ICHABOD CRANE: (M, 126 lines)
Lanky, pompous schoolmaster from Connecticut.
KATRINA: (F, 50 lines)
Coy young charmer, the subject of
Ichabod's and Brom's adoring affection.
BROM BONES: (M, 66 lines)
Ichabod's roaring, roistering rival.
WASHINGTON: (M, 28 lines)
Storyteller.
IRVING: (M, 28 lines) Storyteller.
EMILY: (F, 35 lines)
Storyteller.
CHARLOTTE: (F, 35 lines) Storyteller.
GILES: (M, 26 lines) Storyteller.
FRAN: (F, 25 lines) Storyteller.
VAN TASSEL: (M, 10 lines)
Katrina's father.
CLAUS: (M, 10 lines)
Sleepy Hollow Boy, Van Tassel's friend.
SEBASTIAN: (M, 4 lines)
Sleepy Hollow Boy, Brom's gang.
ULRICH: (M, 5 lines)
Sleepy Hollow Boy, Brom's gang.
NATHAN: (M, 5 lines)
Sleepy Hollow Boy, Brom's gang.
PETER: (M, 2 lines)
Schoolboy.
JUDITH: (F, 8 lines) Schoolgirl.
HANSEL: (M, 5 lines)
Schoolboy.
SADIE: (F, 4 lines)
Schoolgirl.
WILHEMINA: (F, 14 lines)
Tea Lady.
GRETA: (F, 13 lines)
Tea Lady.
VAN RIPPER: (M, 7 lines)
Horse Gunpowder's owner.
HEADLESS HORSEMAN: (M, 1 line,
lots of action)
Brom in disguise; may be played by
another actor.
WASHINGTON:
Along about midnight, after the ladies had retired, the men folk gathered...
IRVING:
...as was their custom...
EMILY:
...around the fire to tell tales of ghosts and strange sights...
CHARLOTTE:
...as the neighborhood is rich in legendary treasures of the kind.
(ICHABOD
gathers, as if by a fire, warming his hands. He may be eating, but he
obviously drinks in all BROM says. STORYTELLERS circle him when the
speak as the SLEEPY HOLLOW BOYS did earlier.)
GILES:
Many dismal tales were told about...
FRAN:
...funeral trains...
WASHINGTON:
...MOURNING CRIES...
IRVING:
...and wailing were heard from the soul of Major André who
haunts the place.
ICHABOD:
Major André?
EMILY:
There was also the story of...
(STORYTELLERS
exit.)
BROM: (Moving
in on ICHABOD.)
...the woman in white... she was often heard to shriek on winter
nights before a storm, having died there in the snow.
ICHABOD:
In... in the snow?
(BROM puts
tablecloth on his head and shrieks -- scaring the daylights out of ICHABOD.)
BROM: (Getting
cozy, sitting beside ICHABOD.)
And then theres my favorite story, Ichabod. The one about the
Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Some of the folk around here say
he was a German trouper. They say that during the Revolutionary War
his head was carried off by a cannonball... (BROM
uses a jack-o-lantern to represent the head and thrusts it toward
ICHABOD.) BOOM!
ICHABOD: (Jumping.)
Do tell.
BROM:
They say he rides at night as if on the wings of the wind. He rides
back to the battlefield. (He
brings the jack-o-lantern close to ICHABOD.)
Guess whats his favorite spot for haunting?
ICHABOD:
I... Im... sure I couldnt say.
BROM:
Remember the bridge, school teach? The church bridge?
ICHABOD:
The ch-ch-church br-br-bridge?
BROM:
Did you notice anything special about that covered bridge?
ICHABOD:
It seemed... well... somewhat...
BROM:
Somewhat... what?
ICHABOD:
Well... just a touch... dark...
BROM: And?
ICHABOD:
And frightening.
BROM: AND?
ICHABOD: (Shrieks.)
Haunted! It seemed haunted!
BROM: (Smiling
with satisfaction.)
The church bridge is one of his favorite haunts, school teach.
Youll have to be careful going home tonight, Ichabod. Halloween
is his favorite time of year. But dont worry. Everyone knows
once you cross the bridge, youre safe.
ICHABOD: (Cautiously
relieved.) S-s-safe?
BROM:
If you get across it before you meet the Headless Horseman. Good
luck, Ichabod. (He
leaves, exiting, laughing maniacally.)
(CHARLOTTE
enters and "rebuilds" Gunpowder.)
CHARLOTTE:
With a heavy heart and a worried soul Ichabod roused Gunpowder...
(ICHABOD
gets on "horse".)
ICHABOD:
Come on, boy.
CHARLOTTE: (Handing
ICHABOD the reins/bucket rope handle.)
...and set out for home.
(OTHER
STORYTELLERS enter, turn all the trees back to original positions,
leaving the stark black silhouettes. Throughout the scene, they will
perform the necessary sounds, trees, horses, etc., while using the
cymbal for emphasis.)
GILES:
All the stories of ghosts and goblins now came crowding into his mind.
ICHABOD:
Major André...
FRAN:
The night drew darker and darker.
ICHABOD:
The woman in white!
WASHINGTON:
The stars seemed to sink deeper in the sky. (Music
becomes more ominous.)
ICHABOD:
THE H-h-h-headless... (Cant
say it, gulps.)
Horse... horseman. Oooh... Come on, Gunpowder. Come on, boy. (Gunpowder
does not respond but continues in a plodding, rhythmic jaunt.)
IRVING:
Soon he came upon the very spot where Major André was taken prisoner...
EMILY:
...a tree that had since been named, Andres Tree.
CHARLOTTE: (Moving
tree to center of playing area, whispering.) Ich-a-bod! Ich-a-bod!
ICHABOD: (Dismounts,
falls to his knees, pleading with the tree.)
Major André? M-m-major... Major... I wish you no harm, sir, or
ghost... uh... spirit. Please rest in peace, I only want to pass by.
I do not wish to disturb your... uh... slumber, sir... uh... ghost-sir.
(CHARLOTTE
tips Andre's Tree so that it leans over ICHABOD'S head. He looks up,
cries out!)
GILES: Ich-a-bod!
ICHABOD: (Leaps
back onto Gunpowder, closes his eye and prays.)
Oh, please let me pass, oh please let me pass, oh...
(STORYTELLERS
swirl trees swirl around him, then freeze. ICHABOD opens his eyes.)
There now, see,
Gunpowder? Trees dont move.
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