Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Copyright 1995
Karl B. Peterson
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List of Scenes
Cast
Narrator, done as a voice over.
Ebeneezer SCROOGE, miser
Bob Cratchit, SCROOGE’s employee
Fred, SCROOGE’s cheerful nephew
1st Missionary, sings and collects money for charity.
2nd Missionary also sings and collects money for charity.
3rd Missionary sings and collects money for charity too.
Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s disabled and cheerful son.
Theodore, SCROOGE’s tenet
Chorus Leader, leads the Chorus.
Jacob Marley, SCROOGE’s long dead partner in business
Christmas Past, a spirit.
Fan, SCROOGE’s young sister.
Little SCROOGE, SCROOGE as a young boy.
Fezziwig, SCROOGE’s kind-hearted boss in years long past
Mrs. Fezziwig, his wife
Belle, SCROOGE’s former fiancé from years gone by
Young SCROOGE, SCROOGE as a young man
Belle’s Daughter
Belle’s Husband
Christmas Present, a spirit
Mrs. Cratchit, Bob’s wife
Peter Cratchit, Bob’s older son
Belinda Cratchit, Bob’s younger daughter
Martha Cratchit, Bob’s older daughter
2nd Chorus Leader, the conductor of the chorus in years gone by
Fred’s Wife
Marie, a young lady at Fred’s party
Topper, a young man at Fred’s party
Ignorance, a young spirit in rags.
Want, another young spirit in rags
Christmas Yet to Come, a spirit
Charwoman,
Laundress
Undertaker’s Woman
Joe, a buyer of stolen property
Caroline, Theodore’s wife
Boy,
Carolers
Townspeople
Scene 1—Exterior Village
Chorus sings “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
NARRATOR: Marley was dead. There is no doubt whatsoever about that. The register
of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker and the chief mourner.
(Enter SCROOGE from stage left. He crosses to the office on stage right. ) SCROOGE
signed it for he and Marley were the partners for many years. SCROOGE was his sole
executor, his sole administrator, his sole friend, and sole mourner. And even SCROOGE was
not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that on the very day of the funeral, he
concluded a shrewd business transaction.
NARRATOR: SCROOGE never painted out old Marley's name. There it stood years
afterward above the warehouse door¬--SCROOGE and Marley. (SCROOGE goes in and
sits at his desk. Enter CRATCHIT from stage left and he crosses over to the office and
enters.)
Sometimes people new to the business called SCROOGE SCROOGE, and sometimes Marley,
but he answered to both names. It was all the same to him. Once upon a time--of all the
good days in the year, on Christmas Eve—Old SCROOGE sat busy in his counting house
(He sits down at his desk, then looks down at his meager fire, pokes at it, then goes by
SCROOGE to get another lump of COAL.)
SCROOGE: Waste!
SCROOGE: Waste, Mr. Cratchit! Waste! We are here to make money, not spend it. If
you waste my goods you might find yourself without employment!
(CRATCHIT does not get the lump. Instead, goes back to his desk, tries to warm himself
at his CANDLE. Enter FRED from stage left carrying a gift.)
FRED: (Holding out a gift for SCROOGE.) A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!
FRED: Christmas a humbug, uncle? You don't mean that, I am sure! (He sets a gift on
corner of book.)
SCROOGE: I do. Merry Christmas! What is Christmas time but a time for buying things
for which you've no need nor money. A time for finding yourself a year older and not an
hour richer. What reason do you have to be Merry? You're poor
enough.
FRED: Come, then. What right have you to be dismal? You're rich enough.
FRED: Don't be cross, uncle! (He picks up gift and sets it back on the table)
SCROOGE: What else can I be when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry
Christmas! Humbug!
FRED: Uncle!
SCROOGE: Nephew! Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine!
SCROOGE: Then let me leave it alone. What good has it ever done you?
FRED: There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not
profited, I dare say. Christmas among the rest. But I have always thought of Christmas
time as a time for forgiving. A charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know when men
and women seem to freely open their shut-up hearts. Therefore, Uncle, though it has
never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and
will do me good; and I say, "God bless it"! (CRATCHIT starts clapping.)
