Cast:
Danian-- writer, director, announcer of his play "Forever"
Kevin-- actor who plays the king
Mariana-- actress who plays the king's servant
Erin-- actress who plays Mariana's older friend
Heather-- actress who plays a jealous princess/noble lady
Worth-- actor who plays the king's advisor, a lecherous old man who frames the king
Three singers-- three singers who interrupt the play for an audition
Melone-- interpreter

Notes: As long as Danian is giving one-liners from his chair while he is reading, he should have absolutely no problems with stuttering. When he starts giving the actors directions, however, he does, and gets an interpreter-- having, of course, already learned sign-language from his earnest reading. All sign language used should be actual sign language, although perhaps not interpreted right by the interpreter.

~~~
Act One, Scene one
[The curtain opens to an empty stage except for one young man in a simple suit and tie. The light is on him to an obvious degree, and the affect is that he looks like a respectable introvert who has never stepped on to a stage in his life-- not even for his own graduation. Nether-the-less, he knows what he wishes to say, and so clears his throat...]

Danian: [with exaggerated stuttering] I will now present....to you....my play...[here he pauses, having to catch his breath over this simple sentence which has taken him long enough. He appears angry more than flustered, but quite aware of the audience, and continues quickly and without a single stutter] Forget it: I'm learning sign-language! [exit determined]

[curtain]

~~~
Scene Two
[Whispering is heard behind the curtain before it opens, along with the shouts "they're waiting!" and "no, not yet!" just before the curtain opens. The curtain rises to a scene where actors, although in costume, appear to be still setting up the stage, moving about chairs and the like. The stage is partitioned in two, with one part "off stage"(set up with "props" and furniture, the props being laid out neatly on a table at the back of the stage) aka stage B and the other "on stage," stage A. To the back of Stage B Danian sits in a chair, his entire focus on a book about sign-language in his lap. The actors do not jostle him almost because of fear, but they do move around him as if he does not belong there. One actor stoops to whisper something in his ear, but is ignored. Mariana (sitting) and Erin onstage.]

Mariana: [flustered] Erin... [struggles to come up with a line] I'm so glad you could come!

Erin: [responding smoothly] Of course I could come eventually. It's all a matter of timing, you know-- but then of course I came because you need me.

Mariana: I do!

Erin: [kneeling in front of Mariana: both are profile] Tell me why your innocence needs me today.

Mariana: But... [stalling] but you'll be horrified!

Erin: Not a second of your life nor all of them together could ever overwhelm me, Mariana. Would you like some tea?

Mariana: [starting to get into the role] Erin, this is serious...yes, thankyou. I, um... [again at a loss] I heard that, um...
[stage B: Worth hands Mariana tea things and she gives a cup to Mariana as if she had not just gotten them out of thin air] thankyou.

Erin: [glances at Worth "off stage" as he closes the door they used] You said something about Worth, earlier.

Mariana: [very badly covering her previous hesitation] Yes! Worth!

Kevin: [comes from the real Off Stage to Stage B, C, and announces] I'm here!

Erin: [ignores him, but is affected nonetheless] And the king.

Mariana: Yes...Worth told me the King...the King thinks I'm...[triumphant] pretty.

Erin: Pretty? [kindly condescending] You are pretty. [Kevin rushes Stage A and draws his sword] That's not news to me.

Kevin: Halt in the name of treason! [recovers and corrects] kingdom! [recites perfectly, sword drawn but down]
Did'st thou see through here pass
A thief in knight's amour,
Who dares call himself the king's advisor?
Such villain slipped between our walls,
And has since my own life appalled:
We know he is a spy.

Erin: [clears throat and grits teeth] No one has passed.

Kevin: [truly taken aback, falters] But I just saw--

Erin: NO ONE has passed.

Mariana: [stage whispers] 'King,' it is not yet time for that scene!

Kevin: [waves sword about as he address Mariana] of course it is! I'm supposed to save you from the villain. I did come to rehearsals, you know.

Erin: [breaks character as well, hissing] Not the last one, you fool!

Mariana: [desperately, half talking to the audience] Perhaps the king has had a dream that excites him so...

Kevin: [storms over to Danian, Stage B] My scene is the first one, isn't it? Hey! Aren't you going to help us? [no answer] You've got an audience out there!

Erin: [snaps] cut it out, Kevin!

Mariana: [trying to compose herself] Erin [trying to get her attention] Erin, see what I mean? He even dreams about me... [falters]

Kevin: [ranting] You told me the wrong time for the play and you told me there was no dress rehearsal before hand, and you expect it all to go well when you don't even announce which scene it is and you won't say anything?

Erin: [comes to the rescue partly] Yes of course, dear. [adds for Kevin's benefit] Or perhaps he is insane.

