Final Essay in Little Verona

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084TN392P

Third Act

(A public place. While waiting for Charlie Dealer, Norma Nursey sings her song)

Scene I

Norma’s Song

How much longer

Will be women pretending

To be submitted to men’s power?

How much longer

we will have to devise our tricks

to get our rights?

How much longer

Will we have to wait

For our liberation?

Scene II

(Norma N. and Charlie Dealer)

Charlie Dealer (looking around warily; he wears a leather black jacket, sun glasses and a sort of jeans trousers with heavy boots; when he sees Norma approaches indifferently murmuring): Chocolate, mushrooms, brown sugar, grass,speed, anything is cheap! First quality!

Norma N. : Charlie Dealer?

Charlie D. : So they say! Who are you ma’am?

Norma N: For that fake death, ‘you remember?

Charlie D. : Yes, of course! Though yours is not an easy case…

Norma N. : I don’t mind at the expense…

Charlie D. : If you really don’t, ma’am, you got the right person in front of you!

Norma N. (impatiently) : What do you propose?

Charlie D. : I’ll tell you what! (rummaging in his pockets he shows a small package and a vial) You take a gram of atropine belladonna and after twenty four hours insert in an ear of the fake dead ten drops of water hemlock from this vial and the game is done.

Norma N. : Does it really work?

Charlie D. : Surely it does! I’ve tried myself to cheat a few insurance companies!!!

Norma N.: And did you get the money?

Charlie D.: Oh, not me ma’am! My wives and my kids did!

Norma N.: Your wives?

Charlie D. : Yes. I’ve been married several times. Thanks to this stuff I avoided the payments of aliments and could start a new life each time!

Norma N.: A good way to disappear!

Charlie D. : Yes, but every time I appear again, though with a different name.

Norma N. : I see… Well, let’s make the deal! (gives a roll of banknotes and takes the stuff).

Exit Charlie D. with a wave of greeting

Scene III

(Norma and Flora)

Flora (coming breathless) : My lady! Come quick at home, please!

Norma N. (frightened): What happened ? For God’s sake, I pray you to talk soon!

Flora (agitated and upset, almost incapable to speak): A great disgrace happened…

Norma N. (like before with impatience shaking her by the shoulders): What disgrace? Calm down and talk!

Flora (trying to calm herself but still trembling): Paris Da Porto came home…

Norma N. (not understanding, almost with relief): What’s a matter with this? It doesn’t look such a disgrace!

Flora: But Mariotto was already in there, waiting for Lavinia to come down…

Norma N. (starting to understand): And then?

Flora: Paris told him a fucking nigger couldn’t be waiting for his fiancée…They quarreled…

Norma N.: What do you mean “they quarreled”?

Flora: They got scammed and when Paris was about to succumb he pulled out knife from his pocket…

Norma N. (with despair) Oh no! The poor Mariotto! And poor Lavinia…He’s still alive?

Flora: Mariotto or Paris?

Norma N . : You sound like a sphinx today! Are you going to tell me what happened in my house at last?

Flora: Struggling strenuously, the knife struck in the heart of Paris…

Norma N.: Is he dead?

Flora: I immediately rushed to warn you but on my faith he seemed to me hit to death!

Norma N (realizing quickly) : That’s really a great disgrace! Let’s rush at the scene! (pointing a dust bin and giving her the lot she purchased from Charlie D.) Just throw away all this.

Flora: What is it madam?

Norma N.: Just bloody stuff! Don’t worry e rush after me! We must join the others in the School!

Exeunt

Scene IV

The scene is in the Hall of The Drama School, like in First Scene of Act Two. Papa John Brook, Norma Nursey, Geena, Mel, Leslie, Ralph, David, Patrick, Susan, Ellen, Ada, Lawrence ,Henry, James, Edna, Basil, Reginald. All the students, Norma Nursey and Papa John Brook are ‘playing the original characters

PJB: (continuing his proposal of the first scene of the Second Act) : How do you like this Final Essay in Little Verona?

James (convinced but not completely): In West Side Story there are more songs…

Basil: (thoughtfully): The story reminds me something…

Henry: How does the story end?

PJB: (amused by the questions) Let’s ask the interested characters. Mel what are you going to as Mariotto after quarrelling with Paris?

Mel: (irresolutely) I would be in two minds…to flee or not to flee…

Geena: (tenderly) Would not you agree with me what to do my love?

Mel (resolutely): I certainly would my dear!

Norma N. (fiercely): You are not old in vain! I would give my contribution!

PJB: Do you see, Henry? The end is still to be made up!

Leslie: Let’s make an happy end, please!

Edna: A tragic end is perhaps more appropriate…

PJB: (mysteriously): Tiger father begets tiger son.

Ellen: What do you mean by that, JB?

