BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
A CHILDREN’S PLAY IN ONE ACT
By Matt Thompson and Linda Sherry Thompson
Copyright © MMXI by Matt Thompson and Linda Sherry Thompson
All Rights Reserved
Heuer Publishing LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ISBN: 978-1-61588-225-0
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BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
By Matt Thompson and Linda Sherry Thompson
OP
Y
SYNOPSIS: Beatrice is a butterfly with a clipped wing. Seeking social
acceptance, her brother Bill deserts her as they walk to school to hang out
with the Cool Bees, the hippest bunch of insects this side of Mrs. Arden's
Garden. As she attempts to "fly" to school alone, she ends up lost and finds a
magical world where she meets a ladybug with no spots, a millipede with
two legs, a talking whale, a surfing turtle and a bevy of other exciting
creatures! As they all help Beatrice find her way back home, her friends help
her to realize that being different means you're just like everybody else!
TC
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(3-4 MEN, 5-6 WOMEN, 7 EITHER)
DO
NO
MRS. ARDEN (f) ......................................... The narrator. (23 lines)
MAMA (f)..................................................... May double with TAMMY the
TURTLE. (18 lines)
PAPA (m)...................................................... May double with WALTER the
WHALE. (15 lines)
BILL (m)....................................................... (62 lines)
BEATRICE (f) .............................................. (162 lines)
MATTY the MANTIS (m/f) ......................... (90 lines)
MILLIE the MILLIPEDE (f) ........................ (88 lines)
LILLY the LADYBUG (f)............................ (85 lines)
MR. TREE (m).............................................. (32 lines)
WALTER the WHALE (m) .......................... (17 lines)
TAMMY the TURTLE (f) ............................ (16 lines)
BUBBLES the SURFER KID (m/f).............. (2 lines)
SQUIRT the SURFER KID (m/f) ................. (1 line)
WIPEOUT the SURFER KID (m/f).............. (2 lines)
COOL BEE #1 (m/f) ..................................... (44 lines)
COOL BEE #2 (m/f) ..................................... (32 lines)
COOL BEE #3 (m/f) ..................................... (27 lines)
NOTE: SURFER KIDS and COOL BEES may be expanded as desired.
2
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Commissioned by North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach,
California. Artistic Director: David Ellenstein.
Y
Beatrice the Butterfly premiered November 19, 2009.
DO
NO
TC
OP
Light and Sound Design...........................................................Aaron Rumley
Costume Design ......................................................................... Jennifer Mah
Props .......................................................................................... Sunny Smith
Set Design ................................................. Marty Burnett & John Finkbinner
Stage Manager ...........................................................................Sarah Palmer
Director ................................................................................Vanessa Dinning
3
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
TC
OP
Y
AT RISE:
On stage is a sign that reads, “Mrs. Arden Residence.” Oversized
roses and other beautiful flowers and plants litter the stage. During
walk in, the stage is lit in brilliant colors symbolizing all the different
varieties of flora and fauna. As the house opens, we find MR. TREE
facing upstage. He is very still, but every now and then, he will dance
to the pre-show music, working the audience. As the show begins,
the stage goes dark. MR. TREE exits. Lights fade to black as music
plays. Blue light slowly rises to indicate moonlight. As the lights come
up, we find four butterflies asleep on separate leaves: MAMA, PAPA,
BEATRICE and BILL. (The butterfly costumes can be as simple or as
elaborate as needed. Some productions simply use face paint and
others have used giant wings.) Our narrator, MRS. ARDEN, enters
dressed in gardening attire. She holds a book in her hand, with which
she will tell our story.
NO
MRS. ARDEN: Flying low, and flying high,
Our family of butterflies hears it’s time,
And as their antennae move and clap,
Their majestic painted wings begin to flap.
The lights change to sunlight, as it is now morning. The BUTTERFLY
family begins to stretch and move about.
