Hansel and Gretel Based on Engelbert Humperdinck's opera of the favorite fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. . .
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Dramatized Classic (Middle and Lower Grades)
Hansel and Gretel
Based on Engelbert Humperdinck's opera of the
favorite fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. . .
Adapted by Mary Fljmn Casey
Characters Both are playing games or lounging
instead of doing chores. GRETEL tries
PETER, a broom maker
to interest HANSEL in dancing.
GERTRUDE, his wife
GRETEL: Come, Hansel, 111 teach you
HANSEL, their son how to dance!
GRETEL, their daughter HANSEL (7b GRETEL): I don't want to
CUCKOO BIRD, offstage voice learn how deince! (He turns away.)
SANDMAN GRETEL: But it's simple, Hansel—look,
111 show you what to do. (Sings)
WITCH Brother, won't you dance with me?
Both your hands now give to me.
GINGERBREAD CHILDREN Right foot first, left foot then,
Round and round and round again.
(HANSEL, intrigued, gets up)
SCENE 1
TIME: Nineteenth century. HANSEL (Singing):
I would dance, hut don't know how
SETTING: A humble cottage on the edge When to step and when to bow
of the wood in the Harz Mountains, Show me what I ought to do.
Germany. There is one door right. So that I may dance hke you.
Along the back are a window looking
out to forest, fireplace in center, sewing GRETEL (Singing):
stand and a broom repair area. At left With your feet you tap, tap, tap.
is a cupboard, bare and standing open. With your hands you clap, clap, clap.
Down center are a table with a milk Right foot first, left foot then.
pitcher on it and four chairs surround- Round and round eind round again.
ing it. A basket stands in a corner left.
HANSEL (Doing the steps as he sings):
AT RISE: HANSEL is sitting cross- With your feet you tap, tap, tap.
legged on floor, and GRETEL is stand- With your hands you clap, clap, clap.
ing behind one of the kitchen chairs. Right foot first, left foot then.
NOVEMBER 2004 57Round and round and round agedn. in dismay.) Oh, no! Now what wiU we
That was fun, but I'd rather play tag orhave for supper? (In desperation, she
dream of a delicious supper. (Lunging chases HANSEL out right, calling.)
toward GRETEL) You're it! (He jumps Your father will take care of you when
away, dodging her swing.) he comes home! (She takes basket from
comer and pushes it into GRETEL's
GRETEL: You're silly. The cupboard is hand.) Go! Both of you out of this
bare, there's no more bread and noth- house! Fill this basket to the top with
ing else to eat—except the jug of milk. strawberries from the forest—and
Stop thinking of food, Hansel! don't come back until you do! (GRE-
TEL exits. GERTRUDE tries to wipe
HANSEL: I can't help it! I'm hungry. milk with a rag, then sits at table,
exhausted and mumbling out loud to
GRETEL: Stop grumbling. When Mother herself.) Oh, what will we do? What
comes home shell make something can I feed them? Not a crust of bread or
nice from that milk. (She pokes him a drop of milk for my children! Those
again and they chase each other poor hungry children! If only I hadn't
around the room, laughing loudly.) lost my temper. (She puts her head on
table and falls asleep. Lights dim to
GERTRUDE (Offstage): Hel-lo! (HAN- indicate passage of time. Sound of foot-
SEL and GRETEL stop abruptly.) steps is heard, then PETER enters
right, puts basket of food on table.)
HANSEL and GRETEL (Alarmed):
Mother is here! (Tired and weary, PETER (Joyfully): Gertrude! Gertrude,
GERTRUDE enters and stands just wake up! See all the food I have! All my
inside the door. She carries a basket.) brooms were sold, and I bought this
food for supper. (GERTRUDE is star-
GERTRUDE: What is all this commo- tled from her nap, sees the food as
tion? PETER starts unpacking it from bas-
ket. She is elated.)
GRETEL: It was Hansel—^he made me.
GERTRUDE: Oh, Peter, how wonderfiil!
HANSEL: No, Gretel wanted to deince. Look at all this food!
GERTRUDE (Setting basket down): PETER (Happily): Yes, we'U have a feast
Silence, both of you! (Throws hands up fit for a king tonight! (Looking around)
in exasperation) Is this working? Where are Hansel and Gretel?
Running and playing, while your
father and I work our fingers to the GERTRUDE (Trying to explain): Oh,
bone from morning to night? (Hands dear! I came home with nothing sold
on hips) You lazy children, how many and found them plasdng and dancing
brooms have you finished? (HANSEL and running around—their chores not
hangs his head. GERTRUDE turns to done, not a one. When I leave them
GRETEL.) And Gretel, did you mend alone they amuse themselves instead
the stockings? (GRETEL shakes her of working. I scolded them fiercely. I
head no.) Where is my stick, you use- was so angry and I gave a swing...
less children? Your fingers will be red!
