Part 9
For the thunder effect in Act I rattle a large sheet of sheet-iron and explode several large fire-crackers.
The arrangement of the stage in Acts I and III is fully described in the text.
PROPERTIES.
Table with long cover completely hiding the Wishing Man.
Lighted lamp on table. Chairs and sofa.
Window at rear. Two curtains can simulate a window.
Trumpet vine with tin and paper trumpets.
Drum tree with tissue paper buds and toy drums.
Candy tree.
Ball plants.
Frame to hide the French dolls.
Doll plants.
Pasteboard box with cover for Ka-zin-ski.
Three small pill boxes.
COSTUMES.
THE WISHING MAN--Dressed as a clown, white suit with red horseshoes on it. Red ruffles around arms, ankles and neck. Long, pointed, white clown cap. Face and neck should be covered with white grease paint and when it is dry apply white powder. Then blacken the nose and lips with hot black grease paint. Make tiny high eyebrows of this black paint and paint round black circles on cheek bones.
GRANDPA, GRANDMA, FATHER and MOTHER should be dressed in modern costume, but they must be made up and costumed to look the part.
NURSE MAID--Black dress, long. White apron, collar, cap and cuffs.
DUMPLING, TOOTSY and SNOOKUMS--Pretty dresses suitable for Christmas.
THE BIG DUMPLING, TOOTSY and SNOOKUMS--Dressed exactly like their little counterparts. Wigs, etc.
KA-ZIN-SKI--Tall boy dressed as a clown. False face. Bushy whiskers and wig. A regular jack-in-the-box make-up.
THE TIN SOLDIERS--Long trousers of shiny blue cambric with red stripes at the sides. Shiny red jackets with yellow bands and buttons across front and on sleeves. Toy guns. The cheeks and lips should be very red to imitate toy soldiers.
THE FRENCH DOLLS--Fancy dresses and bonnets. Hair in curls. Faces painted to represent wax dollies, red cheeks, eyebrows black, eyelashes beaded with black hot grease paint.
JIM DANDY--Red and white striped stockings. From the knee to under the arms the suit is a cylindrical roll of white pasteboard striped with red. Sleeves and collar white striped with red. Pointed white cap striped with red.
THE BEARS--Costumes of brown canton flannel, fuzzy side out. Get a pattern for a child's nightdress with feet. Allow it rather loose in front, so that a folded knit shawl can be securely fastened (with safety pins) to the shoulders in front, beneath it, thus making the round body of the bear. For the back of the suit do not cut the waist part separate from the legs, as is usual in the pattern, but allow the waist to be as wide as the seat of the drawers.
Then lay a pleat from A to B on either side, tapering to form a loose fit below the waist. Sew thumbless mittens to the ends of the sleeves, padding them a little on the back and sewing on palms of a light tan, to represent paws.
[Illustration: Fig. 2]
Fit the seat of the drawers at the back loose enough to give freedom of motion, but no more.
For the heads, cut hoods like Fig. 3, taking a straight piece of cloth and fitting it with pleats around the face, etc. Make ears of two thicknesses of the cloth, stitched and turned like Fig. 4. Lay a box-pleat at A-B and sew them to the hood at C-D, so that they will stand out and forward. See Fig. 5. Sew this hood to the neck of the suit, so that all goes on together. Bear false faces.
[Illustration: Fig. 3]
[Illustration: Fig. 4]
[Illustration: Fig. 5]
BABY JUMBO--Two medium sized boys form the elephant. Two four-foot sticks are fastened together with twenty-inch crosspieces, thus: [Illustration] Forming a rack which two boys carry on their shoulders. Cut two pieces from gray cambric like Fig. 6 to form the head, having the trunk about a yard long; sew them together and stuff with rags; sew on white pasteboard tusks, large buttons for eyes and big ears cut out of cambric and lined with one thickness of paper. Attach strings at A and tie to the first crosspiece of the rack. Pad the rack with an old comfort sewed fast with cord to hold it in place.
