The Queen’s Masquerade

The King has found the perfect gift for the Queen’s birthday. But when the big reveal happens, where have the beautiful songbirds gone? This play was inspired by a teacher’s request for a play that explored "camouflage."

About the Playwright:

Kathleen Maule Holen has contributed two other plays to Drama Notebook, Dorothy’s Adventure in the Magical Kingdom of Oz and Benjamin the Hiding Bunny. She is a current member of the Dramatists Guild of America. Her Award-winning plays include The First Step, a finalist, Julian Playwright Festival 2020; Detective Weston’s Last Case, Second Place, Mixing It Up Spring Festival 2021; Nobody Kills Sherlock, first place, Julian Playwright Festival 2023 and Love’s Labour’s Lost & Found, third place, Robert J Pickering/J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence 2023. Her plays are also listed on New Play Exchange.

Excerpt from the play:

CHARACTERS:

PRINCESS ELAINE – The narrator of the play.
CHILDREN – children who live in the Kingdom of Alegon.
KING EDWARD – ruler of Alegon who needs a special birthday gift for his Queen.
QUEEN BETHANY – a kind and beautiful Queen who loves sweet-sounding, beautiful, brightly colored presents.
LANCE – a hunter who wants to be a knight and knows how to catch birds.
JULES – a seller of beautiful gems stones.
ANDERS – a writer of wonderful books.
GUARD- one of the King’s soldiers.
COURTIERS – Ladies and Lords of the kingdom dressed for a masquerade party.
GREEN BIRDS – one or more birds with green feathers.
BLUE BIRDS – one or more birds with blue feathers.
YELLOW BIRDS – one or more birds with yellow feathers.

CASTING IDEAS:
• Names can be changed to suit the gender of your actors.
• Children can also play Courtiers and Guard(s).
• The teacher can be “in role” as the Princess.
• Children can stay on stage to “watch” the story or go off stage.

TIME: a story told today about something that happened once upon a time.
SETTING: A palace and a forest.

SCENE 1

(THRONE ROOM IN A PALACE. PRINCESS ELAINE ENTERS. CHILDREN GATHER AROUND HER.)

PRINCESS:
Thank you for coming. I’m always happy to see my royal subjects. Today I’d like to tell you about something that happened in our Kingdom of Alegon a very long time ago when I was just a young Princess. Do you want to hear my story?

CHILDREN:
Yes, Princess!

PRINCESS:
Very well. I remember it was almost my mother, Queen Bethany’s, birthday. Do you remember Queen Bethany?

CHILDREN:
Yes! She was kind and beautiful.

PRINCESS:
She certainly was! And my father King Edward loved her very much. He wanted to give her a special birthday surprise.

CHILDREN:
What was it?

PRINCESS:
He started planning a masquerade party.

CHILDREN:
What’s a masquerade party?

PRINCESS:
A masquerade is a special party where everyone dresses in a costume and wears a mask. Everyone is in disguise. No one knows who anyone is.

CHILDREN:
That sounds like fun.

PRINCESS:
But he also wanted to give her a special present. He knew that she loved bright colors and sweet sounds, but he didn’t know what to choose.

CHILDREN:
What did he do?

PRINCESS:
He called for his special Advisors; Lance, the hunter, Jules, who sold fine jewelry, and Anders who wrote wonderful books.

(KING EDWARD ENTERS AND SITS ON HIS THRONE.)

KING:
Where are my Advisors? I need a special birthday present for my Queen, but I can’t think of the right gift. Lance! Jules! Anders! Come at once!

(LANCE, JULES, AND ANDERS ENTER.)

LANCE:
I am Lance, a hunter who wishes to become a noble knight. I am here to serve, Your Majesty.

(LANCE BOWS TO KING EDWARD.)

KING:
Yes, Lance. You have brought us deer and birds from the forest.

JULES:
I am Jules, a humble seller of gemstones. I am here to serve, Your Majesty.

(JULES BOWS TO KING EDWARD.)

KING:
Yes, Jules. You have brought us precious stones for our crowns.

ANDERS:
I am Anders, a writer of wonderful books. I am actually right in the middle of…

(ANDERS TURNS TO EXIT.)

KING:
Halt, Anders! You can write stories of our Kingdom later. Right now you all must help me.

LANCE:
At your command, my Liege!

JULES:
Of course, Your Highness.

ANDERS:
Well, sure, ok. If it’s that big a deal. What’s the problem?

KING:
I must have a special birthday gift for the Queen. She likes things that are beautiful and colorful and make a sweet sound.

JULES:
I have the solution to your problem, Majesty. Here is a box filled with beautiful gemstones. I have emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. She will love the sparkling beautiful colors!

(KING TAKES THE BOX OF GEMSTONES AND SHAKES IT.)

KING:
Your gemstones are beautiful and have pretty colors, but they make a terrible sound. No. These are not for the Queen.

ANDERS:
My books are certain to please the Queen. Just listen to how sweet they sound. (ANDERS READS.) Once upon a time in a beautiful, and peaceful kingdom there lived a kind Queen who--

(KING GRABS THE BOOK.)

KING:
Let me look at that book. Your story sounds sweet, but the book has a dull brown cover, and the pages are torn. It’s not beautiful. No, this is not for the Queen.

LANCE:
I don’t know much about gems or books, but I do know of something beautiful and colorful that makes sweet sounds.

KING:
Tell me! Tell me!

LANCE:
Birds. The beautiful songbirds of the forest where I hunt.

KING:
Tell me more.

LANCE:
I can go to the forest and catch the most beautiful, colorful songbirds and put them in cages.

KING:
Great idea! They will make the perfect birthday gift for the Queen.

ANDERS:
I’ll go back to writing my books.

JULES:
And I’ll go back to sorting my gemstones.

(ANDERS AND JULES TURN TO EXIT.)

KING:
Halt! Jules and Anders, you will go to the forest with Lance and help catch the birds.

JULES:
Yes, Your Majesty!

ANDERS:
Rats! I mean, I’ll be happy to help!

KING:
Now go! The Queen’s birthday is tomorrow, and I must send the invitations to the masquerade party!