Shakespeare and LoveA short play for two actors by D. M. Larson from freedrama.net A professor MULIGAN rushes around a theatre trying to get
ready for his class. He plays some instrumental music to try and calm
himself. He adjusts his podium, strikes a pose and then gets nervous and
adjusts the podium again. He bumps in to his easel which has Shakespeare
visuals on it. He fixes the visuals, looks at his watch and then rushes
back to the podium. He realizes his folder is empty and rushes to his
briefcase. He pulls out a folder thick with notes. He stands and
JULIE walks up behind him. JULIE Hello professor. MULIGAN drops all his papers. Julie tries to supress a
laugh. She smiles at him kindly as he stands there looking sadly at the
pile. MULIGAN Hello Julie. Julie starts gathering papers. JULIE Here, let me help you. Muligan slowly bends down to help her. MULIGAN I'd be upset about them being out of order but they weren't
in order anyway. I dropped them on the way here. JULIE Oh dear. MULIGAN I'm so nervous about this lecture. JULIE Then why are you giving it? MULIGAN Good question. JULIE You're always doing stuff like this but you don't seem to
enjoy it that much. MULIGAN And yet you come to every one. JULIE I enjoy it. MULIGAN You do? JULIE Yeah. MULIGAN Thank you. JULIE For what? MULIGAN It's nice to hear someone likes it. JULIE I'm sure lots of people do. MULIGAN But it's nice to hear someone say it. And even better
if they remember something from it. JULIE Like the true identity of William Shakespeare... Edward de
Vere. MULIGAN Wow, you do really listen. I mean I don't say that he's
Edward conclusively, but... Muligan is all excited but starts dropping his papers
again. Julie stops him by taking his hands in hers. He stops at her
touch and looks her in the eyes. JULIE I know... I've listened. MULIGAN You really have. What's your favorite lecture? JULIE Romeo and Juliet of course. MULIGAN Two star crossed lovers. JULIE From totally different places... totally different lives...
yet drawn together despite their differences. MULIGAN Those stories have stood the test of time. That's
amazing literature... living literature that never dies. JULIE I love your passion. That's why I come so often.
I can feel your excitement. Muligan feels some different excitement looking at her and
hearing the compliments. He turns and takes his papers to the podium. MULIGAN Thank you. Julie ducks under his arms between him and the podium. JULIE Want me to organize these for you? I bet I could.
Muligan sniffs her hair but then is shocked at himself and
moves away. MULIGAN Um... sounds like a fun challenge. Is is like Twelth's
Night? Trying to reunite the twins lost at sea. JULIE Or is it like the Tempest... lost in a storm and
shipwrecked... on a podium? Muligan holds up a piece of paper. MULIGAN Gentle breath of your my sails; Must fill, or else my project
fails Julie blows on his paper and his flies out of his
hands. They look at each other a moment and smile. Julie picks up
another paper and blows it away. JULIE "Blow, blow, thou winter wind; Thou are not so unkind as
man's ingratitude." MULIGAN As You Like It. Man's ingratitute... I get plenty of
that here at the university. "Most friendship is feigning, most loving is
folly." Do you believe that? JULIE Not in the least. Shakespeare says many things.
But we can't believe in Shakespeare. Only each other. MULIGAN Not God? JULIE God wrote the play... we're the actors. MULIGAN "All the World's a Stage. And all the men and women merely
players." JULIE Exactly. MULIGAN Or did Shakepeare believe men were gods? "What a piece
of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and
moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension
how like a god." JULIE Hamlet was crazy... "Now, God be praised, that to believing
souls gives light in darkness, comfort in despair." MULIGAN Is Henry the Sixth a more reliable source than Hamlet? JULIE Henry was a real person. MULIGAN True... wow, you really have learned a lot about Shakespeare. JULIE I think a lot of people know about the King Henries. MULIGAN The quotes... the insight... I'm impressed. JULIE I learned it all from you. MULIGAN But no one else seems to have learned that much... I seem to
be speaking in to the wind. It is a tale told by an idiot. "Full of sound
and fury. Signifying nothing." JULIE That's MacBeth. Not you. MULIGAN That's what it seems like though. Nothing gets through. JULIE It does to me. Is that enough? MULIGAN Maybe it is. Muligan looks at Julie a long moment and she smiles back. MULIGAN (CONT.) "Speak low..." JULIE You got me there... don't recognize the quote. MULIGAN "Excellent wretch..." JULIE You're studdering in Shakespeare. MULIGAN When does my lecture begin? JULIE Not for an hour. MULIGAN I'm not ready. JULIE Then cancel it. MULIGAN I can't. JULIE Why not? MULIGAN The university... JULIE Who cares... She takes his face in her hands. JULIE (CONT.) What do you want? He looks at her longingly and there is a long pause. MULIGAN Happiness. Julie goes to the podium. JULIE Does this make you happy? MULIGAN It used to... but no so much anymore. JULIE Then find something that does. MULIGAN Oh happy dagger... JULIE I think Juliet was being ironic when she said that. MULIGAN Joy... that's what I need... some joy... "Joy, gentle
friends, joy and fresh days of love..." JULIE Joy... and love. MULIGAN "A heart to love, and in that heart, Courage, to make’s love
known." JULIE MacBeth. Do you have the courage? MULIGAN I don't know if I do. JULIE "I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say "I
love you." MULIGAN Henry the Fifth. "You have witchcraft in your lips." JULIE Okay... bad choice... how about "I humbly do beseech of your
pardon, For too much loving you" MULIGAN Othello doesn't end well either. JULIE I need a quote from a comedy. MULIGAN Nobody quotes the comedies... JULIE But you did... "Speak low if you speak love." MULIGAN You pretended you didn't know. JULIE You've used that quote a few times... I finally remembered it. MULIGAN So much for being subtile. JULIE Why be subtile? MULIGAN Should we be doing this? JULIE Shouldn't you be happy? MULIGAN Can I be happy? JULIE You can. MULIGAN I don't know how. JULIE Then let me teach you. MULIGAN How? She takes his hands and moves close to him and strokes his
hand. JULIE With a kiss. MULIGAN "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do." Lights fade to black except for a light on the easel with the
quote "If music be the food of love, play on". Music plays louder. FIN |
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