Princess Kiku_ A Japanese Romance A Play for Girls
PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS
PRINCESS KIKU
A JAPANESE ROMANCE
FEMALE CHARACTERS ONLY
DICK & FITZGERALD
PUBLISHERS
18 Ann Street, New York
COMEDIES AND DRAMAS
15 CENTS EACH
| M. | F. | |
| ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD (The Factory Girl). Comic Drama of great force; 2 acts; 2 hours | 6 | 3 |
| ARABIAN NIGHTS, THE. Farcical comedy; always a great success with amateurs; 3 acts; 2¼ hours | 4 | 5 |
| BARBARA. Drama; well-written romantic story with touches of genuine humor; 1 act; 50 minutes | 2 | 2 |
| BETSY. Farcical comedy; keeps audience in roars of laughter to final curtain; 3 acts; 2½ hours | 7 | 6 |
| BETWEEN TWO FIRES. Military drama; 3 acts; 2 hours | 8 | 3 |
| BROKEN PROMISES. Strong temperance play of unflagging interest, relieved with much eccentric humor; 5 acts; 1¾ hours | 6 | 3 |
| BY FORCE OF IMPULSE. (Off to the War). Military drama; comic and emotional; 5 acts; 2½ hours | 9 | 3 |
| CASTE. Comedy that always delights the public; 3 acts; 2¾ hours | 5 | 3 |
| CRAWFORD’S CLAIM; OR NUGGET NELL. Good rattling Western drama; 4 acts; 2¼ hours | 9 | 3 |
| CRICKET ON THE HEARTH, THE. Dickens’ story dramatized; 3 acts; 2 hours | 6 | 6 |
| DEACON’S TRIBULATIONS, THE. Comedy drama. A worthy successor to the ever-popular “Deacon”; 4 acts; 2 hours | 8 | 4 |
| EAST LYNNE. Standard drama; 5 acts; 2½ hours | 8 | 7 |
| ENGAGED. Society comedy; full of burlesque fun; 3 acts; 2¼ hours | 5 | 5 |
| FROM PUNKIN RIDGE. Domestic drama; successful wherever produced; 1 act; 1 hour | 6 | 3 |
| HOME. Comedy; fresh dialogue and genuine humor combined with a very strong plot; 3 acts; 2 hours | 4 | 3 |
| HONEY-MOON ECLIPSE, A. Comedy marked by spirited dialogue and an abundance of comic incidents; 1 act; 30 minutes | 1 | 2 |
| IMOGENE; OR, THE WITCH’S SECRET. Realistic drama sure of being enthusiastically received everywhere; 4 acts; 2¼ hours | 8 | 4 |
| IN HONOR BOUND. Drama always given with entire success; 1 act; ¾ hour | 2 | 2 |
| JACK FOR EVERY JILL, A. A most successful comedy; 1 act; ¾ hour | 4 | 4 |
| JEMIMA, OR, THE WITCH OF BENDER. Very laughable in its absurd complications; 3 acts; 2 hours | 4 | 4 |
| JUST FOR FUN. Up-to-date society comedy. The piece is cheerfully recommended; 3 acts; 2 hours | 2 | 4 |
| LA CIGALE. (The Grasshopper.) Comedy sometimes played as “The Circus Girl”; 3 acts; 3 hours | 13 | 4 |
| LADY OF LYONS, THE. Romantic Drama; 5 acts; 2¾ hours | 8 | 5 |
| LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET. Emotional drama; 2 acts; 1¼ hours | 4 | 3 |
| MAJOR ABORN’S PROPOSAL. Comedy in 1 act; about 45 minutes; a pretty comedy especially adapted for amateur production | 3 | 2 |
| MARBLE ARCH, THE. Comedy; one of the most popular little plays; 1 act; ½ hour | 2 | 2 |
| MARRIED LIFE. Comedy; companion piece to “Single Life”; 3 acts; 2 hours | 5 | 5 |
| MEG’S DIVERSION. Drama; pathetic, humorous and picturesque; 2 acts; 1¾ hours | 5 | 3 |
| MEN, MAIDS AND MATCHMAKERS. Society comedy sparkling with wit, interest and human nature; 3 acts; 2 hours | 4 | 4 |
| MIRIAM’S CRIME. Drama; the interest in this play is kept up to the very end; 3 acts; 2 hours | 5 | 2 |
DICK & FITZGERALD, Publishers, 18 Ann St., N. Y.
