A Feast of Ages (Madrigal Dinner)

By John C. Siedenberg II

Summary

Go back to a time of Kings, Knights, Jesters, and Princesses. Your audience will be delighted as they partake in a great celebration in the royal Kingdom. They will be treated to a performance which tells the tale of how their great King and Queen met when an evil knight takes over the land. Filled with laughter and drama...this show is a sure-fire sucees for your next dinner theatre production,

Characters

(In order of Appearance)

Wizard of Time
King
Queen
Jester
Member of the Audience
King Arthur's Jolly Troupe of Actors (Including Trumpeter, Storyteller)
Mary (Motherio's sister)
Demetrius the Witch
Motherio
Joshua (Peasant) & Black Knight
Henry/Sarah (Peasant's Friend)
Princess
Bartender
Mother Superior
Helen (princess's best of friends)
Prince Charming (Jester)
Priest
Prince Charming Fan Club
Messenger

Script

Scene One-

Characters: Wizard of Time (Dressed in a Sorcerer's cloak and hat) ; King and Queen (Dressed in their attire); Jester (Dressed in Jester attire), King Arthur's Jolly Troupe of Actors (Dressed in Madrigal attire, Comfortable, "Casual" clothing)

(In the start of the Show, everyone is not in the hall where the show and dinner is: They are waiting in the lobby/foyer/etc. When the Doors open to let the guests in, the show starts inside the "feasting hall")

Wizard of Time:

Welcome, my friends of the year of 20 hundred and Five.

I have been ordered here by a greater power to take you back to a great time. A time of Kings, Queens, Jesters and Knights, the time of the Madrigal.

Let not thy worries of the day,
Cloud your mind from the work at play.
Amidst the cares of your life,
Come with me to this world without strife

(Faces the doors to the Cafeteria)

This room is now a castle hall,
And we are players--one and all.
Do not forget you are in another time, with different customs and rules! Good luck and good feasting!

(Faces the Doors to the cafeteria, makes a gesture with his hands, and then opens a door to reveal smoke. When his door closes, the other doors open to let everyone in. When all are quiet, The King (seated in the front of the room on a dais next to a Queen) stands and greets the Congregation)

King: Greetings, My friends, you have come at last! We have waited a fortnight for your arrival and are overjoyed that you have come to celebrate with us! So please enjoy the most delicious feast prepared for you! But before we get to that, we have a special treat for our entertainment. The Williamstown Chorus has prepared a song for our delight. So let us bring our attention to the stage before us!

(The Chorus sings all Ye Who Music Love)

King: Now that our ears have been filled with some most beautiful sounds, How about we fill our stomachs? Mr. Jester?

(Jester Appears onto the stage and bows before the king)

Jester: Yes your majesty?

(The Jester should have a squeaky and/or British accent, He should also be lively and in a sense annoying)

King: Please, show our guest how we are served and how we are to eat at a dinner party with the Royal King and Queen!

(Someone "in the crowd" stands)

Crowd Member: Royal? No! We thought that you'd be Un-royal!

King: Off with his head!

(The man is taken off by guards)

Jester: I would consider it an honor your majesty!

King: You will not take off his head! That is the executioner's job!

Jester: I meant, telling our guests about the rules from the book of etiquette.

King: Oh, continue Mr. Jester!

Jester: Thank-you your Majesty! Well, firstly we have the list of how to eat the first course. (Pulls out a scroll) Kindly Heed These Rules of Etiquette:
Guests should not pick their teeth at the table with a knife, straw, or stick.
Guests must not tell unseemly tales at the table, nor soil their clothes with their knife, nor rest their legs upon the table.
MOTHER, PUT YOUR LEGS DOWN!
Guest must never leave bones on the table; always hide them under the chairs.
Guests must not wipe their greasy fingers on their beards.
Guests must not lean on the table with their elbows, nor dip their thumbs in their drinks.
Guests must refrain from flirting with the chambermaids.
Well here are the rest... (Lets the scroll drop to reveal yards and yards of paper and "rules") Just Kidding. Those are the ones! Bring out the First course!

(First course is served)

Jester: Now, while the course is being served, I will juggle 2 oranges and an apple.(Attempts several times but can't juggle) Sorry, I didn't have time to get a hold of the scroll Jesters for Dummies until today!

(Shows the scroll)

King: Mr. Jester, if you wouldn't mind, we would appreciate it if you would continue with the "entertaining" part of the entertainment.

Jester: Yes, your Honor! Now, King Arthur's Jolly Troupe of Actors will bring forth to us a play of our time. And a play of interest! So now: (Attempts to do a drum roll) The Tale of the Black Knight

Storyteller: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court,
We take you back to a time,
Where there was a great divide,
Separating, what is now,
The country that is yours and mine.
Our great state of England
Was then divided,
Into two kingdoms,
So at the beginning
We shall start,
About 19 years ago,
The year of our lord 1222.
The birth of three children.
The Great Sorceress, Demetrius, predicted that
3 children, born one day, great would be,
These children, do not worry, we shall see so:
The time for the tale to begin has begun,
here we go,
Our time we will not waste,
This (pause) is a peasant's place.
So with a roll of the drum, and a blare of the trumpet...

(Trumpeter comes out and commences with a royal fanfare which a few seconds later suddenly turns to Tequila, the storyteller gets aggravated, so shuts him/her up)

Storyteller: We, King Arthur's Jolly Troupe of Actors, proudly present: (Trumpeter does another Fanfare, but doesn't do anything goofy) The Tale of the Black Knight!Once upon a time, there lived a Family of peasants. They were happy with what they had, but DID wish that they could have a child, (Curtain opens to show the inside of a poor shack) To carry on their name. So they sought the help of a witch

Mary: (To the witch) Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?

Witch: It depends. See, in your case I'm good, so what is-(continues to ramble)

Storyteller: With the help of the "Good Witch" they were able to create a potion to give birth. The great day of the family came, and they had a baby boy!

Motherio: He's beautiful! I shall call him-

Witch: You must name him: Joshua.

Mary: Why must my sister name her child what you say? She's the mother, if it wasn't for what happened to her husband he-

Witch: Would have had to name the child Joshua as well! I am the only one who can see his fate, and he has a fate, alright!

One almost as worse as - (Catches herself, and then tries to change the subject) Besides, I practically made the child!

Motherio: Let's not argue; He shall be called Joshua!

Mary: Whatever you say, Darling Motherio!

(Curtain closes)

Storyteller: So Joshua grew up and became a strong, handsome looking young man. Every girl in the village of the fair kingdom of Petersburg fell-

(Jester pokes his head through the curtain)

Jester: Petersburg is in Russia, get the facts straight!

Storyteller: Then it was in, (Pauses to think) A town buried in the moors of England!

Jester: That's better!

Storyteller: Glad to see that you're happy! Where was I? (Takes out a scroll and "Finds his Place") AH! There we are! (Says fast so to find his spot) So Joshua, grew up and became and strong, handsome looking young man. (Normally) Ha! Here we are! Every girl in the village of the fair kingdom of Harkin-dale fell deeply in love with him. He never paid them heed.

(Curtain opens to see a poor English town's street people are lining up to see the great princess)

He was waiting for THE GIRL to come and fall for him like he would her! But the day never came, UNTIL! ...

................

Copyright John Charles Siedenberg II, all rights reserved.

This is not the full script. The full script can be obtained by contacting the author, at the address below. A royalty fee of $25 is requested. It can be sent in the mail to the author's address: 121 High Street, Williamstown KY 41097, USA. To obtain the full script and information about royalties, email:  jsiedenbergii@gmail.com