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Sample
PAPAGENINA'S FLUTE
A FAIRY-TALE MUSICAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Inspired by Mozart’s
“THE MAGIC FLUTE”
LEO CAPPÈL
© Leo Cappèl 2004
I love Mozart’s music for the Magic Flute, but I’ve never been convinced by the libretto, which was written for him by Schikaneder. I can understand the Free Mason background to the script, but I don’t like the loose ends. For instance: who - or why - was the “Queen of the Night”? Why was Papageno a bird catcher, was it for food or for some symbolic reason? And most important, where did the magic Flute – the instrument – come from? Magic objects, like the sword “Excalibur” or the Grail, invariably have a legendary history, not so Schikaneder’s Flute.
“PAPAGENINA’S FLUTE” is my young person’s answer to these questions.
Leo Cappel, Kawau Island
CAST
PAPAGENO The father, 'Geno for short, age 38
PAPAGENA The mother, 'Gena for short, age 35
PAPAGENINA The daughter, 'Nina, age 13
OLE'PAGENO The earliest ancestor, Ole'pa, age 55
PANETTA Daughter of Ole'pageno, age 79
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT A.k.a. The Starflaming Queen, ageless
PRINCE 'Nina's future husband at age 28
WHITE KITTEN 'Nina's future husband at age 15, played by a
slender person dressed and masked as a white kitten.
THE THREE SERVANTS OF THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT They are musicians
and singers, two male, one female, reasonable proficient on mandolin,
guitar and flute, able to play on the stage rather than in a pit, and
without written music in front of them. They may take part in the action.
TREES If the director so wishes, extra actors may act as the Mother of the
Flute Tree and further trees of the forest.
Suggested instruments: concert flute and harp, or concert flute, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and triangle. If necessary, a tenor recorder may be substituted for the flute. A large drum or gong is played off stage. (Complete score available.)
PRONOUNCIATION NOTES:
Papageno: Pahpahgayno
Papagena: Pahpahgaynah
Papagenina: Pahpahgayneenah
Ole'pageno: Olpahgayno
Tamino: Tahmeeno
Pamina: Pahmeenah
Panetta: Pahnèttah
'Geno: Gayno
'Gena: Gaynah
'Nina: Neenah
Ole'pa: Olepah
All names should be pronounced with a distinct sing-song sound.
SCENES
SCENE 1 IN THE PRESENT; IN PAPAGENO'S FOREST
SCENE 2 VERY LONG AGO; IN OLE'PAGENO'S FOREST
SCENE 3 LONG AGO; IN PANETTA'S FOREST (SAME SET AS IN
SCENE 2)
SCENE 4 NOT SO LONG AGO; IN THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT'S FOREST
(APART FROM THE DIFFERENT LIGHTING, AGAIN SAME SET AS IN SCENE 2)
SCENE 5 IN THE PRESENT; IN PAPAGENO'S FOREST (SAME SET AS IN
SCENE 1)
SETS
A number of large trees - or actors dressed and masked as trees - are placed in little groups upstage and along the sides. A single large tree stands in the exact centre of the open area centre stage for scenes 1 and 5. This tree is replaced for scenes 2, 3 and 4 by a very young tree. No other changes are necessary.
Apart from these trees the stage is bare.
PROPS
A watering can.
A picnic hamper with tablecloth, plates, glasses, food and a
bottle of "wine".
Birthday cake with 13 candles.
The magic flute: a treble recorder, painted gold, with a small bunch of silver chimes tied on to the foot with an easily undone ribbon, initially gift-wrapped as a birthday present.
Light picnic table with one picnic chair.
White jug.
White bone: best would be a deer leg bone, open at one end, so it can be made to sound in the manner of a bottle (jugband).
Large black toy cat.
Throne: a simple, light armchair, painted silver.
Bamboo garden rake.
Unless the Mother of the Flute Tree is played by an actor, a length of steel stovepipe to distort the voice of the Mother of the Flute.
