Dear Teachers: Here is a play adapted from THE NUTCRACKER ballet.You can use it as an oral reading activity…or you could begin to practice it as a play to be presented in the new year, 2014, so your students and the audience will have a Christmas spirit even after Christmas. Elaine Gallagher.
THE NUTCRACKER
AN ADAPTATION
THE WHOLE SCHOOL CAN PARTICIPATE, THERE ARE ENTRANCES FOR FIRST OF PRIMARY, THEN SECOND OF PRIMARY, ETC.
STUDENTS CAN READ THE SCRIPT FROM THE I-PAD PROJECTED ON THE WALL OR SCREEN. PARTS DON’T HAVE TO BE MEMORIZED IF THIS IS TO BE A READING LESSON.
OBTAIN ON-LINE OR FROM A CD THE MUSIC FROM THE NUTCRACKER SUITE…..
«THE DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES» IS ONE OD THE MOST POPULAR SONGS IN THE SUITE, BUT ALL THE MUSIC IS FAMILIAR TO MANY PEOPLE.
(MUSIC UP. ENTER CLARA’S GODMOTHER. SITS IN CHAIR STAGE FRONT LEFT )
GODMOTHER
Good evening to you all and before I forget.. a very Merry Christmas!!! This is a very special story, about a very special girl named Clara.
(ENTER CLARA WALTZING. MOTHER FOLLOWS.)
I don’t say that she’s special just because she’s my god daughter but because everybody who knows her can’t help but remark about her kindness, her gentleness with others, her generous spirit and most of her great capacity to love.
MOTHER
Come along Clara, it’s time to go to bed.
CLARA
Ooh read me a story mother, please do. I promise that I will fall right off to sleep before you’re finished.
MOTHER
I’m sure about that! Especially because tonight is Christmas Eve…
CLARA
That’s right! Tonight is Christmas Eve the most special, the most magical night of the year. It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born and with him hope and love will reign all over the Earth!
MOTHER
That’s right…tonight anything can happen.
GODMOTHER
This Christmas Eve was going to be a very unique one for our little Clara. She had all different sorts of toys and you would think that with so many of them she wouldn’t have time to play with them all, but you don’t know Clara. She not only gave each of them a name but she loved them so dearly that they were like brothers and sisters to her. That Christmas I had made her a nutcracker in the shape of a toy soldier and she took to him right away.
CLARA
Now I’m really sleepy mother. (YAWNS AND STRETCHES ) But before I fall asleep I must say goodnight to all my toys.
(BEGINS WALKING AROUND THE ROOM SAYING GOODNIGHT AND GIVING A KISS TO HER TOYS. SHE STOPS IN FRONT OF THE SOLDIER )
Goodnight my nutcracker, I haven’t thought of a name for you yet. But don’t you worry I’ll think of something soon. I hope you’ll be happy here….I hope that you’ll stay.
MOTHER
Wherever would he go Clara? I’m quite certain he feels at home with all the other toys.
CLARA
(GETTING INTO BED YAWNING )
You never know mother…toys can be so strange sometimes. He’ll only stay if he feels at home. I must think of a name for him.
(MUSIC. MOTHER KISSES HER GOODNIGHT AND CLARA BEGINS TO FALL ASLEEP )
GODMOTHER
Clara was right. Toys can be so peculiar. Only a toy that is truly loved lasts a long time. And as all of Clara’s toys were loved, they not only lasted forever but when she slept they came to life!
( MUSIC. THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY COMES TO LIFE FIRST AND USES HER WAND TO WAKE THE OTHER TOYS ONE BY ONE. TOYS BEGIN TO WAKE UP ALL EXCEPT FOR THE NUTCRACKER )
BALLERINA
Whoooooo are you????
(SHE POKES HIM )
TEDDY BEAR
(WALKING AROUND HIM AND MAKING FACES )
What a strange looking character. He doesn’t move…he doesn’t blink. He doesn’t even talk!
