Wind in the Willows. Wind in the Willows was first presented by The Children s Theatre Company for the season.

Transcription

1 Wind in the Willows Wind in the Willows was first presented by The Children s Theatre Company for the season. The license issued in connection with PYA perusal scripts is a limited license, and is issued for the sole purpose of reviewing the script for a potential future performance. All other rights regarding perusal scripts are expressly reserved by Plays for Young Audiences, including, but not limited to, the rights to distribute, perform, copy or alter scripts. This limited license does not convey any performance rights of any kind with this material. By accepting any perusal script(s), Licensee agrees to and is bound by these terms.

2 Cast of Characters Mole Mouse Boy/Father Mouse Mouse Girl/Mother Mouse Rat Otter Badger Hedgehog Ferret Stoat Squirrel Thugs Weasel Nanny Squirrel Toad Swallow Constable Sailor Rat Gaoler s Daughter Washer Woman Engineer Ensemble includes: Rabbits, Mice Carolers Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 1

3 Act I, Scene 1 A theatre in a wooded clearing. An easel with placard: 'Riverbank Repertory Players present: "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." A few minutes before curtain, RABBIT appears and gestures for painted backdrop to be flown in. Another RABBIT changes placard to: "The Wind in the Willows. " After RABBITS' exit; TOAD, in dressing gown, swiftly sneaks on and writes beneath the title: "Starring Mister Toad " TOAD exits. House out with sound of breeze and distant pipes of Pan. RABBIT QUINTET enters. They bow/curtsy to Audience. RABBITS: (Singing.) Look alive now! Come and gather. Hurry on, now! Come and gather. Listen! Gather 'round young creatures of the meadow and the forest Gather 'round and we will tell a tale heroic... Aye, but more... For it's not only scenes of valorous deeds and dashing acts of daring We ofler you a gentler play with humor, warmth and sharing. Listen! Listen! Listen to the murmur of the wind so soft and quiet Listen to the sounds of spring awake, ti1 by and by it Ever gently, most miraculousiy finds a form and meaning Then... It's Mole! Spring cleaning! Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 2

4 RABBITS cock their ears at sound beneath their feet. Scrabbling, scratching, scraping and scurrying Up some more, stirrying, hurrying... RABBITS hop aside as MOLE fiings open trapdoor with a cloud of dust. Up! Up above and out! Ah. Light. Warmth. Bright. The sun? Ah, yes! Strange, quite a change, for a Mole such as me... and yet, rather fine. Curiously fine. Yes, up and out -- this feels better! MOLE has a basket of stuff he dusts and sorts while he sings. (Singing) Spring-cleaning's made me all a-fidget Hang this musty dusty stus Dash it, ditch it. Polish it? (Spoken) Pitch it! There, now I've said it: enough is enough! (Tosses feather duster into trap.) Onion sauce! RABBITS: (Beckoning MOLE to venture and explore a bit. Singing.) Hurrying, scurrying, hurrying, scurrying, la, la, la, la, la, la! FIELD MICE BOY and GIRL enter, at silent play. (Regarding open trap, stowing stuff back into it.) What nonsense this: this house all damp and grim and dreary. Shouldn't a home be bright and warm and cheery? (Stepping away from trap. MICE CHILDREN approach trap.) No wonder friends don't call on me, how could they know they're wanted? One glance and quick as lightning, run! MOUSE BOY: (To MOUSE GIRL, as they run off) That place looks like it's haunted! To live one's life in solitude as I ve done isn't proper I'd like a friend or two, I think, to chat with over supper. Then afterwards a stroll amidst the gardens of the shire Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 3

5 And just before retiring, a nightcap by the fire. Then dream of all the things we'll do next day, whatever weather Come sun or rain or snow or sleet, "Hail Friend!" - we'd be together. RABBITS: So, then...? (Kicks trapdoor lid closed, claps palms together.) Bid farewell to the old Mole, say "Goodbye and Too-da-loo!" For I'm certain there's more beyond this door; much more to do, Much more to see. Much more to smell and taste and touch. Discovery! Comraderie! All this and more I seek... I hope... I pray may be. RABBITS: (As MOLE wanders, gazing in wonder.) Feel the longing, learn the burning, let your senses soar and scatter, Feel a tickle, yearn a yearning, shedyour past away -- What matter? It's but bygones, merely mem 'ries. Look alive now, seek the wonder, Know the breezes, hark the thunder. Come rejoice! It's spring and all around the earth's gone mad in splendor. Take heart, take hope, take sight on life's adventure: In sunlight gold amongst the clouds and wind-song in the willows. (Patterns of light begin to flicker, suggesting a river.) RABBIT 1: (Halting at "riverbank.) My goodness! What on earth..? A river. Never before in my life have I seen such... RABBIT 1: A full-fed river. Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 4

