Pinocchio -- Theater Script
''You gave me a heart?'' - ''Well, I painted one on your chest.''
-*-
''My child is a donkey?'' - ''Better donkey than dead!''

adapted for stage by Jeannette Jaquish, from the classic by Carlo Collodi

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Jeannette,
We had our performance today in the morning and it went fantastic! The school owner and directors congratulated me on how it went - they said that the kids and I had put in a lot of effort and work to do it well. The rest of the teachers commented on how ambitious and well done it was. It took us 50min and normally first grade students do no more than 20-25min so it was a looong show. The kids were great - they knew what to do and in what moment, and they were excited about the whole event. Their costumes were fantastic, they knew which scenery and props to use and they put them on and off the stage by themselves.

The parents were thrilled - they admitted it was a lot of work, both for the kids and me. I think nobody expected first graders to be able to do a full-time almost professional show. I'm so happy that you helped me do it the way it should be done. Thanks a million!
Ania, teacher in a bilingual school in Mexico City

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_---> Ecstatic Theatrics production ---->

PROPS: Pinocchio script book for Storyteller, Log, dollars and coins, cross-piece with elastic strings to attach to Pinocchio, Geppetto’s warm coat, school book(s), Pinocchio’s new jacket, “food”: porridge, peach slices & cup, Captain Brutus’s smacking stick-pool tube and harnesses on a rope, Gifts: a bowl of soup, a little blanket, a candle, a poem on a paper, a doll or toy, a flower in a vase, a story book, food.
=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Excerpts from PINOCCHIO
- Simple Jr. version -
Adapted for stage by Jeannette Jaquish, from the original “Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi.
© 2014 Jeannette Jaquish

This play may not be performed without permission. Details at www.theaterfunscripts.com.
All music is in the public domain. Music CD and Dance DVD are available with script.

ADULT CAST
Storyteller (reads from the script inside an old fashioned “Pinocchio” book, prompts forgotten lines)

CHILD CAST (31)
Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket
Whiskers (Geppetto’s female kitten)
Fox
Cat
Geppetto
Tromboni (Evil puppetmaster)
Captain Brutus ( The Donkey Driver)

TOWNFOLK - and other roles
Herald
Police Chief
Mayor
Mother
Spoiled Child
Sweet Child
Beggar Child Bad Kid-Donkey 7
Teacher
Farmer Dancing Puppet
Market Lady Dancing Puppet
Junk Dealer Dancing Puppet
Woodcutter- Carriage Donkey 1 & Bad Kid-Donkey on Island
Fisherman 1- Carriage Donkey 2 & Bad Kid-Donkey on Island
Fisherman 2- Carriage Donkey 3 & Bad Kid-Donkey on Island
Town Children/ School Children / Donkeys
Acorn - Bad Kid-Donkey 4 on Island
Corncob- Bad Kid-Donkey 5 on Island
Lampwick- Bad Kid-Donkey 6 on Island

3 BLIND MICE DANCERS (dark glasses, canes, bandaged tails - sing and dance during set changes.)
1 -
2 -
3 -

BLUE FAIRY DANCERS
Cerulia
Azul
Aqua

--=-=-=
SCENE 1: GEPPETTO BUYS A LOG
(The Town. The front of Geppetto’s Shop is upstage, or at least an arrow sign “Geppetto’s Toys→”
THREE BLIND MICE ENTER and sing and dance. )

#MUSIC: “THREE BLIND MICE”
(MICE enter tapping canes, blind, 14 seconds then sing)
Three blind mice, Three blind mice, (each bends knees on one word)
Welcome you, People to, (sweep cane up, gesture other arm across)
The story of a wooden boy ( march forward)
Who found temptation hard to avoid, (march backward )
We truly hope that you will enjoy, ( plant cane down in front with hands on top)
Pinocchio! (knee bend on “noc”, MICE EXIT tapping cane)

STORYTELLER (enters): Good day, and welcome to the (your group’s name)
production of Pinocchio, adapted by Jeannette Jaquish, from the classic story by Carlo Collodi.
Our story begins in the Town of BadLuckia, on the shore of the NonSpecific Ocean.
Here you see the Toy Shop of the kindly old Toymaker Geppetto. He is inside working.
(We hear momentary hammering and singing from the toy shop.
Characters ENTER as they are named)
#MUSIC: “Hobnobbit-Opening (0:25)
And here you see the Townfolk going about their business, the mothers and fathers, the farmers, the merchants, the potters and of course, the many children. And of course, unfortunately, the scoundrels. (ENTER FOX and CAT)
Oh, Oh! Here comes the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the School Teacher, but first, the Herald!