DO
MRS. ARDEN: The morning dew is crisp and cool,
The sun is rising, it’s time for school.
Time for reading, writing and math,
But first it’s time for a butterfly bath!
MAMA, PAPA and BILL stretch and wake up. BILL yawns and
stretches big. He stands up and uses the green leaf as a towel and
exits offstage. We hear the sound of dripping water.
MAMA: Beatrice. Ohhhhh, Beatrice!
She gently shakes BEATRICE.
4
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
MAMA: Beatrice, my beauty, it’s time for school. Wake up.
BEATRICE rolls over and doesn’t want to get up.
OP
Y
BEATRICE: Just five more minutes!
MAMA: It’s time for school, my silly daughter.
BEATRICE: (Half asleep.) Can’t I wait until Bill is out of the dew
bath?
BILL enters. He wears a backpack.
TC
BILL: All done!
BEATRICE: (Covering her head, wanted to go back to sleep.)
OHHHH!
MAMA: Come now, Beatrice. Your brother is ready for school. I don’t
want you to be late.
PAPA: Come along, daughter. Rise and shine. Early butterfly gets
the maple leaf!
NO
BEATRICE rises. For the first time, we can see both of her wings.
One wing is considerably larger than the other.
DO
BILL: (Starts to leave.) I’m going to school!
PAPA: You wait for your sister.
BILL: Oh, Papa, do I have to? All the kids point at her. Then they
point at me.
BEATRICE: Why do they point at me, Mama?
MAMA: (In a loving manner.) Because they are jealous of how
beautiful you look.
BEATRICE: They whisper things to their friends. And I can’t hear
what they are saying.
BILL: They’re whispering because they are making fun of you.
BEATRICE: Why?
BILL: Because of your wing.
BEATRICE: What’s wrong with my wing?
MAMA: (Cutting him off.) There is nothing wrong with your wing,
sweetheart. The other butterflies whisper and point at Beatrice
because she is so beautiful. Isn’t that right, Bill?
5
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
Y
BILL: (Reluctantly.) Yeah. That’s right. They point at her because
she’s so beautiful.
MAMA: That’s right. Now come on, my sweet, let’s go. Put away
your leaf, and get your backpack.
BEATRICE: Okay.
BEATRICE gets up, picks up her leaf, and exits.
NO
TC
OP
PAPA: (To BILL.) You should be nice to your sister.
BILL: I am nice to her. But all the other kids aren’t. And every time
I’m flying next to her, they all think that I’m different too.
MAMA: There’s nothing wrong with being different.
BILL: Then why does everyone at school look the same?
MAMA: Do they?
BILL: Yes.
MAMA: Not every creature’s features are the same. No two
butterflies have the same wings, the same pattern, the same color.
The lines on your wings are different than your father’s. And the
color of your wings is darker than mine. So, you see, we are all
different.
BILL: But the other bugs tease her and pull her antennae.
PAPA: You are her older brother. It’s your responsibility to look out
for your sister. Do you understand?
BILL: Yes, Papa.
PAPA: Beatrice is no different than any of the other bugs at school.
DO
BEATRICE enters.
BEATRICE: What did you say, Papa?
PAPA: I said that you are no more different than anyone else. Isn’t
that right?
BEATRICE: I think so.
MAMA: Good. Now, you two better get flying. You’ll be late for
school.
BILL AND BEATRICE: Yes, Mama.
PAPA: And Bill, remember what I said.
BILL: Yes, Papa.
PAPA: Good. Then stay true to your responsibilities.
6
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
BEATRICE: Bye, Mama! Bye, Papa!
MAMA AND PAPA: Bye, Beatrice! Bye, Bill!
MRS. ARDEN: And as the day rose up like a flower, Bill and Beatrice
flew through the forest and found the path that they knew so well.
OP
Y
Lights shift. BEATRICE and BILL “flying” to school. BEATRICE has
trouble flying in a straight line. She flies in a curved manner because
of her wing, repeatedly having to correct herself.
