her. Go ahead, whoever did it. Confess.  (silence) I think we have a coward in our class. Somebody's a chicken. Somebody's a chicken. (makes chicken noises)
MR. MORGAN:  All right. Enough, enough. Let's listen to the Bible passage. This is all about the promise God made to Noah and his family.
CINDY:  "With these words I make my covenant with you and with all people . . . (keeps reading softly)
NARRATOR:  Dorothy had heard this story a million times before and she didn't think she could bear to hear it again. She gently closed her eyes for a moment and felt herself slipping away from the classroomÉ
CINDY:  . . . whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you . . .
NARRATOR:  A rainbow . . . a rainbow . . . Dorothy thought . . . a rainbow and she was suddenly transported to a place she had only imagined before . . . a place beyond the rainbow . . .
piano plays intro and the audience sings . . .
                  SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW                   WAY UP HIGH . . .
Scene 3 - in a lovely garden. Dorothy is walking down a path. A scarecrow is among the flowers.
DOROTHY:  (looking around)  Something tells me I'm not in Sunday School anymore.
SCARECROW:  Hello there, young lady.
DOROTHY:  Did you say something to me?
SCARECROW:  I most certainly did. That is . . . I think I did . . . Now I don't know. Oh, my. You see I don't remember things very well.
DOROTHY:  Well, why is that?
SCARECROW:  Oh, it's a terrible thing really. You see, I was born without a brain.
DOROTHY:  No brain! That must be awful. Why I bet you can't even find the book of Genesis in the Bible.
SCARECROW:  Genesis? Goodness. I wouldn't even know where to find a Bible.
DOROTHY:  Gee, Scarecrow. I wish there was something I could do to help you. But I don't even know what I'm doing here. I was just sitting in my Sunday School class and all of a sudden . . . whoosh! I'm here. Somewhere over the rainbow.
SCARECROW:  Well, I know someone who could help both of us. Not far  from here there lives a very, very wise man called the Sunday School Teacher of OZ. I'll bet if we go to him he can help you find your way home and he can give me a brain. . . at least I think he could . . . oh, my . . . what was I saying? Now I can't remember.
DOROTHY:  (helps Scarecrow down) Here Scarecrow. I think we both better get to that Sunday School Teacher as soon as possible.
SCARECROW:  I'm with you. Let's be on our way.
DOROTHY:  Well, which way is it?
SCARECROW:  Why, this way, of course. Or is it this way/ or this way? I can't remember.
DOROTHY:  Let's go this way.
SCARECROW:  Yes! That's the way. I knew it all along.
SCARECROW AND DOROTHY:  (linking arms and singing with the audience)
                  We're off to see the Teacher                   The Sunday School Teacher of OZ!
(Dorothy and Scarecrow skip off and run right into the Tinman)
TINMAN:  Watch where you're going, you nincompoops! Why of all the stupid things to do. Didn't you see me standing here?
DOROTHY:  Gee. We're sorry, sir. We didn't realize you were standing there.
TINMAN:  You're just a couple of clumsy old nincompoops, that's what you are.
SCARECROW:  Listen, buddy. We said we were sorry. You don't have to call us names.
TINMAN: Oh, I did it again. I just can't help myself. I hurt your feelings, didn't I?
DOROTHY:  Well, I have to admit that you did.
TINMAN:  Oh, I'm so, so sorry. Like I said. I can't help myself. I hurt people's feelings all the time. You see I don't have a heart.
SCARECROW:  No heart?
TINMAN:  That's what I said, no brain!
SCARECROW:  Hey, now that does hurt my feelings. (begins to cry)
DOROTHY:  Now look what you've done. You really are heartless.
TINMAN:  Oh, I'm sorry. I just can't help myself. If only I had a heart. Then I wouldn't be so cruel.
SCARECROW:  Hey, I have an idea. We're going to see the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ. We're hoping that maybe he can give me a brain.
DOROTHY:  And that maybe he can help me find my way back to my Sunday School class.
TINMAN:  Do you suppose that he could give me a heart?
SCARECROW:  Well, I say it couldn't hurt to ask.
DOROTHY:  Come along with us Tinman.
(all join arms and sing with audience . . . )
We're off to see the Teacher
The Sunday School Teacher of OZ!
(They skip on and suddenly the lion jumps out at them)
LION:  ROAR!  ROAR!
(Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tinman fall to ground screaming)
DOROTHY:  Go away! Go away!
LION:  Yow! (runs for cover) Don't yell at me! Don't yell at me! I was only teasing! I'm not going to hurt you!
SCARECROW:  Why, look at him. He's scared to death.
