My Son John, A Mother Goose Odyssey
Sample Dialogue

Prologue:

(At rise, Old Woman "Bag Lady" is discovered onstage "feeding birds")

OLD WOMAN

Here Birdies, here my handsome geese. Goosey, goosey gander. Where do you wander? Here goosey, goosey, goosey! Here goosey, goosey.

(Narrator enters, watches her knowingly and appreciatively. After they have silently acknowledged one another warmly, he speaks)

NARRATOR

May I help you?

OLD WOMAN

Thank you, Sonny, but I'm fine. You take care, though, and watch where you're going! (She smiles as he nods. She wanders off feeding the "birds;" He watches her for a brief moment.)

NARRATOR

(Sings) GIRLS AND BOYS COME OUT TO PLAY,
THE MOON DOTH SHINE AS BRIGHT AS DAY:
LEAVE YOUR SUPPER, LEAVE YOUR SLEEP,
AND COME WITH YOUR PLAYFELLOWS INTO THE STREET
COME WITH A WHOOP, COME WITH A CALL,
COME WITH A GOOD WILL OR NOT AT ALL.

(A whistle blasts offstage and we hear:)

Scene 1

PAUL

Ready or not, here I come! (Ensemble bursts in, singing)

ENSEMBLE

GIRLS AND BOYS COME OUT TO PLAY,
THE MOON DOTH SHINE AS BRIGHT AS DAY:
LEAVE YOUR SUPPER, LEAVE YOUR SLEEP,
AND COME WITH YOUR PLAYFELLOWS INTO THE STREET
COME WITH A WHOOP, COME WITH A CALL,
COME WITH A GOOD WILL OR NOT AT ALL.

(Freeze. Narrator has watched all this with great enjoyment and his story begins.)

Scene 2

NARRATOR

Once upon a time, not so very long from now, in a place that everyone knows, there lived a boy named Jack. Well, Johnathan, really. though his grandma called him Johnny. And when he was in trouble, he was referred to as John. Quite a lot of names for one boy to have. And like the boy in the rhyme, our Jack was quite a riddle.

ENSEMBLE

JOHNATHAN, JOHNNY, JOHN AND JACK,
THEY ALL WENT TOGETHER TO SEEK A PIE RACK
THEY FOUND A PIE RACK WITH FIVE PIES ON,
THEY ALL TOOK ONE, AND LEFT FOUR ON!
JOHNATHAN, JOHNNY, JACKY AND JOHN.

NARRATOR

The story of Jack begins in the school yard during recess. (During the following, the schoolchildren take up the various games in the rhymes and continue each silently during the scene.)

LYDIA AND ALICE

SEE-SAW, MARJERY DAW.

NARRATOR

You know the school yard I mean.

LYDIA AND ALICE

SOLD HER BED AND LAY UPON STRAW.

JILL, SUE, MARY AND JOAN

RING AROUND THE ROSIES,
A POCKET FULL OF POSIES.
ASHES, ASHES!
ALL FALL DOWN.

NARRATOR

Jack wasn't a bad boy, really, though you coudn't always tell from his behavior. Whenever the others were playing, no matter how much he wanted to join them, he found something else to do. On this particular day, Jack had taken his math homework, of all things, out during recess!

JACK

Seven sevens are forty-nine. Seven times forty-nine is... OH!
MULTIPLICATION IS VEXATION,
DIVISION IS AS BAD.
THE RULE OF THREE DOTH PUZZLE ME,
BUT PLAYING DRIVES ME MAD!

JILL

Jack, do you want to play a game with us?

JACK

(Startled) Naw. Those games are dumb.

JILL

Come on. It's fun.

JACK

I told you I don't want to play any of those stupid games.

JILL

(Hurt) Well, if you feel that way about it...

JACK

I do. So just leave me alone.

NARRATOR

Jack didn't always say or do the right thing.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TO REQUEST A FULL SCRIPT AND RECEIVE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTION RIGHTS, CLICK HERE.