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Title: Aria da Capo

Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5790] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on September 1, 2002]

Edition: 10

Language: English

Character set encoding: Unicode UTF-8

START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARIA DA CAPO

This etext produced by David Starner.

ARIA DA CAPO

A PLAY IN ONE ACT

Copyright, 1920

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

Printed in the U. S. A.

PERSONS

Pierrot

Columbine

Cothurnus, Masque of Tragedy

Thyrsis - Shepherds Corydon -/

[Scene: A stage]

[The curtain rises on a stage set for a Harlequinade, a merry black and white interior. Directly behind the footlights, and running parallel with them, is a long table, covered with a gay black and white cloth, on which is spread a banquet. At the opposite ends of this table, seated on delicate thinâlegged chairs with high backs, are Pierrot and Columbine, dressed according to the tradition, excepting that Pierrot is in lilac, and Columbine in pink. They are dining.]

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, a macaroon! I cannot live without a macaroon!

PIERROT: My only love, You are so intense! . . . Is it Tuesday, Columbine?â Iâll kiss you if itâs Tuesday.

COLUMBINE: It is Wednesday, If you must know . . . . Is this my artichoke, Or yours?

PIERROT: Ah, Columbine,âas if it mattered! Wednesday . . . . Will it be Tuesday, then, toâmorrow, By any chance?

COLUMBINE: Toâmorrow will beâPierrot, That isnât funny!

PIERROT: I thought it rather nice. Well, let us drink some wine and lose our heads And love each other.

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, donât you love Me now?

PIERROT: La, what a woman!âhow should I know? Pour me some wine: Iâll tell you presently.

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, do you know, I think you drink too much.

PIERROT: Yes, I dare say I do. . . . Or else too little. Itâs hard to tell. You see, I am always wanting A little more than what I have,âor else A little less. Thereâs something wrong. My dear, How many fingers have you?

COLUMBINE: La, indeed, How should I know?âIt always takes me one hand To count the other with. Itâs too confusing. Why?

PIERROT: Why?âI am a student, Columbine; And search into all matters.

COLUMBINE: La, indeed?â Count them yourself, then!

PIERROT: No. Or, rather, nay. âTis of no consequence. . . . I am become A painter, suddenly,âand you impress meâ Ah, yes!âsix orange bullâsâeyes, four green pinâwheels, And one magenta jellyâroll,âthe title As follows: Woman Taking in Cheese from FireâEscape.

COLUMBINE: Well, I like that! So that is all Iâve meant To you!

PIERROT: Hush! All at once I am become A pianist. I will image you in sound. . . . On a new scale. . . , Without tonality. . . Vivace senza tempo senza tutto. . . . Title: Uptown Express at Six OâClock. Pour me a drink.

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, you work too hard. You need a rest. Come on out into the garden, And sing me something sad.

PIERROT: Donât stand so near me! I am become a socialist. I love Humanity; but I hate people. Columbine, Put on your mittens, child; your hands are cold.

COLUMBINE: My hands are not cold!

PIERROT: Oh, I am sure they are. And you must have a shawl to wrap about you, And sit by the fire.

COLUMBINE: Why, Iâll do no such thing! Iâm hot as a spoon in a teacup!

PIERROT: Columbine, Iâm a philanthropist. I know I am, Because I feel so restless. Do not scream, Or it will be the worse for you!

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, My vinaigrette! I cannot live without My vinaigrette!

PIERROT: My only love, you are So fundamental! . . . How would you like to be An actress, Columbine?âI am become Your manager.

COLUMBINE: Why, Pierrot, I canât act.

PIERROT: Canât act! Canât act! La, listen to the woman! Whatâs that to do with the price of furs?âYouâre blonde, Are you not?âyou have no education, have you?â Canât act! You underrate yourself, my dear!

COLUMBINE: Yes, I suppose I do.

PIERROT: As for the rest, Iâll teach you how to cry, and how to die, And other little tricks; and the house will love you. Youâll be a star by five oâclock . . . that is, If you will let me pay for your apartment.

COLUMBINE: Let you?âwell, thatâs a good one! Ha! Ha! Ha! But why?

PIERROT: But why?âwell, as to that, my dear, I cannot say. Itâs just a matter of form.

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, Iâm getting tired of caviar And peacocksâ livers. Isnât there something else That people eat?âsome humble vegetable, That grows in the ground?

PIERROT: Well, there are mushrooms.

COLUMBINE: Mushrooms! Thatâs so! I had forgotten . . . mushrooms . . . mushrooms. . . . I cannot live with . . . How do you like this gown?

PIERROT: Not much. Iâm tired of gowns that have the waistâline About the waist, and the hem around the bottom,â And women with their breasts in front of them!â Zut and ehÃ¨! Where does one go from here!

COLUMBINE: Hereâs a persimmon, love. You always liked them.

