Scenariusz sztuki "The Canterville Ghost" przygotowanej na II Świętokrzyski Przegląd Teatrów Szkolnych w Języku Angielskim

Szkoła ponadgimnazjalna
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THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
Play script.

Narrator: Mr Hiram Otis was the new American ambassador in England. He needed a house for himself and his family. When he saw Canterville Chase he wanted to buy it. Everybody thought that this was very foolish because they believed that the Chase was haunted. Although being told about the Ghost by the owner of the house, the Otis family decided to buy the house and move in.
(Rodzina przybywa do domu. Oprowadza ich Mrs Umney)
Mrs Umney: And here is the library....but we rarely come in here because this is one of the ghost’s favourite places in the house...
(Rodzina rozgląda się i śmieje słysząc słowa Mrs Umney)
Mrs Umney: You laugh now but you’ll mark my words!
Mr Otis: Mrs Umney we don’t believe in ghosts. We come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. I think that if there was a ghost anywhere in Europe, one of our bright young men would find it, take it to America and put it in a museum.
Mrs Umney: All right then. You’ll see for yourselves, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
Mrs Otis: Hiram, look there’s a red stain right here. We’ll have to get rid of it somehow. I hope that Mrs Umney can help us with this. I propose a rise for you Mrs Umney if you get rid of this ugly stain.
Mrs Umney: You are too kind, madam. But I’m afraid that it’s impossible. You see this is a blood stain which can’t be gotten rid of . It is the blood of Lady Eleanor de Canterville. She was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville. He disappeared sometime later. His body has never been found, but hid guilty spirit still haunts the Chase.
Mrs Otis: That’s all nonesense. I’ll show you.
(Mrs Otis wyciąga buteleczkę z torebki, wylewa zawartość na plamę i pociera chusteczką)
Mrs Otis: You see. I told you. It’s out. I guess no pay rise for you.
Mrs Umney: We’ll see who doesn’t deserve a pay rise tomorrow.
Narrator: And so the Otis family moved in. They unpacked and went to bed. The next morning they came down to the library and saw the stain again. They couldn’t believe their eyes. But once again Mrs Otis cleaned the stain but the following morning it appeared again and so this trend continued for couple of more days until they started believing in ghosts. But as a modern American family they didn’t worry and lived on along with the ghost. In order to sleep well at night they even tried giving oil to the ghost so he would oil his chains. Their children had a great time playing ticks on the Ghost. They threw pillows at him, poured water over his head or catapulted him with paper balls. The Ghost didn’t like the family. He wanted to get rid og them. He reminised about his previous tenants who were much better audience than the Otis family.
Ghost: I once appeared behind the Duchess of Bolton while she was dressing for dinner and touched her with my skeleton hands. She was so frightened that she had a fit. Another time, four housemaids bacame hysterical when I looked at them through the curtains of their bedroom window. Another night, in the dark library I made a priest collapse when I blew out his candle. I also scared Madame Pinkerton. She woke up one morning and saw my skeleton sitting in an armchair reading her diary. She had to stay in bed for six weeks after that. Another time, I knocked on the kitchen window with my green hand, and the butler was so terrified that he shot himself. Yes, I’ve had a very long and successful career. And now these dreadful modern Americans offer me oil for my chains and throw pillows at my head. No ghost in history has been treated like this! I will make them regret it!
Narrator: The Ghost plotted for couple of days. He wanted to scare the family in a way that he has never scared anyone. And finally the night came. He was ready and sure that this was the Otis’s final night at the Chase. He heard the family going to bed. For some time after that he could hear the twins, Chip and Charlie laughing, but by quarter past eleven it was all quiet. Just before midnight, he left his room. He was happy and excited because he thought that this would be his night. However, he was not ready for what was about to happen.
(Na scenę wchodzą bliźniacy (Chip & Charlie) ciągnąc za sobą kukłę ducha. Za nimi z niepewnością wchodzi Virginia. Na scenie znajduje się stół.)
Virginia: I’m not so sure that we should do this. It’s cruel.
Chip: Oh, Virginia. Stop worrying. We just want to show him whose house is this now.
Charlie: That’s right. He’s no longer the owner...I mean his dead. Just get under the table.
Virginia: I don’t think I want to. I feel sorry for him. He’s caught in our world and he’s just trying to do his job.
Chip: Shut up, Virginia. You should’ve thought about it before. It’s too late now. He’ll be coming by any minute now. Just hide under the table.
(Virginia chowa się pod stołem. Bliźniacy wchodzą za nią, biorąc ze sobą kukłę. Na scenę wkracza duch.)
Ghost: I’ll show those bustards. I’ll scare them so hard that they’ll go back to America in a second. I,ve had just about enough. They think that they can mess with the Canterville Ghost. Well, I’ll show them. They’ll remember this night for the rest of their short lives. I’ll burst them and then boil them in their beds. Tonight is my night.
(Stół się porusza i słychać śmiechy.)
Ghost: What was that? I thought that I heard something. (Rozgląda się) No, I’m Just hearing things. I must be really tired. This family really exhausts me. It’s time I got rid of them for good.
(W tym momencie chłopcy wyskakują spod stołu, krzycząc i pokazując kukłę ducha. Duch wpada w panikę, zaczyna również krzyczeć i biega po scenie, udając się w kierunku kulis.)
Ghost: Oh, no! I’ve been tricked again. I swear that when the cock crows twice, I will have my revenge! (Krzyczy wybiegając ze sceny)
(Bliźniacy cieszą się)
(Virginia wychodzi spod stołu)
Chip: Why didn’t you help us!?
Charlie: You just stayed under the table.
Virginia: I told you that I wasn’t sure that we should do this. I mean he’s just doing what ghosts are supposed to do. I feel sorry for him. I think that he’s very unhappy. And instead of haunting him, we should help him. He’s stuck here against his will. I feel it. I’m positive that he just wants peace and nothing else. But you two can’t understand that, can you?! You’re so selfish. You should be ashamed.
Chip: You’re such a party pooper, Virginia. Stay here and feel sad for him, we’re going to our room to celebrate.
Charlie: Dad will be pround of us when we tell him this in the morning.
(Chłopcy schodzą ze sceny.)
Virginia: He is rude and horrible. He doesn’t even know us and he wants to get rid os us, but I do feel sorry for him. I think that he’s here because he can’t go where spirits usually do. I can sense his sorrow. I think that this is his cry for help but no one is able to read it. I feel that I should help him. I want to help him.
Narrator: And this is exactly what she did. She waited for the Ghost to talk to him. It was not easy. But she did. She found out then, that it is only the tears and prayer of a young innocent girl that could free the Ghost. And this is just what she did. She cried for the Ghost as he had no tears, she prayed for him as he had no faith. At that moment she felt a cold wind blow. She saw the Ghost whirling around and she saw a beautiful light. The Ghost was freed at last. The Otis family prepared a funeral for the ghost, which took place late in the night. During the funeral the moon came out from behind a cloud and a nightingale started singing. The family was moved, especially Virginia. From that time on no ghost has ever lived at the Chase and none have ever disturbed the Otis family.
THE END