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400+ scripts now downloadable! agazine.com www.playsm 2) (see details on page 1 THE DRAMA MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE APRIL 2015 UPPER GRADES The Haunting of Hathaway House. John Murray 2 POne Shininlg Moament. y. .s . Michael Weems 13 DRAMATIZED CLASSIC (F OR UPPER GRADES ) The Merchant of Venice. William Shakespeare 17 Adapted by Carol D. Wise MIDDLE AND LOWER GRADES Rapunzel. Adapted by Adele Thane 29 The Spirit in the Bottle. Bruce Berger 39 Chef’s Surprise. Craig Sodaro 44 Melodrama at Mayfair Meadows . Roberta Olsen Major 54 PUPPET PLAY (F OR ALL GRADES ) Romeo the Toad and Juliet the Frog . Roger Kise 59 Terms of Use • Vol. 74, No. 6 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. 2015. 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. April 2015 The drama magazine for young people What you’ll findPin tl hiayss issue. For upper grades The Haunting of Hathaway House , by John Murray 14 actors: 7 female, 4 male, 3 male/female; 30 minutes. A spooky drama set in an old manor house, with insistently ringing telephone, creaking doors, thunder and lightning, and a creepy surprise ending. One Shining Moment , by Michael Weems 3 actors: 2 male, 1 female; 15 minutes. After accidentally creating a scene at his school’s awards ceremony, Kevin weighs whether or not he wants the “glory” of being an anonymous cut-up or if he should come forward to acknowledge his role and take his punishment. The Merchant of Venice , by William Shakespeare, adapted by Carol D. Wise 14 actors: 11 male, 3 female; 35 minutes. Shakespeare’s classic tale of a loan made with a “pound of flesh” given as collateral, and the choice suitors make in vying for the hand of the rich heiress Portia. For middle and lower grades Rapunzel , adapted from the Brothers Grimm by Adele Thane 7 actors: 4 female, 3 male; 25 minutes. The classic fairy tale of a dollmaker who makes a terrible bargain with a witch, only to see his daughter carried away and imprisoned in a tower; the only way out is a long golden braid of her hair and true love. The Spirit in the Bottle , by Bruce Berger 6 actors: 3 male, 1 female, 2 male/female; 15 minutes. A fun read-aloud play with genie, beautiful princess, and sweet woodcutter doing their best to save the Kingdom from a terrible ogre. Chef’s Surprise , by Craig Sodaro 8 actors: 4 female, 4 male; 25 minutes. Two “French” chefs make a mess out of a fancy birthday dinner while saving the guest of honor from his murderous nieces. Melodrama at Mayfair Meadows , by Roberta Olsen Major 15+ actors: 4 male, 4 female, 7+ male/female for Director, Quartet, Chorus; 25 min - utes. Singing melodrama for a large cast, with fair maidens, evil villain, oncoming train, and a vote by the audience on who gets to be saved. For all grades Romeo the Toad and Juliet the Frog , by Roger Kise 9 hand puppets and 4 to 6 rod puppets for dancers at the ball. May also be played by male/female actors. A clever version of one of the greatest love stories ever toad. APRIL 2015 1 Upper Grades Plays is protected by U.S. copyright law. Only current subscribers may use this play (www.playsmagazine.com). The Haunting of Hathaway House Ghosts and the supernatural cast eerie shadows over an old mansion. by John Murray Characters SCENE 1 : The Telephone BEFORE RISE : Area before curtain is NARRATOR dimly lighted. Colored spotlights may move across curtain to create eerie LAURA HATHAWAY, young effects. NARRATOR enters. woman NARRATOR (Mysteriously ): Good AUNT ELIZABETH, elderly woman evening. We are about to visit a haunt - ed house. .but we will not see ghosts VICTOR HATHAWAY, Laura’s hus - or spectres from another world, for the haunting of Hathaway House is quite band a different matter. ( Ring of telephone THOMAS BRENT, young lawyer is heard. ) How often have you heard a telephone ring? ( Telephone rings MISS PHIPPS, elderly housekeeper again. ) Can anyone ever know who— or what—is waiting at the other end of CYNTHIA the line? ( Telephone rings again. ) That SPENCER HATHAWAY, Victor’s telephone call might be ( Pointing into audience )—for you! ( NARRATOR brother exits. Curtains open .) * * * KIM, his wife TIME : Late evening. JOSH GRAHAM SETTING : Drawing room of Hathaway MAURA, Josh’s wife House. Through French window, upstage, occasional flashes of lightning AUNT SARAH, Kim’s aunt are seen. Sounds of thunder are heard. There is sofa down left, and telephone LT. FELTON on table beside it. police officers LT. THORNE AT RISE : LAURA HATHAWAY stands 2 PLAYS • playsmagazine.com near French window, pulling back aunt, not to us. Why did you ever bring drapes and staring out at storm. AUNT me here? ELIZABETH, wearing black shawl, sits on sofa. She touches telephone, then VICTOR (Laughing bitterly ): You’re a nods to herself. There is flash of light - silly fool! ning. LAURA jumps, then crosses hur - riedly to sit beside ELIZABETH. LAURA (Hysterically ): But you don’t understand! Elizabeth still waits every ELIZABETH : Were you frightened by the day for Jonathan to telephone her— lightning, dear? A storm can be fright - and he’s been dead for six weeks! ening. (Sudden crash of thunder is heard. She points to French window; frenzied ) We LAURA (Nervously ): No, no, I’m not all know he’s out there in the family afraid. Aunt Elizabeth, won’t you let vault. We went to the funeral and saw me help you to your room? them seal the door of his tomb! ELIZABETH : No, I must wait a little VICTOR : My dear Laura, we know that longer. ( Points to telephone ) I must be Uncle Jonathan is dead, but Aunt awake, in case Jonathan calls tonight. Elizabeth can’t seem to accept it. You (Crash of thunder is heard. LAURA know Jonathan was always afraid of jumps nervously .) You’re very nervous, being buried alive. That’s why he stip - my child. Really, you shouldn’t be ulated in his will that a telephone afraid of Hathaway House. It was once should be installed in the vault. So a happy place, but now there are only here we have it—a direct line to memories. ( Suddenly ) I must light the Jonathan Hathaway’s vault. ( Points to fire in Jonathan’s room. ( She stands .) telephone ) He always loved to sit and watch the fire. ( She pats LAURA’s hand reassur - LAURA (Wringing her hands ): I know ingly. ) We’ll have a cup of tea as soon all that, but— as I get back. ( She exits, smiling to her - self. Restlessly, LAURA crosses to VICTOR (Interrupting ): Jonathan was a French window, pulls back drapes. wealthy man. When Aunt Elizabeth is Sudden flash of lightning reveals a gone, Spencer and I will inherit the man standing outside. LAURA millions of dollars he left to her. Think screams in terror, backs away. The of it, Laura—millions of dollars! man, VICTOR HATHAWAY, opens window, steps into room .) LAURA (Drawing away, frightened ): I don’t want the money, Victor.