PIERROT: I am become a critic; there is nothing I can enjoy. . . . However, set it aside; Iâll eat it between meals.

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, do you know, Sometimes I think youâre making fun of me.

PIERROT: My love, by yon black moon, you wrong us both.

COLUMBINE: There isnât a sign of a moon, Pierrot.

PIERROT: Of course not. There never was. âMoonâsâ just a word to swear by. âMutton!âânow thereâs a thing you can lay the hands on, And set the tooth in! Listen, Columbine: I always lied about the moon and you. Food is my only lust.

COLUMBINE: Well, eat it, then, For Heavenâs sake, and stop your silly noise! I havenât heard the clock tick for an hour.

PIERROT: Itâs ticking all the same. If you were a fly, You would be dead by now. And if I were a parrot, I could be talking for a thousand years!

[Enter COTHURNUS.]

PIERROT: Hello, whatâs this, for Godâs sake?â Whatâs the matter? Say, whadda you mean?âget off the stage, my friend, And pinch yourself,âyouâre walking in your sleep!

COTHURNUS: I never sleep.

PIERROT: Well, anyhow, clear out. You donât belong on here. Wait for your own scene! Whadda you think this is,âa dressârehearsal?

COTHURNUS: Sir, I am tired of waiting. I will wait No longer.

PIERROT: Well, but whadda you going to do? The scene is set for me!

COTHURNUS: True, sir; yet I Can play the scene.

PIERROT: Your scene is down for later!

COTHURNUS: That, too, is true, sir; but I play it now.

PIERROT: Oh, very well!âAnyway, I am tired Of black and white. At least, I think I am.

[Exit COLUMBINE.]

Yes, I am sure I am. I know what Iâll do!â Iâll go and strum the moon, thatâs what Iâll do. . . . Unless, perhaps . . . you never can tell . . . I may be, You know, tired of the moon. Well, anyway, Iâll go find Columbine. . . . And when I find her, I will address her thus: âEhÃ¨, Pierrette!ââ Thereâs something in that.

[Exit PIERROT.]

COTHURNUS: You, Thyrsis! Corydon! Where are you?

THYRSIS: [Off stage.] Sir, we are in our dressingâroom!

COTHURNUS: Come out and do the scene.

CORYDON: [Off stage.] You are mocking us!â The scene is down for later.

COTHURNUS: That is true; But we will play it now. I am the scene. [Seats himself on high place in back of stage.]

[Enter CORYDON and THYRSIS.]

CORYDON: Sir, we are counting on this little hour. We said, âHere is an hour,âin which to think A mighty thought, and sing a trifling song, And look at nothing.ââAnd, behold! the hour, Even as we spoke, was over, and the act begun, Under our feet!

THYRSIS: Sir, we are not in the fancy To play the play. We had thought to play it later.

CORYDON: Besides, this is the setting for a farce. Our scene requires a wall; we cannot build A wall of tissueâpaper!

THYRSIS: We cannot act A tragedy with comic properties!

COTHURNUS: Try it and see. I think youâll find you can. One wall is like another. And regarding The matter of your insufficient mood, The important thing is that you speak the lines, And make the gestures. Wherefore I shall remain Throughout, and hold the promptâbook. Are you ready?

CORYDONâTHYRSIS: [Sorrowfully.] Sir, we are always ready.

COTHURNUS: Play the play!

[CORYDON and THYRSIS move the table and chairs to one side out
of the way, and seat themselves in a halfâreclining position
on the floor.]

THYRSIS: How gently in the silence, Corydon, Our sheep go up the bank. They crop a grass Thatâs yellow where the sun is out, and black Where the clouds drag their shadows. Have you noticed How steadily, yet with what a slanting eye They graze?

CORYDON: As if they thought of other things. What say you, Thyrsis, do they only question Where next to pull?âOr do their far minds draw them Thus vaguely north of west and south of east?

THYRSIS: One cannot say. . . . The black lamb wears its burdocks As if they were a garland,âhave you noticed? Purple and whiteâand drinks the bitten grass As if it were a wine.

CORYDON: Iâve noticed that. What say you, Thyrsis, shall we make a song About a lamb that thought himself a shepherd?

THYRSIS: Why, yes!âthat is, why,âno. (I have forgotten my line.)

COTHURNUS: [Prompting.] âI know a game worth two of that!â

THYRSIS: Oh, yes. . . . I know a game worth two of that! Letâs gather rocks, and build a wall between us; And say that over there belongs to me, And over here to you!

CORYDON: Why,âvery well. And say you may not come upon my side Unless I say you may!

THYRSIS: Nor you on mine! And if you should, âtwould be the worse for you!

[They weave a wall of colored crÃªpe paper ribbons from the
centre front to the centre back of the stage, fastening the
ends to COLUMBINEâS chair in front and to PIERROTâS chair in
the back.]

