The Canterville Ghost

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

Characters
• Sir Simon
• Mr. Otis
• Mrs. Otis
• Virginia
• Emma
• James
• Lord Canterville

Scene 1: Buying the Chase

Lord Canterville and Mr. Otis are involved in a long discussion and have some forms
and paper in front of them

Lord Canterville: I must insist, there's a ghost in the castle, that’s why we
can't live here anymore. It has been here for more than three centuries! That's My
wife can’t even sleep at night because of the strange noises.

Mr. Otis: My Lord, I will take the house, and everything in it-Including the
ghost and the furniture.

Lord Canterville: I fear the ghost exists-and be warned, he always appears
before the death of any member of my family.

Mr.Otis: Lord Canterville. I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in
Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or
as part of a traveling roadshow

Lord Canterville: If you don't mind a ghost in your house, it's quite all right
with me. But please remember that I warned you.

Mr. Otis: I understand Sir. Just give me the papers, I'll sign them right away.
And, if there is such a thing as a ghost, I will be forced to charge him rent.

(Lord Centerville gives him the papers and Mi-. Otis signs them.)
Lord Canterville: The castle, Canterville Chase, is all yours.
Mr. Otis: Thank you! We'll move there tomorrow afternoon.

Lord Canterville: Very well Mr. Otis, have a nice day.
(They shake hands and both Canterville heads to the door and leave.)

Scene 2: Mr. Otis Use the phone

Mrs. Otis: hello, why did you call?
Mr. Otis: miss you.
Mrs. Otis: I miss you too darling.
Mr. Otis: oh yes, I almost forgot! Pack your bags, we're moving to England!
Your plane leaves on July 4th. They say the house is haunted by a dreadful ghost.
Now I really must go.
Mrs. Otis: we're leaving on July 4th to live in a haunted house in England.
William: with a real live ghost?
Emma: a ghost? I want to see them once
Virginia: I'm sure, there are no such things as ghosts. They break all sorts of
natural laws. If father were here, he'd explain it to you right now.
Virginia: Isn't July 4th tomorrow?
William And Emma: TOMORROW!!!
Mrs. Otis: Pack your bags and get ready children, we're leaving tomorrow!
Move, Move!

Scene 3: Touring the Chase

The Otis Family is walking up to the chase and the Butler is waiting for them.
James: I bid you welcome to Canterviille chase.
Mr. Otis: Good day, James. Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife,
Mrs. Lucretia Otis.
Mrs. Otis: Shakes hands.
Mr. Otis: This is my daughter, Virginia.
Virginia: Shakes hands.

---—------------------ Off-stage: Bang! ---—------------------

Mr. Otis: And those are the twins. They are William and Emma.

---—------------------ William and Emma run on stage ---—------------------

William: Hi James. Where's the fridge? I'm thirsty.

Emma: I'm thirsty too.
James: Let me show you all around.
James: This is the door to the kitchen next to the fireplace. This is the
beautiful mahogany paneling. This is the antique settee-made of 400 years old teak.
Virginia: Mother! Look at this, it looks like something was spilled on the rug
here.
Mrs. Otis: Oh dear, it looks like blood.
Virginia: No, no! The rug! Somebody was killed here?

James: Yes, Sir Simon De Canterville killed his wife here. Then, he disappeared
and his body has never been found. They say his spirit haunts the house.

Mrs. Otis: That's horrible! I don't want to see bloodstains on the floor. Clean it
up immediately!

James: I'll clean it up, but it won't disappear,
Mr. Otis: And don't forget to remove that ghastly man from our wall at once.
It scares me!

Emma: Yeah, I bet that's why he haunts the place. Let's go find the ghost!
(calling) Sir Simon! Sir Simon! Where are you hiding’ you coward? Come out and show
yourself!!!!

James: Be quiet William and Emma!
Emma: Yeah, let's go grab our pea shooters and scare him!
Mrs. Otis: Be careful, Children.

