mobydick - dramatic publishing company · 2016. 11. 10. · sound of ocean waves. a ship's...

MOBYDICKA small-cast production

designed for young audiences

An adaptation of Melville's novelby

MARK ROSENWINKEL

Originally commissioned byIDAHO THEATRE FOR YOUTH

Bosie, Idaho

Dramatic PublishingWoodstock, Illinois • England • Australia • New Zealand

© The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois

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(MOBY DICK - Short version)


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"Produced by special arrangement withTHE DRAMATIC PUBUSHING COMPANY of Woodstock, lllinois"


MOBY DICK

byMark R'osenwinkel

CAST OF CHARACTERS;

ISHMAEL

AHAB

QUEEQUEG

STUBB

SETTING: The decks of the Pequod. The ship consists of a mast-headunit. with other areas defined by rigging ropes. Props, musical instruments,and sound ite ms are visibly displayed, All theatrical effects suggested in thescript are meant to be performed openly in front of the audience with noattempt at realism.


MOBY DICK

Sound of ocean waves. Aship's bell. ISHMAELappears. He looks out atthe audience and startsto sing softly.

Prologue:

CHANTY - "King of the Boundless Sea"

(This song begins slowly,1'Jecoming more lively andrhythmic as the otheractors join in. Theyassemble parts of theship or accompany thesong on instruments:guitar, accordion, flute,recorder, tambourine,etc. The sound should 1'Jerough, not slick.)

ISHMAELIn a dream one sleepless nightI was cast into the seaAnd rocked along the winding tideWhere the wind was piping freeWhere the wind was piping free.

CHORUSYar har and a yo ho hoThe wind she blew us to and froYaw haw and a riddle dee reeFor a sailor lost on the sea

ISHMAEL & QUEEQUEGI looked out o'er the ocean planeAs far as I could seeI spied Leviathon's mighty spoutA three points to the leeA three points to the lee

AHABThar she blows 1

ISHMAEL & QUEEQUEGThe captain criedA-lookin' toward the lee


AHABLower the boats and raise your wheel

ISHMAEL & QUEEQUEGSing out all hands to meSing out all hands to me

CHORUSYar har and a yo ho hoThe wind she blew us to and froYaw haw and a riddle dee reeSing out all hands to me.

ISHMAEL & QUEEQUEGWith all our might we oared those boatsPlowing the restless sea

AHABSteady now!

QUEEQUEGThe Captain called.

AHABOr by Thunder she'll break free

ISHMAELBy thunder she'll break free

(Song builds inintensity.)

ISHMAEL & QUEEQUEGAnd in my dream the lance gleamed brightAs the warrior knight prepared to smiteThis monster with his jaws of deathThe searing eyes and scorching breathLooming right at meLooming right at me

(Instruments play fastand wildly. The soundbuilds.)

CHORUSYar har and a yo ho hoThe wind she blew us to and froYaw haw and a riddle dee reeLooming right at me.Looming right at me

(Sudden freeze. Musicbecomes very soft and

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gentle. Cast members exitas ISHMAEL sings.)

ISHMAELOh, the rare old Whale, mid storm and galeIn his ocean home will beA giant in might, where might is right,And king of the boundless seaKing of the boundless sea

CHORUSYar har and a yo ho hoThe wind she blew us to and froYaw haw and a fiddle dee reeFor a sailor lost on the sea.

(Sound of a ship's belland the ocean waves.

AHAB walks onto the ship.He limps painfully uponan ivory stump. He climbsthe masthead, takes out aspyglass and searches forsomething in thedistance. He continuesto look throughoutISHMAEL's narration.

Sound fx underscore -the tides of the sea - asISHMAEL steps forward tonarrate.)

SCENE ONE - "Ashore"

ISHMAELCall me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind howlong precisely - having little or no money in mypurse, and nothing in particular to interest me onshore, I thought I would sail about a little andsee the watery part of the world. I took it into myhead to go on a whaling voyage. I know not why.Perhaps it was the call of the ocean itself thatsent me packing. Or some grand scheme of Fate drawnup long ago .

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(Hint of ominous music orsound.

