material than canvas, may be seen the reflectoscoped pictures, projected from behind, of the witches' cauldron with fire burning under it, and of the first three apparitions that the witches show Macbeth. The reflectoscope may be used in a most uncanny way to show Banquo's ghost and even the bloody dagger real enough to the vision of Macbeth. V, i. A forest.* Fresh-cut boughs, lying upon the stage, are picked up by the soldiers. V, ii. A wild landscape,* seen from the top of a hill. A low wall may be set up a few feet from this drop picture, so that the idea of an intervening precipice between the castle and the scene may be carried out. A similar wall may be set up, running from the front to the back of the stage, R., up over the top of which the attacking forces may seem to climb from the slopes below. R. there should be the arched entrance to the castle. Macbeth may meet his death by falling over the wall and precipice at the back of the stage, while fighting with Macduff. Lighting. The first act should take place in a dusky atmosphere of storm. Blue lights for Act IV. The rest can be worked out readily from the text. A drop curtain of black gauze or cheesecloth interposed between the witches and the audience will produce the effect of fog and enhance the mystery of these scenes. However the gauze drop curtain should be withdrawn upon the disappearance of the witches. Simpler Stages. The jagged mouth of the cave may be indicated as in Caliban. An arched way should be left open L. for the last The wall may be omitted. scene. Elizabethan Stage. I, full stage, the witches appearing upon the inner stage and Macbeth and Banquo walking across the outer stage. The curtains may close on the witches when they "vanish." II, outer stage, with the door to the King's chamber C. III, i, outer stage; ii, inner stage. IV, outer stage. The inner stage may be revealed immediately preceding the line, "Why sinks that cauldron, and what noise is this?" The cauldron may be removed by one of those helping to draw the curtains. The witches then retire to the inner stage, and "vanish” when the curtains are closed on them. V, i, outer stage; ii, inner stage. Music. The book of vocal music for Macbeth can be had from French, for $1.20. Sheet music, H. W. Gray Co.: Incidental music attributed to Matthew Locke, vocal score. When shall we three meet again? (Horsely)... ..$.30 .06 .12 Costumes. See Calthrop, period of Henry IV. In the second scene the Prince and Poins wear loose-fitting jerkins and masks. Realistic Stage. i. and iii. A room* in a tavern. ii. The highway. A hedge* may run across the stage back of the road. The drop picture may be of any rugged landscape.* Simpler Stages. A single screen or a tree near the back of the stage R. may be sufficient for the Prince and Poins to hide behind, especially if there is a shadow on the stage at this point. Elizabethan Stage. i, inner stage; ii, outer stage. Hal and Poins hide back of the curtain. iii, inner stage. Music. There is no music published for Henry IV, Part I. PRINCE HAL AND HOTSPUR Costumes. See Calthrop, period of Henry IV. Realistic Stage. I, i. Possibly the same drop picture as III, but nothing is seen on the stage except a red spotlight on the three men. I, ii. A blue or amber spotlight shows only the new group of three. II. A room in a tavern.* III. A battle field. Drop picture of rugged scenery.* Elizabethan Stage. I, i, inner stage; ii, outer stage; II, inner stage; III, i, outer stage; ii, full stage. Music. There is no music published for Henry IV, Part I. FALSTAFF A play which will take about an hour in presentation may be formed by combining the two short playlets of Prince Hal and Falstaff and Prince Hal and Hotspur. The combined Dramatis Persona and Synopsis follow. FALSTAFF A Play in Four Acts FROM HENRY IV, PART I DRAMATIS PERSONE HENRY (hĕn'ri), PRINCE OF WALES. SIR JOHN FALSTAFF (fôl'stăf). POINS* (poinz). GADSHILL* (gădz'hil). BARDOLPH (bär'dôlf). Hostess of the Boar's Head Tavern. Sheriff.* Three Travellers.