Cupid+and+Psyche

=Cupid and Psyche=

media type="file" key="psyche1.mp3"

SCENE ONE MUSIC “ONE”: SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: Once upon a time, a king had three daughters and one of which, Psyche, appeared the fairest maiden of the whole world. Men voyaged from all over the world in order to see her, attracted by her beauty. PSYCHE: (HIGH, POLITE VOICE) Father, may I go fetch some water? KING: (DEEP, POWERFUL VOICE) Yes, you may, my daughter. Be careful however, you beauty will attract many admirers. PSYCHE: I will father. Farewell! DOOR SHUTS FOOTSTEPS

RIVER JUG BEING DIPPED INTO WATER DRINKING WATER PSYCHE: (REFRESHED)Ah. MENS’ FOOTSTEPS MAN 1: Thou art too pretty a maiden to be fetching water all by her lonesome self. MAN 2: Shall I do it for you? MAN 1: No, I shall complete this task! MAN 2: Who do you think is competent enough to perform this task, Psyche, me or him? PSYCHE: (STRONGWILLED) Thank you, but I am fully capable to fetch water by myself. Farewell, I must get home now. FOOTSTEPS DOOR OPENS PSYCHE: (FRUSTRATED) Father, you were right, it happened again! Men chased after me. (SIGH) KING: It is the price you must pay for your infinite beauty. NARRATOR: Recently, Venus’s temple has been abandoned. SOUND OF CRICKETS WIND SCENE TWO SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: Meanwhile at Mt. Olympus… VENUS: (STERN) Cupid, I’m so angry. Look at my temple, not a soul stands there to worship. I need you to complete a task for me. CUPID: (SOFT) Anything for you, my lovely mother. VENUS: (ANGRY) That horrible creature Psyche has stolen my admirers. All the men of the world are blind to the gods. CUPID: (HELPFUL) What do you propose we do about it? VENUS: (WICKED) I have a plan. (EVIL LAUGH) Here’s what you must do: You shall use your powers to have Psyche fall in love with most vile, despicable pig of a man. Let me show you this woman. Crystal ball, crystal ball, show me Psyche, show me all. POOF CUPID: (UNDER HIS BREATH) Gasp! Oh my, she is beautiful. I think I have been hit by one of my own arrows. VENUS: (COMMANDING) Now, be gone with you! Complete your duty! SCENE THREE SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: Instead of immediately following Venus’ commands Cupid goes to the Oracle of Apollo and asks for his help. KNOCKING DOOR OPENING CUPID: (PLEADING) I need your help! ORACLE: (HAPPY) How may I be of your assistance? CUPID: (WORRIED) My mother has ordered me to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous man, but instead I, myself, have fallen in love with her. What shall I do? ORACLE: I will come up with a plan. KNOCKING ORACLE: Hold on a minute. FOOTSTEPS DOOR OPENING ORACLE: (WELCOMING) Well, hello, King. CUPID: (UNDER HIS BREATH) Oh no! I must not be seen! WINGS FLAPPING ORACLE: So my dear King, how may I be of assistance? KING: (STERN) I must find my daughter, Psyche, a good husband. ORACLE: Well…in order for her to find a her destined husband, she must be dressed in the deepest mourning, must be set on the summit of a rocky hill alone, and there, her destined husband, a fearful winged serpent, stronger than the gods themselves, will come to her and make her his wife. KING: (SAD) What has my daughter done to deserve this treachery? SCENE FOUR SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: On top of a rocky hill in the darkness, Psyche awaits her destined husband. WOMAN CRYING STRONG WIND PSYCHE: (SURPRISED) Oh my I’m being uplifted by Zephyr. WOMAN BEING PLOPPED ONTO GROUND PSYCHE: What a beautiful meadow I landed in. Thank you Zephyr, sweetest of winds, for taking me to this peaceful meadow. (YAWNS) NARRATOR: And with that, all of Psyche’s troubles left her. She fell sound asleep.