HERALD (toot horn): Hear ye! Hear ye! The Mayor of Our Town of BadLuckia has a musical message for his devoted citizens!

# MUSIC SONG - “Keep Things the Same”
to the tune of “Blow the Man Down”, a traditional Sea Chantey

(ALL TOWNFOLK sing “Yo-ho” lines)
(During song, the FOX and CAT try to pick a few pockets, and also sing along.)

MAYOR: Hear me all people who live in this town,
ALL: Yo ho! Keep things the same!
MAYOR: Our good old traditions are proper and sound,
ALL: Yo ho! Keep things the same!

POLICE CHIEF: Beware of new people who come from afar,
ALL: Yo ho! Keep things the same!
POLICE CHIEF: Inventing strange things like the phone and the car,
ALL: Yo ho! Keep things the same!

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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JIMINY: Leapin’ Lizards! Hello, Everybody! I heard music! Is this a sing-a-long?

EVERYONE (turn to see and point): A talking cricket!!!

MAYOR: Arrest that strange insect!

JIMINY: Yikes! I’m in a perilous pickle!

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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GEPPETTO: Whoops! The log jumped when you said “Puppet”!

SPOILED CHILD (yelling and pointing): The log jumped! Geppetto said that the log JUMPED!

TOWNFOLK (afraid): The log JUMPED???

GEPPETTO: Oh, no, I was making a joke. Trying to trick my friend, Master Woodcutter.


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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STORYTELLER: The Mother thought Geppetto should make useful things, not toys.

MOTHER: Why does Geppetto waste his time making puppets and twirling tops?
MAYOR: Dancing clowns and Jack-in-the-boxes?

FARMER: What we need are stools,
and buckets for milking the cow.
TEACHER: Tables and chairs for schools.
MARKET LADY: Wooden yokes to pull the plow.

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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ALL SING:
A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle,
Geppetto’s making silly clothes,
POP goes the weasel!

(ENTER bedraggled FISHERMEN stumbling or crawling onstage.)

FISHERMEN 1 & 2: Help! Help!

ALL: What happened?

FISHERMAN 1: We were fishing out in our boat!
FISHERMAN 2: Up rose a giant shark!
FISHERMAN 1: It opened wide its mouth and throat!
FISHERMAN 2: Its teeth were long and sharp!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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PINOCCHIO: I am a real boy?
AZUL: No, not yet. First you have to prove yourself to be good, brave and unselfish.
AQUA: And always do right and never wrong.

PINOCCHIO: What is Do-Right and Never-Wrong?

CERULIA: Oh, dear!
AZUL: He never learned right from wrong!
AQUA: He needs a conscience

PINOCCHIO: What is a conscience?

BLUE FAIRIES: Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!!!

JIMINY CRICKET (jumping up): I’ll tell you what a conscience is! It is the small but noisy voice you hear in your head and in your heart that tells you when you are being selfish or mean.

CERULIA: I think we have found Pinocchio’s conscience!
AZUL: Congratulations, Sir Cricket!
AQUA: Do you accept the job of being Pinocchio’s Conscience?


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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PINOCCHIO: Father?
GEPPETTO: Yes, Pinocchio?

PINOCCHIO: Why does it hurt right here? (pat his stomach)

GEPPETTO: Oh, poor boy, you are hungry. I will make you breakfast. You have to eat before going to school.
Here is a bowl of porridge, some peach slices and a glass of milk. You eat this and be a good boy. Do you know how to be a good boy?

JIMINY: I’ll help him be a good boy! I am Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio’s conscience. The Blue Fairies said so!

GEPPETTO: A cricket for a conscience? Well, that is more than what most people have. I’ll be right back, Pinocchio and Mr. Jiminy Conscience Cricket. (Puts on his big warm coat and EXITS)

JIMINY: Goodbye!

PINOCCHIO: Goodbye! Jiminy, how do I eat?

JIMINY: Use this spoon or your fingers, and put all this into your mouth, chew it up and swallow.