CORYDON: Now thereâs a wall a man may see across, But not attempt to scale.

THYRSIS: An excellent wall.

CORYDON: Come, let us separate, and sit alone A little while, and lay a plot whereby We may outdo each other. [They seat themselves on opposite sides of the wall.]

PIERROT: [Off stage.] EhÃ¨, Pierrette!

COLUMBINE: [Off stage.] My name is Columbine! Leave me alone!

THYRSIS: [Coming up to the wall.] Corydon, after all, and in spite of the fact I started it myself, I do not like this So very much. What is the sense of saying I do not want you on my side the wall? It is a silly game. Iâd much prefer Making the little song you spoke of making, About the lamb, you know, that thought himself A shepherd!âwhat do you say?

[Pause.]

CORYDON: At wall.

COTHURNUS: [Prompting.] âHow do I know this isnât a trick?â

CORYDON: Oh, yes. . . . How do I know this isnât a trick To get upon my land?

THYRSIS: Oh, Corydon, You know itâs not a trick. I do not like The game, thatâs all. Come over here, or let me Come over there.

CORYDON: It is a clever trick To get upon my land. [Seats himself as before.]

THYRSIS: Oh, very well! [Seats himself as before.] [To himself.] I think I never knew a sillier game.

CORYDON: [Coming to wall.] Oh, Thyrsis, just a minute!âall the water Is on your side the wall, and the sheep are thirsty. I hadnât thought of that.

THYRSIS: Oh, hadnât you?

CORYDON: Why, what do you mean?

THYRSIS: What do I mean?âI mean That I can play a game as well as you can. And if the pool is on my side, itâs on My side, thatâs all.

CORYDON: You mean youâd let the sheep Go thirsty?

THYRSIS: Well, theyâre not my sheep. My sheep Have water enough.

CORYDON: Your sheep! You are mad, to call them Yoursâmineâthey are all one flock! Thyrsis, you canât mean To keep the water from them, just because They happened to be grazing over here Instead of over there, when we set the wall up?

THYRSIS: Oh, canât I?âwait and see!âand if you try To lead them over here, youâll wish you hadnât!

CORYDON: I wonder how it happens all the water Is on your side. . . . Iâll say you had an eye out For lots of little things, my innocent friend, When I said, âLet us make a song,â and you said, âI know a game worth two of that!â

COLUMBINE: [Off stage.] Pierrot, Dâyou know, I think you must be getting old, Or fat, or something,âstupid, anyway!â Canât you put on some other kind of collar?

THYRSIS: You know as well as I do, Corydon, I never thought anything of the kind. Donât you?

CORYDON: I do not.

THYRSIS: Donât you?

CORYDON: Oh, I suppose so. Thyrsis, letâs drop this,âwhat do you say?âitâs only A game, you know . . . we seem to be forgetting Itâs only a game ... a pretty serious game Itâs getting to be, when one of us is willing To let the sheep go thirsty for the sake of it.

THYRSIS: I know it, Corydon.

[They reach out their arms to each other across the wall.]

COTHURNUS: [Prompting.] âBut how do I knowââ

THYRSIS: Oh, yes. . . . But how do I know this isnât a trick To water your sheep, and get the laugh on me?

CORYDON: You canât know, thatâs the difficult thing about it, Of course,âyou canât be sure. You have to take My word for it. And I know just how you feel. But one of us has to take a risk, or else, Why, donât you see?âthe game goes on forever! . . . Itâs terrible, when you stop to think of it. . . . Oh, Thyrsis, now for the first time I feel This wall is actually a wall, a thing Come up between us, shutting you away From me. . . . I do not know you any more!

THYRSIS: No, donât say that! Oh, Corydon, Iâm willing To drop it all, if you will! Come on over And water your sheep! It is an ugly game. I hated it from the first. . . . How did it start?

CORYDON: I do not know . . . I do not know . . . I think I am afraid of you!âyou are a stranger! I never set eyes on you before! âCome over And water my sheep,â indeed!âTheyâll be more thirsty Than they are now before I bring them over Into your land, and have you mixing them up With yours, and calling them yours, and trying to keep them!

[Enter COLUMBINE]

COLUMBINE: [To COTHURNUS.] Glummy, I want my hat.

THYRSIS: Take it, and go.

COLUMBINE: Take it and go, indeed. Is it my hat, Or isnât it? Is this my scene, or not? Take it and go! Really, you know, you two Are awfully funny!

[Exit COLUMBINE]

THYRSIS: Corydon, my friend, Iâm going to leave you now, and whittle me A pipe, or sing a song, or go to sleep. When you have come to your senses, let me know. [Goes back to where he has been sitting, lies down and sleeps.]

