PINOCCHIO
Words by Denise Page Caraher copyrighted material-use by express permission only
Music by Mozart (from Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte & Abduction)
Characters:
Don Gepetto baritone
Pinocchio mezzo
Cricket tenor
Blue Fairy soprano
Fox- tenor
Cat soprano
Viking Lady - Baritone
Themes honesty, right from wrong, loyalty, responsibility, education, caring
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Scenes- interior of Gepettos house, street/outdoors, inside of whale
Props- carving tool for Gepetto, book, backscratcher, gold coins, Viking doll,
Puppet show sign, rubber dagger, paper for Video Island flyer, giant toothbrush,
Inflatable swimming ring, cardboard waves
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EXCERPT:
Pinocchio: I want to be in a puppet show. I want to be an opera singer.
Viking Lady: Ah, its a rough business, kiddo. You need to go to school first.
EX
Pinocchio: (guiltily) School???
Viking Lady: Ill tell you what. Since you saved the show today, Ill share my pay with
You. I get 10 gold coins, so if I give you half, how many will that be?
Pinocchio: Uhthree???
Viking Lady: (Sigh) Here, kiddo, take five and go to math class, okay?
Pinocchio: Okay! Gee, thanks a lot ladyor mister whatever. (runs out)
Viking Lady exits. Cat and Fox enter.
Cat: That old guy sure paid us a lot for that book.
Fox: Yeah. (dumb chuckle)
Cat: And look who comes our way, AGAIN(seeing Pinocchios money) Amigo!!
Pinocchio: I want to buy back my book now.
Fox: You cant. We sold
Cat: (interrupting) We so loved it that we took it toa bank vault to keep it safe.
Fox: But, we
Cat: ..have missed our dear puppet friend. Are those gold coins???
Pinocchio: Yup! FIVE!! Im going to buy my book and buy a coat for Papa!!
Fox: Its not?
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Pinocchio: Well, how do I get more?
Cat: Oh, dear. Thats not enough money for a coat.
Music begins. Magic Flute-Man and Wife.
Hole is dug and coins buried toward end of song.
EX
Cat: (singing) WELL SHARE A SECRET WITH YOU, DEAR FRIEND,
IF YOU WILL PROMISE NEVER TO TELL,
Fox:
WELL BURY YOUR COINS IN THE FIELD OF DREAMS,
WELL HAVE TO BURY THEM WELL,
Both:
WELL DIG A HOLE THATS DEEP AND ROUND,
WE PLEDGE OUR WORD, THEYLL BE SAFE AND SOUND,
Pinocchio: (speaking) That doesnt make sense.
Cat and Fox:
DURING THE NIGHT, AND DURING THE NIGHT,
YOUR GOLD COINS WILL MULTIPLY
BY TOMORROW, FIVE TIMES FIVE
(Pinocchio scratches head and tries to do math)
YOUR GOLD COINS WILL MULTIPLY,
BY TOMORROW, FIVE TIMES FIVE!
Pinocchio: (muttering) Five times fiveBy tomorrow, Ill haveNINE!!!
Cat escorts him out and signals to Fox. As they exit, fox digs up coins and puts them in
his pocket and runs off.
Scene-Gepettos house-Pinocchio enters.
Pinocchio: Papa? Papa? Papa? (looking) Conscience? Oh, Cricket! Conscience!
Where are they?
Blue Fairy: They are out looking for you, Pinocchio. Theyre worried sick. Where have
you been? Didnt you go to school?
Pinocchio: School? Oh, yeah, school. Sure, I was there. (Pinocchio turns away from
audience, so nose can grow.)
Blue Fairy: And did you learn a lot at school?
Pinocchio: Oh, yes! Lots and lots! (Turns to face audience with big nose)
Blue Fairy: Really, Pinocchio??
Blue Fairy: Your nose knows, Pinocchio.
Pinocchio: My nose!!!
EX
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Music. Despinas aria.
(singing) OH, YOUR WORD IS YOUR BOND, SO HONOR IT,
DO NOT THROWITAWAY LIKE TRASH,
WHEN YOU TELL A LIE,
KISS YOUR WORTH GOODBYE,
FOR YOUR WORD- IS WORTH- MORE THAN CASH!
(speaking) And when you lie
THAT NOSE WILL KNOW,
THAT NOSE WILL GROW,
THAT NOSE WILL SHOW,
WHAT THAT NOSE KNOWS,
TELLING- A LIE MEANS TELLING ANOTHER,
SOON YOUVE TOLD SO MANY YOU CANT TELL ONE
FROM THE OTHER,
THOSE LIES KEEP GROWING,
ENDLESSLY FLOWING,
THOSE LIES KEEP GROWING,
NO ONE WILL TRUST YOU,
YOUR WORD MEANS NOTHING,
LOST IN THE SWAMPLAND,
LOST IN YOUR LIES!
Pinocchio: NO ONE WILL TRUST YOU,
LOST IN THE SWAMPLAND,
LOST IN YOUR LIES!
Blue Fairy: NOW LET US GO-,
TEND TO THAT NOSE,
WE WILL DISPOSE OF,
THAT CHARMING NOSE,
MAYBE WELL YANK IT OFF
WITH A KERPLOP!
Pinocchio: (yelling) OW!
Blue Fairy: MAYBE WELL TWIST IT OR PULL IT OR CHOP,
MAYBE WELL TWIST IT OR PULL IT OR CHOP!
Pinocchio: (speaking) I hope youre kidding
Blue Fairy laughs.
Fairy and Pinocchio exit during last line of song.
Scene-street/outdoors
Pinocchio and Fox enter from opposite sides. Fox is carrying stack of papers.
Pinocchio: (rapping/humming) Go .. .. to school. Do .. .. what is right. (Gets somewhat
distracted by imaginary things.) Go..to school. Do Go..
Fox: Well, whaddya know? Its Woody.
Pinocchio: Hi, there! Im going to dig up all my money and then Im going to school.
Pinocchio: What is it?
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Fox: Ah, thats too bad. I guess you wont be interested in one of these then. (Holds out
flyer)
Fox: Im passing them out to all the kids who want to have fun.
Pinocchio: Fun? What does it say?
EX
Fox: (reading) Come one, come all! Come to Video Island! Watch TV morning, noon
and night. No one will tell you youve watched too much. Play Dopiemon---all kinds
of video games! Stay up as late as you want! You wont have to get up for school. Be
a couch potato, be a slouch! Be all that you can be! Youll never have homework or
healthy food again. (to Pinocchio) All the fun kids will be there.
Pinocchio: It sure sounds like fun. Does it say anything else?
Fox: Well, there does seem to be some teeny tiny print at the bottom, but why bother
with details?
Pinocchio: (Fox puts arm around him as they leave) Yeah, why bother with details.
I cant read, anyway. (Laughing, they exit) (Pinocchio throws down flyer)
Offstage voice: All aboard for Video Island! The boat is now departing!
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