TINMAN:  Some lion he is. He's nothing but a big chicken. Hey, chicken. . . (makes chicken noises)
LION:  (crying) It's true. It's true. I'm not really a lion. I'm nothing but a big chicken. I try to be brave. But I'm nothing but a big chicken. Everybody laughs at me.
DOROTHY:  (patting lion on back in consoling way) There, there lion. Don't cry. Why don't you come to see the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ with us. Maybe he'll be able to give you some courage.
LION:  The SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ?
DOROTHY:  Yeah. We're going to see if he can help me find my way back to my Sunday School class.
SCARECROW:  And to see if he can help me with . . . uh, uh . . . I can't remember what it was. Uh, . . .
TINMAN: A brain, stupid! A brain!
SCARECROW: oh, yeah. A brain.
TINMAN:  And I'm going to get a heart.
LION:  Do you suppose the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ could give me courage?
DOROTHY:  Well, Lion. There's only one way to find out.
(all join arms and sing with audience . . . )
We're off to see the Teacher
The Sunday School Teacher of OZ!
WITHCH: (holds out her broom to block their way and cackles) Not so fast your four. Just where do you think you're going?
TINMAN: Can't you hear? We just sang it. Come on guys. Let's sing it again for the old bag.
All:      We're off to see the Teacher            The Sunday School Teacher of OZ!
WITCH: Oh, I see. You're off to see the Teacher . . .
ALL:  The SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ.
WITCH:  You poor dears. Whatever for?
DOROTHY:  So he can help me find my way back to my Sunday School class.
SCARECROW:  And so I can have a É aÉ aÉ
TINMAN:  A brain! A brain! A brain! And so I can have a heart.
LION:  And so I can get some courage.
WITCH:  You can't get any of those things from a SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ. You'd be better off sleeping in on a Sunday morning or watching T.V.
DOROTHY:  How am I ever going to get anywhere sleeping in or watching T.V.? That doesn't make sense.
WITCH:  Maybe not, but that's what you told your parents you wanted to do this morning. Now, go home and watch T.V. all of you!
LION:  (crying)  Don't yell at us!
DOROTHY:  Wait a minute. I saw this in a move once. I know how we can scare you away.
WITCH:  You don't mean?
DOROTHY:  You guessed it, Witchie. A little water is all you need.
WITCH:  Water!? No! Not water! Anything but that.
DOROTHY:  (picking up bucket) Well then, you better get out of my way or you'll be baptized before you know it.
WITCH:  (screams and runs off) No, No! Not the water!
(Mr. Morgan steps forward)
DOROTHY:  Mr. Morgan?
MR. MORGAN:  Dorothy, I've been expecting you. I'm the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ. I know why you're here.
SCARECROW:  Do you know why I'm here SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ? I can't seem to remember.
MR. MORGAN:  You, Scarecrow, are in need of a brain. And you, Tinman, are in need of a heart. And you, Lion, need some courage.
TINMAN:  So, can you help us?
MR. MORGAN:  I most certainly can. You've come to the right place. In my Sunday School class you can gain valuable knowledge that will make you very wise in life.
SCARECROW:  Sounds like just what I need.
MR. MORGAN:  And in my Sunday School class, you can learn even more than knowledge. You can learn about love. For after all, love is the most important part of being a Christian.
TINMAN:  Can you even help a heartless person like me to learn the way of love?
MR. MORGAN:  Yes, Tinman. Even you.
LION:  What about me? Do you teach your students what it means to be courageous?
MR. MORGAN:  Yes. We discuss ways to live out the Christian faith each day of our lives. That takes a lot of courage. Being faithful to God in today's world is hard. Only the bravest Christians can do it. In my class we help support one another so we can all show courage in our lives.
DOROTHY:  Gee. I didn't realize how important Sunday School can be. I think I want to go back to my class now. Can you help me?
MR. MORGAN:  It's easy Dorothy. I think you know what to do. You said you've seen the movie.
DOROTHY:  You mean, I tap my feet together and say, "There's no place like Sunday School . . ."
MR. MORGAN:  That's right.
DOROTHY:  Ok. Here goes. (taps heels together) There's no place like Sunday School . . . There's no place like Sunday School . . .
MR. MORGAN:  Dorothy, are you all right?
DOROTHY: You're the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER OF OZ!
TOM:  Boy, are you weird!
DOROTHY:  Don't worry about it Tom. I'm just glad to be in Sunday School.
TOM:  Definitely weird.
NARRATOR:  And so Dorothy had a new outlook on Sunday School. As a place where she could gain valuable knowledge. And where she could learn to love. And where she could learn how to live courageously as a Christian every day. And her parents never had any trouble getting her to Sunday School again. For after all . . .
ALL:  There's no place like Sunday School!  (applause)