[CORYDON, in going back to where he has been sitting, stumbles
over bowl of colored confetti and colored paper ribbons.]

CORYDON: Why, what is this?âRed stonesâand purple stonesâ And stones stuck full of gold!âThe ground is full Of gold and colored stones! . . . Iâm glad the wall Was up before I found them!âOtherwise, I should have had to share them. As it is, They all belong to me. . . . Unlessâ

[He goes to wall and digs up and down the length of it,
to see if there are jewels on the other side.]

None hereâ None hereânone hereâThey all belong to me! [Sits.]

THYRSIS: [Awakening.] How curious! I thought the little black lamb Came up and licked my hair; I saw the wool About its neck as plain as anything! It must have been a dream. The little black lamb Is on the other side of the wall, Iâm sure.

[Goes to wall and looks over. CORYDON is seated on the ground,
tossing the confetti up into the air and catching it.]

Hello, whatâs that youâve got there, Corydon?

CORYDON: Jewels.

THYRSIS: Jewels?âAnd where did you ever get them?

CORYDON: Oh, over here.

THYRSIS: You mean to say you found them, By digging around in the ground for them?

CORYDON: [Unpleasantly.] No, Thyrsis, By digging down for water for my sheep.

THYRSIS: Corydon, come to the wall a minute, will you? I want to talk to you.

CORYDON: I havenât time. Iâm making me a necklace of red stones.

THYRSIS: Iâll give you all the water that you want, For one of those red stones,âif itâs a good one.

CORYDON: Water?âwhat for?âwhat do I want of water?

THYRSIS: Why, for your sheep!

CORYDON: My sheep?âIâm not a shepherd!

THYRSIS: Your sheep are dying of thirst.

CORYDON: Man, havenât I told you I canât be bothered with a few untidy Brown sheep all full of burdocks?âIâm a merchant. Thatâs what I am!âAnd if I set my mind to it I dare say I could be an emperor! [To himself.] Wouldnât I be a fool to spend my time Watching a flock of sheep go up a hill, When I have these to play with?âwhen I have these To think about?âI canât make up my mind Whether to buy a city, and have a thousand Beautiful girls to bathe me, and be happy Until I die, or build a bridge, and name it The Bridge of Corydon,âand be remembered After Iâm dead.

THYRSIS: Corydon, come to the wall, Wonât you?âI want to tell you something.

CORYDON: Hush! Be off! Be off! Go finish your nap, I tell you!

THYRSIS: Corydon, listen: if you donât want your sheep, Give them to me.

CORYDON: Be off! Go finish your nap. A red oneâand a blue oneâand a red oneâ And a purple oneâgive you my sheep, did you say?â Come, come! What do you take me for, a fool? Iâve a lot of thinking to do,âand while Iâm thinking, The sheep might just as well be over here As over there. . . . A blue oneâand a red oneâ

THYRSIS: But they will die!

CORYDON: And a green oneâand a couple Of white ones, for a change.

THYRSIS: Maybe I have Some jewels on my side.

CORYDON: And another green oneâ Maybe, but I donât think so. You see, this rock Isnât so very wide. It stops before It gets to the wall. It seems to go quite deep, However.

THYRSIS: [With hatred.] I see.

COLUMBINE: [Off stage.] Look, Pierrot, thereâs the moon.

PIERROT: [Off stage.] Nonsense!

THYRSIS: I see.

COLUMBINE: [Off stage.] Sing me an old song, Pierrot,â Something I can remember.

PIERROT: [Off stage.] Columbine. Your mind is made of crumbs,âlike an escallop Of oysters,âfirst a layer of crumbs, and then An oystery taste, and then a layer of crumbs.

THYRSIS: [Searching.] I find no jewels . . . but I wonder what The root of this black weed would do to a man If he should taste it. ... I have seen a sheep die, With half the stalk still drooling from its mouth. âTwould be a speedy remedy, I should think, For a festered pride and a feverish ambition. It has a curious root. I think Iâll hack it In little pieces. . . . First Iâll get me a drink; And then Iâll hack that root in little pieces As small as dust, and see what the color is Inside. [Goes to bowl on floor.]

The pool is very clear. I see A shepherd standing on the brink, with a red cloak About him, and a black weed in his hand. . . . âTis I. [Kneels and drinks.]

CORYDON: [Coming to wall.] Hello, what are you doing, Thyrsis?

THYRSIS: Digging for gold.

CORYDON: Iâll give you all the gold You want, if youâll give me a bowl of water. If you donât want too much, that is to say.

THYRSIS: Ho, so youâve changed your mind?âItâs different, Isnât it, when you want a drink yourself?

CORYDON: Of course it is.

THYRSIS: Well, let me see ... a bowl Of water,âcome back in an hour, Corydon. Iâm busy now.

