The Romancers

-6-

(ROTALINDA, LELIO, DOTTORE, and ORAZIO freeze.)

Scene 1
(AT RISE: ARLECCHINO ENTERS from house and
crosses to stand downstage center.)
ARLECCHINO: Bonjourno! Hello! Ladies and
gentlemen, my name is Arlecchino, and you? You are
here to see a play! In fair Verona we lay our scene, a
marketplace
(Claps twice and moves to stand SL. As MUSIC plays,
the ZANIES ENTER bringing the marketplace to life.
Street Vendors with their baskets of bread, crates of
spices, and carts of fruit fill the stage. BANDITS cross
the stage singing 99 Bottles of Wine on the Wall.
Once Zany relationships and setting are established,
the marketplace dissolves. FLORINETTA, SILVIA,
PANTALONE, and SMERALDINA ENTER SL. Pantalone is
busy counting his money as Florinetta addresses
Silvia. Smeraldina follows behind carrying a small
stack of packages.)
FLORINETTA: Floating, Silvia. A true lady never
appears to be walking. Floating.
SILVIA: But, Mama!
(THEY freeze as ROTALINDA, LELIO, DOTTORE and
ORAZIO ENTER SR. Dottore carries a book in front of
him, busily reading as Rotalinda addresses Lelio.
Orazio follows behind carrying a stack of books.)
ROTALINDA: (Grabs book of poetry away from LELIO.)
Latin, my son, not poetry, paves tomorrows roads
with future success.
LELIO: But, Mama!

The Romancers
-7ARLECCHINO: Two householdsboth alike in dignity.
Ahh A meeting!
(ARLECCHINO claps and ROTALINDA and FLORINETTA
turn and see each other.)
FLORINETTA: You!
ROTALINDA: You!
(Each WIFE crosses DS of her HUSBAND and pushes
him to center stage.)
FLORINETTA: Pantalone!
ROTALINDA: Graziano!
DOTT/PANT: (HUSBANDS look up from what they are
doing and see each other) What? Ho? Hmmm
PANTALONE: (Pretends to spit on the ground in front
of HIM.) Hock-tooey!
DOTTORE: (Pretends to spit on ground in front of
HIM.) Hock-tooey!
PANT/DOTT: Hock
(BOTH begin to spit again; ARLECCHINO freezes the
action.)
ARLECCHINO: They are divided by an argument, an
ancient argument, an ancient argument. Did I
mention it was an argument that was ancient? (HE
claps and the action resumes.)
PANT/DOTT: (BOTH continue spitting)..tooey

(PANTALONE and DOTTORE turn and EXIT the way

they entered. WIVES cross to center.)

MUSIC is heard. Smeraldina runs of SL. Orazio beings

to follow her. ARLECCHINO intercepts.)

FLORIN/FOTALINDA: You!

ARLECCHINO: Where are you going so fast, my friend?

Orazio: I must know her name!
ARLECCHINO: (Pretending HE is deaf) Huh?
ORAZIO: Her name!
ARLECCHINO:Huh?

The Romancers
-8(FLORINETTA and ROTALINDA EXIT the way they
entered followed by SMERALDINA and ORAZIO. LELIO
and SILVIA begin to follow parents but hesitate. They
cross US to meet in center. They pose as we hear
MUSIC, something romantic such as Tchaikovskys
Romeo and Juliet Overture. They cross DS stepping
over spit and freeze in a pose.)

The Romancers
-9(Gestures for ORAZIO to give HIM money. ORAZIO
dnagles money in front of ARLECCHINO.)
ARLECCHINO: (Taking money) Smeraldina.

ARLECCHINO: From forth the loins of these two foes, a

pair of star-crossed lovers strike their pose.
LELIO: Sil-vi-a!
SILVIA: Le-li-o

ORAZIO: Smeraldin! My fair Smeraldina. My one and

only, Smeraldina. Her name is music to my ears.

(THEY sigh. SMERALDINA and ORAZIO enter)

ORAZIO: As in Pantalone De Bisognosis? He is my

masters sworn enemy!

SMERALDINA: Silvia!
ORAZIO: Lelio!
(Silvia and Lelio gasp.)
ARLECCHINO: Ah..two servants.
SMER/ORAZ: (Cross to LOVERS.) Your father will be
furious! (EACH grabs own MASTER.) You must (Pull.)
go (Pull.) home!

ARLECCHINO: Smeraldina DeBisognosis!

ARLECCHINO: She is his servant.

ORAZIO: O treachery! O, I am Slain! O, so close and
yet so far!
ARLECCHINO: Ahhwhere there is a will, there is
Arlecchino. Leave everything to me!
ROTALINDA: (From offstage) Orazio!

