The Velveteen Rabbit

Based on the beloved children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit is a short play with loveable characters. A stuffed rabbit ponders the question of what he is and whether he is real. Through his journey he learns that “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” The little Rabbit eventually becomes Real in this way, but then discovers other rabbits (ones with hind legs, that move on their own) and he again questions what real is. Suggested tableaus are woven through this script to add a charming and creative continuity. This play is adapted by Jennifer Reif.

Jennifer Reif has been teaching, directing, and performing, around the Pacific Northwest for decades. Her shelves are lined with children’s books and her happy place is in the woods. She loves devising creative theatre projects with kids and sharing ideas with teachers. Jennifer holds her BA in Theatre from Morningside College and also studied at Oxford University in England.

Here are two more versions of The Velveteen Rabbit on Drama Notebook:

The Real Deal
The Velveteen Rabbit by Andy Pavey

Excerpt from the Play:

CHARACTERS

Nana (Speaks as Narrator)
Tin Soldier (Can play Mugsy)
Doll (Can double as Fairy)
Jack in the Box (Can play Bugsy)
Skin Horse
Mugsy the Wild Rabbit
Bugsy the Wild Rabbit
Boy (Gender easily changed)
Velveteen Rabbit
Fairy

Scene Change Suggestions:
Tableaus are a wonderful way to add creative movement and help with scene changes. Consider adding music as well. Choose one or two classical piano pieces and use them along with tableaus to weave the scenes together.

Consider using a quilt as a simple, unifying object to help with scene changes. Not only will it help mask entrances, but it will also add color and warmth to the play. It can serve as a bed, a picnic blanket, or even a carpet. Plus, it seems a nice idea since The Velveteen Rabbit is a sweet story that might be shared with a child while cuddling under a quilt.

SCENE 1

(A colorful quilt is laying on the ground center stage. Nana lovingly holds a Christmas stocking with a toy velveteen rabbit stuffed inside. She speaks as a narrator. No scenery needed. Music fades as she begins speaking.)

NANA:
There was once a Velveteen Rabbit: and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was soft and bunchy as rabbit should be. On Christmas morning he sat wedged in the boy’s stocking and the effect was charming.

(Boy enters and eagerly grabs the stocking.)

BOY:
Merry Christmas Nana!

NANA:
Merry Christmas!

BOY:
Oh look at this!

NANA:
A sweet bunny for a sweet child!

BOY:
We are going to have so much fun together!

(He kneels on the quilt and pulls out the bunny. He hugs it tightly. He is wearing a bathrobe over his clothes to indicate it is Christmas morning. The boy plays with the rabbit, making it do tricks, hide and seek, etc. Then the boy and bunny freeze in a tableau as Nana delivers this line.)

There were other things in the stocking, but the Rabbit was quite the best of all. For at least two hours the boy loved him…and then with all the excitement, the Velveteen Rabbit was forgotten.

Cue Music

(Boy unfreezes. He leaves the bunny and the stocking on the ground (not on the quilt). He and Nana pick up the quilt and billow it to mask the scene change into the toy room. This can be playful and in time with the scene change music. The boy runs off with the quilt as Nana picks up the bunny, dusting it off. Once they are in place the music fades and Nana speaks.)

SCENE 2

NANA:
For a long time, the bunny lived in the toy room, and no one thought very much about him. Being only made of velveteen, some of the more expensive toys quite naturally snubbed him.

SOLDIER:
Who are you?

DOLL:
What are you?

VELVETEEN:
I’m a velveteen rabbit.

JACK IN THE BOX:

What’s that?

VELVETEEN:
Uh…it’s me.

SOLDIER:
Yes, but what do you do?

VELVETEEN:
Do?

SOLDIER:
You know. Do you wind up?

VELVETEEN:
Wind up? What’s that?

SOLDIER:
Like this.

(Doll winds up the solider and he moves. We do not need to see the crank, but it would be fun to hear a sound effect.)

VELVETEEN:
No. I don’t think so.

JACK IN THE BOX:
He doesn’t seem to have any moving parts.

DOLL:
Maybe he can talk.

VELVETEEN:
Of course, I can talk. Can’t you hear me?

DOLL:
I mean like this.

(Soldier pulls string on the Doll. This can be imaginary string from her back, but fun to hear sound effect.)

Mama, Mama. I love you.

VELVETEEN:
No. I don’t think I have a pull string.

(Peers behind looking for string.)

JACK IN THE BOX:
Well maybe you can bounce like me.

(He does springing movements in different directions. Again, sound effects would be fun.)

VELVETEEN:
(Sighs… looking down)

SOLDIER:
He can’t do anything.

(They all laugh and then freeze in a tableau with the Velveteen Rabbit looking sad and the others laughing at his expense. They should freeze in a position they can hold through the following scene with the Horse. Perhaps they are turned away a bit.)

NANA:
The mechanical toys acted very superior and looked down upon him. This made the poor little rabbit feel very insignificant and commonplace. There was only one in the toy room who was kind to him at all. (Exit, to get the quilt)

VELVETEEN:
I must be good for something.