Danian: [answering concisely] Scene one. [turns page]

Kevin: [distracted by Erin] Insane?? [turns on Danian] He's the insane one! "Scene One" he says. Well--

Mariana: [loudly and confidently] Excuse me! [all noise stops] The audience isn't interested in real conflict! On with the play!

Danian: [clearly] Scene Two.

[Lights on stage A go out and the curtain is not drawn (nor is it until the very end of the play). Actors remove the two chairs and the actresses come unto Stage B, out of character]

~~~
Scene Three.

Erin: Kevin, I can not believe you!

Mariana: which scene do we do next? we've got to hurry!

Kevin: [obnoxiously] My scene was supposed to be first.

Worth: You didn't even get to the part about me.

Mariana: I don't even remember what that part is!

Worth: Yeah, we should really figure that out, shouldn't we?

Kevin: No! Not at all! We're the actors, meaning that we follow a script [acidly] which we don't have! I say we just LEAVE.

Heather: then we won't get paid!

Kevin: Well I'm not getting paid to do THIS

Erin: I've got it! [shoves Mariana and Worth to Stage A: lights come on]

Worth: Er...[looks out at audience. Looks at Mariana but she just stares at him blankly] [clears throat and waltzes up to Mariana] Oh, what a lovely lady we have here.

Mariana: [innocently] Oh, but I'm no lady, Sir...only a handmaiden...

Worth: [gets closer] Your beauty fooled me, darling.

Mariana: I'm sorry. Do you need something?

Worth: [frustrated] You know I practically control the country ^_~

Mariana: But the King controls it. He does exist you know: I'm his handmaiden.

Worth: [jealous] Are you now? Yes, yes, I thought I'd seen you before. You're that girl he's always...well...nevermind.

Mariana: [interest captured] Always what?

Worth: Oh, just... It's obvious he likes you.

Mariana: [badly faked surprise] No!

Worth: Yes... ask him yourself. I'm sure you get plenty of opportunities.

Mariana: Oh, but...but how do I do that?

Worth: [smiles] Just...kiss him.

Mariana: but-- [Worth motions for her to be quiet]

Worth: I have no more time for this....uh...goodbye! [hurries Stage B].

Mariana: But... [falters] but the King.... he's already betrothed! [Erin, who has been talking to Kevin in order to calm him down, reaches over casually to flip the lightswitch off for Stage A. Worth runs to Stage B as Kevin runs to A.]

~~~~
Scene 4.
[lights begin to dim back on, but not quite quickly enough]

Kevin: I've come to save you! [brandishes sword]

[a pause as the lights catch up]

Mariana: What??? [remembering Kevin's botch of the first scene] OH! He ran that way [points off stage]

Kevin: [sheaths sword] Mariana, I love you.

Mariana: Do you?

Kevin: Maybe.

Mariana: You're not sure either?

Kevin: Well, no...

Mariana: [sensing that the scene is going badly, kisses him on the cheek] You were chasing someone, King.

Kevin: [gives Mariana a 'hungry' look] My guards’ll get 'em. [gives her a better kiss, although it is obviously a stage kiss]

Mariana: You'll have to forget me, King! You're...you're betrothed!