(She grabs the stick, but in her anger PETER (Seeing broken jug and milk on
swings it and accidentally knocks jug floor): And the jug. . .
of milk from table, sending it crashing
to the floor, the milk splashing every- GERTRUDE: Yes, the jug fell and broke
where. All gasp. GERTRUDE cries out and the milk ran out all over the fioor!
58 PLAYS • playsmag.com(PETER begins laughing, and after a eaten so many, I'm not hungry any
few moments, GERTRUDE joins in.) more! Here, Gretel, take the basket—
but don't eat them all!
PETER: There, that's better! It's not like
you to be so angry. (.Spreading his GRETEL: My stomach's full. I can't eat
hands over the food on the table) But another. And remember. Mother said
now we have more than enough for we must fill the basket for supper. (She
supper. Well fill the cupboard, too. Gro moves quickly between the bushes.
call the children and we'll eat. HANSEL continues to eat from the bas-
ket. Cuckoo is heard off.)
GERTRUDE (Soberly): I sent them into
the wood to pick wild strawberries for CUCKOO (Offstage): Cuckoo, cuckooooo.
supper.
GRETEL (Answering, thinking it's
PETER (Alarm£d): But, Gertrude, the HANSEL): Cuckoo, cuckoo, I can't see
wood is a terribly dark place. They'll be you!
lost out there. . .and there's a witch
who waits to trick trusting little chil- HANSEL (Playing along): Cuckoo, cuck-
dren. They say she lures them in, cooks oo. I'm over here.
them in her oven and makes ginger-
bread cookies out of them! CUCKOO (Offstage; louder than before):
Cuckoo, cuckooooo.
GERTRUDE (Horrified): The witch! Oh,
no! GRETEL (Realizing it's not HANSEL):
Oh, Hansel, I'm afraid!
PETER (Whispering): I've been told
when the clock strikes twelve, she flies HANSEL (Pointing): It's just a squirrel
up the chimney to dance her witch's in the leaves! (Unafraid, he calls out
dance high on her broomstick. Round again.) Cuckoo, cuckoo, come out in the
and round the chimney she goes, then open!
off to search for children plump euid
tasty to eat. GRETEL: Stop, Hansel! Let's go home!
Evil spirits are watching us.
GERTRUDE (Pacing in grief): We must
hurry and find them! (She runs out.) HANSEL (Annoyed, laughing): It's only
the cuckoo bird, Gretel. He'll watch
PETER (Following after): I pray they are over us, don't be afi-aid. (Lights dim.)
safe! (Quick curtain)
*** GRETEL: Hansel, what shall we do? It's
SCENE 2 getting dark. . .(Suddenly) Oh! I see a
TIME: Later that day; darkness is shadow moving over there, and the
beginning to fall. wind has a terrible moan. (She quickly
hides behind HANSEL.)
SETTING: Deep in the forest, surrounded
by a thick growth of trees. HANSEL: It's only the weeping willow
tree.
AT RISE: GRETEL is sitting under a
tree and HANSEL is filling their bas- GRETEL: It's laughing at us. Don't you
ket with plump strawberries. hear it caUing, "You're lost. . .you can't
go home"?
HANSEL (Plopping a strawberry in his
mouth): What deUcious berries! I've HANSEL: Nonsense, I don't hear a
NOVEMBER 2004 59word! (He gobbles up last strawberry.) SANDMAN: WeU, I have to get the
dreams first—^before I can give them
GRETEL (Watching in dismay): You've away.
eaten edl the strawberries! Now well
have to pick more. (HANSEL warily GRETEL: That's a fine bag you're carry-
looks back and forth.) ing. What's inside?
HANSEL: The forest looks very strange. SANDMAN (Loosening drawstring of
There must be a path out. bag): Take a look, both of you. All you
can see is yours. (He opens the bag and
GRETEL (Alarmed): Don't tell me we're pulls out a length of gold and silver
lost in this terrible forest? material. HANSEL and GRETEL gasp
with delight.)
HANSEL: No, silly, we're not lost!
HANSEL: What is it?
GRETEL (Looking around in the falling
darkness): A terrible thing might come SANDMAN: It's the cloth of dreams.
to us in this awfiol place.
GRETEL: How it shines!
HANSEL: Don't be afraid, Gretel, 111
protect you. I'U scare evers^thing away. SANDMAN: It's shining with all the
(He cups his hands and calls out.) Go dreams you've been dreaming, asleep
away, go away, you ugly creatures! and awake.