PRINCESS KIKU
A Japanese Romance. A Play for Girls
BY
M. F. HUTCHINSON
Copyright, 1903, by Dick & Fitzgerald
NEW YORK
DICK & FITZGERALD, Publishers
18 Ann Street
PRINCESS KIKU
A JAPANESE ROMANCE.
CHARACTERS
| Princess Kiku | Favorite niece of the Emperor | |
| O Mimosa San | } | Ladies-in-waiting |
| O Yuki San | ||
| O Totmai San | ||
| O Haru San | ||
| Sakara | A learned Japanese lady devoted to ancient customs | |
| Ito | A little girl, dressed as a boy | |
| Lady Cecil Cavendish | An English girl travelling in Japan | |
| Miss Prendergast | Her companion | |
| Moonbeam Fairies. | ||
Location.—Tokio.
Time.—The present.
Time of Performance.—Two hours.
SYNOPSIS
Scene I. The Chrysanthemum Garden and Summer-House.Princess Kiku and her ladies-in-waiting. Intrusion of LadyCecil. Story of the shipwrecked baby.
Scene II. Same as before. Sakara bribes little Ito to bringmisfortune on the Princess by a play-act, which the Princess believesis reality. Mimosa’s description of the Emperor’s reception.The working of Sakara’s spell.
Scene III. Room in a Japanese hotel. Miss Prendergast’ssolicitude for Arthur, Cecil’s brother. Mutual quizzing.
Scene IV. Room in the house of Sakara. Sakara gives Itofurther instruction. Mimosa’s fruitless embassy. Sakara’scurse.
Scene V. Room in Japanese house. Kiku’s hallucination:“What I touch withers.” Cecil and companion’s interview withKiku’s ladies. Miss Prendergast’s consternation.
Scene VI. The Chrysanthemum Garden. Ito repents. Kikusupposed she had struck Ito blind. He confesses it was play-acting.The story of the shipwreck. The heiress is found.
COSTUMES
The principal garment worn by Japanese ladies is the kimono.This outer garment or coat is made of silk, generally of a quietcolor ornamented with Japanese designs; or, for general purposes,of figured calico, turkey red or orange cotton. The backhas no seam and the front is open from top to bottom, slopingoutward below the waist to show the underskirt; the neck istrimmed V shaped, or faced and turned over to form a collar,bringing to view a colored kerchief folded across the breast; thesleeves are loose and end in long, wide, rectangular-shaped bags,wide open from wrist down and lined. The underskirt, only visiblein front, is of a different color and richly ornamented withgilt and bright Japanese designs.
To complete the costume, a long, wide sash is passed twicearound the waist and gathered behind into an immense butterflybow and ends.
The hair is arranged in pompadour style, and the back hairbrought high up on the top of the head and ornamented withlarge, showy pins and little fans.
The eyebrows should be penciled black. Two fine black lines,one above the upper and one below the lower eyelash, continuedoutward, curved slightly upward and meeting just beyond theouter corner of each eye, give quite a Japanese style to the face.
The little “Moonbeam Fairies” should be costumed in similarstyle as to their garments, but of white or different light-coloredmaterial, the sleeves shorter and the sash smaller than in theladies’ costumes, and white stockings drawn over their shoes.
Sakara’s costume should be of sombre hues, the face made upfor a wrinkled old hag.
Lady Cecil is in well-fitting English travelling costume.
Miss Prendergast, the same, but in accordance with her sixtyyears. Hair, silver-white.
PROPERTIES
Scene I. Flat square cushions, on which the girls kneel, sittingback on their heels in Japanese fashion; loose chrysanthemums;stool in summer-house; girls carry fans in hands orgirdles.
Scene II. Grass or straw rope; Eastern rugs; loose chrysanthemums;guitar or samisen; cushions.
Scene III. Sock, thimble, needle; dead flower.
