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The Curse of the Ring a Play in Four Acts for Fourth Grade

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The Curse of the Ring a Play in Four Acts for Fourth Grade The Curse of the Ring a Play in Four Acts for Fourth Grade by Roberto Trostli The Hartsbrook School 193 Bay Rd Hadley, MA 01035 (413) 5860-1908 [email protected] Author’s note: This play is one of a group of plays written for the classes I taught at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York from 1982–1991 and at The Hartsbrook School in Hadley, MA from 1991-1999. The theme of each play was chosen to address a particular class’s issues and interests, and the characters were rendered with specific students in mind. When other teachers and classes have performed my plays, I have encouraged them to adapt or revise the play as necessary to derive the maximum pedagogical value from it. Other class’s performances have showed me artistic dimensions of my plays that I could not have imagined, and I have always been grateful to see that my work has taken on new life. I have posted my plays on the Online Waldorf Library as Microsoft Word documents so that they can easily be downloaded and changed. I have purposely given few stage directions so that teachers and students will make the plays more their own. Dear Colleagues: I hope that these plays will serve you well as inspiration, as a scaffold on which to build your own creation, or as a script to make your own. Please don’t hesitate to take whatever liberties you wish so that the play may serve you in your work. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to phone or email me. Roberto Trostli The Hartsbrook School 193 Bay Road Hadley, MA 01035 (413) 586-1908 [email protected] June, 2004 Cast of Characters The Gods: Odin Hoenir Loki Hreidmar, a farmer Regin, Hreidmar’s son Fafnir, Hreidmar’s son The Norns: Urd: Verdandi: Skuld Andvari, a dwarf: Sigurd the Volsung Brynhild, a Valkyrie The Gjukings: King Gjuki Queen Grimhild Gudrun Gunnar Hogni Gutthorn Hogni's wife First Servant Second Servant Chorus of the actors ACT I The Company enters bearing candles and singing "Miserere Nostri Domini" Scene 1 - in Regin's smithy Regin: Come hear my tale, O Sigurd, Of woe and treachery, For I believe thou art the one To help and comfort me. Sigurd: I'll gladly listen, Regin, Unto thy tale of woe, But whether I can thee assist The Norns to us will show. (Regin and Sigurd go sit to one side, and Regin begins to tell him the story.) Regin: It happened many years ago When I was just a boy, Unto our door came travelers Who would my life destroy. Some say our guests were holy gods, Some say that they were men, Whoe'er they were, I curse the day That I set eyes on them. (Regin and Sigurd sit on the edge of the stage and Regin continues to tell Sigurd the story silently.) Scene 2 - Hreidmar's farm Hreidmar: Who knocks so loud, this darkest night And thus disturbs my rest? Begone, whoever you may be, For Hreidmar greets no guest. (The knocking continues. Finally Hreidmar opens the door.) Hoenir: Greetings, worthy sire, we pray Thy hospitality, A bite to eat, a place to rest We humbly beg of thee. Hreidmar: Begone, I say, and quit my door! Odin: In Odin's name we do request A bench by yonder fire. Hreidmar: To Odin's name, then must I yield And grant thee thy desire. Loki: Ask not for gold, for none have we brought; Ask not for jewels or treasure; But we'll gladly share what today have caught, And cook you this meat for your pleasure. (Loki gives Hreidmar an otter and a salmon. Hreidmar looks shocked.) Hreidmar: Who killed this otter, tell me quick! O why did ye him slay? Hoenir: Our skillful friend performed the trick, As he, no doubt, will say. Loki: This otter was sitting by Andvari's falls, A salmon between his two paws, I dealt him a blow with a deadly stone's throw, Thus snatching our meal from his jaws. Hreidmar: Seat yourselves while I go call My sons to greet thee too; (aside) O Ottar, my beloved one, What fate's befallen you? Regin: Father, father, what is wrong? Thy face is gray and grim. Fafnir: What strangers sit there by the fire? (to Regin) What have they said to him? Hreidmar: Now Fafnir, Regin, hearken well, Do you know who is here? Your brother Ottar's murderers, So hale and full of cheer. Now come with me if ye be men, And come if ye be strong; Tonight our guests' red blood will flow; We shall avenge this wrong! (Hreidmar, Fafnir