PINOCCHIO: OK! (he bites the bowl and spoon before tasting the food.) Mmm! I like this. It . . .

JIMINY: Tastes?
PINOCCHIO: Tastes good! Jiminy? What is up there ? I’m going to climb up and see.

JIMINY: No No! It might tip over!

PINOCCHIO: Is that fire? I’m going to smell it.
JIMINY: No No! You are made of wood, and wood burns!

PINOCCHIO: I want to play with that knife.
JIMINY: No No No! Pinocchio, Be careful.


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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FOX: Hello, my fine fellow. I am Flexible T. Fox, and this is my assistant, Clumsy R. Cat.

PINOCCHIO: Hi! I’m Pinocchio, and I’m going to school.

CAT: Where is your lunch?

FOX: School! No no no! Don’t you want to see a puppet show? Look at the poster.

PINOCCHIO (gasping in delight) Ohhhh! Yes!

FOX: Do you have money for a ticket?

PINOCCHIO: Money? No. And my father has no money. He traded his coat to buy my jacket and school books.

FOX: Wonderful idea! You can trade your books and jacket for money to buy a ticket!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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TROMBONI: Thank you! Thank you! Oh you are too kind! Welcome to my humble little puppet show. But you are not here to see foolish old Tromboni, although handsome I may be.
You are here to see: Pinocchio!
(ENTER PINOCCHIO running and jumping into a pose)
The puppet with NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

TOWNFOLK (clapping): Hooray! Pinocchio!
TROMBONI: Pinocchio!
(TROMBONI gives PINOCCHIO a big slap on the back and PINOCCHIO falls flat on his face.
TROMBONI lifts him to his feet and brushes him off. )

JIMINY (jumps onstage): Pinocchio! Pinocchio!

PINOCCHIO: Jiminy Cricket! He’s my conscience!

JIMINY: Come home, Pinocchio!

TROMBONI (runs toward JIMIINY and claps his hands) : Filthy grasshopper! Get out!


-------
Lines Skipped . . . .

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PINOCCHIO:

. . . . . . Geppetto wished upon a star,
Fairies came from very far,
Magic dust and now I’m free,
Look! I have no strings on me!

STRING PUPPETS:
Ta ra ra Boom de ay,
We can not run away,
With strings tied on our feet,
We cannot sing or eat;

TROMBONI: Oh Pinocchio, you made me so much money today!
You are the Goose that laid the Golden Egg!
You are my Cash Cow!
You are my Gravy Train.
You are making me rich, rich, rich!

PINOCCHIO: You are making me hungry hungry hungry. I’m going to go home now and eat dinner.

TROMBONI: Go home! Go home? Why of course, but first, I have a surprise for you.

PINOCCHIO (happy): A surprise?

TROMBONI: Close your eyes.

PINOCCHIO (puts hands over eyes): OK.

(TROMBONI goes and gets a ”100 KG weight” with a chain and lock attached. He quickly locks it (Velcro or magnet) around Pinocchio’s waist, chaining Pinocchio to the weight.)

TROMBONI: Surprise!

PINOCCHIO: Oh. Oh. Oh. This is a bad surprise! Let me go! Let me go!
(HE pulls on the chain but cannot move the weight.)


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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AZUL: Oh, my! What happened to the jacket and books that Geppetto got for you?

PINOCCHIO: Um. . . A big bird flew down and snatched them away. Ow!

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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AZUL: There is no help for a liar or fool,
AQUA: Who has a good father but will not obey.
CERULIA: Who takes a warm jacket and books for school,
And for trifles, trades them away;

JIMINY and PINOCCHIO (crying): I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

TROMBONI (ENTERING): Time to go my little Money Puppet! What is this! Little Blue Witches!

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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TROMBONI: Come back with my puppet! Grrr.... (picks up brick and chain and EXITS)


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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GEPPETTO: Good morning, Professor Mayonnaise, this is my new son, Pinocchio. Say, “Hello,” to your Professor, Pinocchio.

PINOCCHIO: Hello to your Professor, Pinocchio.

GEPPETTO (chuckle): May he start school today?

TEACHER: He is late.
GEPPETTO: I am sorry. We will not be late anymore.

TEACHER: He has a wooden head. (taps on Pinocchio’s head with his pointer stick)
GEPPETTO: True. But his wooden head is very smart.


