How The Grinch Stole Christmas Script

1 1 "How The Grinch Stole Christmas " A Stage Play Adapted by Tim Maxwell Based on Dr. Seuss' book and the screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman FINAL DRAFT December 3, 2013 NARRATOR ( ) Inside a snow flake like the one on your sleeve there happened a story you must see to believe. Way up in the mountains in the high range of Pontoos lay the small town of Whoville--the home of the Whos. Ask any who and they'll have this to say "there's no place like Whoville around Christmas Day." Every Who knew they loved Christmas a lot. But the Grinch , who lived just north of Whoville, did not. SCENE 1.

2 Grinch 'S LAIR LIGHTS ON ( Grinch enters carrying trash bags and sits in his chair holding one of the bags) Grinch Whoo! Uck! What's that stench? It's fantastic! (Pulls out some type of garbage and begins eating it) It's amazing what these Whos can throw away. Oh, well. One man's garbage is another man's potpourri. (to crowd) I don't know, its some type of soup. Grinch I don't know why I ever leave this place. I've got all the company I need-right here. ( Grinch pushes button on answering machine) COMPUTER ( ) You have no messages Grinch Odd.

3 Better check the outgoing. 2 COMPUTER ( ) ( Grinch 's voice) If you utter as much as one syllable-I'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish! If you'd like to fax me, press the star key. Grinch Hmm. Oh well. NARRATOR ( ) The Grinch hated Christmas ! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps that his shoes were too tight. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.

4 But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. ( Grinch gets up and grabs a phone book) NARRATOR ( ) So, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes he stood outside his cave, hating the Whos. Alphabetically. Grinch Aadvarkian Abakenezer Who. you! Aaron B. Benson Who, I hate you. Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely! ( Christmas music begins to crescendo from Whoville) Grinch Is it Christmas time already? I hate this whole Christmas season.

5 I know what its all about--gifts, gifts, gifts! Those yuletide singing, sickly-sweet, cheer mongers! I really don't like 'em. No I don't. LIGHTS OFF TRANSITION SONG// - SCENE 2. WHOVILLE LIGHTS ON MAYOR MAY WHO Well, I would like to thank everyone for coming to the Whoville Christmas Town Meeting, did we miss anything? CINDY LOU WHO The Grinch ! 3 (sound effect -car crashing, etc) CROWD Huh?! The Grinch ?

6 The Grinch ? The Grinch ? MAYOR MAY WHO My, my, my. What an altruistic daughter you have there, Lou! LOU Thank you. MAYOR MAY WHO Cindy! Let me-uh-quote a verse from The Book of Who. Thank you. Ah, "the term 'grinchy' shall apply when Christmas Spirit is in short supply." Now, I ask you: does that sound like something we want to allow in our Christmas ?

7 CINDY LOU WHO True, Mr. May-Who. But the word of God says this, "Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God." And Jesus himself said this, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4) And I believe that that lost soul is the Grinch ! We need to reach out to him Mayor May-Who! CROWD She's right!

8 (cheering) MAYOR Fine. Fine. You people want to mess up a perfectly good Christmas then go right ahead, it's up to you. But I am telling you the Grinch will never come down here. He hates Christmas ! CINDY LOU WHO But we have to try! CROWD (cheering) LIGHTS OFF TRANSITION SONG// - SCENE 3. Grinch 'S LAIR 4 LIGHTS ON ( Christmas music playing in the distance in Whoville) Grinch (holding his ears screaming) Blast this Christmas music!

9 It's joyful and triumphant. Must drown them out! (bangs head with symbols) Not working! (Cindy Lou enters) NARRATOR ( ) The whipperwinds whipped high above the Who town. A trip or a slip you'd slide all the way down. But this girl had a mission. She knew what to do. She'd talk to the Grinch herself that brave Cindy Lou. CINDY LOU WHO Mr. Grinch ? Mr. Grinch ? Hello? Excuse me.

10 Grinch How dare you enter the Grinch 's Lair! The impudence! The audacity! CINDY LOU WHO Mr. Grinch , my name is Cindy Lou Who. Grinch You see, even now the terror is welling up inside you. CINDY LOU WHO I'm not scared. Grinch Denial is to be expected in the face of pure evil.