CORYDON: Oh, Thyrsis, give me a bowl Of water!âand Iâll fill the bowl with jewels, And bring it back!

THYRSIS: Be off, Iâm busy now.

[He catches sight of the weed, picks it up and looks at it, unseen by CORYDON.]

Wait!âPick me out the finest stones you have . . . Iâll bring you a drink of water presently.

CORYDON: [Goes back and sits down, with the jewels before him.] A bowl of jewels is a lot of jewels.

THYRSIS: [Chopping up the weed.] I wonder if it has a bitter taste.

CORYDON: Thereâs sure to be a stone or two among them I have grown fond of, pouring them from one hand Into the other.

THYRSIS: I hope it doesnât taste Too bitter, just at first.

CORYDON: A bowl of jewels Is far too many jewels to give away And not get back again.

THYRSIS: I donât believe Heâll notice. Heâs too thirsty. Heâll gulp it down And never notice.

CORYDON: There ought to be some way To get them back again. . . . I could give him a necklace, And snatch it back, after Iâd drunk the water, I suppose. . . . Why, as for that, of course a necklace. . . .

[He puts two or three of the colored tapes together and tries
their strength by pulling them, after which he puts them around
his neck and pulls them, gently, nodding to himself. He gets up
and goes to the wall, with the colored tapes in his hands.]

[THYRSIS in the meantime has poured the powdered rootâblack
confettiâinto the pot which contained the flower and filled
it up with wine from the punchâbowl on the floor. He comes
to the wall at the same time, holding the bowl of poison.]

THYRSIS: Come, get your bowl of water, Corydon.

CORYDON: Ah, very good!âand for such a gift as that Iâll give you more than a bowl of unset stones. Iâll give you three long necklaces, my friend. Come closer. Here they are. [Puts the ribbons about THYRSISâ neck.]

THYRSIS: [Putting bowl to CORYDONâS mouth.] Iâll hold the bowl Until youâve drunk it all.

CORYDON: Then hold it steady. For every drop you spill Iâll have a stone back Out of this chain.

THYRSIS: I shall not spill a drop.

[CORYDON drinks, meanwhile beginning to strangle
THYRSIS.]

THYRSIS: Donât pull the string so tight.

CORYDON: Youâre spilling the water.

THYRSIS: Youâve had enoughâyouâve had enoughâstop pulling The string so tight!

CORYDON: Why, thatâs not tight at all ... Howâs this?

THYRSIS: [Drops bowl.] Youâre strangling me! Oh, Corydon! Itâs only a game!âand you are strangling me!

CORYDON: Itâs only a game, is it?âYet I believe Youâve poisoned me in earnest! [Writhes and pulls the strings tighter, winding them about THYRSISâ neck.]

THYRSIS: Corydon! [Dies.]

CORYDON: Youâve poisoned me in earnest. . . . I feel so cold. . . . So cold . . . this is a very silly game. . . . Why do we play it?âletâs not play this game A minute more . . . letâs make a little song About a lamb. . . . Iâm coming over the wall, No matter what you say,âI want to be near you. . . .

[Groping his way, with arms wide before him, he strides through
the frail papers of the wall without knowing it, and continues
seeking for the wall straight across the stage.]

Where is the wall?

[Gropes his way back, and stands very near THYRSIS without
seeing him; he speaks slowly.]

There isnât any wall, I think.

[Takes a step forward, his foot touches THYRSISâ body, and he
falls down beside him.]

Thyrsis, where is your cloak?âjust give me A little bit of your cloak! . . .

[Draws corner of THYRSISâ cloak over his shoulders, falls
across THYRSISâ body, and dies.]

[COTHURNUS closes the promptâbook with a bang, arises
matterâofâfactly, comes down stage, and places the table over
the two bodies, drawing down the cover so that they are hidden
from any actors on the stage, but visible to the audience,
pushing in their feet and hands with his boot.  He then turns
his back to the audience, and claps his hands twice.]

COTHURNUS: Strike the scene! [Exit COTHURNUS.]

[Enter PIERROT and COLUMBINE.]

PIERROT: Donât puff so, Columbine!

COLUMBINE: Lord, what a mess This set is in! If thereâs one thing I hate Above everything else,âeven more than getting my feet wetâ Itâs clutter!âHe might at least have left the scene The way he found it ... donât you say so, Pierrot?

[She picks up punch bowl. They arrange chairs as before at ends
of table.]

PIERROT: Well, I donât know. I think it rather diverting The way it is.

[Yawns, picks up confetti bowl.]

Shall we begin?

COLUMBINE: [Screams.] My God! Whatâs that there under the table?

PIERROT: It is the bodies Of the two shepherds from the other play.

COLUMBINE: [Slowly.] How curious to strangle him like that, With colored paper ribbons.

