Lesson 6 - The Boston Massacre or the Incident on King Street - The Play.
Characters:
Narrator
Private Hugh White: A British soldier.
Edward Garrick: A wigmaker's apprentice.
Bartholomew Broaders: Garrick's friend.
Captain Thomas Preston: Officer of the watch.
Setting:
King Street, Boston, in front of the Custom House, March 5, 1770.
(Lights up. The Narrator steps forward.)
Narrator: Boston, 1770. A city simmering with tension. British soldiers patrol the streets, their presence a daily reminder of taxes imposed by a distant king. Tonight, a simple argument will ignite a chain of events no one can stop. (Narrator steps aside. Private White stands guard near the Custom House. Edward Garrick and Bartholomew Broaders enter.)
Edward Garrick: (Pointing) Look there! That's Captain Goldfinch! He owes my master money, yet walks about like he's a king!
Bartholomew Broaders: Go on, Edward, tell him what you think!
Edward Garrick: (Calling out loudly) Captain Goldfinch! Have you forgotten your debt?
Captain Goldfinch: (calmly) I settled that yesterday. You’d do well to mind your tongue.
[Goldfinch exits. Private White steps forward.
Private White: (Stepping forward) Boy, show some respect! He's a British officer.
Edward Garrick: Respect? For someone who can't pay what he owes?
Private White: Enough of your insults!
(Garrick pokes White in the chest.)
Edward Garrick: What will you do about it, lobsterback? Just standing there like a statue.
(White strikes Garrick lightly on the head with his musket.)
Edward Garrick: (Shouting) You'll pay for that! Did you see what he did?
Bartholomew Broaders: You’ve gone too far, Redcoat! Striking a boy? What kind of soldier are you?
(A small crowd begins to gather, murmuring. Church bells ring faintly in the background.)
Private White: (Nervously, stepping back) Stay back! Disperse!
Edward Garrick: (Mocking) Scared now, are you?
Bartholomew Broaders: You’ll need more than that musket to face us!
(Captain Preston arrives with six soldiers, bayonets fixed. They form a semicircle around White.)
Captain Preston: (Shouting) Make way! Disperse at once!
(The crowd begins to throw snowballs. A soldier flinches.)
Captain Preston: (To his men) Hold steady! Do not fire!
Edward Garrick: Show them we won’t be intimidated!
(More snowballs fly. A soldier raises his musket.)
Captain Preston: (Yelling) Stand down! I said hold your fire!
(Tension builds. The stage is frozen.)
Narrator: What happens next will forever be remembered as the Boston Massacre. Shots will be fired, lives lost, and history changed. But tonight, it all began with a simple argument on King Street.
[Lights dim as the Narrator steps forward again.]
Narrator: The spark of revolution is often lit by ordinary people. Remember this moment, for it reminds us how words, actions, and courage can shape the world.
[Lights out. End of play.]
Characters:
Narrator
Private Hugh White: A British soldier.
Edward Garrick: A wigmaker's apprentice.
Bartholomew Broaders: Garrick's friend.
Captain Thomas Preston: Officer of the watch.
Setting:
King Street, Boston, in front of the Custom House, March 5, 1770.
(Lights up. The Narrator steps forward.)
Narrator: Boston, 1770. A city simmering with tension. British soldiers patrol the streets, their presence a daily reminder of taxes imposed by a distant king. Tonight, a simple argument will ignite a chain of events no one can stop. (Narrator steps aside. Private White stands guard near the Custom House. Edward Garrick and Bartholomew Broaders enter.)
Edward Garrick: (Pointing) Look there! That's Captain Goldfinch! He owes my master money, yet walks about like he's a king!
Bartholomew Broaders: Go on, Edward, tell him what you think!
Edward Garrick: (Calling out loudly) Captain Goldfinch! Have you forgotten your debt?
Captain Goldfinch: (calmly) I settled that yesterday. You’d do well to mind your tongue.
[Goldfinch exits. Private White steps forward.
Private White: (Stepping forward) Boy, show some respect! He's a British officer.
Edward Garrick: Respect? For someone who can't pay what he owes?
Private White: Enough of your insults!
(Garrick pokes White in the chest.)
Edward Garrick: What will you do about it, lobsterback? Just standing there like a statue.
(White strikes Garrick lightly on the head with his musket.)
Edward Garrick: (Shouting) You'll pay for that! Did you see what he did?
Bartholomew Broaders: You’ve gone too far, Redcoat! Striking a boy? What kind of soldier are you?
(A small crowd begins to gather, murmuring. Church bells ring faintly in the background.)
Private White: (Nervously, stepping back) Stay back! Disperse!
Edward Garrick: (Mocking) Scared now, are you?
Bartholomew Broaders: You’ll need more than that musket to face us!
(Captain Preston arrives with six soldiers, bayonets fixed. They form a semicircle around White.)
Captain Preston: (Shouting) Make way! Disperse at once!
(The crowd begins to throw snowballs. A soldier flinches.)
Captain Preston: (To his men) Hold steady! Do not fire!
Edward Garrick: Show them we won’t be intimidated!
(More snowballs fly. A soldier raises his musket.)
Captain Preston: (Yelling) Stand down! I said hold your fire!
(Tension builds. The stage is frozen.)
Narrator: What happens next will forever be remembered as the Boston Massacre. Shots will be fired, lives lost, and history changed. But tonight, it all began with a simple argument on King Street.
[Lights dim as the Narrator steps forward again.]
Narrator: The spark of revolution is often lit by ordinary people. Remember this moment, for it reminds us how words, actions, and courage can shape the world.
[Lights out. End of play.]