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Complete Works of L. Frank Baum

Page 887

by L. Frank Baum


  once a year anyway.

  Dor.

  It’s an awful risk, and I’m so fond of the

  Scarecrow. He owes his life to me. If I

  hadn’t wished him into existence he’d still

  be scaring the birdies.

  Dash

  How about the sentries?

  (Nodding toward L.U.)

  Tin-man

  Are you good at sprinting?

  Dash.

  Pretty good.

  Tin-man

  Then dash across that bridge withou†

  paying your toll, and lead them a chase.

  Now get to work.

  (Dash. saunters up L. and talks to Sentry

  while Dor. ties scissors to a string

  lowered from window of cage by Tin-man

  and arranges wash basket beneath

  window. Dash. suddenly pushes by Sentry

  and runs off across bridge. Sentry

  pursues calling: “Help, Stop thief.”)

  (Cooks and waitresses run on R. and

  watch the pursuit.)

  1st Waitress

  I wonder who’s escaping?

  Waitress

  Maybe one of those rebels.

  1st Cook

  He has a fine lead, they’ll never catch him

  now.

  Dor.

  I hope they don’t.

  Waitress

  Do you know him?

  Dor.

  (Mysteriously)

  He’s my sweetheart. We’re wandering

  minstrels. He writes the songs and I sing

  them.

  1st Cook

  Love songs, of course?

  Dor.

  Yes. Here’s one.

  “

  HONEY MY SWEET.”

  Dorothy & Chorus.

  (Exit Chorus)

  (Tin-man whistles from window. Dor. Xes

  to guardhouse.)

  Dor.

  I’m here.

  Tin-man

  The Scarecrow is all carved, and ready to

  serve.

  Dor.

  Go ahead.

  Tin-man

  Will you have some wing, or some

  second joint?

  Dor.

  Both.

  (Tin-man drops a leg and an arm out of

  window. Dor. puts them in basket.

  Cynthia enters L.1.)

  Cynthia

  What are you doing there?

  (Tin-man continues to hand down pieces

  of Scarecrow)

  Dor.

  S-sh--! We’re rescuing the Scarecrow. It

  was a hard problem to solve.

  Cynthia

  You seem to be doing it in fractions.

  Tin-man

  Who’s that?

  Cynthia

  ‘Tis I, the Lady Lunatic. How does the

  Scarecrow feel about this?

  Tin-man

  Oh, he’s all broke up. That’ll be about all,

  Dottie.

  (Dor. covers basket)

  Dor.

  Are you sure I’ve got all of him?

  Tin-man

  I think so. Wait - well, I’ll be hanged.

  Dor.

  What’s the matter?

  Tin-man

  I forgot his head. Here it is.

  Dor.

  How careless of you. Had we lost that he

  would have had to go through life

  without a head.

  Cynthia

  (Taking Dor. aside)

  Have you known that tin gentleman long?

  Dor.

  Not very.

  Cynthia

  There’s something about him that

  reminds me of my long lost Niccolo.

  Dor.

  (Xing to basket)

  Help me, Cynthia.

  (They start to L. carrying basket between

  them. Officer enters, looks at them. Stops)

  Officer

  Where are you going with that basket?

  Cynthia

  To yonder garden, to gather geese berries

  for a plum pudding.

  Officer

  That basket isn’t yours. Put it down - Put

  it down.

  (They drop basket)

  (Officer Xes to it, picks up cover)

  What’s all this rubbish? Officer, take it

  and dump it in the river.

  (Soldier steps forward, picks up basket,

  carries it up to bridge and throws it and

  contents into river) (Bus. for Tin-man

  during this bus.)

  Dorothy

  (Falling into Cynthia’s arms)

  He is lost!

  Officer

  (Going up L.)

  By George! What does this mean? Where

  are the sentries? Where is the guardian of

  the bridge and the cage? There is some

  mischief afoot. What ho! Guards!

  (Rushes off, over bridge L.U.)

  Cynthia

  He is gone, and has left the key in the

  door. Come down quick!

  (Tin-man comes down out of cage and

  rushes to bridge)

  Dor.