PIERROT: Yes, and yet I dare say he is just as dead. [Pauses. Calls.] Cothurnus! Come drag these bodies out of here! We canât Sit down and eat with two dead bodies lying Under the table! . . . The audience wouldnât stand for it!

COTHURNUS: (Off stage.) What makes you think so?â Pull down the tablecloth On the other side, and hide them from the house, And play the farce. The audience will forget.

PIERROT: Thatâs so. Give me a hand there, Columbine.

[PIERROT and COLUMBINE pull down the table cover in such a way
that the two bodies are hidden from the house, then merrily set
their bowls back on the table, draw up their chairs, and begin
the play exactly as before.]

COLUMBINE: Pierrot, a macaroon,âI cannot live without a macaroon!

PIERROT: My only love, You are so intense! ... Is it Tuesday, Columbine?â Iâll kiss you if itâs Tuesday.

[Curtains begin to close slowly.]

COLUMBINE: It is Wednesday, If you must know. ... Is this my artichoke Or yours?

PIERROT: Ah, Columbine, as if it mattered! Wednesday. . . . Will it be Tuesday, then, toâmorrow, By any chance? . . .

[CURTAIN.]

AUTHORâS NOTE

ON THE PLAYING PO

ARIA DA CAPO

ORIGINAL CAST

AS PLAYED BY THE PROVINCETOWN PLAYERS, NEW YORK CITY

PIERROT HARRISON DOWD

COLUMBINE NORMA MILLAY

COTHURNUS HUGH FERRISS

CORYDON CHARLES ELLIS

THYRSIS JAMES LIGHT

AUTHORâS NOTE

So great is my vexation always, when reading a play, to find its progress constantly being halted and its structure loosened by elaborate explanatory parentheses, that I resolved when I should publish Aria da Capo to incorporate into its text only those explanations the omission of which might confuse the reader or lend a wrong interpretation to the lines. Since, however, Aria da Capo was written not only to be read but also to be acted, and being conscious that the exclusion of the usual directions, while clarifying the play to the reader, may make it bare of suggestions and somewhat baffling to the producer, I am adding here some remarks which have been found of value in preparing it for presentation on the stage.

Since the production of Aria da Capo by the Provincetown Players, I have received a great many letters from the directors of little theatres, asking for copies of it with a view to producing it. Very often, after I send the play, I receive a letter in reply asking for some suggestions for its presentation, and enclosing direct questions on points that have been difficult. It occurred to me finally that it would be reasonable to make up a sort of informal promptâbook to send about with the play; and it is that which is printed below. It will be found incomplete and uneven, in some instances unnecessarily detailed, in others not sufficiently so; all of which is due to the fact that it was put together loosely, from answers to chance questions, rather than logically, as an entity in itself.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF âARIA DA CAPOâ

SETTING:

The setting required is simple:âa grey curtain, a long black table, two slender black highâbacked chairs, and a raised platform.

Instead of wings and backâdrop the Provincetown Players cleverly utilized painted screens, the heights varying from 6 to 10 feet, these being set right and left of the stage in such manner as to give the effect of depth and distance.

The table, six feet long and two feet wide, has thin legs and is painted black.

When Pierrot and Columbine enter in the final scene, it is not necessary that the table which Cothurnus has replaced shall entirely conceal the bodies of Thyrsis and Corydon. Pierrot and Columbine must ignore them until the lines indicate their discovery, no matter how they may have fallen.

Particular attention must be given to the chairs in this set. They are used to construct the tissueâpaper wall, and, although delicate, should be heavy enough to remain solid and steady, up and down stage, without the possibility of an upset when Corydon strides through the wall.

Near the footlights (actorsâ left) are two sofa pillows, used to represent the rocks against which the shepherds lean. On the left of the stage have another pillow, which Thyrsis places under his head when he lies down to sleep. Use cloth or crÃªpe paper for these pillows, and have them of spotted black and white material, or of any gay color except red or blue.

Cothurnus occupies a chair upon a platform, upâstage, centre, with two or three steps surrounding it on three sides. Drape this with plain heavy black cloth.

The table covering is important. Its width is equal to that of the added height and width of the table. As it must be moved to cover the bodies of Thyrsis and Corydon, it should be of sufficient weight to prevent slipping. It will be well to experiment with this, to ensure proper performance.

The cover should have black and white spots and striped ends.

The table is set as follows:âtwo large wooden bowls (at least seven inches high and fourteen inches in diameter). One is placed at each end of the table. That at Columbineâs end should contain persimmons, pomegranates, grapes and other bright exotic fruits. Pierrotâs bowl has confetti and colored paper ribbons, the latter showing plainly over the edge. (If Columbine uses practical macaroons, put them into this bowl.)

Near Columbine, place a practical uncooked artichoke; have this of good size, and nail it to a wooden standard, painted black. At both places there are tall white wooden goblets.

