|
52. INT. THE ROSE THEATRE. STAGE. DAY SAM is now "JULIET". The play has evidently reached Act I Scene 5. We are witnessing the meeting of "ROMEO" and "JULIET" in a simplified version of the changing-partners dance we saw at VIOLA"S house. NED ALLEYN is in charge. Gentlemen upstage, ladies downstage ! The dance goes wrong. It is THOMAS'S fault. (furious) Gentlemen upstage ! Ladies downstage ! Are you a lady, Mr. Kent ? THOMAS mutters a blushing apology. WILL arrives among the bystanders, clutching fresh pages. He gives these to PETER. NED ALLEYN sees him and comes over to start an argument. (pre-empting) You did no like the speech? The speech is excellent. (he does the first line impressively) "Oh then I see Queen Mab hath been with you!" Excellent and a good length. But then he disappears for the length of a bible. WILL points significantly at the pages he had given PETER. There you have his duel, a skirmish of words and swords such as I never wrote, nor anyone. He dies with such passion and poetry as you ever heard: "a plague on both your houses!" NED nods satisfied and turns back to work. Then he turns back. He dies ? But the author has escaped.  |
|
|
|