Almost Fairy Time is a play about four little fairies that are tired of rhyming words for their friend, “Billiam.” Fed up with him stealing their stories for his plays and taking all the credit, they concoct a plan to star in their own play in the hopes that they will be freed and able to walk among the humans. This creative prequel to Shakepeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, explains just how old “Billiam” came up with his story! A perfect addition to your Shakespeare curriculum and next performance!
Diana Burbano, a Colombian immigrant, is an Equity actor, a playwright, and a teaching artist at South Coast Repertory and Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble. Her written work has earned her Honorable Mention, Jane Chambers Award 2017, Festival51 2016 winner, and Caliban’s Island winner 2017 Headwaters New Play Festival at Creede Repertory. She manages Sleep Till Noon Productions and The Gourmet Detective. Diana is one of the original members of the writers circle for Latino Theatre Association/ Los Angeles. She is also a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights.
Excerpt from the play:
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Mab: A Person Of The Fairy Persuasion, tiny.
Ariel: Another POTFP, dainty
Moth: Ditto, words get caught in its mouth, sometimes
Caliban: Not quite a POTFP but magical nevertheless, gruff
SETTING
A Clearing in an Enchanted Forest
ACT I
(Four little magical creatures appear in a forest glen.)
MOTH
Thus we four meet, once more!
ARIEL
Here in the glen, no adults to offend.
MAB
Now is the bewitching time!
CALIBAN
For Puck’s sake, can we not rhyme?
MOTH
But we love to rhyme! All the time!
ARIEL MOTH
It’s part of our… our…
CALIBAN
Yeah???
MOTH
Clime, Lime, Dime… (Thinks, gets it.) Ah… We do it on a dime.
CALIBAN
That. Is really lame.
ARIEL
UGH! (Whumps on the floor) MUST you be so boring?!
MAB
Your attitude is worth exploring.
CALIBAN
I hate this whole rhyming couplet thing, if you’re good at it, (indicates Mab who smiles snottily.)
you’re a show-off. If you’re bad at it… (They all look at Moth.)
MOTH
I’m not bad at it! It just takes me a while to figure it out! (Thinks a bit too long.) Maybe your nose I oughta clout!
CALIBAN
We only do it because the old dude makes us do it, so he can copy our words down. Maybe we should tell him to quit, or no more stories.
MAB
I like telling him stories!
CALIBAN
Yeah, and he takes ALL the credit.
ARIEL
That’s true. I was in his hat the other day and he told the Earl of Sandwich…
ALL
MMMMMM… Sandwich!
ARIEL
…That he didn’t know WHERE he got such good ideas, that he got them from the “Insubstantial air.”
MOTH
Keep eating those sandwiches, and you won’t be so insubstantial, Ariel.
MAB
I give him some great stories, I looove the romantic ones… but he turns them all weird and creepy.
ARIEL
Oh yeah, like those two cute kids in Verona?
MAB
TOTES! He ends up poisoning him, and having her stab herself! That’s NOT what happened.
MOTH
Remember when I told him about that nice Jewish guy who owned the butcher shop? How that became a pound of human flesh… Bleah.
CALIBAN
Humans are gross. Remember Titus Andronicus?
MAB
AAAAHHH. too creepy, too creepy!!!!
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