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A PLAY FOR CHILDREN erle PieJ Pifer

. ANNE COULTER MARTENS

THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY

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'1lroduced by special ammgement with 11m DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock. llIinois"

<0 MCMLXIX by TIlE DRAMATIC PUBLISmNG COMPANY Copyright renewed <0 MCMXCvn

Printed in the United States of America AU Rights Reserved (THE PlED PIPER)

ISBN 0-81129-784-7

A Play for Children

For Five Men, Five Women, Eight Children, Extras

CHARACTERS

MAYOR LUDWIG oj Hamelin ~i~~ti: )······················.Councilmen GRANNY HOFFMAN MRS. WARNER J Townspeople MRS. BRAUN BRAUN ALISA PETER LOTTIE JOEY ...... -...... the children HILDY TILDY KURT FREDA TRUDy the Mayor's maid PIED PIPER himself

~1¥KINGDOLL] ·························extras

Extra parents and children.

PLACE: The town of Hamelin. TillE: A lang time ago ..

FOOTl.IGHTS

STAGE POSITIONS Upstage means away from the footlights, dOlvn stage means toward the footlights, and right and left are used with reference to the actor as he faces the audience.. R means right, L means left, U means "up, D means down, C means cente'r, and these ab 'breviations are used in combination, as:.- UR for up right, R C for right center, D Lefor down left cen ter, etc. A territory designated on the stage refers to a general area, rather than to a given point.

NOTE: Before starting rehearsals, chalk off your stage or rehearsal space as indicated above in the Chart of Stage Positions. Then teach your ac tors the meanings and positions of these fundamen tal terms of stage movement by having them walk from one position to another until they are familiar with them. The use of these abbreviated terms in directingthe play saves time, speeds up rehearsals, and reduces the amount of explanation the director has to give to his actors.

SCENE: A meeting room in the Town Hall of Hamelin. Drapes are used as background. A long table with one drawer in it is UC. Behind it are three chairs, one higher and more impor tant-looking than the others. On the table are writing materials, several papers, a gavel, and a basket containing two apples. Chairs for the townspeople are in rows at L and R on an angle facing the table, but leaving an aisle in the mid dle. Entrances are L and R. )

AT RISE OF CURTAIN: The room is empty. A large ball is bounced in from R. PETER, who walks with a limp and uses a crutch, comes limping in after it from R. )

PETER (calling back). You bounced it too hard!

ALISA (offstage). You missed. (Laughs. ) Peter missed! (ALISA hurries in R, quickly passing PETER and getting the ball. She is a lively, happy girl.) 5

© The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois ALISA I'll get it for you. (Gets the ball and bounces it back to PETER. ) Try it now. (Hurries to L. PETER bounces the ball and she catches it. ) PETER I wish I could run like you.

A.LISA You'll always have me to do your running for you. PETER You promise?

A LISA I promise. PETER We better go outside. The Mayor and the Coun cilmen will be along----

ALISA Mayor Ludwig is always late. (Bounces the ball back and forth to him. ) My mother and father are outside waiting. They're going to speak right up! PETER Granny's pretty mad, too.

A LISA They hate rats more than anything!

PETER Alisa, are you afraid of them? 6

PETER Thousands, anyway. (Holds up his crutch. ) Dontt be afraid when I'm around.

ALISA I won't. (Goes to table, sits in high-backed chair and pounds the gavel, speak ing in a deep voice. "I'm Mayor Ludwig. Order! Order !'~

PETER (looking around). He might come in!

ALISA You can be Councilman Schultz. (Points to a chair beside her. ) PETER (sitting in chair). What do I say?

ALISA Just agree with me all the time.

PETER Yes, your Honor, I'm very agreeable.

A.LISA (imitating the Mayor) . I understand there's a silly rumor about rats! There are no rats in the town of Hamelin. 7

ALISA I don't allow rats~

PETER (as himself). How ~o you know he r s going to say that?

ALISA (as herself). He always does.

(LOTTIE, a younger child, comes in R dragging a large rag doll by one arm. )

ALISA Lottie, did you follow"'me again?

LOTTIE I came with mama. She's waiting outside.

