Clair de Lune

Clair de Lune, by Michael
Strange

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

Release Date: October 30, 2007 [eBook #23257]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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LUNE***
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CLAIR DE LUNE
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.]
What is "O how true?" [He glances about him.] You are all looking
very en rapport with the Almighty. In fact as if He had been telling you
secrets. Did they concern me? I am always a prey to the desire of
hearing what is said--just before and just after I am in a room.
1ST COURTIER
[With much pomposity hiding his embarrassment.]
We were commanded