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The Living Mask
A play in two acts
Written by FÁBRI Péter (Hungary)
Synopsis
The plot of the play, that is written in blank verse, takes place in London in the sixteen-forties, during the Civil War. The whole play is about two hours long. There are eight characters in the play, namely:
Act I
Place 1: the Mirror Theatre.
Scene 1: William, Freddy, Mary.
William brings bad news to his associates: playing theatre is forbidden by law. They have to find some work for themselves. He has some sharp words against the MPs, whose aim is to forbid life itself. He doesn´t want to do anything else, this is the work he is an expert of. During the argument between the three of them (that is, between William, Freddy and Mary), we are informed that Freddy is gay, or rather an AC/DC, since we feel from Mary´s behaviour that there is a rather deep emotional relationship between them. Mary at present is William´s girlfriend, though. Mary and Freddy leave the stage.
Scene 2: William, Mortimer, Pansette.
Count Mortimer arrives. His servant, Pansette, who is mute, comes with him, as always. He is a sort of shadow behind Mortimer. Mortimer often refers to him in his speech, just as the others do. For Pansette is mute but his presence is embarrassing and penetrating. Mortimer has heard the news, that there would be no more work for actors in London. He is not interested in the theatre at all. He is interested in finding an actor to play his role in spite of him. He wants to hire a double-ganger to be present in London in his palace. He has heard a lot about William, so he knows he is a good actor. He doesn´t say what he wants, all he says is that he wants to have William at his place the next day. He offers him a lot of money and allows him to bring Freddy and Mary with him. He even threatens William: if William doesn't obey, Pansette will compel him. They agree in meeting the next morning at Mortimer´s palace.
Scene 3: William, Mary, Freddy.
From the argument between William and Freddy we are informed that Mortimer is a favourite of King Charles, so it is a bit dangerous to be too close to him. However, they don´t have any other opportunity, so they agree to go to Mortimer´s palace. From the argument it becomes quite clear that both Freddy and Mary are very close to William´s heart (and body).
Place 2: Mortimer´s palace.
Scene 1: Mortimer, Pansette, William.
William arrives at Mortimer´s palace. He is informed of his task: he is expected to play his new master´s role. Mortimer explains to him that his (Mortimer´s) face is not very well known in the city, so William might be quiet when playing his role. Mortimer says there is one thing that is important to him and it is to be apparently present - when not. William asks him about his wife - what will she know about their business? Mortimer answers that she has been sent by him to France five years ago because of security reasons. They exchange letters, that´s all. He says he loved her so much that he was deeply concerned about her well-being, but he doesn´t seem to mind very much being here in London without her. On the other hand he is going to send her a miniature with William´s face painted on it, not to speak about their likeness. (If there is any at all between the two actual actors.) Mortimer says that William´s main task is to survive these whirling events - in his name. He promises all what an actor needs if they (the King´s party) will return to the power: play, liberty, jollity and fun. In the meanwhile he shows his wardrobe to William, who puts on some of the cloths - bit of fun for the audience, if properly acted. Mortimer is a bit shocked and recites a nice monologue about taste being the most important thing in an empty world. William´s answer is no less important - he says art has nothing to do with taste, for taste is a fence, while art is an offence. Mortimer leaves the scene and we feel he has some secret plan - but he doesn´t speak about it to William, of course.
Scene 2: William alone (in front of a mirror)
This is a monologue about his future. He himself doesn´t know what he is going to be.
Scene 3: Mortimer, Pansette.
Mortimer speaks to Pansette, who doesn´t answer, of course. Mortimer speaks about his plans. He stays in London and hides himself in some poor place. He wants to kill Cromwell. He hopes to be a good actor in his new role - though he has never seen any theatre production.
Scene 4: Mary, Freddy.
A few weeks later. Freddy complains about being bored. He says he had some plans to commit suicide but he is afraid that hell is even more boring than life in this way. Mary answers that William is bored, too. He is bored by her as well. At this point Freddy, though very shy, reveals his love to her.
Scene 5: Mary, Freddy, William.
William enters. He seems to be a bit bothered but not really angry finding them together in an intimate atmosphere. He declares them his plan: he is going to become a real politician. He will go to the Parliament and speak. He will turn his (i.e. Mortimer´s) reputation from being Charles´s ally to be seen as a leader of the revolting MPs.
Place 3: in the street
Scene 1: two citizens.
From the chat of the two citizens (both of them seem to be merchants to me) we are informed of the fight on the battlefields between the king and the Parliament. Moreover, what is even more interesting for us at this point, we are told that the pseudo- Mortimer became a famous orator in the Parliament, speaking on behalf of the Parliament, against the king. The two citizens argue sharply, they quarrel, one of them is loyal to the king, the other to the Parliament, but at last - just as throughout the play - one asks the other if he will come to his shop the next day, and the other, as always, says yes.
Scene 2: Mortimer, Pansette.
