Wetmore Declamation Bureau

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1 THE RIVALS A Play in One Act A One Act Adaptation of Richard Brinsley Sheridan s Play by Luella E. McMahon Wetmore Declamation Bureau P.O. Box Ann Arbor, MI speeches@wetmoredeclamation.com CAUTION: Wetmore Declamation Bureau material is protected by United States copyright law and conventions. None of our material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-without prior permission. No trademark, copyright or other notice may be removed or changed. All rights reserved. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

2 THE RIVALS A Play in One Act A One Act Adaptation of Richard Brinsley Sheridan s Play Luella E. McMahon Copyright 1956 by the WETMORE DECLAMATION BUREAU, Sioux City, Iowa. NOTICE: The copying or duplication of this work or any part of it, by hand or by any process, is an infringement of the copyright law. CHARACTERS: LYDIA LANGUISH: A beautiful young girl. LUCY: Lydia s young and pretty maid. CAPTAIN JACK ABSOLUTE: Who poses as Ensign Beverley. FAG: Jack s young valet. MRS. DELIA MALAPROP: Lydia s aunt and guardian. (50) SIR ANTHONY ABSOLUTE: Jack s father. (50) SIR LUCIUS O TRIGGER: Interested in Lydia. (45-50) BOB ACRES: Also interested in Lydia. (45-50) GIRL OR BOY: To handle signs instead of Lucy and Fag. (Optional) If desired, to increase the cast still further, a group of scene shifters may be added. This can be great fun by adding a lively dance routine. NOTES ON CHARACTERS AND COSTUMES: This play may be done either in costume of the late 18th century or in modern costumes with quaint touches. The original production, succeeded nicely by having the boys sew bright colored corduroy over the lapels of their own coats, wear jabots, with matching bows on their shoes, wearing loafer-type footwear where possible. They wore long trousers since these, as well as knee-length, were in vogue during the period. Those who had them, wore colorful corduroy trousers and matched accessories with them. They carried three-cornered paper hats--painted on sideburns--and added whatever other touches their imagination suggested, as lace at the wrists, etc. The girls will have no trouble fitting up formals with fluffy shoulder coverings pinned after the manner of the period; the maid s costume may be any plain dress over which an apron is worn. Shoes are ballerina slippers with ribbon crisscrossed around the ankles. Be sure that the dresses, though near floorlength, are short enough to allow free action. Sir Anthony Absolute and Mrs. Malaprop wear white wigs, George and Mary Washington style. Sir Lucius O Trigger is richly dressed, though with some off colors, probably a red wig to advertise his Irish. Bob Acres tries to stay young; so he dresses a bit ridiculously--with various bows, etc. in his wig. Wig may be off-auburn, or white. Captain Absolute and Fag may wear wigs--in their own color hair--or not, as the director chooses. PROPERTIES General: A light but sturdy easel on which signs are to be placed to indicate location of scene being played. Signs must be large enough to be read by audience and are as follows: 1. Street in Bath. 2. Mrs. Malaprop s Lodgings.

3 THE RIVALS---Page Captain Absolute s Lodgings. 4. Bob Acres Lodgings. 5. The North Parade. 6. King s Mead-Fields. 7. End of Scene. 8. End of Play. (Optional) Note: Some signs are used more than once. A screen low enough to peek over. On one side, a picture to indicate Outdoors. On the other side Indoors. A small table or desk. Two or three small chairs. A small settee. Some fancy pillows. Personal: Lucy--Books, letters, notebook. Mrs. Malaprop--Fan. Captain Absolute--Small picture, dueling sword. Lucius O Trigger--Pistol, long dueling sword. Bob Acres--Long dueling sword. Sir Anthony--Cane. Lydia--Small picture. Note: All dueling swords to be made of wood with dull ends. Pistol of wood with no working parts. SETTINGS: Start with bare stage. Have needed pieces of furniture and signs handily placed. Have record of Pop Goes the Weasel (or something similar) located so it can be heard throughout audience. This tune becomes the theme song for the swiftly moving play. Just before the play starts, Fag comes out jauntily with easel. He may be whistling Pop Goes the Weasel or the record may be playing. He places the easel far down right and places the first sign on it. He then moves off with continued jauntiness and the scene starts. Play now moves rapidly, with end of each scene being indicated by sign End of Scene which is brought on by Fag, Lucy, or an extra, always with the same peppy swing and mood. At end of scene, characters freeze; then, as new sign is brought center, everyone in scene moves quickly, in full view, with definitely worked-out pattern of semi-dance to tune of Pop Goes the Weasel to set stage for next scene. The new sign is placed and Away we go. The handling of this part of the play is very important and makes for liveliness and differentness. Scene I: A STREET IN BATH (Record starts. As Fag leaves, Lydia comes on up R. with her maid, Lucy. They are evidently disagreeing. Lucy is carrying some books. Lydia is speaking.) LYDIA: All I want you to do is take the books and go home. LUCY: But, Miss Lydia, if your Aunt Malaprop were to learn that you were on the public street-- alone-- LYDIA: (Peering off R.) I m doing no harm.