SCENE 1
IN PAPAGENO'S FOREST. ON STAGE A PICNIC HAMPER AND A FAIR NUMBER OF LARGE POTTED TREES, ONE OF WHICH (THE "MOTHER OF THE FLUTE" TREE) MUST BE EXACTLY IN THE CENTRE OF THE STAGE. NO SEATS OR TABLES AT ALL.
IN THE PRESENT.
PAPAGENO WALKS AROUND THE STAGE WITH A WATERING CAN, WATERING THE TREES.
ENTER THE THREE SERVANTS WITH FLUTE, MANDOLIN, GUITAR AND A PICNIC BASKET.
THE THREE SERVANTS PLAY AND SING THE "QUEEN OF THE NIGHT" SONG.
We are the servants of the Queen,
Her wondrous,
Her awesome,
Her truly ageless Majesty:
The Queen of the Night.
The sombre forest of the night knows neither noon
Nor light of day, just starry skies and endless gloom.
No bright and warming sun will ever shed her light
Into the darkly timeless forest of the night.
Her Majesty, without a friend and all alone,
Sits waiting, endless waiting, on her silver throne.
Three servants, and her birds are all she'll ever see
No happy laughter, dance or music will there be.
Her servants pay with wine and bread for faithful birds
And ev'ry single bird flies out, returns with word
Of strange new worlds where all the days are gay and bright.
The Queen sits, waiting, in her forest of the night.
We are the servants of the Queen,
Her wondrous,
Her awesome,
Her truly ageless majesty:
The Queen of the Night!
SERVANT HANDS OVER THE PICNIC BASKET TO PAPAGENO.
SERVANT: With the complements of our Queen, here are your bread and
your wine and also something extra for your daughter's special birthday.
PAPAGENO: Thank you kindly.
SERVANT: You're welcome, Papageno.
EXIT THE THREE SERVANTS.
PAPAGENO (TALKING TO THE TREES): Sorry, my friends, I should have
thought of that before. You trees are kind of people too, aren't you? You deserve to share in the birthday fun.
PAPAGENO SITS DOWN ON THE GROUND, TAKES THE BOTTLE OF WINE OUT OF THE BASKET, OPENS IT AND POURS SOME WINE INTO THE WATERING CAN. HE GOES BACK TO WATERING THE TREES, THE "MOTHER OF THE FLUTE" TREE FIRST.
PAPAGENO: Straight wine would be too strong for you, even though you're
a big tree now. But half wine, half water should be all right. (HE GOES TO THE OTHER TREES AGAIN) As long as you behave yourself you can have some too. And you too. After all, Papagenina is a very special girl and her thirteenth birthday is even more special. (HE LOOKS UP INTO THE SKY) No, you birds, you stay where you are. No bird-catching today, not on Papagenina's birthday. Funny, when you come to think of it, nobody's seen the old Queen of the Night for ages, but her servants keep coming for more birds. Mind you, as long as they're bringing us our bread and wine I won't ask any questions. But it is funny, that's for sure.
ENTER PAPAGENA, RIGHT, A GIFT-WRAPPED PARCEL IN HER HANDS.
PAPAGENA: What's funny, dear?
PAPAGENO: I was thinking of the Queen of the Night, and that her servants
still want birds after all that time.
PAPAGENA: Who cares? You're a professional bird-catcher, so you catch
birds. And what does it matter if we never hear from the old Queen any more? I never liked her anyway.
PAPAGENA PUTS THE PARCEL ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE PICNIC BASKET AND DURING THE FOLLOWING DIALOGUE SHE TAKES OUT A TABLECLOTH, SPREADS IT OUT ON THE GROUND, NEXT SHE TAKES OUT THREE PLATES, GLASSES, FOOD ETC., WHICH SHE ARRANGES AND RE-ARRANGES ON THE TABLECLOTH.
PAPAGENO: People say she was very loving and gentle at first, but I
suppose if you know you'll never die, then after a few centuries it gets to be a bore and that makes you bitchy. Wouldn't you say so?
PAPAGENA: I wouldn't know. Mind you, it won't happen to us, we'll
happily grow old.
