1. THE STUDENTS OF “A. LEONORI” INSTITUTE IN ROME
CLASSES IIB ,IIIA(SECONDARy SCHOOL),IV (PRIMARy SCHOOL)
Present:
“The misadventures
of the puppet
Pinocchio”
A musical comedy, loosely based on Carlo
Collodi’s book “Le avventure di Pinocchio”
Actors:
Pinocchio (P.)
Geppetto (G.)
The Talking Cricket (T.C.)
The Cat (C.)
The Fox (F.)
Carabiniere one (C.1)
Carabiniere two (C.2)
Blue Fairy (B.F.)
Fire-Eater, the Puppeteer (F.E.)
Lucignolo (L.)
2. The Little Snail (L.S.)
Choir
Scene I: opening ballet with primary school children arranged below the
stage.
Music 1: Hello
(A dark backcloth, a spotlight on a room divider, then a cloud of dust from
which Pinocchio tumbles off)
Music 2: FavolaAntica
Pinocchio: Oh, my God! How much dust in this garret. Ouch, it hurts!
The talking Cricket: Pinocchio, Pinocchio, what are you doing?
Pinocchio: But… Who’s there?
The talking Cricket: I’m the Talking Cricket, your conscience. Don’t you
remember me anymore?
P.: No.
T.C.: Well, what are you doing here?
P.: I don’t want to stay here anymore, forgotten by them all. Children
once used to read my adventures. I was a hero with my lies. Nowadays
children don’t read anymore. I want to be famous again!
T.C.: I’m afraid you can’t.
P.: Why?
T.C.: You’ll get into a mess, as usual.
P.: I made up my mind. I’ll go. Shall you come?
T.C.: Ok!
3. Scene II
Geppetto: What a wonderful piece of wood! I’ll made a puppet of it. I’ll
give you a name: Pinocchio, ‘cause you have been made of pinewood.
Pinocchio: Hello, hello! I am Pinocchio. I have two hands, I have two feet,
I have two arms, I have two legs, I have two eyes, I have two ears, I have
one mouth, I have one nose!
G:Be a good boy. Take this book and go to school.
P: Thank you, Daddy, goodbye
Scene III
P.: Finally free to play, not to study. Do you hear how good I talk? I’ll pack
my suitcase and leave! If I stay here, I’ll have to go to school, to obey the
teachers, to do my homework.
On the contrary, I want to eat, drink, sleep, have fun and go out walking
in my neighbourhood.
CARABINIERE 1: Is it you Pinocchio?
P.: Yes, it’s me!
CARABINIERE 2: Your dad is desperately looking for you!
CARABINIERI 1 & 2: Follow us!
P.: Nothing doing.
T.C.: The Carabinieri take Pinocchiohome. Geppetto comes back home
and finds Pinocchio crying. He tells him his bad experience with the two
Carabinieri and promises not to escape anymore.
4. P.: From today I’ll be good and I’ll go to school.
G.: Ok, I forgive you.
T.C.:Geppetto gives Pinocchio his spelling-book back. What do you think?
Did he keep his promise?
P.: Today I’m learning to read, tomorrow to write.
Music 3: Nel Paese Dei balocchi
But… What’s this music?... Ok, I’m going to see what happens…
Scene IV
C.&F.: Hello!
P.:What are your names?
F.: My name is Mr Fox
C.: My name is Mr Cat. What is yours?
P. : Pinocchio
V.: Pinocchio, play with us!
P.: No, thanks. I must go to school.
C.:There’s no hurry….
Music 4: Il gatto e la Volpe(cat and fox)
Scene V
T.C.: My dear pupils, it’s always the same old story… Pinocchio is playing
with fire… to be precise… with Fire-Eater, the puppeteer. Ok, in the end,
he’s moved and let him go…
5. P.: What a fright! Two thieves wanted me hanging from that tree… but I
escaped… Daddy, where are you? Help me!
Music 6
T.C.: The blue Fairy saves Pinocchio, takes him home, cures him and so
the puppet goes back to Geppetto and starts to attend school. The story
could have a happy ending… but… how unlucky… Pinocchio meets
Lucignolo and together they go to the PaesedeiBalocchi, a place where
one lives in complete freedom only playing and having fun.
P.: Hello Boy,what’s your name?
L.:Hi! I’mLucignolo
P.:My name’s Pinocchio. Where are you going in such a rush?
L.: To the most fantastic country in the world… where you can dance,
play, eat from morning till night and… you never go to school…
P.: Never?!?
L.: Never! You have my guarantee! Why don’t you come with me?
P.: I’d like to, but I can’t… Daddy… The Blue Fairy… the school
L.: I’m sorry! Well, now I go! Goodbye, Pinocchio!
P.: Wow, it’s such a wonderful place!
MUSIC 7: Ciao, Mamma Guarda Come Mi Diverto!
Scene VI
L.: Was I Right?
P.: Oh, yes. I’m so happy to be here!
L.: But… Today… I feel so strange…
6. P.: Me too!
L.S.: What’s the matter with you, guys?
P.: I don’t know. Maybe I’m ill…
L.S.: A little bit…
P.: Do I have a flu?
L.S.: I’m sorry, but….
P.: But?!?
L.S.: You have a terrible disease.
P.: What is it?
L.S.: The donkey fever!
P.: I don’t understand…
L.S.: In two hours you won’t be a puppet anymore.
P.: What will I be?
L.S.: A little donkey.
P.: Oh, poor me! Poor me!
L.S.: All the children hating school and going to the Paese of Balocchi…
become donkeys.
P.: I only wanted to be a good boy.
L.S.: Why did you go with Lucignolo?
P.: Because… because… I’m just a woodenhead puppet… Hee Haw… Hee
Haw…
L.: I’ve got the same disease
P.: You too…
7. L.: I really think so.
P.: Ok, Lucignolo. Let’s take off our hats! One…. Two…. And three…
L.: I can’t stand up… Help!
P.: Neither do I.
T.C.: You already know the rest of the story… Pinocchio, helped by the
Blue Fairy, became again a puppet; he looked for his father, he found him
in the stomach of a whale and together they went back home. Pinocchio
went to school and he didn’t tell lies anymore. One day he woke up and
realized to be a boy.
You’re right, Pinocchio. Fairy tales are still useful. They can be more
effective and involving than our parents and teachers’ advice…
sometimes…
P.: Now I’d like to know all the characters of this small theatre
I’m really satisfied! Children didn’t forget me…
