Cinderella
from the fairytale by Charles Perrault
By Mickey Coburn

About the Play: From the classical fairytale by Charles Perrault, Mickey Coburn spins a funny, lively play for children of all ages. This Cinderella is feisty and fiery, the dialog is full of humor; the addition of two sprites – Junot and Julie – give additional casting possibilities for younger actors. A charming version of the well-loved story.

Characters:
CINDERELLA: Young, sweet beautiful but not sappy; “Puckish” and high spirited
AUBERT: Stepsister; eats all the time; slightly round
ARMENTINE: Stepsister; the skinny one; everything is hers; bosses Aubert; throws tantrums
GASPARDE CRISPIN   Stepmother: silly and vain; has-been Opera singer; equipped with sprays, gargles and continual scales; sings part of all her sentences

MINNIE: Fairy Godmother; a bit of a bag lady; absent minded; talks in riddles; adorable
(HYPATIA IGNATIA HESPARA MINETTE)   

JUNOT: Well-Wishers/Sprites; elves; tricksters;
JULIE: Invisible to all except Cinderella and

CLAUDE: The Prince; charming, regular; bored with the royal life
DARCY: Prince’s sidekick; devoted to Claude; overly interested in the ladies
KING FONTAINE: Jolly: more Chevalier than Boyer; something of a voyeur

MARC, RENE: Guests at the ball; charming courtiers

METISSE, REINETTE: Guests at the ball; charming courtieres

SIBELLE:King’s Girlfriend; the floozy of her time; Speaks with Brooklyn accent

FOOTMAN/PAGE
DANCER CINDERELLA       Cinderella’s dancer double to permit magic

The Scenes::
The French Countryside, early 19th Century.

Act I scene 1   Cinderella’s small country cottage. The kitchen. The morning of the great ball.
Act I scene 2      Later that morning. The garden of Cinderella’s house.
Act II scene 1  At the ball. Evening of the same day
Act II scene 2  The ballroom; after the ball
Act II scene 3  The following morning. The garden of Cinderella’s cottage

From the Play:

Act I
Scene 1

(The French countryside, early 19th century; the kitchen and garden of a small, country house. Inside, there is a cooking hearth, table, chairs, etc.; outside, there is a wishing well, garden bench. It is morning of the day of the great ball.
As the curtain opens, we hear GASPARDE CRISPIN, a widow in her early 40’s, practicing her scales. She gets stuck on a high note, repeats it several times and then trills downward as she enters. She wears a flowing negligee over her corset and bloomers; and though not having completed her toilette, is nonetheless “done up.” She attempts her scales again; gets stuck again – this time going to the counter near the hearth, pours water from the pitcher, gargles – tries scales again -- succeeds at the high note.)

GASPARDE: Manifique! Manifique! Ma-ni-fique!! (kisses her hands, arms, fingertips) Tonight I’ll be la belle du balle – My gown – my hair – my eyes – but most of all – (hits high note). (Improvising; giggling) Oh, your majesty – you flatter me. But I’ve already sung eight songs – (flirtatiously) Well, maybe jut two or three more. Of course, if you dance with me, I’ll sing all night. (she dances around the kitchen) This is a magnificent ball! I was so pleased to be invited. You old meany, you didn’t invite me last year. (she continues dancing singing; suddenly she stops – lets out a vibrato screech --) The ball!! Aubert! Armentine !! Armentine!! Aubert!! Up – up – up!! Tonight’s the King’s ball! Aubert!!

(She sings the last word and is off vocalizing again. AUBERT and ARMENTINE enter; AUBERT is eating an apple; ARMENTINE carries a mirror and hairbrush)

AUBERT: What’s all the screeching about? It isn’t even noon yet. We’ve got ten hours until the ball.
GASPARDE: Only ten? I’ll never have you looking beautiful by then. Would you please stop eating? You’ll pop your seams tonight!

(She takes the apple away from her; AUBERT gets another from a bowl, and eats it.)

ARMENTINE: (has been looking in the mirror; let's out a scream) Aaaaaagh!! Aaaaagh!! Aaaaagh!!!!
GASPARDE: What? What? What?
ARMENTINE: A gray hair! I found a gray hair!
AUBERT: (laughing and singing) Mademoiselle called Armentine how old are you? Mademoiselle called Armentine how old are you?