  What a calamity! What a calamity!

  Cynthia

  Has any of him drifted away?

  Tin-man

  (Looking)

  There goes his leg. Quick, give me a crab

  net.

  Dor.

  This will give him an awful cold.

  Tin-man

  (Throwing body of dummy on stage)

  There’s his body. Put that near the fire to

  dry.

  Dorothy

  Oh, don’t do that.

  Cynthia

  I wonder if he would mind being run

  through a clothes wringer.

  (Tin-man, who has thrown on

  Scarecrow’s arms and legs enters coming

  down stage with Scarecrow’s head)

  Tin-man

  And here’s his brains. Soaked, but

  otherwise intact. My! But you’re pretty.

  Quick, let’s put him together.

  Dor.

  Where? We’ll be seen here.

  Tin-man

  Hide him in the Sentry box.

  (Moves Sentry box to L.C.)

  What will we start with - his legs?

  Cynthia

  No, let us put his head up first, then he

  can tell us if we are putting him together

  right.

  Tin-man

  That’s so. I can’t tell his arms from his

  legs anyway.

  (Bus. putting head in place in cabinet)

  There! Right in line again.

  Scarecrow

  Will you take the water out of my ear?

  Tin-man

  (Offering hand)

  Shake?

  Scarecrow

  I can’t yet.

  Dor.

  Oh, I’m so glad to hear you speak again.

  Cynthia

  Hurry, you’re wasting time.

  Scarecrow

  Let me have an arm next, I want to

  scratch my nose.

  Tin-man

  (Showing a leg)

  What is that - right or left?

  Scarecrow

  Let me see. Put that in the left corner.

  Cynthia

  Look out. Here come the soldiers.

  Tin-man

  (With right leg under his arm)

  Stay here. Don’t run away.

  (Exit Tin-man and Cynthia. Exit Dorothy

  L. Soldiers cross from R. to L. Tin-man

  re-enters L. still holding leg of Dummy)

  Tin-man

  Now then, I’ll throw the rest at you -

  quick!

  (Fixes remainder of dummy) (When

  complete, Scarecrow steps forward. Bus.)

  How do you feel now?

&nb
sp; Scarecrow

  Like a wet scrambled egg. Is my face on

  straight?

  Tin-man

  Yes. Wasn’t you frightened?

  Scarecrow

  A trifle. I tried to stay collected, but I

  couldn’t. Unless you put a few more pins

  in my neck, I’m liable to lose my head.

  Tin-man

  Old friend, welcome back to me. I’m so

  happy I could sing for---- well, I’m not

  going to frighten you by telling you how

  long.

  SPECIALTY

  (Scarecrow and Tin-man and exit)

  (Enter Sentry and Sir Wiley and Oz. Oz

  and Sir Wiley with ball and chain,. and

  still in convict suits and wearing

  burlesque “White wing” helmets and

  carrying street brooms on shoulders)

  Sentry

  Halt!

  (Bus. They stop suddenly)

  Get to work there you rascals.

  Wizard

  That’s good. What next?

  Sentry

  You can polish up this square for a few

  hours.

  (Exits)

  Wizard

  Here’s a fine finish for a King.

  Gyle

  A nice job! Manicuring boulevards.

  Wizard

  And me massaging side-walks.

  Gyle

  A nice come-down for both of us.

  Wizard

  If anybody asks me what I’m doing I’ll

  tell ‘em I’m in business on the street.

  Gyle

  But just now we’re working on the

  square.

  Wizard

  If I ran for King now I could sweep the

  country without any trouble.

  Gyle

  Wouldn’t this be a lovely thing to give up

  for Lent?

  (Tin-man enters R. followed by Cynthia)

  Cynthia

  (Presenting piccolo to him)

  One moment. Would you oblige me with

  a short selection?

  Tin-man

  What’s that?

  Cynthia

  A piccolo. With that one Niccolo

  Chopper won my heart long long ago.

  (Tin-man blows a note or two of

  “Niccolo’s Piccolo”)

  Tin-man

  Is that the way it works?

