Book Collections of Plays and Programs for Young People
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350+ scripts now downloadable! agazine.com www.playsm 4) (see details on page 5 THE DRAMA MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE DECEMBER 2014 UPPER GRADES PThe Art oflTrutha. .y. s. .Craig Sodaro 2 The Ugly Duckling of Maplewood . Eric Alter 13 DRAMATIZED CLASSIC (F OR UPPER GRADES ) The Gift of the Magi . O. Henry 20 Adapted by Joellen Bland MIDDLE AND LOWER GRADES Milton the Reindeer . Barbara Garrick and Frank V. Priore 25 Haru and the Kappa . Brock L. Fisher 31 Mother Goose Christmas . Ragene Henry 37 Well Wishes Come True . Bruce Berger 41 The Elves and the Shoemaker Adapted from Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Adele Thane 46 Long Live Christmas. Islay Benson 55 Terms of Use • Vol. 74, No. 3 Subscribers . Persons and entities with subscriptions in force at the time of the performance may produce the plays in any issue of this magazine royalty-free, provided the performance is part of a regular school or dramatic club activity. Such persons and entities may also reproduce copies of the individual play being produced for members of the cast, and may videotape or record rehearsals or performances of the play, for use by such members in connection with preparation for a performance of the play. Subscribers may not videotape or record the production of the play for any other reason, and may not reproduce or transmit the production via television or radio, or via the internet or other electronic methods, without the written permission of, and the payment of any required royalties to, Plays/Sterling Partners, Inc. Non-subscribers . Persons and entities that are not current subscribers to this magazine must apply in writing to Plays/Sterling Partners, Inc. for royalty quotations and permission to copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, publicly display, or publicly perform any of the plays herein. Permission will be granted on a per-performance basis only, and under no condition may permission be transferred. All readers . All rights not expressly granted by these paragraphs are reserved by Plays/Sterling Partners, Inc. If you have a question about the rights granted herein, or would like to request permission to per - form, distribute, transmit, display or copy any of the literary or dra - matic works in this magazine, please contact PLAYS, The Drama Magazine for Young People, 897 Washington St., #600160, Newton, MA 02460. Publisher : PETER A. D IMOND Editor : ELIZABETH PRESTON Editorial Assistant : PAIGE TURNER Customer Service : LINDA HAND Shipping : WOODY PALLET Cover Illustration : CHRIS DEMAREST 897 Washington St., #600160, Newton, MA 02460-0002 (617) 630-9100 Toll-free: (800) 630-5755 Fax: (617) 630-9101 E-mail: [email protected] © Sterling Partners, Inc. 2014. Title registered as trademark. PLAYS, The Drama Magazine for Young People (ISSN 0032-1540, USPS 473-810) is published seven times a year, monthly except June, July, August, and September, and bimonthly January/February, by STERLING PARTNERS, INC., 897 Washington St., #600160, Newton, MA 02460. Subscription rates: 1 year, $55.00; 2 years, $100.00. Canadian: Add $12 per year to cover postage. All other for - eign: Add $25 per year to cover postage. Canadian & other foreign sub - scriptions must be paid in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank (or if in U.S. funds drawn on foreign bank, add $4 U.S.). Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA, and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Plays/Sterling Partners 897 Washington St. #600160 Newton, MA 02460 Printed in U.S.A. December 2014 The drama magazine for young people What’s in this issuPe. l ays Upper Grades The Art of Truth , by Craig Sodaro 6 actors: 4 female, 2 male; 25 minutes. The Nazis in pre-war Germany spew hateful propaganda against Jewish people while a local poster-maker must decide if he will help them spread their vicious lies or risk the lives of his family. The Ugly Duckling of Maplewood , by Eric Alter 3 actors: 2 female, 1 male; 20 minutes. High school senior badly burned in a car acci - dent and distraught by her new appearance begins to appreciate that beauty is more than skin deep. The Gift of the Magi , by O. Henry, adapted by Joellen Bland 4 actors: 2 female, 2 male; 15 minutes. O. Henry’s heartwarming tale of love and selfless giving as struggling newlyweds work to find the perfect gift for each other. Middle and Lower Grades Milton the Reindeer , by Barbara Garrick and Frank V. Priore 6 actors: 2 male, 2 female, 2 male/female offstage voices; 15 minutes. Santa leaves Gretchen a stuffed reindeer to help her—and the reindeer!