(ARMENTINE chases her, grabs her and pulls hairs out of AUBERT’S head)

ARMENTINE: Not as old as my old maid sister!! There’s a gray hair (yank) There’s another! (continues)
AUBERT: Ouch! Mama!! Help!! Mama! Ouch! I’ll be bald!
GASPARDE: Enough! Armentine – sit down! Sit! Now stop crying Aubert; your eyes will be all red and puffy.
AUBERT: So what? It’s a masked ball.
GASPARDE: At the stroke of midnight, we remove our masks. The Prince will not fall in love with a girl who has red and puffy eyes. There now – eat something – you’ll feel better –
ARMENTINE: The Prince won’t fall in love with a girl who eats all the time either-
GASPARDE: Tina –
ARMENTINE: Or who has gray hair!!

(She pulls one more out of her sister’s head; AUBERT screams)

GASPARDE: Enough!! Stop that! Sit!! (sitting at table) First we’ll have our coffee; then we’ll have a soothing herb bath with scented oil….(all are at table)
…maybe that will calm you both down.
AUBERT: Where is the coffee?
ARMENTINE: Where is Cinderella?
GASPARDE: (calling) Ella! Cinderella!! Oh, that girl – off dreaming at the river again – (she goes outside) Cinderella!

(CINDERELLA runs in carrying a basket of flowers)

CINDERELLA: Here I am – Good morning, Mama.
GASPARDE: Where have you been? There’s no coffee – there’s no breakfast – what are those for? We cannot eat flowers for breakfast.
CINDERELLA: (entering kitchen) The coffee’s ready, Mama.
GASPARDE: (following) Lazy, good-for-nothing girl. What am I to do with you?
ARMENTINE: Oh, what gorgeous flowers – perfect – perfect – I’m going to wear them in my hair! Perfect – I’m going to wear them in my hair!
AUBERT: To cover the gray? Uh- uh – you can’t have them – Cinderella picked them for me --didn’t you, Cinderella?
ARMENTINE: To eat in an omelet? (They’ve been pulling at the flowers, and spill them on the floor. CINDERELLA retrieves them)
GASPARDE: (singing) Silence!! Sit down – it is very déclassé to wear flowers. It’s probably not a good idea to eat them either. (The two girls are squared off at each other)
GASPARDE: (singing) Sit!! Coffee!! Now!! Up! Up! Cinderella – we’re waiting –

(As CINDERELLA serves three bowls of coffee)

CINDERELLA: Tonight’s the ball, Mama –
ARMENTINE: What’s it to you?
AUBERT: (overlapping) What’s it to her?
CINDERELLA: Did you ever see the Prince, Mama?
GASPARDE: Yes, once.
ARMENTINE: You never told me that –
AUBERT: (overlapping) What did he look like? –
CINDERELLA: He’s very handsome, isn’t he?
GASPARDE: He was very small at the time. The King brought him to the opera. I was singing Béatrice – You should have heard me – I was truly magnificent. In Act 2, I…..
ARMENTINE: The Prince – Mama!
GASPARDE: He was only six. He fell asleep during Act I. He missed my best Aria. He’s been abroad at school ever since – hopefully he’s learned to stay awake at the opera.
CINDERELLA: (serving little buns) I can’t wait to see him. I know he’s very handsome –
AUBERT: (stuffing her mouth with rolls) See him? How will you see him?
ARMENTINE: She’s not coming to the ball – Mama! How embarrassing – she can’t come to the ball!!
CINDERELLA: Everyone is invited –
ARMENTINE: Did you get an invitation? You didn’t get an invitation!
CINDERELLA: Everyone got an invitation.
ARMENTINE: Mama! You said you tore it up!
AUBERT: Servants are not invited!
CINDERELLA: I’m not a servant. You’ve treated me like one since my father died. But I’m not a servant. And you had no right to tear up my invitation –
ARMENTINE: You’re a dirty little thing who sleeps near the cinders – Mama – she can’t come to the ball – You can’t let her – Mama –(she throws a tantrum) You mustn’t let her come … (etc.)
GASPARDE: Go—go—go—Tina—Aubert—get ready for your bath! Now! Now!!
(They exit; AUBERT takes her coffee and rolls with her)
GASPARDE: Perhaps next year, Cinderella –
CINDERELLA: But this is the ball to welcome home the Prince an to find him a bride. Please – I’ve always dreamed of going to a ball –
GASPARDE: Well, if you’re very good, when one of your lovely sisters marries him, I’ll let you come to the wedding. Now go fetch water for your sisters’ bath – go—go—go—

About the Playwright:
Mickey Coburn is playwright, poet and stage director. A BFA graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology theatre program, Mickey studied in the graduate programs at the New School in New York City, the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford, England and the University of Pittsburgh. Her plays have been produced by the Acting Place, Inc. in Massachusetts, the Boston Childrenís Theatre, the New Ehrlich Theatre in Boston and have been given numerous readings in New York and elsewhere. Mickey conducts workshops at schools and universities and works as a stage director and acting coach. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild.