This skit introduces Phileo as a somewhat irreverent but definitely friendly boy puppet. It encourages audience interaction, so be sure to have your ad lib armor on.
Mario steps up to the puppet screen and introduces himself, then prepares to introduce Phileo, but Phileo is nowhere to be found.
Mario: Hi everybody. My name is Mario, and I’d like to introduce you to my little buddy, here, Phileo.
He looks over and Phileo is not there. Snoring can be heard.
Mario: (Apologetically to audience) Excuse me a minute.
(A loud whisper) Phileo. Phileo. Where are you? (looks over top of screen)
Mario: (To audience) Uh, oh, it looks like Phileo has overslept.
Phileo, Wake up. Its time to come out and meet everybody. Phileo.
Phileo: (snorts, yawns, stretches, peeks over the top)
Uh Oh. I’ll be there in just a minute.
(singing & gargling noises can be heard: one familiar line from each of several well known songs, such as I’m forever blowing bubbles, Dig, dig, dig, Rubber ducky, etc.)
(Mario nervously taps his foot, looks at his watch, looks at the sky, gives an embarrassed smile to audience, paces. On the musical cue of Rubber Ducky, he breaks in on Phileo’s solo)
Mario: Are you ready yet, Phileo?
Phileo: Yep. Here I come. (Phileo bounces up as if he is running up steps) Hi Mario.
Mario: Hi Phileo. Glad you could make it.
Phileo: (turns to the audience) Hi everybody. (back to Mario) What are we gonna do today, Mario?
Mario: Well, I thought maybe we could sing a song.
Phileo: Just a minute—(makes vocal warm-up noises) mi, mi, mi. Harum. That’s better. OK. What should we sing?
Mario: What about that Nazarene song that we’ve been working on. You sing and I’ll play.
Phileo: Okay
‘I fell in love with a Nazarene,…’ (sing one verse) (1)
Mario: Hey, that’s a pretty good job. Do you suppose you could do that again?
Phileo: Sure Mario… (starts song again, but with wrong words) ‘Oh, I fell in love with a tangerine, I…’
Mario: (breaks in) Wait a minute, that’s not what you were singing before.
Phileo: (sheepishly) I must have forgotten the words.
Mario: Well, why don’t you try to remember them.
Phileo: Hmmmm. I think I have them written down somewhere. Hey kids, would you like to sing along too?
(wait for response – if you don’t get much, you might ad lib with an ‘They must have overslept too’ or some such)
Phileo: Wait a minute, I’ll be right back.
(Phileo bounces back down the steps. As he goes down, Mario looks over the top of the screen)
Mario: Wait, wait Phileo – don’t open that door. (loud crashing is heard. Mario cringes.). (2)
Mario: Too late. Are you OK, Phileo?
Phileo: Yup, and I found the words too. (he bounces back up the steps) OK, lets go. (a sign appears: it has a tangerine on it) (3)
Mario: Phileo, those are not the right words.
Phileo: Whoops, Sorry (sign turns around)
Mario: That’s better.
Phileo: (sings song: 2 times through so that everybody can sing along)
Phileo: Yea! everybody. Good job. Say, Mario
Mario: Yes, Phileo.
Phileo: You remember last year when you told me that I should read my Bible every day?
Mario: Sure I do, Phileo. Have you been doing it?
Phileo: Uh huh (nodding yes).
Mario: What have you been reading about?
Phileo: Well, I have been reading this really neat story about a body builder named Moses and his ten commandoes. You see, he went up on top of this mountain and …
Mario: (interrupts Phileo) Uh, Phileo … wait a minute. I think you’re a little mixed up.
Phileo: What do you mean, Mario?
Mario: Well, there’s a story about a great man named Moses and the ten commandments, but I never heard of any commandoes. And I don’t think Moses was a body builder.
Phileo: Oh yeah, they were commandoes. And when Moses came down this mountain, see, and everybody was being so bad, he just picked up those commandoes and threw them at the people. He was strong all right.
Mario: Hmmmm. Well I’ll tell you what, Phileo. We’ll just read that story together sometime, OK? What else have you been reading about?
Phileo: Did you know that there were about a zillion kings back in those days?
Mario: Uh huh
Phileo: And there was one king named king Salami, or something like that.
Mario: I think you mean King Solomon.
Phileo: Yeah, and did you know that King Solomon had 700 wives.
Mario: Oh, come on, Phileo. And did he build 700 kitchens, or did they just take turns cooking?
Phileo: Hey, if you don’t believe me, you can read about it yourself.
Mario: Well, it is a little far-fetched. Why would anybody want so many wives?
Phileo: (muttering to himself) I don’t know. Maybe he was hoping that just one of them would be in a good mood when he got home at night.
Mario: Phileo! For heaven’s sakes! Does your Bible say anything about little boys?
Phileo: Oh, yes. There was this little boy named Pinocchio, and he got eaten by a whale named Jonah and…
Mario: (interrupting)Wait a minute, Phileo. I think you got your stories mixed up.
Phileo: (thinking hard) Oh, well. There was this little boy named David, and he took care of sheep and killed a bear with his bare hands.
Mario: Phileo, I think there’s hope for you after all. But it worries me that you were seeing commandoes and body builders. When was the last time your eyes were checked, Phileo?
Phileo: I don’t know.
Mario: Well, what if we check them right now. I just happen to have an eye chart with me. Here, read this bottom line down here. (Mario moves to the front of the screen with his back to the audience and holds up a poster so that the audience cannot see it). (4)
Phileo: I-can’t-see-a-thing
Mario: You can’t? Well try this line. It’s a little bigger.
Phileo: I-can’t-see-a-thing
Mario: Phileo, this is beginning to look serious. Try the top line.
Phileo: I-can’t-see-a-thing
(Mario puts his hands on his hips, still holding the poster in one hand. The writing should be flipped around now so that it is visible to the audience. There will be laughter if you get it positioned right.)
Mario: Well there’s your problem, Phileo. You need glasses. We better go and get you checked out. Say goodbye to the people.
Phileo: Good bye everybody, see you next time.
ABOUT THE PROPS:
1. Song Lyrics: I don’t know where this simple song came from. I learned it at a Bible Study many years ago but I have not been able to find it on the internet. The woman who taught the class heard it at a church she visited for a conference, probably written by someone at that church. Unfortunately, she died several years ago, so I cannot ask her this side of heaven. (Phileo fractures the song by singing the word ‘tangerine’ in place of the word ‘Nazarene’.)
I Fell in Love with a Nazarene
Verse 1
I fell in love with a Nazarene, I fell in love with Him.
I fell in love with a Nazarene, He made me free from sin.
He gave me beauty for ashes, here, Glory for all my shame.
I fell in love with a Nazarene and Jesus is His name.
Verse 2:
La la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la
I fell in love with a Nazarene and Jesus is His name.
2. Opening the Closet: Have a cloth or net bag with a few metal pots and pans in it. When Mario tells Phileo not to open the door, pick up the bag and shake it violently, as if Phileo opened a closet door and everything fell out.
3. Put Props within Easy Reach: Behind the screen, have a stool or table with the sign on it. Use poster board and cut out colorful pictures to represent words in the song. You can choose any song you wish for this. Use a yardstick for the handle so that you can easily hold it with one hand while you puppet with the other.
4. Other Props: In front of the puppet screen, have the ‘eye chart’ handy for Mario to pick up. Be sure no one can see it. The ‘eye chart’ has three lines on it in large block letters. The largest line on top and the smallest line on the bottom. All three lines say “I can’t see a thing.” (This is from a Woody Woodpecker cartoon)
More Tips:
This is a relatively short skit that can be combined with others, or as a stand-alone. If you are combining it with another skit, then at the end of the eye test, go on to the next segment instead of saying good bye.
Be sure to practice cues and work on timing so that there are no awkward pauses.
At the places where Mario interrupts Phileo, Phileo should practice continuing the line ad libi so that if Mario is late in interrupting, Phileo will still be talking.
Mario should be sure to have the lines and music memorized. For Phileo, you can pin words, cues, etc to the inside of the screen. Be sure it is in a convenient place because when you have one arm up in the air, you don’t have much room to turn to look at something if it is not placed correctly.
To save your posture, the puppet screen should be tall enough to let you stand without the top of your head showing, then simply lift Phileo up above the edge.
Be sure to ham it up and have fun!
Blessings Your Way,
Chandra Lynne
