SCENE 2 – (Toy Cupboard) – Velveteen meets the toys
As Nana opens the door to the Toy Cupboard, the lights come up on the playing area that serves as the Toy Cupboard. As she places each toy in the cupboard (in the Real World), the actor/toy appears in the Toy Cupboard. All the old toys prepare to welcome, and check out, the competition.
SARGE: Attention, Troops. Here come the new recruits. Size them up. See where they fit in the ranks. Our unit is tight as a drum.
Let’s make sure it stays that way.
The toys line up, peering as best they can while they stand at attention.
BLOCKHEAD: Ready now, blocks, for our word of welcome.
The blocks line up and spell out G O H O M E.
BLOCKHEAD: Alphie! Not appropriate.
ALPHA: It’s just a little building block humor.
BETA: It’s funny!
DELTA & EPS: We laughed.
BLOCKHEAD: Fix it. Fix it now.
The first block (with the G) nods to the next three and then the four of them turn around so that GO HOME becomes WELCOME.
BLOCKHEAD: That’s better.
MODEL BOAT: (Very concerned with her appearance) I was sure Nana was going to arrange for new paint for my
smokestacks. You know how she likes everything ship shape. I just hate meeting new toys when my
decks and stacks are so shabby. That Boy! Oh, he’s too rough with me!
COWBOY: Quit yer belly-achin’, Boat! Boys is supposed to be rough. Rough and tumble.
FIRE TRUCK: (Ringing his bell) Here they come! Here they come!
In jogs the RACE CAR. He is sleek, suave and sure of himself.
BLOCKS: (Very impressed) Ooh, A Race Car!
RACE CAR: Not just any race car, my lovelies. A Bugatti! But you can call me “Bugsy.”
From the blocks come collective sighs and giggles.
The SPINNING TOP comes in spinning and scatters the blocks to the side.
SPIN TOP: ‘Xcuse me. Pardon me. Coming through! Boy, does that make ya dizzy.
BLOCKS: (All speaking at once) How rude! I never! What’s the big idea? Hey! No pushing!
The Blocks re-form their first greeting – GO HOME, as the Velveteen Rabbit enters.
VELVETEEN: Hello. I’m not too sure where I’m supposed to go. (Seeing the blocks) Oh, a sign. It says, (readingslowly) “Go Home.”
But I think this is my home.
SARGE: Of course it is, Recruit. Welcome to the Toy Cupboard.
COWBOY: Pay no mind to them blocks. They’re just ornery.
SARGE: (Putting his arm around her). Great Caesar’s Ghost, Rabbit! You’re soft! What are you made of?
VELVETEEN: My skin is made of velveteen and inside I’m full of sawdust.
TOY SGT: Sawdust! (To Cowboy, laughing) Buckaroo, this bunny’s got sawdust inside.
COWBOY: (Dismissing the Rabbit) Sawdust? Not much you can do when yer innards are made o’ sawdust.
RACE CAR: (With an air of superiority) I didn’t think they still made toys with sawdust.
MODEL BOAT: Sawdust is soooo last century. I’m wood and tin from bow to stern and I can toot and float and turn. What can you do?
VELVETEEN: Do? What can I do? Well, I don’t know . . . I . . .
FIRE TRUCK: I can put out fires and ring my bell.
BLOCKS: We can build tall towers
((Sound Effect: Drum Roll))
The blocks form a pyramid – three on the bottom, two in the middle and one on top with Blockhead and Alpha spotting and supervising
VELVETEEN: That’s really quite impressive.
COWBOY: That’s nuthin’. My arms and legs move and I walk like a genuine cowboy.
As Nana opens the door to the Toy Cupboard, the lights come up on the playing area that serves as the Toy Cupboard. As she places each toy in the cupboard (in the Real World), the actor/toy appears in the Toy Cupboard. All the old toys prepare to welcome, and check out, the competition.
SARGE: Attention, Troops. Here come the new recruits. Size them up. See where they fit in the ranks. Our unit is tight as a drum.
Let’s make sure it stays that way.
The toys line up, peering as best they can while they stand at attention.
BLOCKHEAD: Ready now, blocks, for our word of welcome.
The blocks line up and spell out G O H O M E.
BLOCKHEAD: Alphie! Not appropriate.
ALPHA: It’s just a little building block humor.
BETA: It’s funny!
DELTA & EPS: We laughed.
BLOCKHEAD: Fix it. Fix it now.
The first block (with the G) nods to the next three and then the four of them turn around so that GO HOME becomes WELCOME.
BLOCKHEAD: That’s better.
MODEL BOAT: (Very concerned with her appearance) I was sure Nana was going to arrange for new paint for my
smokestacks. You know how she likes everything ship shape. I just hate meeting new toys when my
decks and stacks are so shabby. That Boy! Oh, he’s too rough with me!
COWBOY: Quit yer belly-achin’, Boat! Boys is supposed to be rough. Rough and tumble.
FIRE TRUCK: (Ringing his bell) Here they come! Here they come!
In jogs the RACE CAR. He is sleek, suave and sure of himself.
BLOCKS: (Very impressed) Ooh, A Race Car!
RACE CAR: Not just any race car, my lovelies. A Bugatti! But you can call me “Bugsy.”
From the blocks come collective sighs and giggles.
The SPINNING TOP comes in spinning and scatters the blocks to the side.
SPIN TOP: ‘Xcuse me. Pardon me. Coming through! Boy, does that make ya dizzy.
BLOCKS: (All speaking at once) How rude! I never! What’s the big idea? Hey! No pushing!
The Blocks re-form their first greeting – GO HOME, as the Velveteen Rabbit enters.
VELVETEEN: Hello. I’m not too sure where I’m supposed to go. (Seeing the blocks) Oh, a sign. It says, (readingslowly) “Go Home.”
But I think this is my home.
SARGE: Of course it is, Recruit. Welcome to the Toy Cupboard.
COWBOY: Pay no mind to them blocks. They’re just ornery.
SARGE: (Putting his arm around her). Great Caesar’s Ghost, Rabbit! You’re soft! What are you made of?
VELVETEEN: My skin is made of velveteen and inside I’m full of sawdust.
TOY SGT: Sawdust! (To Cowboy, laughing) Buckaroo, this bunny’s got sawdust inside.
COWBOY: (Dismissing the Rabbit) Sawdust? Not much you can do when yer innards are made o’ sawdust.
RACE CAR: (With an air of superiority) I didn’t think they still made toys with sawdust.
MODEL BOAT: Sawdust is soooo last century. I’m wood and tin from bow to stern and I can toot and float and turn. What can you do?
VELVETEEN: Do? What can I do? Well, I don’t know . . . I . . .
FIRE TRUCK: I can put out fires and ring my bell.
BLOCKS: We can build tall towers
((Sound Effect: Drum Roll))
The blocks form a pyramid – three on the bottom, two in the middle and one on top with Blockhead and Alpha spotting and supervising
VELVETEEN: That’s really quite impressive.
COWBOY: That’s nuthin’. My arms and legs move and I walk like a genuine cowboy.