The Magic Rabbit
| Category: | Physical Comedy & Slapstick |
|---|---|
| Category: | Magic & Mystery |
| Props: | Top hat, wand (can be stick or ruler), stuffed rabbit or person playing rabbit |
| Notes: | This is a magic show skit where everything goes wrong. The Magician should be overly confident despite constant failure. The Assistant should be increasingly concerned. The Rabbit should pop up at unexpected times. |
([Magician] stands center stage with top hat and wand. [Assistant] stands nearby.)
[Magician:] Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare to be amazed by the incredible, the spectacular, the MAGNIFICENT magic of... THE GREAT MYSTERIOSO!
([Assistant] claps politely.)
[Magician:] For my first trick, I will pull a rabbit from this ordinary top hat!
([Magician] holds up hat, shows it's empty by tipping it toward audience.)
[Magician:] As you can see, the hat is completely empty! No rabbits here!
([Assistant] nods in agreement.)
[Magician:] Now, with a wave of my magic wand and the secret words...
(Waves wand over hat dramatically.)
[Magician:] ABRA CADABRA! ALAKA-ZAM!
([Magician] reaches into hat confidently. Feels around. Confused expression.)
[Magician:] Hmm. That's strange.
[Assistant:] What's wrong?
[Magician:] The rabbit... isn't in the hat.
[Assistant:] Isn't that the point? You're supposed to MAKE it appear!
[Magician:] Yes, but I put it in there before the show started. It should be in here!
([Magician] turns hat upside down and shakes it. Nothing comes out.)
[Magician:] Where could it have gone?
(Suddenly, [Rabbit] pops up from behind the [Magician], hops across stage, and disappears offstage.)
[Assistant:] There it goes!
[Magician:] (spinning around, missing the rabbit) Where? Where?
[Assistant:] It just hopped away!
[Magician:] (flustered) That wasn't supposed to happen! The rabbit is supposed to stay IN the hat!
[Assistant:] Maybe it escaped.
[Magician:] Rabbits can't escape from magic hats! This is a MAGIC hat!
(Looks in hat again.)
[Magician:] Wait! I think I feel something!
(Reaches into hat, pulls out something, looks at it confused.)
[Magician:] This isn't a rabbit. It's a... shoe?
[Assistant:] (checking their feet) Hey! That's MY shoe! When did that get in there?
[Magician:] (defensive) That's not important! Let me try again!
(Puts shoe aside, waves wand over hat again.)
[Magician:] PRESTO CHANGE-O!
(Reaches in, pulls out a sock.)
[Assistant:] Now you're pulling laundry out of the hat!
[Magician:] (desperately) One more time!
(Waves wand vigorously.)
[Magician:] HOCUS POCUS!
(Reaches deep into hat, strains, pulls out [Rabbit]'s ears - but [Rabbit] won't come out.)
[Magician:] Aha! I've got the rabbit!
(Pulls harder. [Rabbit] finally pops out of hat, but immediately bites [Magician]'s hand.)
[Magician:] OW! It bit me!
([Rabbit] hops out of [Magician]'s arms and runs offstage again.)
[Magician:] (calling after rabbit) Come back! The trick isn't finished!
[Assistant:] I think the trick is finished.
[Magician:] (looking at bitten hand, then at empty hat, defeated) This always looks easier on TV.
([Rabbit] pokes head back onto stage, makes a "raspberry" sound at [Magician], then disappears.)
[Magician:] (to audience) For my next trick, I'll make myself disappear!
([Magician] puts hat on head and walks offstage quickly. [Assistant] looks at audience, shrugs.)
[Assistant:] At least that trick worked!
(Freeze. Blackout.)