Kevin: [not exactly in character] So? I've never even met the lady! [takes her hand] While my guards are distracted, let's run the other way! [they run Stage B as Heather and Worth run Stage A]

~~~~
Act 2, scene 1.

Heather: What in heaven's name is going on?

Worth: [delighted] Your betrothed, the King, has run away.

Heather: [hisses with jealousy] I...I've never met him before, but he's MINE.

Worth: [a pause that is out of character] Er...[clears throat] there's only one person I can think of that knows anything about it.

Heather: WELL GET HER!

Worth: [winces] Oh, com'on, so what if the King is gone? That means you marry me.

Heather: [glare of death] What is this [hint to Worth as an actor] serving girl's name?

Worth: [dutifully taking the hint] Erin.

Kevin: [Stage B] HEY! It's not supposed to happen that way!

Erin: [Also Stage B, grins] Why not?

Kevin: I'm supposed to win!
Mariana: [at the same time as Kevin] It's supposed to be Romantic! [continues] The King runs off with his true love... [gives Kevin cow eyes]

Erin: [in the process of walking Stage A] Real life doesn't go that way. [addressing Heather now] You called?

Heather: [ignoring Worth now] Yes! What do you know about the King and this...[disgust] servant of his?

Erin: I'm not sure that I know anything. [smiles at Worth] I am just a servant, after all. Perhaps I can't remember.

Heather: [growls] And what would help you?

Erin: [sweet grin] Nothing *you* can give me, Lady Heather.

Worth: [acting surprised] Me? What could you possibly want...[becomes interested in the implications]

Erin: It's either that or power.

Heather: Power I can give you.

Erin: [looks to Worth] And you?

Worth: I can...certainly consider it. I prefer an affair, of course, as long as Heather doesn't mind.

Erin: [accepts this fact in a disturbingly non-chalant manner]

Heather: Why would I care?

Worth: Well I was thinking that if you can't find the king and all you could marry me and we could rule...[trails off at the glare from Heather]

Erin: Sounds good to me! [far too enthusiastic] They went that way! [points to Stage B] Oh, and her name is Mariana. She's quite the ditz.

Heather: [as soon as Erin and Worth leave the stage to Stage B] I will have the king and the kingdom that was promised me! [exit: lights Stage A dim]

Kevin: [adamantly, disregarding that the {fictional} audience can probably hear him] No! Absolutely not! I have to win in the end, that's what makes me the hero!

Heather: [spitefully] Did he [indicating Danian] ever tell you that?

Kevin: well.... [defeated momentarily: becomes angry] No! He doesn't say anything! He doesn't provide us with a script, he... he can't call himself a writer!

Mariana: [agreeing reluctantly] I suppose writers do have to write something, don't they?

Kevin: How much do we really know about him?? [turns to the {real} audience] I'll tell you what you probably don't know. He's never written a play before-- heck, he's never even *seen* a play before in his life! He's...an improviser.
[the other actors respond to the shock in their own manners] Don't you see? He's a fraud!

Mariana: but it's such a good story!

Worth: We're the ones making the story. It does appear as if he expects us to [unsure as to how he feels]....improvise.

Mariana: [scolding] Which just happens to be the basis of acting.

Danian: [as focus is directed towards him, he flips a page]

Erin: [walks to Kevin and proceeds to comfort him] There's nothing we can do about it now, Kevin, except finish the play.

Kevin: [resentfully] Your way.

Erin: There, there, now. I know you want to be the hero, so how about you die heroically?

Kevin: [pacified] Well... [they talk in low voices, and then walk out, certainly up to nothing decent]

Danian: [flips another page, announces] Intermission. [Mariana walks Stage A and faces the audience]

Worth: [throws up his hands and comments to Heather with a laugh] This is insane!

Heather: [scowls] I don't understand why the *rightful engagement* was supposed to be so "heroic" to break

Worth: [shrugging] Well, that's been changed, now. [Heather smiles disturbingly as she realizes this is true]

Mariana: There will now be an intermission. Thankyou for your patience.

[All lights fade out entirely without seeming to interrupt Mariana and Worth's commiserating, nor even Danian's reading.]

~~~
Act 2, Scene 3.

[Lights fade back on. Stage B, Danian whispers something to Worth who exits the stage entirely. After Kevin and Erin 'sneak' back onstage, everyone is Stage B; Mariana heads for Stage A which is set for the scene. Kevin kisses Erin on the cheek and then follows Mariana, visibly assuming character as he crosses to Stage A.]

Mariana: I'm unworthy of your love, king.

Kevin: [hesitates as if he were going to agree] And I of yours-- I love you, and I will love you for the rest of our lives. Nothing can change that, and no one will find us here. Everything will turn out perfectly.

Mariana: All thanks to you! My hero!

Kevin: Com'ere and let me give you a kiss [they are interrupted by three brightly-dressed singers who walk through the audience to Stage A, singing "Blue Moon" acapella, snapping fingers etc]

Singer one: [leaning close to Mariana] Without a love of my owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn!

Kevin: [as the actors Stage B start to panic] What's THIS then? Off! Off the stage! [they continue singing] Audience members aren't allowed to participate.

Singer two: [while the other two continue to sing] we're here for the audition!

Kevin: Audition!?

Mariana: [starts to cry]

Heather: [coming from Stage B] Off, off! You can't stop us, now: we're just getting to the good part!

Singer three: we came here to audition, as the flyers said, and we intend to! [starts singing louder]

Erin: [trying to pull Heather to Stage B] Kevin, just shut them up somehow!

Kevin: [awkwardly brandishes his fake sword] Be off with you! I'm the king, and I say be off!

Singer one: they're ruining our performance: we'll have to start over.

Singer two: where's the director?

Erin: [succeeding] oh, you don't want *him.* He's no help.

Mariana: [sits down, still crying] no help at all!

Kevin: he's back there, off stage-- now if you'll please leave, we're trying to do a play here!

Singer three: doesn't look like much.

Singer one: I thought you were only improv-ing.

Singer three: you must be terribly bad actors, if you sound that way from a script.

Kevin: [about to explode] SCRIPT! IMPROV! We don't have a script!

Singer two: So you are an improv group. Tootaloo! [walks stage B, leading other two singers]

Kevin: [follows] Wait just a minute! [grabs singer one as Erin subtly comforts Mariana]

Singer one: [as the other two continue towards Danian] first you couldn't wait to get me off stage, and now you wish for me to wait?

Kevin: well you've insulted me and I won't stand for it!