PAPAGENO: Yes, and people will point at us and say: Look at Papageno
and Papagena. Now there's a silly old couple, aren't they happy! Not like that stupid Queen who stayed young for untold centuries, and turned all sour, the bitch!
ENTER THE THREE SERVANTS WITH THEIR INSTRUMENTS.
PAPAGENA: Yeah, let us sing the song of the silly happy couple.
PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA SING THE SONG, WITH THE SERVANTS JOINING IN THE CHORUS.
Now there's a silly old couple,
Happy as can be.
Silly hey ho ho,
Happy hey ho ho.
Happy as can be.
CHORUS: Silly couple? Wise old couple!
Happy as can be.
The Queen Of The Night is lonely,
She lives in the dark.
Lonely hey ho ho,
In the dark ho ho.
She lives in the dark.
CHORUS: Silly Queeny? Poor old Queeny!
Lonely as can be.
With bread and wine for dinner,
Birdsong all around.
Bread and wine ho ho,
Singing birds ho ho.
Birdsong all around.
CHORUS: Silly couple? Wise old couple!
Happy as can be.
PAPAGENA: Shush, Papageno, I think Papagenina is coming.
PAPAGENO: Quick, Papagena, hide the present.
PAPAGENA HIDES THE PARCEL BEHIND A TREE.
ENTER PAPAGENINA, LEFT.
PAPAGENINA: You know what?
PAPAGENO: What?
EXIT PAPAGENA, RIGHT.
PAPAGENINA: Today is - - - Hey, where's Mum going?
PAPAGENO: Wouldn't you like to know!
ENTER PAPAGENA WITH A LARGE BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH THIRTEEN BURNING CANDLES, RIGHT.
PAPAGENINA: Oh, you remembered. You remembered. Of course I knew
you would, but I thought what if you forgot?
PAPAGENO GOES TO PAPAGENA. TOGETHER THEY HOLD THE CAKE AND SING THE BIRTHDAY SONG, WITH THE SERVANTS JOINING IN THE CHORUS.
We'll sing you a beautiful birthday song,
We'll bake you a lovely cake.
We'll give you a wonderful birthday gift:
We'll grant you a magical wish.
CHORUS: We'll grant you a magical wish,
We'll grant you a magical wish,
We'll give you a wonderful birthday gift:
We'll grant you a magical wish.
We'll show you how special this day will be,
We'll make this a day of delight.
We'll bring you a gift that will change your life:
We'll grant you a magical wish!
CHORUS: We'll grant you a magical wish,
We'll grant you a magical wish,
We'll give you a wonderful birthday gift:
We'll grant you a magical wish.
PAPAGENINA: A magical wish? While I blow out the candles? Can I blow
them out now, Dad? Please, pretty please?
PAPAGENO (LAUGHS): You want me to help you blow?
PAPAGENINA: No, don't you dare. I'm not a little girl any more!
PAPAGENA: Don't tease her, Dad. Not on her birthday.
PAPAGENINA: No, don't tease me, Dad.
PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA PUT THE CAKE ON THE GROUND,
PAPAGENINA BLOWS OUT THE CANDLES.
PAPAGENA: A wish. Make a wish. ( - - - ) What did you wish, 'Nina, dear?
Are we allowed to know?
PAPAGENINA: Well, ( - - - ) I, ( - - - ) it's kind of personal.
I don't know. ( - - - ) Oh, well, I'm big now, I can talk about things. If you must know, I wished for a Prince. And why shouldn't I? Dad always told me he was friends with a real Prince before he met you, Mum. So why shouldn't I wish for a Prince of my own too?
PAPAGENO: Fair enough! It's true, Prince Tamino was my friend. He was my
best friend and very, very brave. He was much braver than I was. And stronger, he could do anything. As a reward for being so brave he found Pamina and I found your mother.
PAPAGENINA: See! If Dad can be friends with a Prince, then I can be too. So
there!
PAPAGENINA SINGS HER WISH SONG.
Why should I wait till I'm old and have wrinkles?
Why should I wait till I walk with a stick?
Why shouldn't I ask for a Prince as my husband?
