Performance in Hong Kong
1
3
4
5
7
6
11
10
8
9
12
13
17
14
15
16
18
19
20
24
23
22
21
27
30
26
25
29
33
32
31
34
35
36
28
37
38
39
40
41
42
45
43
44
48
47
46
49
50
51
52
53
54
Don't Touch The Mangos!
55
56
Don't Touch The Mangos!
A play in four acts
Don't Touch The Mangos!
The setting is Rabbit's garden separated by a fence. Her house is on the left and a big mango tree is in the center. Mangos are in baskets and on the ground. The road is downstage (near the audience) where neighbors pass and stop to ask for a mango.
Except for Fox, Lion and Rabbit you can use puppets or stuffed animals that the actors carry onstage (see photos at the end of the script).
PROPS
- A dozen birds attached to strings tied to poles for the Prologue and the Grand Finale. You can have several birds on the poles at different levels. The actors can either be hidden or appear onstage dressed in white.
- A Sun (attached to a long stick) appears in the Prologue when the MC says "The sun is shining". The actor can hide behind the set or walk across the stage dressed in white.
- Real or fake mangos scattered on the ground and in the baskets, or painted into the backdrop.
- Baskets (or paper bags with newspapers inside so they look full)
- The mango tree can be incorporated in the backdrop.
- Pots and pans to make loud noises.
CHARACTERS
- Master of Ceremonies
- Narrator(s)
You can have one or several narrators, depending on the number in the group.
- Rabbit
- Fox
- Horse
- Sheep
- Cow
- Donkey
- Lion
- Ethel: Lion's wife, we only see her once at the very end.
The actors can memorize their lines or keep their scripts with them, especially if the students are ESL. The goal here is to have fun, and not stress.
_______________________________________________________________________
ACT ONE
Birds fly around the stage. The bird puppeteers sing "Good Morning To You"
Master of Ceremonies enters center stage
The Narrator enters on the opposite side with the script in a book and sits.
If there is more than one Narrator, space the chairs around the stage.
MC– Welcome, Friends. Welcome to our show! The sun is shining. The birds are flying high, high in the sky, and look. Rabbit is up early to pick her mangos.
Rabbit walks onstage left, checks her garden and her mango tree, pleased.
MC speaks first to the audience, then to the Narrator/s.
MC– Good morning! (to the narrator/s)What a beautiful day.
NAR– Yes, truly a beautiful day. Good morning to you.
MC– The birds are singing.
Birds sing "Good Morning to You".
The signing doesn't have to be perfect but annoyingly loud.
NAR– Yes, they are.
MC stares at the birds and shakes his/her head.
The birds disappear, offended.
MC walks up to Rabbit.
MC– Good morning, Rabbit! What beautiful mangos. Quite a crop this year.
Rabbit doesn’t answer and keeps piling mangos in the bag
(she can do this pretend if there are no real mangos)
MC looks at the audience, shrugs, and exits.
NAR– Rabbit has a big mango tree in her garden, loaded with fruit. They ripen quickly so she has to work fast if she wants to sell them. She could have sold more had she hired someone to help her, but she's greedy and would rather they rot on the ground than pay someone.
Horse passes right stage and stops.
NAR– Her neighbor Horse sees all the ripe mangos.
HORSE– Look at that!
NAR– She says.
HOR– Good morning Rabbit. I’m so hungry and those mangos sure look good! May I have one?
RAB– Oh, no!
NAR– Said Rabbit.
RAB– They’re mine. Go away!
HOR– Very well, I don’t need to be told twice. Have a good day! Horse exits
NAR–. Rabbit is so busy she doesn't take the time to reply.
Fox appears left stage.
FOX VOICE- I’m hungry, too! Fox leaves
Sheep passes right stage, sees the mangos and stops.
NAR– Her neighbor Sheep sees the mangos.
SHE– Good morning neighbor!
NAR– Says Sheep.
SHE– You sure have a lot of mangos and I’m so thirsty. Can you spare one?
RAB– Oh no!
NAR– Says Rabbit.
RAB– They’re mine, go away!
SHE– OK, I’m going, I get the message. You have a good one!
NAR– Rabbit doesn't bother to answer.
Fox appears left stage.
FOX VOICE: I’m thirsty, too! Fox leaves
NAR– Later in the afternoon Cow stops by to admire the tree.
Cow passes right stage and walks up to Rabbit.
COW– Wow! Look at all the mangos! Good afternoon!