Singer one: you seem to be standing quite well on your own. I don't see why you think I want you to stand for an insult: that might throw you off balance.

Kevin: you called me an improviser!

Singer: And a bad one at that, not that I meant to insult you.

Mariana: Kevin, please just let him go. We need to finish the play-- our audience *will* stand for us taking longer than is in the program: they'll stand up and leave!

Kevin: The Play is already RUINED [storms toward Danian Stage B]

Erin: [simultaneously comforting Mariana, speaks to the audience] Please hold for technical difficulties. [all lights out]

~~~
Act 3, scene 1
[someone protests loudly, "HEY! we need light in here!" The lights come back on: everyone is crowded around Danian who is standing center Stage B. They are all talking loudly except for Danian, who will not as yet speak. The singers quietly 'practice' to the side]

Heather: I say *we* take over the play. I say *we* finish it ourselves and make sure the whole world knows what kind of a- a director Danian is!

Worth: Don't look at me. I don't meddle in affairs I'm not supposed to: I work for money to follow a script. Lacking that--

Kevin: Lacking that, I quit! I won't go to the sort of lengths Worth will just to put off a performance and hope it's good! This is ridiculous! [Worth shrugs and sits down off to the side, glancing through the book Danian was ready casually]

Mariana: Well, you're the one who's ruined it! We would've done fine if you hadn't--

Erin: Kevin's right. We shouldn't have to work like this. [puts arm around Kevin's waist]

Mariana: [suddenly insulted, says to Kevin] well he certainly didn't type-cast you

Heather: [as she talks, Melone enters] When a leader is so weak as this--

Kevin: [taking strength from Erin's shallow show of affection] Before I leave, I would like to know one thing. [everyone pauses at the sudden tone of control in his voice] Who are those people? [points to singers]

Singers: [in harmony] Actors!

Singer one: for a musical of course

Kevin: [still addressing Danian] But that doesn't explain why they're here.

Singer two: his next production, as advertised, will be a musical

Kevin: You're writing a musical?!

Danian: I haven't written it yet. [to Melone] Oh good, you c-came!

Melone: [turns to the others, quieting them] From now on when you address Danian, I will be speaking for him.

Mariana: why, are you a lawyer?

Melone: No, but thankyou for the insult.

Danian: [gestures with hands]

Erin: He learned sign language that quickly??

Melone: Danian says that he is entirely disappointed in you.

Kevin: [gapes] oh, I've got to hear this!

Melone: [interpreting again] You have wasted your time arguing like little puppies-- sorry, I mean children-- cooperating hardly at all and accomplishing very little.

Erin: [laughs] and I suppose you would have done much better in our situation!

Melone: No... I am not an actor, but I would have done better than KEVIN, because I would not have complained so much. Only a true actor can... work with character alone, taking that character unto himself-- or herself-- and simply doing their best, over coming their fear and any other emotion that might interfere. Take Mariana, for instance, or Erin, both of whom--

Kevin: [throws up his hands, and, from a tug on his sleeve by Erin, leaves with her in a huff] *Idealist.*

Heather: What about me? You were just about to mention me, weren't you?

Melone: [pauses as Danian does] Actually... what is your name again? You're the one who tried to change the story. I don't remember hiring you.

Heather: [flustered] just like you forgot the time of the play, or did you mean to have an audition at the same time?

Melone: [repeating Danian's emphasis with a comic preciseness] Ah, yes! The audition! Well I certainty wasn't going to work with the likes of you again. Where are those singers? [Danian whispers in Melone's ear; Melone turns to the singers] You're hired.

Singer one: Oh, splendid! See you at the theatre. [exuent singers: they can be heard singing a while after they are off stage]

Melone: Well, we've got to patch this mess up, don't we? Any ideas? We can't finished a tainted story.

Heather: tainted?? My ending was perfectly reasonable! More realistic, if you ask me!

Melone: Exactly. Any better ideas?

Heather: [storms Stage A, turning to audience] You might as well leave now, and demand your money back besides! This play is a farce! [storms off stage]

Melone: Oh, dear. If only it were: then that would have been funny.

Worth: I suppose they'll want the truth.

Melone: I suppose they think they do. But what can we afford to give them?

Mariana: A happy ending, of course.

Worth: It's hopeless, they know we've botched it.

Melone: Then our effort will seem all the more noble! Go, go and finish it! [Danian makes the appropriate shooing gestures as Worth and Mariana walk Stage A]

Danian: [gestures]

Melone: Leave? Why?

Danian: One word: m-mob rule. [they leave 'sneakily']

Mariana: [to audience] And so, despite the evil princess' attempts, the King and his true love lived happily ever after, and the princess was forced to marry [gestures towards Worth] the traitor.

Worth: No doubt it was the perfect match. Good night everybody!

[they bow, lights dim]