As the play begins, Jack's mother asks him to sell their cow at the market to get money for food. On the way to market, Jack meets a stranger who tricks him into exchanging the cow for five magic beans. When Jack returns without any money, his mother throws the beans away and sends Jack to bed without supper. The next morning, when Jack and his mother awaken, the beans have grown into a giant beanstalk reaching all the way up into the sky. Jack's mother tells him of the Ogre who lives at the top of the beanstalk. The Ogre, many years before, had taken all their farm animals and ruined their crops. Despite his mother's wishes, Jack starts to climb the beanstalk to retrieve the animals that were taken. Soon, Jack arrives at the Ogre's house where he confronts the Ogre's wife, Gertrude. Jack explains that he has come to get back the animals that were stolen and money for the crops the Ogre had destroyed. As they talk the Ogre returns home. Jack hides under the table until the Ogre falls asleep while counting his gold. Jack then takes the Ogre's bags of gold and returns home down the beanstalk. His mother, thankful for the gold, makes Jack promise not the climb the beanstalk again as the Act ends.

                                

As the Act begins Jack's mother asks him to buy some chicken and sausage from the market with the gold coins he got from the Ogre. But, Jack decides to climb the beanstalk another time to get the chicken from the Ogre. While searching for them, Jack is discovered by Gertrude who tries to get him to leave before the Ogre's return. It's too late. Jack hides under the table again while the Ogre calls for his goose to lay a golden egg. After the Ogre falls asleep, Jack takes the goose and leaves some gold coins in exchange. When Jack returns home, his mother is delighted with their good fortune. After the Ogre wakes up, he becomes suspicious of his missing gold and lost goose, but Gertrude convinces him to calm down by listening to his singing harp. As the harp sings, Jack sneaks back into the Ogre's house. Just as he thinks the Ogre is asleep, the Ogre smells Jack and grabs him before he can escape. Jack tells him that he took the Ogre's things as repayment for the damage the Ogre did to the family's crops and animals. Jack kicks the Ogre in the shins, grabs the harp, runs out of the house and down the beanstalk. At the bottom of the beanstalk, Jack grabs an axe and chops it down. The beanstalk and the Ogre come crashing to earth. The Ogre is sore from his fall and realizes he needs to rethink what he is doing to others. Jack and his mother return home to listening to the beautiful music of the harp and Jack promises never to climb anything again. The End