Script Criteria

PENS AGAINST POVERTY

Students and teachers participating in the Pens against Poverty Challenge will benefit from the insight of esteemed actor, playwright and ChildFund New Zealand Ambassador, Alison Quigan. Alison has developed the key criteria for successful scripts, which teachers may use throughout the Challenge to assess student writing.

Please use the following criteria when writing your script, or download the full version of Alison's Script Criteria.

Script basics:

  • Adapted from the book, Mary’s Christmas Yarn
  • A One Act play
  • Approximately 1 hour long
  • Student written

Characters must include:

  • Mary
  • Rosemary the sheep
  • Mary’s Mum
  • Mary’s Dad
  • Mary’s Aunty
  • Vietnamese Mail man – Khiem

Themes should include:

  • The lead up to a New Zealand Christmas
  • Christmas presents and the idea of gifts
  • Gifts that make a difference
  • The benefits of gift giving, especially to the giver
  • ChildFund New Zealand
  • The uses of sheep, including their wool, manure, cheese and meat
  • Making friends in other parts of the world

Your script will be judged against this criteria and, most importantly, on the theatrical use of the themes, the development of the characters and its overal entertainment value.

Good Luck!
Alison Quigan
ChildFund Official Blog

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