The Lost Letters of Mother Goose

The Lost Letters of Mother Goose is a comedy based on the nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb. When Mother Goose flies off on vacation, she leaves the theatre director a copy of her latest script. But the script is missing some letters! Will the director be able to figure out the correct rhyme and have the play ready to perform before Mother Goose returns? An entertaining comedy children will love!

Robin Blasberg writes plays, poems and short stories for all ages. Most recently, her play, Cake for the Queen, was published in the YouthPLAYS anthology, It’s Elementary! Twelve Short Plays for Upper Elementary School Actors. In addition, her play, The Music of Love, was performed by students at Peekskill Middle School in Peekskill, New York and is also available on Drama Notebook’s Script Library along with The Halloween Surprise and The Lost Letters of Mother Goose.  Her plays for older audiences have been presented at readings by Try It Out Theatre in Columbia, Maryland.

Excerpt from the play:

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MARY, lead actress in Mother Goose’s newest production
DIRECTOR, director of Mother Goose’s newest production
ASSISTANT, director’s assistant for Mother Goose’s newest production
CHILDREN, singers and extras for Mother Goose’s newest production

Setting: The play takes place at a rehearsal for a production of a Mother Goose nursery rhyme.

DIRECTOR
Listen up, everyone! Mother Goose wrote another great script before she flew off. We need to have this show ready to roll by the time she flies back this afternoon. So, let’s get started. Everyone, take your places.

ASSISTANT
Mother Goose, another great script. Take one!

DIRECTOR
Action!

CHILDREN
(Singing.)
Mary had a little am,
Little am, little am,
Mary had a little am

MARY
(Walking across the stage and looking around.) Wait just a minute. Stop!

DIRECTOR
Cut!

MARY
This couldn’t possibly be right.

DIRECTOR
Why not?

MARY
Mary had a little am?  “A” “M” “AM”? Mother Goose would never write that.

DIRECTOR
Do you think?

MARY
Check the script.

DIRECTOR
Assistant! Bring me the script.
(Assistant hurries over and flips through the script with the Director.)

MARY
Well? What does it say?

ASSISTANT
Mary had a little am. “A” “M” “AM”.

MARY
What does that even mean?

DIRECTOR
(Director consults with Assistant.) We don’t know, but it made it through the spell check.

ASSISTANT
Maybe there’s a letter missing.

MARY
Well, what are you going to do about it?

DIRECTOR
(Director discusses with Assistant.) That might work.
(Assistant runs offstage. Assistant reappears and gives Director a thumbs up. Director calls out.)
We’ve got this.
(Assistant rushes over to the Children and mimes new instructions.)
Let’s try this again. Everyone, take your places.

ASSISTANT
Mother Goose, another great script. Take two!

DIRECTOR
Action!

CHILDREN
(Singing.)
Mary had a little ram,
Little ram, little ram,
Mary had a little ram

MARY
(Running across the stage. A ram with horns is chasing after her.) Aack! I’m being chased by a bighorn ram. Help! Help!

DIRECTOR
Cut! Corral the ram.

MARY
This couldn’t possibly be right.

DIRECTOR
Why not?

MARY
Mary had a little ram? “R” “A” “M” “RAM”? Mother Goose would never have a ram chasing after me.

DIRECTOR
Do you think?

MARY
I’m certain.

DIRECTOR
Assistant!
(Assistant hurries over and discusses with the Director.)

MARY
Well?

ASSISTANT
We added an “r” to “am” to make the word “ram.”

DIRECTOR
“Ram” made it through the spell check.

MARY
But that doesn’t mean that “ram” is right.

ASSISTANT
Maybe the missing letter isn’t a “r”.

MARY
Well, what are you going to do about it?

DIRECTOR
(Director discusses with Assistant.) That might work.
(Assistant runs offstage. Assistant reappears and gives Director a thumbs up. Director calls out)

DIRECTOR
We’ve got this. Send the ram back.
(Assistant rushes over to the Children and mimes new instructions.)
Let’s try this again. Everyone, take your places.

ASSISTANT
Mother Goose, another great script. Take three!

DIRECTOR
Action!

CHILDREN
(Singing.)
Mary had a little yam,
Little yam, little yam,
Mary had a little yam
Sprinkled with marsh-mal-low

MARY
(Holding a yam.) Wait just a minute. Stop! A yam? A yam?

DIRECTOR
Cut! What’s wrong now?

MARY
This couldn’t possibly be right.

DIRECTOR
Why not?

MARY
Mary had a little yam?  “Y” “A” “M” “YAM”? I didn’t sign up for a Thanksgiving show.

DIRECTOR
You didn’t?

MARY
Check my contract.

DIRECTOR
Assistant! Bring me the contract.
(Assistant hurries over and flips through the contract with the Director.)