Excerpt Terms & Conditions This excerpt is available to assist you in the play selection process. You may view, print and download any of our excerpts for perusal purposes. Excerpts are not intended for performance, classroom or other academic use. In any of these cases you will need to purchase playbooks via our website or by phone, fax or mail. A short excerpt is not always indicative of the entire work, and we strongly suggest reading the whole play before planning a production or ordering a cast quantity of scripts. Family Plays VICTOR HUGO’S THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Drama adapted by TIM KELLY © Family Plays THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is one of the great classics of world literature. It has been filmed many times, turned into operas and stage extravaganzas. Whatever the format, it is always a crowd pleaser. Drama. Adapted by Tim Kelly from the novel by Victor Hugo. Cast: 14m., 14w., flexible (may be increased with extras or reduced with doubling). This exciting dramatization by Tim Kelly, one of America’s most popular playwrights, captures the essence of the famous original. It brings to life on the stage some of the most memorable fictional characters ever created: the pitiable but good-hearted bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo; the vain, handsome Captain Phoebus; the villainous Frollo; the temperamental poet, Pierre Gringoire (Hugo himself, no doubt); the colorful Beggars of Paris, and the beautiful, innocent, naive gypsy, Esmeralda, whom they all love. The famous settings of the novel are also here, but in a manner that negates the necessity of pauses for scene changes. With simple shifts in lighting and with the addition or removal of simple set props—carried on and off by the characters—the audience sees the rollicking Festival of Fools; the notorious Court of Miracles, where the blind see and the lame walk; the murder of Captain Phoebus; the lashing of Quasimodo on the pillory and the rescue of Esmeralda from her place of execution on a charge of witchcraft. The play ends on an upbeat note without the tragic denouement of the novel. Here, for actors and audiences of teenagers and adults, is a significant and entertaining look at Victor Hugo’s famous story. Designed for easy production, the play can be as simple or as grand as the producer chooses. Basically, the setting is the bare stage with a few props moved on and off. The play should flow as if it were a film, with fades and dissolves but no pauses. For staging suggestions, consult the production notes in the script. Approximate running time: 100 to 120 minutes. Code: HE7. ISBN-13 978-0-88680-363-6 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3308 Phone: (800) 448-7469 / (815) 338-7170 Fax: (800) 334-5302 / (815) 338-8981 The Hunchback www.FamilyPlays.com of Notre Dame © Family Plays VICTOR HUGO'S THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Adapted and2 Dramatizedin Acts by TIM KELLY I. E. CLARK PUBLICATIONS Familywww .ieclark.com Plays 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098 © Family Plays *** NOTICE *** The amateur and stock acting rights to this work are controlled exclusively by FAMILY PLAYS without whose permission in writing no performance of it may be given. Royalty must be paid every time a play is performed whether or not it is presented for profit and whether or not admission is charged. A play is performed any time it is acted before an audience. Current royalty rates, applications and re- strictions may be found at our website www.FamilyPlays.com, or we may be con- tacted by mail at: FAMILY PLAYS, 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098. 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All rights, including, but not limited to, the professional, motion picture, radio, television, videotape, foreign language, tabloid, recitation, lecturing, publication and reading, are reserved. For performance of any songs, music and recordings mentioned in this play which are in copyright, the permission of the copyright owners must be obtained or other songs and recordings in the public domain substituted. © 1992 by TIM KELLY Printed in the United States of America All Rights Reserved (THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME) ISBN: 978-0-88680-363-6 © Family Plays IMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTS All producers of the play must give credit to the author(s) of the play in all pro- grams distributed in connection with performances of the play and in all instances in which the title of the play appears for purposes of advertising, publicizing or otherwise exploiting the play and/or a production. The name of the author(s) must also appear on a separate line, on which no other name appears, immediately following the title, and must appear in size of type not less than fifty percent the size of the title type. Biographical information on the author(s), if included in the playbook, may be used in all programs. In all programs this notice must appear: “Produced by special arrangement with Family Plays of Woodstock, Illinois” © Family Plays The aulhor wishestothank the niEATREACI'ING LAUREL COMPANY of Los Angeles.· California. forits help indevelapingthis script © Family Plays \1 THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Cast ofCharacters (Inorder« speaking)* Woman 1 Woman 2 Citizens of Paris Woman 3 } Dom Claude Frollo, Archdeacon of Notre Dame and King's Attorney So ldier 1 Onduty So ldier 2 } in Paris Old Simone, crazed old woman who hates gypsies Citizen 1 Fra Michael Pierre Gringoire, poet Venus, actress in Pierre's play Death, actor in Pierre's play Clopin Troulllefou, king of Paris beggars Elizabeth, Clopin's wife Citizen 2 Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral Esmeralda, a gypsy girl Phoebus, Captain in the Paris Guard Henriette, a beggar Blind Man, another beggar, a fake Isabel beggars Aloise } Bar bedlenne, aged magistrate, nearly deaf Clerk, Barbedienne's assistant Torturer Catherine in love Claire } with Phoebus Yvonne, old woman. innkeeper Optional extras, ifdesired •(See ProductionNotes at end of playbook for suggestions on doubling and smaller orlarger cast size) The action takes place in Fifteenth Century Paris Prolog��e: The steps of Notre Dame Act 1: 20 years later. Various places in and around theCathedral of NotreDame Act II: The same, a short time later © Family Plays vi ABOUT THE PLAY Victor Hugo's novel, T� Hunchback ofNotre D�. is one of the great classics of world literature. It has been filmed many times, star­ ring notable actors like Lon Chaney, Charles Laughton, and Anthony Quinn as the grotesque hunchback. It has been turned into operas and stage extrava-ganzas. Whaleves theformat. it is always a crowd pleaser. This exciting ��tion by Tim Kelly, one of Ammca's most popular playwrights, captures the essence of the famous original. It brings to life on the stage some of the most memorable fictional char­ acters ever created: the pitiable but good-hearted bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo; thevain, handsome Captain Phoebus; the villainous Frollo; thetemperamental poet, Pi erre Gringoire (Hugo him­ self, no doubt); the colorful Beggars of Paris, and the beautiful, inno­ cent, naive gypsy, Esmeralda, whom they al l love. The famous settings of the novel are also here, but in a manner that negates the necessity for pauses for scene changes. With simple shifts in lighting and with the addition or removal of simple set props- -<:arried on and off by the characters-theaudience sees the rol­ licking Festival of Fools; the notorious Court of Miracles, where the blind see and the lame walk; the murder of Captain Phoebus; the lash­ ing of Quasimodo on the pillory; the rescue of Esmeralda from her place of execution on a charge of witchcraft The play ends on an upbeat note without the tragic denouement of thenovel. Designed f<X" easy production, the play can be assimple or as grand as the producer chooses. Basically, the setting is the bare stage with a few props moved on and off. The play should flow as ifit were a film, with fades and dissolves, but no pauses. For staging suggestions, con­ sult the Production Notes beginning on page 60. Here, for actors and audiences of teen-agers and adults, is a signifi­ cant and entertaining look at Victor Hugo's famous story. The very flexible cast of 14 women and 14 men may be increased withextras or reducedwith doubling( se e page 62). Playing time is about two hours. © Family Plays 60 TilE HUNCHBACK OF N01RE DAME PRODUCTION NOTES Properties On stage throughout : Elevated area (platform) Railing leading to cathe<talentrance (optional) ACT I Prologue Doll in raggedblanket to simulate infant, downstage of platform Scene 1 : FestivsJof Fools Scrolls-Solcier 1, Solder 2 Colored scarves on pole, apples in basket,