Mortimer realises from the news about his spitting image that he was mistaken: instead of finding a puppet he created a self-reliant double-ganger who acts as he wants. Mortimer is in despair. He is speaking to Pansette in this scene and Pansette tries to tell him something. Pansette probably has a good idea - Mortimer, as usual, tries to translate Pansette´s thoughts into words. The idea is to use William (who, being a famous orator, is on intimate terms with the leadership of the revolution) against Cromwell and the others.
Place 4: Mortimer´s palace
Scene 1: William, Freddy.
William, coming home from the Parliament is informed by Freddy that Anne has just arrived to the palace but left again, not finding her husband at home. Anne had heard strange news about her husband: she told Freddy she didn´t understand Mortimer´s political behaviour. William isn´t afraid: he thinks that Anne is clever enough not to denounce him for she would do harm to her real husband if she would do so. William became too popular in his new role. It is not in Cromwell´s interest to expose Mortimer-William, his favourite follower. There is only one person in the palace who could be dangerous and that is Mary. (Women do not stand other women in their own place.) Anne must not think that Mary is William´s mistress, so William sends a message to Mary to behave as a servant. Freddy is shocked. Up to now, they pretended that Mary was the countess. What will the servants think and say about this? They should be sent away, answers William. There is no money in the whole household for that, replies Freddy. William shouts at him, what does he think, speaking to his master like that? So we are informed from this quarrel that the three face severe difficulties: Mortimer was clever enough not to give all the keys and papers to them. William behaves as if he were the real count, Freddy is frightened. When he is frightened enough, William becomes more friendly with him again. Freddy realises that he is expected to obey if he wants to stay. He leaves the scene with William´s humiliating message to Mary.
Scene 2: William.
William´s monologue about his new life, about the exiting dangers, etc. (Most unfortunately, a monologue is not the proper material to be written about in a synopsis.)
Scene 3: William, Anne.
Anne enters. She is beautiful and clever. She doesn´t understand a lot of things in her household, but she is clever enough not to decide anything too early. She suspects William, she even suspects him of killing her husband, but he has a pull on her. He uses his best abilities, recites his nicest thoughts and lines, and in the end he turns the situation: Anne falls in love with him. We are allowed to think, that he falls in love with her as well, but we never can be sure about William. You never can tell who he is and what he really thinks. This is the very feature that constitutes his essence: the secret of an actor actually living in a role and acting as a mixture of himself and someone else.
End of Act I.
Act II
Place 5: in the street
Scene 1: two citizens
Our old acquaintances, the two citizens, though always quarrel, exchange the news and the gossips of the city. They have heard about something very queer: Mortimer´s dead servant (whom they think to be dead, anyway), the mute Pansette, sneaks about the houses of the vicinity. They also know about Anne´s homecoming. And since then, Mortimer (William, of course) doesn´t go to the Parliament.
Place 6: Mortimer´s palace
Scene 1: Mary, Freddy
Mary is afraid of William´s revenge on her (because of loving Freddy). She withdraws, as women usually do in similar situations. But Freddy is deeply in love with her. He is very keen on promoting their affair. Mary escapes the situation.
Scene 2: Freddy
Freddy´s monologue about feeling himself to be a stranger in his situation at the palace. He feels himself to be purged out his sins by his love. He hopes all around him proves to be a bad dream and he is going to wake up of it.
Scene 3: Freddy, Mortimer, Pansette
Mortimer arrives with his servant and asks Freddy if Mortimer (i.e. William) is at home at the moment. Freddy is afraid of the strangers as well as from his master, William. He feels the situation to be a bit mysterious. He goes to tell William that someone wants to speak to him.
Scene 4: Mortimer, Pansette
Mortimer realises that William is more dangerous than he had thought. He is a bit exited before this encounter. He waits William impatiently, speaking to the mute Pansette.
Scene 5: Mortimer, Pansette, William, Freddy (hidden)
The entering William begins to speak to Mortimer as if he were the real count and the visitor were an impudent stranger. Mortimer is shocked. He asks William what does he want. William, becoming himself again, gives him the simplest possible answer: money. Now that is his point of weakness. But he had shown to Mortimer his abilities in playing Mortimer´s role and stealing his very identity, anyway. Mortimer realises that they mutually put traps for each other: William convinces him that people will believe him, i.e. William, if Mortimer attacks his social standing, for he is popular and well-known, while Mortimer ´s identity is simply lost. The only person who could witness for his sake, Pansette, is mute. On the other hand, William badly needs some money to survive. Mortimer wants him to take part in his plot against Cromwell and the Parliament. But this would be a very bad business for William: the king regards him as an enemy, so he must seek his fortune on the Parliament´s side. So in the end Mortimer isn´t able to convince him. Mortimer and Pansette, not being able to do anything else in this situation, leave the palace.