ALISA Then sit down and be quiet. (Pounds gavel. )

LOTTIE (arranging doll in a chair). This is Esmeralda. Shets always quiet. (Eagerly. ) Can I play, too? PETER She could be Councilman Kessler and say, "Yes, your Honor." LOTTIE (indignantly). I'm a girl! 8

PETER Is she coming?

ALISA She always comes if she has a new hat. Walk up the aisle in your new hat, Lottie. (LOTTIE walks up the aisle as if a big hat is perched on her head, touch ing it now and then. )

LOTTIE It's hard to balance.

ALISA It's very charming, Mrs. Ludwlg.

LOTTIE It's new.

ALISA Oh, really? And where is your dear niece Freda this afternoon? (As LOTTIE hesitates. ) Say, "She'll be along in a minute. "

LOTTIE She'll be along in a minute. (As herself. ) What else can I do ?

ALISA Just walk around so everybody can see your hat. (LOTTIE does this. PETER is uneasy. ) PETER They won't like this. (Gets up. ) 9

LOTTIE (going to her doll). Don't be nervous, Esmeralda.

PETER (limping to entrance and looking out). Here comes your little brother.

ALISA He was supposed to stay home!

(JOEY, a mischievous boy younger than Alisa, comes in R. He has no spoken lines, but he laughs a lot, pokes and pushes, and enlivens every scene he is in. He may wear a bright red cap or a hat with a feather so he is easily identifiable. )

ALISA Joey, go play outside! (JOEY just laughs.) Then sit down and be good. (He sits down, looking innocent. )

PETER Is he ever good? (Looking out again. ) Here come the Councilmen. ALISA (getting up). Are their children with them? 10

ALISA Poor Kurt!

(ALISA gives a little squeal, pointing L, where a RAT is peeking in. )

ALISA O-o-h! A big gray rat!

PETER (raising his crutch). Where? (Goes L, banging the crutch against the floor. ) Gone, now. (Tired by the effort, PETER sits down, takes a shepherd's pipe from his pocket, and softly plays a few notes from time to time.)

ALISA They're everywhere!

LOTTIE I saw one on my window sill this morning.

(COUNCILMEN SCHULTZ and KESSLER

come in R G With SCHULTZ are his giggly and irrepressible daughters, HILDY and TILDY. With KESSLER is his son KURT, about Peter's age. Both men are color less "yes" men in relation to the Mayor. But SCHULTZ is an indulgent father, helpless to control his daughters, and KESSLER is an autocrat to KURT. ) 11

KURT Yes, Papa. (Sits in front row. )

SCHULTZ It's a south wind.

HILDY Let us sit at the big table with you, Papa!

TILDY Please!

SCHULTZ Certainly not. (HILDY and TILDY giggle and sit down. )

KURT Will the meeting last very long?

KESSLER (sternly). You heard me.

KURT Yes, Papa.

KESSLER He'll be an officer of the Guard, that boy of mine. Trained to instant obedience!

(JOEY moves directly behind HILDY and TILDY and pokes them. They 12

SCHULTZ My angels, stop that!

(FREDA, about Alisa's age, comes in R carrying a small workbag. She is a prim and proper girl because she has been constantly nagged. )

A.LISA Hi, Freda. Why did you bring your workbag?

FREDA. My aunt said I should. (Sits down and takes out her embroidery. )

LOTTIE Does she have a new hat?

FREDA Oh, she does - -and it's so beautiful! How did you know?

(HILDY and TILDY and JOEY begin to shove each other and push the chairs. )

HILDY Papa, Joey pushed me!

TILDY He pushed me, too! (JOEY laughs teasingly. )

SCHULTZ (helplessly). Children will be children. 13

KESSLER You'll sit right where you are.

KUR.T (sitting down). Yes, Papa.

(GRANNY HOFFMAN, PETER's grand mother, comes in R. She is a peppery old lady. )

GRANNY What's keeping the Mayor? SCHULTZ He'll be here soon.

(MR. and MRS. BRAUN, parents of ALISA arid JOEY, come in R. A MOUSE follows them in, mimicking their walk. GRANNY shrieks and jumps on a chair. The MOUSE runs off squealing. )

GRANNY (getting off chair). A person's life isn't safe! BRAUN We demand action! 14