Act I - Scene I

The public, arriving by degrees. TROOPERS, BURGHERS, LACKEYS, PAGES, a PICKPOCKET, the DOORKEEPER, etc., followed by the MARQUISES. CUIGY, BRISSAILLE, the BUFFET-GIRL, the VIOLINISTS, etc.

[A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door. A TROOPER enters hastily.]

[They begin fencing.]

[They both sit down on the floor.]

[He grabs her at the waist.]

[He blows peas down at the crowd.]

[He takes his SON by the arm and leads him away.]

[A hubbub outside the door is heard.]

[Enter a band of young MARQUISES.]

[They greet and embrace one another.]

[They form in groups around the candle-holders as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. LIGNIERE, disheveled but distinguished-looking, with disordered shirt-front is arm-in-arm with CHRISTIAN DE NEUVILLETTE. CHRISTIAN, who is dressed elegantly but a little out of fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.]

DOORKEEPER:
[going after him] Wait! You must pay your fifteen sols!
TROOPER:
I get in free!
DOORKEEPER:
How so?
TROOPER:
I'm a soldier in the King's Cavalry!
DOORKEEPER:
[to SECOND TROOPER who also enters] And you?
SECOND TROOPER:
I get in free as well. I'm a musketeer!
FIRST TROOPER:
[to the second] The play doesn't begin until two. Let's have a bout with the foils to pass the time.
A LACKEY:
[entering] Psst—Flanquin!
SECOND LACKEY:
Is that you, Champagne?
FIRST LACKEY:
[taking cards and some dice out of his jacket pocket] Look what I've brought. Let's play!
SECOND LACKEY:
Good idea, my rogue friend!
FIRST LACKEY:
[taking a candle-end from his pocket and lighting it] I've stolen for us a little light from my master.
A GUARDSMAN:
[to a SHOP-GIRL who comes toward him] How nice of you to come before the lights are lit!
ONE OF THE FENCERS:
[receiving a thrust] A hit!
ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS:
A club!
GUARDSMAN:
[following the girl] A kiss!
SHOP-GIRL:
[trying to free herself from his grasp] Stop! They'll see us!
GUARDSMAN:
[drawing her to a dark corner] Now they can't!
A MAN:
[sitting on the floor with some others who are all eating food] By coming early, one can eat in comfort.
A BURGHER:
[leading his SON] Let's sit here, my son.
A CARD-PLAYER:
Triple ace!
A MAN:
[taking a bottle out from his jacket and seating himself on the floor] A drunkard should drink his Burgundy…[he drinks] in the Hotel Burgundy!
BURGHER:
[to his SON] My God! One would think we've stumbled into some place of ill-repute! What with drunkards! [He points with his cane to the drunk.] Brawlers! [One of the FENCERS jostles him.] And gamblers! [He stumbles into the midst of the CARD-PLAYERS.]
GUARDSMAN:
[behind the BURGHER, still teasing the SHOP-GIRL] Come on, just one kiss!
BURGHER:
[hurriedly pulling HIS SON away] Good heavens! And to think that Rotrou was played here!
HIS SON:
Yes, and Corneille too!
A TROOP OF PAGES:
[entering hand-in-hand, dancing and singing] Tra-la-lala-la-la-la-la-la…
DOORKEEPER:
[sternly, to the PAGES] You pages better behave yourselves. No pranks tonight!
FIRST PAGE:
[with an air of wounded dignity] Oh, sir! How can you even suspect that we would do such things? [quickly, to the SECOND PAGE, the moment the DOORKEEPER'S back is turned] Did you bring the string?
SECOND PAGE:
Oh, yes—and a fish-hook with it!
FIRST PAGE:
Great! We'll fish for wigs from up in the gallery!
A PICKPOCKET:
[gathering about him some evil-looking youths] Listen here, you young thieves. I'm about to give you your first lesson in stealing.
SECOND PAGE:
[calling up to other PAGES in the top galleries] Have you all brought your peashooters?
THIRD PAGE:
[from above] Oh yes, and peas too!
BURGHER'S SON:
[to his father] What's the name of the play tonight?
BURGHER:
La Clorise.
SON:
Who wrote it?
BURGHER:
Balthazar Baro. It's a play about…
PICKPOCKET:
[to his students] Look for lace knee-ruffles and cut them off!
A SPECTATOR:
[to another, pointing to a corner of the gallery] I was sitting up there, the first night of the ‘Cid.’
PICKPOCKET:
[making a gesture as of picking a pocket] And with watches…
BURGHER:
[coming down again with his SON] Soon you will see some great actors.
PICKPOCKET:
[making the type of gesture one would use when pulling something in a sneaky way, with little jerks of the hand] And for handkerchiefs…
BURGHER:
Montfleury…
A VOICE FROM THE GALLERY:
Light the lights!
BURGHER:
Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!
A PAGE:
Here comes the buffet-girl!
BUFFET-GIRL:
[taking her place behind the buffet] Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cider…
A FALSETTO VOICE:
Make way, you brutes!
A LACKEY:
[astonished] The Marquises! Down here on the floor with us?
ANOTHER LACKEY:
Oh, only for a moment, I'm sure.
A MARQUIS:
[seeing that the hall is half empty] What's this? We've arrived like common tradesmen—without disturbing anyone or stepping on their toes? For shame! [recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him] Cuigy! Brissaille!
CUIGY:
True to our word! We're here before the candles are lit.
MARQUIS:
Enough! I'm so annoyed!
ANOTHER MARQUIS:
Don't worry, Marquis, they're coming to light the candles now!
ENTIRE AUDIENCE:
[welcoming the entrance of the candle lighter] Ah!

Footnotes

  1. The word "sol" refers to French coins used during the Middle Ages. Twenty of these coins equaled one livre tournois, a form of currency used during the same period.

    — Owl Eyes Reader
  2. Many actors and playwrights opposed the practice of allowing soldiers and royal officials to gain free admission to the theater since their pay was based on ticket sales. During the 17th century, playwright Molière successfully encouraged Louis XIV to end this practice.

    — Owl Eyes Reader
  3. Jean Rotrou (1609–1650) was a French playwright who worked under the patronage of Cardinal Richelieu.

    — Owl Eyes Reader
  4. Pierre Corneille (1606–1684) was a French playwright most renowned for his classical tragedies, especially his 1637 play Le Cid.

    — Owl Eyes Reader
  5. Corneille's 1637 play El Cid centered on the eponymous El Cid (1043–1099), a legendary Spanish military leader during the 11th century.

    — Owl Eyes Reader