William Springer
Bill Springer worked for years as a director and designer in amateur, educational, community and professional theatre. One summer, as director of a camp in Vermont, he was unable to find the perfect script for his young actors and so sat down and wrote his own. "Frumpled Fairy Tales" was a big hit and later published by Eldridge Publishing Co. where it has been one of the company's most popular children's shows ever. Based on that, more children's scripts followed and many became the mainstay of a N. C. children's theatre. It wasn't until later that Bill's love of mysteries surfaced and he wrote "Murder Me, Murder Me Not" which was immediately picked up by Eldridge. Surprisingly, it is the only "adult" play of his eight published with the company, yet it is as well-received as any of his children's plays. What makes Bill's plays so popular? In his own words, "I guess it's my silly sense of humor. I write my plays so I'd enjoy them and the jokes and gags seem to appeal to all ages." His editors are quick to add that his plays are also strongly constructed, with good characterization and an attention to detail that is close to perfection. While these individual elements may not be immediately obvious, the audience knows instinctively that overall the play is a good one. Bill currently lives and works in South Carolina where he continues to write, compose music and create miniatures.
Frumpled Fairy Tales
Comedy by William Springer
26 pages
Flexible cast 5 - 18
Puns and pratfalls abound in this fun, frumpled 35-minute version of three Grimm fairy tales. And with the help of a narrator, the audience can cheer the heroes and boo the villains. In "Rumpelstiltskin," a greedy king, a miller's daughter and a comical chap named Rumpelstiltskin all mix together in the story of gold spinning and name guessing. In "Rapunzel," a witch puts lovely Rapunzel in a tower where a handsome prince rescues her. But the standard happy ending is reached in anything but a standard way. In "Red Riding Hood," Little Red finally escapes the ...
Murder Me, Murder Me Not
Comedy Mystery by William Springer
79 pages
3 m, 3 w
Randolph Gaston has been murdered, and everybody is after the insurance money (including the deceased). The characters we meet are the grieving widow, the girl next door, the family maid, the minister, the French inspector, and the confused boyfriend -- BUT everyone isn't necessarily who they seem to be. A series of double (and double-double) crosses, mistaken identities, fake accents, hidden bodies, and phony mustaches all add up to a completely intriguing comedy.
Cinderella?
Comedy by William Springer
26 pages
3 m, 7 w, extras
A broad version of the classic fairy tale containing all the original characters as the Fairy Godmother from the FGA (Fairy Godmothers Anonymous); Cinderella (an alias - her real name is Beulah Yenkowitz); Judy Andrews, the stepmother; and Patsy, Maxi and Levine, the Andrews sisters. After the Fairy Godmother creates the perfect ball gown, Cinderella finds it's the wrong size! How will she get to the ball? In a "Rent-a-Coach," of course!
Jack and the Beanstalk
Classic by William Springer
27 pages
12 to 14 flexible parts
All the familiar characters from the classic fairy tale are here but with a little bit of a modern-day twist, including gullible, inquisitive Jack and his poor mother; a smart, determined cow; the magical egg-laying goose; and a not-so-scary Giant and his wife. Children will be laughing out loud when Jack's cow refuses to be sold and is constantly chased across the stage, first by the bean seller and then additional characters from other fairy tales! The smart aleck Narrator almost gets into a fight with the Mother about the magical qualities of the beans and...
Alice: Thru the Looking Glass
Classic by William Springer
28 pages
2 m, 8 w, 2 flexible parts
In this 40-minute frumpled version of Lewis Carroll's story, Alice comes face to face with a Jaberwocky who could be Fonzie's twin! The Jaberwocky cons Alice into stepping through the looking glass. Then he steals her book so he and his four supremely cool Jaber-Babes - Daphne, Daisy, Dimples, and Delli - can get into the real world. Alice must quickly find them before they use the book or she'll never get back home. She gets lots of confusing "help" from the Messenger Rabbit, Tweedle Dum and Dee, and the Red and White queens.
The Legend of Santa Pig
Holiday Musical by William Springer
48 pages
20 to 26 parts (doubling possible)
In this hour-long musical, Fido, the P.C. ("Pet of Ceremonies") introduces the show. As the story unfolds, young Timmy and Beth MacDonald fall asleep with visions of sugar plums and farm animals singing and dancing in their heads. From the bossy cow to the gruff goat to Santa Pig himself, the dialogue is amusing for both children and adults. And the frantic chases are hilarious. New, innovative lyrics are included for the seven traditional songs that are suggested, and the audience is even invited to sing along for one of them. You'll love our barnyard versio...
Snow White and the Little Men
Classic by William Springer
16 pages
11 m, 6 w
In this farce, a narrator helps the action and humor even to the point of shooting the good queen, who doesn't want to die after Snow White is born. The evil queen can't make up a rhyme that's worth a darn before the magic mirror, and she even forgets her apples are poisonous and eats one at the wedding of the Prince and Snow. About 25 minutes.
Pinocchio
Classic by William Springer
49 pages
2 m, 2 w, 7 flexible parts, doubling possible
The characters in this version of Pinocchio are guaranteed to delight everyone. They include Pinocchio, an innocent kid who believes anything; three irrepressible urchins, Zip, Petey, and Dew "Duh"; the Fox and Cat, a comical pair of con artists; and the Blue Fairy, a grandmotherly type who keeps coughing whenever she emerges from a puff of smoke. Easy sets, easy to tour. About 50 minutes.