—learn the lesson that responsibilities come before play. Haru and the Kappa , based on Japanese folklore, by Brock L. Fisher 6 actors: 3 male, 1 female, 2 male/female; 15 minutes. Travelers outwit river spirit Kappa and save the village from his evil, bullying ways. Mother Goose Christmas , by Ragene Henry 16+ actors: 5 male, 5 female, 5 male/female, extras for children/chorus; 15 minutes. The spirit of Christmas giving shines through as friends and neighbors help out the Old Woman who lives in a shoe and her children. Well Wishes Come True , by Bruce Berger 9 actors: 4 male, 1 female, 4 male/female; 15 minutes. A reading/radio play: Good manners save the day in a fun tale as sincere, searching sons seek solutions to their father’s sickness. The Elves and the Shoemaker , adapted from Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Adele Thane 16 actors: 4 female, 3 male, 9 male/female; 25 minutes. Three elves help a kind but struggling shoemaker to regain his business while receiving special gifts for Christmas. Long Live Christmas , by Islay Benson 31+ actors: 9 male, 6 female, 16 male/female; additional players can be added for townspeople/offstage voices; 25 minutes. A large-cast play: Townspeople and the King learn that Christmas isn’t just about presents, carol-singing, and decorations. .it’s about love, hope, peace, kindness, and fun. DECEMBER 2014 1 Upper Grades Plays is protected by U.S. copyright law. Only current subscribers may use this play (www.playsmagazine.com). The Art of Truth Nazis in pre-war Germany spew hateful propaganda against Jewish people while a printmaker must decide if he will help them spread their vicious lies. by Craig Sodaro Characters up in a basket by the drafting table. MAX DREHER, artist and printer AT RISE : MAX sits at drafting table sketching. He makes some dramatic, FRAU BRUN, one of his customers perhaps comic swipes with his pencil. He gives a satisfied nod, then grunts POLDI SCHLIMME, government and snorts a bit as he continues to agent draw. A bell is heard. FRAU enters right with purse. MAX rises and moves TRUDI DREHER, Max’s wife to counter. EFFI DREHER, his daughter, 14 MAX : Good afternoon, Frau Brun. KLARA RAPP, her friend, also 14 FRAU : Looks like you’re hard at work, Herr Dreher. SCENE 1 MAX : Oh, a new poster for the Party. TIME : Fall, 1933. FRAU (Firmly ): Can’t have enough. SETTING : Max Dreher’s art studio and People need to be educated. print shop in a German town near Berlin. Exit right leads outside, exit left MAX : And I’ll bet I know what you’re to other parts of the house. A counter here for. stands up right. A drafting table sits up left, its back to the audience. Another FRAU (Excitedly ): My invitations! table sits down right with scattered papers and posters on top. A sign above MAX : Hard to imagine that your little counter reads DREHER PRINT ART and Jana is getting married! posters and drawings decorate the upstage wall. Several posters sit rolled FRAU : I know. If I stop to think about 2 PLAYS • playsmagazine.com it, I could get very sad. One day you’re TRUDI (Coolly ): Several people. kissing a scraped knee and the next you’re kissing them goodbye. FRAU (Handing money to MAX ): There you are, Herr Dreher. And thank you MAX : Oh, come now, she’s marrying a so much! ( She picks up box .) very fine man. MAX : You’re welcome. And remember I FRAU : Yes, yes, you’re right. He’s a also do birth announcements. pilot flying for none other than Deutsche Lufthansa! FRAU : Oh! Oh, but yes! Of course! (Moving right ) My goodness, me a MAX : My, but that’s very impressive. grandmother! ( She exits .) Will Jana and her new husband still live in town here? MAX : It looks like you have bought out the shops again, Trudi. FRAU : No, he’s based in Berlin, and may be looking at a position in the TRUDI : Just a few things we needed. Party, so she’ll be moving right after Was it really necessary to give her a the wedding. Oh, the pains of mother - 25-mark discount? Her husband runs hood. the fuel depot! He makes more in a month than you do in a whole year. MAX : Come now, Berlin is only an hour by train. MAX : You know that for a fact? FRAU : I know, I know. I’m being too TRUDI : You see the way she dresses! sentimental about all this. ( MAX opens And the car they drive! A Chevrolet box and takes out invitation .) Master Eagle. Imported! MAX : What do you think? MAX : Does our car still work, Trudi? FRAU : Oh, Herr Dreher, they’re beauti - TRUDI : Of course! ful! Exactly what Jana wanted. And now, let me pay you so you can get MAX : And does it get us from here to back to work. Work for the Party is so there? much more important than wedding invitations.