THEATER WORDS
The Two Color Coat
A Nigerian Folk Tale
The Two Color Coat
A Nigerian Folk Tale
| The Two Color Coat A Nigerian Folk Tale |
The Tale of The Two Color Coat
Characters: 5 ( not gender specific)
Griot 1
Griot 2
Friend 1
Friend 2
Trickster
Griot 1: Once in a far village
Griot 2: A village that sat in the side of a very green hill.
Griot 1: Lived two fine friends
Griot 2: In two fine houses.
Griot 1: These two friends were friends from childhood.
Griot 1: They planted their fields together.
Griot 2: Together they collected their grain.
Griot 2: And even their farms stood side by side.
Griot 1: A simple path
Griot 2: of simple sand
Griot 1: divided the house of one
Griot 2: from the house of the other.
Griot 1: For they were friends.
Griot 2: The best that friends might be.
Griot 1: Until the day that Trickster came.
Griot 2: The day that Trickster came.
Trickster: I see these are two friends
Two friends alike.
Two friends of one mind.
(directly to the audience)
But wait. Let us see.....!
Griot 1: So, Trickster made a coat.
Griot 2: A coat with two sides.
Griot 1: On the side of one friend red.
Griot 2: On the side of one friend blue.
Trickster: Do you see my coat?
Do you see its colors
On one side red.
On one side blue.
And now I'll walk
Along the path
The sandy path
That divides the homes
Of one friend from the other.
And we will see
Just what friends can be!
Trickster struts upstage to reveal his coat - one side only to each friend. As he walks, he carries a wooden clacker to attract the attention
of the two friends.
Friend 1: My friend, my friend, have you seen,
Seen the beautiful coat?
The coat that traveler was wearing?
The beautiful coat of blue?
Friend 2: My friend, my friend, have you seen,
Seen the beautiful coat ?
The coat that traveler was wearing?
The beautiful coat of red?
Friend 1: The coat of blue?
Friend 2: The coat of red?
Friend 1: But surely you are mistaken.
The coat was blue.
Friend 2: But surely YOU are mistaken.
The coat was red.
Friend 1: My friend
You are my friend.
But the coat was blue.
Friend 2: My friend
You are my friend
But the coat was red.
Friend 1: I know what I saw.
Friend 2: I know was I saw
Friend 1: The coat was blue.
Friend 2: The coat was red.
Friend 1: But surely you are wrong,.
Friend 2. But surely YOU are wrong.
(The following exchange is said at the same time.)
_______
Friend 1; THE COAT WAS BLUE!
Friend 2: THE COAT WAS RED!
______
Friend 1: You know nothing!
Friend 2: YOU know nothing!
(The following exchange is said at the same time.)
_______
Friend 1: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER!
Friend 2: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER !
_______
(The two friends stand stark still.
Trickster appears before them.)
Trickster: (to the first friend) Look well.
What do you see?
Friend 1: Blue
Trickster: ( to the second) Look well.
What do you see?
Friend 2: Red.
(Trickster now turns.)
Trickster: (to the first) Look well.
What do you see?
Friend 1: (astonished)
Red!
Trickster: ( to the second) Look well.
What do you see?
Friend 2: (astonished)
Blue!
Trickster: Ha! Ha! Ha!
Foolish !
Foolish!
Friend 1: Foolish? Foolish!
Not we!
Friend 2: Foolish? Foolish!
Not we!
Friend 1: All our lives
we have been friends.
Friend 2: All our lives
friends have we been.
Friend 1: But you have brought trouble!
Friend 2: You have made strife!
Trickster: I have cause trouble?
I have brought stife?
You have brought trouble
To your very own lives.
You look at the world
From you own point of view
Each in your corner
Each standing still.
One seeing red,
One seeing blue.
But look at the world
From more than one place:
Beyond your own home
Beyond your front gate.
Griot 1: And so the two friends,
Became friends once again.
Griot 2: And now they each see
the world with new eyes.
Griot 1: So go on your way.
Griot 2: on your way to your homes.
Griot 1: And remember the tale
Griot 2: of THE TWO COLOR COAT.
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