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Let him be. Can’t you see that he’s new?
RAG DOLL
And so? What does that have to do with anything?
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Well, when a toy is new, well you know ….he’s new!
TEDDY BEAR
And soooo?
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
And so Clara hasn’t had time to get to know him yet. To get to love him yet. Why he doesn’t even have a name as yet!
RAG DOLL
I still don’t understand what you’re trying to say Sugar Plum Fairy.
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Why every toy knows or should know that a toy doesn’t…can’t come to life unless he is truly loved by the child who owns him.
BALLERINA
Ohh…I see! Well poor little thing. I hope he stays.
TEDDY BEAR
Ok! Ok! Enough talk, it’s Christmas Eve and time for the festivities to begin.
RAG DOLL
That’s right….it’s that magical time of year when the gates of Toyland open up and we celebrate the joyous occasion of the night!
BALLERINA
Sugar Plum Fairy! Wave your magic wand…open the gates of Toyland and let the celebration begin.
(ENTER 1ST PRIMARY)
GODMOTHER
Poor nutcracker. He wanted so desperately to join in all the fun but he couldn’t. But wait….are those visions of the nutcracker soldier dancing in Clara’s mind? Could it be that as she sleeps she dreams of her brand new toy?
TEDDY BEAR
Bravo! Bravo! What’s next?
(PAUSE)
BALLERINA
Why are the toys taking so long?
(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)
RAT KING
What is this? What is going on here?
SUGER PLUM FAIRY
Who…who are you
RAT KING
I am the Rat King! The new ruler of Toyland! I am the one who says what should happen and when it should happen…what are you all doing with my subjects?
RAG DOLL
Well, it’s Christmas Eve, the most important night of the year. It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born.
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
And every year we celebrate His birth be inviting the toys from Toyland to come and visit us and share in the Christmas spirit.
KING RAT
Well not this year! Not, this year they won’t! Like I said, I’m the new king and as far as I’m concerned there won’t be any Christmas celebrating tonight!
TEDDY BEAR
Now look here you… you….you RAT! This is a very special night and you can’t stop it from happening even if you tried!
KING RAT
Maybe not but I can forbid my subjects from coming to visit you and you can do nothing about that! Now what sort of Christmas Eve celebration will it be then?
RAG DOLL
You be careful with what you do Mr. Rat…we…we…we have a soldier here to protect us and he’ll see to it that you don’t get away with your evil plan.
KING RAT
A soldier? A soldier?
(WALKS OVER AND POKES AT THE NUTCRACKER)
Ha! Is this what you call a soldier? Why he doesn’t even move…he can’t even talk! HA! You’ll have to do better than that!
(EXITS LAUGHING)
GODMOTHER
With that the evil Rat King took off, set in his ways to ruin Christmas Eve. Poor nutcracker. He wanted to help but he couldn’t move. Wait! Clara is still thinking about him, maybe, just maybe she’ll come to love him in her dreams. Look…he’s beginning to move!
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Did you see that? He moved!
TEDDY BEAR
(GOES OVER TO CLARA IN THE BED)
Oh Clara, dear Clara….Please give him a name, chances are we’ll be needing his help tonight.
BALLERINA
Now what do we do?
RAG DOLL
Yes, what about our Christmas celebration?
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Don’t worry, the toys won’t let us down. I know they’ll come when we call them. Watch…
(SHE WAVES HER MAGIC WAND)
(ENTER 2ND PRIMARY)
TEDDY BEAR
Ooh that was so much fun and that horrible Rat hasn’t shown a whisker yet.
RAG DOLL
Maybe we’ll have our Christmas after all. Call in the next ones Sugar Plum Fairy
(SHE WAVES HER WAND)
(ENTER 3RD PRIMARY)
GODMOTHER
They were all having so much fun, even the nutcracker who could begin to feel himself tingle with life. Then suddenly….
