The Wedding Gift of Pirate Granny
Available for Production
ORCHESTRATION:
Piano Only
CHORUS:
None
ROLES:
3 Singers
JACK JEFFERSON HOPE (Tenor)
ELIZABETH PRINCE (Soprano)
PIRATE GRANNY (Mezzo Soprano)
DURATION:
30’
A humorous look at morality and convention, The Wedding Gift of Pirate Granny takes place on a Caribbean island in the 17th Century. Elizabeth Prince is about to marry Jack Hope, and live happily ever after as a respectable, church-going wife and schoolteacher. But her buccaneering grandmother's riotous, cigar-chomping ghost refuses to let her settle for such a boring domestic life.
Synopsis
The time is the late 17th century, on the island of Far Tortuga, in the Caribbean.
SCENE ONE:
JACK JEFFERSON HOPE, a former pirate, enters the future bedroom of himself and his bride-to-be, ELIZABETH PRINCE, a respectable young lady. He searches for a mysterious map, which belonged to ELIZABETH’s notorious grandmother, PIRATE GRANNY. ELIZABETH enters unseen while JACK is searching and watches. JACK has promised ELIZABETH he will give up piracy, but wants to find the map and one last pirate treasure. Then, he will be free to marry her at the Church of St. Perpetua, as has been her dream. JACK picks up a prayer book, GRANNY’s gift to ELIZABETH. ELIZABETH makes herself known, and berates JACK for snooping. She gives him gold pieces as a gift, after making him return the book and promise he will give up his search. JACK leaves. ELIZABETH imagines her wedding day, and realizes that she longs for GRANNY’s life of adventure. She opens the book and finds the lost map, but refuses to look at it. She resolves to rid herself of the map and its temptations.
SCENE TWO:
In a secluded spot, ELIZABETH visits her grandmother’s grave and begs her forgiveness for returning her gift. But her only answer is silence. Then THE GHOST OF PIRATE GRANNY appears, but refuses to take the book back. She happily informs ELIZABETH that the book is to remind her of her true self. PIRATE GRANNY exhorts ELIZABETH to her old life as a small child, when their lives were piracy and fun on the high seas. ELIZABETH struggles, wishing to preserve her piety and clinging to the possibility of a respectable marriage with JACK. . PIRATE GRANNY makes her look at the map, opening her eyes to her true destiny.
SCENE THREE:
It’s JACK and ELIZABETH’s wedding day. ELIZABETH returns to JACK, a changed woman. JACK is shocked and resistant at first. She convinces him to discard their old notions of respectability. She proposes to him, suggesting that they marry and both become pirates. Once she reveals to him the secret of the map, JACK cheerfully agrees. THE GHOST OF PIRATE GRANNY appears to bless the young couple as they embark on their new life of crime.
Media
Video
Materials
piano vocal score
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