CHARACTERS:
Alena
Ivano- Father
Marisha – Step-mother
Woman
Gates
Dog
Maid
Baba-Yaga
SCRIPT:
SCENE I – AT ALENA’S HOUSE
(Alena, Ivano and Marisha are in the living room. Alena is sitting on the floor reading a story book,
Ivano is reading the newspaper, Marisha is sewing a shirt. There is a suitcase near the door).
Marisha: Alena, how many times have I told you not to read those books? Give it to me!
(Alena stands up and gives the book to Marisha)
 Marisha: “The Witch from the Forest”. Where did you get this book?

Alena: I found it in the attic.
 Marisha: What where you doing in the attic? Ivano… you should talk to your daughter
about this…

Alena: You told me to clean the attic, remember?
 Marisha: No, I don’t remember, but I do remember telling you to wash the dishes. Did
you wash them?

Alena: Yes, step-mother.
 Marisha: Don’t call me step-mother.

Alena: Yes, Marisha.
 Marisha: I am your mother.

Alena: You’re not my mother!
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 Ivano: Alena, please. Be nice to Marisha.
 Marisha: You’ll get used to it…. Ivano, do you know what time it is?
 Ivano: It’s almost two o’clock.
(Marisha shouts)
 Marisha: Two o’clock! Don’t you have a train to catch?
 Ivano: My train! I almost forgot!
(Ivano stands up, takes his suitcase and heads to the door. Alena stands up, hugs him father and
cries)

Alena: Father, please don’t leave me… take me with you, please!
(Marisha stands up and pulls Alena away from her father. Alena falls)
 Marisha: Stay away, little girl!. He has to go!
 Ivano: Alena, I can’t take you with me…I love you.
(Marisha opens the door and pushes Ivano out of the house)
 Marisha: Have a nice trip, darling.
(Ivano leaves. Marisha closes the door)
 Marisha: Stand up… I want you to do me a favor.
(Alena stands up and looks frightened. Marisha takes in her hands the shirt she was sewing and
shows it to Alena)
 Marisha: This is your father’s favorite shirt… but the needle broke and I don’t have
anymore thread. I need you to go to your aunt’s house.

Alena: No, I don’t want to go to that witch’s house!
 Marisha: (in a sweet voice) Alena, Alena… my sister is not a witch… who told you that?

Alena: Everybody in town knows that she’s a witch.
 Marisha: Hmmm… what else do people say about my sister?
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
Alena: That she likes to eat children
 Marisha: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha… and you believe that story?
 Alena: Yes, I do!
 Marisha: For the second time, my dear Alena, she’s not a witch. Her name is Baba-Yaga.
Repeat her name!

Alena: No, I won’t!
 Marisha: Say her name, or you will never see your father again.

Alena: Baba-Yaga.
 Marisha: Good girl, now do as I told you… say yes!

Alena: Yes.
 Marisha: Yes, mother!

Alena: Yes…
 Marisha: Mother.

Alena: Mother.
 Marisha: Good, and try to come back before the sun sets.
(Alena takes her bag. Marisha gives her a white handkerchief)
 Marisha: Here… take this handkerchief.. Just in case you cry and want to wipe the tears off
your pretty face.
(Alena takes the handkerchief and puts it in the bag)
 Alena: Thank you.
 Marisha: I’m doing you a favor.
(Marisha opens the door and Alena leaves)
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SCENE II – IN THE FOREST
(Alena is in the forest. She sits under a tree and cries. A woman approaches her. The woman is
carrying a basket)
 Woman: Oh, what are you doing here all alone in the deep forest? Did you get lost?

Alena: No.
(The woman sits on the floor)
 Woman: Why are you crying?
 Alena: Do you see that house over there?
(Alena points to a house)

Woman: That’s Baba-Yaga’s house! You must stay away from her!

Alena: I have to go there… she’s my step-mother’s sister.

Woman: Oh, those wicked women! Do you really need to go there?

Alena: Yes, I have to.

Woman: Listen… I have to tell you something.

Alena: What is it?

Woman: You have to know all about that woman. You must be careful… Baba-Yaga can
eat you alive with her iron teeth, did you know that?

Alena: Yes. What else do you know about her?

Woman: People call her Baba Yaga Boney Legs, because she is as thin as a skeleton… in
spite of all the children she eats.

Alena: Oh!

Woman: And don’t be scared by her nose, which is so long that it rattles against the ceiling
of her hut when she snores.

Alena: Oh! And does she have a broomstick… like the witches in the stories I read?
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
Woman: No, she is not an ordinary witch… she travels on a large mortar. Listen carefully.
When you get to the house, you will notice that it stands on hen legs and walk around the
yard.

Alena: Do you mean that the house also moves through the forest?

Woman: Yes, that’s right! And the windows of the hut serve as eyes.

Alena: You’re scaring me!

Woman: You should be scared! Your life is in danger! Listen to me, I don’t have much
time.

Alena: Sorry… keep on talking.

Woman: The house is surrounded by a fence made of bones, with big iron gates. As you
try to open the gates, they’ll creak and will not to let you in, so (The woman takes a bottle
of oil from her basket and gives it to Alena), put some of this oil on them, and they will
open softly. As soon as the gates open, you will see a ferocious dog who will try to harm
you (the woman takes out a piece of ham from his basket and gives it to Alena), give him
this piece of ham, and it will let you go.

Alena: Thank you, thank you!