NO
TC
MRS. ARDEN: Bill was upset and didn’t feel like being kind,
And as they flew, Beatrice would find herself falling behind.
BEATRICE: Bill, wait! I can’t fly that fast.
MRS. ARDEN: And with a giant puff,
Bill would stop and land on a bush.
After three times of doing this, Bill said —
BILL: Do you want me to get out and push?
BEATRICE: No. I can’t fly that fast and that straight!
BILL: Come on! We don’t have all day.
BEATRICE: I’m doing the best I can!
BILL: We’ll be late for school.
MRS. ARDEN: And away they went, faster and faster, until Beatrice
found herself flying in a circle.
BILL pulls ahead and BEATRICE is flying in a circle.
BEATRICE: Bill, wait! Help me!
DO
BILL reluctantly stops, turns around and helps BEATRICE fly
“straight.”
BEATRICE: Thank you, Bill.
BILL says nothing and keeps flying. We hear the buzzing sound of
the COOL BEES growing in intensity.
MRS. ARDEN: They flew and flew as the birds did sing,
Then something made them stop flapping their wings.
7
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
COOL BEE #1, COOL BEE #2, and COOL BEE #3 enter
dramatically. We hear some 1950’s “cool” music. Dressed in black
and yellow, like ‘50’s greaser kids, they may be a little older than BILL
and BEATRICE.
TC
All the COOL BEEs laugh.
OP
Y
COOL BEE #1: Hey there, dude!
BILL: Oh, hi.
COOL BEE #2: We’re on our way to a real hive.
BILL: Aren’t you supposed to be going to school?
COOL BEE #3: School’s not cool.
COOL BEE #2: That’s right.
BEATRICE: Who are you?
COOL BEE #2: Who are we?
COOL BEE #3: She asked who we are?
The COOL BEES laugh again.
NO
COOL BEE #1: We are the coolest, craziest and wildest bunch of
insects you will ever see in this here garden.
COOL BEE #3: Yeah, check us out!
ALL COOL BEES: We’re the cool bees!
DO
The COOL BEES all make a “cool” group gesture and a buzzing
sound together, then laugh.
BEATRICE: I’ve never heard of you.
COOL BEE #1: You’ve never heard of us, huh, Squirt?
BEATRICE: Can’t say as I have.
BILL: (In awe.) I have! You bugs are the coolest bunch of insects in
the garden!
COOL BEE #1: Now you’re on to something.
BILL: Wow!
COOL BEE #1: Pretty cool, huh?
BILL: Really cool!
BEATRICE: I think it’s silly.
8
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
TC
OP
Y
COOL BEE #2: What’s with the party pooper?
COOL BEE #1: Who are you?
BEATRICE: I’m his sister. This is my big brother.
COOL BEE #3: Sister, huh? You two don’t look alike.
BILL: Yeah, well —
COOL BEE #2: (To BILL.) So, what’s your name, kid?
BILL: Bill.
COOL BEE #2: Bill, huh?
BILL: Yeah.
COOL BEE #1: Hmmmm.
BILL: What?
COOL BEE #1: Bill isn’t really the coolest name.
BILL: It isn’t?
COOL BEE #3: No.
COOL BEE #2: We can think of a bunch of cooler names than that.
COOL BEE #3: Like Hopper.
COOL BEE #2: And Buzzer.
COOL BEE #1: And Stinger.
NO
All the COOL BEES make a buzzing sound together. They laugh.
DO
BILL: Well, what’s your name?
COOL BEE #2: We’re so cool, we don’t even have names.
COOL BEE #1: That’s right. We fly together as one. We’re the
coolest pod of insects this side of Mrs. Arden’s rose garden.
BILL: Wow.
COOL BEE #1: (To BEATRICE.) So what’s your name, Squirt?
BEATRICE: Beatrice.
COOL BEE #1: Beatrice?