Why shouldn't I try for that magical wish?
PAPAGENA: Sure, 'Nina, you wish for your Prince. All girls should. But cut
your cake first, and then we have a present for you.
PAPAGENINA: A present?
PAPAGENO: Later, I'm getting hungry.
PAPAGENINA CUTS THE CAKE, EVERYONE EATS, INCLUDING THE SERVANTS.
PAPAGENO: Say, I like this!
SERVANT: Yes indeed, that tastes delicious!
PAPAGENINA: Can I have another piece, Mum?
PAPAGENA: Don't you want your present first?
PAPAGENINA: Yeah, yeah!
EXIT THE THREE SERVANTS.
PAPAGENA REACHES BEHIND A TREE AND BRINGS OUT THE BIRTHDAY
PRESENT.
PAPAGENINA: For me? What's in it?
PAPAGENA: Why don't you open it, you silly girl.
PAPAGENINA OPENS THE PRESENT IN TOTAL SILENCE, TAKES OUT A GOLDEN FLUTE WITH A SMALL CLUSTER OF SILVER CHIMES HANGING FROM IT. THE CHIMES TINKLE AND PAPAGENINA ALMOST DROPS IT FROM EXCITEMENT.
PAPAGENINA: Oh, I, oh! This, this is Prince Tamino's Flute! The Magic
Flute! It is, isn't it? Is it really? And your Magic Chimes, Dad! For me? It can't be!
PAPAGENO: Don't you remember what you used to say when you were a
little girl? You always said "I wish I were magic". Well, now you will be.
PAPAGENINA: Magic? But I'm scared! I'm too young for real magic. I'm far
too young. Can't you keep it for me till I'm older? Please?
PAPAGENO: No, 'Nina, we can't. Don't worry, you'll be all right. We know
how you feel, but you are exactly the right age for big magic.
PAPAGENA: It's true, dear, you are the right age. The Queen of the Night
was very definite about it. She said you had to be thirteen, that you would become strong enough on your birthday, and also, that you would be the only real owner of the Flute.
PAPAGENINA: That makes it even more scary. The Queen said that? About
me?
PAPAGENO: 'Nina, my little girl, no sorry, my big girl, you really don't need
to worry. You'll see, you'll get used to it in no time, and we'll both help you as much as we can. And the Queen really did say that. She told me a long time ago, that the supernatural belongs to people who are too young to know differently, and to those so old they have learned to forget the difference.
PAPAGENINA: That's too deep for me.
.
PAPAGENO (LAUGHS): Actually, it's too deep for me too, but that's what
she said. But whatever, the Flute is yours. And all you have to do is play a magic melody on it while you think of the thing you want. That's all there is to it.
PAPAGENINA: That's all? And I can wish for anything I like? Can
you teach me that melody right now?
PAPAGENO: Sure.
PAPAGENA: Don't you want to eat something first? We got so many
goodies for you, specially for your birthday.
PAPAGENINA: No, I want to sit at a table and I want to have my own chair.
We always sit on the ground! Can't I magic up a table and three chairs specially for my birthday? You said I can wish for anything I like.
PAPAGENO: Well, I suppose it's not too bad an exercise to start with.
Chairs would be easier than Princes. All right, Flute against your lips, three fingers of your left hand and four of your right.
PAPAGENINA PUTS THE FLUTE TO HER MOUTH.
PAPAGENO: No, the other way round, left hand at the top. Right, now I'll
hum the melody and you play it.
PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA HUM THE FIRST PART OF THE MELODY, AFTER A FEW TRIES PAPAGENINA PLAYS IT WELL ENOUGH TO GO TO THE SECOND
PART.
PAPAGENA: Right, dear, now the second part.
WHILE PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA TEACH PAPAGENINA THE SECOND PART, PAPAGENINA STARTS TO PLAY THE FIRST PART AS WELL.
PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA THROW UP THEIR ARMS IN HORROR.
PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA, IN UNISON: No, no! Never play the whole
melody in one go except when you want to cast a spell!
