1482: To Play or Replay

( 1482: To Play or Replay – That is Out of the Question )

Cast:

• Royal Court
• Jester
• Player One (Wandering actor)
• Player Two (Wandering actor)
• Player Three (Acting wanderer)
• Town Crier (None of the above)
• Page One (Non-speaking)
• Page Two (Can speak, but chooses not to.)

Synopsis:

Begins with a greeting by the Jester, followed by the Royal Procession. All dialogue is supplied for the Wassail and Boar’ s Head festivities. Following the dessert, the Jester enters and after a short repartee with the Royal Court is interrupted by a troupe of wandering actors, The Half-Act Players.

“We can do any half-act placy you desire. Or we can put two half-acts together and make a real act of ourselves.”

They claim to be able to do any play, but in the end will only do their version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” with much assistance from the audience.

This highly unusual version of Little Red Riding Hood and the clever involvement of the audience makes this sketch an absolute delight. Would you believe that a whole hall filled with adults can be made to mime the movement of trees . . . and really enjoy it? The cue words for the audience are “woods, wind and swaying. They know they really look silly with their hands up in the air swaying back and forth, but they love it! Such a sense of power it gives the director!

The text at times leans toward the bizarre, such as when Red Riding Hood sees her grandmother, she “was shocked to see how incredibly ugly her grandmamama was. In the back of her mind, and a little bit to the right, R.H.H. wondered if Grandmamama had always been this ugly or if puberty was affecting her sense of values.” Hey, could happen, right? Dialogue is supplied for the introductions to the various portions of the short concluding concert. The Jester bids a touching farewell to the audience prior to the recessional. This is a relatively easy script and really fun! It could be used any time of the year.