Puss in Boots

Short play version of the classic Italian fairy tale. Teacher narration helps move the story along.

Synopsis: After their father said “Arrivederci” and retired to Venice, brothers Pietre, Giovanni, and Jack were left with all his possessions. Jack, the youngest was left with his father’s prized item, a cat. Little did Jack know that this trickster animal would change his life!

About the playwright:

Corinna Rezzelle is thrilled to be a playwright on Drama Notebook! Corinna has been an active actor, director, and stage manager since childhood and a theatre teacher for almost eight years. Holding an M.A. in Educational Theatre and a teaching credential, Corinna’s goal is to create engaging theatrical scripts that all students will enjoy performing. You can purchase her other fantastic scripts, Pecos Bill and the Rip-Roaring Tornado and Peter’s Big Adventure, in Drama Notebook’s Script Library!

Excerpt from the play:

CHARACTERS
Adult Narrator
Child 1/ Pietre
Child 2/Giovanni
Child 3/Jack
Children 4-9
King
Miller
Soldiers 1,2,3
Princesses1,2,3
Rabbits 1,2
Villagers 1-5
Ogre

SCENE 1

Child 1:
Bonjourno!

Child 2:
Good day!

Child 3:
E tempo di storie!

Child 4:
It’s story time!

Child 5:
La nostra storia e Italiana.

Child 6:
Our story is from Italy!

Child 7:
La nostra storia es…

Child 8:
Our story is…

All Children:
Gatto con gli stivale.

All Children:
PUSS IN BOOTS!

Narrator:
Once upon a time, there was a Miller with three sons.
(The Miller walks on with Pietre, Giovanni and Jack. They stand in a line)

Narrator:
The miller was very old, and he could not work in his mill any longer, so he gave it to his sons.

Miller:
I give you my mill. I give you my donkey. And I give you…my cat. Arrivederci! I’m going to Venice!

Giovanni, Pietre, and Jack:
Grazi, Father!

Child 9:
That means “Thank you!”

Narrator:
The son with the donkey and the mill were happy that they would be able to make money with their gifts, but the youngest son, Jack, was sad.

Jack:
How can I make money with a cat?

Narrator:
Little did Jack know that this cat was a special talking cat who was very clever.

Cat:
If you give me a pair of boots, I’ll make sure that you’re never hungry again!

ALL Children:
You can talk?

Cat:
Si!

Narrator:
Jack spent all of the money that he had on a pair of boots for the cat.
(Jack pays three gold coins to Villager 1 and 2. They give him boot covers for Cat)

Villager 1 and 2:
Grazie!

Narrator:
The cat put on the boots and took a bag from Jack’s house and went out into the woods to set a trap for some rabbits. He knew that the king loved to keep rabbits for pets. The cat caught two rabbits but was soon stopped by the soldiers of the king.

Soldier 1:
Wait there, cat.

Soldier 2:
What are you doing with those rabbits?

Cat:
They are a gift to the king.

Narrator:
The cat said that the rabbits were a gift from his owner, Count Antonio de Belavetis. A noble Count who just moved to the province.

Soldier 3:
The king will love these rabbits.

Soldier 4:
And if he doesn’t, he’ll really like a talking cat!

Narrator:
So, the soldiers brought the cat before the king.

Princess 1:
He’s so cute!

Princess 2:
Please accept his gifts, father.

King:
Very well. Please give the Count our thanks by giving him these gold coins.
(The Cat bows and leaves with three large sacks)