All the COOL BEES laugh.
COOL BEE #3: That’s the silliest name I’ve ever heard.
COOL BEE #1: And what’s with you?
BEATRICE: What do you mean?
COOL BEE #2: You aren’t like the rest of us.
9
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
OP
BILL looks at his sister and says nothing.
Y
COOL BEE #3: Yeah, you had better go and look in a mirror, little
one, because you don’t fit in with the rest of us. You sure do look
different than any other insects I’ve ever seen.
BEATRICE: (Defensive.) Mama says I’m beautiful!
ALL COOL BEES: (Mocking her.) Mama says I’m beautiful! Ooooo!
BEATRICE: I’m not different! Right, Bill?
BEATRICE: Bill? I’m not any different. (Beat.) Am I?
BEATRICE looks up at her older brother. Wanting acceptance from
the COOL BEES, he is silent. BEATRICE is hurt.
DO
NO
TC
COOL BEE #1: Look, Squirt, I appreciate your spunk. You’ve got a
little fire under those wings. That’s cool. Maybe you can hang with
us when you’re a little older.
BEATRICE: (Very sad.) All I want to do is go to school.
COOL BEE #1: Yeah, right. So, wadda ya say, Bill? You want to
hang with the Cool Bees?
BILL: I sure do!
COOL BEE #1: Can you buzz?
BILL: Buzz?
COOL BEE #1: Yeah. Like this: bzzzzzz!
BILL: BZZZZZ!
COOL BEE #1: Nice!
COOL BEE #2: Can you fly really fast?
BILL: I guess.
COOL BEE #3: Can you sting?
BILL: I don’t know. I’ve never stung before.
COOL BEE #2: We can teach you how.
COOL BEE #3: Yeah! We’re good at stinging!
All the COOL BEES laugh.
COOL BEE #1: So, what do you say pal? Wanna hang?
BILL: I sure do.
BEATRICE: Bill, you don’t want to hang out with them!
10
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
COOL BEE #3: Looks like little sis may have a little wing, but she
has one big mouth.
All the COOL BEES laugh.
Y
COOL BEE #1: So, are you in?
COOL BEE #2: Or are you out?
OP
The COOL BEEs do a little “cool” maneuver. Beat.
NO
TC
BILL: Okay. I’m in.
BEATRICE: Bill?
COOL BEE #1: From now on, you’re no longer Bill. You’re just one
of the Cool Bees.
COOL BEE #2: Then let’s shake a wing.
COOL BEE #3: Yeah, let’s buzz off.
BILL: Well, I can’t right now because...uhhh…well...
COOL BEE #2: What’s the matter?
BILL: Well, you see, I have to fly my sister to school.
COOL BEE #3: School’s for losers. If you wanna be cool, you gotta
fly with us. So, come on, ‘cause we’re makin’ like a tree and
leavin’!
The COOL BEES all laugh at the joke.
BILL takes a moment to look at his sister and then the COOL BEES.
DO
BILL: I’ll come with you guys.
COOL BEE #3: Alright!
COOL BEE #2 gives BILL a “cool” piece of clothing.
BEATRICE: (Very sad.) Bill?
COOL BEE #1: Alright, Cool Bees, let’s fly!
COOL BEE music plays. The COOL BEES exit, buzzing. BILL looks
after them, longing to be accepted.
11
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
OP
Y
BILL: You’ll be okay. We’ve traveled this path hundreds of times
before.
BEATRICE: But I can’t fly straight! I’ll never get to school on time.
BILL: You’ll be fine. Just keep flying that way, and you’ll run right into
school.
BEATRICE: And what about you? You can’t miss school.
BILL: I don’t like school anyway.
BEATRICE: (Hugging her brother.) But Bill, I’m scared. What if
something happens to me?
BILL: What could possibly happen to you?
COOL BEE #1: (From off stage.) Come on, Bees! The hives awaitin’!
