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The Shakespeare garden club: A fantasy
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In: Science-Fiction & Fantasy·Humour·Plays/Films/Dramas
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #68539.
The opening · free to read
A Fantasy
By MABEL M. MORAN.
SCENE: A room in Ann Hathaway’s cottage at Stratford-on-Avon. Furnishing in keeping with the period.
(As curtain rises Ann is in the act of placing chairs, benches etc., in a semi-circle around the room; in center of circle is a long chest to be used as desk for the presiding officer.
Noise is heard at door. Ann runs and opens same. Enter Mistress Page and Mistress Ford,--with animated flutter).
ANN: Mistress Page (kisses) and Mistress Ford (more kisses). No finer sight ere greeted eye than you two dear ladies--nor never did I need you more.
PAGE: How now?
FORD: And why is this?
ANN: Forsooth, ’tis a meeting here to-day of the Shakespeare Garden Club--and like to be grave and solemn, so none better than you Merry Wives of Windsor to cheer me up.
PAGE: A meeting--a-lack-a-day--may we stay? We are not members.
ANN: Oh, you are my guests--and most welcome.
FORD: Do we know the ladies?
ANN: Nearly all, I trow, there’s the President, Lady Macbeth.
PAGE: She was ever all dignity--and ambition.
ANN: And the Secretary is Portia, the attorney-at-law.
FORD: A-la-la, she’ll make you toe the mark.
ANN: Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, is Treasurer.
PAGE: No one dares owe dues to her, I’ll warrant.
ANN: But sit you down, and have a merry gossip together. Methinks the ladies do arrive.
(Knock on door. Perdita enters, greeting and handshaking)
ANN: (Aside to wives as Perdita crosses stage and takes chair at end) You remember the Winters’ Tale they told of her? (Wives nod energetically)
ANN: And here comes Desdemona, wife of Othello.
FORD: I have never met her, she’s daughter to King Lear, a cranky father and hard to please, but she’s a lovely religious woman.
Enter Katherine.
PAGE: Why that’s Petrucio’s wife, the one they called the Shrew, she hath an untamed twinkle in her eye.
FORD: ’Tis Portia, the lawyer, and most successful. She’ll win a case tho it be for the Queen or only for a pound of flesh.
Enter Juliet.
PAGE: That’s Romeo’s wife, Juliet Capulet that was; for a run-away match I hear they’re very happy.
Enter Titania.
FORD: There’s a woman I cannot understand. She seems ever to dwell in a sort of Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Enter Ophelia.
PAGE: That girl gives me the shivers, tho some say she makes a fine wife to that melancholy Dane named Hamlet.
Enter Cleopatra. (Regally attired in Egyptian draperies)
FORD: My word! ’Tis well our husbands are not here, that woman is a vampire.
(Enter in numbers minor characters and take seats, much chatting, laughing, etc., until) Enter Lady Macbeth. (All rise and bow, she takes seat at center of table and raps) The meeting comes to order.
LADY MACBETH: (rising and speaking with much dignity) Ladies of the Shakespeare Garden Club: We have a long and arduous meeting before us. Do I impose too much upon the milk of human kindness when I beg that the minutes of the previous meeting be omitted?
PORTIA: (Jumping to her feet) I do protest, Madam, there is no power in Stratford that can alter a decree established.
KATHERINE: How now! Must we listen to the law again to-day, Portia? Go to--let’s get on!
LADY MACBETH: Oh well, what were done, when ’tis done then ’twere well it were done quickly. Madam Secretary--the minutes.
PORTIA: (reading) The 12th meeting of the Shakespeare Garden Club was held on March 15th (interruption from a member) Oh the Ides of March! The Ides of March. (grows faint and is fanned by companions.)
MISTRESS PAGE: Poor soul, that is Caesar’s wife.
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