In the centre of the table there should be a curious, grotesque, but very gay flower, standing upright in a pot of wood or heavy paper, which will not break when Thyrsis drops it. Concealed at the root of this plant there should be a small sack of black confetti, to be used in the âpoison scene.â

The table should be set with nothing but these articles, and yet give the appearance of bounty and elegance.

Place the table parallel with the footlights,âthe long side toward the audience.

Columbineâs chair is at the actorsâ right, and Pierrotâs oppositeâColumbineâs hat hangs from her chairâtop. Both chairs are festooned with tissueâpaper ribbons, at least ten feet long, to be used later by the shepherds to represent their wall. These must be of such a texture as to break readily when Corydon walks through, and a prearranged transverse tear or two will assist in the prompt breakage when he does so.

PROPERTIES:

Two white wooden bowls, one filled with fruits and the other with confetti and paper ribbons,âone ribbon to be of cotton or silk, in order to be not too easily broken by Corydon when strangling Thyrsis

Two tall white wooden goblets

One artichoke nailed to a standard

One flower in paper or wooden pot, the root wrapped with black crÃªpe paper (or use confetti)

Black and white tablecloth

Macaroons

Boots and promptâbook for Cothurnus (large flat black book)

Also, if desired, mask of Tragedy for Cothurnus

CrÃªpe or tissue streamers of different colors, including no red or blue, for wall.

COSTUMES:

PIERROT: Lavender or lilac satin, preferably a blueâlavender. Care should be taken that the lavender does not turn pink under the stage lights. Pierrotâs costume is the conventional smock with wide trousers, with black crÃªpe paper rosettes on the smock, wide white tarleton ruff. Black evening pumps with black rosettes may be worn. Black silk skullâcap.

COLUMBINE: Tight black satin bodice cut very low, with straps over the shoulders, quite like the modern evening gown; very full tarleton skirts of different shades of pink and cerise, reaching to the knees; ruffled bloomers of appleâgreen tarleton, the ruffles showing below the skirts; black silk stockings and black ballet slippers, laced with green. Hat of lavender crÃªpe paper, with streamers of gay colorsâincluding, however, no clear red or blue. Hat should be small and very smartânot a shepherdess hat. Columbine should be made up to suggest a doll. As originally interpreted she had short light hair, standing out bushily all over her head. Long hair should be rolled under to give a bobbed effect, or could be arranged in obvious caricature of some extreme modern style, but must look attractive, and must be blonde.

COTHURNUS: Plain toga of dull purple in some heavy, unreflecting material which will fall into large folds, lined with sombre flameâcolor; a garment with large purple sleeves, of which only the sleeves were visible, was worn under the toga,âbut the effect should be classical; heavy boots should be worn, as nearly as possible like the tragic Roman buskin; one end of the great toga is tied into a rough hood which covers the actorâs head; a mask may be worn, but it is often difficult to speak through, and, if desired, the actorâs face may be made up to represent a mask of Tragedy.

THYRSIS and CORYDON: These costumes, in striking contrast to the elegance of those of Pierrot and Columbine, should be very simple, and very roughly made; short tunics of outingâflannel or some such materialâ fastened loosely over one shoulder,âone shoulder, as well as most of the back and breast, exposed. Legs bare, or swathed from the knee to the ankle in rough strips of the same material. Sandals. Cloaks of heavier, cheap material fastened to the tunics in such a way that they will appear to be simply flung over the shoulder, but actually fastened very cleverly in order to avoid tripping the shepherds, who are continually sitting down on the floor and getting up again.

Thyrsis wears a dark grey tunic and cloak of raw bright red,âbut not a turkeyâred, as this color will kill the blue of Corydonâs cloak. Corydon wears tunic of light grey and cloak of brilliant blue. There must be no red or blue used anywhere in the entire play excepting in the blue and red of these two cloaks. The two shepherds must be so strong and vivid in every way that when Columbine comes in and says, âIs this my scene or not?â it will seem to the audience that it is she, not the shepherds, who is hopelessly out of the scene.

CHARACTERS:

PIERROT: Pierrot sees clearly into existing evils and is rendered gaily cynical by them; he is both too indolent and too indifferent to do anything about it. Yet in several lines of the play his actual unhappiness is seen, âfor instance, âMoonâs just a word to swear by,â in which he expresses his conviction that all beauty and romance are fled from the world. At the end of the play the line, âYes, and yet I dare say he is just as dead,â must not be said flippantly or cynically, but slowly and with much philosophic concentration on the thought. From the moment when Columbine cries, âWhatâs that there under the table?â until Pierrot calls, âCothurnus, come drag these bodies out of here!â they both stand staring at the two bodies, without moving in any way, or even lifting their eyes. (This same holding of the play is used several times also by the shepherds,âfor instance, always during the offâ stage interpolations, they stand either staring at each other across the wall, or maintaining whatever other position they may have had when the offâstage voice begins speaking, until the interruption is over, when they resume their drama quite as if nobody had spoken.) Columbineâs âHow curious to strangle him like thatâ is spoken extremely slowly, in a voice of awe, curiosity, and horror. For a moment the two characters seem almost to feel and be subdued by the tragedy that has taken place. They remain standing very quietly while Cothurnus speaks his final lines off stage, and for a moment after he has said, âThe audience will forgetâ; then very slowly raise their eyes and exchange glances, Pierrot nods his head curtly and says, âThatâs soâ; they set their bowls gaily back on the table, and the play begins again.