Scene 6: William, Freddy
William discovers the hidden Freddy, but he is not angry with him for eavesdropping their talk. William and Freddy speak about their situation. Freddy is more and more afraid. He is afraid even of Anne. But William demonstrates him that it is not in Anne´s interest to reveal the situation, for these puritans are strict moralists and who would believe a woman who had cuckolded her husband? Not to speak about Anne´s feelings: she might like to be here with him. Freddy realises from this remark that Anne is in love with William. William answers he doesn´t know, for he has never thought about the question. Freddy tries to convince William that they should escape, the sooner the better. What will happen to them? They will either not have anything to eat or be revealed by someone. William is not afraid. His only concern is not to be bored. He reveals his deepest thoughts to Freddy: he feels life to be totally empty. He feels his own emptiness, too. The only shelter against these feelings is to live an exciting life. Security is not as important as life itself. We live to have an interesting death. He would die if he would know what he will do a year from now. Freddy´s answer is as sincere as William´s speech. He knows very well this emptiness. This was the cause of his escapes to the pubs, to women and men, he says. For a short moment we feel that the two men shared a real love some time before. They say good night to each other and go to different rooms when they leave the scene.
Place 7: the street.
Scene 1: two citizens
One of the citizens had seen count Mortimer (i.e. William). Since this citizen is the liberal one, the one who hates Puritanism and loves theatre and art, and in previous years had gone to the theatre a lot, he realises that the count reminds him of the famous actor, William Hart. The other citizen says he has a similar suspicion. In the end they agree that the best is to forget what they know and think. At last one asks the other if he will come to his shop the next day, and the other, as always, says yes.
Scene 2: Anne, Pansette
Pansette follows Anne on the street. Anne tries to escape. She doesn´t really know if she sees a ghost or a real person. Pansette grabs her and tries to drag her with him. He isn´t really aggressive, though. He releases Anne. We have a strange feeling and Anne´s words strengthen our suspicion: Pansette is in love with Anne. (We are not sure, of course. Anne´s words are as ambiguous as Pansette´s silence. A synopsis never can be as ambiguous as an actual text.) Saying good-bye, Anne gives him a ring and suggests him to buy some better cloths for himself for the price of it. Anne leaves the scene. Pansette does with the ring whatever the actor invents to do with it. He doesn´t go and sell it, though.
Scene 3: Pansette, Mortimer
Mortimer finds the baffled Pansette and tries to find out what happened to his servant. He plays with him a sort of Twenty Questions. In the end Pansette shows the ring to his master. Mortimer grows desperate over his own foolishness. He decides to free Anne from the palace. Before running there, though, he notices that he doesn´t even have his sword with him because of his disguise as a simple citizen. First he must go home for it to be properly equipped for the course he decided to take.
Place 8: Mortimer´s palace
Scene 1: Anne, Mary
Anne asks Mary about the whereabouts of her real husband. The only thing Mary can tell her is that Mortimer is alive and well and that he himself had commissioned William with this odd task. A slip of tongue of Mary´s tells Anne that the girl was William´s previous mistress. She asks Mary whether she is jealous. That would be luxury in her situation, answers the girl. Anne asks Mary to help her to convince William to escape from here. But Mary, though she has just said she wasn´t jealous, bursts out against being humiliated like that. She says she was compelled to play this foolish role in this house but Anne was free in deciding what she should do. In the end Anne releases her in peace and in time so as not to have a quarrel after which there would be no way back for any of them.
Scene 2: Anne
Anne´s monologue about her love. In her prayer she says to God that their religion is based upon a divorce - so let her love the man she really loves.
Scene 3: Anne, William
William enters and sees Anne, praying. William, telling her that there is a gossip saying that he is not whom he pretends to be, reveals the secret that Anne already knows. William wants to bid farewell. He says he will be poor, he will be no more than a tramp, and he doesn´t want Anne to suffer with him. But the only thing that Anne really wants is to be together with him. Still he bids farewell. But he doesn´t have time to leave, for
Scene 4: Anne, William, Mortimer, Pansette
Mortimer enters with Pansette. His sword is in his hand. William grabs another sword that is hanging on the wall and they begin to fence.
Scene 5: Anne, William, Mortimer, Pansette, Freddy, Mary
Freddy and Mary rush in. Pansette attacks Freddy. Mary sets Freddy free and drags him out. Freddy wants to help William, but Mary is stronger and they disappear.
Scene 6: Anne, William, Mortimer, Pansette
Anne jumps between the two fencing men. His husband, pointing his sword at William, stabs her by accident. Anne dies. William becomes furious and kills Mortimer. When this is done, Pansette jumps on William and throttles him with his bare hands. And now, over the three bodies, Pansette, the mute servant, begins to speak. He speaks about comparing his muteness to the silence of death. Now they are equal: his master, his master´s wife, his masters´s enemy and he himself. That is what he had always longed for. He asks the audience not to leave yet and to stay with him for a while. And then he commits suicide with his masters´s sword.
Epilogue
After the first applause, if possible
Place 9: in the street
Scene 1: two citizens
The two citizens speak about the news: they don´t know what exactly happened but they do know its essence: the massacre at Mortimer´s palace. They feel pity for Anne because they always feel pity for beautiful women. They begin to quarrel about politics again, but at last one asks the other if he will come to his shop the next day, and the other, as always, says yes.
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