and Regin rush out with weapons drawn and threaten Odin, Hoenir, and Loki.) Regin: Ye wretched, sinful murderers, Who have our brother slain! Fafnir : With thine own lives thou shalt repay The life that thou hast ta'en! Loki: Thy brother? Hoenir: Slain? Odin: What do ye mean? Hreidmar: (to Loki) This was no beast, but my own son Who changed his shape at will. This was my youngest, dearest boy, Whom thou did'st stone and kill. Loki: I did not know! Hoenir: We could not tell! Odin: But this can be redressed right well: Thy dear son's life shall ransomed be Just name the price and we'll pay thee. Hreidmar: Though gold will never bring him back, Your lives I pledge to spare, If ye fill up this skin with gold And cover every hair. But if one hair or whisker shows From under that great pile, Your lives to me shall forfeit be, And all of you shall die! Loki: What I have done wrong, I will gladly put right, I will pay you the gold you demand. (to Odin and Hoenir) Don't worry, dear friends, I will get it tonight And return with the ransom in hand. Urd: Loki went to seek the gold, By the falls where Ottar died. Verdandi: Watch the tapestry unfold; All its fateful threads are tied. Scene 3 - Andvari's fall Loki: Where once a mistake has been made, never fear, The solution shall always be found, (Loki sees Andvari, captures and gently throttles him.) Andvari, old friend, I have caught thee, my dear; Come show me thy cave underground. Andvari: What dost thou want From me on this night? What wilt thou force From me with thy might? Loki: The answer is simple, if all must be told: I have come for thy treasure, for gold, gold, gold, gold! More riches hast thou than did god ever see; What is kept in thy cave shall be given to me! Andvari: Gather my gold And plunder my store, But leave me this ring So I can make more. (Loki struggles with Andvari and takes the ring from him.) Andvari: Keep then this ring, It comes with my curse: Ever shall he Who owns it fare worse; No good nor gain Shall come to the thief, But ruin and remorse And a life full of grief. Loki: Your wonderful curse I will gladly pass on, Someday I may make my amends; But now I must go, for the night's almost gone And I have to go ransom my friends. Scene 4 - Hreidmar's farm (Loki returns with the hoard of gold.) Loki: Now here is the gold that I promised to bring; I'm sure there's enough to suffice. Come stuff full the skin and then cover it up And we three shall be free in a thrice. (Odin, Hoenir, and Loki stuff the otter skin and cover it with gold.) Hreidmar: Now let me see if ye have paid The ransom that was due. (Hreidmar inspects the hoard.)Hreidmar: 'Tis not enough, for look right here-- A whisker's poking through! Loki: One more piece of gold I shall add to this heap And thus will the ransom be paid. Loki: This ring that Andvari so pleaded to keep Upon that one spot will be laid. Hreidmar: Though wergeld ye have paid in full Do not come back this way; For if my door ye pass once more I shall ye seize and slay. (The gods exit and Hreidmar returns to the hoard. As he is admiring the gold, Loki comes in again.) Loki: There's just one more thing I neglected to share That Andvari conveyed with his ring: No good wilt thou gain from the gold that lies there, But misfortune and grief it will bring. (Loki exits. Hreidmar puts on Andvari's ring and begins to sift the gold. Regin and Fafnir watch him and come closer eager for their share.) Hreidmar: This hoard of gold is mine, all mine, Not one piece will I share! (Regin and Fafnir begin to take some of the gold.) Touch it not, ye wretched thieves, I'll kill you if you dare! (Fafnir and Regin plot behind Hreidmar's back. Fafnir kills Hreidmar and drives off Regin.) ACT II Scene 1 - Regin's smithy Urd: So was old Hreidmar slain that day And Regin driven forth, Skuld: But Fafnir kept the golden hoard And fate pursued her course. Verdandi: By greed was Fafnir then transformed Into a dragon bold, Who went to live upon a heath Where he could watch his gold. Regin: And so for years I've had to wait, Yet all that time I've longed, For one who would my brother slay And help him who was wronged. Sigurd: And do you think that he will come, This one whom you await? And will his be heart be keen enough To slay the one you hate? Regin: O Sigurd, I can plainly see The thread the Norns have spun; There is no doubt that thou art he-- Thou art the chosen one.
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