Three Plays: Six Characters in Search of an Author, Henry IV, The Mountain Giants (Oxford World's Classics) (11 page)

STEPDAUGHTER
[
laughing too
]. Yes, sir. She does speak like that, mixing up the languages in such a funny way.

MADAME PACE
. Ah, not me seems bona maniera laugh with me while I tries hablar italiano, señor.

DIRECTOR
. No, no. Quite the contrary. Speak like that, speak just like that, Madame. It’ll go down perfectly. Nothing better for a bit of comic relief in a rather sordid situation. Go on speaking like that. It’s fine.

STEPDAUGHTER
. Fine, indeed! To hear certain proposals made in that kind of language. It goes down perfectly because it sounds almost like a joke, sir. It’s a real laugh to hear that there’s a ‘viejo señor’ who wants to ‘amusarse con migo’.
^*
Isn’t that true, Madame?

MADAME PACE
. So he old, vièjo, my pretty. Is better for you. You no like him, but he come with prudencia.

MOTHER
[
rising up to the amazement and dismay of all the
ACTORS
who have been paying her no attention: now, when they hear her shout, they laugh and try to hold her back because she has already torn off
MADAME PACE
’
s wig and thrown it on the floor
]. Witch, you witch! Murderess! My daughter!

STEPDAUGHTER
[
rushing to restrain her
MOTHER
]. No, no, Mother, please!

FATHER
[
hurrying towards her at the same time
]. Calm down, calm down. Come and sit down!

MOTHER
. Then get her out of my sight.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
to the
DIRECTOR
who has hurried to join them
]. There’s no way, no way Mother can be here.

FATHER
[
also to the
DIRECTOR
]. They can’t be together. And that’s why, you see, that woman wasn’t with us when we came. If they’re together, you understand, we give away the whole story.

DIRECTOR
. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. For now this is just a first sketch. Everything helps me pick up all the various elements, however muddled they are. [
Turning to the
MOTHER
and taking her back to her chair
] Come along, my dear lady. Calm and easy now. Sit yourself down again.

STEPDAUGHTER
. So let’s get on with it, Madame.

MADAME PACE
[
offended
]. Ah no, muchas gracias! Here I do nada with your madre presente.

STEPDAUGHTER
. Oh, come on. Show him in, this ‘viejo señor, porqué se amusi con migo’. [
Turning towards everyone majestically
] After all, we have this scene to play out. Let’s get on with it. [
To
MADAME PACE
] You can go.

MADAME PACE
. I go, I go, seguramente I go. [
She exits in a fury, picking up her wig and glaring defiantly at the
ACTORS
who applaud and giggle
]

STEPDAUGHTER
[
to
FATHER
]. And you make your entrance. No need to turn away. Come here. Pretend you’ve just come in. Now then. Here I am with my head bowed, all modesty! Come on, speak up. In a fresh voice, as if you’ve just come in from outside: ‘Good afternoon, miss …’

DIRECTOR
[
already off the stage
]. See that! Who’s the director here, you or me? [
To the
FATHER
who looks on, puzzled and tense
] Do what she says. Go to the back, but don’t go out. Then come forward again.

The
FATHER
obeys, bewildered. He looks very pale; nevertheless, already possessed by the reality of his created life, he smiles as he approaches from the back of the stage, as if still unaware of the drama that is about to overwhelm him. The
ACTORS
are immediately intent on the unfolding scene
.

DIRECTOR
[
in a hurried whisper to the
PROMPTER
in his box
]. And you, follow carefully, follow and write it down.

FATHER
[
coming forward, with a fresh voice
]. Good afternoon, miss.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
head bowed, controlling her disgust
]. Good afternoon.

FATHER
[
peering under the brim of the hat that almost hides her face, he sees that she is very young: caught between satisfaction and the fear of being compromised in a risky affair, he exclaims, almost to himself
]. Ah … But, I say, it’s not the first time, is it? That you come here.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
as above
]. No, sir.

FATHER
. So you have been here before? [
And since the
STEPDAUGHTER
nods
] More than once? [
Pauses for a reply, then goes back to peering under her hat; he smiles, then says
] Come now, no need to be like this … Allow me to remove that hat.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
quickly, unable to control her disgust
]. No, sir. I’ll do it myself. [
She does so in a nervous hurry
]

From the side of the stage opposite to the
ACTORS
,
the
MOTHER
is following the scene, together with the
SON
and the two smaller children who are more her own and who always stand next to her. Anxious and tense, she accompanies the words and actions of the
FATHER
and
STEPDAUGHTER
with exclamations varying from sorrow and scorn to anxiety and horror, sometimes hiding her face and sometimes moaning
.

MOTHER
. God, Oh my God!

FATHER
[
hearing her moan, he remains motionless for a long moment, then continues in the same tone as before
]. There. Give it to me. I’ll put it down. [
Takes the hat from her hands
] Now on a lovely little head like yours I should like to see a more worthy hat. So wouldn’t you like to help me choose one from Madame’s collection?—No?

YOUNG ACTRESS
[
interrupting him
]. Hey, watch out. Those are our hats.

DIRECTOR
[
really angry
]. Shut up, will you! Don’t try to be funny. We’re in rehearsal. [
Turning to the
STEPDAUGHTER
] Where you left off, please.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
continuing
]. No, thank you, sir.

FATHER
. Oh, come on. Don’t say no. Do accept it. I’ll be upset if you don’t … Look, there are some very pretty ones. And think how happy we’ll make Madame. She displays them here on purpose.

STEPDAUGHTER
. No, sir, you see: I could never wear it.

FATHER
. Perhaps you’re saying that because of what they might think at home when they see you come back with a new hat. But come on! Don’t you know what to do? What to say at home?