[Illustration: Fig. 6]
Set the rack on the boy's shoulders, then standing with heads bent forward, the foremost boy supporting the elephant's head with his head and slipping his right hand into the upper part of the trunk so as to swing it. Throw over them a large, dark-colored shawl, reaching to their knees, fasten it together in the back and pin on a tail made of cambric and stuffed. Legs covered with brown burlap.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL OR THE MISER'S YULETIDE DREAM
[Illustration:
SCROOGE BOB CRATCHIT MARLEY'S GHOST SECOND SPIRIT
THIRD SPIRIT WAIT MISSION LASS FRED FIRST SPIRIT
COSTUME OF MRS. FEZZIWIG FEZZIWIG BELLA EBENEZER & DICK FIDDLER
PETER, BETTY, BELINDA and MRS. CRATCHIT MARTHA BOB TINY TIM
THE CRATCHIT FAMILY]
A CHRISTMAS CAROL OR THE MISER'S YULETIDE DREAM
ADAPTED FROM CHARLES DICKENS' IMMORTAL STORY.
CHARACTERS.
EBENEZER SCROOGE _A Middle-aged Merchant_ "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire."
BOB CRATCHIT _Scrooge's Clerk_ "With the Christmas spirit in his heart."
FRED _Scrooge's Nephew_ "A whole-souled, merry-hearted young married man."
TWO MISSION LASSIES
THE GHOST OF JACOB MARLEY _Scrooge's Partner_ "Dead these seven years."
FIRST SPIRIT (Little Girl) _The Ghost of Christmas Past_
SECOND SPIRIT _The Ghost of Christmas Present_
THIRD SPIRIT _The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be_
A CHORUS OF YOUNG BOYS _Carol Singers_
FIRST WAIT _The Leader of the Singers_
MR. FEZZIWIG _A Jolly Old Merchant_
MRS. FEZZIWIG _One Vast Substantial Smile_
EBENEZER _Scrooge as a Young Man_
DICK _His Fellow Clerk_
THE OLD FIDDLER
BELLA _Scrooge's First and Only Love_
MRS. CRATCHIT _Bob's Wife_
BELINDA, _Aged Eighteen_ } MARTHA, _Aged Seventeen_ } PETER, _Aged Fourteen_ } BOB, _Aged Eleven_ } _Bob Cratchit's Family_ BETTY, _Aged Nine_ } TINY TIM, _Aged Four_ }
_Five Ladies, Five Gentlemen and a Little Boy for the Fezziwig Tableau_
STAVE I.
SCENE: _The counting house of_ SCROOGE _and_ MARLEY. _A dark, dreary office, indicated by brown curtains at sides, with entrances R. and L. and brown curtains at rear. Note: These rear curtains must be arranged to be parted, showing the tableau stage back of the real stage. The tableau stage is elevated a few feet above the real stage (this makes a better picture but is not absolutely necessary). High desk at R. facing the R. wall. Tall stool at this desk; ledger, quill pen, ink, candle on this desk. Small, old desk down L., facing audience. Desk chair back of this desk. Two common wooden chairs at R.C. and L.C. Ledger, quill pen, books, candle stuck in an old dark bottle, on desk down L._
_Full description of costumes, a detailed illustration of the stage setting, etc., will be found at the end of the play._
_Before the curtain rises_ WAITS _are heard singing off L. Curtain rises disclosing_ BOB CRATCHIT _seated on stool, bent over ledger at desk R., working by the light of the candle._
WAITS (_outside, sing "Christmas Carol"_).
(CRATCHIT _turns and listens._)
_Enter_ SCROOGE _from R. in a towering passion. Slams door R._ CRATCHIT _hurriedly returns to his work._ SCROOGE _crosses to door L. and flings it open angrily._
CHRISTMAS CAROL.
J.M. NEALE. THOMAS HELMORE.
[Music illustration:
1. Christ was born on Christ-mas day, Wreathe the hol-ly, twine the bay, Light and life and joy is He, The Babe, the Son, the Ho-ly One of Ma-ry.