SCROOGE: (To CRATCHIT, scowling.) Let me hear another sound from you and you'll
keep your Christmas by losing your employment! (He gets up and goes to his filing
cabinet to put some papers in. To FRED) You're quite a powerful speaker, sir. I wonder
you don't go into Parliament!
SCROOGE: Humbug! Dine with you (he laughs) I'd rather dine with the devil.
SCROOGE: Your wife—yes I heard she was poor.....didn't bring much into the
marriage. Why did you get married?
FRED: Because I fell in love! I love her and she loves me.
SCROOGE: Because you fell in love! That is the only thing more ridiculous than Merry
Christmas. Good Afternoon!
FRED: I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why can't we be friends?
SCROOGE: (He sits at his desk.) You are wasting my time nephew.....Good Afternoon!
FRED: (He starts to leave, but after a few steps, he turns back to SCROOGE. ) I am
sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel, to which
I have been a party.
SCROOGE: Hummph!
FRED: But I'll keep my Christmas humor to the last, so a Merry Christmas, Uncle.
CRATCHIT: Merry Christmas, sir. (Exit FRED stage left. Three MISSIONARIES enter
from stage left and cross over to the office. They enter. One of them blows on a tuner to
get their pitch and start singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”)
SCROOGE: Stop that confounded racket! State your business and be quick about it. I
have work to do.
SCROOGE: (Not looking up.) Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years. He died
this very night.
2ND MISSIONARY: We, no doubt, have his generosity well represented by his
surviving partner.
SCROOGE: The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigor, then?
SCROOGE: Oh! I was afraid from what you said at first that something had stopped
them in their useful course. I am very glad to hear they are still operating.
2ND MISSIONARY: (Not looking up.) A few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to
buy the poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth because at this time the want is
more keenly felt.
SCROOGE: Nothing.
SCROOGE: I wish to remain alone. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't
afford to make idle people merry. My taxes help support the establishments I have
mentioned and those who are badly off must go there.
SCROOGE: If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus
population.
2ND MISSIONARY: But, sir! Certainly you don't mean that, sir.
SCROOGE: With all my heart. (He stands and gets a book from off his shelf.) If I could
work my will, every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips would be
boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through the heart!
SCROOGE: It's not my business. (Sitting down at his desk and looking up something in
the book.) It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere
with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon!
(CRATCHIT looks at his pocket watch and starts getting his SCARF and COAT on.)
SCROOGE: You'll want all day tomorrow, I suppose.
SCROOGE: It's not convenient and it's not fair. If I were to stop half a crown for it, you'd
think yourself ill-used. And yet, you don't think me ill-used when I pay a day’s wages for
no work.
SCROOGE: (He stands. He starts buttoning his coat and putting on his scarf.) A poor
excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But I suppose you
must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier the next morning!
CRATCHIT: (He goes out the door.) I promise, sir. Merry Christmas, sir!
SCROOGE: Humbug.
(SCROOGE prepares to exit by putting on his cape and hat. The lights dim on the office
and the set changes to the city street.)
CRATCHIT: Well, you don’t have to wait any longer! Let’s get you home. (He picks up
TINY TIM.)
CRATCHIT: Yes, and I was able to get Christmas Day off. I will be home the entire day!
(SCROOGE enters from stage left approaches THEODORE, a young, poor man.)
(The CHORUS hums the same hymn during the following scene. THEODORE sees
SCROOGE coming. THEODORE crosses over to SCROOGE.)
SCROOGE: What need is there for talk? You either have the money or you don't.
SCROOGE: And did you not sign a paper promising to pay the loan back?
SCROOGE: I feel I have been more than reasonable to wait this long.
THEODORE: But!
(SCROOGE Stands to the side looking through his pocket transaction book as the
CHORUS finishes their song. The CHORUS LEADER crosses to SCROOGE.)
CHORUS LEADER: Sir, is there a Christmas song you would like to hear? You name
the tune and we will sing it for you!
SCROOGE: Bah!
CHORUS LEADER: But surely you must have a favorite carol you would like to hear on
Christmas Eve!
SCROOGE: Christmas Eve! Humbug! (Exit SCROOGE right. The set changes to
SCROOGE’S apartment while the Chorus sings “Good Christian Men Rejoice!”)