Naked by Luigi Pirandello

Author:Luigi Pirandello
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Drama Italian
ISBN: 9781550714241
Publisher: Guernica Editions
Published: 2004-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

Ludovico Nota’s apartment, the next morning. The curtain rises on an empty stage; then the outside door opens and Emma, the maid, ushers in Ludovico and Franco Laspiga.

LUDOVICO (to Emma): Where’s Mrs. Onoria?

EMMA (indicating the bedroom): She’s in there, with the young lady.

LUDOVICO: Did Miss Drei sleep well?

EMMA: No, sir. She was sick. I don’t think they slept a wink.

FRANCO (restless): If only I had talked to her last night!

LUDOVICO (to Emma): Tiptoe in quietly and tell Mrs. Onoria we’re here. Is there any mail?

EMMA: Yes, sir. It’s there, on the desk. (She opens the bedroom door very softly and exits.)

LUDOVICO (to Franco, as he goes toward the desk): Sit down, sit down.

FRANCO: No, thanks, I can’t sit still.

LUDOVICO: Dammit, let’s have some air in here! (He opens a window and begins to glance through his mail. The street noises this morning include the bustling sounds of an open-air market. Suddenly annoyed, he shuts the window and approaches Franco with a newspaper item that has caught his attention.) Look at this! Read this, here! (He gives Franco the newspaper.)

FRANCO (before skimming the item): A retraction?

LUDOVICO: An ad saying they’ll publish a complete retraction tomorrow. (Onoria enters from the bedroom, followed by Emma, who promptly exits out the other door.)

FRANCO (anxiously, as the door opens): Ah, at last.

ONORIA (waving her hands in the air): What a night! What a night!

FRANCO: What’s she doing? Is she coming out?

ONORIA: If she can. She guessed you’d be here. But don’t upset her, for pity’s sake! She just dozed off at dawn.

LUDOVICO: With all this racket in the street . . .

ONORIA: That’s not it, she woke up when Emma came in to tell us you and the other gentleman were here. (To Franco.) I was afraid she’d refuse to see you, like last night.

FRANCO: No! Not again!

ONORIA: But she will talk to you.

FRANCO: Good! She’s changed her mind!

LUDOVICO: Of course. And if she hasn’t yet, we’ll change it for her. You’ll see.

ONORIA: I’m not so sure. After you left last night, she tried to run away.

LUDOVICO: Run away?

FRANCO: Where to? Why run away?

ONORIA: Who knows? She just said she had to get away. I had a terrible time keeping her here. I can’t understand how that hospital could’ve released her. She’s far from cured!

LUDOVICO (annoyed): She was quite all right when she was with me.

ONORIA (accentuating each word): She was not! She went through hell to pretend she wasn’t suffering. She’s so afraid you’ll get tired of her.

LUDOVICO: I? I’m not the one who . . . it’s up to . . . (He indicates Franco.)

FRANCO: Yes, of course! I’ll take care of her! I’ll see that she gets well!

ONORIA: I’m going to rest for a while. I simply can’t keep my eyes open. But if you need me . . .

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