ACT 1 Scene 1: WINTERBOTTOM SEES A MONSTER

ACT 1

Scene 1

The Port Of An Enchanted Greek Isle

St John's Eve

The port of a Greek Isle.

Enter  NICHOLAS WINTERBOTTOM

[He climbs into a hammock in the pines overlooking the beach, dock and seaside village]

WINTERBOTTOM

I will rest me here.  A well rested employee is the best kind.

Enter LITTLE GIRL

[She is barefoot, playing on the nearby beach with her shovel and bucket]

Enter a TROUPE OF SHAKESPEAREAN ACTORS, fresh off the boat.

[The actors walk on the dock near the beach, chattering with each other]

FIRST ACTOR

Stop worrying. We do HAMLET and fly back to New York.

SECOND ACTOR

We're supposed to be on stage now.  They're going to sue.

FIRST ACTOR

We can afford it after tonight.

SECOND ACTOR

Where's your sense of loyalty?

[Slaps his neck.]

FIRST ACTOR

When was I ever disloyal to money?

[Slaps his neck.]

I thought there were no mosquitos here.  I'll be damned before I say, "To be or not to be.." while spitting out mosquitos again!

SECOND ACTOR

I thought it was funny.

FIRST ACTOR

It's not supposed to be funny. 

 [ The LITTLE GIRL walks up the steps of the dock.]

LITTLE GIRL

Who are you?

FIRST ACTOR

We are the greatest living Shakespearean players on the planet.  What have you got there?

[She reaches in her bucket and hands him a huge pearl.  He picks up the giant pearl and rubs it across his teeth]

FIRST ACTOR

It's a real pearl!

SECOND ACTOR!

Look in the bucket! Rubies! Sapphires! Pearls the size of walnuts! 

FIRST ACTOR

Where did you find this?

LITTLE GIRL

There's lots of them. They're washing up on the shore.

FIRST ACTOR

You found all this on the beach?

LITTLE GIRL

Uh huh.

FIRST ACTOR

Will you show us where you found them?

[The TROUPE OF ACTORS follows the LITTLE GIRL down the steps to the beach. The horrible, agonized SCREAMS of the actors fill the air. NICHOLAS WINTERBOTTOM scrambles so fast he falls out of the hammock, hides behind a pine and is terrified by what he sees.]

 ~ to be continued ~