2. He is born to set us free; He is born our Lord to be; Car-ol, Chris-tians, joy-ful-ly; The God, the Lord, by all a-dored for-ev-er.
3. Let the bright red ber-ries glow Ev-'ry-where in good-ly show, Light and life and joy is He, The Babe, the Son, the Ho-ly One of Ma-ry.
Christian men, re-joice and sing; 'Tis the birth-day of our King.
Car-ol, Christians, joy-ful-ly; The God, the Lord, By all a-dored For-ev-er. Night of sadness, Morn of glad-ness Ev-er-more: Ev-er, Ev-er, Aft-er man-y troub-les sore, Morn of glad-ness ev-er-more, and ev-er-more.
Mid-night scarce-ly passed and o-ver, Draw-ing to the ho-ly morn; Ver-y ear-ly, Ver-y ear-ly, Christ was born. Sing out with bliss, His name is this: Em-man-u-el! As 'twas fore-told, In days of old, By Ga-bri-el.]
SCROOGE (_flinging open door L. at this point_). Get away from my door. Begone, ye beggars! I've nothing for you.
FIRST WAIT (_sticking his head in door at L._). Only a shillin', sir, for a merry Christmas, yer honor.
SCROOGE. Get away from there or I'll call the police.
FIRST WAIT. Only a shillin', sir.
SCROOGE. Not a penny. I have other places to put my money. Go on, now. You don't get a cent. Not a penny!
FIRST WAIT. All right, sir. Merry Christmas, just the same, sir. (_Exits L._)
SCROOGE (_comes down to his desk at L., muttering_). Howling idiots! Give 'em a shilling, hey? I'd like to give 'em six months in the work'us, that I would. Paupers! I'd show 'em what a merry Christmas is. (CRATCHIT _gets down from stool and starts to slink out L._) Hey!
CRATCHIT (_pauses, turns to_ SCROOGE). Yes, sir.
SCROOGE. Where you goin'?
CRATCHIT. I was just goin' to get a few coals, sir. Just to warm us up a bit, sir.
SCROOGE. You let my coals alone. Get back to work. I'm not complaining about the cold, am I? And I'm an older man than you are. Back to work!
CRATCHIT (_sighs, pauses, then says meekly_). Yes, sir. (_Resumes work._)
SCROOGE. You want to let my coals alone if you expect to keep your job. I'm not a millionaire. Understand? (_Loudly._) Understand?
CRATCHIT. Yes, sir, I understand. (_Shivers, wraps long white woolen muffler closer about throat and warms hands at candle._)
SCROOGE. Here it is three o'clock, the middle of the afternoon, and two candles burning. What more do you want? Want me to end up in the poorhouse?
FRED (_heard outside at L._). Uncle! Uncle! Where are you? Merry Christmas, uncle.
FRED _enters from L. He is happy and bright and has a cheerful, loud laugh. He enters laughing and comes down C._
SCROOGE (_looking up from his work_). Oh, it's you, is it?
FRED. Of course it is, uncle. Merry Christmas! God save you!
SCROOGE (_with disgust_). Merry Christmas! Bah! Humbug!
FRED. Christmas a humbug, uncle? You don't mean that, I'm sure.
SCROOGE. I don't, hey? Merry Christmas! What cause have you got to be merry? You're poor enough.
FRED (_laughing good-naturedly_). Come, then, what right have you got to be dismal? You're rich enough. So, merry Christmas, uncle.
SCROOGE. Out upon your merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer? You keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine.
FRED. Keep it? But you don't keep it!
SCROOGE. Let me leave it alone, then. Much good may it do you! Much good has it ever done you!
FRED. Christmas is a good time, uncle; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them in the social scale. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it _has_ done me good, and _will_ do me good; and I say, God bless it, God bless Christmas!
CRATCHIT (_who had been listening eagerly, claps his hands_). Good!
SCROOGE. Let me hear another sound from _you_ and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your job. Get to work!