  Cynthia

  Go on - go on.

  Tin-man

  I seem to have done this before.

  (Blows a few stray notes, then plays

  refrain of “Niccolo’s Piccolo”)

  Cynthia

  ‘Tis he! My Niccolo!

  Tin-man

  Ah, it all comes back to me, now. My

  heart beats madly and tells me you are

  my former fiancee - the beauteous

  Cynthia, who kept the alligator counter in

  the department store.

  Cynthia

  Right! Take me to your copper fastened

  bosom.

  (They embrace)

  Tin-man

  At last, my new heart has a chance to

  work.

  Scarecrow

  (Enters L.1. Sees Wizard and Gyle

  sweeping)

  Sporty boys, aren’t they? Going out for a

  brush on the speedway.

  Wizard

  You’d better raise a little dust yourself or

  you’ll get into this business, too.

  Tin-man

  Why didn’t you follow us?

  Wizard

  We couldn’t. We met Pastoria and he

  invited us to a ball; and now we’ve got

  something on foot that we can’t get rid of.

  (Bus. swinging ball on chain over arm)

  (Dor. enters R.)

  (Dash. enters over bridge L.U.)

  Dash.

  I gave them the slip in the woods on the

  other side of the river. Come on - the way

  is clear, and it’s now or never.

  (Soldiers enter with Pastoria and form up

  near bridge L.U.)

  Pastoria

  Aha, once more my prisoners!

  (General start)

  This time I’ll take no chances. What ho!

  Me headsman!

  (Headsman with axe, and two attendants

  bearing block, enter up L. All in crimson)

  The men to the block! The women to the

  prison!

  Dor.

  Have you no mercy?

  Pastoria

  I’m all out of that. May have some

  to-morrow; none to-day. Go on with the

  execution.

  Dor.

  Can no one help us?

  Scarecrow

  Good bye, Dottie.

  Tin-man

  Good bye, little girl.

  Dor.

  There’s only one hope. They witch who

  saved us once may do so again. Locusta,

  aid us!

  Pastoria

  (To headsman)

  Proceed.

  (Attendants seize Dashemoff)

  Dor.

  Locusta! Locusta!

  Locusta

  Halt! The child who calls me shall be

  answered. For her do I invoke the aid of

  those mysterious powers who rule this

  mystic clime. Mighty Galinda, ruler of

  Storm and Calm, grant me, thy humble

  servant, one more boon -- spread infinite

  darkness o’er the land so that the victims

  of this tyrant may escape beneath its

  sheltering cloak; and send the spirits of

  the air to bear this child, my ward and

  charge, back to the far-off home from

  which they brought her.

  Pastoria

  What! Another cyclone? My country

  could never stand that. You and your

  companions are at liberty to depart

  whenever you wish.

  FINALE

  Curtain.

  THE MAID OF ATHENS

  A MUSICAL COMEDY IN THREE ACTS

  This comedy concerns a college student at “Illiana University” named Spartacus Smith, who learns that he will marry the heires “— ora Jones from a town called Athens”. However, confusion arises when he discovers that there happens to be a Dora Jones from Athens, Ohio, a Flora Jones from Athens, Georgia, and a Norah Jones from Athens, Texas, and so he does not know which is the heiress he is to marry.

  Unfortunately, the play was never completed and it only survives in the form of a list of characters and synopsis, although a detailed understanding of events is provided from this information.

  CONTENTS

  LIST OF MODERN CHARACTERS

  STRUCTURE

  LIST OF PROPOSED MUSICAL NUMBERS

  SYNOPSIS: ACT I

  SYNOPSIS: ACT II

  SYNOPSIS: ACT III

  THE MAID OF ATHENS

  LIST OF MODERN CHARACTERS

  DORA JONES, of Athens, Ohio; a Coed with an intense admiration for athletic sports.

  FLORA JONES, of Athens, Ga.; a Coed with a distinctive feminine love of fashionable attire.

  NORAH JONES, of Athens, Texas; a Coed with a cowboy training and a thorough knowledge of the intrinsic value of cattle.