4 THE RIVALS---Page 3. LUCY: And, if she even suspected that you were going to see Ensign Beverley--a poor--unknown-- obscure ensign-- LYDIA: (Rapturously) A handsome, good ensign--rich in character and love-- LUCY: But your aunt has promised you to Bob Acres! LYDIA: (Whirling fiercely) Bob Acres! I wouldn t marry Bob Acres for all the money in the world. Three times my age--taste like a blind fish monger--romantic as a sponge! LUCY: But, if you marry this poor ensign, you ll lose all your money--the whole fortune! LYDIA: If you think I m going to marry that stupid octopus just to keep my fortune!--i never want to see Bob Acres again! LUCY: It s good for Ensign Beverley to have a rival. LYDIA: A rival! You call Acres a rival for Ensign Beverley? I d as soon call that Lucius O Trigger, Aunt Malaprop is writing all those silly letters to--a rival! LUCY: (Startled) You know about those letters? LYDIA: Of course I know about them. I also know, my dear Lucy, that you re the go-between.--oh, don t look so surprised that I know. Aunt Malaprop is forever dropping first drafts into the waste basket. (Looks off R. again) What can be delaying Beverley? LUCY: (Out of hearing, L. takes letter from pocket, peeks at it) If she ever finds out--what she ll do to me! (Hides letter quickly) LYDIA: Here comes Beverley! You go home quickly! (Lucy scoots off L.; Lydia goes up stage, pretending to be interested in something going on off L.; Ensign Jack Beverley enters down R. sees Lydia, approaches her.) JACK: Lydia--My lovely Lydia! (They meet center stage, as Lydia whirls, surprised.) I can stay only long enough to walk you home. Come, my sweet Lydia. (They go out upstage, completely absorbed in each other. As they leave, Lucy come in L., hastily, as Fag comes in R., speedily; they, also have arranged a rendezvous.) FAG: Lucy! LUCY: Fag! FAG: I see you left your young mistress here alone. LUCY: I see your Ensign Beverley has taken her home. FAG: And you waited to see me. LUCY: Go along with your conceit. I have to deliver a letter from Delia Malaprop to one Lucius O Trigger on the North Parade. (Shows letter) And he is very anxious to get the letters-- only he thinks Miss Lydia is writing to him. He never dreams it is Aunt Malaprop who is Delia. FAG: Why, you scheming little-- LUCY: Well, he wouldn t give me a fee for delivering them if he had any idea Delia was fifty instead of twenty--(in her struttings she has come down R. Looking off she sees something startling in the distance.) Fag! If that isn t Sir Anthony Absolute--and Mrs. Malaprop with him--i ll get another pair of eyes! (Fag looks. Starts hastily up stage to leave.) LUCY: Where are you going? FAG: I must see Ensign Beverley! Excuse me! (Exits up, hastily) LUCY: (Looks toward him) Well, of all the--(looks R., sees the two are near; hurriedly hides behind screen as Sir Anthony and Aunt Malaprop enter R., Aunt Malaprop talking animatedly.) MRS. MALAPROP: Sir Anthony, you haven t told me what brings you to Bath so superfluously.

5 THE RIVALS---Page 4. SIR ANTHONY: Rheumatics, Mrs. Malaprop. Kicking up a fuss--and I thought the baths--but tell me-- how are you and Miss Lydia? MRS. M.: I m completely superstitious--but Lydia thinks she s in love--with someone named Ensign Beverley--a penniless fortune hunter. (Lucy pops head above screen, listening) SIR A.: Maybe I have a cure for that. My son, Jack, is in Bath--recruiting. He doesn t know I m here. MRS. M.: Captain Absolute in Bath! How very seditious! SIR A.: And, wouldn t it be wonderful if Jack and Lydia--? MRS. M.: Oh, Sir Anthony! That would be--i was going to make a call, but let s go back and prepare Lydia for your son s invocations. I know you can manage it. (While the two have their backs turned, Lucy rushes out up L., evidently on her way to warn Lydia.) MRS. M.: I have a little commitment concerning Lydia to Bob Acres; but Lydia is so inflammatory against poor Bob that I ve given up. Perhaps your son will have better luck. Though I ve never seen him, since he s your son, he must be charming. Come, Sir Anthony. (As they leave down L., talking animatedly about the 'match, Fag and Jack come in up center. Jack is speaking.) JACK: My father, Sir Anthony Absolute, in Bath? I can hardly believe it, Fag. (They come down.) FAG: I saw him with a lady. Lucy said it was Mrs. Malaprop. JACK: (Grasping Fag s lapels) They haven t found out I m masquerading as Ensign Beverley, have they? FAG: No. No danger of that. It s just that they re old friends. JACK: I want to win my Lydia as poor Ensign Beverley--not rich Captain Absolute. Come, we must get home before my father calls. (They exit as Lucy dances in with End of Scene. ) End of free preview WETMORE DECLAMATION BUREAU Ann Arbor, Michigan