The School
Play Package gives you the freedom to adapt the script to your
needs. Add songs, lines, characters if you like. You also
have the right to make a video/DVD of your special show!
TREASURE
ISLAND
WHY
IS THIS PLAY BEST FOR YOUR SCHOOL?
Written
especially for young people to perform.
While you may find large cast
plays from other publishers, most of those were originally written
for adults or
professional actors to
perform. They often contain difficult dialogue, unfamiliar or
complex language, and speeches too long for young children to
memorize. They may even contain jokes, innuendos and subject matter
that may not be appropriate for children.
Easy to
understand and memorize.
Dialogue is simple, fresh, quick
and humorous, keeping the action flowing without stops and starts
between scenes. This keeps young people and young audiences engaged
throughout the performance - no awkward pauses, no dead-time, no wiggles!
Everyone participates!
All children are involved
throughout the performance. This builds confidence, promotes team
spirit and eliminates rehearsal rowdiness. The audience is often
asked to join in the fun, and action often spills into the aisles!
All of our SCHOOL PLAYS give suggestions on how to divide up large
parts (such as Peter
Pan) among
several performers so that no one child is the "star".
Familiar
stories with upbeat endings.
The story line stays as close as
possible to the familiar story the kids already know. While
some authors feel the need to "improve" the story, our
SCHOOL PLAYS stay as close to the familiar narrative as possible,
making it easier for children - and your audience - to understand.
Feel free
to edit! Go ahead and tape it!
Most publishers insist that no
changes may be made to their scripts. We know that your
goal is to engage every child in the most meaningful way and that
your needs are unique. Cut, eliminate, re-assign lines, or add
as much as you like! Also, there are no restrictions on video
tapes. Parents want a tape or DVD to remember their child's big
moment. Go ahead and tape away!
JIM: (To audience.) A
man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. It’s a
matter of honor.
(JIM crosses his arms and puts his nose in the air.)
MOM: Then go to your room.
JIM: No way!
MOM: Way. And stay there until
you change your attitude.
(JIM stomps away.
OPTIONAL TRANSITION: JIM #1
exits. JIM #2 will enter at next entrance.
MOM cleans up dishes. Two STORYTELLERS
become door with shoulders together. They swing open as JIM
pushes, then slam shut as JIM slams it. Other STORYTELLERS make
the door noises.)
JIM: It’s not fair! Am I
the only one around here that’s got any imagination?
Everybody’s busy going to work and going to school and doing
homework and... eating TOFU!
MOM: I heard that.
(MOM takes dinner props and exits.)
JIM: And all the time we could be out
on the high seas!
(SEA LEGS SAM pops a toy pirate hat on his head.)
Sailing across the briny deep! Diggin’
for the gold doubloons!
(HURRICANE HAL puts a toy sword in his hand.)
I say, matey, what have we here? Why,
it’s nothing but my rapier wit! Ha! Ha! Take that
and that and that.
(He slashes at the air, pretending
swordplay. There is a knock at the door. STORYTELLERS
become door again and make the knock sound. JIM speaks to his sword.)
It’s the saucy wench come to make amends.
(The knock becomes an urgent pounding.)
Mom? I’m coming.
(JIM goes to door, turns knob.
STORYTELLERS open, there stands a nightmare of a pirate, BILLY BONES.
SOUND CUE #3: Billy Bones
entrance music. SOUND CUE ENDS.)
Who are you?
(BILLY BONES enters dramatically and blusters
right past JIM, pushing him out of the way.)
BILLY BONES: So this is what
you call the Benbow Inn, eh?
JIM: Well, no, actually I
don’t. (Looking out.) Mom?
BILLY BONES: Fetch my sea chest, boy,
and be quick about it.
(JIM is dumbfounded, looks around.
STORYTELLERS put sea chest at door.)
JIM: Uh, this... uh... sea chest?
(STORYTELLERS indicate that this is the sea
chest in question. JIM drags it in.)
BILLY BONES: Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle
of rum!
JIM: Mom doesn’t keep any rum in
the house. I have some water in my backpack,,,
BILLY BONES: Water! I’ve
had enough of water, me lad! Waves and waves of the stuff --
the likes you’ve never seen! Ah, the deep and salty drink.
JIM: There’s some orange pop in the...
BILLY BONES: (Grabs JIM by the
collar, speaks right in his face.) He’s out there,
boy. Make no mistake about it.
JIM: Wh... who?
BILLY BONES: And he’s the
scurviest blackest pillagin’ knave ye ever want to meet.
JIM: Um, what... what does he look like?