Scene IV. Presents on tray; books; cushions.
Scene V. Japanese umbrellas, flowers, vases; square lowtable; cushions.
Scene VI. Flowers; tiny silk bag.
NOTES ON SCENERY
Scene I. Background and wings of dark curtains, with massesof real or imitation chrysanthemums. A summer-house raisedon a small platform can be made with a Japanese umbrella anda screen, as in diagram.
Scene II. The same as Scene I.
Scene III. Perfectly plain screens stretched round the stage.[Pg 6]One wooden table, rush-bottomed chair, portmanteau, coats,dressing-case, etc.
Scene IV. Japanese screens, idols or figures, small cabinet,etc. Sword suspended from screen.
Scene V. Screens, Japanese draperies, palms, etc., etc.
Scene VI. Scene I., as before.
Note.—The complete words and score of the musical comedy“San Toy,” to the airs of which the song in this entertainmentadapt themselves, can be supplied by Dick & Fitzgerald, post-paid,on receipt of $2.00.
STAGE DIRECTIONS
R., right, as performer stands facing audience; L., left, as performerstands facing audience; C., centre; U. E., upper entrance,i.e., entrance nearest the back of stage; 1 E., first entrance, i.e.,entrance nearest footlights; UP STAGE, away from footlights;DOWN STAGE, toward footlights.
FOREWORD
The Japanese are notably and effusively polite in their deportment.Japanese girls are especially kind-hearted and obliging.Their religion denies them immortality, and they believe thattheir paramount duty in life is to please.
Their education imbues them with an intense love of flowers,bright colors and all that is beautiful; it inculcates the extremeof social etiquette in every-day deportment; it adds words ofcompliment in the commonest phrases of conversation, and, moreover,teaches them to rely on signs, omens and tutelary gods, bothgood and evil.
In this “Romance” the quaint and sprightly style of Japaneseexpressions is carried out as faithfully as possible, and the performersmust study carefully the endless obeisances and quaintdialogue which are indispensable to make it effective.
The scenery, where available, may be elaborate, as in Japaneseoperas, but excellent effect may be obtained with a few Japaneseplain and ornamental screens, Japanese umbrellas, fans andplenty of chrysanthemums, real or artificial, and of various colors.
PRINCESS KIKU
A JAPANESE ROMANCE
SCENE I.—The Chrysanthemum Garden. Summer-house onraised platform, up stage L. Entrances R. U. E. and L. 1 E.Yuki discovered seated on the step of the summer-house.Totmai and Haru both on one knee down stage, R. and L.,among the flowers. They commence singing a little beforethe curtain is raised.
SONG.
Air: Chorus to “The Moon,” “San Toy,” Act I.
Dainty maids wave a fan;
This way twirl, that way twist,
With a grace none resist.
Dainty feet none may stay;
This way slide, that way glide,
Point and turn, spring aside.
Flowers to bind all the morn;
This one pluck, that one leave,
Dainty care all receive.
Dainty maids wave a fan;
With a grace none resist,
This way twirl, that way twist.
[After song Totmai and Haru rise and begin pickingflowers.
Totmai. How sweet honorable blossoms with beautiful dewupon them. The Princess promises rare flowers for the exaltedfestival this evening.
Yuki. Which of us will accompany Her Gracious Highness?
Haru. It is said that soon at the august Court all will wearugly, clumsy dress of barbarian foreigners.
Yuki and Totmai. You say so, O Haru?
Haru. O grief-making! I have honorable knowledge thatthis is so. What can be prettier than our dear kimonos and obi?Their strange dresses, thick, clumsy things on their feet?
Totmai. How laughter-making is the great Englishman!
Yuki. Laughter-making? He seems strangely solemn. I expecthonorable barbarian does not like to be so big and clumsy,poor man! Ah (laughs), if your worthy eyes could have seenhim at exalted tea-making! He (rises and comes down C., imitatinggestures) took the cup in his big, big hand. Do you know,O Totmai and O Haru, I thought he would put it all in hismouth when he opened it, without uttering honorable courtesies,and drank it all down before His August Majesty had taken morethan
