Scene 5
(The Spirit and SCROOGE approach a scene. FRED, CLARA, GENTLEMAN 1-3, two ladies from the ENSEMBLE (Henceforth referred to as "BEAUTY 1 and 2") and BOY 1 is present. The scene is frozen at first, although it unfreezes as they approach.)
Scrooge: That is my dear nephew Fred! And his lovely wife, Clara!
Clara: Oh, Fred, let's play a game.
Fred: Of course, but what shall we play?
Gentleman 1: Let's play guess!
Fred: We've just finished that!
Boy 1: Dominos!
Fred: Don't have any, m'dear boy.
Clara: Oh, I know! Blind Man's Bluff!
Fred: Delightful!
Gentleman 2: May I be it first!
Fred: Of course!
(He approaches Fred and Fred draws a handkerchief out from his cloak. He begins to tie the handkerchief around GENTLEMAN 2's eyes and the ladies are busy in conversation as well.)
Fred: (stage whisper) Can you see all right?
Gentleman 2: Perfectly!
Fred: Alright. Ready, set, go!
(The game begins. Scrooge and the Spirit watch in delight.)
Scrooge: Such fun!
Present: Such a small matter to make these silly folks so full of cheer.
Scrooge: Small? Since when is Christmas small?
Present: To you, it must be less than miniscule.
Scrooge: Maybe once.
Present: "Every fool who goes about with a Merry Christmas on his lips should be cooked with his own turkey and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
Scrooge: Oh, spirit…
(The game ends, the guests are laughing delightedly.)
Fred: Here's to Uncle Scrooge, wherever he is, the old coot!
Clara: To Uncle Scrooge!
(They drink to him.)
Fred: Oh, my dear Clara. If only Christmas day was every day. We could be together like this, always.
Clara: Fred, it takes so little to make me happy.
Fred: Even yet. I feel so empowered on a day like today.
TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY,
I WOULD MY TRUE LOVE DID SO CHANCE
TO SEE THE LEGEND OF MY PLAY,
TO CALL MY TRUE LOVE TO MY DANCE;
SING MY LOVE! OH MY LOVE, SING!
THIS HAVE I DONE FOR MY TRUE LOVE.
LOVE BEGETS ME AND NOT SO MANY OTHERS,
TO SEE AS YOUR BEAUTY ENGLUFED ME,
TO CALL UPON ALL OF OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS,
AS TOGETHER FOR ETERNA ARE WE.
SING MY LOVE! OH, MY LOVE, SING!
WINTER OR SPRINGTIME, SUMMER OR FALL,
MY LOVE SHALL TRULY FOREVER STAND
WHEN LIFE STANDS FIRMLY AT BECK AND CALL,
MY LOVE, LIFE WILL ALWAYS BE GRAND!
Clara & Scrooge: Oh, Fred!
Present: I have yet another to show you!
Scrooge: Oh, please, let me stay! Join in the fun!
Present: I have much to show you yet.
(The FRED PARTY exits, and on comes THE CRATCHITS: PETER, BELINDA, and MRS. CRATCHIT.)
Scrooge: Who is this family, and why are you showing me them?
Present: In good time! Have patience, sir!
(They are bustling about, fixing up Christmas dinner.)
Mrs. Cratchit: Now, Peter! Do not stop turning the spit! That is the secret to a properly roasted goose!
Peter: But it smells delightful, mother!
Belinda: When shall Martha arrive?
Mrs. Cratchit: Any minute now, I expect. Oh, here she comes now!
(Speak of the devil: Enter MARTHA.)
Mrs. Cratchit: (hugging Martha) Oh, Martha, dear! We were beginning to fear you wouldn't be coming.
Martha: Not come? On Christmas day?!
Mrs. Cratchit: Of course, so silly of me. Belinda, would you please set the table? Your father and Timmy are due home any moment.
Belinda: I see father now!
Mrs. Cratchit: Oh! Quickly, Martha! Hide!
