RILLA!-The Musical, Sneak preview 1

Anne, Susan and Rilla, who is feeding Jims, are all sitting in the kitchen when Gilbert walks in.

GILBERT (while retrieving a slice of pie from the pantry) Kenneth Ford is over the harbour. His regiment got held up in Kingsport for some reason and he's gotten leave to come over to the Island.

Rilla drops Jims' spoon. And then stoops to pick it up keeping her eyes on her father.

ANNE: I hope he gets a chance to come over here to see us!

Rilla fixes her hair absently

GILBERT: I believe he only has a day or two.

Gilbert wanders into his office. Susan retreats upstairs. Anne kisses Jims on the head and exits the stage.

RILLA (v/o)I wonder if Ken will come and see me before he goes overseas. Us I mean!...see us before he goes away. Of course it's only natural if he does come, to make a farewell call here at Ingleside where he has so often been a guest. He has probably forgotten all about that night at the light. Not that I've held it in my memory or anything! He has probably forgotten all about me too...

(Wistfully)

He must look so handsome in his khaki...

Shakes head furiously

He hasn't even spoken to me for such a long time! He has forgotten about me! Perhaps there are even...Other girls in Toronto. Of course there are. I am nothing but the foolish little sister of Jem and Walter to him. Oh what a goose I am!

Jim begins to cry and reach out for his spoon which is hovering in the air before his face in Rilla's motionless hand. She begins to feed him distractedly at a rapid pace.

But then he was so sweet to me at the dance... No! I will not think of him anymore! If he comes well then that's all well and good, and if he doesn't... If he doesn't, so be it! It does not matter in the slightest to me! Not in the slightest!

She puts down Jims' spoon violently when the phone rings. She trudges over to pick it up and Jims begins to wail.

KENNETH: (v/o)Is this Ingleside?

RILLA: Yes.

KENNETH: That you Rilla?

RILLA: Yeth-yeth.

Rilla turns around and glares at Jims, he stops crying; understanding, as babies do, the vitality of certain situations.

KENNETH: Know who's speaking?

Rilla momentarily cups her palm over the receiver and inhales and exhales slowly, closing her eyes solemnly.

RILLA: It's Ken-isn't it?

KENNETH: Sure thing. I am here for a look-in. May I come up to Ingleside tonight and see you?

RILLA: Of-of couthe

KENNETH: See here Rilla, can you arrange that there won't be more than a few dozen people around? Understand? I can't make my meaning any clearer just now, there are about a dozen receivers down.

RILLA: I'll try

KENNETH: I'll be up there about eight then, bye bye.

Rilla hangs up the phone and dances over to Jims, lifts him out of his chair and begins twirling him around in the air.

RILLA: Did you hear that Jims? He's coming to see us!

Rilla begins to waltz around the floor with Jims in her arms as the music starts...

(song: My Dream Castle, featuring Rilla Blythe)

sung My dream castle is being built up from the ground

With turrets and a drawbridge and a moat all around

And everyone in the surround-ing area

Will gasp and agree, oh my, oh me

'It's no wonder 'e married 'er!'

Everyday he'll run home through the door

No more rations and no more war

He'll run to my open arms

A farewell to farms

We'll live on a hill, with a grove

Of evergreen trees

And ever blossoming flowers of mauve

I'll even dress like a queen

In gold and greens

He'll say those colors suit me

And everything will be as it should be

No matter, no hassle

In my dream castle!

And no children!

Looks reproachfully at Jims.

Well maybe some kids

2-no-3 children of Ford

1 girl and...two boys

there'll be

Walter

Ken Jr.

And sweet little Joy

And we'll spend the time cheery

And whenever we're weary

We've simply to soak up more dreams!

What a wonder it seems

And it's all laid before me on this here night

Everything, I just know, shall go right

A romance unfurled

And then I'll be on top of the world!

She dances with Jims in her arms up the stairs, the lights dim on the living room and then fade in on Rilla's room upstairs. She enters the room.

The dogs's tails will wag

And I'll never nag

Every pillow will have a tassel

Because it's my dream castle

It's my-

She lays Jims down in his crib beside her bed.

spoken : Jims... don't look at me so. I know what you're thinking. But maybe you're right.. Maybe that's not what he meant at all. Maybe he simply meant that he didn't want crowds of people around. Oh Rilla Blythe what a fool, what a fool you've been!

sung And everything vanishes in a puff of smoke

Rilla sinks into the couch

I'm no one's sweetheart, I'm just a joke!

The Belgians are still starved

My path is still carved

Into old maidenhood

I can do no good

Our boys are still far away from here

Everything I've feared

Is true

And my dream castle has...

Disappeared

Mr. Hyde growls at her from the floor

spoken : Oh shoo!

She aims a kick and misses as the cat runs offstage

The doorbell rings. Rilla clears her throat, straightens her dress and pats down her hair, then she walks nobly to the stairs and offstage.

Disclaimer: These characters, their world and the series of events belong to Lucy Maude Montgomery's imagination. Some words are her own because I could not find it in myself to change them. Thanks