| Scene Four
The dining quarters. |
|||
| Clara | My darling, you did as you should. You had no choice. | ||
| Giorgio | After all, her cousin is my superior. | ||
| Clara | You must think of your career. | ||
| Giorgio | But how could I turn from such a desperate soul? | ||
| Clara | You showed pity | ||
| Giorgio | And yet I have a sinking feeling. | ||
| Clara | It is difficult for a man and a woman to be friends. | ||
| Giorgio | I sense she wants more from me. | ||
| Clara | You must take care to make your intentions clear. | ||
| Giorgio | I’ve opened the door | ||
| Clara | Desperation can take its toll (Fosca is revealed on the stairs, descending; she also carries a letter) |
||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | Should I be cruel to set myself free? | ||
| Clara | There is nothing wrong with thinking of oneself. | ||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | All I think of is you. | ||
| Clara | Keep your distance. | ||
| Giorgio | Keep my distance. | ||
| Clara | Be unavailable to her. | ||
| Giorgio | Unavailable. | ||
| Clara | Yes, aloof. | ||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | I love you so much. | ||
| Clara | I love you more. | ||
| Fosca | Three … | ||
| Giorgio | Forever yours. | ||
| Fosca | … days | ||
| Clara | As always. | ||
| Giorgio | Giorgio. | ||
| Clara | Clara. | ||
| (Clara and Giorgio exit in opposite directions. Fosca reads from her letter as she crosses to the table. The dining hall, with its usual habitués, slowly comes into place behind her) | |||
| Fosca | Giorgio, These past three days have been perhaps the most painful of my life. I have looked for you everywhere. No matter how poor my health, I have made my way to the dining room, praying you would be there. You promised me your friendship, Giorgio. But it is clear to me that your promise was a hollow one. I wish I could strike you from my mind and my heart. But I cannot. You may disappear, Giorgio, but I will not. |
||
| (She folds the letter and slips it under the napkin at Giorgio’s place setting, then sits. Everyone follows and the scene comes to life. | |||
| Barri | … so I applied for a new pair of horses, but they only had bays or piebals. | ||
| Lombardi | Piebals! | ||
| Torasso | You certainly don’t want piebals. | ||
| Rizzolli | Perhaps you should go to Turin. There’s a wonderful stable there – | ||
| Barri | No. That stable is no longer reputable (Giorgio enters) |
||
| Torasso | Ah, Bachetti … | ||
| Colonel | We haven’t seen you for three days. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, sir. I decided to accompany my troops on maneuvers. | ||
| Barri | Your hard work will show us all up. | ||
| Giorgio | Nonsense. (He sits and as he takes his napkin, the lights elsewhere darken. He discovers the letter and is about to open it when he looks to Fosca, who returns the look. He immediately sticks the letter into his pocket. The lights restore as he begins to help himself to food.) Excuse me, Doctor. Why do you always place that gold coin on the table at mealtime? |
||
| Doctor | For thirty years, I’ve done that whenever I dine with other officers. The first meal where no one talks about horses or women, (As some of the other officers chime in) I’ll surrender my golden coin. (Laughter) |
||
| Barri | Some risk! You’ll never lose it! | ||
| Rizzolli | I remember a wager that Lieutenant Barri made once – (The lights suddenly change. Fosca grabs Giorgio’s hand as he reaches for the salt; she draws his hand by her side and out of view under the table) |
||
| Fosca | (to Giorgio, whispering) I’ve missed you so much. | ||
| Giorgio | Please. | ||
| Fosca | You must read my letter. | ||
| Giorgio | Let go of my hand. Let go. (Giorgio tries to free his hand with no success; the lights restore) |
||
| Rizzolli | Well, of course there was no chance for anyone but him to win. | ||
| Barri | No one was forced to bet, Major. | ||
| Doctor | Would you please pass the salt? (Giorgio is extremely embarrassed, because he still can’t free his hand. Fosca passes the salt.) Not hungry, Captain? |
||
| Giorgio | Yes, yes. (He helps himself to some veal with his left hand) Colonel, I’ve received a letter this morning. I’m urgently required in Milan. I therefore request a leave of at least five days. |
||
| Doctor | What? (The table noise suddenly quiets) |
||
| Colonel | If you had asked me this in my office, I might have refused. You’ve been here only a month … | ||
| Giorgio | I realised that, sir. It’s of some importance. | ||
| Colonel | When do you want to leave? | ||
| Giorgio | As soon as possible. | ||
| Colonel |
Very well. After all, how can I refuse a guest at my table? |
||
| Torasso | By this time tomorrow, Bachetti, you’ll probably be in the arms of some young beauty. | ||
| (The table fills once more with conversation as Fosca lets go of Giorgio’s hand and dissolves into herself. Giorgio quickly turns from her and continues with his meal as the lights slowly fade to black. In a ghostly fashion, the Soldiers perform their drill.)
