These people are in this part:

MARIA
FRAU SCHMIDT
LIESL
GRETL
BRIGITTA
LOUISA
FRIEDRICH
KURT
MARTA
CAPTAIN



CUT TO:
INT. MARIA'S BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT
The thunderstorm continues outside. Wearing long white nightgown, Maria hurries to the window & closes it. There is a knock at the door.

MARIA Come in.

Frau Schmidt enters, carrying 2 bolts of cloth.

MARIA Frau Schmidt…
SCHMIDT For your new dresses, Fraulein Maria. The Captain had these sent out from town.
MARIA O, how lovely. O, I'm sure these will make the prettiest clothes I've ever had. Tell me, do you think the Captain would get me some more material if I asked him?
SCHMIDT How many dresses does a governess need?
MARIA No, not for me. For the children. I want to make them some playclothes.
SCHMIDT (re-opening Maria's window) The Von Trapp children don't play. They march.
MARIA O, surely, you don't approve of that?
SCHMIDT Ever since the Captain lost his poor wife, he…he runs this house as if he were on 1 of his ships again. Whistles, orders. No more music, no more laughing. Nothing that reminds him of her…even the children.
MARIA It's so wrong.
SCHMIDT Ah, well…How do you like your room? There'll be new drapes at the windows…
MARIA New drapes? But these are fine.
SCHMIDT Nevertheless, new ones have been ordered.
MARIA O, but I really don't need them.
SCHMIDT Good night, now.
MARIA Frau Schmidt. Do you think if I ask the Captain tomorrow about the material…?
SCHMIDT O, he's leaving for Vienna in the morning.
MARIA O, yes, of course. Well, how long will he be gone?
SCHMIDT That all depends. The last time he visited the Baroness he stayed for a month.
MARIA O.
SCHMIDT I shouldn't be saying this…not to you, I mean I don’t know you that well…but if you ask me, the Captain’s thinking very seriously of marrying the woman before the summer's over.
MARIA O, that'd be wonderful! Well, the children will have a mother again.
SCHMIDT Yes…well…good night.
MARIA Good night.

Schmidt leaves & Maria closes the door behind her. Maria takes off her robe, & places it over a chair. She makes the sign of the cross, kneels beside her bed & prays. Behind her, the night air billows thro window curtains & thunder rolls.

MARIA Dear Father, now I know why You've sent me here. To help these children prepare themselves for a new mother. & I pray that this will become a happy family in Thy sight. God bless the Captain, God bless Liesl & Friedrich, God bless Louisa, Brigitta, Marta & little Gretl. &, o, I forgot the other boy. What's his name? Well, God bless What's-his-name.

Liesl enters thro the windows. She is soaking wet.

MARIA God bless the Reverend Mother, Sister Margaretta…(sees Liesl try to exit the room)…& everybody at Nonnberg Abbey. & now, dear God, about Liesl.

Liesl stops at the door & turns back to Maria.

MARIA Help her to know that I'm her friend, & help her to tell me what she's been up to.
LIESL Are you going to tell on me?
MARIA (to Liesl) Shh. (finishes her prayers) Help me to be understanding so that I may guide her footsteps. In the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
LIESL I was out taking a walk & somebody locked the doors earlier than usual & I didn't want to wake everybody up. So, when I saw your window open…You're not going to tell Father, are you?
MARIA Hmm. (rises, goes to window) How in the world did you climb up here?
LIESL That's how we always got into this room to play tricks on the
governess. Louisa can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hand.
MARIA (slamming window shut) Spiders!? (puts a hand to her chest in disgust) Liesl, were you out walking all by yourself?

Liesl nods yes at first, then she shakes her head from side to side.

MARIA You know, if we wash that dress out tonight, nobody would notice it tomorrow. You could put this on.

Maria hands Liesl a nightgown from her armoir.

MARIA Take your dress in there, put it to soak in the bathtub, then come back here & sit on the bed & we'll have a talk.

Liesl pauses in the bathroom doorway.

LIESL I told you today I didn't need a governess. Well, maybe I do.

Liesl smiles gratefully. Maria closes the bathroom door & walks over to shut the door of her armoir. Hands on hips, she looks at the bed, then at the bathroom door. Frowning suspiciously, she reaches for the comforter & flings it back to reveal…clean, spider-less white sheets. She checks the rest of the bed. No spiders. Relieved, she puts the comforter back in its place. A loud thunder clap. The door suddenly opens & Gretl, in a nightgown, runs in & stands stiffly against the wall.

MARIA Gretl? Are you scared?

Gretl shakes her head. There is another clap of thunder & she runs into Maria's arms.

MARIA You're not frightened of a thunderstorm, are you? You just stay right here w/ me. O! Uh! Where are the others?
GRETL They're asleep. They're not scared.

More thunder. Maria cuddles Gretl. Louisa, Brigitte & Marta run into the room.

MARIA (to Gretl) O, no? Look.

Gretl sees the other girls.

MARIA All right, everybody. Up here on the bed.
BRIGITTA Really?
MARIA Well, just this once. Come on.

The girls crowd onto the bed.

MARIA Now, all we have to do is to wait for the boys.
LOUISA You won't see them. Boys are brave.