CRATCHIT. Yes, sir. (_Resumes his work on the ledger._)
SCROOGE (_to_ FRED). You're quite a powerful speaker, sir. I wonder you don't go into Parliament.
FRED. Don't be angry, uncle. Come, dine with us tomorrow.
SCROOGE. Dine with you? Me? I'll see you hanged first. Dine with you? I'll see you in--
CRATCHIT (_sneezes violently_).
SCROOGE. What's the matter with _you_? (_Turns to_ FRED.) I'm a busy man. Good afternoon.
FRED. Come, uncle; say "Yes."
SCROOGE. No.
FRED. But why? Why?
SCROOGE (_savagely_). Why did you get married?
FRED. Because I fell in love.
SCROOGE. Bah! (_Resumes his work._) Good afternoon.
FRED. I want nothing from you. I ask nothing from you. But why can't we be friends?
SCROOGE. Good afternoon.
FRED. Uncle I won't part in anger. My dear mother was your only sister--your only relation. For her sake let us be friends.
SCROOGE (_savagely_). Good afternoon.
FRED. I'll still keep the Christmas spirit, uncle. A merry Christmas to you.
SCROOGE (_busy at ledger_). Bah!
FRED. And a happy New Year.
SCROOGE. Good afternoon!
FRED (_goes to_ CRATCHIT). And a merry Christmas to you, Bob Cratchit.
CRATCHIT (_getting down from stool, shaking hands with_ FRED _warmly_). Merry Christmas, sir. God bless it!
FRED. Ay, God bless it! And a happy New Year.
CRATCHIT. And a happy New Year, too! God bless that, too!
FRED. Ay, Bob, God bless that, too. (_Exit L._)
SCROOGE. Cratchit, get to work!
CRATCHIT. Yes, sir. (_Resumes work._)
SCROOGE (_looks at him_). Humph! Fifteen shillings a week and a wife and six children, and he talks about a merry Christmas. Humph! (_Works on ledger._)
_Enter from L._ TWO MISSION LASSIES. _They come down C._
FIRST LASS. Scrooge and Marley's, I believe? Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Marley?
SCROOGE. Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years. He died seven years ago this very night.
FIRST LASS. We have no doubt his liberality is represented by his surviving partner. (_Shows subscription paper._)
SCROOGE. Liberality? Humph! (_Returns paper to her._)
SECOND LASS. At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, we are trying to make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who are suffering greatly. Hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.
SCROOGE. Are there no prisons?
SECOND LASS (_sighs_). Plenty of prisons, sir.
SCROOGE. And the workhouses--are they still in operation?
FIRST LASS. They are, sir; but they scarcely furnish Christmas cheer for mind and body. We are trying to raise a fund to buy the poor some meat and drink and means of warmth.
SECOND LASS. We chose this time because it is a time when want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices. What shall we put you down for?
SCROOGE. Nothing.
FIRST LASS. You wish to be anonymous?
SCROOGE. I wish to be left alone. I don't make merry myself at Christmas, I don't believe in it. And I can't afford to make idle people merry. They should go to the poorhouse.
SECOND LASS. Many of them would rather die, sir, than do that.
SCROOGE (_savagely_). If they would rather die, they'd better do it and decrease the population. And besides, I am a very busy man.
FIRST LASS. But, sir--
SCROOGE. Good afternoon.
FIRST LASS. I'm sorry, sir. Sorry--
SCROOGE. Sorry for them?
FIRST LASS. No, sir, I'm sorry for you, sir. Good afternoon. (_Exits L. followed by_ SECOND LASS.)
SCROOGE. Sorry for me, hey? (_Pause. He works. The clock strikes five._) Sorry for me!
CRATCHIT (_closes his book, blows out candle_). Is there anything more, sir? (_Comes to C._)
SCROOGE. You'll want all day off tomorrow, I suppose?
CRATCHIT. If it's quite convenient, sir.
