Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 47

[_The Waiter takes the coin with a respectful bow, blows his taxi whistle. As the answering whistle of the taxicab and the honk of the horn are heard the Beggar and Cocotte exit ceremoniously and the curtain falls._

[_Curtain._]

THE TENOR

A COMEDY

BY FRANK WEDEKIND TRANSLATED BY ANDRe TRIDON.

Copyright, 1913, by Andre Tridon.

All rights reserved.

CHARACTERS

GERARDO [_Wagnerian tenor, thirty-six years old_].

HELEN MAROVA [_a beautiful dark-haired woman of twenty-five_].

PROFESSOR DUHRING [_sixty, the typical "misunderstood genius"_].

MISS ISABEL COEHURNE [_a blonde English girl of sixteen_].

MULLER [_hotel manager_].

A VALET.

A BELL BOY.

AN UNKNOWN WOMAN.

TIME: _The present_.

PLACE: _A city in Austria_.

THE TENOR was first produced in America by the Washington Square Players. Applications for permission to perform THE TENOR must be addressed to Andre Tridon, 121 Madison Avenue, New York.

THE TENOR

A COMEDY BY FRANK WEDEKIND

[SCENE: _A large hotel room. There are doors at the right and in the center, and at the left a window with heavy portieres. Behind a grand piano at the right stands a j.a.panese screen which conceals the fireplace. There are several large trunks, open; bunches of flowers are all over the room; many bouquets are piled up on the piano._]

VALET [_entering from the adjoining room carrying an armful of clothes which he proceeds to pack in one of the trunks. There is a knock at the door_]. Come in.

BELL BOY. There is a lady who wants to know if the Maestro is in.

VALET. He isn't in. [_Exit Bell Boy. The Valet goes into the adjoining room and returns with another armful of clothes. There is another knock at the door. He puts the clothes on a chair and goes to the door._]

What's this again? [_He opens the door and some one hands him several large bunches of flowers, which he places carefully on the piano; then he goes back to his packing. There is another knock. He opens the door and takes a handful of letters. He glances at the addresses and reads aloud:_ "Mister Gerardo. Monsieur Gerardo. Gerardo Esquire. Signor Gerardo." [_He drops the letters on a tray and resumes his packing._]

[_Enter Gerardo._]

GERARDO. Haven't you finished packing yet? How much longer will it take you?

VALET. I'll be through in a minute, sir.

GERARDO. Hurry! I still have things to do. Let me see. [_He reaches for something in a trunk._] G.o.d Almighty! Don't you know how to fold a pair of trousers? [_Taking the trousers out._] This is what you call packing!

Look here! You still have something to learn from me, after all. You take the trousers like this.... You lock this up here.... Then you take hold of these b.u.t.tons. Watch these b.u.t.tons here, that's the important thing. Then--you pull them straight.... There.... There.... Then you fold them here.... See.... Now these trousers would keep their shape for a hundred years.

VALET [_respectfully, with downcast eyes_]. You must have been a tailor once, sir.

GERARDO. What! Well, not exactly.... [_He gives the trousers to the Valet._] Pack those up, but be quick about it. Now about that train. You are sure this is the last one we can take?

VALET. It is the only one that gets you there in time, sir. The next train does not reach Brussels until ten o'clock.

GERARDO. Well, then, we must catch this one. I will just have time to go over the second act. Unless I go over that.... Now don't let anybody....

I am out to everybody.

VALET. All right, sir. There are some letters for you, sir.

GERARDO. I have seen them.

VALET. And flowers!

GERARDO. Yes. all right. [_He takes the letters from the tray and throws them on a chair before the piano. Then he opens the letters, glances over them with beaming eyes, crumples them up and throws them under the chair._] Remember! I am out to everybody.

VALET. I know, sir. [_He locks the trunks._]

GERARDO. To everybody.

VALET. You needn't worry, sir. [_Giving him the trunk keys._] Here are the keys, sir.

GERARDO [_pocketing the keys_]. To everybody!

VALET. The trunks will be taken down at once. [_He goes out._]

GERARDO [_looking at his watch_]. Forty minutes. [_He pulls the score of "Tristan" from underneath the flowers on the piano and walks up and down humming._] "_Isolde! Geliebte! Bist du mein? Hab' ich dich wieder? Darf ich dich fa.s.sen?_" [_He clears his throat, strikes a chord on the piano and starts again._] "_Isolde! Geliebte! Bist du mein? Hab' ich dich wieder?..._" [_He clears his throat._] The air is dead here. [_He sings._] "_Isolde! Geliebte...._" It's oppressive here. Let's have a little fresh air. [_He goes to the window at the left and fumbles for the curtain cord._] Where is the thing? On the other side! Here! [_He pulls the cord and throws his head back with an annoyed expression when he sees Miss Coeurne._]

MISS COEURNE [_in three-quarter length skirt, her blonde hair down her back, holding a bunch of red roses; she speaks with an English accent and looks straight at Gerardo_]. Oh, please don't send me away.

GERARDO. What else can I do? G.o.d knows, I haven't asked you to come here. Do not take it badly, dear young lady, but I have to sing to-morrow night in Brussels. I must confess, I hoped I would have this half-hour to myself. I had just given positive orders not to let any one, whoever it might be, come up to my rooms.

MISS COEURNE [_coming down stage_]. Don't send me away. I heard you yesterday in "Tannhauser," and I was just bringing you these roses, and--

GERARDO. And--and what?

MISS COEURNE. And myself.... I don't know whether you understand me.