Woman: Remember what I told you.
 Alena: I will, bye.
(Alena stands up and leaves)

Woman: (whispering) Poor girl…. I will never see her again, that’s for sure.
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SCENE III – AT BABA-YAGA’S HUT
(Alena is standing outside the gates. She opens the gates, they creak)
 ALENA: Oh, you need some oil (she puts some oil)… Here, this oil will make you look good
as new. (The gates open and she enters. A barking dog runs toward her. She gives him
the piece of ham and the dog goes to sleep as soon as he eats it. She keeps walking until
she reaches the door. She knocks. A maid opens the door).

MAID: What do you want?

ALENA: I’m here to see Baba Yaga… she’s my step-mother’s sister.

MAID: Come inside… and sit down.
(Alena enters and sits. The maid stays in a corner of the room with her face down. Baba-Yaga
enters. She holds a blouse in her hands)
 BABA-YAGA: Hello, Alena… How are you?

ALENA: I’m fine… aunt Baba-Yaga.
 BABA-YAGA: How is my sister?

ALENA: She’s fine… she sent me to get a needle and thread.
 BABA-YAGA: Oh, sure, let me get it… meanwhile, help me with this … keep sewing while I
bring you the needle and thread my sister wants.
(She hands over the blouse to Alena)
 ALENA: Yes, aunt.
(Baba-Yaga calls the maid)
 BABA-YAGA: You, come here!
(The maid approaches)
 BABA-YAGA: (whispering) I want you to prepare a bath for my niece. I want her clean…I’
going to eat her.

MAID: Yes, master.
(Baba-Yaga leaves and the maid approaches Alena)
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

ALENA: Why are you crying?
MAID: It’s that evil witch.
(Alena gives her the white handkerchief)
 ALENA: Take this, wipe your tears.

MAID: Thank you… Oh, this handkerchief is so soft and pretty… listen, you have to
escape!

ALENA: But I can’t, I came to get a needle and thread for my step-mother.

MAID: Don’t you get it? Your step-mother doesn’t need a needle and thread! She knew
what she was doing by sending you up here.

ALENA: Oh!

MAID: She wants to get rid of you, and she knows exactly how!

ALENA: So she knows that I will never come back home, because her sister is going to…

MAID: Yes!

ALENA: Then tell me, how can I escape from here?
(Baba-Yaga yells from the other room)
 BABA-YAGA: Are you sewing my dear?

ALENA: Yes, Aunt.

MAID: Listen, I will take over the sewing, but hurry, before she knows that I am not you.
Take this towel and this comb, they will help you get away from the witch, and run as fast
as you can because Baba-Yaga will go after you. Once in a while put your ears on the
ground so you can hear when she’s near, and when she’s near you, then put the towel on
the ground, it will turn into a wide river which Baba-Yaga will not be able to cross.

ALENA: What should I do with the comb?

MAID: When you hear that she’s not near you, throw the comb to the ground, it will turn
into a deep enchanted forest, so thick that Baba-Yaga will not be able to get through.
Now, go!
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(Alena runs away from the house. The maid starts sewing. Baba-Yaga yells from the other room)
 BABA-YAGA: Are you sewing my dear niece?

MAID: Yes, aunt.
(Baba-Yaga enters the room. She sees the maid sewing and gets angry)
 BABA-YAGA: Where is she? Why did you let get escape! Why!

MAID: She was nice to me… she gave me this beautiful handkerchief and you never give
me anything… not even a piece of cloth!
(Baba-Yaga hits the maid, then she gets out of the house and finds the dog sleeping).
 BABA-YAGA: Wake up! Where’s Alena? Why did you let her go away!
(The dog wakes up)
DOG: She gave me a delicious ham to eat… you never feed me!
(Baba-Yaga hits the dog, runs and opens the gate. The gate did not creak).
 BABA-YAGA: Oh, why didn’t you creak!
 GATE: I have served you for so long, and you have never put oil on me, and she did!
(Baba-Yaga hits the gate and runs looking for Alena)
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SCENE IV - IN THE FOREST
(Alena runs through the forest. Baba-Yaga is right after her. Alena gets on the ground and hears
Baba-Yaga is getting closer).
 ALENA: Oh, no, she’s right behind me. The maid told me to throw down the towel; I hope
it will really help!
(Alena throws the towel to the floor and a great wide river appears. Baba-Yaga is angry).
 BABA-YAGA: You little monster! … But you will not get away from me so easily!
(Alena escapes. Baba-Yaga sees three horses. She casts a spell on them)
 BABA-YAGA: Red, white, blue… come to me and drink all the water you see!
(The horses drink all the water in the river. She runs after Alena. Alena gets on the ground and
hears Baba-Yaga is getting closer).
 ALENA: She is still chasing me; I have to use the comb!
(She throws the comb to the ground, and a deep enchanted forest appears. Baba-Yaga is trapped
in the forest)

BABA-YAGA: No! No! You can’t get away! Come back! Come back!
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SCENE V – AT ALENA’S HOUSE
(Ivano enters his house. Marisha is surprised to see him)
 IVANO: Where’s my daughter?

MARISHA: She went to see her aunt.
 IVANO: You sent her to your sister’s house… even if you know that she is a witch!

MARISHA: She is not a witch, and besides I needed a needle and thread…
 IVANO: You should have gone yourself to get it, you know.
(The door opens. Alena enters and her father hugs her)
 ALENA: Oh, father… you’re back!
 IVANO: Oh, Alena, please forgive me for leaving you here all alone with this woman… I
Know where you have been.

ALENA: Yes, father… and that witch tried to eat me.
 IVANO: I have been so blind!
(Ivano pulls Marisha out of the house)

MARISHA: You can’t do this to me, I am your wife!
 IVANO: Oh, yes I can, you don’t belong here.

ALENA: By the way, you will never see your sister again… she’s trapped in the enchanted
forest… forever!
(Marisha leaves. Ivano and Alena hug)
THE END
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