TC
We hear the laughing sounds of the COOL BEES.
BILL: See ya later, sis!
BILL looks at his sister and runs off to join the COOL BEES. Music.
NO
BEATRICE, left alone, looks around confused, not knowing where to
go. She starts to beat her wings.
DO
MRS. ARDEN: So, Bill flew off to be with his friends,
And left poor Beatrice with no defense,
But Beatrice was strong and had miles of might,
What she lacked in her wing, she made up in good height.
She could see over tops of bushes up high,
So she flapped her wings in an attempt to fly.
BEATRICE flaps her wings. The sound of wind and then rain, and
then thunder.
MRS. ARDEN: The sound of wind did appear, along the wet blotches
of water,
For next there was thunder and a stormy type of weather!
12
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
BEATRICE continues flapping her wings as she starts to spin wildly
out of control. Lights come up in a dazzling array of flashing colors.
The sound of a thunder storm overwhelms her as music plays
underneath. Sound of wind. BEATRICE begins to spin in a circle.
OP
Y
MRS. ARDEN: And the next thing she knew, she flew and she flew
and she flew!
She flew so hard she didn’t know what to do!
BEATRICE: OHHHHH!
TC
While BEATRICE is still spinning the lights go to black. Music ends.
The distant rumbling of thunder is heard. The storm is going away.
Our scene has changed. We are on the other side of MRS. ARDEN’s
Lawn. It looks different than at the top of the show. MR. TREE stands
upstage, much like in the pre-show. We cannot see his face.
MRS. ARDEN: (In the dark.) The storm slowly passed as there was
stillness at hand,
As Beatrice found herself in a wondrous land.
NO
MRS. ARDEN exits. Magical music. A faint light comes up on
BEATRICE.
BEATRICE: What...where am I? I don’t recognize these plants.
These flowers are so strange. (She gasps.) I’m lost, and don’t
know where I am. Bill?! Mama! Papa!
DO
BEATRICE sits down and begins to cry. Slowly, from out of the
magical forest come MILLE the MILLIPEDE, LILLY the LADYBUG,
and MATTY the MANTIS.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: (With a German accent.) Who is she?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Where does she come from?
MATTY THE MANTIS: (With an English accent.) How did she get
here?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: It looks like she’s crying.
MATTY THE MANTIS: If she’s not careful, she’ll drown herself!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Let’s say hello.
13
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
Y
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: What if she wants to be alone?
MATTY THE MANTIS: Millie, my dear, when you are crying do you
ever really want to be alone?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: No. You’re right.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Oh, the poor dear. She’s crying. And when
another bug is crying, I feel like crying!
OP
LILLY starts to cry.
TC
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: There, there, Lilly. It’s okay.
MATTY THE MANTIS: It will be okay!
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Come on, Matty. Lilly needs a Super-bug
hug!
MATTY THE MANTIS: Right-o! Jolly good!
MATTY and MILLIE hug LILLY. This startles BEATRICE.
MATTY THE MANTIS AND MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: SUPER-BUG
HUG!
NO
MR. TREE turns around, startling BEATRICE.
DO
BEATRICE: (Startled.) OHHH!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Thank you. I feel much better, now.
MR. TREE: Oh, I had a terrible dream!
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Sorry we startled you, Mr. Tree.
MR. TREE: That’s quite all right.
BEATRICE: (Slowly approaching.) Excuse me...but...who are you?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Sorry, we didn’t mean to startle you.
MATTY THE MANTIS: We just wanted to say hello.
LILLY THE LADYBUG:
Yes, we saw you crying there
and...ohhhhhh!
LILLY starts to cry again.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: There, there, Lilly, it’s alright now. You see
the little lady butterfly is perfectly fine. (To BEATRICE.) My name
is Millie.
14
BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
MATTY THE MANTIS: I’m Matty.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: And I’m Lilly. And when I see another bug,
who’s not happy...I start to CRRRYYYY!