PAPAGENINA (TAKEN ABACK): Sorry. I guess I got carried away.
PAPAGENO: Never mind, 'Nina, no harm done. Just play the second part
once more for us.
PAPAGENINA PLAYS IT PERFECTLY.
PAPAGENA: Great, you got it!
PAPAGENO: I think you're ready! You wanted a table and three chairs,
right? Well, girl, go for it!
PAPAGENINA HESITATES, LOOKS AT PAPAGENA.
PAPAGENA NODS EMPHATICALLY.
PAPAGENINA (SQUARES HER SHOULDERS): Well, here goes.
PAPAGENINA PLAYS THE WHOLE MELODY IN ONE GO. A MOMENT SILENCE,
THEN A SUDDEN LOUD GONG BEAT AND COMPLETE BLACKOUT. WHEN THE
LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN A SMALL TABLE AND ONE LIGHT CHAIR STAND
BESIDE THE PICNIC HAMPER.
PAPAGENINA: Only one chair! I asked for three chairs.
PAPAGENO: That's not bad at all for your first try.
PAPAGENINA: But I asked for three chairs.
PAPAGENA: I think you did very well. I could never conjure up anything at
all. Not even a teaspoon.
PAPAGENINA: But I asked for three chairs.
PAPAGENO: You should be proud of yourself, at your very first go you also
got a table.
PAPAGENINA (ANGRILY): But I asked for three chairs.
PAPAGENO: Just have a rest and try again.
PAPAGENINA: No, I try now.
PAPAGENINA PLAYS THE MAGIC MELODY AGAIN. A SHORT SILENCE, THEN A VERY SOFT GONG BEAT. THE LIGHTS DIM A LITTLE AND BRIGHTEN AGAIN.
NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS NO-ONE SPEAKS. PAPAGENINA TURNS HER BACK TO THE HOUSE, SITS DOWN ON THE GROUND, FACE IN HER HANDS. PAPAGENA KNEELS BESIDE HER, ARM AROUND PAPAGENINA'S SHOULDERS.
PAPAGENINA: What happened? What did I do wrong?
PAPAGENO: Not your fault, sometimes the supernatural is funny that way.
Maybe you just tried a bit too much. You tried to fly before you had feathers.
PAPAGENINA (LOOKS UP AGAIN): You think so?
PAPAGENO: Sure.
PAPAGENINA: But how do I get my feathers? I want to fly.
PAPAGENO: How? I'll tell you. You have to go and see Ole'pageno.
PAPAGENINA: Ole'pageno? Your ancestor?
PAPAGENO: Yes, Ole'pageno, my earliest ancestor. You have to go back to
the source. You have to create your own future from that remote past.
PAPAGENINA: I don't understand.
PAPAGENA: Your Dad doesn't either, dear, but that doesn't matter. As long
as it sounds right. Don't you worry.
PAPAGENINA: That's all very easy to say, but how do I get there?
PAPAGENO: Nothing could be easier, just play your magic melody
backwards.
PAPAGENINA: Are you sure?
PAPAGENO: Sure I'm sure.
PAPAGENINA SLOWLY WORKS OUT THE REVERSE MELODY. SHE FINALLY GETS IT RIGHT. A VERY LOUD REVERBERATING DRUM BEAT, SUDDEN BLACKOUT.
EXIT PAPAGENINA.
WHEN THE LIGHTS SLOWLY COME ON AGAIN PAPAGENINA HAS DISAPPEARED.
PAPAGENO: She did it.
PAPAGENA: Yes, she did it.
PAPAGENO: Our little bird has flown.
PAPAGENA: Yes, she has flown, and I don't like it.
PAPAGENO: I hate it.
PAPAGENA: She'll come back.
PAPAGENO: No, when she comes back it won't be her any more.
PAPAGENA: True, she'll be a different 'Nina.
PAPAGENO: An older 'Nina.
PAPAGENA: A more mature 'Nina.
PAPAGENO: A wiser 'Nina.
PAPAGENA: We think.
PAPAGENO: We hope.
PAPAGENA: Meanwhile there's still us.
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