---—------------------ William and Emma exit. ---—------------------

Scene 4: Sir Simon appears

Sir Simon appears dressed as a simple ghost. He walks into the library and looks
around the junk the Otises have left, and at the lack of a bloodstain.

Sir Simon: Who do these people think they are? They walk in here like they
own the place, leave their stuff all about (Kicks bags), remove my family’s portraits
(places portrait back on the wall), and remove my bloodstain. And this’s just on the
first day!

(Takes some of Virginia's paints and falls to knees.)

Sir Simon: I’ve kept this bloodstain here for 300 years, 11 months, and 15
days now, and I'm not about to let a few Americans ruin my reputation.
(Gets up, paces around -throws a stack of paper on the ground, and moans a little.)

Sir Simon: I will send them scurrying to find the next ship back to America.

(Lets out a terrifying moan and disappears.)

Scene 5: The Bloodstain Reappears

The next morning. The library is empty.
Mr. and Mrs. Otis enter

Mrs. Otis: Oh, look at this mess! (Motions to paper on the ground). That's
Virginia's bag William and Emma must have been here.

Mrs. Otis: (Calling) William! Err ma!
William: (Motions to bloodstain)Look, he was here last night! The bloodstain is
back.
Mrs. Otis: How horrid! He must have spread the papers on the ground too.
Mr. Otis: There is no such thing as a ghost.
Mrs. Otis: And the bloodstain?
Mr. Otis: Of course, it's the cat. He caught a mouse last night.

Virginia: Good morning, everybody. Sleep well last night? Oh, look, the
bloodstain is back. I guess James was right about the ghost.

Virginia: Oh, where is my painting. It's not here anymore.
William and Emma: (screams) Ahhh! What?!

Emma: Let's camp out here tonight and wait for him. You have to sleep by
the door, otherwise he'll be able to escape.

William: He’ll step on me!
Emma: [Not hearing Lewis] And I’ll sleep on top of the desk so I can jump on
top of him.
William: No let’s switch I’m bigger than you.
Emma: No you’re not, I’m taller.

Scene 6: The first Haunting

The twins run on stage with pillows.
William: (Checking watch} it's almost 11 O’clock. Hurry up!
William: Shhhh! He's coming.
Twins settle down on the floor and fall asleep.

Sir Simon is dressed up in chins making lots of noise. He enters the library where the
twins are sleeping on the floor. He takes another of Virginia's paints and replenishes
the bloodstain. The twins don’t wake up. Sir Simon then edges down the hall making
an awful racket and moaning.

Mr. Otis enters through the bedroom door.

Mr. Otis: My dear Sir. I awake all night long because of your chains. Therefore,
I have brought you a bottle of Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator for that purpose.
[hands bottle]
Mr. Otis exits through the door. Sir Simon takes the bottle and throws it on the floor.

Sir Simon: (Shouting) who do these barbarians think they are!? It is my right to
moan and haunt and make horrible noises! Why, I have haunted these halls for more
than...

Twins jump up from the library with their pillows.
William and Emma: Ha, got you!
Throw pillows at him. Sir Simon lets out a scream and runs off stage, twins follow
him off.

Scene 7: The Ghost Problem

(Sounded Emma Mr. Otis and Mrs. Otis from backstage)

Emma: Sir Simon Sir Simon where are you, I want to play with u
Mr. Otis: Honey, I was thinking of capitalizing on this ghost by charging him
rent. What do you think?
Mrs. Otis: Brilliant Let's get going on it then.
Sir Simon: What?! Who are these people? Charge me rent to live in my own
home? It is I who ought to be charging them rent! (Rips paper in half and throws it to
the floor).
Sir Simon: Ahh! A ghost! It’s a ghastly ghost! {Runs to his room)
Sir Simon: Oh, what a terrible, horrible ghost! I swear it was going to kill me!

(Mr. Otis enters from the other side and walks directly to Sir Simon to deal with him.)