BILLY BONES: He’s the one-legged
man, boy. Beware. Beware.
JIM: Okay.
BILLY BONES: (Pointing to chest.)
Now hide that, laddie. Hide it quick!
(JIM runs to hide the chest.)
Keep a weather eye upon it. Lest ye pay with
yer life.
(Another knock at the door. JIM jumps out
of his skin.)
JIM: Ah! Is it him? Is it
him? The one-legged man? The one-legged man?
(BILLY BONES takes cover behind a leg of the
ladder and puts a hand to his knife at his belt.)
BILLY BONES: Don’t just stand a
gawkin’, ya lubber. Open her up. Open
her up wide, boy. Don’t be afeared.
(JIM opens door, STORYTELLERS making creaking
sounds. There stands BLIND PEW.)
JIM: Ah! (Drops to his knees, sees
that the man has two legs.) Two legs!
(JIM prays thanks to heaven under his breath.)
BLIND PEW: (Shouting dramatically.)
Billy Bones?
BILLY BONES: You know who I am.
BLIND PEW: I’ve come for ye, Captain.
BILLY BONES: How did ye find me in
this godforsaken place?
BLIND PEW: Old Pew’s got his ways.
BILLY BONES: I know all about yer ways.
BLIND PEW: I‘ve got
somethin’ for ye, Billy.
(BLIND PEW steps forward, blindly thrusting out his fist.)
BILLY BONES: Na! Na! Keep
it away from me, Pew!
BLIND PEW: Nothing can save ye now,
Billy Bones.
(BILLY BONES plants a heavy hand on JIM’s shoulder.)
BILLY BONES: Remember what I told
you, boy.
JIM: About the one-legged meh... meh...
BILLY BONES: And the sea chest,
boy! The sea chest!
JIM: Oh. That stuff about my...
me life.
BLIND PEW: Put out yer hand now,
Billy, and face it like a man.
BILLY BONES: (Overcome with emotion.)
Me time has come at last!
BLIND PEW: It’s only what ye
deserve, Captain, pure and plain.
(BILLY BONES puts out his hand. JIM
directs his hand to BLIND PEW so he knows where it is. BLIND
PEW places a piece of paper in it. BILLY BONES receives it like
a burn on his palm, looks at it with horror! BLIND PEW nods to
JIM and turns, exits.)
BILLY BONES: (Showing it to JIM.)
The black spot!
JIM: Oh!
BILLY BONES: I’ll never forget
ye, lad. What a kindness ye did me. Just put old Billy
out the door. The birds’ll do the rest.
(BILLY
BONES clutches the black spot to his heart, seizes and drops dead.)
JIM: Billy!
(JIM drops down to the ground in tears.
BILLY BONES rises and claps a hand on him.)
BILLY BONES: The one-legged man,
laddie. Beware. Beware.
(BILLY BONES shakes his legs and dies. He
shakes his arms and dies. He shakes all his parts and at last
dies and lays still.)
JIM: Billy!
(JIM cries over the body. STORYTELLERS in
ladders get impatient. At last one whistles. JIM looks up
and they all point to the chest.)
STORYTELLERS: The chest.
JIM: Oh! The chest. (He
stands and looks at it.) What do you think is in there?
HURRICANE HAL: Open it up and see.
JIM: Me? Why don’t you do it?
BLACK DOG: It’s your adventure, Jim.
(JIM takes his toy sword and stands far away
trying to lift the lid with it, without getting near. It
doesn’t budge.)
JIM: (Relieved.)
It’s locked.
(ONE-EYED TOM hands him a hammer. JIM
swallows and gathers courage.)
STORYTELLERS: One, two, three...
(JIM breaks the lock, throws the lid open.
He jumps back and covers his eyes. Then he slowly peers in.)
JIM: Nothing.
STORYTELLERS: Aw...
(JIM takes out an old moldy roll of paper.)
JIM: Nothing but this old thing.
(Suddenly JIM and STORYTELLERS look at each
other. They realize...)
SEA LEGS SAM: (Whispering.)
Open it.
(JIM unrolls it. He looks up, wide-eyed.)
JIM: A treasure map.
Note: This is a
sample from the actual script. To review the entire play, order
the PERUSAL SCRIPT (online instant download). Or to save 20%
on the full production kit and royalty for one performance, order the SCHOOL
PLAY PACKAGE (below) and start rehearsals today!
“Everyone has put their unique mark on this wonderful production
of ‘Treasure Island'! From our audition day through dress
rehearsal, the kids have made this their show!"
