The Haunted Coffin (1987)

Despite the fact that the plans fell through to film a Mummy movie with my friend, Jim, I eventually did produce one with the help of my sixth grade class. I worked on a script at school with a couple of buddies, writing it as a play. Somehow, we made a cardboard coffin and had a few props. I played the Mummy, with my sweat pants and gauze costume. My reading teacher allowed us to perform the play in class, and she videotaped it. I really wish I had asked for a copy of that video.

THE HAUNTED COFFIN
cast
The Mummy Ra-Antef Archaeologist # 1 Archaeologist # 2 Slave Owner Slaves Victims Egyptian Ghosts Background People Music Director(Sound Effects) Announcer
(Before play begins, play "mummy"music.)

Scene One: Slaves are sitting around a pool, looking into it.

SLAVE OWNER (enter at left): Get to work!
The background people spread out and eventually go backstage. The slaves start pulling the coffin out of the pool. They pull it out and sit it upright. The two archaeologists enter and inspect the coffin and try to get it open. They leave the stage at left and come back on at left with a crowbar in their hands.
ARCH 1: You and you, get over here! Help us open the sarcophagus.

Two of the slaves take the crowbar and start to pry the coffin open. The door swings open, and the air fills with the vile stench of rotting flesh.
ARCH 2: UHHH! Get the Lysol!
ARCH 1: Did YOU bring it?

ARCH 2: I thought you were going to bring it!

ARCH 1: Let's go!
The two archaeologists close the coffin slightly. Then they leave. All of the slaves and other people gather around the rotting coffin. One of the slaves opens the coffin and takes out a scroll. He wipes the dust off and reads it.
SLAVE: 'All souls empty of life
Wrapped in cloth and hid in a tomb,
Come to life when I command
To walk the lands at every moon.'
The mummy slowly opens his eyes. The other people run backstage. The slave pays no attention because he is trying to figure out the eerie rhyme of the scroll. The mummy unfolds his hands from his chest and goes up and strangles the slave.
(Close curtain. Eerie organ music, fade out.)

Scene Two: The next evening
ANNOUNCER: The next evening...
(Open curtain.)
One of the archaeologists comes to the temple. He finds the scroll. He becomes interested in the Scroll of Life. He starts reading it to himself. The mummy, once again, opens his eyes. The other archaeologist comes just in time to see the mummy strangling the other archaeologist. He pushes the mummy aside. The mummy slowly limps off the stage, unharmed. After the archaeologist helps the other one up, they both find the Scroll of Death. After they find a warning on the wall behind the pool, they both exit the stage also.
(Close curtain. Dramatic theme.)

Scene Three:
(Open curtain.)
The mummy sees a boat. He turns toward the camera and growls. He gets on the boat. Other Egyptian ghosts join him on the deck.
(Close curtain.)
ANNOUNCER: Meanwhile, back at the temple...
(Open curtain.)
The two archaeologists decide to read the Scroll of Death to kill the mummy. Just as they start to read the scroll, the Egyptian ghosts come and stop them. The ghosts disappear with the Scroll of Death. Then the mummy comes to the temple and kills the people who have betrayed his god. After that he goes for the archaeologists. Right before he gets them, an ancient Greek warrior steps out. Thunder crashes through the temple. The mummy and the warrior start to fight. One of the archaeologists tears up the Scroll of Life. (Dramatic theme.) The warrior staggers off stage and the mummy returns to his coffin and the door shuts.
(Close curtain.)