(MUSIC. ENTER KING RAT)
KING RAT
Stop all this fun and festivities right now!!! I thought I had made myself clear! There will be no celebrating tonight! Not a single more toy will dance! Not a single more voice will sing or else I will punish all the toys in Toyland and you will never see them again!
(AS HE BEGINS TO EXIT, THE NUTCRACKER BLOCKS HIS PATH WITH HIS SWORD)
KING RAT
And what’s this?
(BEGINS TO LAUGH)
You think you can stop me my little toy soldier? My little lifeless nutcracker? Ha! Ha! You’ll need more than that to get the better of me.
(EXIT RAT KING)
TEDDY BEAR
Now what do we do? I don’t want the other toys to get into trouble for our fault.
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Well I’m afraid there’s nothing that we can do. Tonight is Christmas Eve and with it comes a special feeling.. a feeling of hope and peace for all the world. The toys must sing…they must dance…they don’t know how to do anything else.
RAG DOLL
Well if it must be, then let it be!
BALLERINA
That’s right…nobody can take away Christmas. Let the show continue!
(ENTER 4TH PRIMARY)
GODMOTHER
And so they continued their celebration… the nutcracker becoming more animated as the seconds passed.
TEDDY BEAR
Lovely, just lovely!
RAG DOLL
Shh! Listen!
(THEY ALL APPROACH CLARA’S BED)
CLARA
(IN HER SLEEP)
Ivan…your name will be Ivan!
BALLERINA
That’s it! She’s given him a name! She really loves her nutcracker soldier.
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
(APPROACHES THE NUTCRACKER AND WAVES HER WAND OVER HIS HEAD)
Now my dear little nutcracker…you have found the true love of a little girl. Now you will become one of us!
(THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO LIFE AND BEGINS TESTING OUT HIS ARMS AND LEG)
NUTCRACKER
Can it be? Is it true? Am I really real?
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Once you have been filled with the special love of a special child and been given a name you come to life. Welcome nutcracker. Welcome Ivan, welcome!
TEDDY BEAR
This is truly a most magnificent, a most blessed night!
(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)
RAT KING
I warned you all. I told you that if you disobeyed my orders and continued with the celebration I would punish all the toys in Toyland! Now you will only have yourselves to blame!
NUTCRACKER
(TAKING OUT HIS SWORD)
On guard you scoundrel! No on will be allowed to stop the spirit of Christmas. I won’t let you get away with it!
(THE NUTCRACKER AND THE RAT KING HAVE A SWORD FIGHT. THE NUTCRACKER KNOCKS THE RAT’S SWORD AWAY AND HE RUNS OFFSTAGE. THE TOYS ALL CHEER AND HUG THE NUTCRACKER)
GODMOTHER
And that was the last time the King Rat was ever to be seen. He ran far away from Clara’s house and never stepped foot again in Toyland which was from then onward protected by Clara’s brave and kind nutcracker soldier….Ivan.
TEDDY BEAR
Ooh look…the sun is coming up.
BALLERINA
Time for us to take our places.
RAG DOLL
It most certainly has been the best ….
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
The most magical…….
TEDDY BEAR
The most unforgettable Christmas ever!
NUTCRACKER
(TO THE AUDIENCE)
Christmas is a time for dreams to come true…if mine did, maybe yours will too!
(MUSIC. CLARA WAKES AND YAWNS AND STRETCHES)
CLARA
Why I had the most amazing dream….
(SEES THE NUTCRACKER STANDING GUARD OVER HER BED)
and how did you get here my nutcracker ?
(PAUSE)
Ivan, that’s your name..your name is IVAN.
( MUSIC. CLOSE CURTAINS )
GODMOTHER
Like I told you, that was a very unique Christmas Eve for Clara. I hope you all have paid special attention to the message of our story tonight, that we must never let anyone take away the true spirit of Christmas and like the Nutcracker we must never be afraid to stand up for what we believe in. HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
(MUSIC)
ALL ENTER – FINAL
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