of learning Shakespeare, and this book makes the formerly daunting task of staging a Shakespeare play possible for anybody.
With The 30-Minute Shakespeare book series I hope to help teachers and students produce a Shakespeare play in a short amount of time, thus jump-starting the process of discovering the beauty, magic, and fun of the Bard. Plot, theme, and language reveal themselves through the performance of these half-hour play cuttings, and everybody involved receives the priceless gift of “owning” a piece of Shakespeare. The result is an experience that is fun and engaging, and one that we can all carry with us as we play out our own lives on the stages of the world.
NICK NEWLIN
Brandywine, MD
March 2010
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
The following is a list of characters that appear in this cutting of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Nineteen actors performed in the original production. This number can be increased to about thirty or decreased to about thirteen by having actors share or double roles.
For the full breakdown of characters, see Sample Program.
JULIA: Beloved of Proteus; disguises herself as Sebastian
LUCETTA: Seamstress; waiting woman to Julia
LAUNCE: Clownish servant to Proteus, joined by his dog Crab
CRAB: Launce’s dog
SPEED: Servant to Valentine
SILVIA: Daughter to the Duke of Milan; beloved of Valentine
VALENTINE: A gentleman of Verona who woos Silvia and is banished by the Duke
PROTEUS: A gentleman of Verona; in love with Julia, then Silvia DUKE OF MILAN: Father to Silvia; banishes Valentine for wooing Silvia
MUSICIANS
NARRATOR
Verona. Julia’s garden.
STAGEHANDS set table and two chairs center stage, placing flowers, tea pot, and cups atop table.
Enter NARRATOR from stage rear, coming downstage center.
NARRATOR
Our play begins in Julia’s garden, where Julia
receives a love letter from Proteus. Lucetta, Julia’s
woman-in-waiting deals with Julia’s mixed feelings.
SOUND OPERATOR plays Sound Cue #1 (“Merry domestic music”).
Exit NARRATOR stage left.
Enter JULIA and LUCETTA from stage right. JULIA sits in chair stage left; LUCETTA sits in chair stage right.
JULIA
But say, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love?
LUCETTA
Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully. (dusts)
JULIA
Of all the fair resort of gentlemen
That every day with parle encounter me,
In thy opinion which is worthiest love?
LUCETTA
Please you repeat their names, I’ll show my mind
According to my shallow simple skill.
JULIA
What think’st thou of the rich Mercatio?
LUCETTA
Well of his wealth; but of himself, so-so.
JULIA
What think’st thou of the gentle Proteus?
LUCETTA
Of many good I think him best.
JULIA
Why, he, of all the rest, hath never moved me.
LUCETTA
Yet he, of all the rest, I think, best loves ye.
(mysteriously)
Peruse this paper, madam.
LUCETTA gives JULIA a letter. JULIA
Say, say, who gave it thee?
JULIA opens the letter and glances at it.
LUCETTA
Sir Valentine’s page; and sent, I think, from Proteus.
He would have given it you; but I, being in the way,
Did in your name receive it: pardon the fault, I pray.
JULIA
Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker!
Dare you presume to harbor wanton lines?
To whisper and conspire against my youth?
There, take the paper: see it be return’d;
Or else return no more into my sight.
JULIA gives the letter back to LUCETTA.
Will you be gone?
Exit LUCETTA stage right, accidentally dropping the letter on her way out.
JULIA
And yet I would I had o’erlook’d the letter: (paces, picking up, then putting down, the letter)
Fie, fie, how wayward is this foolish love,
That, like a testy babe, will scratch the nurse; (sits)
How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence,
When inward joy enforced my heart to smile!
My penance is to call Lucetta back
And ask remission for my folly past. (stands; faces stage right)
What ho! Lucetta!
Enter LUCETTA from stage right, picking up the dropped letter.
LUCETTA
What would your ladyship?
JULIA
Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme.
(reaches for letter)
LUCETTA