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For Preview Only Book by Vera Morris Music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur © Copyright 1991, Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Under the title of Jack and the Giant Performance License The amateur and professional acting rights to this play are controlled by Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., PO Box 4267, Englewood, Colorado 80155, without whose permission no performance, reading or presentation of any kind may be given. On all programs and advertising this notice must appear: 1. The full name of the play 2. The full name of the playwright and composer/arranger 3. The following credit line: “Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Colorado.” COPYING OR REPRODUCING ALL OR ANY PART OF THIS BOOK IN ANY MANNER IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN BY LAW. All other rights in this play, including those of professional production, radio broadcasting and motion picture rights, are controlled by Pioneer Drama Service, Inc. to whom all inquiries should be addressed. For preview only FEE, FI, FO, FUM! Adapted and dramatized from the Benjamin Tabart version of the English folktale, “The History of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” Book by VERA MORRIS Music and Lyrics by BILL FRANCOEUR CAST OF CHARACTERS (In Order Of Appearance) # of lines JACK ................................................brave young lad; loves 149 adventure SUSAN .............................................his sister 53 JACK’S MOTHER .............................about to lose her farm 65 VILLAGE WOMAN #1 ......................lives in fear of the Giant 11 VILLAGE WOMAN #2 ......................more of the same 14 TROLL ..............................................works for the Giant; nasty 64 CHICKEN ........................................no turkey when it comes to 12 brains HIGH SHERIFF DUMDUM ...............full of self-importance 32 PRINCESS TULIP ............................lovely, dutiful daughter 15 MISS PRISS*....................................Jack’s cow 18 BEAN-SELLER .................................mysterious visitor 25 COOK ...............................................likes to look busy 34 KITCHEN GIRL ................................busy, busy 28 HOUSEKEEPER ..............................famous for making Wiggle- 66 waggle GIANT ...............................................terrible brute with a fi erce 44 appetite GOOD QUEEN VIOLET ...................prisoner of the Giant 20 CHORUS ..........................................EXTRAS as VILLAGERS, n/a SERVANTS, etc. *MISS PRISS, the cow, can be played by one or two performers For preview only SYNOPSIS OF SCENES Time: One day, long ago. Place: The Land of the Giant. Scene One: The farm belonging to Jack’s mother. Scene Two: The village square. Scene Three: Back on the farm. Scene Four: The kitchen in the Giant’s castle, up in the clouds. SET DESCRIPTION There are two main sets: Jack’s mother’s farm and the Giant’s kitchen. The farm is represented by a backdrop or scenery fl ats UPSTAGE showing painted fi elds. The door to the cottage is STAGE RIGHT, or there could be a cutout front (façade) of the cottage with a door opening. A chair sits left of the cottage door. The Giant’s kitchen is represented by a painted scenery fl at to represent a portion of an oven/stove. A table is placed in front of it to represent the rest of the oven (with the front covered with paper or set up with a working oven “door”). There is a side table UP RIGHT CENTER and a dishware table DOWN LEFT with a washing basin. The Giant’s dinner table with chair or stool sits DOWN RIGHT. The road to the market can be played in front of the curtain, and the market scene is just a bare stage. The beanstalk is a simple step latter. (See PRODUCTION NOTES for details.) If a curtain is not used, props and set pieces can easily be brought on and taken off by EXTRAS, VILLAGERS or STAGEHANDS during BLACKOUTS. (see set design on page 44) For previewiii only SEQUENCE OF MUSICAL NUMBERS MC 1 Overture ............................................. Instrumental MC 2 Good Things are Bound to Happen ... Jack MC 3 Market Day ........................................Villagers MC 4 Magic Beans ...................................... Bean Seller, Jack, Villagers MC 4a Scene Change— Good Things are Bound to Happen ... Instrumental MC 4b Scene Change— Good Things are Bound to Happen ... Instrumental MC 4c The Magic Beanstalk .......................... Instrumental MC 4d Scene Change—Giant’s Kitchen ........ Instrumental MC 5 Wigglewaggle .....................................Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen Girl, Jack MC 6 Run, Jack, Run! .................................. Chorus MC 7 Fight, Jack, Fight! ...............................Chorus MC 7a Curtain Call ........................................ Instrumental For previewiv only FEE, FI, FO, FUM! Scene One 1 MUSIC CUE 1: “Overture.” AT RISE: The farm. Dawn. SOUND EFFECT: ROOSTER CROWING. The door opens and JACK ENTERS RIGHT. Or, if the door is not practical, he steps INTO VIEW from behind the cottage façade. He 5 yawns and stretches out his arms. JACK: Oh, what a fi ne night’s sleep I had. (Steps toward AUDIENCE.) I know today is going to bring good fortune. I feel it. SUSAN’S VOICE: (From OFF LEFT.) Jack! Is that you, Jack? JACK: (Calls LEFT.) Of course it’s me. (To AUDIENCE.) That’s my 10 sister, Susan. SUSAN: (ENTERS LEFT, carrying a small straw basket. She’s about JACK’S age.) About time you were getting up. I’ve been out of bed for an hour. JACK: What’s in the basket? Something good to eat, I hope. (Rubs 15 his tummy with a circular motion.) I haven’t tasted food in such a long time. SUSAN: Who has? I thought I might forage up some berries for breakfast. But there isn’t a berry to be had. MISS PRISS’ VOICE: (From OFF UP RIGHT.) Moooo-ooooo. 20 JACK: (Reacts, steps RIGHT. Looks OFF.) It’s Miss Priss. She’s hungry, too. She can’t give milk, you know, if she doesn’t eat. SUSAN: (To AUDIENCE.) How true. MISS PRISS’ VOICE: (From OFF UP RIGHT.) Moooo-ooooo. MOTHER: (ENTERS RIGHT from the cottage door or from behind it. 25 She has an old broom.) Any luck with the berries, Susan? SUSAN: Not a one, Mother. MOTHER: Tsk, tsk. SUSAN: The birds got them all. MOTHER: Nothing to eat, nothing to eat. Same old song. Soon we’ll 30 be nothing but skin and bones. JACK: Cheer up, Mother. Good things are bound to happen. (MUSIC CUE 2: “Good Things Are Bound To Happen.” Sings.) Good things are bound to happen, If you buckle down and do the best you can. 35 Look on the bright side, travel on the right side, Come take my hand. Good things are bound to happen, All ya gotta do is hold your head up high. For preview1 only 1 Make a wish on a star, fi nd out who you are. Come on and give it a try, Climb up to the sky! When I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, 5 Feelin’ kind o’ low and grumpy, I make myself remember something fun, Like climbin’ up the wall with Humpty Dumpty. Good things are bound to happen, If you take the time to look inside yourself. 10 There’s a story to be told, laced in gold, A rainbow passing by for you and I, A treasure in your mind for you to fi nd, So get ready, climb up to the sky! (MUSIC OUT.) MOTHER: (Stops sweeping. To AUDIENCE.) My son Jack is such 15 an optimistic lad. Not as bright as he appears… but optimistic. (VILLAGE WOMAN #1 and VILLAGE WOMAN #2 ENTER LEFT in a state of excitement. Each wears an apron and carries a basket. EXTRA VILLAGERS ENTER LEFT, as desired.) VILLAGE WOMAN #1: (To MOTHER.) You poor, poor woman. 20 MOTHER: I can’t deny the truth. I’m poor. Plain enough to see. VILLAGE WOMAN #2: We’re all poor in this wretched village. (Nods to VILLAGE WOMAN #1.) But that isn’t what she means. SUSAN: What does she mean? VILLAGE WOMAN #2: (Indicates VILLAGE WOMAN #1.) She 25 means Sheriff Dumdum is headed this way. SUSAN: The High Sheriff? JACK: Why? VILLAGE WOMAN #1: You’re going to be evicted. MOTHER/JACK/SUSAN: (Horrifi ed.) Evicted?! 30 VILLAGE WOMAN #2: Yup. He’s going to toss everyone off this farm. MISS PRISS’ VOICE: (From OFF UP RIGHT.) Moooo-ooooo. VILLAGE WOMAN #2: Something about non-payment of taxes. MOTHER: Taxes? Who has money to pay taxes? 35 SUSAN: Besides, Good Queen Violet would never let us be evicted. She’s too kind for that. VILLAGE WOMAN #1: (Surprised.) Then you haven’t heard? JACK: Heard what? VILLAGE WOMAN #2: Good Queen Violet has been taken away 40 by— (Stops and nervously looks over her shoulder.) For preview2 only 1 SUSAN: Taken away by what? JACK: Taken away by who? VILLAGERS: The Giant! (Reaction.) JACK: (Angry.) The Giant! The Giant! Always the Giant. Will we never 5 be free of the Giant? VILLAGE WOMAN #1: He’s demanding a huge ransom from Princess Tulip. Either she pays up, or she’ll never see her mother again. MISS PRISS’ VOICE: (From OFF UP RIGHT.) Moooo-ooooo. SUSAN: (Looks upward.) He’s lucky his castle is up there in the 10 clouds… (OTHERS look upward.) …where no one can reach him. VILLAGE WOMAN #1: Who’d want to? VILLAGE WOMAN #2: The less we know of the Giant, the better. That’s what I say. 15 JACK: (Points upward.) Look there! (ALL squint upward.) It’s the traveling bucket! ALL: (To AUDIENCE.) The Giant’s sending someone down! JACK: (Agitated.) Here it comes! Take cover! ALL: Ooooooooooo. (Cover their heads and drop to the ground. 20 BLACKOUT. SOUND EFFECT: THUD of something wooden hitting the ground.) TROLL’S VOICE: (From OFF LEFT.) Aaaaaauuuuugggghhhhhhhh! (LIGHTS UP as ALL stand and look LEFT.) VILLAGE WOMAN #1: (Shakes.) Who—who—who— 25 VILLAGE WOMAN #2: Is it? VILLAGE WOMAN #1: It’s not the Giant, is it? JACK: Of course not.
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