6 A river! How very wide it is. And so sleek and sinuous, like a living animal... RABBIT 1: Yes, an animal -- fat with all the wetness of a winter's melt. RABBIT 2: A river: glinting, gleaming, all a-shake and all a-shiver... RABBIT 3: With a chasing and a chuckling, a gurgling, a rustling... RABBIT 4: Babbling and bubbling... RABBIT 5: And bijou-baubled bustling! Yes! Yes! Yes! This... is... fine! (Releasing a great, contented sigh, MOLE sits on the bank.) RABBITS: Take hope, take heart, it's spring, just make a brand new start! Take hope, take heart, it's spring... RABBITS: This is grand!... bright it billows! In sunlight gold amongst the clouds and wind-song in the willows! Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 5

7 Act I. Scene 2. Continuous with the preceding. RAT appears in his boat, sees MOLE and waves an oar in greeting. MOLE rises to his feet and stands, shyly returning the wave. Hullo there. Hullo. I'm Water Rat. How do you do? The name's Mole. Lost, are you? Lost? It's just that I'm rather surprised to see you, Mister Mole. Seldom -- indeed, never have I happened upon a mole up and out and about along the riverbank. And in the full light of morning? Never before in my vast experience. Yes, I must say it is most extraordinary meeting you, my good fellow. Extraordinary? Me? (RAT nods.) Quite. Say, Mole -- would you like to hop in? Hop in what? In my little boat. In here. With me. Oh, it's all very well to talk. Easy to say "hop in," when one's so very familiar with boats. As for me... I ve never been in a boat before in all my life. What?! "Never been in a...!" Why, what in the world have you been doing with yourself? Spring-cleaning. Oh, bother spring-cleaning. That's just what I said. And "onion sauce," too. Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 6

8 Well, then? Come along, Mole, step lively. (RAT offers his arm.) Just lean on my arm. Nothing to fear. Here you go. Just a hop up and over and... (MOLE leaps in and the boat sways from side to side. MOLE teeters precariously, about to plunge overboard. RAT grabs him by the arms and steadies MOLE.)... and there. What did I tell you? Nothing to it! (MOLE is clutching the sides of the rowboat, terrified.) Mole? Moley? Relax, old boy. See? You're safely in. Such a day. Such a day I'm having. Only look at me. Ratty, I'm floating! And what do you make of it? Why, it seems just now -- rather nice. "Nice?!" "Nice," you say? Why, my friend, this is the only thing. To my mind there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats on the river. Ah. Fond of boats, are you? The river, Mole. I love the river. Whether you're in a boat and actually getting away and arriving at some destination you've planned to visit, or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never go anywhere at all -- it hardly matters. For, once you've gone and been there, or simply stayed and not gone anywhere, still there's always something happening and passing by and moving and shifting shape and, well, I suppose that's what I'm most fond of, really. The charm of it is in the ever-constant changing -- even though it might appear, more or less, to stay the same. I see. Do you? Well... I'd like to. Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 7

9 Then we'll make a long, lovely day of it, what? Oh, I don't know, Ratty. I've my chores to do and... I packed a picnic. (Instantly interested.) How's that? A picnic. There. In the wicker basket. (MOLE picks up the basket.) There's cold chicken. Ooh. Cold tongue, cold ham, cold beef, pickled gherkins, salad, French rolls, cress sandwiches, ginger beer, lemonade... Oh stop, cease! This is too much! Yes, Ratty! Yes, I ll gladly join you in a long, long everlastingly lovely day -- here -- now -- you, the Water Rat and me -- Mole -- upon a river! No, Mole. The River. This is my entire world and I want no other. But there appears to be such more. Over there, for instance. What's over there? That's just the Wild Wood. We don't go there much, we Riverbankers. Why not? Aren't they -- aren't they very nice people in there? Wellll. Some are all right. Squirrels, usually, aren't a great bother. And the Rabbits... though Rabbits tend to be rather a mixed lot. And then there's old Badger, of course. Badger lives right in the heart of the Wild Wood and is as wise and good a fellow as you'd ever hope to have for a friend. Then why shouldn't you go there? Sounds rather pleasant. And so it would be, if it only weren't for the others. Others? Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 8

10 Certain weasels, stoats, ferrets, hedgehogs and so on. Not all of them, of course. But a few have been known to forget themselves and... And what? And misbehave. Break away. Violate the common code. Oh, my! You mean like one reads about in novels? Renegades and scoundrels? Perhaps not quite so sensational. Still, I can't say I've known a weasel, stoat or ferret in whom I've felt I could really put my trust. Have you? All my life I've lived alone, under the ground, at the edge of the meadow. I've never met anyone from the River, nor the Wild Wood nor from... there, Rat - what's there, beyond the Wood -- where it looks all blue and dim and smoky? That, Mole, is the Wide World. The Wide World! Infested with humans. Humans? I've never been to the Wide World and most certainly don't intend to go. And neither will you, if you've got any sense at all. No, Mole, I've quite decided that what this, my River, hasn't got is not worth having. And what it doesn't know is simply not worth knowing. So this is it, eh? And I suppose you have a house beside the riverbank? I do. And a family? Just myself. Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 9