SCENE FIVE SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: Soon after, Psyche awoke aside a bright river. On the bank was built a beautiful palace. PSYCHE: (PONDERING) Goodness! What a splendid mansion, but it seems like no one is home. VOICE 1: (MYSTERIOUS VOICE) This wonderful home is all yours. VOICE 2: MYSTERIOUS VOICE) Do not be afraid. Enter the house and bathe. VOICE 1: A banquet table will be spread for you. VOICE 2: We are your servants, here to do as you desire. NARRATOR: The rest of Psyche’s joyful day included a delightful bath, the most delicious food, and listening to a beautiful choir. At night, Psyche finds herself in the presence of her lover, but does not know his identity due to the darkness. PSYCHE: (QUESTIONABLY) Hello? Who’s there? CUPID: (DEEP, COMFORTING VOICE) Its ok, my dear. Have no fear; I am not the monster you think I am. PSYCHE: (UNDER HER BREATH) Wow, he seems quite kind. CUPID: I will always be here for you. SCENE SIX SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: After many days of happiness at the palace, Psyche longed to see her sisters at the rock hill where she had been picked up by Zephyr, but her lover would not allow it. PSYCHE: (PLEADING) My love, I wish to go talk to my sisters. CUPID: (STERN) I do not advise this; it will lead to your own destruction. PSYCHE: But I yearn for their presence! Do not cause me such pain! CUPID: If you really must, go along. PSYCHE: (OVERJOYED) Thank you so much! NARRATOR: The next day, Psyche walks to the top of the hill to meet her sisters. PSYCHE: (HAPPY) Hello dear sisters! I have missed you so! SISTER 1: How nice to see you Psyche! How is your marriage? PSYCHE: Oh, it’s fine. My husband is currently away on a hunting trip, but come with me to my new home. FOOTSTEPS SISTER 2: Wow, your mansion is beautiful! PSYCHE: Yes, now come see the marvelous inside! NARRATOR: Psyche toured her sisters around the house. After each wonder showed to them, the sisters envied her more and more. PSYCHE: And in this room, we store all of our jewels. I have a small gift for you. SISTER 2: (AMAZED) Oh my! That is the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen! NARRATOR: It had become late, so Psyche’s sisters decided to depart from the mansion. Psyche waved farewell, and her sisters walked home. During their walk, they decided they must plot revenge on their sister due to their jealousy. PSYCHE: Cupid, I had such a wonderful time with my sisters, and now I long to see them again! CUPID: Again, I do not advise this, but if you really want to, go ahead. NARRATOR: The next day, the sisters meet up with Psyche once more with the intent to pursue their plan. SISTER 1: How nice to see you again Psyche! PSYCHE: Nice to see you too, my dear sisters! SISTER 2: (SLYLY) Your palace is lovely and all, but what does your husband look like? We have never seen him before. PSYCHE: Um…well… SISTER 1: You don’t know? PSYCHE: Oh, sisters, to tell you the truth, I have never seen his face, but he seems like a great gentleman. SISTER 2: He’s probably is a despicable monster! PSYCHE: No, no, no, you’re getting things all wrong! He is kind. SISTER 1: No, he must be the fearful serpent Apollo declared him to be. PSYCHE: (PANICKING) Oh my, sisters! He might be! SISTER 2: Yes, he is! You must do something about it! SISTER 1: We have some advice for you. Here is what you must do: Before you go to sleep, hide a sharp knife and a lamp under your bed. When your husband is sound asleep, light the lamp, get the knife, and plunge it into the body of the fearful monster you lay your eyes on. NARRATOR: Her two sisters left and Psyche sadly prepared the murder of her husband. That night, once her husband was fast asleep, Psyche lit the lamp, grabbed the light, and set out to complete her task. PSYCHE: (GASP) My, he is so handsome! He is not a monster, but instead the lovely God of Love, Cupid! DRIPPING OIL SIZZLING ON SKIN CUPID: (SAD) OW! Psyche! I am so disappointed in you. You did not trust me. There is no love. WING FLAPPING PSYCHE: (DISAPOINTED WITH HERSELF) How stupid am I? My husband was the most handsome man alive and now he is gone. I will not rest until I find him once more. SCENE SEVEN MUSIC “ONE”: SOFT MUSIC NARRATOR: Cupid, injured, flies to Venus for his mother’s help. He tells her the whole story of how he came to fall in love with Psyche. VENUS: Cupid, you have disappointed me. I will go find this woman to show her what happens when you draw down the displeasure of a goddess. CUPID: (INJURED) She has injured me, but I still love her greatly. VENUS: I have a good plan. You’ll see what I’ll do. NARRATOR: Psyche, hopeless decides to go to Venus, and offer herself as a servant. She hopes to reconcile with Cupid. PSYCHE: Venus, I have come here to offer myself as a servant for you to make up for my wrong doings. VENUS: (CACKLES) You think that I would let you be my servant? PSYCHE: (PLEADING) Please let me right this wrong. VENUS: I will show my good will by training you by giving you various tasks. NARRATOR: Psyche is ordered to do two difficult tasks, but the creatures take pity on her and aid her, allowing her to complete each of them. PSYCHE: (PROUD) I have finished the tasks you have given me. VENUS: (ANNOYED) How did you complete them so fast? Well, never mind, here is another: This is a box. I need you to fill it will some of Persephone’s beauty. She lives in the underworld. PSYCHE: (UNDER HER BREATH) This is the hardest task yet. How can I complete it? NARRATOR: As Psyche walks on the road to Hades, a friendly guide offers her directions. GUIDE: (FUNNY ACCENT) Hello, Hello. Okay, um, first you must go to a great hole in the earth, then you must go down the river of Death, then you must give the ferryman, Charon, a penny to give you a ride across the river. After that, there is a road that leads straight to the palace. You will meet a very, very, big dog, Cerebus, he is very big, but if you give him a cake he will be very friendly and let you pass. NARRATOR: Psyche follows his instructions and completes the task. After a short amount of time, Psyche comes back from the underworld. PSYCHE: I wonder what is in this box. CREAKING STRONG WIND PSYCHE: (YAWNS) I’m so tired… WINGS FLAPPING CUPID: (QUIETLY) Oh, she’s sound asleep. I must poke her with one of my arrows. PSYCHE: (YAWNS) (SUPIRSED) Cupid! CUPID: Oh Psyche, you are too curious for your own good. (DESPERATELY) These past few days, I have missed you so. I cannot live without you. PSYCHE: I feel the same way, Cupid. I love you. SCENE EIGHT MUSIC “TWO”: WEDDING BELLS NARRATOR: Cupid flies up to Mt. Olympus and arranges his marriage to Psyche with Jupiter. Jupiter consents. Cupid and Psyche have a beautiful marriage. Psyche is then offered immortality which she accepts; she drinks ambrosia and becomes immortal. All of Mt. Olympus was happy about Psyche’s marriage, as well as Venus, who couldn’t complain about men adoring Psyche anymore. They all lived happily ever after.