P R E V I E W

SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED

A Play for Young Audiences

by Madge Miller

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AND
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Snow White and Rose Red

Madge Miller was a prolific childrens theatre author having written over 40 plays
including Robinson Crusoe, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and Snow While and Rose
Red. For many years she wrote and directed for the professional theatre company
Knickerty-Knockerty Players where many of her plays premiered. In 1970 she was
awarded the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Award for her body of work as a childrens
theatre playwright. Her plays continue to be produced across the country as well as
abroad.

Snow White and Rose Red

Cast of Characters
(3 F, 3M)
Blanchette (Snow White)
Rosalie (Rose Red)
Felice Bonheur, their Mother
Philippe (Bear)
Dolphe, the Evil Troll
Pierre (Fish)

Scene 1

A cozy, small French cottage

Scene 2

A woodland area, early Spring

Scene 3

The cottage
Scene 4

The woodland
Scene 5

Another part of the woodland

Scene 6

The cottage

Snow White and Rose Red

Scene 1

A cozy, small French cottage with a hearth.

It is a cold morning. FELICE BONHEUR, mother of the two girls, sits sewing while her
daughter BLANCHETTE stands at the window throwing crumbs to the birds.
FELICE.
FELICE Snow White, my darling, close the shutters quickly, or we two shall freeze.
How cold the wind is!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Yes, Mother. There! The last crumb to the last small hungry bird!
(Closing the shutters.) They watch for me to feed them, for they know I love them.
FELICE.
FELICE Why, of course they do, dear. And all the creatures of this forest know and
love you and your sister Rose Red. I have taught you never to hurt or fear them.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Weve ridden on the backs of deer, and fed wild rabbits cabbage
leaves from our fingers!
FELICE.
FELICE Even when Rose Red is out, as she is now, taking sewing I have done to this
neighbor or to that, Im not worried for her safety. Remember, nothing in the forest
will ever harm you or her.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Rose Red will be back shortly, wont she? Youll begin to read us a
new story tonight, wont you, Mother?
FELICE.
FELICE Yes, my dear, as soon as your sister is back. Find the book and well sit down
beside the fire together.

(FELICE exits while SNOW WHITE gets a book. DOLPHE can be hear
singing.)
DOLPHE (Offstage singing.) La-la-la-la-la!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Mother!
FELICE.
FELICE (Offstage.) Yes?
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Do you hear it?
FELICE.
FELICE (Entering without basket.) What, darling?
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Something like a singing. (Pointing at hearth.) Its down there. Do
listen!
FELICE.
FELICE I am listening, but theres nothing, Snow White, truly. You hear the wind. It
sighs like a voice through the great bending trees.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE No, Mother, not the wind, for that never frightens me.
FELICE.
FELICE But there is nothing underneath these boards save earth and rock and what
was once an old cave, long forgotten. No, there was no one singing. It was just the
wind.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE II dont think so, Mother.
FELICE.
FELICE (Brightening.) Now I do hear something! Rose Reds step. Run and let your
sister in.

Snow White and Rose Red

SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Oh. good! (A knock at the door.) Coming! (Opening door, the sound of
the wind rushing into the room.) Hello, Rosalie!

(ROSE RED enters in a rush.)

ROSE RED.
RED Blanchette! Mother dear! How good it is to get back home! My toes and
ears are tingling! (Drawing money from a pocket in her skirt.) Heres the money for
your sewing, Mother, and they want more pieces.
FELICE.
FELICE Splendid! Oh, if only I had four hands
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE If we two could only help you!
ROSE RED.
RED Yes, I hate to see you grow so tired.
FELICE.
FELICE No one ever had two better daughters! Isnt it Snow White who scrubs the
kettles till they gleam like gold? And Rose Red who pulls up the weeds and keeps
the garden blooming in the spring?
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE How far away spring seems now with the coldness all about us!
ROSE RED.
RED The stream is frozen over like a shining mirror. I stepped out upon it!
(Mysteriously.) And yet, underneath the ice, what do you think I saw ?
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE The golden fish that follows you along the banks!
ROSE RED.
RED It was! Im sure of it.
FELICE.
FELICE (Indulgently.) Or else a sunbeam.
ROSE RED.
RED No, no! My fish! But, do you know, Mother, Im afraid the rose trees by
the door are quite, quite dead? I looked at them as I came in. So black and
leafless!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Our two rose trees? But they musnt die!
FELICE.
FELICE Theyll bloom again, never fear, my children, one with snow-white roses for
my sweet Blanchette
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Is that why you call me Snow White, Mother?
FELICE.
FELICE Yes, dear, for the snow-white roses. And your name Blanchette means little
white one too.
ROSE RED.
RED Just as my tree has rose-red roses, and my name is Rosale
FELICE.
FELICE And so I call you my Rose Red. But never think that spring- -will not be here,
and with it warmth and life for every grooving thing.
ROSE RED.
RED And the two rose-trees will bloom, Im sure of it, when spring comes back
again!
FELICE.
FELICE Now shall we have a story?
ROSE RED.
RED Yes!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Oh, yes!
FELICE.
FELICE (Picking up the book from the table.) Perhaps Rapunzel who let down her
golden hair from a tower window so that her dear prince might climb up by it.
ROSE RED.
RED Yes, read that one.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Her dear prince! How I should like to meet a prince!

Snow White and Rose Red

ROSE RED.
RED In this lonely forest? Little goose! Princes live in great stone castles
dressed in furs and silks
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE The castles?
ROSE RED.
RED No, silly! And wear crowns and jewels
FELICE.
FELICE And climb up Rapunzes golden hair?
ROSE RED.
RED The story
SNOW WHITE . Yes, Mother, do begin, please.
FELICE.
FELICE Now then, listen well. Once upon a time there was a little girl named
Rapunzel, who grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was
twelve years old, an enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and
had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the
enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried! Rapunzel,
Rapunzel, Let down your hair to me.

(There is a knock at the door.)

SNOW WHITE.
WHITE A knock!
ROSE RED.
RED So late!
FELICE.
FELICE Rose Red, open the door, please, quickly. It must be some traveler seeking
shelter.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Ill stir up the fire. He will be cold.
ROSE RED.
RED (Opening the door.) Good evening, sir. Have you lost your way? Come in
and take that heavy fur coatfur coat

(A large black BEAR enters the wind howling behind him.)

BEAR.
BEAR But I cant. How gladly would I rid myself
ROSE RED (Backing away, leaving door open.) A bear!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE A bear!
BEAR.
BEAR Dont be afraid. I wouldnt harm you for the world. Im half frozen, and only
wish to warm myself a little.
FELICE.
FELICE My poor bear, lie down by the fire. (Closing door.) You are more than
welcome.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE But take care you dont burn your fur.
ROSE RED.
RED Its caked with snow. Shall I brush it for you?
BEAR.
BEAR Why, I should be honored.
FELICE
FELICE.
ICE Heres a brush. Go gently, Rose Red.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Should you like it if I combed your ears?
BEAR.
BEAR Please do, my child. I cannot call you by your name to thank you.
FELICE.
FELICE I am Madame Bonheur, and these are my two daughters Blanchette and
Rosalie.
SNOW
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE But Mother calls me Snow White
ROSE RED.
RED And me, Rose Red, after the rose trees by the door.
FELICE.
FELICE Have you a name, bear?
6

Snow White and Rose Red

BEAR.
BEAR (Hesitating.) WhyI did once, but not now.
ROSE RED.
RED Never mind. We shall give yon one. Ill think of it soon!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE You are shivering, bear. Let me tuck this blanket all about you.
BEAR.
BEAR But I see your mother has a book beside her. Was she reading to you? Pray
dont stop. I shall listen too.
FELICA I have a better thought. Perhaps you will tell us a story.
ROSE RED.
RED Yes, a new one!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE (Putting blanket over him.) Something you have seen or heard in all
your wanderings.
ROSE RED.
RED Do you know a story?
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE With perhaps a prince in it?
FELICE.
FELICE Snow White, what would our friend, the bear, know of princes?
BEAR.
BEAR But I can tell a story, with not lust one prince but two!
RO SE RED.
RED Tell us, tell us!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Please!
BEAR.
BEAR Very well, then. Here it is. First, imagine if you can a splendid castle made of
marble, with its pillars of pure gold and silver, set with precious stones.
ROSE RED.
RED Oh, I cant imagine it! I simply cant!
FELICE.
FELICE Look into the flames, my darlings. Often you can see a picture there.

(The lights dim until only the firelight remains.)

BEAR.
BEAR And next imagine two young brothers, princes both, Philippe the elder, and
Pierre the younger, ruling their great kingdom side by side.
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE Yes, yes, I can imagine that!
ROSE RED.
RED I can almost see them!
BEAR.
BEAR But then imagine that an evil troll who sought to steal their treasures captured
both the kingdom and the castle by his witchcraft.
ROSE RED.
RED Ohhhh!
SNOW WHITE.
WHITE How dreadful!
BEAR.
BEAR And so evil was he that he hated every living mortal. This is what he used to
say.

(The scrim backing of the fire-place is lighted from behind so that the scene in
the fireplace becomes visible. DOLPHE, the evil troll, crouches there. He is
small and stooped, with long gray hair and whiskers.)
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE (In a high, petulant, rasping voice.) I wont rest, no, I wont until Ive found
each precious stone and piece of gold or silver taken from my earth, and brought it
back where it belongs! Into my cave theyll go, back underground, and as for
people, Ill destroy each one I can! Now with my magic powers Ive thrown
enchantment over all this kingdom. Even the castle lies asleep and still, and every
ruby, diamond, pearlthe gold and silver columns toowill soon be carried to my
cave by my thousand helpers. (Frowning angrily.) But the two young monarchs,
Prince Philippe and Prince Pierrethey have escaped me! (Growling.) Ahhhh!
7

Snow White and Rose Red

Why, theyve gone into the forest with a sack of gold, a bag of pearls, and a box of
rubies. Mine! All mine! I must seek them out. I must take these treasures too! I
must destroy them. Mortals! Ugh! Oh, how I hate them! Grrr!

(With a last hop and growl, he darts off. The lights go down behind the scrim.
During DOLPHES speech PHILIPPE has slipped out of the bear costume,
which the girls continue to brush and comb, and gone backstage through a.
swinging flat at one side of the fireplace. PRINCE PIERRE, in dazzling red and
gold costume, appears behind the scrim. The lights come up strongly on him.)
BEAR.
BEAR (Offstage.) In the forest, Prince Pierre kept watch for the wicked dwarf while
Philippe hid their few remaining treasures.
PIERRE.
PIERRE I wish Philippe would hurry back! The evil troll is sure to overtake us with his
magic powers if we tarry here. (Placing his hand on his sword.) Yet if he comes,
perhaps my sword will find his he-art before he harms us.
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE (Appearing suddenly.) He-he! You think so? (Waving his long bread at him.)
But you cannot draw your sword, can you, Prince Pierre?
PIERRE.
PIERRE No-no, I cantit wont
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE Nor can you move. Your feet are rooted firm against the earth, your hands
are frozen.
PIERRE.
PIERRE What will you do with us?
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE Where is your brother? Does he have the gold and jewels? Answer, does
he?
PIERRE.
PIERRE I have no answer for you, monster. (Calling.) Philippe, come no nearer. Save
yourself.

(PHILIPPE enters with drawn sword. DOLPHE waives his beard at him.)
PHILIPPE.
PHILIPPE Ahh! Now I too am caught! We cannot fight against your witchcraft, troll, but
we can bargain with you. Free our subjects, whom youve thrown into a sleep, and
I shall tell you where I hid the treasure.
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE Bargains? He-he! No, poor Prince Philippe, I do not need to bargain. Tell me
where the gold, the pearls, the rubies areor I shall kill you instantly.
PHILIPPE.
PHILIPPE Then you will never know, for they are hidden well!
DOLPHE.
DOLPHE (Hopping up and down in rage.) Thieves! Scoundrels! You defy me? Then
lose the shape of men! (At his gestures, Philippe and Pierre back away
respectively.) Henceforth as creatures of the woods and sea live on until you
choose to give to me what properly
is mine! (Sinisterly.) And if you tell a living soul your rightful names, you shall
vanish entirely. Mortals! Ugh! I hate them all! (Making
gestures.) Ha! So the magic works!
PHILIPPE.
PHILIPPE (Offstage.) Brother! Oh, Pierre, I am changing!

(During the fallowing speeches, PHILIPPE slips out through and creeps into the
bear costume which SNOW WHITE and ROSE RED help him adjust under
cover of darkness.)
PIERRE.
PIERRE (Offstage.) And I too, Philippe! My legs become a tail! My arms grow shorter
and shorter. I cannot walk. I am a man no longer!
8