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Alternate Stage Beauty Script

compleat female stage beauty

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lily
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3K views

Alternate Stage Beauty Script

compleat female stage beauty

Uploaded by

lily
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
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oO Thee COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUT Hebe Insc. ACT ONE > Prologue A painted drop of Restoration London, Three knocks of the cane. Lights up on Sarmuel Pepys. Pepys stands in front of the drop ina pool of light, He holds his diary and looks out front. t fe JS PEWS. “December 8, 1661. To the theater this afternoon to see @ play. It is The Moor of Venice, from Shakespeare and quite a show of splendour and glitter it is after eighteen years of Puritan gruel. Six months into his restoration and King Charles has made good - his promise to bring light back to London, and this “Moor,” though black as jealous bile, is brilliantine, Betterton is all one could hope for as the brooding general, but better than even Betterton is his Desdemona. Such eyes, such hait, such lips, and voice to stir. The player is Kynaston. And surely he is the most © beautiful woman in the house!” (A loud explosion of stage thunder Lighis out on Pepys. He exits as she drop rises ro reveal:) End of Prologue Sceme 1 Onstage at dees Theater Avaked stage. A large bed with flowing cartatas. No other furniture. A figure lies on the bed. Blonde hair: Flowing light blue robes. Another rumble of vbunder. An actor (Thomas Betzerton), dressed and in dark make-up as Othello, moves to the bed and paris the cureains. Thunder again, Very loud. Ned Kynaston, made up as Desdemona, starts and sits up, KYNASTON. “Who's thete? Othello?” BETTERTON. “Ay, Desdemona.” KYNASTON. “Will you come to bed, my lord?” BETTERTON. “Have you pray’d tonight, Desdemona?” KYNASTON. “Ay, my lord.” BETTERTON. “IE you bethink yourself of any crime Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace, Solicit for it scraight.” KYNASTON, “Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that?” BETTERTON. “Well, do it, and be brief I will walle by: Twould not kill thy unprepared spirie; No; heaven forfend! 1 would not kill thy soul.” (Thunder! Kynaston rises and backs away ftom Besterton.) KYNASTON. “Tallcyou of killing?” BETTERTON. “Ay, Ido.” KYNASTON. “Then heaven have mercy on me.” BETTERTON. “Think on thy sins.” KYNASTON. “They are loves I bear to you.” BETTERTON. “Ay, and for that thou diest!” KYNASTON. “That death’s umnatural that kills for loving!” BETTERTON. “Peace and be sill! KYNASTON, “Iwill so. What’ the matte” BETTERTON. “That handkerchief which I ss loved and gave thee ‘Thou gavest to Cassio.” 12 re bed on the ‘Ble of dark @ as KYNASTON. “No, by my life and soul! Send for the man and ask him.” BETTERTON. “His mouth is stopped, Honest lago hath ta'en order for.” aes (Rumble of thunder as lights ebb up to reudal side stage baxes filed) with fashionable sheatergoers,) ——— : KYNASTON. “O, my fear interprets! What he is dead?” BETTERTON. “Had all his hairs beed lives, my great revenge Had stomach for them all,” KYNASTON. “Alas, he is betrayd, and I undone!” BETTERTON, “Out, strumpet! Weept chou for him to my face?” KYNASTON. “O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!" BETTERTON. “Down, strumpet!” KYNASTON. “Kill me to-morrovs let me live tonight!” BETTERTON. “Nay, if you strive —* KYNASTON. “But half an hour” BETTERTON, “Being done, there is no pause.” KYNASTON. “But while I say one prayer!” BETTERTON. “I is too late.” (Wild thunder during what follows next: Betterton thrusts Kynaston on the bed and “smothers” him with the red pillow. Knock, off) EMILIA.. (Off) “My lord, my lord! What ho! My lord, my lord!” BETTERTON. (Sill smoshering,) “What noise is this? Not dead? Not quite yer dead? T that am cruel am yet mercifil Twould not have thee linger in So, so.” (A male actor, dressed as Emilia, enter.) EMILIA ACTOR. My lord, what noise —~! AUDIENCE MALE. Boo! EMILIA ACTOR. — what, what noise, my — AUDIENCE MALE. Boo! Boo-boo! Bring back the girl BEITERTON. “What, how should she be murdered — AUDIENCE "FEMALE, Yes, bring back the girl, bring back Desdemona! AUDIENCE MALE. Bring back Kynaston! BETTERTON. ... er ... ay, Emilia ... Thou, thou — AUDIENCE. (Ad-lbs,) Yes! Hel with the Moor! Give us Kynaston! hy pain: 13

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