End of Prologue
ACT I.
Street in Sandbach
Note: When the curtain rises Santa Claus is busy arranging toys in shop window, lighting candles and doing such other stage work as will enliven the scene.
No lines are spoken until Crispin and Maggie come upon the scene, the idea being to portray the various types of folk one would expect to find upon the street—the types can be many or few, fishmongers, washwomen, laborers, children, musicians, teamsters returning from work, street arabs, etc. Some of these enter the shop and buy, others, like Crispin and Maggie, must be content with looking in. These characters should enter alternately from right and left stage.
(Enter Crispin.) Note: Boy enters right stage.
(Enter Maggie. After one-half minute girl follows, enters left stage. They both walk slowly up stage to window of the toy shop, keeping as far apart as is possible. Both are interested only in the window display, and for some time neither of them speak.)
Maggie: Hello!
Crispin: (After pause) ’lo!
(Another silence)