|
|||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | All the time I watched from my room … | ||
| Augenti | Thinking we’d meet … | ||
| Soldier 1 | Thinking you’d look at me … | ||
| Soldier 2 | Thinking you’d – | ||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | – be repelled by what you saw. | ||
| Soldier 1&2 | Don’t reject me … | ||
| Others | Don’t deny me … | ||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | Understand me, be my friend. | ||
| All | They hear drums, we hear music Be my friend … |
||
|
|
|||
| Fosca | When will you be back? | ||
| Giorgio | What are you doing up and out at this hour? | ||
| Fosca | When will you be back? | ||
| Giorgio | You know I have a five-day leave. | ||
| Fosca | Will you think about me when you’re gone? | ||
| Giorgio | I’ll think about my work, my superiours, your cousin. That is why I will think of you. (He begins to walk away but Fosca steps in his path) Signora, please. Don’t make this difficult. (He walks further, but she continues to block his path. He raises his hand to impede her; Fosca grabs it and presses it to her breast, then throws herself around him. Giorgio pushes her away) Let go of me. You don’t want someone to see you. |
||
| Fosca | What does it matter if they see me? What do I care if the whole world knows how I feel? I adore you. Is that something I should be ashamed of? Is that something I should hide? (He tries once more to escape, but she drops to the ground and wraps herself around his legs) I’m not a fool. I know you don’t feel the same way as I do. But one loves a dog, an animal. What can I do to get you to love me – a human being like yourself? (She begins to weep) |
||
| Giorgio | Get up Signora, please. (he helps her up) Calm down. Calm down, please. I have to leave straight away. I am touched by your affection. It flatters me greatly. My mind is racing with so many thoughts … |
||
| Fosca | Tell me your thoughts. | ||
| Giorgio | I have to leave straight away. | ||
| Fosca | Write me. | ||
| Giorgio | Fine. I will write you. | ||
| Fosca | Promise. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, I promise. | ||
| Fosca | Tomorrow. | ||
| Giorgio | Tomorrow. Now, please go. I really don’t want anyone to see you here. | ||
| Fosca | Bless you. | ||
| (She lets go and he races out. Music. Fosca crosses to her drawing room on one side of the stage while on the other side Giorgio and Clara’s meeting place appears. Clara is in bed. Silently, Giogio comes to her and embraces her passionately as she begins to strip off his clothes. Augenti enters Fosca’s drawing room with a letter. He hands her the letter, then exits. Fosca tears open the letter)
Trio |
|||
| Fosca | I am writing to you, Signora Just as soon as I’ve arrived With a most unhappy heart. |
||
| Giorgio | God, you are so beautiful – | ||
| Fosca | I do not wish to cause you pain – | ||
| Giorgio | As I remember every night – | ||
| Fosca | So please consider what I say – | ||
| Giorgio | Clear and beautiful – | ||
| Fosca | With calm. | ||
| Giorgio | Every night, every day, Every part of you – |
||
| Fosca | My heart – | ||
| Clara | You feel so good – | ||
| Fosca | My heart belongs – | ||
| Clara | As if you’d never been away – | ||
| Fosca | My heart belongs to someone else. | ||
| Clara | Your breath so warm Your touch so sure – |
||
| Giorgio | Your skin so delicate … | ||
| Clara | Your arms so strong … | ||
| Fosca | I am in love, hopelessly in love – Hopelessly in love, and I am loved Hopelessly in turn, Signora. |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | All this happiness – | ||
| Fosca | You and I – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | Being here with you in the dark. | ||
| Fosca | We’re not meant for each other. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | So much happiness – | ||
| Fosca | If I seemed to imply Something more – |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | Even more than what I felt before! | ||
| Fosca | I apologize. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | To feel your touch again – | ||
