The Nutcracker Prince

[miss landers]

THE NUTCRACKER PRINCE

PROLOGUE

(A Friday afternoon. The kitchen in the Cleaver house. WARD enters through the back door.)

WARD: (calling) June! I'm home!

JUNE: (entering through the dining room door in great excitement) Oh, Ward, Ward! I've had the most exciting telephone call!

WARD: (laying his briefcase down and opening the refrigerator) Oh, really, dear? Well, tell me all about it.

JUNE: (in ecstatic gasps) Ward, you remember Helen Teaberry, don't you?

WARD: (grabbing a banana from the refrigerator and closing the refrigerator door) Hmm ... Helen Teaberry? Oh, yes, dear. You went to school with her, didn't you? I think you said she’s currently the director of the Mayfield Ballet?

JUNE: (clasping her hands in rapture) Yes, Ward! She just called and we had a wonderful chat. I mentioned Beaver, of course, and Miss Teaberry wants - of all people - Beaver! to dance the role of the Prince in The Nutcracker Ballet!

WARD: (thoughtfully and peeling the banana carefully) Beaver?! Hmm. I don't know, June ... Beaver was born with two left feet ...

JUNE: (taking the banana from Ward's hands and peeling it deftly) Oh, Ward! How can you say such things about your own son?!

Ward: Easily.

JUNE: Ward, this is a wonderful opportunity! Beaver's at that awkward age ... you know, gawky, unsure of himself ... the discipline of ballet would work wonders for him! (reminiscing) Oh, Ward, I just loved my ballet classes ... and when I was chosen to dance the Swan Queen I was in heaven! (brightly) Oh, Ward, nothing would make me happier than to see Beaver dancing the Nutcracker Prince!

(WARD looks doubtful but says nothing. JUNE interprets his silence as assent, kisses Ward’s cheek pertly, bites the banana happily, and sails through the dining room door rapturously.)

WARD: (rushing toward the dining room door) Hey, gimme my banana!

SCENE 1

(The dining room 30 minutes later. WARD is tossing a salad and JUNE is carving a roast. Enter WALLY from the living room.)

JUNE: (impatiently) Wally, where's your brother?
WALLY: Oh, he's coming, mom. (WALLY takes his place at table.)

(Enter BEAVER.)

BEAVER: (taking his place at table) Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! Hey, Dad! I've saved twelve dollars and forty-three cents. Can I buy new football shoes? Huh? Can I, Dad?

WARD: We'll see, Beave. Right now, your mother has something very important to discuss with you.

JUNE: (carving the roast with slow, deliberate motions) Beaver, I had an interesting phone call today from Miss Teaberry. You don't know her, of course, but Miss Teaberry and I went to boarding school together! Well, Miss Teaberry's now the director of the Mayfield Ballet and guess what?! She wants you to be in a show! Isn't that wonderful?!

BEAVER: Huh?

WARD: Beaver, Miss Teaberry wants you to perform in the Nutcracker Ballet.

WALLY: Ballet? That's dancing, isn't it, Dad? Hahaha! Beaver's got two left feet! Beaver's a klutz! Hahahaha!

BEAVER: I am not, Wally!

WALLY: You are, too, Beave! And besides, ballet is for girls! Hahahahaha!

WARD: Wally, please ... you're not helping. (to BEAVER) Now, Beaver, this is very important to your mother. But the final decision is yours, of course. (firmly) Do you want to be in Miss Teaberry's production or not?

BEAVER: Gee, Dad, I don't know ... can I still play football?

JUNE: (ignoring the question and rushing on enthusiastically) Beaver, your part in the show will be pantomime. That means you won't be saying a thing. You don't have to memorize any lines! Isn’t that great? And Miss Teaberry said you'll be wearing a very handsome costume!

BEAVER: Gee, mom, I'd rather play football.

JUNE: (firmly and not to be denied) Beaver, when I was a girl ... er, when I was young I loved my ballet classes! They were so much fun! And when I was chosen to be the Swan Queen I was thrilled. It was an honor!

BEAVER: Gee, Mom ... an honor, huh?

JUNE: Absolutely, Beaver! And there's nothing that would please me more than to see you performing in Miss Teaberry's show.

BEAVER: (a pause and then, very reluctantly) Uhhh ... okay, mom ... I ... I guess I can be in the show.