NAR– Says Cow.
COW– It sure is hot and those mangoes sure look good.
RAB– No! They’re mine! Go away!
COW– All right, I get the message. I’ll go. Have a nice day.
Fox appears left stage
FOX - I’m hot, too! Fox leaves
NAR– Her neighbor Donkey saw all the ripe mangoes.
Donkey passes right stage, and sees the mangos.
DON– Look at all those mangoes! Please, I’m so tired. Can I have one?
RAB– No, no, no! They’re mine! They’re mine!
DON– OK, I get the message. I’m going. Good bye.
Fox appears left stage
FOX - I’m tired, too! Fox leaves
Rabbit yawns and falls asleep.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ACT TWO
MC appears and notices Rabbit asleep. He shakes his head and faces the audience. He's about to say something when he sees Fox from afar. He shakes his head again, smiles and leaves.
Fox tiptoes onstage, notices the audience looking at him and stops.
FOX - How about that, Ol Rabbit is taking a nap. We mustn't wake her!
He looks at the audience, puts his finger over his mouth "shhhh", and grabs a bag of mangos.
On his way out he trips (noisily) and Rabbit wakes up but Fox is already far away.
RAB– Help! Help! A thief! Help! My mangos, half my crop, gone! I’m so unfortunate, woe is me, woe is me!
Lion comes on stage right and faces the audience.
NAR– Lion was passing by and heard all the commotion.
LION– Hum, let me ask Rabbit. Good day, kind neighbor. It’s so hot, do you think you could spare a mango?
NAR– Asked Lion, politely.
Rabbit is on the ground weeping and doesn't notice it's Lion doing the asking.
She waves her arm without looking up.
RAB– No! No! They're mine They're mine!
NAR– Said Rabbit.
RAB– Go away! Go away! Lion looks at the audience.
LION– Foolish Rabbit. Why eat a mango when I can eat you?
Lion catches Rabbit by the arm. Rabbit frees herself but Lion runs after her backstage.
Backstage Rabbit cries for help, while Lion growls.
RAB-- Help! Help! Help!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ACT THREE
Voice of Rabbit crying: "Help, Help" and sounds of Lion growling.
Horse, Sheep, Cow and Donkey peak from the curtain left stage.
NAR– The neighbors hear Rabbit’s cry for help.
HORSE– A lion! I would like to help, but I’m too hungry.
SHEEP– A lion! I’d like to help, but I’m too thirsty.
COW– A lion! I’d like to help, but I’m too hot.
DONKEY– A lion! I’d like to help, but I’m too tired.
Fox runs onstage
FOX– We have to help Rabbit! We have to do something!
NAR– Fox thinks and thinks. Fox paces back and forth.
FOX– I have an idea!
NAR– He said.
FOX– Lion hates loud noises, they drive him crazy. Let’s make lots of noise.
NAR– Everyone agrees to make as much noise as possible. Bravely, Fox tiptoes behind Lion.
The animals disappear backstage and gather up the pots and pans.
FOX– Now!!!
Loud noise backstage, louder and louder.
NAR– Lion can’t stand it any longer.
LION– Stop! Stop! I can’t stand it! All that noise! It's driving me crazy!
Lion lets go of Rabbit and leaves, hiding his ears with his hands.
The noise stops.
NAR– Rabbit falls, half dead with fear. Fox snatches her and they run as fast as they can until they're safe.
Fox and Rabbit run out, then walk back onstage.
RAB– Thank you Fox. That was very brave.
FOX– No problem. I’ve got to get going, I’ll be seeing you.
NAR– Said Fox, courteously.
Fox turns to walk off but is pulled back by Rabbit
RAB– Wait a minute, not so fast. I think you have something that belongs to me.
FOX– Me?
NAR– Says Fox.
FOX– ME?
RAB– You took my bag of mangos. I want it back.
FOX– A bag? What bag?
RAB– You know what I’m talking about.
FOX– I don’t know anything about a bag… You were asleep!
RAB– How can you know I was asleep if you weren’t there?
FOX– Where?
RAB– There!
They walk offstage, arguing.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ACT FOUR
Ethel, Lion's wife, appears right stage calling for her husband.
NAR– Lion’s wife Ethel is searching for him, worried.
WIFE– Henri! Hen-ri! HENRI? HENRIIII!I It’s bedtime! Come home!
Lion walks on left stage, still holding his ears.
LION– Oh, my ears! My ears! Don’t yell, do something!
