Let the Play Begin
Cast of Characters
HELENA: Native to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Young and rather emotional. Extremely caught up over her love for Demetrius but does not know how to truly go about to get his love. She is easily persuaded.
PORTIA: Native to The Merchant of Venice. Beautiful and intelligent. Needs slight help with decisions but is quite sound in her judgment. She is relatively fearless.
KATHERINE: Native to The Taming of the Shrew. Extremely strong. Quite brash and up-front. Can be violent at times. However, she is beneath her tough skin, very vulnerable. She desires solely to have her voice be liberated at all times.
Act I
SETTING: The stage is empty and painted black. The walls of the stage line the back and come at an angle outwards SR and SL. Each wall has a door in the center. The CS door is PORTIA’s, the SR door is HELENA’s, and the SL door is KATHERINE’s. PORTIA’s door opens into the stage. HELENA’s door opens out of the stage. KATHERINE’s door opens out of the stage. Behind each door is simply highlighted by a different color light to indicate another world.
AT RISE: Lights shine on a sobbing HELENA. She sits on the floor.
HELENA
Oh Demetrius… Oh my love…
(She sniffles and sobs.)
Why is love so? I love and give, yet why should I receive nothing? Why does Demetrius not see that—
(Suddenly a crash comes from the right door as KATHERINE storms though.)
KATHERINE
(Yelling brashly.)
Stop this noise!
(She looks to HELENA, surprised to find this stranger there.)
And who are you? And where am I?
HELENA
(Looks up from her sobbing position on the floor.)
Who… who am I? Who are you?
KATHERINE
Really? You haven’t heard of me by now? What kind of joke are they all pulling on me this time?
HELENA
Why are you here? This is my mind… not yours.
KATHERINE
This is not your mind! I didn’t just walk through that door to your mind… I bet you just came from one of those doors over here.
HELENA
I can’t remember… I was sad…
KATHERINE
Well, I could certainly hear that earlier. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to shut up that horrific noise coming from wherever this is.
HELENA
...and I just walked towards the woods and sat down, but now I’m here… and oh Demetrius…
(HELENA breaks down into hysterical sobs again.)
KATHERINE
Oh, just STOP!
(KATHERINE stalks over to HELENA, bends down and takes her by the shoulders. KATHERINE then shakes HELENA by her shoulders.)
Enough with your petty whines! Enough with your dumb sobbing! You’re a disgrace to listen to! A complete disgrace of a—
(Enter PORTIA from the middle door.)
PORTIA
Oh, how curious!
(KATHERINE and HELENA both stop and stare at PORTIA.)
HELENA/KATHERINA
Who are you?
PORTIA
Why, I am Portia… most people in Venice and Belmont know this, though. You do not, which is quite curious!
KATHERINE
Well, sorry to ruin your high, but I certainly do not know you… And besides, this isn’t even Venice or Belmont, so I’m afraid you’re just completely in the wrong.
HELENA
We’re in Athens!
(PORTIA and KATHERINE look confused as they stare at HELENA.)
KATHERINE
No, this is Padua…
PORTIA
Ladies, I can assure you, I just came from Belmont.
KATHERINE
And I can assure you that I just came from Padua!
HELENA
But I was just in Athens trying to find my dear… my dear… Demetrius!
(HELENA breaks down into sobs again.)
PORTIA
Oh dear… why are you—
KATHERINE
Don’t even bother. She’s been wailing nonstop since I arrived. From Padua.
(Suddenly, the SR door creaks open with a breeze. From it, voices can be heard from Helena’s world.)
LYSANDER
(Offstage.)
… There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee,
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us. If thou lov’st me then…
HELENA
That’s Lysander! But where is my dear Demetrius? Of course… he speaks of love, Lysander. But not love for me… Nobody speaks of love for me.
LYSANDER
(Offstage.)
… Where I did meet thee once with Helena…
HELENA
He says my name! I must see of what he speaks.
KATHERINE
So that’s her name.
PORTIA
Where in the world does that door lead to? And who is Lysander?
(HELENA quickly rises, and stalks to the door, opening it and peering within.)
HERMIA
(Offstage.)
… I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus’ doves…
HELENA
And there is Hermia, speaking in her loving tones. Of course, she would! Of course, she who is happy—she who hath stolen my true love!
KATHERINE
You love Lysander?
PORTIA
You’ve been crying over Demetrius…
HELENA
Demetrius is my love! Yet he, so besotted with Hermia, cannot see that I am the true love of his life.
KATHERINE
Love is a trap.
HELENA
I must intercede. I must find Demetrius.
PORTIA
Don’t you think that you ought not chase after men?
(HELENA darts through the door back into her world. KATHERINE and PORTIA then go to follow and see the action. However, they are stopped by an invisible force at the door. They cannot pass into HELENA’s world.)
PORTIA
Well, that’s quite strange.
KATHERINE
I just wanted to be there as she makes a fool of herself. That would give me a nice laugh for once.
PORTIA
Don’t you think that’s rather cruel though?
KATHERINE
Cruel? Ha! I am no crueler than she is to herself! She’s throwing her life away for a man. Can stupidity run any further?
(Voices continue to be heard through the door.)
HERMIA
(Offstage.)
I give him curses, yet he gives me love…
KATHERINE
Hmm, when I give curses, everybody curses me back.
HELENA
(Offstage.)
O that my prayers could such affection move!
PORTIA
Oh dear, she is not in a good state, is she…
HERMIA
(Offstage.)
The more I hate, the more he follows me…
KATHERINE
What this Hermia creature must do to lure in these men… it’s rather disgusting.
HELENA
(Offstage.)
The more I love, the more he hateth me.
PORTIA
That does not sound like love.
KATHERINE
Love? What does she know of love? What do you know of love?
…
