The Sharp Knife of a Short Life

A Modern Tragedy based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood

By Elizabeth Luper

Genre and StyleAs the director, I have decided to reinterpret the story of

Little Red Riding Hood as a modern tragedy. The basics of the traditional story are the same, but my characters are not fairy-book characters. There is no talking wolf, but the antagonist’s last name is Wolfe, linking it subtly with the traditional story. Red Riding Hood is not a little girl, but a young adult. Her only similarity with the story book character is the red hood. These characters are real and complex, and their stories are complex as well. This is not a children’s story. Like a true tragedy, everyone dies. I also will use modern costumes and music, with a simple set that reflects the harsh tragedies that will be presented in this story.

StructureThis play will use a climatic structure. There are only four characters in my play. The entire story happens over the course of a couple of hours. Although it is a full-length play, there is only one act and no intermission. There will be three long scenes. The first scene consists mostly of dialogue functioning as an exposition. This will give the audience the history leading up to this story. It takes place at the grandmother’s cabin. The story begins to unfold in the second scene at the family cemetery in the woods, and the final, tragic, climatic scene returns to the grandmother’s cabin.

Evelyn ReddingEvelyn is the wealthy grandmother in this story. She

lives in a modest cabin deep in the woods, because she is afraid for her life. Her story is a sad one. Her fortune has been the cause of many tragedies in the family. Her grandson, Jeffery Wolfe, was found guilty twenty years ago of brutally murdering his parents and siblings. They lie buried in the old family cemetery, not far from where Evelyn has built her cabin. Only three months ago, Jeffery was released from prison on parole. Even more than her own safety, Evelyn is concerned about the safety of her adopted granddaughter, Rochelle, whom she has raised since she was a little girl.

The Characters:

Rochelle ReddingRochelle was an orphaned child of a friend when

Evelyn adopted her at the age of four. Her cabin home with her grandmother is all she’s ever known. She’s the sole heir of her grandmother, but she’s not aware how wealthy her grandmother is, nor even that she’s adopted. Rochelle is a beauty at seventeen, with flaming red hair and deep green eyes. She’s tall and delicate, and loves her grandmother deeply. She helps her grandmother around the house and does her shopping for her, since Evelyn is getting up in years.

The Characters:

Jeffrey WolfeJeffrey has felt resentment towards his grandmother

ever since he could remember. Every time Evelyn gave money to the church or some other charity, Jeffrey felt that she was giving away money that was rightfully his. His mind turned dark and he fed it with dark thoughts. One night, determined to become his grandmother’s sole heir, he murdered his entire family. Twenty years in jail did nothing to make him repentant of his deed, but he waited patiently for that day when he could hunt his grandmother down and claim his rightful inheritance. He is unaware that Evelyn has adopted Rochelle and that she is now her sole heir.

The Characters:

Robert LockwoodRobert is Evelyn’s undercover security agent. She hired him the day she found out that Jeffrey was being paroled. To keep Rochelle from knowing his true role, Robert is posing as a construction worker, building an addition onto Evelyn’s cabin. Over the months that he’s been there, he and Rochelle have been meeting each other secretly in the cemetery. They are in love, and he plans on asking her to marry him soon. He knows the danger and swears to himself and Evelyn that he would give his life to protect Rochelle from harm.

The Characters:

Synopsis of ScenesScene 1 (Exposition)

Location: Evelyn’s CabinIn the opening scene of the play, all of the background information is revealed through dialogue that helps the audience understand who Evelyn is, why she is hiding from Jeffrey, etc. The first part of the scene consists of Robert and Evelyn speaking. Since they are the only two who really know what is going on, they discuss the situation at length. Toward the end of the scene, Rochelle enters, and the conversation shifts towards lighter topics. It is evident that both Robert and Evelyn care for Rochelle deeply, and she also loves them. Evelyn asks Rochelle to run to town and buy some eggs and a few other grocery items. She warns her, as always, not to speak to strangers. After she leaves, Evelyn again implores Robert to protect Rochelle and he swears that he will give his life if necessary to protect her from Jeffrey.

Synopsis of ScenesScene 2 (Development)

Location: CemeteryThe next scene takes place in the family cemetery. Rochelle is on the way to buy groceries, but has taken a detour to the cemetery, to meet Robert. Jeffrey is there, examining gravestones. Although her grandmother had warned her not to speak to strangers, she finds herself conversing with him anyway. Rochelle inadvertently gives Jeffery directions to Evelyn’s cabin. Shortly after Jeffery leaves, Robert enters and proposes to Rochelle. She forgets all about her encounter with Jeffrey. Robert makes plans to arrange for a preacher to marry them. Rochelle heads off to the grocery store, and Robert goes to the church to talk to the preacher.

