THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. by Diane Grant. Adapted from The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Transcription

1 0 THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Diane Grant Adapted from The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame Diane Grant Sunset Blvd. #5 Pacific Palisades, CA (310) Member of the Dramatists Guild, Inc. Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights International Center of Women Playwrights Playwrights Guild of Canada

2 1 THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS CAST OF CHARACTERS: PRINCIPALS: Miss Mole - a sensitive, impetuous creature Miss Ratty - a poet and a born teacher Miss Otter - a gossip and gadabout Widow Badger - a stern recluse with a heart of gold Toad - a feckless and reckless adventurer Wiley Weasel - a hustler Wilmer Otter - not the brightest one in the Otter family ENSEMBLE AND CHILDREN'S CHORUS DOUBLING AS: The Spirit of the Seasons Father Hedgehog Mother Hedgehog Arthur Hedgehog Annie Hedgehog The Weasel Twins - Erica and Eric Doris Field Mouse Donald Field Mouse Jerry Stoat Jimmy Stoat Magistrate Clerk Jury A Washerwoman The Officer of the Public Safety Servants, Ferrets, Townspeople, Waiters, Motorcar Drivers, Lawyers, Prison Guards PLACE: English countryside TIME 1908

3 2 SCENE ONE: Spring LIGHTS UP ON: Mole's house dark and lowly. AT RISE: Mole is dusting. (sneezes) I m so tired of living underground. It s so dark and there s nothing but dust! (sneezes again, looks up) I wonder what s up there in the big world? (sniffs) It smells good. (thinking, she thrusts the duster under her nose, holding it as if it were a bouquet. Then, she sings A New World.) (sings) I ve heard there s a world just up there A world I ve never been A different world, that s full of light And air that s fresh and clean. There are meadows full of willows With a river running through. The wind is in the willows And the sky is always blue. I want to go up and see it Climb on out of my dusty lair. An adventurer be, all wild and free, But wait Let me think Do I dare? I m tiny and wear big glasses I m timid and not very strong What if the world s too big and scary What if I do things wrong? (speaks) What if nobody likes me? (sings) I know that there s a world just up there A world I ve never seen Where birds are always singing And the grass is always green.

4 3 There are meadows full of willows With a river running through. The wind is in the willows And the sky is always blue. (con t) (sneezes, then speaks) That s my last sneeze. l ll be alright. If my glasses down fall off. (She sneezes and her glasses fall off.) LIGHTS DOWN. LIGHTS UP: The lights are warm and bright, perfect for a beautiful Spring day. SCENE TWO: Above ground Spring SETTING: A meadow full of willow trees. Flowers opening up. Birds sing. Butterflies and bees flutter by. THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASONS, carrying a signboard that says SPRING enters. She shows the sign to the audience, then dances off. AT RISE: Spring, Beautiful Spring waltz by Paul Lincke - A family of picnickers, MOTHER AND, with their children, ANNIE and ARTHUR, sit around a checkered tablecloth. They begin to take dishes out of a picnic basket. Yummy, Mummy. Cold ham and sweet pickles. My favorites. Me first, me first. You always get to be first. Do not. Do, too. ARTHUR HEDGEHOG ARTHUR HEDGEHOG

5 4 You've outdone yourself, Mother. (Suddenly, Mole appears behind them, climbing out of her underground home.) Hello! EEEEK! What the deuce? MOTHER HEDGEHOG (Mole comes forward, blinded by the light. She shades her eyes.) Oh, that sun is very bright, isn t it? Ewww. It s a Mole! What are you doing here? MOTHER HEDGEHOG I just came up to see the world. (rushing forward) I m very pleased to meet you. (She steps on the cloth and knocks over a bottle.) Look out! Look out! You've spilled the ginger beer! MOTHER HEDGEHOG Oh, I can t quite see yet. Sorry, sorry. (She moves again and steps on a pie.) You've stepped in the potted meat! ARTHUR HEDGEHOG

6 5 (He begins to cry.) Whoops. I didn't see. (She steps on another plate.) Oops. And you've put your feet in the ham sandwiches! That's it! Pack up, Mother. (They gather up their belongings. Mole tries to help and Mother Hedgehog grabs the picnic cloth from Mole.) I'm terribly sorry. Four eyes, four eyes. ARTHUR Come along, everybody. (exiting, to Mole) You interloper! (They exit. Arthur immediately reappears and gives Mole a raspberry. Exits.) That wasn't a very good start. (looks at her feet) Blecccch! (takes the kerchief from around her neck and wipes off her feet. A butterfly flies past her nose. A bird glides in. Mole is enchanted.) Hullo! (She dances after them to Spring, Beautiful Spring.) Oh, my! Aren t you beautiful! (She exits, dancing. WILEY WEASEL, followed by ERICA AND ERIC WEASEL, THE WEASEL TWINS, appear from behind trees and enters. Wiley is a punk. Erica and Eric, his toadies, are just like him.)

7 6 Did I see a Mole!? (sniggers) What's a Mole doing up here? That's unnatural. WILEY ERIC ERICA (Wily peers into the ground, looking into Mole's house.) WILEY I know why she left. Her place is a dump. (Erica picks up a rock and holds it above the hole.) (sniggers) Why don t we help her fix it up? ERICA (She drops the rock into the hole. SFX: The rock hits something hard. Eric grabs another one and throws it in. SFX: Boink. General laughter.)