(SMERALDINA and ORAZIO spin out and bump into

each other as LOVERS EXIT. They turn around
speechless. It is love at first sight. More romantic

ORAZIO: I owe you one. (EXITS SR)

ARLECCHINO: (To audience) Before its over hell owe

me more than one.
(SMERALDINA ENTERS SL)

(AT RISE: ZANIES change scenery to garden. The

garden setting consists of a wall center stage. There
are two garden benches RC and LC. Lelio ENTERS SR.)

SMERALDINA: I must know his name!

LELIO: Silvia?

ARLECCHINO: (Pretending to be deaf.) Huh?

(SILVIA ENTERS SL)

SMERALDINA: (SHE has no time for foolishness. She

hands HIM money.) His name!
The Romancers
-10ARLECCHINO: Orazio.

SILVIA: Lelio?

SMERALDINA: Not

(SHE hears HIM and runs to the wall.)

ARLECCHINO: Im afraid so.

SILVIA: Lelio!

SMERALDINA: What to do? What to do?

(HE hears HER and jumps to see over wall.)

ARLECCHINO: Where theres a will, theres

LELIO: Silvia!

SMERALDINA: Arlecchino. Yes, I know.

(SHE jumps to see over wall.)

FLORINETTA: (from offstage.) Smeraldina

SILVIA: Lelio!
LELIO: Silvia!
SILVIA: Lelio!
LELIO: Silvia!
SILVIA: Oh, Lelio! Lelio, I feel my heart shall cease its
beating if I do not look upon thy flawless face!

SMERALDINA: I owe you one!

(ARLECCHINO crosses to DSC)
ARLECCHINO: One jobtwice the money. And now a
profitable story traffics our stage. Beholda garden.
(Claps hands and EXITS.)
End of Scene
Scene 2

The Romancers
-11LELIO: Silvia?

LELIO: Silvia! Oh, Silvia, I too yearn for another

fleeting moment to gaze into your starlight eyes.
SILVIA: Oh, Lelio!
LELIO: Oh, Silvia!

SILVIA: Oh, Lelio, what are we to do! (Crosses SL to sit

on bench. SHE begins to cry)
LELIO: Do not cry, my dove! If we have not let the
barrier of our families feud keep us apart, neither
shall this garden wall!
(SHE crosses to the wall)
SILVIA: Oh, Lelio! Do you mean
LELIO: As knights of yore scaled the castle wall to
rescue their damsel, I too shall ascend to be with the
queen of my heart.
The Romancers
-12SILVIA: Lelio! (SILVIA crosses to SL bench and sits. She
readies herself for Lelios arrival.)
LELIO: Do not fear, my dear! Your Lancelot will be
there momentarily. (HE hits the side of the wall and
falls.)
SILVIA: Lelio, what was that?
LELIO: (From the floor.) Just my heart, crashing upon
the waves of despair! (HE gets an idea and EXITS SR.)
SILVIA: Oh, how brave you are! I knew you would not
let me down. Oh, Lelio! (Listens for LELIO, crosses to
the wall and jumps to look over it.) Lelio? (To
audience.) Where has he gone? Has my love forsaken
me? I am as Ophelia without her Hamlet! But my
watery grave shall be my own tears. Oh, Lelio! Lelio!
Lelioooooohhhh
LELIO: Silvia!
SILVIA: LELIO

(They look lovingly at each other and sigh)

SILVIA: Shall we continue our readings from Master
Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet?
LELIO: Yes!....No!
SILVIA: No?
LELIO: No.
SILVIA: Oh.
LELIO: You see, my mother took my book of verse.
SIVLIA: How cruel!
LELIO: Cruelness and darkness are chased away by
the radiance your beauty.
(Goes in for a kiss and falls as SHE stands and crosses
SL)
The Romancers
-13SILVIA: (Blushing) Lelio!
LELIO: (Stands and crosses back to wall) Oh, what a
charming spot. It would have been perfect for
Shakespeare!
SILVIA: It is a charming spot, and Shakespeares
verses are divine. But what makes me divine is the
way you read them.
(SILVIA wraps her scarf around LELIOS neck and pull
him next to her.)
LELIO: Silvia!
SILVIA: But, when I think of those poor lovers, Romeo
and Juliet, I think
LELIO: What?
SILVIA: Nothing.

LELIO: Well, something made you blush.

SILVIA: Nothing, no, nothing, I say. Really, nothing!
LELIO: Oh.
SILVIA: Well, if you must know I was thinking of our
fathers.
LELIO: Our fathers as Romeo and Juliet? Ewww!
The Romancers
-13-

SILVIA: And one day, I was gathering flowers by the

garden wall.