NOTE: This should be a"Moby Dick" theme thatappears during otherparts of the play. It isplayed on a large pipe byone of the actors andshould be similar to theforlorn and hauntingcalls of whales.

Upon hearing this sound,AHAB and ISHMAEL suddenlygaze out in unison.)

ISHMAELNo. It was the creature itself who drew me, just asit drew Ahab into the whorling and ever-wideningabyss. Even now, as I stand along the wharf andsmell the salt air. I look down upon that calm butimpenetrable blackness .... It's not my own face Isee, but that grand hooded phantom, Moby Dick,beckoning me, calling me down to the deep.

(Sound out. AHAB exits.ISHMAEL picks up hiscarpetbag.)

It was a cold Saturday in December. Nantucketharbor abounded in many sturdy craft. I was drawnto the Pequod, a vessel with an old fashioned claw footed look about her, but touched, like all thingsnoble, with melancholy.

(STUBB appears with shiprigging rope. He singssoftly to himself.)

STUBBout of the deep I callJehova unto thee .....

ISHMAELIs this the Captain of the ship? I was thinking ofshipping.

STUBBThink again, mate.

Lord, hear my voice, oh letThine ears attentive be

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(STUBB uses the rope tofix the rigging whichoutlines the parametersof the ship.

While he works, QUEEQUEGenters. He is a large manwith long hair. He wearssome kind of native garb- earring, headband,jacket, etc. Perhaps anecklace of shark'steeth. He carries aharpoon. He sits andtakes a whetstone from asmall pouch he carries onhis belt. He begins tosharpen the spear.)

ISHMAELCan you take me to the Captain?

(STUBB continues towork.)

See here, I have been to sea a number times, and Iknow my way around a ship.

STUBBBeen to sea, have ye now? A regular chippy old tarwith salt water blood. Know anything about whaling?

ISHMAELNo, sir. But I have no doubt that I shall soonlearn.

STUBBAye, soon enough.

ISHMAELLook, I'm merely looking to see the world a bit.

STUBBTake a look over the weather-deck. What d'ye see?

ISHMAELNothing but water.

STUBBYou've seen the world. You want to go round CapeHorn to see more?

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(QUEEQUEG takes out ashrunken head from hispouch, ties it to the endof the spear. He walksabout and waves it overparts of the ship.)

ISHMAELWhat's he doing?

STUBBBlessing the ship. Son of a cannibal king, theysay. Likely roasted more than a few men on thatvery lance. Now he puts it to good use by killingwhales.

(QUEEQUEG swings thespear over STUBB'storso.)

Easy, Queequeg, 01' mate. You'll poke me liver out.

QUEEQUEGThe gods must bless all things, Mr. Stubb. Evenrusty livers.

(STUBB studies ISHMAEL'sthings, picks out ajournal. Opens it.ISHMAEL snatches itback.)

ISHMAELLook here. I seek only a hearty sea adventure, andif it entails more than a degree of danger, so muchthe better.

(AHAB enters. Goes to themasthead and looks out.)

STUBBIt's adventure ye seek? Clap your eyes on oldThunder there.

ISHMAELOld Thunder?

STUBBThe Captain of the Pequod. Ahab by name. A grandungodly, godlike man. Been among colleges andcannibals, in deeper wonders than the waves. He'llgive you more adventure than you bargained for.

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ISHMAELHe knows whaling, then?

STUBBAye. Cost him his leg, it did.

ISHMAELHe lost his leg to a whale?

STUBBYoung man, that leg was devoured, chewed up,crushed by the most monstrous beast that everclipped a boat. Now he walks the quarter deck withthat ivory stump, wearing a look of .....crucifixion in his face.

(ISHMAEL starts for him.)

I wouldn't speak to him, lad.

ISHMAELWhy not?

STUBBHe's as liable to bite your head off as shake yourhand. Some say he's touched.

ISHMAELTouched?

AHABMaster Stubb.

STUBBAye sir.

AHABPrepare to sail.

STUBBAye, sir.

(Rings the bell.)Prepare to sail!

(ISHMAEL crosses over toAHAB.)

ARABYes?

ISHMAELI was thinking of shipping with you.

