A Pocket Full of Plays. Sample Scene

Transcription

1 1 A Pocket Full of Plays Sample Scene Overture Musical begins following a brief overture highlighting tuneful snippets of songs within the script. Following the applause, the lights come up on the colorful scene of the entire cast spread throughout the stage, singing the opening number. THE MAGIC WITHIN We re going to that magical place within The most beautiful place you ever have been The way may be scary, dangerous, and steep But once you are there in the forest so deep You ll be safe as can be where all happy dreams dwell And when you come home you ll have stories to tell! The magic within The magic within Oh what a journey It s time to begin When we are sad and our spirits are low We re tired and we re hungry with no place to go There s a place that we travel to every single time The sun s always shining and everything rhymes That beautiful place within our own hearts Where happiness lives and all magic starts The magic within, The magic within.

2 2 Remember these words, It s the brave heart that wins. Blackout Scene 1 SETTING: A clearing in the woods with a rundown cottage, stage left of center AT RISE: Hansel and Gretel are seated on the ground in front of a cottage. HANSEL: I m so hungry, I could eat squash. GRETEL: Mmm. I kinda like squash. HANSEL: Well, that makes one of us. GRETEL: I m so hungry I could eat raw cabbage. HANSEL: Yeah, that s pretty bad. GRETEL: Not just bad truly awful. HANSEL: (In a louder voice) Well, I m so hungry I could eat bugs. GRETEL: Oh, you could not. HANSEL: Could too. GRETEL: Could not. HANSEL: Could too. GRETEL: Okay, since you re playing that way, I m so hungry, I could eat dirt. (Mother enters from house) HANSEL: Ewww, that s disgusting. MOTHER: What are you two doing? GRETEL: We re playing, Who s the Hungriest. MOTHER: Funny you should mention it supper s ready. (Both children jump up excited) GRETEL: Really? What is it?

3 3 MOTHER: Grass soup. BOTH CHILDREN: (Crestfallen) Oh. MOTHER: Well, what s the matter? GRETEL: We re sorry, Mother. I guess we did too good a job destroying our appetites. MOTHER: Well, since that s the case, perhaps you should go gather some berries in the forest. Maybe then you could work your appetites back up! (Grabs basket from bench at side of house) HANSEL: But we picked all the berries that were close by. MOTHER: Well, then, you ll just have to go deeper into the forest. GRETEL: But it ll be dark soon. MOTHER: Then you ll just have to hurry, so you can get back before dark. (Thrusts basket into her hands. She exits to house.) BOTH CHILDREN: Yes, Mother. HANSEL: Right. Well, I guess we better get going. GRETEL: Yeah, we wouldn t want to get stuck in the forest at night. (They exit stage right; there is tromping music, and Father enters from stage left, tromping in time to the music. He carries a bow with a quiver of arrows on his back.) FATHER: (Loudly) The winner of the bread is here! The bringer of the bacon is home! (He brandishes the bow in the air. Then in a hushed voice ) As the great white hunter stalks his prey, he creeps with stealthy step (Pauses, thinks) downwind. He carefully draws an arrow from his quiver (he pantomimes), nocks it in his bow, (he does) draws back, then lets fly! Toong! Bull s-eye! Yay! (Brandishes his bow in the air. Mother rushes from the house.) MOTHER: (Alarmed) What s all this racket? FATHER: I m sorry, dear. I was just daydreaming a little bit. (Places bow and quiver on bench at the side of the house) MOTHER: Well, you re very noisy about it. I take it you had a bad day. FATHER: I m afraid so. There was nothing in the traps, and there was no game anywhere. MOTHER: So the poor children have to go hungry again. FATHER: Speaking of the children, where are they? MOTHER: Oh, I got annoyed with them and sent them into the forest to gather berries.

4 4 FATHER: But it s almost dark. MOTHER: I know and I m worried. WORRYIN BLUES Worry, all we do is worry If we re gonna fix this problem we better hurry We re gettin weaker by the minute Better move while our hearts still in it Worry, worryin blues. Lately we ve been so uptight We can hardly sleep at night Wondrin what tomorrow brings Hunger, cold, and other things Trouble, we got lots of trouble Better get movin while we can on the double Time for fate to intervene We ll take our chances, sight unseen Trouble, go away trouble Trouble you re really bad news. FATHER: Try not to worry, Mother. After we eat, we ll go looking for them. They exit into the house. Alta, the head angel enters, accompanied by angelic music. She has the features and moves like a hawk. ALTA: Ah! This is the place. (She raises her arms skyward, looking up, and say loudly) On the map of the world, you are (Pointing downward) HERE! (More music; the other angels enter from various exits.) Very good, very good. Fall in line troops. We, of the Angel militia have been sent on a mission. (They line up; Alta extracts a note book from a side pocket.) Now then, we are here to rescue two children in peril. These children are so hungry, they could eat the bark off a tree. Because of this, they are about to get themselves in terrible trouble. (Other angels

5 5 murmur.) PAN: Excuse me, sir, but where are they? (Alta jerks her head right, then left, and then looks forward, scowling.) ALTA: I don t know. (Blinking) MO: Maybe they re hiding. CHARLEY: Maybe they re gone. FRIT: Maybe they don t live here anymore. QUARK: Maybe we should look for them. ALTA: Good idea, Quark. Secure the perimeter, troops; locate those children! They quickly scatter upstage, downstage, stage right, and stage left; then they run back to their line. PAN: We ve looked everywhere, sir ALTA: And MO: They re not here. CHARLEY: Gone. ALTA: Impossible! FRIT: Not necessarily, sir. QUARK: Perhaps we just missed them. ALTA: Late? Angels are never late. (Paces) The High Command is going to be displeased. PAN: Maybe we can still catch them. MO: Which way did they go? ALTA: (Checks her notebook) Into the forest. (Pointing) Quickly, men, after them! Fly if you must. CHARLEY: Fly! (They spread their bat wings and run off.) Curtain