Mr. Otis: Hello, Sir (placing his hand on Sir Simon's shoulders)
Sir Simon was almost shocked after he felt someone’s hand put on his shoulders.

Sir Simon: What on Earth are you doing? I almost died again!!!
Sir Simon: (angry) what do you want with me?

Mr. Otis: I've got a proposition for you. I understand that you probably don't
want to pay rent to live here. What if instead, we put you on tour.

Sir Simon: On…tour? Like a tiger in a traveling circus
Sir Simon: I….will…..never!
Sir Simon rips the contract in half, throws it on the floor, and leaves

Scene 8: Evicting the ghost/The End

(The ghost is furious. He goes to his room. When he opens the door a bucket with
blue paint falls over his head/ He slipped on a banana peel and fell down.
(Sounded the twins laughing from the backstage)

Sir Simon: How did they get into my room? On, I will not get out of this place
for a few days. Those Kids are a nightmare! I can't stand this family! They don’t care
anything about me!
(He locks the door and sits. There's a noise. Virginia tries to open the door with a key)

Sir Simon: Someone is trying to open the door!
(The door opens and Virginia enters the room)

Virginia: Oh, Mr. Ghost, I feel so sorry for you. Please forgive my family.
Sir Simon: Those kids are so disrespectful!

Virginia: I have good news for you. They are going back to school tomorrow,
and then if you behave yourself, no one will bother you.

Sir Simon: Are you telling me that I’m the one who needs to behave? What
about your family? They are not afraid of me! I want to scare people. It's my only
reason for existing.

Virginia: Why?
Sir Simon: Because that's what I have been doing for many, many years.
Virginia: You don’t have to.
Sir Simon: That's none of your business!
Virginia: I will leave you alone, then.
Sir Simon: No, please, don't leave me. I'm so lonely, and you're the only nice
person in this family.
Virginia: Why do you haunt this castle?
Sir Simon: Because I did something terrible to my wife. I wouldn't have done it
if she wasn’t such a bad cook. However, even though it's all over. I really would like
to sleep for a while, but I can't.
Virginia: Why not? AII you have to do is lie down on the bed and blow out the
candle.

Sir Simon: I haven't slept for three hundred years, and I am so tired.

Virginia: Oh, poor you! Isn't there a place where you could sleep?
Sir Simon: Yes, there's a place on the hill...a little garden.
Virginia: Are you talking about the Garden of Death?
Sir Simon: Yes, silence is the only thing you can listen to in that place. Can
you help me rest in peace?
Virginia: I will pray for your soul.

Sir Simon: Take my hand and come with me to the Garden of Death. Over
there, we will pray together until you see me fade away.

(They walk together to the garden)

Scene 9

Lord Canterville: How is everyone doing sir? I didn’t think you could last here
this long

Mr. Otis: Everything’s great sir! This house is so big and beautiful for the
money we’ve paid.

Lord Canterville: What about a ghost anyway? Sir Simon always scared people
out but you seem to don’t even care for his existence.

(Virginia came in with a________)

Mrs. Otis: Where have you been ginny? You almost didn’t make it to the
dinner.

Virginia: Sending our Sir Simon to a better place. You are his descendant,
right? The truth about the rumor that Simon murdered his wife is not true. He had an
argument with his wife. She thought Simon is cheating and she couldn’t bear the
pain of arguing and committed suicide. Simon didn’t even think to cheat. It’s just a
rumor from some guy that is jealous of him.

Lord Canterville: Oh…okay. Poor man. He still bears this pain after all that as
a ghost

Virginia: He is gone now. He felt so relieved after telling me all that. So he
forgave himself and move on… Can I eat now? Never think praying for a ghost will be
this tired.

(Everyone in silence for a second)

William: Yeah! Let’s eat. Must be boring not having a ghost to play with
though.

Emma: But we can dress as one! Ginny, can you be a ghost for us?

William and Emma: Please?

Virginia: Whatever… I have nothing much to do anyway.

William and Emma: Yeah!

---—---------------------—------------------End---—---------------------—------------------