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About '100 meters' |
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100 Meters is the story of a girl who had the courage to try to realize her dreams. A play for lower intermediate learners of English and upwards.
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Wilma Rudolph was the twentieth of twenty-two children born into a poor, black family in the Southern US town of Clarksville, Tennessee. Her first ambition was to play basketball, but at the age of seven she came down with a simple cold which, through complications, led to the crippling disease, Poliomyelitis. She completely lost the use of her legs and spent the following years wearing a leg brace and crutches. Any other girl would have decided that that was to be her fate, but not Wilma. Wilma wanted to play basketball and that is what she did. She began to work on recuperating her movement. Three years after contracting Polio, she became the star of a high school basketball game with her score of forty-nine points, setting a record for a single player in a single game which still stands in the annals of the Tennessee State High School Basketball Association. She did not stop there. Rudolph began to train in athletics, gaining a bronze medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics (4x100m relay) and three gold medals in Rome, 1960. More importantly, the 'Black Gazelle' broke the world record for the women's 100 meter sprint. Rudolph retired from sports in 1962, but not before breaking her own record in 1961. This woman's triumphs were not limited to the sports arena. Even after representing her country at the Olympics, she was forced to confront the insult of segregation at home: 'When I got back from the Olympics, my hometown, which had never been integrated, wanted to have a parade for me. But I told them I wouldn't be in a parade that was segregated, so I broke that barrier in my hometown.' Rudolph was active on the lecture circuit and founded the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, working with underprivileged youth in sport. She passed away from a brain cancer in 1994. The Play 100 Meters is written in basic English so that it can be understood by lower intermediate English learners and above. Certain scenes are written to emphasize particular language features or grammatical structures. There is also a teaching pack to accompany the show, helping teachers to prepare their students beforehand, working through key themes and vocabulary (Contact me for a copy). The play is written in a style that lends itself well to classroom readings. The idea of presenting this story to young student audiences originated with a desire to tell a selection of true stories about people in difficult circumstances overcoming great obstacles - and going on to succeed. However, as I began researching Rudolph's history, it began to grow and occupy me more and more. Finally, I realized that the 'Black Gazelle' had to stand alone - for the unique, awe-inspiring lessons her story teaches about determination, perseverance and the scary, thrilling joy of realizing your dream. Rights Before you use this work with your students, or anyone else, you MUST contact me to ensure you can have the rights. They are currently held by a third party. If you intend to charge money for your performance, then 10% (author's royalties) of any money made (before costs) MUST be paid to the Wilma Rudolph Foundation. » Contact me for details. |