Synopsis of ScenesScene 3 (Climax)

Location: Evelyn’s CabinWhile Robert and Rochelle is out, Jeffrey finds Evelyn alone in her cabin. Enraged to discover that he has been cut out of her will entirely and that she has made another her heir, he strangles her and hides her in the closet. Then he hides in a dark corner. When Rochelle returns from shopping, he pretends to be Evelyn until Rochelle comes closer, suspicious that the person lurking in the shadows is not her grandmother. Jeffrey leaps out and stabs her to death. Just as he finishes killing her, Robert bursts into the room, seconds too late to save Rochelle. He pulls out his gun and shoots Jeffrey, killing him. Robert, distraught and grief-stricken, then turns the gun on himself and dies with the others.

Costumes

The costumes will be modern day. Rochelle will wear a red hoodie and jeans. Robert will wear a flannel shirt and jeans. Evelyn will dress up a little more, wearing slacks, a silk blouse, and pearls. Jeffrey will be dressed all in black with a skull on his shirt.

VenueI would like to direct my show at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Lafayette, Indiana. It’s a beautiful old theatre that I have performed at many times, and I would love to direct a play there It has a proscenium opening that is over 35 feet wide and 25 feet high. The fly system contains 27 linesets, a framed front projection screen, and a walkable fly floor. It has an elaborate sound and lighting system that would be very useful to me for this play.

Sets: Evelyn’s

CabinThere is very little scenery in this play. Most of the setting is conveyed with lighting and a few props. The backdrops for Evelyn’s cabin are black curtains. Two chairs and a small end table are placed on the stage.

Sets: Cemetery

This is the backdrop for the second scene, when Rochelle goes to the cemetery and meets Jeffrey and then later on, Robert. This image of gravestones in the wood will be projected on a screen that will be lowered in front of the set for Evelyn’s cabin. No other scenery will be used for this scene.

Lighting•The lighting will take a major role in this play. The sets themselves are sparse and colorless, so I will use colored lights to create moods and show the intensity of emotion such as red to show anger, blue to show isolation and loneliness, etc.•Another place I will use lights is during the scene where Jeffrey is hiding in the shadows. I will focus a fairly wide beam of light onto the stage. Rochelle will step into the light, and Jeffery will be just outside the circle of light. Then he will jump into the circle of light, knife drawn.• I will also make use of strobe lights combined with music during the killing scenes to draw the action and prolong the suspense. In the last scene when Robert kills himself, the play will end abruptly with complete darkness when he fires the gun.

SoundI would contract with The Band Perry to compose a score for my play, based on their hit song, “If I Die Young.” The title of my play comes from a line in this song. This would be Rochelle’s theme song, and parts of it would play in between scenes, with variations of the theme being played in other parts of the play. This song would signal to the audience that the course of fate for these characters is a tragic one, and cannot be reversed.

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a, bed of roses

Sink me in the river, at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love

song

Actors

I will cast Joelle Bellman as the heroine, Rochelle Redding. Joelle is 16 years old and is one of the students in the Improv class that I helped teach this year at our homeschool co-op. She’s tall and beautiful with a sweet, trusting personality. Her long red hair and freckles make her a perfect fit for Rochelle.

Actors

Graham Kelly will be my protagonist, Robert. He’s another teen in our homeschool group. With his rugged good looks and charm, he will make the perfect hero for my story. He’s also sixteen, and will be taking one of the bigger roles in our group’s spring play this year. He is a very talented actor.

Actors

Kate Greenwell will be my Evelyn. She’s a sweet old lady who goes to my church. She likes to dress nice and especially loves cute shoes. She’s not afraid to do something fun and new and she’s excited to a part of this project. I haven’t told her that her character dies in my play. I didn’t think she needed to know that.

Actors

Tom Barnard will be the antagonist, Jeffrey Wolfe. He’s my next door neighbor and is about fifty years old. He can pull off the scary look, with his five o’clock shadow and gold earring. Thankfully for us, he’s not actually a bad guy.

CreditsThanks to all the people who let me take your pictures and use them in this project. I couldn’t have done it without you. I’m sorry your characters all had to die such brutal deaths, but it’s for the sake of my education, and for your willingness to sacrifice yourselves for my sake, I give you thanks. Thanks to my co-workers who helped me brainstorm names for my characters, and to my supervisor for letting me draw my plans all over the receipt paper while on company time. You are all the best!

(Hey, what would a play be without credits?)