SILVIA: No! Of their terrible hatred for each other! The

thought often pains me and makes me cry when I am
alone. Last month, when I came home from the
convent, my father pointed to your fathers garden
and said: My dear child, you behold there the
domain of my mortal enemy Dottore Graziano de
Violoni Stummolo. Beware of him and his son and
never cross their pather. Obey me to the letter, or I
shall cast you off as an enemy. And I promised my
father! But you see how I keep my word!

LELIO: I climb the wall to return it.

LELIO: And one day, I happen to be reading

Shakespeare.
SILVIA: And a little gust of wind blew my scarf in your
direction.

SILVIA: And since that day, I have waited at the same

hour, here, by this wall.
LELIO: See how everything conspired to unite our two
hearts?
SILVIA: Now, since we love, we must be married.
LELIO: Married???

The Romancers
-14LELIO: Did I not promise my father to do the same?
And yetI love you!
SILVIA: And I, too, love you, my dearest! But how
could a love so pure be sodeceitful?

SILVIA: And I, last of the De Bisognosis, do solemnly

pledge myself to you, last of the DeVioloni
Stummolos. Our story shall be told for ages to come
The Romancers
-15LELIO: Married?

SILVIA: And I saw you too!

SILVIA: Imagine that the reigning prince comes riding

past some dayI run to him and kneel and tell him
the story of our love and of our fathers hatred. The
prince asks to see our fathers and they are
reconciled.

LELIO: And our eyes spoke in silence.

LELIO: Married.

LELIO: Love is born, we know not how, because it

must be born. I often saw you pass by my window.

Silvia: Or elsean aged duke, having seen my

portrait, falls in love with me, and offers to make me
a duchess!
LELIO: And you say No!
SILVIA: He is offended, and some dark night when I
am in the garden, meditating, he springs forth out of
the darkness. I scream!
LELIO: I lose not a second in springing over the wall
with my dagger in hand.
SILVIA: You lay low three or four men. Then my father
rushes in and takes me in his arms.

(FLORINETTA and ROTALINDA EXIT followed by

SMERALDINA and ORAZIO. LELIO and SILVIA begin to
follow parents but hesitate. They cross US to meet in
center. They pose as we hear romantic MUSIC. They
cross DS stepping over spit and freeze in their pose.)
LELIO: Sil-vi-a!
SILVIA: Le-li-o!
(THEY sigh. SMERALDINA from SL and ORAZIO enter
from SR)
SMERALDINA: Silvia!
ORAZIO: Lelio!
SMERA/ORAZ: Your father must be furious! You must
not seem him/her!

LELIO: I tell him who I am

SILVIA: His heart softens
LELIO: My father consents

The Romancers
-20DOTT/PANT: What? Hmm
PANTALONE: Hock-tooey!
DOTTORE: Hock-tooey!
(THEY turn and EXIT the way they entered. The WIVES
move to center)
FLORINETTA: You!
ROTALINDA: You!

(THEY EXIT. PANTALONE ENTERS SLand crosses to

address audience)
PANTALONE: A bandit. A banditAh-haha! You! Yes,
you with the beady eyes. No, no, not you! Your eyes
are more buggy than beady. Youwith the beady
eyes. You look like the type to know a bandit. I mean,
look at what you have on.
ARLECCHINO: (Overhearing Pantalone.) Bandit? Did
you say bandit? Allow me to introduce myself
Arlecchino dela Bandit. Now, how may I be of
service?
The Romancers
-21(THEY EXIT SR. SILVIA ENTERS USL and crosses to
center)
SILVIA: Lelio? (SHE EXITS DSR)
LELIO: Silvia? (LELIO EXITS DSL)

ROTALINDA: Lelio? (ROTALINDA EXITS DSL)

FLORINETTA: Silvia? (EXITS DSL)
SILVIA: Lelio!
LELIO: Silvia! (We hear more romantic MUSIC. THEY
run to center stage, and they spin around several
times They strike their pose. )
ROTALINDA: Lelio!
FLORINETTA: Silvia!
LELIO/SILVIA: Mama!
FLOR/ROTA: Graziano! Pantalone!
ARLECCHINO: Now, all I need is a band of bandits.
You! You there, with the big nose and the pointy ears.
Not you! Your nose is more crooked than large. You!
You with the big nose. You look like someone who
would know where to find a band of bandits! I mean,
look at who youre with!
BANDITS: 78 bottles of wine on the wall, 78 bottles
of wine. Take on down, pass it around, 77 bottles of
wine on the wall. (EXIT)
ARLECCHINO: I think Ive found my bandits. A good
story as promised, no? I see some of you with knitted
brow. We must solve that somehow. For those of you
who came in lateshame, shame, shame. Verona

gave our story start, family keeping love apart, with

dear lovers Silvia and Lelio and dont forget
Smeraldina and Orazio. And what a twist, our fathers
are true friends! How I wonder will this story end? No
longer shall we tarry, delay or stallWe continue by
the garden wall.
End of Scene