* HENRY PERCY (hĕn'ri pûr'sĬ), surnamed HOTSPUR. EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND (nôr-thŭm′ber-lănd), his father. EARL OF WORCESTER (woos'ter), his uncle. EDMUND MORTIMER* (ĕd-mund môr-ti-mer), Earl of March, his brother-in-law. OWEN GLENDOWER (ō'en glen'door), of Wales. SIR RICHARD VERNON (rich'ard vûr'nŭn). EARL OF DOUGLAS * (dŭg'làs). JOHN OF LANCASTER (lång'kăs-ter), second son of the King. SIR WALTER BLUNT * (wôl'ter blůnt). KING HENRY THE FOURTH. 20 roles.* SETTING: England and Wales, 1402-1403 A.D. * Cast reducible to 11 by "doubling" Northumberland, Mortimer, and First Traveller; Vernon and Poins; King Henry IV, Blunt, and Second Traveller; John of Lancaster, Sheriff, and Third Traveller; Worcester and Gadshill; Glendower and Douglas. NOTES FOR PLAYING EACH OF THE PLAYS 389 ACT I. Prince Hal and Falstaff.* ACT II. Scene 1. In Boar's Head Tavern, London. Faistaff and the Prince of Wales. Poins. Scene 2. The next night. The highway near Gadshill, scene of the prospective robbery. The Prince and Poins. Falstaff, Gadshill, Bardolph. The travellers. How the rebellion had its beginning. (Sometime earlier than the last scene of Act I.) Scene 1. London. The Palace. Hotspur, the son of the powerful Earl of Northumberland, hears from his father and uncle of Mortimer's claim to the throne. Scene 2. In Wales. Hotspur, Mortimer, and Glendower plan to divide England and Wales among themselves. ACT III. At the Boar's Head Tavern. Falstaff and Bardolph. Called into service by the Prince himself. ACT IV. Scene 1. Hotspur and Douglas waiting on the battle field for their allies. Scene 2. The King and princes receive the embassy of INTERCHANGEABLE SCENERY BASED UPON THE FOREGOING NOTES FOR PLAYING THE PLAYLETS IN THIS BOOK Before any of the scenes in the following list are painted, the others in the same group should be analyzed for future accessibility. Set scenes. A house in classical style As You Like It, I, i, ii; Shylock, II, V, ii; Brutus and Cassius, III; The Taming of the Shrew, I; Benedick and Beatrice; Twelfth Night. Wide front steps for house-As You Like It, I, ii; Shylock, II; Brutus and Cassius, III. Platform Shylock, V; Brutus and Cassius, III. *Prince Hal and Falstaff. The playlet beginning on page 311 constitutes Act I of this play, and the playlet Prince Hal and Hotspur on page 330, Acts II, III, and IV. 390 FORTY-MINUTE PLAYS FROM SHAKESPEARE Back drop pictures. Forest As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, IV, Macbeth, V, i. Rich interior-Shylock, IV; The Taming of the Shrew, II, IV; Hamlet, III, i; Prince Hal and Falstaff, i and iii; Prince Hal and Hotspur, II. A massive hall-Shylock, V, i; Bottom, IV; Hamlet, I, ii, II, III, ii, IV, V; Benedick and Beatrice, III; Macbeth, III, i. Wild landscape with sea in distance L. - Hamlet, I, i, iii; Caliban; Macbeth, V, ii; Prince Hal and Falstaff, ii; Prince Hal and Hotspur, III. Back drop of black or gray gauze. ban, I, i; Macbeth, I, IV. Hamlet, I, i, ii; III, i; Cali A hedge running across the stage. — Shylock, V; Caliban, IV; Prince Hal and Falstaff, ii. Painted canvas structure of mouth of cave. beth, IV. Flies or masking pieces at sides of stage. Caliban; Mac Trees As You Like It; Shylock, V, ii; Bottom, II; Macbeth, V, i. Trellises of vines Benedick and Beatrice, Twelfth Night. May also be used in As You Like It, I, i; Shylock, V, ii. The sides of the stage for all other scenes may consist of two simple flat screens of neutral color, upon which lights of different colors for the successive scenes can be reflected. A tall, arched entrance way should be cut in the L. screen for Shylock, I, The Taming of the Shrew, I, Macbeth V; in the screen R 2 for The Taming of the Shrew, V. For the sides of the stage, four double screens may be substituted for the two single flats. These have the advantage of being able to stand alone, as well as have four different picture scenes painted on them (on each of the four faces respectively), one of which being turned toward the audience, the others remain concealed. A special type of hinges permits of folding the screens either way. Probably the best combination of faces for the set of four double screens is (1) trees, (2) the sides of a great hall, (3) the sides of a second rich interior, (4) a plain, neutral color. |