www.playsforyoungaudiences.org Nancy Drew: Girl …

1 PPLLAAYYSS FFOORR YYOOUUNNGG AAUUDDIIEENNCCEESS A PARTNERSHIP OF SEATTLE CHILDREN S THEATRE AND CHILDREN S THEATRE COMPANY-MINNEAPOLIS 2400 THIRD AVENUE SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55404 612-872-5108 FAX 612-874-8119 Nancy drew : girl detective Story by Carolyn Keene Adapted for the Stage by Marisha Chamberlain Nancy drew : girl detective was first presented by The Children s Theatre Company for the 1989-90 season. The license issued in connection with PYA perusal scripts is a limited license, and is issued for the sole purpose of reviewing the script for a potential future performance. All other rights regarding perusal scripts are expressly reserved by Plays for Young Audiences, including, but not limited to, the rights to distribute, perform, copy or alter scripts.

2 This limited license does not convey any performance rights of any kind with this material. By accepting any perusal script(s), Licensee agrees to and is bound by these terms. Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 1 Characters Nancy drew Carson drew , Nancy s father Miss Willoughby, Carson s temporary secretary (doubled with Tammi Whitlock) Hamilton Spencer, Director of the Barn Theater Margo Spencer, Hamilton s wife Emily Spencer, the 18-year-old daughter of Margo and Hamilton Bob Simpson, Emily s boyfriend/leading man of The Footlighters George Fayne, Nancy s friend and able assistant Bess Marvin, George s cousin and Nancy s assistant Ned Nickerson, Nancy s boyfriend Emmet Cally Calhoun, friend of the Spencers Tammi Whitlock, leading lady of The Footlighters Tom Tozzle, crook Bushy Trott, goon Chief McGinnis, of the River Heights Police Department Other Footlighters: Yvonne, Phyllis, Ivy, Ulric, Otto and Jamie TIME AND PLACE: River Heights, a small town somewhere in America.

3 Early 1940s. SETTINGS: Carson drew s law office in River Heights and in the nearby countryside. The Van Pelt estate The Barn Theater Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 2 ACT ONE: SCENE ONE As the act curtain rises, the Footlighters, amateur stage hands under the direction of their stage manager, Jamie, set the furniture for Carson drew 's law office. Carson drew , Hamilton Spencer and Margo Spencer, and miss Willoughby enter and Jamie positions them for the top of the show. JAMIE Go music! Musical intro. CARSON drew (To the audience) Once again, mystery had invaded our little town of River Heights where I, Carson drew the outstanding criminal lawyer.

4 A tall, distinguished man of middle age who raise a daughter alone because of the untimely death of my wife many years ago. This daughter of mine, Nancy , has proven to be an exceptional girl with powers of observation so keen I often discussed my cases with her; in short, she is a born detective . (Lights up on Hamilton Spencer, seated in Carson's office.) I d come to my office expecting a quite morning, no appointments, but there I met HAMILTON - Mr. Hamilton Spencer, actor. Tall, slender, meticulously slightly graying, yet ever possessing a youthful vitality and a winning smile. (Exhibits smile.) Lights up on Margo Spencer. MARGO - and his worried wife, the actress Margo Spencer. CARSON drew They seemed on that morning to be the victims of some illusion, some apparition on the grounds of the old Van Pelt estate, home of the Footlighter s Barn Theater.

5 HAMILTON A puppet. A puppet. A dancing puppet. MARGO A ghost, Hamilton. A ghost. CARSON drew The old Barn Theater stood on the estate of Leander Van Pelt who had been my client before his decease a peculiar man, stodgy and puritanical, who had found freedom creating strange inventions Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 3 and speculating in precious gems. As executor of his estate, I knew he had accumulated a fortune. But it was peculiar that so few gems remained in the estate, with the exception of a casket of diamonds, bequeathed to Hamilton and Margo s daughter Emily on her eighteenth birthday. (The secretary, Miss Willoughby draws closer to Carson, hanging on his every word.)

6 - of a handsome casket of diamonds -- Yes, Miss Willoughby? (Startled, Miss Willoughby shakes her head and withdraws.) At any rate, when Van Pelt died, rumors abounded that a hidden cache still existed of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Now, rumor of a ghost. MARGO Not a rumor! I ve seen her with my own eyes! HAMILTON Margo! A dancing puppet. Mr. drew , I have worries on my mind. I need the power of the law. We re being plagued by a puppet MARGO A ghost! HAMILTON A nuisance, really. A life-sized dancing ballerina puppet that only comes out at night and MARGO It s not a puppet. It s Althea! Althea s ghost! Our daughter, our darling Althea. She was a dancer, you see, but we never should have allowed her to dance.

7 HAMILTON She had to dance, darling. It was what she loved. MARGO She had a weak heart and was stricken in the middle of a performance - struck down dead by a heart attack. Althea! And now her lonely ghost visits us, night after night. HAMILTON (To the others, while the sobbing Margo buries her face in his shirt front) But is a puppet. You can see the joints. It moves just like a marionette. CARSON drew I d better have you tell my daughter. HAMILTON Your daughter? Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 4 Miss Willoughby, returns, preceded by Bess Marvin and her cousin, George Fayne, Nancy 's tomboy friend. WILLOUGHBY I told them to wait but they GEORGE - barged in. Didn t want to miss BESS - any clues!

8 CARSON drew (To Hamilton) May I introduce GEORGE George Fayne, a bright-eyed athletic girl , born adventurer with an above aptitude for BESS - and her cousin, Bess, quite pretty but possessing an unfortunate weakness for GEORGE For mystery! BESS For sweets, actually. GEORGE Bess! BESS Mr. and Mrs. Spencer! What are you doing here? MARGO Why, hello Bess HAMILTON Miss Marvin. What are you doing here? CARSON drew You know each other? BESS I m working as a scene painter for the Footlighters this summer. Nancy called us GEORGE And said to meet here. To come directly. George and Bess sit. CARSON drew Mmmhmm. (To Miss Willoughby.) Tea for the girls? Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 5 BESS Forgive me, Miss but WILLOUGHBY Yes?

9 BESS - have you ever been on stage? WILLOUGHBY Why, no. BESS Do you have perhaps a twin sister who s an actress? WILLOUGHBY Certainly not. CARSON drew Oh, forgive me for neglecting introductions. Girls, this is Miss Willoughby. The agency sent her over while the regular secretary is on vacation. Miss Willoughby "exits", remaining nearby to eavesdrop. CARSON drew Ah. Here she is, finally. Here s BESS - the golden haired, blue eyed GEORGE - fiercely intelligent and courageous BESS - and dressed for action with an eye to fashion Nancy drew enters, followed by Ned Nickerson. Nancy Nancy drew , detective . MARGO Nancy drew ? Nancy Sorry to be late. Look who I ran into on the way NED Ned Nickerson, the tall handsome football captain from Emerson College.

10 BESS Nancy 's best beau. Nancy drew : girl detective by Marisha Chamberlain 6 NED Nancy s only beau. Nancy Dreadfully sorry to barge in late. HAMILTON That girl can help? CARSON drew You d be surprised. This is Hamilton and Margo Spencer. Nancy drew . His arms still around Margo, Hamilton extends a hand to Nancy and she shakes it, gravely. Nancy Would someone care to tell me what it s all about? GEORGE (At the same time as Bess, Margo, and Hamilton.) You know, they re out at the Barn Theater, and at night this thing appears a puppet or something a ballerina puppet. He says it s got jointed arms and legs so it couldn t be real. BESS (At the same time as George, Margo and Hamilton.)