Six Plays by Luigi Pirandello

Author:Luigi Pirandello
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alma Books
Published: 2020-01-10T16:06:33+00:00

Act Three

The throne room is dark. The back wall is just visible. The two portraits have been removed from their frames, and in their place stand FRIDA, in the Marchesa of Tuscany costume she wore in Act Two, and CARLO DI NOLLI, dressed as HENRY IV. Both have assumed the exact postures of the portraits.

When the curtain rises, the stage is momentarily empty. Then the door on the left opens and HENRY IV enters, holding the lamp by its handle and turning to speak to the FOUR YOUNG MEN, who presumably are in the adjoining room with GIOVANNI, as at the close of Act Two.

HENRY IV: No. Stay – stay there. I can manage by myself. Goodnight.

(He closes the door and, wearily and dejectedly, begins to cross the hall, making for the second door on the right, which leads to his apartments.)

FRIDA (When she sees he has gone a little way past the throne, she whispers from her niche, as if about to swoon in terror): Henry…

(He stops abruptly, as if he feels a knife in his back, and, turning in alarm to peer at the wall behind him, instinctively raises his arms, as if to defend himself.)

HENRY IV: Who called my name?

(It is not really a question, but a flickering exclamation of fright: it expects no reply from the darkness or from the terrible silence of the hall. He is struck with the sudden fear that perhaps, after all, he really is mad.)

FRIDA (although his terrified reaction does nothing to calm her own fears, she repeats a little louder): Henry…

(While doing her best to play the part she has been assigned, she cannot help craning forwards a little from her niche and looking towards the other. HENRY IV shouts out in horror and drops the lamp. Covering his head with his hands, he runs, as if to flee.)

FRIDA (jumping from the frame onto the ledge, screaming like a madwoman): Henry… Henry… I’m scared! I’m scared!

(Meanwhile, DI NOLLI also leaps onto the ledge and then onto the floor. He runs to FRIDA, who continues to scream uncontrollably and is on the point of fainting. From the door on the left all the others rush in – the DOCTOR, DONNA MATILDE, also dressed as the Marchesa of Tuscany, TITO BELCREDI, LANDOLF, HAROLD, ORDULF, BERTOLD and GIOVANNI. One of them promptly switches on the light, which has a strange effect, coming from bulbs hidden in the ceiling, and is strong only above the scene. HENRY IV stands watching. Although jolted out of his momentary terror by this unexpected invasion, his whole body is still shaking. The others pay no attention to him, but crowd solicitously round FRIDA to comfort her. DI NOLLI holds her in his arms as she still trembles and sobs. Everyone talks confusedly.)

DI NOLLI: It’s all right, Frida, I’m here. I’m here with you.

DOCTOR (arriving with the others): That’s it, that’s it. We don’t have to do anything else now.

DONNA MATILDE: He’s cured, Frida! Look, don’t you see? He’s cured.

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