(GRETEL hides her eyes in fear.
HANSEL tries to cheer her up.) I know HANSEL: Are our dreams as bright as
what.. .Ill make a little bed for us and that?
well stay here for the night. In the
morning, well find our way home. SANDMAN: They are indeed. Has no
Don't be afraid, Gretel. (He collects one ever told you how important
moss and piles it together for a soft bed dreams are?
near the base of the tree, GRETEL at
his side.) HANSEL: Well, no. Our mother scolds
us for daydreaming so much.
GRETEL (Rubbing her eyes): I'm so
sleepy. (They lie down upon moss and SANDMAN (Returning cloth to the bag):
fall asleep. There is a moment of quiet, That's because you let your daydreams
then SANDMAN enters with a sack.) get in the way of your work. Now, lie
down again and close your eyes, and
SANDMAN (Bending over children and you will have happy dreams all the
speaking softly): Good evening. (Chil- night through. (HANSEL and GRE-
dren sit up, startled, but not fright- TEL lie down again.)
ened.) If you should meet the Sandman
as he journeys from night to day with GRETEL (To SANDMAN):But I'm
his pack on his back, hell buy your afraid to sleep out here in the dark for-
dreams. (Children jump to their feet.) est.
HANSEL: Are you the Sandman? SANDMAN: Don't worry, my child. I
promise you will be safe. (GRETEL set-
SANDMAN: I am indeed. tles down. SANDMAN takes a handful
of glitter from a pouch attached to his
HANSEL: Do you really buy dreams? I belt and sprinkles it over the children,
thought you gave them away. then exits right. If desired, the lights
60 PLAYS • playsmag.commay dim to indicate the passage of in. (GRETEL pulls HANSEL back.)
time, and "Dream Pantomime" music
from "Hansel and Gretel" may be GRETEL (Afraid): No, Hansel. We don't
played as curtain closes.) know who's inside.
WITCH (Suddenly, from inside house):
SCENE 3 Nibble, nibble, mousekin.
TIME: The next marning. Who's nibbling at my housekin?
SETTING: Same, except now there is a HANSEL (Frightened): Gretel, did you
gingerbread house visible in the mom- hear that?
ing mist. Near it, to the right, stands an
oven; on the left, a stable, all enclosed GRETEL (Nervously): It must be the
by a fence of gingerbread statues. wind! (Both resume eating.)
AT RISE: GRETEL awakens slowly. She WITCH (Again, from inside house):
shakes HANSEL awake. He looks up, Nibble, nibble, mousekin.
then goes to sleep again. Sitting up, she Who's nibbling at my housekin?
looks around and sees the house.
HANSEL (Whispering): It's not the
GRETEL {In amazement, shaking HAN- wind, Gretel, it's a voice from inside!
SEL): Hansel, wake up! (He raises his (He bravely calls out.) Hello! Anybody
head, then rubs his eyes in disbelief.) home? (There is no answer, so they go
back to eating. After a moment, WITCH
HANSEL: What am I seeing? It looks quietly cracks open the door to peek.
like a house made of delicious things to HANSEL and GRETEL keep eating
eat! (Both gaze spellbound at the and don't see her. She tiptoes out.)
house.)
WITCH (Sweetly):
GRETEL: Why didn't we see it last Here, little mousekins, come and peek.
night? My tasty house with sweets to eat
This way inside, (Drags out this phrase
HANSEL: It must have been hidden by as she sweeps her arm in the direction
the trees. of the door)
Eat all you want.
GRETEL: Oh, it smells wonderful! (Gets Come little mousekins.
up and examines house) It's all covered No need to hide!
with sweets, from top to bottom! Look, (She crooks her finger, beckoning them
Hansel—cookies and gumdrops and in, then pats their heads.) How nice of
licorice on top. . .and gingerbread fig- you to visit me. What are your names?
ures all around.
HANSEL (Puffing himself up): I'm
HANSEL: Whose house is this, do you Hansel. I'm taking ceire of my sister.
suppose? (They move carefully to
house. After some wavering HANSEL WITCH (Feeling HANSEL's arms):
pulls a piece of cake from the top and Dear, dear, there's no meat on your
plops it in his mouth.) Mmmm! It's so bones at aU. I must fatten you up—and
delicious, Gretel, take a bite. (She does the little girl, too. What is your name,
so and swoons with the taste. Both my dear?
begin pulling off gumdrops and mints,
caramel and cake. HANSEL looks GRETEL (Peeking from behind
around.) There's no one here.. .let's go HANSEL): I'm Gretel, ma'am.