| Fosca | But since we’re forced to be together – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | When so much time has passed – | ||
| Fosca | Let us try to face the fact. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | To dream of you and then to be with you again And have some time at last … |
||
| Fosca | Let us both behave with tact. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | How long were we apart – | ||
| Fosca | If this letter seems cold- hearted – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | A month, a week, a day? | ||
| Fosca | It conceals my own distress. Nonetheless – |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | To feel your touch again – | ||
| Fosca | We must end what never started. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | You’ve never been away. | ||
| Fosca | You must recognize – | ||
| Clara | Still, I’ve missed you – | ||
| Fosca | There is nothing – | ||
| Giorgio | Hush. | ||
| Fosca | Between us. | ||
| Clara | – so much. | ||
| Fosca | Nothing … | ||
| Giorgio | Shhh. I’m here now. | ||
| Fosca | Nothing, nothing … | ||
| Clara | Welcome home … | ||
| (Clara and Giorgio embrace passionately as Fosca, sone-faced remains alone in her drawing room; her Attendants ever with a shawl, which they wrap about her, and a needlepoint frame, which she takes and begins feverishly working at. Fosca’s Attendants set the stage for Giorgio’s entrance)
|
|||
| Attendants | I’ve watched you from my window I saw you on the day that you arrived. Perhaps it was the way you walked. The way you spoke to your men. You were different then, You were kind and good. I thought you understood … |
||
| Scene Six
Fosca’s drawing room. |
|||
| Giorgio | You sent for me. | ||
| Fosca | I received your letter and I thank you. I hope we can still shake hands. (She extands her hand to him) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes, of course. We can certainly be friends. | ||
| Fosca | You have no idea how mortified I am. | ||
| Giorgio | Mortified? | ||
| Fosca | About everything that has happened. My emotions sometimes overpower my judgement. | ||
| Giorgio | I found your affection very flattering. | ||
| Fosca | How indulgent you are with me. Did you amuse yourself in Milan? | ||
| Giorgio | Very much. | ||
| Fosca | Admit that you only took leave to visit my rival. | ||
| Giorgio | Your rival? Yes, of course that was the purpose of my visit. | ||
| Fosca | Excuse me. I can be very naive sometimes. I should have understood what you meant by your “urgent need to leave”. Will you be going back soon? | ||
| Giorgio | Whenever I can. As soon as possible. | ||
| Fosca | If you get another leave. | ||
| Giorgio | Naturally. | ||
| Fosca | Perhaps I should put in a word to my cousin. My help might serve you well. On the other hand, a negative word … | ||
| Giorgio | Place more value on your dignity. Don’t offend your pride, Signora. | ||
| Fosca | We each deal with our pride as best we can. Do you love this woman very much? | ||
| Giorgio | I wrote to you. | ||
| Fosca | Is she beautiful? | ||
| Giorgio | As an angel. | ||
| Fosca | Then why don’t you marry her? | ||
| Giorgio | She is already married. | ||
| Fosca | And you respect her. | ||
| Giorgio | You can’t love someone without respecting. | ||
| Fosca | That’s not true, but it hardly matters. And is your angel also a mother? | ||
| Giorgio | Let’s stop torturing each other like this. It’s humiliating and degrading. I find your sarcasm most distasteful. | ||
| Fosca | I have many flaws, Captain. | ||
| Giorgio | Our situation is well-defined. Let’s not discuss this subject again. | ||
| Fosca | That is what I would like. | ||
| Giorgio | Good. Perhaps we should have no further occasion to speak of ourselves. | ||
| Fosca | You may also hope that we do not see each other again. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, that might be very well the best course of action. | ||
| Fosca | You may go now, Captain. I have more important things to do. | ||
| (Giorgio clicks his heels and exits. As Clara walks through, reading a letter. We segue to the Doctor’s office)
|
|||
| Clara | Three weeks … Three weeks … |
||
| Soldiers | This is hell, Living hell … |