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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TEACHER: A cricket! In my classroom! What next? Snakes? Spiders? A nest of rats? A wallow of pigs? A bucket of maggots????


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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(PINOCCHIO looks around for an empty spot to sit, but every time he walks over to sit, the children move to fill the spot and laugh.)

TEACHER: Be quiet! Children! We have a new student today. Pinocchio, Sit Down!!!

(PINOCCHIO sits.)

ACORN: That’s a funny name!
CORNCOB: Pinocchio Sit Down! (CHILDREN laugh.)


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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SCHOOL KIDS: K, L, M, N, O
PINOCCHIO: Oh No! We overslept!

SCHOOL KIDS: P, Q, R
PINOCCHIO (singing): R You sleeping?

SCHOOL KIDS: S, T
PINOCCHIO: T With sugar and cream?

SCHOOL KIDS: U
PINOCCHIO: U Are my Sunshine!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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SWEET: I think we should stay. Teacher will be back right away.

LAMPWICK: Hey, Pinocchio. My name is Lampwick. Pleased to meet ya. (shake hands)
PINOCCHIO: Hello, Lampwick. (the shaking makes him bounce)

LAMPWICK: Hey! Forget that grumpy teacher. Let’s go have fun!

PINOCCHIO: OK! (THEY EXIT running)

JIMINY (waking up) : Is school over? Where is everybody? Oh, no!
Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Here we go again! Geppetto! Geppetto! (EXITS running)

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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#MUSIC: “Bad Ideas” (0:28)
Dance by 3 BLIND MICE. Capt. Brutus tries to chase them away, but they skip around him.

CAPTAIN BRUTUS: Hurry Hurry! The coach to Mischief Island leaves in just 5 minutes. Free to the first 10 children who want to have fun fun fun!

ACORN: What is Mischief Island?

CAPTAIN: Oh, nothing at all, just carnivals and magic shows and roller coasters, and all FREE!

CORNCOB: It’s all free? How do we get there?

CAPTAIN: In this beautiful coach pulled by these strong donkeys. In just a few hours you will be eating cotton candy and caramel apples!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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FOX: Do tell? And is there money in this?
CAT: Money?

CAPTAIN: Money for you, if you bring me more children. I leave in 3 minutes.
CAT: 3 minutes!

FOX: Not a moment to lose! (CAT and FOX EXIT.)

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Lines Skipped . . . .

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KIDS AND CAPTAIN sing:
Go forever Mischief Island,
Pretty island in the sea,
Trampoline so high,
Pteradactyls fly the sky,
Apple pies and dragonflies
Flutter by;


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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LAMPWICK: Don’t be different, Pinoke! Come on! We are ALL going!
ALL THE KIDS: Come on Pinocchio. Be like us. We are ALL going!

SWEET CHILD (leading MOTHER ENTER running): Stop them, Mother!

MOTHER (pulling SPOILED CHILD off the wagon): Give me back my child! You Monster! You kidnapper! You thief!

SPOILED CHILD: No, Mother! Let me go! (cries)

MOTHER: Let those children go!
DONKEYS: Hee-haw! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!
CAPTAIN: Shut your mouths you noisy donkeys!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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MOTHER: What about Sharkanto!
GEPPETTO: Finding my son is more important. (EXIT)
JIMINY: I can’t wait! I will hop after them! (EXIT after the wagon)


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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(GEPPETTO sings and WHISKERS meows)
Oh where, Oh where did my Pinocchio go?
Oh where, Oh where can he be?
With his legs cut short,
And his nose cut long,
Oh where, Oh where can he be?


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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BAD KID 1: I rode the rollercoaster 20 times, and ate spaghetti through my nose!
BEGGAR: I ate pudding and pizza and pickles and pie, then got sick all over my clothes.

BAD KID 2: I stomped on a hat!
BAD KID 3: I painted a cat!
BAD KID 2, 3: I wonder what Mother would say about that.

LAMPWICK: Hey, Pinocchio! You didn’t drink or smoke or break windows, not one!
PINOCCHIO: I was happy just watching. But the roller coaster was fun!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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LAMPWICK: Aw, shut up, you Sissy! This is the best place to be!
When you don’t have to pay, that means YOU ARE FREE!

PINOCCHIO: But Lampwick, who does pay?
Who buys the cake and ferris wheel?
Who sweeps the broken glass,
And puts back what we steal?