NOVEMBER 2004 61WITCH: Now, just wait here, both of WITCH: Now, Gretel, it's time to remove
you, while I tend to something in my your spell so you can help me prepare
oven. (She goes to oven, opens door and supper. (Holding switch high, she
throws a log in.) recites the following.)
Hocus pocus, elder bush!
HANSEL (Quietly, to GRETEL): There's Rigid body, loose, whishl
something about her I don't like. (GRETEL shakes herself and stands
normally.) The spell is over. Now,
GRETEL: I don't like her one bit. dearie, you can move again. Lift your
(Suddenly terrified) Oh, Hansel, let's arms. (GRETEL moves one arm, then
run away! (They start to run off, as the other.) Gro and set my table, one
WITCH suddenly turns, holding up a plate Euid one spoon only. But be cau-
switch.) tious or youil be locked up too! (She
cackles. GRETEL runs into cottage.
WITCH: Stop! (Children freeze in their WITCH mx)ves back to stable, looks at
tracks as WITCH chants.) HANSEL, who's pretending to be
Beetle gee and beetle gum. asleep.) Hmm, sound asleep. Well,
Fiddly dee and fiddly dum. sleep away, you foolish boy. The less
The ogres' spell has now begun! you move about, the sooner youll be
I've got you tight within my grip. fat. (She crosses to oven.) But I think
Do not wiggle, strain or tip. I'll begin with Gretel. What a dinner
You're spellbound now, all mine she will make! I know what I'll do. I'll
to hold, get her to peep into the oven, then I
I cast my spell from head to toe! will creep up behind her—one little
(Knob of her switch begins to glow with push—^bang goes the door! And pretty
light. WITCH leads HANSEL, in a soon Gretel will be done to a T! When I
trance, to stable, shuts and locks the take her from the oven, she will look
door with a huge key that she takes just like a gingerbread cake! (She
from her pocket. In the next few notices HANSEL watching her.) Oh, so
moments, he slowly comes out of his you're awake! Are you any fatter?
trance.) Now, Gretel, we need to fatten
Hansel up, so wait for me here while I HANSEL: No, not yet.
go in the house and mix up some wal-
nuts and cherries for him to eat. (She WITCH: I can't see very well. Hold out
steps through the door.) your finger. (HANSEL extends stick,
which WITCH squeezes.) You're like a
HANSEL (Calling softly from stable): skeleton! Open your mouth. (GRETEL
Gretel, I'll find a way out. Wait for my sneaks out of cottage, unnoticed by
command. Do what she says, don't get WITCH, and stands behind her, trying
her mad. Quiet, here she comes! to take key from her pocket. As WITCH
(WITCH reenters, holding small tub of bends to feed HANSEL, GRETEL
cherries and walnuts. She goes to grabs key and holds it up for HANSEL
HANSEL, sticks walnut in his mouth.) to see.) Now, let me feel your finger
again. Quickly!
WITCH: Eat, Hansel! These will fatten
you up. Later, help yourself to cake and HANSEL (Thrusting stick through
pie. bars): Here it is, ma'am. (GRETEL
passes key to HANSEL, behind
HANSEL (Spitting it out): I won't eat, I WITCH'S back.)
won't! (WITCH, laughing, comes to
GRETEL, still standing stiff and WITCH (Feeling stick): Oh-hh! Still hke
motionless at center.) a skeleton! Well, I can't wait any
62 PLAYS • playsmag.comlonger. Skeleton or not, I will roast youinto oven. At that moment, HANSEL
today and eat you tomorrow. Do you and GRETEL run with all their might,
hear that. Hansel? give her a shove, and she tumbles head
first into oven. They quickly slam the
HANSEL: Oh, no, ma'am, I won't have door shut. WITCH screams. There is a
any flavor. blackout, and thunder is heard, during
which fence of peppermint sticks and
WITCH: Oh, yes, you will! Now, Gretel, gingerbread is removed from right side
come along with me, and well see if the of cottage and real GINGERBREAD
gingerbread is ready. (She crosses to CHILDREN enter, taking place of
oven.) fence. They stand straight and stiff,
eyes closed and hands joined. HANSEL
HANSEL (Warning; in a loud whisper to and GRETEL are huddled near stable
GRETEL): Gretel! It's a trick! She's as lights come up.)
going to push you into the oven.
GRETEL: Look—^the gingerbread fence!
GRETEL (Pretending to be interested, as It's made of real boys and girls hke us.
she crosses to WITCH): I didn't know (GRETEL touches the nearest one, who
you were baking gingerbread. opens her eyes and smiles. She moves
from one to the other, touching each
WITCH: Oh, yes, a dozen loaves. Peep until they all open their eyes and smile.
into the oven and see if the^re done. But they still can't move.)