  MRS. VALENTINE DeRUYTER SEDGEWICKE, Willie’s devoted mother.

  GERALDINE FITZGERALD, called’ Jerry” by the Coeds; a time- honored College perennial; former sweetheart of Daniel Webster Smith.

  SPARTACUS SMITH, of Battle Creek; a Sophomore with a penchant for “pipes,” who becomes an athlete to oblige “the Gov’ner” and, incidentally, to win an heiress.

  NAPOLEON BUCK; Athletic Coach of the Illiana University; the hero of the Coeds.

  WILLIE SEDGEWICKE, a freshman; commended by his anxious mamma to the loving care of the sophomores.


  DANIEL WEBSTER SMITH, Yale ‘71; paternal ancestor of Spartacus; a firm adherent to the dignified traditions of College life.

  DR. N. DOWE, President of Illiana University.

  A BILL-POSTER, Professor of Literature.

  THE FOOTBALL ELEVEN OF ILLIANA.

  THE FOOTBALL ELEVEN OF MASSAJERSEY.

  ILLIANA GLEE AND MANDOLIN CLUB.

  COEDS. (Female Chorus.)

  STUDENTS. (Male Chorus.)

  CHARACTERS OF ANCIENT ATHENS

  SPARTACUS THE GLADIATOR; acting Janitor of the College of Vestals, who kindly assists his namesake to win the great Inter-

  Collegiate Football Game, in return for equally valuable instruction.

  HERA; high-priestess of the College of Vestals — but yet a woman.

  PULCHRA, a Vestal; the Original Maid of Athens; quite ignorant of love but willing to learn. (This character doubles with “Dora Jones.” )

  CHORUS OF VESTALS.

  CHORUS OF GLADIATORS.

  STRUCTURE

  ACT I. --Campus of the University of Illiana.

  ACT II. --Temple of the College of Vestals, Ancient Athens.

  ACT III. --Athletic Field of the Great Inter-Collegiate Football Game of 1904

  LIST OF PROPOSED MUSICAL NUMBERS

  ACT I

  (1) — Opening Chorus: “Glorious Illiana.”--Students and Coeds.

  (2) — Song and Refrain: “Cowboy Culture in the Far Southwest.” —

  Nora and female chorus.

  (3) — Solo: “The Modern Maid of Athens.” — Spartacus Smith.

  (4) — Song and Chorus: “Youth’s Golden Hours.” --Mrs. Sedgewicke and Glee and Mandolin Clubs.

  (5) — Song and Dance: “Camping on the Campus.” --Flora and Willie.

  (6) — Solo: “Who could be a Hero without Hair?”--Buck.

  (7) — Trio: “When Love Implores a Willing Maid.” --Dora, Flora, Nora.

  (8) — Duet: “A Fighter isn’t Fit till he has Fought.” --Buck and Spartacus.

  (9) — Chorus and Glee Club: “Our Noble Benefactor.”

  (10) — Distant Refrain: “Maid of Athens!”--Glee Club.

  ACT II

  (11) — Song and Refrain: “Nothing Doing!”--Pulchra and Vestals.

  (12) — Song: “Love’s Humble Janitor am I.” --Spartacus the Gladiator.

  (13) — Song and Chorus: “It’s Dreadfully Nice!”--Heraandthe Vestals.

  (14) — Character Song: “Just Like This!”--Spartacus Smith.

  (15) — March and Chorus of the Gladiators.

  (16) — Chorus: “Let us Love before To-morrow Comes.” --Vestals.

  (17) — Finale: “Hail and Farewell!” --Gladiators, Vestals and Principals.

  ACT III

  (18) — Sobbing Song: “Oh, Uncle Obadiah!”--Dora.

  (19) — Song: “Sometimes I’m really Devilish, Don’tye Know!”--Willie.

  (20) — College Medley: “U-pi-dee!” --Students and Coeds.

  (21) — Sextette: “Amo--Amas--Amat!” --Dora, Flora, Nora, Spartacus,

  Buck and Willie.

  (22) — Finale: Principals and Chorus.

  SYNOPSIS: ACT I

 

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