JUNE: Oh, Beaver! That's more like it! Tomorrow’s Saturday! Miss Teaberry said she'd meet us at Petipa's Dance Shop first thing in the morning. You're going to need ballet slippers!

(BEAVER winces then glances nervously at Ward and Wally who have "Oh, Brother!" looks on their faces.)

JUNE: (lifting a thick slab of meat between the carving fork and knife and smiling radiantly) Beaver, lift your plate! I've saved the best piece for you!

SCENE 2

(The boys' bedroom immediately after dinner. The door opens. BEAVER enters abruptly. WALLY is hard upon his heels.)

WALLY: Gee, Beave, that was a dumb thing to do ... telling mom you'd dance in that show! Ballet is for girls! Everyone is going to think you're a big sissy!

BEAVER: (tossing himself into bed and staring hopelessly at the ceiling) Yeah, I know, Wally! Don't rub it in!

(WARD enters. He sits on the bed next to BEAVER.)

WARD: Beaver, I'm proud of you. It's not every boy who'd agree to perform in a ballet to make his mother happy. And I haven't seen your mother so happy in a long, long time!

BEAVER: (glumly) Gee, Dad, I thought tomorrow I'd be wearing new football shoes but I'm going to be wearing new ballet slippers instead! The guys'll think I'm a sissy! (urgently) Dad, don't tell anybody I'm in a ballet. You neither, Wally! OK, Dad? OK, Wally?

WARD: (smiling wisely) Beaver, Wally and I won't speak a word about your participation in the ballet if that's what you wish. Will we, Wally?

WALLY: Heck, no! I don't want the guys to know my brother's a sissy!

WARD: Wally, please ... that's not helping! And keep in mind, Beaver, that the experience will be over before you know it. It might even be fun. But above all, remember how much joy you're bringing to your mother.

BEAVER: Yeah, OK, Dad. But I'd rather be wearing football shoes tomorrow instead of ballet slippers.

(BEAVER turns away from his father and buries his face in the bed pillow. WARD smiles, pats BEAVER reassuingly, rises, and leaves the room.)

SCENE 3

(Saturday morning. Petipa's Ballet Shop in downtown Mayfield. Mannequins wearing leotards and tutus here and there. Tangles of satin ribbons on the countertop. Full length mirrors and delicate gold chairs against the walls. The front door opens. JUNE enters with BEAVER.)

PETIPA: (coming forward from behind the counter) Ahhh, bonjour, madame!

JUNE: Huh? ... oh, uh ... bonjour, Monsieur Petipa! I'm June Cleaver …

PETIPA: Ahhh, madame! Miss Teaberry has spoken of you! She will arrive at any moment. (The door opens.) Ahhh, here she is now!

(HELEN TEABERRY sweeps in. She is charming and dressed in the height of fashion.)

JUNE: Oh, Helen! How beautiful you look! I was absolutely thrilled when you called! Helen, this is my son Beav ... uh, Theodore.

(HELEN lifts BEAVER'S chin in her gloved hand.)

HELEN: Ahh, yes! He is lovely … so darkly romantic. The perfect Nutcracker Prince!

(HELEN and JUNE coo. BEAVER grimaces. HELEN turns to PETIPA.)

HELEN: Monsieur Petipa, we're going need two pairs of tights for our Nutcracker Prince, two pairs of slippers, a red velvet tunic, six lengths of gold braid ...

(JUNE and HELEN turn their backs to BEAVER as they examine articles in PETIPA'S stock.

Suddenly, boys’ voices are heard distantly outside. BEAVER glances out the front window. RICHARD RICKOVER, WHITEY WHITNEY, and GILBERT GATES are seen trotting down the street dressed in their football gear.

BEAVER ducks behind a mannequin dressed in a large tulle skirt decorated with a sash of artificial roses. He lifts the edge of the mannequin's voluminous skirt to provide a better hiding place for himself.

The boys hurry past the shop window and down the street. Pause. BEAVER'S face appears slowly from behind the skirt. He breathes a sigh of relief; he has not been seen by the boys.

The sash decorated with artificial roses suddenly falls and drapes itself over BEAVER'S head.)



TO BE CONTINUED ...

[rockrgurl71111]

its good so far. very real.

[evermore]

Please do not continue.......