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. Mangoes are in baskets and on the ground. The road is downstage (near the audience) where neighbors pass and stop to ask for a mango.
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 (See Templates) The actors can either be hidden or appear onstage dressed in the same manner.
- A Sun (attached to a long stick see Template) appears in the Prologue when the MC says "The sun is shining". The actor can hide behind the set or walk across the stage.
- Mangoes scattered on the ground and in the baskets, or painted into the backdrop.
I used some real mangoes, shared by the group after the performance.
- Baskets (or paper bags with newspapers inside so they look full)
- The mango tree can be incorporated in the backdrop.
- The actors asking for a mango can be the animals themselves, or they can carry stuffed animals and have them speak. I made puppets but it was a nuisance if the strings got tangled.
- Pots and pans to make loud noise.
CHARACTERS
- Master of Ceremonies
You can have one or two MC
- 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.
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ACT ONE
Birds fly around the stage. The bird puppeteers will eventually 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, up early to pick her mangoes.
Rabbit walks onstage left, checks her garden and her mango tree.
NARRATOR/S Sit. The MC speaks fist to the audience, then to the Narrator/s.
MC– Good morning! 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".
No matter if they aren't perfect as they get annoyingly loud.
NAR– Yes, they are. Narrator 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. Mangoes 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, sees the mangos and stops.
NAR– Her neighbor Horse sees all the ripe mangoes.
HORSE– Look at that!
NAR– She says.
HOR– Good morning Rabbit. I’m so hungry and those mangoes 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 stage right, sees the mangos and walks up to Rabbit.
NAR– Her neighbor Sheep sees the mangos.
SHE– Good morning neighbor!
NAR– Says Sheep.
SHE– You sure have a lot of mangoes 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 stage left.
FOX VOICE: I’m thirsty, too! Fox leaves
NAR– Later in the afternoon Cow stops by to admire the tree.
Cow passes stage right, sees the mangos and walks up to Rabbit.
COW– Wow! Look at all the mangoes! 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 stage left
FOX - I’m hot, too! Fox leaves
NAR– Her neighbour Donkey saw all the ripe mangoes.
Donkey passes stage right, sees the mangos and walks up to Rabbit.
DON– Look at all those mangoes! Please Mr. Rabbit. 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 stage left
FOX - I’m tired, too! Fox leaves
Rabbit yawns and falls asleep.
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ACT TWO
MC walks on, notices Rabbit asleep, 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 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. (We had a small Fox puppet running above the set).
RAB– Help! Help! A thief! Help! My mangoes, 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, look at all those ripe mangos, let me ask Rabbit for a mango, she has so many. 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 asking. She waves her arm without looking up.
RAB– No! No! They're mine They're mine!
NAR– Said Rabbit, not looking up.
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 follows her backstage.
Backstage Rabbit still cries for help, while Lion growls.
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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. They run out, then back in.
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.
Actor Fox turns to walk off but is pulled back by Actor 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 a bag of mangoes. 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.
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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
Some sort of music
Bird puppeteers enter with the birds
Sheep, Horse, Donkey, Cow enter and bow
Lion and Ethel enter and bow
Rabbit and Fox enter and bow
the Narrators 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 (tango?)
Actors all move into a family portrait pose with the MC in the center, and bow.
Don't Touch The Mangos
The Performance
For the animals
You can either use costumes, make puppets or use stuffed animals.
Photos of past performances and ideas for props are in the "Templates" link at: www.alphainkeditions.info.
Double click here to add text.
Don't Touch The Mangos!
Performances in Hong Kong and Kowloon
Don't Touch The Mangos!
A play in four acts
