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The Red Badge of Courage
Small (Touring) & Medium Cast Play for Theatres, Schools

Sound Cues

Script Sample

THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE
Medium Cast Version

CAST LIST
Running Time: About 45 minutes
Flexible cast of 11, 9 Male, 1 Female, 1 M/F
Easily adapted for larger or smaller cast

HENRY: A young soldier (M)

NARRATOR: (M/F)

MOTHER: Henry's mother (F)

JIM CONKLIN: A soldier (M)

SOLDIER 1: (M)

SOLDIER 2: (M)

SOLDIER 3: (M)

WILSON: A soldier (M)

GENERAL: (M)

CHEERFUL SOLDIER: (M)

TATTERED SOLDIER: (M)


THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE
Small Cast (Touring) Version

CAST LIST
Running Time: About 45 minutes
Flexible cast of 3, 2 Male, 1 Female
Easily adapted for larger cast

HENRY: A young soldier (M)

FEMALE ACTOR:
Plays MOTHER, TATTERED SOLDIER, CHEERFUL SOLDIER, NARRATION

MALE ACTOR: (M)
Plays JIM, WILSON, OTHERS and NARRATION


Civil War Classic for Young Audiences
Red Badge of Courage for Young Audiences! Stephe Crane's Classic Adapted for the Stage
La Mirada Theatre, CA - Phantom Project Theatre



THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE
CD SOUNDTRACK CUES (Both Versions)
Cues, sound effects, original background music

The CD Soundtrack contains special sound effects and background music (original music written for the play and traditional Civil War songs) that may be used to greatly enhance the performance. It does not contain music for the performers to sing along with. Cues have 10 seconds of silence at the end - times shown below include silence.

  1.  OPENING DRUMS, BATTLE HYMN  (2:43)

  2.  TENTING TONIGHT  (1:46)

  3.  HENRY'S THEME, BATTLE  (5:12)

  4.  HENRY'S THEME, CHAPEL  (5:15)

  5.  HENRY'S THEME, JIM'S DEATH  (4:15)

  6.  NIGHT, CRICKETS, BIRDS  (1:13)

  7.  MOTHERLESS CHILD  (1:15)

  8.  BATTLE  (3:18)

  9.  BATTLE  (2:43) 

10.  CLOSING, BATTLE HYMN  (1:15)

Note: Some teachers choose familiar songs, obtain sheet music and insert these songs into the play.  We recognize that each school has a wide variety of educational needs to fulfill and we invite you to be creative in your use of our scripts; including changes or additions that are appropriate for your students. As author/publisher of our own creative works, we do ask that you obtain proper copyright permission for any additions you might make - that responsibility is up to you.

Music & Sound Resources Available on the Internet
( Sheet Music, Song Books, CDs, DVDs, Sing-along, Karaoke, Sound Effects )



THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE
SCRIPT SAMPLE (Medium Cast Version)

Henry is just a boy when he is called to join in the American Civil War. Stephen Crane makes no statement as to the validity of either side, his only concern is the question of courage.  In this scene Henry has run, deserted, the thing that worried had him the most.  He comes across a friend who did not run, and has a great price to pay for his courage...

NARRATOR: (entering) One of the men had the gray seal of death upon him. His hands were bloody from where he had pressed them upon his wound.

(HENRY moves in from of JIM. JIM puts his hand on HENRY. HENRY jumps as if he had been touched by a ghost. HENRY turns to the man, sees it is JIM.)

HENRY: Gawd! Jim Conklin!

JIM: Hello, Henry.

(a vacant stare, ahead)

HENRY: (horrified, gulping back tears) Oh Jim... oh, Jim... oh, Jim...

JIM: (eyes fixed ahead) Where you been. Henry? I thought maybe you got keeled over. There's been thunder to pay today.

HENRY: Oh, Jim... oh, Jim... oh, Jim...

JIM: You know, I was out there. And Lord, what a circus! And by jiminey, I got shot.

JIM: (leans to speak confidentially to HENRY) I tell you what I'm afraid of, Henry, I'll tell you what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid I'll fall down and then, you know, them dumb artillery wagons — they like as not’ll run over me. That's what I'm afraid of.

HENRY: (hysterical) I'll take care of you, Jim! I'll take care of you. I swear to God I will.

JIM: Will you, Henry?

HENRY: Yes! Yes! I tell you... I'll take care of you, Jim.

JIM: Just pull me out of the road. I'd do it for you, wouldn't I, Henry?

HENRY: (awkwardly wiping tears away with his sleeve) Lean on me, Jim, just lean on me.

JIM: (pushes him away) No... no... no, leave me be, leave me be...

HENRY: I better take you out of the road, Jim. There's a battery coming.

HENRY: I better take you out of the road, Jim. There's a battery coming.

(JIM is vacant.)

HENRY: Gawd, Jim, how can you keep walking like this?

(JIM keeps walking doggedly. HENRY is exasperated.)

HENRY: JIM! JIM!

JIM: (thinking he understands) Oh! In the fields! Oh!

HENRY: Gawd! Don't run, Jim!

(HENRY grasps JIM, crying.)

HENRY: Jim, what makes you do this way? You're hurt bad, Jim!

(SOUND CUE #5: "Jim's Death".)

JIM: No, no, no, don't touch me, leave me be, leave me be...

(JIM pushes HENRY away and falls unto cube. NARRATOR enters. SHE and HENRY quickly move downstage "following" JIM. HENRY and NARRATOR play the scene as if seeing JIM out front. JIM remains on cube.)

NARRATOR: Turning his head swiftly, the youth saw his friend running in a staggering and stumbling way toward a little clump of bushes.

HENRY: Where you going, Jim? What are you thinking about? Where you going? Tell me, won't you, Jim?

NARRATOR: The tall soldier turned and lurching dangerously, went on.

HENRY: JIM!

NARRATOR: The youth followed.

JIM: Leave me be for a minute. Leave me be...

NARRATOR: At last. Henry saw him stop and stand motionless.

HENRY: Jim, what's the matter with you, Jim?

NARRATOR: There was a silence.

JIM: Leave me be...

NARRATOR: Finally, the chest of the doomed soldier began to heave. For a moment the tremor of his legs caused him to dance a hideous sort of jig. His arms beat wildly about his head. The tall soldier stretched to his full height, then fell to the ground.

(JIM stands, staggers downstage and falls into HENRY'S arms.)

HENRY: (sobs) JIM!! Oh, Gawd, oh Gawd, oh Gawd!!

NARRATOR: As the flap of the blue jacket fell away from the body, Henry could see that his side looked as if it had been chewed by wolves.

(pause)

NARRATOR: The youth turned toward the battlefield.

HENRY: (raising his fist, furious) DAMNATION!!!!


Note: This is a sample from the actual script.  To review the entire play, order the PERUSAL SCRIPT (online instant download).

The Red Badge of Courage has two versions:

Medium Cast Version: Flexible cast of 11 (9M, 1F, 1M/F).

Small Cast (Touring) Version: Cast of 3 (2M, 1F). This version was written specifically
for professional tours to schools and stages.

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