||
| Clara | My darling Clara. The last three weeks have been a blessing. Signora Fosca has all but disappeared from my life here. | ||
| Soldiers | Living hell … This godforsaken place |
||
| Clara | She no longer has her meals with us. Even in her absence I find myself hating her more and more. | ||
| Soldiers | This sterile little town This military madness … |
||
| Clara | I’ve realized how I’ve had to temper my feelings towards her. But now that I’m free, I can feel as I please. | ||
| Soldiers | Uniforms, uniforms … | ||
| Clara | But you, my Clara – | ||
| Soldiers | Our days are spent in maneuvers Our evenings in discussing the day |
||
| Clara | You remain in my thoughts | ||
| Soldiers | Uniforms, uniforms | ||
| Clara | – as strong as ever | ||
| Soldiers | (growing louder) Military madness … Military madness … |
||
| (Giorgio approaches the Doctor, who is at his desk) | |||
| Giorgio | Doctor | ||
| Doctor | Thank you for coming so late, Captain. Signora Fosca has taken a turn for the worse. She is mortally ill. | ||
| Giorgio | I’m sorry to hear that. | ||
| Doctor | Don’t you understand, my boy? It’s because of you. | ||
| Giorgio | Because of me? | ||
| Doctor | She told me everything. You rejected her love – which doesn’t actually surprise me – and that has increased the gravity of her disease. She is letting herself die because of you. | ||
| Giorgio | Because of me! Letting herself die? | ||
| Doctor | This passion she has developed for you – | ||
| Giorgio | Passion for me? Doctor, I hardly know this woman. She threw herself at me and for no reason. I am sure you will do all you can for her. | ||
| Doctor | A simple act on your part is also required. | ||
| Giorgio | I do not wish to get involved. | ||
| Doctor | You are involved. Go and see her. | ||
| Giorgio | No! How can I possibly visit Signora Fosca at her sick bed at night? It’s improper. The Colonel would never improve. | ||
| Doctor | You needn’t worry about that. I have made all the arrangements. | ||
| Giorgio | Does she know about this? | ||
| Doctor | You can’t imagine what this has cost her. You’re a good-looking young man. Beauty has a price as has goodness – another quality you embody. Be kind. Go and see her now. | ||
| Giorgio | And if I go, what then? What will she ask of me tomorrow, next week? | ||
| Doctor | I know how difficult this is for you. But she is dying. And all you have to give her is a few words. Kind words which will make her well. What is the cost of a few words when a life hangs in the balance? Good night. | ||
| (A moment, then Giorgio exits as the Doctor watches)
Scene Seven Fosca’s bedroom.
|
|||
| Giorgio | No need to be frightened. It’s only me. It’s Giorgio. | ||
| Fosca | Oh my God! It’s really you. I never thought you would come. Of course I had hoped … Will you forgive me for having asked? | ||
| Giorgio | I am here because I chose to be. | ||
| Fosca | Sit down. (Giorgio goes to a nearby chair) No, sit here. |
||
| Giorgio | I am fine, Signora. | ||
| Fosca | I want you to be comportable. Please. (Reluctantly, he raises his legs onto the bed; she reaches for a candle, which she raises to his face) God, you are so beautiful. Come, let me see you in the light. No, don’t look at me. Let me look at you. I feel better in the dark. |
||
| Giorgio | Your kindness makes you beautiful. | ||
| Fosca | And do you value such beauty? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, of course. | ||
| Fosca | How do good hearts beat? Can you distinguish them from the bad? Listen to my heart, Giorgio. (Fosca takes Giorgio’s hand and puts it on her heart) It says it loves you. (She places her hand on his chest) What does your heart say? |
||
| Giorgio | It says it loves you. | ||
| Fosca | Like a friend? | ||
| Giorgio | Tonight, (he hesitates) tonight it loves you as you wish. | ||
| Fosca | Thank you, Giorgio. I so wanted to forget you. To think that I could! I wanted to die without seeing you – | ||
| Giorgio | No, I am here to tell you you’d be happier living. | ||
| Fosca | That day I was so unpleasant to you – | ||
| Giorgio | Please, don’t speak of the past. Now that I’ve come, now that we’ve spoken, now you should get some sleep. | ||
