Butterfly
Lovers
By Carrie
(Music01:Butterfly Lovers)
(Aside: About sixteen hundred years ago, it was
East Jin Dynasty in
conservative, and girls were not allowed to go out
let alone going to school like boys. Besides,
family status was very important at that time. But
there comes an extraordinary girl named Zhu
Yingtai.)
ACT I
SCENE 1 -YING TAI'S HOME
Enter Zhu Yingtai and her mother
YINGTAI
Oh, mum, I really want to go to school.
MOTHER
I've told you a hundred times. You can't because you are not a boy.
YINGTAI
But the boring life is driving me crazy. I can dress like a boy when I
go to school. Oh, please!
MOTHER
OK, OK, I surrender.
YINGTAI
(Jumps to her feet and runs about.)
Hurray! I can go to school. I can go to school! I can go to school!
(Go
and shake hands with the audience.)
Mother says I can go to school.
MUSIC (YINGTAI
CHANGES CLOTHES)
ACT II
SCENE 1 - IN FRONT OF THE
CLASSROOM
Enter Liang Shanbo and ZhuYingtai
(Aside:
When Yingtai is heading for school. One of her classmates named Liang Shanbo is
also on his way to school. He met Yingtai in front of the school.)
(Both
Yingtai and Shanbo make a bow with hands folded in front.)
SHANBO
始めまして。Liang
Shanboです，どうぞよろしく。
YINGTAI
始めまして。Zhu Yingtaiです，どうぞよろしく。
SHANBO
Are you a new student here?
YINGTAI
Yes, it's my first day at school.
SHANBO
Oh, it's time for class.
SCENE 2 - IN THE CLASSROOM
Enter Shanbo, Yingtai and the teacher
(Shanbo and Yingtai sit side by side in front of the teacher.)
TEACHER
Today we are going to learn "The Books of Songs" written by
Confucius.
GUAN JU.
关关雎鸠、在河之洲。
窈宨淑女、君子好逑。
(Shanbo and Yingtai wag their heads
while reading
after their teacher.)
(Music02: Butterfly Lovers.)
(Aside:Guan-guan go the
ospreys, On the islet in the river. The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady
------For our prince a good mate she.)
TEACHER (CONT'D)
That's all for today. Goodbye, class.
SCENE 3 - AFTER CLASS
Enter Yingtai and Shanbo
(Aside: After class, Shanbo
and Yingtai become good friends. They spend every minute together.)
(Music 03: Butterfly Lovers)
(Aside:
They often play the flute together. They play chess, and write Chinese calligraphy
sometimes. One day Yingtai and Shanbo lie side by side on the lawn.)
YINGTAI
What if time stops at this
moment!
SHANBO
Why?
YINGTAI
Because I feel happy now.
SCENE 4 - ONE DAY IN THE GARDEN
Enter Yingtai and Shanbo
YINGTAI
Shanbo, I got a letter from my mother this morning.
SHANBO
What did she say?
YINGTAI
(sad) She asked me to go back home at once.
SHANBO
There must be something urgent, so she needs you now. Go home quickly, Yingtai.
YINGTAI
Will you see me off?
SHANBO
Sure!
SCENE 5 - WAY TO HOME
Enter Yingtai and Shanbo
YINGTAI
Since I'm leaving, I've got something that I must confess to you.
SHANBO
So, why?
YINGTAI
In fact, I'm a girl. I pretend to be a boy so that I can go to school.
SHANBO
(Stands back)
You're kidding. You are a girl? Not a boy like me?
YINGTAI
(Steps forward and sings: Yingtai, Je m'applle
Yingtai. Je suis une fille. Comme les autres.)
SHANBO
Oh, I was so careless that I did not notice that.
(Music04: You
Are Such a Surprise For Me.)
(Yingtai and Shanbo stand face to face
and hand in hand.)
SHANBO (CONT'D)
I love you, Yingtai, I hope we can be together for ever, but you are going
home.
YINGTAI
I love you, too. Do come to my home during the vacation and ask my
mother to marry me to you. Will you?
SHANBO
I will.
YINGTAI
You promise.
SHANBO
Yes, I promise you.
(Yingtai
and Shanbo are reluctantly to part, but they part at last. They wave goodbye.)
YINGTAI
Do come and marry me!
SHANBO
I will. Go home safely.
ACT III
SCENE 1 - YINGTAI'S HOME
Enter Yingtai
and her mother
YINGTAI
Mun, I'm home, but what's the matter?
MOTHER
Your father and I have
decided to marry you to Ma Wencai, son of the mayor. He's rich and prestigious.
YINGTAI
I'm sorry, mum. I'm in love with one of my classmates.
MOTHER
Is his family very rich?
YINGTAI
No, he's an orphan.
MOTHER
Then, the answer is no.
YINGTAI
But I'm not going to marry anyone but Shanbo.
MOTHER
Yingtai. How dare you! Do you know girls have no right to decide who to marry. You have no other
options. The wedding ceremony is in 2 weeks.
YINGTAI
(sad) Oh, no!
YINGTAI CHANGES
CLOTHES.
SCENE 2 - IN THE LIVING ROOM
Enter Yingtai's mother and Shanbo
(Shanbo
comes during the vacation.)
(Shanbo
bows.)
SHANBO
Good afternoon, aunt.
MOTHER
So, you are Shanbo? I hear that you are in love with my daughter.
SHANBO
Yes, I'm here to meet Yingtai. Can I see her?
MOTHER
I'm afraid not. She's gonna marry son of the mayor. He's the most rich and
prestigious man in our city.
SHANBO
Does she agree to that marriage? I can't believe it.
MOTHER
Anyway, I will never marry my daughter to you, poor guy. Believe it or
not, the wedding is in one week's time.
SHANBO
Can I see her now?
MOTHER
No!
SHANBO
Sorry for disturbing. Good bye.
(Music05: Good bye for ever)
(Shanbo
drops to the ground, dead.)
SHANBO CHANGES
CLOTHES.
SCENE 3 - YING TAI'S ROOM
Enter Yingtai
(Music06: BBC)
( Aside: A poor student
who came to this city for the first time has reportedly died in street
yesterday evening. His name was, said by the police, Liang Shanbo.)
(Music07: Thunder)
(Yingtai is shocked to
standing up suddenly. She felt faint.)
(Aside: Once day before the wedding
ceremony, Yingtai runs out of home and goes to the place where Shanbo was
buried.)
SCENE 4 - BESIDE SHANBO'S TOMB
(Yingtai
kneeled down in front of Shanbo's tombstone.)
YINGTAI
You said you would come to me. You promised to marry me. I'm here to be your
wife, but where are you?)
(Yingtai
bends over the tombstone and cries sadly.)
(Aside: Shanbo's spirit goes out of the
tomb)
(Shanbo he holds Yingtai up.)
SHANBO
I'm here.
(Music08: Misery)
(Yingtai
wipes her tears.)
(Shanbo
and Yingtai turned into two butterflies. They dance like butterflies.)
(Aside: Shanbo and Yingtai
turn into butterflies and live together happily from then on. They are
what we call butterfly lovers.)