As the thunder continues, the girls bury their heads in the bed. Friedrich & Kurt run into the room, then force themselves to walk calmly. Maria grins.

MARIA Eh, you boys weren't scared, too, were you?
FRIEDRICH Oh, no. We just wanted to be sure that you weren't.
MARIA That's very thoughtful of you, Friedrich.
FRIEDRICH It wasn't my idea. It was Kurt's.
MARIA Kurt! That's the 1 I left out. (to the ceiling) God bless Kurt.

A huge thunder clap…everyone ducks. Maria looks at them all w/ amusement.

MARTA Why does it do that?
MARIA Well, the lightning says something to the thunder, & the thunder answers back.
MARTA The lightning must be nasty.
MARIA Not really.
MARTA Then why does the thunder get so angry? It makes me want to cry.

More loud thunder. Really, they should soundproof these old villas. The children bury their faces in the covers again.

MARIA Well, now, when anything bothers me & I’m feeling unhappy, I just try & think of nice things.
LOUISA AND MARTA What kind of things?
MARIA Uh…well, let me see, nice things. Daffodils. Green meadows. Skies full of stars. Raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens…
(sings) …Bright copper kettles & warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up w/ strings
These are a few of my favorite things

More thunder. The children cower.

MARIA (sings) Cream-colored ponies & crisp apple streudels
Doorbells & sleigh bells & schnitzel w/ noodles
Wild geese that fly w/ the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in white dresses w/ blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose & eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
& then I don't feel so bad

Maria puts her arms around Marta & Gretl.

MARTA Does it really work?
MARIA Of course it does. You try it. What things do you like?
MARTA Pussy willows!
LOUISA Christmas!
GRETL Bunny rabbits!
KURT Snakes!
BRIGITTA Chocolate icing!
FRIEDRICH No school!

Liesl emerges from the bathroom, surprised to see the others.

LIESL Telegrams!
LOUISA Birthday presents!
BRIGITTA Any presents!
MARIA (agreeing) Yes!
GRETL Ladybugs!
MARIA What?
MARTA Cats!
KURT Rats!
LOUISA A good sneeze!
KURT Ah-choo!
MARIA Gesundheit! See what fun it is?
(sings) Raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles & warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up w/ strings
These are a few of my favorite things

The children watch her expectantly. Maria & Oscar Hammerstein are running out of favorite things to sing about. Maria puts a hand to her head & her eyes widen…she decides to repeat some stanzas.

MARIA (sings) Cream-colored ponies & crisp apple streudels
Doorbells & sleigh bells & schnitzel w/ noodles
Wild geese that fly w/ the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Maria twirls hand in hand w/ the girls.

MARIA (sings) Girls in white dresses w/ blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose & eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bi…

The music abruptly stops as Maria suddenly runs into the Captain who stands in the doorway w/ a disapproving frown.

MARIA …dog bites…uh…

She steps back. The children, more terrified of their father than the
thunder, line up in a row at attention.

MARIA (cheerfully) Uh, hello…
CAPTAIN Fraulein, did I not tell you that bedtime is to be strictly
observed in this house?
MARIA Well, the children were upset by the storm, so I thought that if I…You did, sir.
CAPTAIN & do you or do you not have difficulty remembering such simple instructions?
MARIA (defiantly) Only during thunderstorms, sir.

Kurt laughs.

CAPTAIN Liesl?
LIESL Yes, father?
CAPTAIN I don't recall seeing you anywhere after dinner.
LIESL O, really? Well, as a matter of fact…
CAPTAIN Yes?
LIESL Well, I-I was, I was…
MARIA Uh, what she would like to say, Captain, is that, uh, she & I have been getting better acquainted tonight. But it's much too late now to go into all that. Come along children. You heard your father. Go back to bed immediately.

As the children run out the room, Maria picks up her robe. The Captain turns toward the door, watching the children go.

CAPTAIN Fraulein, you have managed to remember that I'm leaving in the morning?

Maria nods.

CAPTAIN Is it also possible that you remember that the first rule in this house is discipline?

She nods again, reluctantly.

CAPTAIN Then I trust that before I return you will have acquired some?
MARIA Captain? Uh, I wonder if, before you go, I could talk to you about some clothes for the children…
CAPTAIN Fraulein Maria…
MARIA …for when they play. If I could just have some material…
CAPTAIN You are obviously many things, not the least of which is
repetitious.
MARIA But they're children!
CAPTAIN Yes. & I am their father. Good night.

The Captain leaves the room, shutting the door.

MARIA (furious) O!

Maria looks around angrily, flings her robe on the bed, & sits in a chair
next to the window. She looks at a window drape decorated w/ green flowers. She stands up & takes the drape in her hands. An idea dawns on her.

MARIA (sings to herself) Girls in white dresses w/ blue satin sashes

Eyes widening in excitement, she runs across the room & grabs another curtain.

MARIA (sings to herself) When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
& then I don't feel so bad

She drapes a curtain over her head like a scarf & wraps it around herself as a dress.

Heather(Maria) practices her part! This is so much fun!

Dancerat comes in and practices her part (frau schmidt)

Bianca rushes in and practices her part (martha)

Arwen comes in and practices her part (Kurt).

~Arwen~

Steph (liesl) practises her part!