| Fosca | Will you stay if I do? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes. Yes, of course. | ||
| Fosca | Will you sleep, too? | ||
| Giorgio | If I can. | ||
| Fosca | Put your head near mine. Can we dream together? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes. (They close their eyes, as Clara enters) |
||
| Clara | My darling Giorgio. It’s three in the morning. I’ve just arisen from a dream of you, a dream so real I could swear you were there at my side. I am so used to this, having you in my dreams night after night. How I wish I could just lie by your side and watch you sleep. To see you disarmed, at peace. Sometimes I think when you watch a person sleep there’s a transparency that lets you see their soul. How I long to see yours … |
||
| (Clara exits. Fosca wakes up and stares at Giorgio a moment before he wakes. She gently reaches out to touch his face.) | |||
| Fosca | It is you. I thought I was dreaming. Draw the curtain, please. I want to see the stars before the daylight takes them away. (Giorgio gets up and complies) Do you think there are worlds out there? |
||
| Giorgio | (staring into the sky) Yes, I do. | ||
| Fosca | Will we visit them one day? | ||
| Giorgio | Oh, I hope so. When I was a child I used to dream I could fly – travel to faraway places. | ||
| Fosca | What is a man like you doing in the army, Giorgio? | ||
| Giorgio | My father was an officer. It was expected. | ||
| Fosca | Call me by my name. | ||
| Giorgio | Fosca. | ||
| Fosca | Say “Giorgio and Fosca”. | ||
| Giorgio | Giorgio and Fosca. | ||
| Fosca | Say “Fosca and Giorgio” | ||
| Giorgio | Fosca and Giorgio. | ||
| Fosca | It’s music! (Pause) Do you love this woman very much? | ||
| Giorgio | Please don’t ask me. I’ve told you how I feel. | ||
| Fosca | What is her name? | ||
| Giorgio | Clara. | ||
| Fosca | Clara. | ||
| Giorgio | I should be going. It will be light soon. | ||
| Fosca | Will you do me a great favor before you go? | ||
| Giorgio | If I can. | ||
| Fosca | Would you write a letter for me? | ||
| Giorgio | Certainly. | ||
| Fosca | You find paper on my desk. (He goes to her desk and sits, taking up a pen.) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes? | ||
|
I Wish I Could Forget You |
|||
| Fosca | My dearest Fosca … (He stops writing and looks at her, annoyed) Please. (he resumes writing) |
||
| Giorgio | ‘My dearest Fosca’ | ||
| Fosca | I wish I could forget you. Erase you from my mind. But ever since I met you, I find, I cannot leave the thought of you behind. That doesn’t mean I love you … |
||
| Giorgio | That doesn’t mean I love you … | ||
| Fosca | I wish that I could love you … I know that I’ve upset you, For now I’m seeing love like none I’ve ever known. I don’t know how I let you so far inside my mind, And should you die tomorrow, (As the music fades) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes. | ||
| Fosca | Do you kiss them goodbye? | ||
| Giorgio | Occasionally. | ||
| Fosca | Would you kiss me goodbye the way you do them? (Giorgio gives her a peck on the forehead) No, like you kiss her. (Fosca suddenly pulls Giorgio to her and embraces him like a lover. Stunned, he pulls himself away; agitated) Go now! Go quickly! I’m going to scream! |
||
| (Giorgio runs from the room. There is a moment of calm and then Fosca lets out an involuntary scream; blackout) | |||
| Scene Four
The dining quarters. |
|||
| Clara | My darling, you did as you should. You had no choice. | ||
| Giorgio | After all, her cousin is my superior. | ||
| Clara | You must think of your career. | ||
| Giorgio | But how could I turn from such a desperate soul? | ||
| Clara | You showed pity | ||
| Giorgio | And yet I have a sinking feeling. | ||
| Clara | It is difficult for a man and a woman to be friends. | ||
| Giorgio | I sense she wants more from me. | ||
| Clara | You must take care to make your intentions clear. | ||
| Giorgio | I’ve opened the door | ||
| Clara | Desperation can take its toll (Fosca is revealed on the stairs, descending; she also carries a letter) |
||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | