The Pearl Necklace
Story written by MAY MEI
Special thanks to MIKE&SUNNY
MAIN CHARACTERS
THE FATHER （中产阶级形象，衰老但是充满智慧）
THE MOTHER (温柔和顺型的中产阶级家庭妇女)
THE LITTLE GIRL (身穿红色连衣裙，天真无忌的孩子)
THE JUDGE (糊涂的法官，常会莫名其妙地丧失判断力)
THE UNEMPLOYED I (破产的小市民，头脑却很精明)
THE UNEMPLEYED II (街头小混混，满脑子的发财梦)
THE SECRETARY (阴险狡诈的法庭书记员，拜金者)
THE SHOP ASSISTANT (金店店员，以心直口快著称)
备注：（FATHER\MOTHER后客串法庭陪审员，但都非中心角色），全体都参与舞蹈
SETTINGS/PROPS
【第一幕】两张任意摆放的桌子三张椅子
上面放有化妆匣，烛台，蜡烛（最好还有鲜花），珍珠项链，小抄
【第二幕】拿去全部第一幕中的桌椅
地上的珍珠项链，街景，车站的牌子等等
【第三幕】三张桌子构成一个法庭，法官一把椅子
用于裁决的锤子，书记员（甚至可以看成幕僚）手中的扇子，小抄
【第四幕】金店，一张桌子即可（后拿掉）
珍珠项链，算盘（如果有的话），若干把彩色的雨伞，歌舞字幕
STAFF
SHOP OWNER & MOTHER 轮换充当音效师。
ACT I
(音乐起，客厅里，烛光把夜晚衬托得格外温馨)
画外音进入：It was 1930, when the whole country is under the depression of war and economic recession…my father’s jewelry shop nearly went bankrupt. But at that time, I was always hoping to get a necklace for my birthday…
(小女孩【G】在前台起舞，歌唱——【唱词会在后面补充，这里先skip掉】)
G: Father…! It’s so nice to see you today… It’s my…
F: Yes, darling, I know it is your 13th birthday… You are such a grown up child, Michelle. (Singing) I see the moonlight in your eyes, the first blink of roses and smiles – (母亲加入) (Singing) I see the wishes of rainbows, the eternal flame of happiness… the brightness and blessings of the angels…
F&M: (Singing) My dearest daughter… happy birthday to you. (F) Your mother and I have decided to give you a necklace… the one you asked for when you were so little (比划一下下，这时候母亲从化妆匣中拿出那串珍珠项链)…
M: Here you are, sweetie. You know since the economic downturn our family has suffered so much… but, no matter how hard our life will be in the future, we barely hope our little Michelle could be as happy as she was in the past days - would you promise me…
G: I will. I always will… （迫不及待地戴上项链，旋转，舞蹈）Look how nice I am with this beautiful necklace… May I take this to the choir tomorrow?
M: Sure… but be careful with it.
(父亲，母亲退下。女孩吹灭烛光，独自一个人开始歌唱——)
G: Starry, starry night… Paint my dream with blue and white… with shining pieces of the stray lights, （声音渐渐微弱，小女孩趴在桌子上象征性地睡去——停留几秒之后钟声响起：【铛，铛，铛……】）
ACT II
（伴着钟声小女孩跑过，珍珠项链落在地上——这个时候教堂中传出歌唱的声音【事先录好的，全组所有有能力的人合唱】。失业者和法官等客串的行人从两边上。U1拿着长柄伞—，形色匆匆的样子，U2身穿嫖客衫，手插在裤子口袋里——听到歌声）
U1&U2(不约而同地抬起头): That sucks! (——于此同时意识到对方在看着自己)
U2: （故作镇定地）Yeah, the people have all gone to the sucking religious services, huh? （自言自语地）I guess that might bring me good luck… coz’ today is my last day in poverty! And tomorrow I’ll be as rich as king…（路人甲以鄙夷的眼光看看他，教堂里的音乐止。背景音乐骤然变成阴森型的那种——【梆，梆梆梆梆——】）
U1: Oh my gosh… look what’s on the ground! (对观众) if I went to the jewelry store and exchange some money… my family would not need to worry about…
U2: A pearl necklace! That may worth thousands of pounds –
U1: Who do you think you are, buddy?! 【做出一副气势汹汹的样子】It was me who reminded you of the necklace, it was me – not you, not even anybody else like you sucking, ugly vagabond!（狡诈地）And I have to remind you that my wife have just lost a necklace…（阴险地，慢慢地说）Like this.
