Wan Smol Bag, a theatre group in Vanuatu, has been using drama to help youth and
communities make connections between their own actions and the environment for many
years. One technique they frequently use is called a “chorus”, in which a group of people
comment on the action of a play or speak as the feelings of one of the characters. Choruses
allow students who are naturally shy, a chance to act within the security of a group. They also
are useful for introducing a topic of discussion.

Teacher’s Note:

To do a chorus properly, participants must learn the lines, not just read them from the
paper. The only way to do this is to practice. In the chorus “Where have all the turtles
gone?” the teacher may want to divide the students into groups. One group of students
can do the speaking parts, while other groups act out the sea birds, the big fish and the
people.

Where have all the turtles gone?

(from Wan Smol Bag)

This chorus looks at the survival of turtle hatchlings as they are going from their nest site into
the sea. First the birds are waiting, then the big fish in the sea and then the people.