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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LAMPWICK: A tail and ears! You did this to me?
Stop it! This isn’t funny!
CAPTAIN: I will make it clear. You are not free.
I sell you donkeys for a lot of money! Ha ha ha !


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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HERALD: Hear ye! Hear ye! The Mayor has an announcement.

MAYOR: Citizens of Badluckia, I am sorry to tell you that the Police Chief and his Deputies have searched and searched and have not been able to find our missing children.

MARKET LADY: How can we go on, with out our children!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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FARMER: Sharkanto is on fire!!! He is smoking and belching flames!
TOWN FOLK: Sharkanto is on fire????

FARMER: He crashed into a big ship and it cracked open and a lot of donkeys fell into the water!

TOWN FOLK: Donkeys???

JUNK DEALER: Donkeys are good swimmers! Look, they are crawling onto the shore!

MOTHER: Look! A man and a little animal . . .
SPOILED: and a large insect,
MOTHER: are crawling onto the shore!

SWEET: It is Geppetto! And his cat, Whiskers!

TOWN FOLK: Hooray!

SWEET: What is Geppetto carrying?
MOTHER: Oh, no! It looks like a dead child.

TOWN FOLK: Oh, no! Is it my child?


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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TEACHER: These are very friendly donkeys.

HERALD: They are wearing clothes, and that is strange and different, but cute.

POLICE CHIEF: This one is WEARING MY child’s clothes!!!

FARMER: This one LOOKS like my child!

MARKET LADY: This one LOOKS like my child AND is WEARING his clothes.

JIMINY: They ARE YOUR CHILDREN! They turned into donkeys on Mischief Island.

TOWN FOLK: My child is a DONKEY???
JIMINY: Better donkey than dead!


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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SWEET: We are all different! We are all strange! Geppetto and Pinocchio saved your children!

SPOILED: You did too, Jiminy Cricket.
JIMINY: And I am the strangest of all!

TEACHER: Jiminy Cricket is right! Let’s bring Geppetto gifts to show we care.

TOWN FOLK: Yes!
(TOWNFOLK go and return immediately with gifts such as a bowl of soup, a little blanket, a candle, a poem on a paper, a doll or toy, a flower in a vase, a story book, food from an old recipe.)
STORYTELLER: The Town Folk went to their homes immediately and found gifts for Geppetto, gifts that reminded them of people and places they loved.
They brought them to Geppetto and Pinocchio.

TEACHER: A warm blanket that wrapped me as a baby in Alaska.
MAYOR: A bowl of soup from my homeland across the sea .
JUNK DEALER: A flower I grew with seeds from my aunt in Nebraska.
POLICE CHIEF: A toy my grandfather from Korea made for me.


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Lines Skipped . . . .

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TOWNFOLK: We are too late!

SPOILED: But Pinocchio isn’t a dead BOY. He is a wooden puppet!
PINOCCHIO: Hey! Presents! Is it my birthday? (The crowd parts so we can see:)
GEPPETTO: Pinocchio! You are alive! And you are a real boy!
PINOCCHIO: I’m a real boy! Father! I’m a real boy!

CERULIA: Pinocchio healed himself! He was good, brave and unselfish!
AZUL: Happy Birthday, Pinocchio.
AQUA: and Happy New Day to us All: Shake off your strings and be truly alive!

#MUSIC: “You are my Sunshine!” (0:30)-- Let music play on and on.
(MICE START SINGING, then ALL SING!)
You are my sunshine, My only sunshine,
You make me happy, When skies are gray,
You’ll never know, dear, How much I love you,
So please don’t take, My Sunshine away!

BOWS - Storyteller, Mice, Each Townfolk, Blue Fairies, Lampwick joined by Each Donkey, Fox and Cat, Tromboni, Captain Brutus, Whiskers joined by Geppetto, Jiminy, Pinocchio.

Music for Bows:

MUSIC CHARACTERS
Three Blind Mice - Storyteller, Mice,


Pop Goes the Weasel - Adult Townfolk,



Mysteriosa 17 sec. - Blue Fairies,


Tendbrous Carnival - Lampwick joined by Each Donkey,


Comic Hero - Fox and Cat, Tromboni, Captain Brutus,


Bright Wish - Whiskers joined by Geppetto, Jiminy, Pinocchio.

Email: funantics.scripts@yahoo.com