SCROOGE. Well, it isn't--and it's not fair. If I'd dock you a half a crown for it you'd think I was ill using you, wouldn't you?
CRATCHIT (_nervously_). I don't know, sir.
SCROOGE. And yet you expect me to pay a full day's wages for no work.
CRATCHIT. It only comes once a year, sir. Only once a year.
SCROOGE. A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But I suppose you've got to have the whole day. But you be here all the earlier next morning.
CRATCHIT. Oh, yes, indeed, sir. (_Goes out R._)
SCROOGE. I'll stay here a bit and finish up the work.
_Enter_ CRATCHIT _from R. with hat. He turns up his coat collar, wraps the long white woolen muffler around chin and pulls hat down over his face._
CRATCHIT (_crosses to door L._). I'm going, sir.
SCROOGE. All right.
CRATCHIT (_shields face with arm as though he were afraid Scrooge might throw something at him_). Merry Christmas, sir! (_Runs out L._)
SCROOGE. Bah! Humbug! (_He works at ledger. Finally drops his head on his arms and sleeps. The light of his candle goes out. Note: Scrooge might blow it out unseen by audience._)
_The stage is now in darkness. A musical bell tolls off L. After a pause another bell tolls off R. The clinking of chains is heard. When the stage is completely darkened the_ GHOST OF MARLEY _slips in and sits at R. He is entirely covered with black, face and all, as he slips in, so as to be quite invisible._
_Mysterious music. Sudden clap of thunder heard. An auto light from the wings at R. is thrown on the_ GHOST'S _face. This light should be green. The thunder dies away. Clanking of chains heard._
GHOST (_groans_).
SCROOGE (_starts up, looks at Ghost, pauses_). How now! What do you want with me?
GHOST. Much.
SCROOGE. Who are you?
GHOST. Ask me who I was.
SCROOGE. Well, who were you, then?
GHOST. In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley. It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.
SCROOGE. You are fettered. Tell me why.
GHOST. I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, yard by yard, the heavy chain of avarice. Now I must make amends for the opportunities I neglected in life.
SCROOGE. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob.
GHOST. Business? Mankind should have been my business. Kind actions, charity, mercy, benevolence, love--all should have been my business. I am here tonight to warn you, to warn you, Ebenezer Scrooge, that you have yet a chance of escaping my fate.
SCROOGE. You were always a good friend to me.
GHOST. You will be haunted by Three Spirits.
SCROOGE. If it's all the same to you, I think I'd rather not.
GHOST. Without their visits, you cannot hope to escape my fate. Expect the first when the bell tolls one.
SCROOGE. Couldn't I take it all at once and have it over, Jacob?
GHOST. Remember my warning, heed the message and you may yet be saved. My time is over. (_Chains rattle._) Farewell, farewell, farewell! (_Loud crash of thunder. Light is quenched and_ GHOST _exits unseen by audience._)
_Pause. The bell tolls one. Enter_ SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PAST _from R. She comes down R. Strong white light on her from R._
SCROOGE (_trembling_). Are you the Spirit whose coming was foretold to me?
FIRST SPIRIT. I am.
SCROOGE. Who and what are you?
FIRST SPIRIT. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
SCROOGE. Long past?
FIRST SPIRIT. No, your past.
SCROOGE. Why have you come here to me?
FIRST SPIRIT. For your own welfare. I must teach you the first lesson of consideration.
SCROOGE. But I _am_ considerate.
FIRST SPIRIT. Are you a kind master to your clerk?
SCROOGE. Well, I'm not unkind.
FIRST SPIRIT. Do you remember your own first master? One Fezziwig by name?
SCROOGE. Indeed, I do. Bless his dear, old heart. He was the kindest master that ever lived.
FIRST SPIRIT. Then why haven't you followed his good example? Would any of your clerks say that you were the kindest master that ever lived?
SCROOGE. Well, times have changed, that's it--it's all the fault of the times.
FIRST SPIRIT. It's all the fault of a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel has ever struck out a generous fire. No wind that blows is more bitter than he, no falling snow is more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. And his name is Ebenezer Scrooge.
