argumentative family who live in a tiny hut. One day, bemoaning the lack of space and quiet, Mendel's wife sends him to the Rebbe for advice. Chaos and comedy follow after the Rebbe advises him to bring the chickens, a cow and a goat into the hut.

The characters that populate Mendel's village are endearing, each with his or her own problems and advice for Mendel. The script is flexible and can be performed as is (30 roles for a minimum of 8 actors), or additional characters and dialogue can be added. Running time: 45-60 minutes.

Available on www.dramaticpublishing.com and www.amazon.com.

Have You Ever...Bringing Literature to Life Through Creative Dramatics

Lois Kipnis and Marilyn Gilbert

This book includes easy to use creative dramatic lessons for 28 well-known stories, nursery rhymes and poems such as "Casey at the Bat," "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," "Pandora's Box," and Where the Wild Things Are.

The authors provide step-by-step dialogue that guides teachers through each lesson, enabling classroom teachers with no experience in drama to engage their classes in creative dramatic activities such as pantomime, role-playing, improvisation, and story dramatization. For the drama specialist and classroom teacher who already incorporate drama into the curriculum, the material offers new ideas and approaches to story dramatization.

Out of print - Limited copies are available through the author and on www.amazon.com.

MY BOOKS

Things Can Always Be Worse!

Lois Kipnis

Things Can Always Be Worse! is a one-act comedy based on a well-known Rumanian folktale. One chaotic Chanukah eve, Papa teaches his family a lesson by retelling a story his father always told him. As the story unfolds, we meet Mendel and his

Together We Can Improvise

Lois Kipnis, Kim McCord, Louise Rogers

Together We Can Improvise evolved from the authors' beliefs in the importance of developing improvisational skills at an early age, and the need for accessible lessons that ensure that students of diverse abilities and learning styles can actively participate. Perfect for arts-based or cross-curricular teaching, Together We Can Improvise creates an exciting and holistic learning experience for students as they bring fables, folktales, myths, Shakespeare's Macbeth, and other stories to life through innovative improvisational exercises.

Each unit, based on a story or theme, provides a variety of opportunities for students to improvise as actors and musicians, and ample opportunities for music and drama teachers, as well as artists in residence, to work collaboratively with classroom teachers. The authors take teachers through complete lessons, from warm-ups to core activities, to creative extensions. Each unit is written so it can be used in part, or in its entirety.

A CD with samples of vocal and instrumental improvisations is included in each book. All the activities are fully reproducible and user-friendly. Together We Can Improvise, Volumes 1 and 2 are available on www.alfred.com and www.amazon.com.

Without a Script:

A Caregiver's Journey

Lois Kipnis

A collection of stories, poems, letters and vignettes that capture the roller coaster of emotions as the author and her mother are cast in new roles, and set out on a journey without a script, stage directions, or understudies in the wings.

From a story of the author convincing her mom to reconsider entering a national television competition, to a story where she discovers a message in a bottle from an elderly woman seeking rescue from a nursing home, you'll ride the roller coaster of emotions and cheer them on through happy, sad, and funny moments. Available on

www.amazon.com.

Chicken Soup for the Soul:

The Power of Forgiveness

Amy Newark and Anthony Anderson

One of Lois' stories "I Did Not Understand" appears in the newly released Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Forgiveness. This new collection of 101 personal, touching stories about forgiving others, changing your attitude, healing, and compassion, inspires readers to change their lives through the power of forgiveness. Available on www.amazon.com or www.chickensoup.com.