Clair de Lune A Play in Two Acts and Six Scenes   By: Michael Strange

A Play in Two Acts and Six Scenes

by

MICHAEL STRANGE

G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London

The Knickerbocker Press 1921

Copyright, 1921 by G. P. Putnam's Sons

Printed in the United States of America

All acting rights are reserved by the author. Application for the rights of performing this play should be made to Michael Strange, who may be addressed in care of the publishers.

CHARACTERS

THE COURT

THE QUEEN Miss Ethel Barrymore THE DUCHESS OF BEAUMONT Miss Violet Kemble Cooper PRINCE CHARLES Mr. Henry Daniell PHEDRO Mr. Herbert Grimwood

A Chancellor, Courtiers, Ladies in Waiting, Lackeys, Maids

THE MOUNTEBANKS

URSUS A Philosopher Mr. E. Lyall Swete DEA A Blind Dancer Miss Jane Cooper ANOTHER DANCER Miss Olga Barowski GWYMPLANE A Clown Mr. John Barrymore

Drummer Boys, a Sailor

CLAIR DE LUNE

NOTE Suggestions for the play, also the names of mountebanks and villain, are taken from L'Homme qui Rit , by Victor Hugo.

ACT I

CLAIR DE LUNE

ACT I

SCENE 1

[ An old park with avenues of trees leading away in all directions. Directly in background of stage there is a sheet of water fringed by willow and poplar trees. On the right and left is a high box hedge formed in curves with the top clipped in grotesque shapes mostly of birds. A statue is placed in the centre of each hedge, and beneath the statues are seats.

When the curtain rises several courtiers are discovered wandering or sitting about. There is much laughing and whispering behind fans. ]

2D COURTIER

What an extraordinary evening! How calm the water is! It makes the swans look exactly like topaz clouds reflecting in a titanic mirror.

A LADY

Yes. The sky is just as clear as the Queen's ear rings of aquamarine. A storm could hardly blow up out of such blueness, so the masque is bound to be heavenly.

3D COURTIER [ approaching ]

I hate to interrupt your celestial jargon with human speech, but does anybody know whether Phedro has been able to find the Prince and give him the Queen's command?

LADY [ answering with frigid distinction ]

Probably not, but the Prince can never be found and is always forgiven. It is much to be loved in secret by a

1ST COURTIER [ laying finger on his lips ]

Hush!

2D COURTIER [ reprovingly ]

At court one must try not to think aloud or one is perhaps overheard by [ makes the motion of a blade across his throat ].

2D LADY

O nonsense! Why, Phedro confides in everybody, and so nobody ever believes him. Yet he is always quite right.

2D COURTIER

He puts his nose into the dust that is swept out of great corners. Indeed he looks in unthinkable places, and finds the incredible.

1ST COURTIER

Do you know what he told me lately?

LADY

I am ailing with curiosity.

1ST COURTIER

It was a fantastic tale about one of our own lot. Indeed about one wearing strawberry leaves and with two very young sons growing up, and she, apparently imagining the younger to be the living likeness, growing plainer every day, of a former indiscretion, gives directions to her favourite lackey to get rid of this wrong one and he, from spleen, gives the honest child away. The lady dies shortly after; the father never suspects anything. The bastard inherits, so the entire tragedy was in vain.

3D COURTIER

Fear is always absurd. You should be quite sure you are found out first; even then you have only to look rather sharply at anyone you fear in order to reduce Him . Indeed, the best of defences is presumption upon the brotherhood of sin.

A LADY

O how true!

PHEDRO

[ A person of shifty, wizened visage enters. In a jocular tone. ]