SCROOGE. All I ask is to edge my way along the crowded path of life. I want to be left alone. That's all--left alone.
FIRST SPIRIT. I have come to save you, Ebenezer Scrooge. I have come to kindle into life the stone that once was your heart. First I will show you the kind heart and generosity of your old time master. Behold the warehouse of Fezziwig and Company.
(_Rear curtains are drawn apart, revealing a workshop, with desk down R. facing front. Barrel up L. Sign on rear wall reads, "Fezziwig and Company." Two young men_, EBENEZER _and_ DICK, _discovered happily working at desk. Fezziwig stands up L. looking off L._ WAITS _are heard singing off L. at rear._)
WAITS (_sing, music page 169_).
Christ was born on Christmas Day, Wreathe the holly, twine the bay, Light and Life and Joy is He, The Babe, the Son, The Holy One Of Mary.
FEZZIWIG (_flinging them a handful of coins_). That's right, my lads. Sing away. Merry Christmas to you.
WAITS (_outside_). Thank ye, sir. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank ye, sir. (_They sing and the song dies away in the distance._)
SCROOGE (_down R. with_ FIRST SPIRIT). Why, it's old Fezziwig. Bless his dear, old heart. It's Fezziwig alive again.
FEZZIWIG (_comes merrily down C._). Yo ho, my boys! No more work for tonight. Christmas Eve, Dick! (_Throws his arms over the shoulders of the two boys._) Christmas Eve, Ebenezer! God bless Christmas.
DICK. Ay, ay, sir.
EBENEZER. Ay, ay; God bless Christmas.
FIRST SPIRIT. Did you hear that, Scrooge? That is yourself--and you said God bless Christmas.
SCROOGE. That's true. That was thirty years ago.
FEZZIWIG (_bustling about_). The missis and the girls are down stairs, so let's clear away before you can say Jack Robinson. (_They push desk back, and decorate rear stage with strings of Christmas greens_, FEZZIWIG _talking all the time._) Yo ho! That's right, Dick. String the Christmas greens. Here you are, Ebenezer. We're going to have the merriest time in all the kingdom. (_Dancing a step or two._) I'll show ye how to enjoy life. That's it. Now we're all ready. (_Sings._) "Wreathe the holly, twine the bay!" Let's have lots of room. Clear away, Dick. Here comes the fiddler now.
_Enter_ OLD FIDDLER. _He sits on barrel at rear and starts to "tune up."_
OLD FIDDLER. Merry Christmas, sir.
FEZZIWIG. The same to you, granfer, and many of 'em.
_Enter_ MRS. FEZZIWIG _from L._
MRS. FEZZIWIG. Lawsy, lawsy, I thought we'd be late. (_Goes to the two boys and puts her arms over their shoulders._) And how's my merry boys tonight?
DICK. Finer'n a fiddle.
EBENEZER. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Fezziwig.
MRS. FEZZIWIG. The same to you, dear lads.
FEZZIWIG. Where's the girls, mother?
MRS. FEZZIWIG. Here they come, Flora, Felicity and little Fanny May.
_Enter the_ THREE FEZZIWIG _girls with their escorts. Everybody bustles around shaking hands, wishing each other "Merry Christmas."_
FEZZIWIG. And here's the housemaid and her cousin the baker. (_They enter and are greeted by all._) The cook and the milkman, and the lonesome little boy from over the way! And Ebenezer's young lady, Miss Bella. (_They enter and are merrily greeted._) And now, mother, what do you say to a rollicking game of Puss in the Corner.
(_They play Puss in the Corner with much loud laughter, clapping hands, running about, etc. The_ FIDDLER _plays._)
MRS. FEZZIWIG. Oh, I never was so happy in all my life. This is the real spirit of Christmas.
FEZZIWIG (_hangs up a bit of mistletoe_). And here's the mistletoe.
(_They form a ring and play a ring game with much noise and confusion._)