WIFE– I told you to stay away from that neighborhood. Trouble is all they are.
They walk offstage.
FINALE
Music
Actors enter and line up
Bird puppeteers enter with the birds, and bow
Sheep, Horse, Donkey, Cow enter and bow
Lion and Ethel enter and bow
Rabbit and Fox enter and bow
the Narrator/s stand and bow
Enter the MC
MC– And so, my friends the story ends, with Fox the unlikely hero.
Fox bows to the MC.
SHEEP– He was brave to save Rabbit.
HORSE– When her neighbors declined.
DONKEY– She was not very generous
COW– And not very kind.
MC– I ask myself: What would I have done? Would I risk my life to help someone I don’t really like?
NAR– Fox felt he had no choice.
NAR - He may have taken the mangos but in the end he did the right thing.
MC- Rabbit may, or may not have learned her lesson. However, if she doesn't change, the next time she needs her neighbors she may not be so lucky!
Narrator/s closes the book.
NAR- Good night, and thank you.
Music
Actors all move into a family portrait pose with the MC in the center, and bow in unison.
Rita the Rabbit is very lucky.
She has a beautiful mango tree
in her garden.
2
No one has ever seen such
a big tree!
Every year it is filled
with mangos.
Rita puts all the mangos in bags
to take to market.
There are so many she cannot
bag
them
all !
Rita's neighbor Horse sees the beautiful mangos on the ground, and asks politely,
"I'm so hungry, may I have one?"
"Oh, no," says Rita. "They're mine. Go away!"
"Very well," says Horse, offended. "I don't need to be told twice."
Fox is in the neighborhood
and thinks,
"I'm hungry, too."
Rita's neighbor Sheep sees
the juicy fruit.
"I'm so thirsty," she says.
"Can you spare a mango?"
"They're mine!" says Rita.
"Go away!"
"Oh dear," says Sheep, hurt.
"I'm sorry I troubled you."
"I'm thirsty, too," says Fox.
"Very,
very
thirsty!"
Cow, passing, says,
"Yum! I'm so hot, do you
think I could have one of your mangos?"
"They're mine!" cries Rita.
"They're mine! Go Away!"
"I get the message," says Cow, insulted. "I won't bother you any more."
"I'm hot, too," says Fox, wiping his brow.
Donkey stops when he sees Rita.
"Say, my friend, I'm so tired. A mango will surely give me energy."
"Go away! They're mine!" says Rita. "Leave me alone!"
"Forgive me for intruding," says Donkey, sadly. "I'll be on my way."
"I'm tired, too," says Fox.
Fox knows she will never let him have one of her mangos, and decides to grab a bag while she's asleep.
He tip-toes up to the fence, grabs a bag and runs!
Rita wakes up and is very upset.
"Help! Thief!" she cries.
"My mangos! I'm ruined!"
But Fox is already far away.
Henri the Lion is watching from a distance.
"Foolish Rabbit. Let me, King of the neighborhood, ask her."
Rita doesn't look up when Lion asks. She just about has a fit.
"GO AWAY!" she says.
"Why ask for a mango when I can have a RABBIT?" says Henri.
With one leap he has Rita in his mouth.
"Help! Help!" cries Rita.
Rita's neighbors hear her, but they are afraid.
"We can’t just leave her," says Fox. "We have to save Rita."
The others are not so inclined.
Why go out of their way to help her?.
"I'm too thirsty," says Sheep.
"I'm too hot," says Cow.
"I'm too hungry," says Horse.
"I'm too tired," says Donkey.
Fox has an idea.
"Lion hates loud noises. Let's
all make noise so he will have to let
go of Rita."
Everyone agrees it's a good idea.
Fox sneaks up behind Henri, and raises his hand.
This is the sign for the other
animals to make noise.
And noise there is:
BANGING !
YELLING !
STOMPING !
They make so much noise Henri
has to drop Rita to cover his ears.
"Stop! Stop! he pleads. "My ears, I can't stand it!"
Fox runs up and pulls Rita away.
"Thank you," says Rita. "You
saved my life, but you took my
bag of mangos."
"Who, me?" says Fox.
"Yes, I want my mangos."
"I have no idea what you are
talking about," says Fox.
Meanwhile, Henri goes home
to his wife Ethel.
"Are you alright, Henri?" asks
Ethel. "You look pale."
"I'm alright. My ears hurt."
"I worry about you, Henri."
"Good night, Ethel."
"Good night, Henri."
THE END
