Three People, One Rainstorm

The film club had made a four-minute movie about a toy car crossing a garden. It had bridges made from rulers, a tunnel under a flowerpot, and one enormous puddle. But it had no sound.

"We can make the sounds live," said Rosa."Like a little show beside the screen."

Ben brought dry rice in a box for rain. Amir found a metal tray for thunder. Rosa collected a bicycle bell, a toy horn, and a paper bag. Their audience would arrive at the community hall in an hour.

At the first practice, everyone watched the screen and reached for whatever seemed useful. Three people rang the bell when the car passed a toy bicycle. Nobody made the rain. Then Ben shook the rice so hard that the lid came off.

"That storm needs a brush," Amir said, looking at the floor.

They cleaned up and tried again, this time giving each person a job. Ben would handle weather, Rosa would handle the car, and Amir would make all the other sounds.

It was better, but Amir needed both hands to tap the tray during the storm. At exactly that moment, a garden gate closed in the film. His attempt to clap with his elbows made no useful noise.

"We've divided the objects," Rosa said."We need to divide the moments."

They watched the film slowly. Rosa wrote a short list of cues. Ben took the gate sound because the rain stopped just before it closed. Amir kept the thunder, and Rosa placed her car sounds in order on a towel so they would not roll away.

For the final practice, Amir pointed to each cue as it approached. This time, the garden sounded like a garden.

During the show, the audience laughed when Rosa's tiny horn announced the car's arrival at the enormous puddle. The rain began softly, grew louder, then stopped exactly on time.

Afterward, someone asked how they had made such good thunder.

"With a tray," Amir said.

"And a plan," said Ben, checking that the rice box was still closed.