(Martha hides under the table. BOB CRATCHIT enters, with TINY TIM sitting on his shoulders. The two are merrily singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" as they come into the house scene. He lets TINY TIM off of his shoulder, and hands him a crutch, which Tim uses to limp over to the side.)
Mrs. Cratchit: Bob! (They hug and kiss.)
Peter & Belinda: Daddy! (They nearly knock him over.)
Bob: Hello, my dears! And where is Martha?
(They move slightly off, trying to stifle laughter.)
Mrs. Cratchit: Not coming.
Bob: Not coming? (He quite obviously knows where Martha is.) Not coming on Christmas Day? (He sits down at the table and begins kicking his feet. Martha squeals and runs out to greet him.) Oh, there you are! (False surprise.) I was told you wouldn't be coming.
Martha: Oh, father.
Mrs. Cratchit: Alright everyone, it's time for our dinner. Let's all sit down and-
Bob: I would like to propose a toast, to the founder of the feast-Mr. Scrooge!
(Scrooge is taken aback by this.)
Mrs. Cratchit: THE FOUNDER OF THE FEAST INDEED! Oh what I would give to have that man in my living room. I would give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope he would choke on it.
(Scrooge points at Mrs. Cratchit, looking from her to the spirit and back again, making sounds of indignance.)
Bob: My dear…the children…Christmas day.
Mrs. Cratchit: I will drink to him for your sake, certainly NOT for his.
Tiny Tim: To the founder of the feast, Mr. Scrooge!
Mrs. Cratchit: To Mr. Scrooge, may he be very happy I have some-er-no doubt.
(They drink, and begin "We Wish You A Merry Christmas")
Cratchits:
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
GOOD TIDINGS WE BRING, TO YOU AND YOUR KIN.
GOOD TIDINGS FOR CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
NOW BRING US SOME FIGGY PUDDING,
COME BRING US SOME FIGGY PUDDING,
BRING US SOME FIGGY PUDDING,
AND BRING IT RIGHT HERE.
WE WON'T GO UNTIL WE GET SOME,
WE WON'T GO UNTIL WE GET SOME.
WE WON'T GO UNTIL WE GET SOME,
SO BRING IT RIGHT HERE.
GOOD TIDINGS FOR YOU,
WHEREVER YOU BE,
GOOD TIDINGS FOR CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(They laugh and resume dinner. The spotlight focuses on Scrooge and the Spirit.)
Scrooge: Spirit…tell me if Tiny Tim will live?
Present: That is the future. My realm is the present. However, I see a vacant seat by the chimney corner and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, I believe the child will die.
Scrooge: Oh, no, spirit…no…
Present: What, then? "If they are going to die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population!" My time grow short. Come.
(The Cratchits disappear, leaving Scrooge and the Spirit alone together. The spirit crosses the stage, appearing to use his torch for support.)
Narrator: As the Cratchit family faded into the dark, Scrooge kept his eyes on Tiny Tim until the very last. The spirit, so young and full of life, appeared to grow old and decrepit before his very eyes.
Scrooge: Spirit, do you grow old?
Present: I do! My time upon this globe is very brief. However, I have but one more to show you.
(Enter IGNORANCE and WANT. They hide underneath the Spirit's Robes. He lifts his robes, exposing the children to Scrooge.)
Scrooge: Spirit…are they yours?
Present: They are man's. This girl is Ignorance. (IGNORANCE comes out from the robes and runs to Scrooge, and begins pulling on his nightgown.) This boy is Want. (WANT follows IGNORANCE and does the same thing.) Beware of them. But most of all, beware the boy, as Greed and Want will be mankind's utter downfall.
(The spirit begins to exit.)
Scrooge: But spirit, please, do not leave me!
Present: I leave you in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Go forth, and know him better, man!
(The Spirit, Ignorance, and Want exit and The set becomes the Bedroom again. Scrooge is once again on his bed.)
Narrator: And so, Scrooge was left, in the dark, deserted, and alone in his room.