(GRETEL opens oven door and WITCH
prepares to push her in.) Is it done? HANSEL: Why don't they move?
(Suddenly) I know! (He takes WITCH's
GRETEL (Quickly shutting the door): I switch and waves it over children.)
don't think so. Hocus pocus, elder hush.
Rigid body, loosen, whishl
WITCH: Is the oven hot enough? (CHILDREN break their rigid pose
and give a joyful shout. They join in a
GRETEL: I don't know. circle around HANSEL and GRETEL,
dancing and singing.)
WITCH: Well, get inside and find out.
(Meanwhile, HANSEL unlocks pad- CHILDREN (Singing):
lock, comes out of cage, and creeps up The spell is broken, we are fi-ee,
behind WITCH.) We'U sing and dance and shout for
glee!
GRETEL (Stalling for time): I'm not sure The Witch is gone! The Witch is gone
what you want me to do. forever more!
(Voices are heard calling offstage.)
WITCH (Coaxing and pulling GRETEL
toward the oven): Just stand on tiptoe PETER: Hel-lo, hel-looooo! Hansel,
with your head forward. Gretel, where are you?
GRETEL (Shyly to WITCH, but standing HANSEL and GRETEL (Happily; ad lib):
firm): I'm such a goose. Youil have to Did you hear that? It's Father and
show me. Mother! (Etc. Calling) Here we are!
(PETER and GERTRUDE enter and
WITCH: Ninny! Like this. (She stands HANSEL and GRETEL run to them.)
on tiptoe, leaning forward into oven.)
Just stick your head way in and give a PETER and GERTRUDE (Ad lib): Our
good look around. (She leans halfway dear children, come here! We've been
NOVEMBER 2004 63so worried about you. Are we glad to GRETEL: Into the oven!
find you! (Etc. They hug and hug each
other.) HANSEL: We pushed her in! (They skip
to oven and peek inside.)
PETER: We've been searching for you all
night. GRETEL: Oh, look. Hansel! She's ginger-
bread clear through! (They drag out a
GRETEL: But now you've found us, safe big gingerbread cookie. All cheer as
and sound. HANSEL and GRETEL hold it up.)
GERTRUDE (Looking at cottage): What a HANSEL: Well, old witch, how does it
pretty little house! feel to be done to a T?
GRETEL: It's a gingerbread house. ALL (Singing): Now the wicked witch is
Mother, and it belongs to a witch. dead!
Now she's only gingerbread!
GERTRUDE (Shocked): A vfitchl She is dead, she is dead.
Now she's only gingerhread! (Curtain)
HANSEL: Don't worry. Mother, she's THE END
gone.
PRODUCTION NOTES
Hansel and Gretel
CHARACTERS: 2 male, 3 female; as repair area. At lefb is a cupboard, bare
many male and female as desired for £uid stemding open. Down center are a
Cuckoo, Sandman, Gingerbread table with a milk pitcher on it and four
Children. chairs surrounding it. A basket with
PLAYING TIME: 40 minutes. unmended socks stands in a comer
COSTUMES: Mother and Gretel, farm left. Scene 2, deep in the forest, sur-
dresses. Father and Hansel, trousers rounded by a thick growth of trees.
or knickers, suspenders, and long- There is moss at bottom of tree at
sleeved shirts. Witch, black cape and right, cleEuing in center fi-ont. Keep
hat. She has large key in pocket. stage left dark to prevent seeing
Sandman, long-sleeved shirt £uid pants Witch's house. Scene 3, same as Scene
in light color, with pouch of glitter 2, except now there is a gingerbread
attached to his belt. He carries sack house visible in the morning mist. At
containing length of gold and silver right stands an oven with logs piled up
material. Children are dressed to look next to it; on the left, a stahle, all
like gingerbread cookies. enclosed by a fence of gingerbread stat-
PROPERTIES: Baskets, one with food in ues. At end of play, oversized ginger-
it, strawberries, small tub of cherries bread "cookie" is placed inside oven.
Euid WEdnuts, switche(s), small Hght for LIGHTING: Dims to indicate p£issage of
end of switch. time; blackout
SETTING: Scene 1, a humble cottage on SOUND: Thunder.
the edge of the wood in the Hetrz MUSIC: If desired, music from
Mountains, Germany. There is one Humperdinck's opera may be played
door right. Along the hack are a win- during scene changes and other appro-
dow looking out to forest, fireplace in priate times during the production.
center, sewing stand and a hroom
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