Pierrot in such lines as âAh, Columbine, as if it mattered!â speaks with mock saccharine tenderness; but in such lines as âIf you were a fly you would be dead by now!â although he speaks very gaily his malice must be apparent almost even to her; Columbine bores him to death. When he says, âIâll go and strum the moon!â he is for the instant genuinely excited and interested; he is for this moment like a child, and is happy.

COLUMBINE: Pretty and charming, but stupid; she never knows what Pierrot is talking about, and is so accustomed to him that she no longer pretends to understand him; but she is very proud of him, and when he speaks she listens with trustful admiration. Her expression, âI cannot live withoutâ this or that, is a phrase she uses in order to make herself more attractive, because she believes men prefer women to be useless and extravagant; if left to herself she would be a domestic and capable person.

COTHURNUS: This character should be played by a tall and imposing figure with a tremendous voice. The voice of Cothurnus is one of the most important things in the acting play. He should have a voice deeper than the voice used by any of the other persons, should speak weightily and with great dignity, but almost without intonation, and quite without feeling, as if he had said the same words many times before. Only in his last speech may he be permitted a comment on the situation. This speech should be spoken quite as impressively as the others and fully as slowly.

CORYDON and THYRSIS: These two characters are young, very simple, and childlike; they are acted upon by the force that sits on the back of the stage behind them. More and more as their quarrel advances they begin to see that something is wrong, but they have no idea what to do about it, and they scarcely realize what is happening, the quarrel grows so from little things into big things. Corydonâs first vision of the tragedy is in âItâs terrible when you stop to think of it.â Thyrsisâ first vision comes when he looks into the pool; in seeing the familiar reflection he is struck by the unfamiliarity of one aspect of it, the poisonous root; for the first time he realizes that this man who is about to kill with poisoned water his most beloved friend, is none other than Thyrsis himself,âââTis I!â The personalities of Thyrsis and Corydon are not essentially different. They develop somewhat differently, because of the differing circumstances.

When Columbine goes out for the first time she takes with her her artichoke and her wineâglass, also a couple of macaroons, which she nibbles, going out. This helps to get the table cleared. The other articles are removed by the shepherds when they prepare the stage for their scene, in this manner: at the cue âSir, we are always ready. . . . Play the play!â, Corydon and Thyrsis come down stage, Corydon to Pierrotâs end of the table, Thyrsis to Columbiaâs; simultaneously, first, they set back the chairs against the wall, Pierrotâs left front, Columbineâs right front; next they remove the two big bowls and set them in symmetrical positions on the floor, left front and right front, in such a way that the bowl of confetti may be the mine of jewels for Corydon, and the bowl of fruits, the punchâbowl, may represent the pool of water for Thyrsis; then, taking the table by the two ends, they set it back against the wall, right; next, while Corydon places the two pillows from the left wall on the floor to represent rocks in their pasture, Thyrsis removes from the table everything that is left on it except the tablecloth,âthis should be only Pierrotâs wineâgoblet and the flower in its pot. (The flower is to represent later the poisonous weed which Thyrsis finds, the wineâgoblet a drinkingâcup beside the pool, the flowerâpot a bowl in which to mix the poison and bring it to Corydon.) The two shepherds do this setting of their stage swiftly and silently, then seat themselves at once, in easy but beautiful postures, and remain for a moment looking off as if at their sheep while a complete silence settles over the stage and house,âa pastoral silence, if it is possible to suggest itâbefore they begin to speak.

When Columbine comes in, looking for her hat, she picks up the hat from her chair, now in the centre of the stage near the footlights, in a direct line with Pierrotâs, which is centre back, just in front of Cothurnus,âthe shepherds having set them in these positions, back to back, in order to have their aid in weaving the wall. After taking her hat, Columbine stands looking at the shepherds to see what is going on. They do not look at her. After a moment Thyrsis, slowly, with his eyes steadfastly on Corydonâs, says, âTake it, and go.â When Columbine comes in in the final scene, she is wearing the hat. She takes it off, however, as she sits down again at the table, so that the second beginning of the play may recall as vividly as possible to the audience the first beginning.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Aria da Capo, by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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