THE SHEPHERD IN THE DISTANCE |
A Pantomime By Holland Hudson PROLOGUE. [The curtain rises on a plain drop curtain. The Maker of Sounds enters with his arms full of instruments, crosses the scene and sits with his back against one side of the proscenium, outside the curtain line. He tries out all his instruments, wind, string, percussion and "traps." He yawns. He becomes impatient and raps on the stage.] | Cymbal Crash | The lights go out | | The drop is lifted in the darkness | | Cymbal Crash | The lights are turned on | SCENE I. [The Wazir's garden. Discovered left to right, the Nubian, standing with folded arms, the Vizier, seated at the chess table, playing with the Wazir. At the other side of the stage, the Princess, her attendant, her two slaves. All stand motionless until set in action by the Maker of Sounds.] | The Music | The Pantomime, etc. | | Tap—on Chinese wood block | Nubian unfolds his arms | | Tap | He salaams | | Tap | Resumes original pose | | Tap | Vizier moves a chessman | | Tap | Wazir moves a chessman | | Tap | Vizier moves a chessman | | Tap | Wazir picks up snuff-box | | Tap | Opens it | | Tap | Offers Vizier snuff | | Tap | Vizier takes a pinch | | Sand blocks | Sniffs it | | Drum crash | Vizier sneezes | | Drum crash | Sneezes again | | No sound | Sneezes again | | Nubian sneezes synchronously with Vizier's paroxysms | | Tap | Vizier returns snuff-box | | Tap | Wazir puts it away | | Bell | Princess yawns | | Tap | Signals her attendant | | Tap | Attendant picks up telescope | | Tap | Hands it to Princess | | Wind instrument | Princess uses telescope | | [The middle portion of the back drop is lifted to show the "Distance" in which the Shepherd is discovered piping for the Goat's dancing.] | | Stringed instrument | The Shepherd sees the Princess, stops piping, and declares his adoration across the distance. He beckons her to join him. | | Princess promises to do so. | | [The lifted portion of the drop is lowered again. The "Distance" vanishes.] | | Tap | Princess signals to her retinue | | Tap | Attendant relays the signal | | Tap | Slaves stoop. | | Tap | Lift the hope chests to their shoulders | | Bass chord on stringed instrument | Princess and retinue take one step downstage | | Treble chord | All lean forward, watching Wazir | | Drum crash | Wazir and Vizier stand up | | Drum crash | They glare at Princess | | Tap on wood block | They sit | | Bass chord | Vizier yawns | | Bass chord | Wazir yawns | | Bass chord | Nubian yawns | | Bass chord | Vizier nods | | Bass chord | Wazir nods | | Bass chord | Nubian drops on one knee | | Treble chord | Princess and retinue lean forward | | Bass chord | They take one step | | [A continuation of this business takes them off at the left] | | The lights go out | | Cymbal crash | [In the darkness. Princess and retinue cross to right of stage, ready for Scene II] | | The plain drop is lowered | | Cymbal crash | The lights come up | SCENE II. | Tambourine jingles | Ghurri-Wurri discovered above at center, with his dark glasses pushed up on his forehead, counting his money. | | Tap on piece of crockery | He finds a bad coin | | Sand blocks | Bites it | | Tap crockery | Throws it away | | Begins the Princess rhythms on Chinese wood block | Hears the Princess and retinue approaching | | [Telegraphically expressed it is ... ... ... ... Musically, accented triplets, common time, presto] | He pulls glasses over his eyes
He grovels | | Princess rhythm continues | Princess and retinue enter from the right | | They pass by Ghurri-Wurri without pause | | Drum crash | Ghurri-Wurri runs ahead and prostrates himself before the Princess | | Tap | Princess' retinue halts | | Tap | Princess signals to attendant | | Tap | Attendant signals to nearest slave | | Tap | Slave proffers chest | | Tap, Tap, Tap | Attendant opens it, takes coin, closes it | | Tap | Gives coin to Princess | | Tap on crockery | Princess drops coin in beggar's hand | | Princess rhythm | Princess and retinue exit at the left | Begin drum roll
pp. cresc. to ff. | Ghurri-Wurri looks at coin, scrambles to his feet, looks after Princess, shakes his fists, starts to the right, turns, shakes his fist again, exits at right, raging | | Cymbal crash | Lights out | | In the darkness Ghurri-Wurri crosses to left of stage, ready for Scene III | | The drop is lifted | | Cymbal crash | Lights up | 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 | SCENE VII. | String music | Princess and Shepherd dance across followed by the Goat, who is playing on the Shepherd's pipe | | Princess and Shepherd, behind the drop take their places on the platform | | Cymbal crash | Lights out | | [The drop is lifted] | | Cymbal crash | Lights on | | [The Wazir's garden with the middle section of the drop lifted to show the "Distance"] | | String music | Shepherd and Princess discovered in the "Distance" posed in a kiss | | Cymbal crash | Lights out | | [The drop is lowered] | | Cymbal crash | Lights on | | The Maker of Sounds rises, yawns cavernously, bows very slightly and exits | [Curtain.]
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