PJB: I’ll tell you what. Please seat down everybody and I’ll tell you a story.(all sit down on the floor) Did anybody know that West side story has been inspired by The most excellent and lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliette ?

Susan: The William Shakespeare’s famous Tragedy ‘ you mean?

PJB: Properly that one!

Patrick: I think I’ve heard of it…

PJB: Never mind! Probably you knew it. But who knows that Shakespeare drew on other and numerous literary sources to set up his famous tragedy?

Ralph: I can’t believe it! Such a great man?

PJB: The fact does not diminish his greatness, believe me!

David: Where the hell could Old Billy take such a story?

PJB: Surely Shakespeare based his drama on the Arthur Brooke’s Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet. And the great poet Brooke was inspired by three different sources: a novel composed by Matteo Bandello, an Italian author, written in 1554, a story in a collection called Il Novellino, by the widely-popular fifteenth-century writer Masuccio Salernitano, and the Story Newly Found of two Noble Lovers, written by Luigi Da Porto and published in 1530.

Leaving apart the popular tale of Romeo and Juliet by William Painter’s collection Palace of Pleasure which influenced even more directly the greatest dramatist of all centuries in modern history!

Reginald: (half joking) Hey man, what did you suggest to us as your stuff?

Basil: I wouldn’t say that! “Libris ex libris” it’s what they say!

PJB: You are right! And dramas from dramas I dare to add!

Geena: Where the names Lavinia and Mariotto came from then?

PJB: Right from those Italian stories, my dear!

Mel: (pretending to be hurt): Did you want to make fun of us?

PJB: Oh, for no reason in the world! I just wanted to show you the importance of knowing history!

Norma N. (supporting JB): And also the meaning of the slogan you proposed for our Final Essay!

PJB: Of course. Do you remember?: “Theater , for its own nature, must keep telling a different thing from what it shows!

Ada: I convinced myself! Let’s play this drama as our Final Essay!

Geena: Yes! I’m with you!!

Lawrence: Let’s sing Hip hip hooray for JB!

All together they will voice hip hip hooray for JB and will bring it in triumph.

PJB: Be quiet! I need to be all sane for continuing the proves!

Chorus: Hip, Hip, Hooray! (like above)

PJB: And don’t be late at work tomorrow!

Exeunt all but Bill Dauber

Scene V

Bill’s Song (The sad song)

Forgive me my outburst and my rage!

I wonder why in every tale

Of any musical and stage

They all undervalue love amid a male

And a male? We’re put apart

Emotionless, no dignity, no tenderness!

But our love nevertheless

flows out from a beating hurt.

Don’t think our love is different

We fall in love so naturally

My soul kept bleeding sad and silent.

Be sure that I will

For the love that I feel

blame myself to the Police

For Paris’s kill

‘cause my lot is sacrifice! (Exit Bill Dauber)

Scene VI

(the scene resumes the action from the events described by PJB in the third scene)(Geena, Mel, Norma N. and Flora)

As Bill Dauber finishes his song the lights will show Mel Baron with his hands on his face and Geena trying to comfort him.

Mel: I swear I didn’t want to hurt him…It wasn’t my fault…I only defended myself…

Geena: Don’t worry my dear I believe you … and also the Police will believe you…

Flora (overtaking Norma): I can testify it was legitimate defense! I saw everything: from the moment he offended you until he pulled the knife out of his pocket!

Mel (like before): I’m sorry… though he called dirty nigger…

Geena: What an ignoble expression!

Mel: maybe I should run away and hide ... the police will not believe me because I'm black

Norma N. : No, Mel! I don’t think this is the best thing to do…The times are achanging and we have a frank witness in your favour!

Geena: And papa knows more than a good lawyer, doesn’t he mama?

Noema N. : He does for sure my darling…be brave and confident my son…

Mel: (surprised) Do you know of me and Geena?

Norma N. : (reassuring): Geena told me everything!

Mel: (shy and doubtful) And you have accepted me? Though I’m a colored man…

Norma N. : Of course I have! Enough with the legacies of the past!

Mel : But Mr Bandello….

Norma N. : Mr Bandello is going to do what their women will decide is to be done! You can count on it!

Mel (embracing Geena): Thank you for these words madam…

Norma N. : You can call me Norma Mel! You’ll be part of our family!

Geena: Thanks ma’!

Norma N. (in a tone of convinced exaltation) The time of love has come! Love must conquer every heart from now on! These are the new words! Flora, please call everybody to sing the new words!

Scene VII

(All the students and Papa JB will join the quartet and start to sig the Love’s son. Firstly will sing the quartet; secondly all the women and eventually all together)

It’ time to love, love, love

We want to love, love, love,

We need to love, love, love,

Let’s gather and love, love, love

The life is love, love , love

The love is one, one, one

Let’s fall in love, love, love

Ad libitum until

The End