Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays

by Unknown

SCENE III.

[The Wazir's Garden as in Scene I]

Bass chords	Wazir, Vizier and Nubian asleep as before
Tap on drum	Ghurri-Wurri enters at the left
Tap on drum	Prostrates himself before Wazir
Bass chord	Wazir and court sleep on
Tap on drum	Ghurri-Wurri again prostrates himself
Bass chord	The Court sleeps on
Drum crash	Ghurri-Wurri slams himself down hard
Drum crash	Wazir, Vizier, Nubian awake
Drum roll	Wazir shakes his fist at the beggar
Wood-block tap	Signals Vizier
Sand blocks	Vizier runs thumb along his scimiter blade
Tap	Ghurri-Wurri retreats to the right
Tap	He stumbles over the telescope
Tap, tap	He picks it up and hands it to the Wazir
Tap	Ghurri-Wurri points to the "Distance."
Tap	The Wazir uses the telescope
Princess rhythm	The "Distance" is revealed as in Scene I
	Princess and retinue are seen traveling [across the platform from right to left]
Tap	The Wazir lowers the telescope
	The "Distance" vanishes as in Scene I
Drum crash	Wazir stamps his foot
Drum roll	He shakes his fists, first at the distance, then off left
Tap	Points at Ghurri-Wurri
Tap	Vizier seizes Ghurri-Wurri by the scruff of the neck
Tap	Vizier points off left with his scimiter
Wazir rhythm on wood-drum [Telegraphically stated ... ... etc. Musically, accented eighth notes in 2/4 time, presto]	The Court and Ghurri-Wurri begin to run, Nubian first, then Ghurri-Wurri, then Vizier, then Wazir. The running is entirely vertical in movement, no ground being covered at all. Lights out [In the darkness, the runners move downstage without losing step. A plain drop is lowered behind them]
Cymbal crash Cymbal crash	Lights on

SCENE IV.

Wazir rhythm, crescendo and acceleramento	The runners increase their speed throughout the scene
	Ghurri-Wurri slips to his knees,
	Vizier, without losing a step, jerks him back on his feet
	Ghurri-Wurri, pointing left, resumes running
	Wazir points left
	When the runners have reached their maximum speed
Cymbal crash	The lights go out
	In the darkness the Wazir's court and Ghurri-Wurri exit and take their places at the right ready for Scene V
	The Shepherd and Goat take their places
Cymbal crash	Lights up

SCENE V.

Wind instrument	[A plain drop]
	The Shepherd is discovered well to the left, piping for the Goat
	Goat is dancing
Begin Princess rhythm	Goat stops to listen, looks off to the right
	Shepherd looks to the right
	Goat crosses to extreme right, bows
	Princess and retinue enter
Tap	They halt
Tap	The Shepherd kneels to the Princess, then dances for her
Stringed instrument
Drum roll pp. crescendo	The Goat becomes alarmed
	All turn and look to the right
	Goat, on all fours, offers his back to the Princess
	Shepherd induces
	Princess to sit on Goat's back
Princess rhythm	Goat exits, followed by Princess and retinue
Tap	Shepherd folds his arms
Wazir rhythm	Wazir's Court and Ghurri-Wurri enter from the right
Tap	They halt
Tap	Wazir points to Shepherd
Tap	Vizier brandishes his scimiter
Drum roll	Nubian approaches Shepherd
Drum crash	Nubian falls
Drum roll Crescendo to	Wazir shakes his fists Points at Shepherd Vizier attacks Shepherd with scimiter Shepherd grasps scimiter They struggle, conventionally, one, two, three, four, five, six
Drum crash	The Shepherd falls
Drum roll	The Vizier waves his scimiter aloft
Drum roll	Wazir exults
Tap	Nubian rises
Tap	Wazir points to the right
Tap	Vizier points at Shepherd with scimiter
Tap	Nubian seizes the Shepherd
Wazir rhythm	Wazir's Court and Shepherd exit at the right, ignoring Ghurri-Wurri, Nubian and Shepherd first, then Vizier, then Wazir. [All cross behind the drop to left of stage ready for Scene VI]
Drum crash	Ghurri-Wurri stamps his foot
Drum roll	Shakes his fists after them
Drum roll	Runs to left and shakes his fists at the Princess
Drum roll	Runs to right and shakes them at the Wazir
	Runs to center and shakes them at the audience
Cymbal crash	Lights out
	Ghurri-Wurri exits
	The drop is raised
Cymbal crash	Lights on

SCENE VI.

[The Wazir's garden. No characters on scene]

Wazir rhythm	Nubian enters from left, holding the Shepherd
	The Wazir and Vizier follow
Tap	Wazir takes his seat, smirking
Tap	Wazir orders Shepherd thrown down at the right
Drum crash	Nubian complies
Tap	Vizier orders Nubian off right
Wazir rhythm, fast	Nubian hurries out
Wazir rhythm, slow	Reënters, staggering under a ball and chain [the chain of papier maché and the ball a balloon]
Drum crash	Drops these beside the Shepherd
Clank, clank	Rivets chain to Shepherd's leg
Tap	Rises
Tap	Vizier orders Nubian off, left
Wazir rhythm	Nubian exits left
Tap	Vizier sits
Tap	Wazir moves a chessman
Tap	Vizier moves a chessman
Tap	Shepherd, in a gesture of despair, finds the telescope
	He looks into the "Distance"
	[The "Distance" is shown as in Scene I]
Stringed music	Princess and Goat discovered in conference. Goat has an idea. He points to the Shepherd, then to the Wazir, then to the Princess and executes an ancient dance movement which is contemporaneously described as the "shimmy"
	The Princess claps her hands and exits, followed by the Goat
Tap	Shepherd lowers the telescope
	[The "Distance" vanishes]
Tap	Shepherd is puzzled
Stringed music	Princess enters from the left, veiled and carrying a scarf in her hands
	Goat enters with her, goes at once to the Shepherd
	Princess poses at center
	Wazir and Vizier turn, smirking
	Princess dances
	Wazir leers and strokes his beard
	Princess ends dance beside Vizier
Chords, agitato	She ties his arms with her scarf
Sand blocks	Wazir is convulsed with laughter
Chords	Princess binds Wazir's arms with her veil
Sand blocks	Vizier is convulsed with laughter
Princess rhythm on wood drum	The Attendant enters from the left with a box on which a skull and cross-bones are conspicuous
Tap	Princess takes two pills from the box
Tap	She pops them into her prisoners' open mouths
Princess rhythm	The Attendant exits as she came
Sand blocks	Wazir and Vizier swallow vigorously
Drum crash	They lay their heads upon the chess table and die
Tap	Princess beckons to the Shepherd
Tap	Shepherd points to his fetters
Tap	Goat attacks the ball and chain
Drum crash	He "bites" the ball [bursts the balloon]
Tap	He "bites" the chain.
String music	Princess, Shepherd and Goat dance in a circle
Cymbal crash	Lights out
	Princess and Shepherd and Goat ready at left for next scene
	The drop is lowered
Cymbal crash	Lights up