U2: (背景) (低沉地) How can you prove…
U1:（和）Coz’ you have no dignity… How can you swear… （以下省略若干回合）
U2:（和）Coz’ I’m totally innocent… Let the Judge decide!
U1: Let the Judge decide! （背景音乐换成进行曲式，两人各自满怀希望地歌唱着【内容再次很无聊滴skip掉】去寻找法官——在歌声中第二幕结束）
ACT III
(法庭，法官和书记上。两位诉讼人就席。——音乐走戏谑的路线)
J: I’m the judge, representing the law of the highnesses… So my child, what are your problems? 【他一边敲桌子，做出不耐烦的样子】
U2: （理直气壮地）I found this necklace in the street this morning. And this guy – who did not even recognize this before I showed him, clearly regarded me as the thief who stole this stuff from his wife –
U1:（惊慌地）He’s a liar! My Lord – who can imagine such a splendid, gorgeous necklace once belonged to such a sloppy, stupid bully – by Heaven!
J: 【结结巴巴地】Silence! Silence… （回过头问书记员）So what do you think? What should I do, Mr. Wily? Okay… It’s time for recess, buddy.( U1&U2退下，于是法庭内开始进入discussion的状态【用歌唱的形式表现，两位陪审（倒是也能改成律师）唱出两位诉讼人的真实情况——】)
S(书记):（狡猾地）No one can prove the necklace is his or it is not the other one’s, so why don’t we just take the necklace so that we can sell it to the jewelry store – is that right, my Lord?
J: Yes, you are absolutely right, Wily - 【咳咳】We have discussed about your case and the court has made its decision, men. The court is going to take this because there is no evidence that any of you have the right to keep this precious necklace… So we well protect it until the truth is revealed…
U1&U2: (变得异常团结) But it is totally unfair!
S: The JUDGE is the LAW. Now get away… you bullies! 【赞美诗的声音又从远处传来，U1&U2黯然退场。女孩一蹦一跳地跑来——】
G: This must be the best day I ever had… with my dearest pearl necklace. Oh! How come all these happened to me? The necklace… (这时候U1U2扮成街头艺人，背景音乐：Daniel Powter的BAD DAY，最好用吉他什么的伴奏下/ 或者是小提琴悲伤的旋律，两个失落的人在暗夜中，和女孩组成一幅图画。音乐中画面定格。)
ACT IV
（金店里，Wily把链子递给女店员。）
S: So, Mrs. Bentley – how much does it worth?
B: … Honestly, it does not worth a penny. It’s totally a fake. I have examined the jewels carefully and I’m sure it is not the original one.
S: 【瞪大眼睛】What? （与女孩的声音一道）
G: You’ve got my necklace… how did you find that? I’ve been thinking about it for the whole day…
S: But it is fake! It’s almost worthless…
U1&U2: It is NOT worthless, buddy! (U1) Yesterday in the court we both realized that this necklace could mean a world to us – the happiness, the hope, the way pointed to the future… (U2) It does worth a fortune to us.
G: (Singing) And seeking the hope of happiness, you are not alone… I think it is our time to welcome back the real treasure of our life. As I noticed you all, I think I have finally understood why my parent gave me the fake one as a present… for my 13th birthday.
F（从背后走过来拍拍女孩的肩膀）: What is worth will always be worth, that’s what happiness means to you, and what it means to everybody.
【众人歌舞，故事在欢乐中接近尾声——】
画外音：Even today, when I am feeling upset or something, the memories of that afternoon always flash back in front of my eyes – it is the fortune of happiness, the eternal flame of hopes and joy, and till today, the most valuable thing of my family: believe it or not, it’s a fake, but priceless necklace which I’ll never give away.
[ Fin.]
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