11 Just you and The River and no one else to pass the time with? "No one else to...?" Only, look, Mole. Look about. The water below us and the banks beside -- it's all quite teeming with activity. Trout and perch, mayflies, dragonflies, kingfishers, dabchicks, moorhens... and, there...see there? What? Where? The ducks. There. My friends, my favorites... in fact, I've written a few verses about them. I've the slight touch of a poet in me, I don't mind telling you. A poet? Really? Why, my chief hobby is reading. And I do so enjoy a good poem. Oh, won't you recite it, Rat? Recite?! Why, I'll sing it... How dreadfully clever! A song! Well, just a ditty... (He sings. RABBITS manipulate puppet ducks.) All along the backwater through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! Oh! All along the backwater through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling RAT & RABBITS: Up tails all! All along the backwater through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! Ducks' tails, feathered sails, Yellow feet a-quiver Hungry bills down out of sight Busy in the river. RABBITS: RABBITS: Soaring in the sky above Swallows whirl and call Ducks are down a-dabbling Up tails all! Oh! All along the backwater through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 10

12 All along the backwater, through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! Everyone for what he likes! Ducks prefer to be, Heads below and tails up high, Dipping, dabblingpee! RAT & RABBITS: Oh! All along the backwater through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! All along the backwater, through the rushes tall Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all! (A commotion in the water. The boat begins to rock DUCKS. RABBITS paddle away, quacking angrily.) Well? What do you think? I think I'm going to be sick. Sir?! Seasick, I mean. Or, rather, riversick. Something's churning up the water. Nothing to fear. Just hang on. (MOLE clutches sides of boat.) To the basket, Man -- our picnic! (MOLE awkwardly clutches basket while trying to maintain his place in the boat.) (Peering cautiously into water; suddenly alarmed.) Eek! A sea monster?! Now, Moley; tlvs isn't Loch Ness. It's only... (OTTER appears at the upstage edge of boat and spouts water into the boat, causing MOLE to get wet.)... Otter! Mornin', Otter! Same to you, Ratty. Say hullo to Mr. Mole. Mighty glad to know you, Moley. (He extends his hand. MOLE reaches cautiously. OTTER grasps MOLES hand firmly and shakes it; causing boat Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 11

13 to nearly capsize again. MOLE shrieks.) Easy! Easy there, old chap. You seem more nervous than them ducks. Only trying to mind getting water on my velvet jacket. Yes, I like it awfully. But a swimming costume would be more the thing to wear, don't you think? I don't believe Moley's ever had a swim,'otter. Never?! Never had a swim?! Why, it's the only thing! Stop by tomorrow and I'll teach you. I've just started giving my new son Portly his first swimming lessons. Ah, yes, Otter -- and how is little Portly-- and Mrs. Otter? Splendid. Just splendid, the both of them, thanks for asking. (A sniff) Say, do I detect a smell of kippers? Sardines. Mole and I are going to have a picnic. Greedy beggars! And I'm not invited? But of course you are now, Otter. This is an impromptu affair. What is it about this morning? Seems all the world's out on the river. Such a rumpus! First those ducks, then you, Ratty, with -- of all people -- a Mole! Why, I hear tell even Toad's about on the water today. Not Toad! Oh, no! That's right. Best keep a sharp eye out. What's wrong, Ratty? Who is this Toad person? Well, now, how should I put it? Toad is... well, he's a nice enough fellow and all -- indeed, he's a good friend, but, nevertheless, Toad is the sort of person who... well, how would you put it, Otter? Toad? Ha! Why, Toad's... Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 12

14 And do be kind. "Kind?" Oh, well. Then I'd have to say that Toad is... (Water begins to roil again, causing boat to bob.)... well, here he comes now in his fancy new yacht. You can see for yourself. (Craning his neck to better see.) Where? There. Heading...right at us! (RAT begins rowing with all his might as yacht carries giggling TOAD past.) But that yacht's far too big for this shallow backwater! (Calling.,) Toad! You're sailing too fast! (Calling.) Slow down! Your wake will have us capsized if you don't...! (Boat dips andpicnic basketflies out of MOLE'S arms and overboard Yacht is off. Boat is calmed. A beat. Suddenly RAT and OTTER raise fists in direction of yacht's exit.) RAT & Toad! Ratty -- the picnic! Not to worry! (He disappears "underwater" and almost immediately pops back up again, holding forth a drenched, dripping basket.) Fellows, about that invitation to picnic. Thanks just the same, but if my lunch must be soaking wet, I'd prefer it fresh. Oh, Ratty, I'm awfully sorry. What are you sorry for? It's Toad's fault. Right you are, Ratty. And I've a good mind to rock Toad's own boat, if you take my meaning. No, Otter, please. Force will have no effect on Toad. (Rolling up his sleeves, threatening.) Oh, no? Please. Let me, instead, go have a talk with hm. Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 13

15 But he never listens. Not unless you talk about newer, faster ridiculous ways to get about. Why, Toad has less of an attention span than my baby boy Portly. And... (A fish leaps up out of the water. OTTER dives out of sight toward it.) Speaking of brief attention spans... Seems Otter was just called to lunch. Perhaps we ought to do the same. But on dry land, what? Oh, yes, please, terra firma, solid ground, thank you, I'd be quite delighted! Wind in the Willows by Thomas W. Olson 14