Y
LILLY starts crying again.
DO
NO
TC
OP
MATTY THE MANTIS: There, there. And this here is Mr. Tree.
MR. TREE: How very nice to meet you.
BEATRICE: It’s nice to meet you too.
MR. TREE: I see you’ve met all of my friends?
BEATRICE: (To LILLY.) You’re...a ladybug?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: That’s right.
BEATRICE: But you have no spots on your back.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: What do you mean?
BEATRICE: I thought ladybugs have spots.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Well, I don’t have any spots on my back.
And I’m still a ladybug.
BEATRICE: I see. And who are you?
MATTY THE MANTIS: I’m Matty the Mantis.
BEATRICE: A praying mantis?
MATTY THE MANTIS: That’s right.
BEATRICE: But aren’t praying mantises supposed to be tall?
MATTY THE MANTIS: Who says?
BEATRICE: Well, that’s what I’ve been told.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Well, I’m not tall, and I’m a praying mantis.
BEATRICE: I see. (To MILLIE.) And as I ask most politely, I cannot
figure out what kind of bug you are.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: I’m a millipede.
BEATRICE: You’re a millipede?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Yes.
BEATRICE: But you only have two feet.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Who says a millipede can’t have two feet?
BEATRICE: I don’t know. I guess...no one.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: And what’s your name?
BEATRICE: (Very proud.) My name is Beatrice. Beatrice the
Butterfly!
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Well, it’s nice to meet you, Beatrice.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Yes, here, here!
15
BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
TC
OP
Y
LILLY THE LADYBUG: I’m so happy to meet you!
BEATRICE: You are all so nice. I just... I just...
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: What is it, Beatrice?
BEATRICE: Well...you see...I have a funny wing. It makes me fly in
circles. Other bugs make fun of me and say I’m...different.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: We don’t think you’re different.
MATTY THE MANTIS: That’s right. You’re a jolly good butterfly.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: I think you look beautiful.
BEATRICE: Really?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Yes. Exquisite.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: We all do.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Here! Here!
BEATRICE: Nobody has ever called me beautiful before, except
Mama and Papa. Oh, and I miss them. I miss home! I’m so lost,
and I don’t know what to do.
BEATRICE starts to cry.
NO
MATTY THE MANTIS: Right. It’s time for a hug!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Right!
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Circle up!
The bugs all get in a circle and hold hands as they spin in a circle
around BEATRICE.
ALL BUT BEATRICE: SUPER-BUG HUG!!!
DO
The bugs all fall back, as BEATRICE steps forward. She has stopped
crying.
BEATRICE: Hey, that was very nice. What did you do?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: It’s called the Super-Bug Hug!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Yes, you see, whenever any of us bugs are
feeling down or blue, we give the super-bug hug and it makes the
bug that is unhappy feel much better!
MATTY THE MANTIS: Here, here!
BEATRICE: What a neat idea. You are the nicest bugs I’ve ever met.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Ohhhh! Thank you!
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BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
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BEATRICE: But I have to ask you. Lilly, does it feel strange having
no spots?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Not at all.
BEATRICE: And Millie, do other bugs tease you because you only
have two feet?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Does it matter how many legs I have?
BEATRICE: Good point. And Matty...does anyone tell you that you
are too short to be a mantis?
MATTY THE MANTIS: What does it matter how tall you are? If all
mantises were tall, that would be boring.
BEATRICE: That’s true. And Mr. Tree, one of your branches has no
leaves.
MR. TREE: Does that make me a bad tree?
BEATRICE: No, not at all.
MR. TREE: Even though I have a bad branch, I still get watered
every day.
BEATRICE: So, all of you don’t mind being...different.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: We’re not different.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: We’re just right!
MR. TREE: And they’re all my friends. You can be my friend, too, if
you like.
BEATRICE: I’d like that, thank you.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Here! Here!
BEATRICE: But don’t other bugs pick on you and call you names?