STEPDAUGHTER
[
agitated, unable to stand it
]. But that’s not it, sir. I couldn’t wear it because I’m … as you see me: you might have already noticed. [
She shows her black dress
]

FATHER
. So you’re in mourning! Forgive me. Now I see. I do beg your pardon. Believe me, I’m truly mortified.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
summoning up strength and courage to overcome her contempt and revulsion
]. Enough, sir, enough. I should be thanking
you
; and you shouldn’t feel mortified or distressed. Please think no more about what I said. I too, you can imagine … [
with a forced smile she adds
] I really shouldn’t remember that I’m dressed like this.

DIRECTOR
[
interrupting, turning to the
PROMPTER
in his box and climbing back onto the stage
]. Wait, wait! Don’t write that down. Cut out that last line. [
Turning to the
FATHER
and the
STEPDAUGHTER
] Splendid! Splendid! [
Then only to the
FATHER
] Then you carry on the way we decided. [
To the
ACTORS
] Delightful, this little scene with the hat, don’t you think?

STEPDAUGHTER
. Oh, but the best is what comes next. Why don’t we go straight on with it?

DIRECTOR
. Have patience for a moment. [
Turning to the
ACTORS
] Of course, it needs to be handled with a light touch …

LEADING MAN
. Easy, smooth …

LEADING LADY
. Why not? There’s nothing to it. [
To the
LEADING MAN
] We could have a go straightaway, couldn’t we?

LEADING MAN
. No problem for me. Right, I’ll go round to make my entrance. [
He goes out so that he can re-enter through the door at the back of the set
]

DIRECTOR
[
to the
LEADING LADY
]. Now then, let’s say the scene between you and Madame Pace is over. I’ll write it up later. Now you should place yourself … No, where are you going?

LEADING LADY
. Wait, I’m going to put my hat back on … [
She goes to take her hat from the hatstand
]

DIRECTOR
. Ah yes, good … Right then, you place yourself here with your head bowed.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
amused
]. But if she’s not even dressed in black!

LEADING LADY
. I shall be, and it will suit me much better than it does you.

DIRECTOR
[
to the
STEPDAUGHTER
]. Please keep quiet, can’t you. Just watch. You might learn something. [
Clapping his hands
] Let’s go, let’s go! Entrance!

He comes down from the stage so that he can get an overall impression of the scene. The door at the back of the set opens and the
LEADING MAN
comes forward, with the smooth roguish air of an ageing seducer. Right from the start the
ACTORS’
performance of the scene should seem quite different from what we have already witnessed, but it should not be remotely like a parody: more like a polished version of the original. Unable to recognize themselves in the
LEADING LADY
and the
LEADING MAN
and hearing their own words spoken by others, the
FATHER
and
STEPDAUGHTER
respond in a variety of ways, using gestures, smiles, and open protest to convey their reactions of surprise, wonder, suffering, etc., as will be seen in due course. The voice of the
PROMPTER
in his box is clearly heard
.

LEADING MAN
. ‘Good afternoon, miss …’

FATHER
[
promptly, unable to control himself
]. No, no!

Seeing the way the
LEADING MAN
makes his entrance, the
STEPDAUGHTER
bursts out laughing
.

DIRECTOR
[
furious
]. Pipe down, you lot. And you stop laughing once and for all. We can’t carry on like this.

STEPDAUGHTER
[
coming from the front of the stage
]. I’m sorry, sir, but it’s only natural. That young lady [
indicating the
LEADING LADY
] is just there, stock still; but if she’s supposed to be me, then let me tell you that if I’d heard someone say ‘good afternoon’ in that tone and in that way, I’d have burst out laughing—just the way I did.

FATHER
[
taking a few steps forward
]. Yes, indeed … the manner, the tone …

DIRECTOR
. Manner and tone be damned! Stand aside and let me see the rehearsal.

LEADING MAN
[
making his way downstage
]. If I have to play an old man who comes to a house of ill fame …

DIRECTOR
. Yes, yes. Don’t listen to them, for heaven’s sake. Get on with it, take it from there, it’s going splendidly. [
Waiting for the
LEADING MAN
to start
] Well …

LEADING MAN
. ‘Good afternoon, miss …’

LEADING LADY
. ‘Good afternoon …’

LEADING MAN
[
imitating the
FATHER
’
s gesture of peering under the hat, but distinguishing clearly between the two emotions, expressing first the satisfaction and then the fear
]. ‘Ah … but I say, it’s not your first visit …’

FATHER
[
unable to resist correcting him
]. Not ‘your first visit’—‘the first time, is it?’ ‘Is it?’

DIRECTOR
. He says ‘is it?’ Question mark.

LEADING MAN
[
nodding to the
PROMPTER
]. I heard ‘visit’.

DIRECTOR
. It’s all the same! ‘Is it?’ or ‘visit’. Now get on with it. Only maybe a bit less emphasis … Here, I’ll show you. Watch me … [
comes back onto the stage and then takes up the part, starting from the entrance
] ‘Good afternoon, miss …’

LEADING LADY
. ‘Good afternoon.’

DIRECTOR
. ‘Ah … but I say’ [
turns to the
LEADING MAN
to point out the way in which he peered under the hat
] Surprise … fear and satisfaction … [
continuing, now addressing the
LEADING LADY
] ‘It’s not the first time, is it? That you come here …’ [
Turning again to the
LEADING MAN
with a meaningful look
] Is that clear? [
To the
LEADING LADY
] And then you come in with ‘No, sir’. [
To the
LEADING MAN
again
] Now how can I put it?
Souplesse!
[
He comes down from the stage
]