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AHABAre ye a man?

ISHMAELAs man as any, I suppose.

AHABAre ye man enough to break your back in the chaseof a great whale, to pitch a harpoon down thecreature's throat and jump after it into the jawsof death?

ISHMAELIf it's absolutely necessary.

AHABAye, it's necessary.

(Turns to face ISHMAEL.)Mr. Stubb!

STUBBAye, sir.

AHABGive him a line. If he dares.

ISHMAELI do, si r.

STUBBCome on, lad.

ISHMAELThank you, sir. My pleasure to serve you, sir.

(STUBB pulls ISHMAEL tothe deck as AHAB walks tothe masthead and looksout.)

STUBBHere now. You'll get on well enough with him if youheed 01' Stubb's 11th Commandment.

ISHMAELWhat's that?

STUBBDon't think.

AHABRaise the anchor, Master stubb.

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STUBBAye, sir. Raise anchor!

AHABSet the sails.

STUBBSet sails!

AHABSlip to it hearty, my heroes. We're casting off!

STUBBCasting off!

CHANTY - "Casting Off"

(As they sing, the boat'ssail is raised.)

QUEEQUEGOur Captain stood upon the deckA spyglass in his hand,A viewing of those gallant whalesThat blew at every strand.

STUBBSo be cheery my lads.May your hearts never failWhile the bold harpoonerIs striking the whale.

(The music underscoresthe narration.)

ISHMAELAs the short northern day merged into night, Ifound myself broad upon the wintry ocean, whosefreezing spray cased us in ice, as in polishedarmor. The Captain stood tall upon the quarterdeck, his face speckled with the freezing rain likethe bronze statue of a warrior, his glancestretching infinitely forward as we blindlyplunged like fate into the lone Atlantic.

ALL(Singing while moving/working the sail and therigging.)

So be cheery my lads.

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May your hearts never failWhile the bold harpoonerIs striking the whale.

SCENE TWO - "At Sea"

ARABSteady on the helm, Mr. Stubb.

STUBBAye, sir. We're on the open sea now, mates. Sit andtake a breath.

(ISHMAEL and QUEEQUEGstop working. With onelast look on the horizon,AHAB descends themasthead and exits.

ISHMAEL listens untilAHAB has gone, then openshis carpetbag and beginsto write in the journal.

QUEEQUEG, meanwhile,performs another blessingritual on another part ofthe stage, using ashrunken head or woodenidol. He sees ISHMAELwriting, walks over tohim, and suddenly grabs across that ISHMAEL wearsabout his neck.)

QUEEQUEGYou pray?

ISHMAELIt's more of a charm, really. No, I don't pray. Notsince I was a child.

(QUEEQUEG picks up thejournal and leafs throughthe pages.)

It's a journal.

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QUEEQUEGJournal?

ISHMAELA form of prayer, I suppose. A living record ofone's thoughts and impressions.

QUEEQUEG(Returning the journal.)

I prefer to pray.

ISHMAELI'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm not a very religiousperson. I just discovered that I could make moresense of things if I sat quietly and thought a bit.

QUEEQUEG"Incogito ergo sum " I think therefore I am.

ISHMAELWho taught you that?

QUEEQUEGA young missionary on a whaler some years ago. Hefelt it his Christian duty to civilize me, toteach me his ways. Descartes, Aristotle, Aquinas.Discuss, argue, discuss, all day, all night, untilone morning he awoke to discover that he had arguedso much, he no longer knew what he believed. Helives alone now, on an island, in a hut of mud,eating nuts. The natives call him "The Mad One."That's what comes with too much thinking.

ISHMAELHow did you come to be a harpooner?

QUEEQUEGThe Captain, he taught me the wonders of theharpoon, taught me to kill. You see, in my country,killing is a holy thing. You take away one life sothat others might go on. Even killing a man is donewith prayer and blessing. Here, they pay you forit.

(AHAB appears on deck.)

Except for him. For him, too, it is a holy thing.

ISHMAELHe's a strange one, isn't he? You could watch himlall day and never know what he's thinking.

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mobydick - dramatic publishing company · 2016. 11. 10. · sound of ocean waves. a ship's...

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