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: No, not here.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: And we don’t call other bugs names.
Because in our forest, everyone is different, and everyone is the
same.
MATTY THE MANTIS: So when we play, everyone is equal.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Deep down inside we are all exactly like
one another, even though we may look different on the outside.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Well said, Millie!
BEATRICE: (Applauding.) Wow! You are all so kind. But I still don’t
know how I got here.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Well, let’s think.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Yes, let’s analyze the situation.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: What was the last thing you remember?
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BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
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BEATRICE: Well, you see, my brother and I were walking to school
and we ran into these Cool Bees and they said that —
MR. TREE: (MR. TREE shivers from fright.) Bees?!
MATTY THE MANTIS: Oh me! Oh my! Cool Bees!
MR. TREE: They build hives in my branches. Ohhhh! They scare me!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: The Cool Bees are the biggest, baddest,
meanest bugs around.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: They push us around and tell us what to
do.
MATTY THE MANTIS: And they fly so fast and so far.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: They just think they’re so cool. And they’ll
sting anybody that gets in their way.
BEATRICE: I’m not scared of those Cool Bees. I just want to find my
way home.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Hey, I’ve got an idea.
BEATRICE: What?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: We’ll help you!
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: We will?
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Yes, we’ll go on an adventure. We’ll find
your home.
MATTY THE MANTIS: That’s it! Jolly good idea! It’s about time for a
journey.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: We’ll find your home so that you can get
back to your mother and father!
BEATRICE: (Excited.) Will you really? You’d do this for me?
MATTY THE MANTIS: Of course!
MR. TREE: I wish I could go with you.
MATTY THE MANTIS: You can be the look out, old man, and point
us in the right direction.
MR. TREE: I’d be happy to.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: We’ll all work together to get you home!
BEATRICE: Wow. You are all so kind. This is the nicest thing
anyone has ever done for me.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: It’s all about being a bug.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: We’ve got to stick together, you know.
MATTY THE MANTIS: Super-bug Hug!
Everyone gathers around MR. TREE.
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BY MATT THOMPSON AND LINDA SHERRY THOMPSON
ALL BUGS AND MR. TREE: Super-bug hug!
All the bugs hug, including MR. TREE.
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MATTY THE MANTIS: Now, show us the way, Beatrice.
OP
Traveling music plays.
MRS. ARDEN: So all the bugs gave hugs to each other,
As the friends tried to find Beatrice’s father and mother...
TC
The bugs “travel.” MR. TREE turns upstage. They may walk in place,
or if a turn table is available, they may use that to simulate the
passage. The lights change as they travel.
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MRS. ARDEN: They walked and hopped and crawled and flew,
And soon the sky was no longer blue.
They traveled for miles and miles and more,
Until they could travel absolutely no more.
The bugs stop, exhausted from their “journey.”
MRS. ARDEN: They stopped by the road, weary from flight,
As they had traveled all day and most of the night.
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MRS. ARDEN exits.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: My feet are aching!
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Yes, all six of them.
MATTY THE MANTIS: I could really go for a spot of nourishment.
BEATRICE: My wings are tired.
MATTY THE MANTIS: I don’t think I can’t hop any more.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: I hope we are heading in the right direction.
This is the way to your leaf isn’t it?
BEATRICE: Uhhh...I think so.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: You think so?
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BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY
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MATTY THE MANTIS: Here, here. Now, Beatrice, darling, does any
of this flora or fauna look terribly familiar to you?
BEATRICE: Yes!
MATTY THE MANTIS: Wonderful.
BEATRICE: Sort of.
MILLIE THE MILLIPEDE: Sort of?
BEATRICE: Well... No, not really.
LILLY THE LADYBUG: Oh dear.
Thank you for reading this free excerpt from BEATRICE THE BUTTERFLY by Matt Thompson and Linda Sherry Thompson. For performance rights and/or a complete copy of the script, please TC
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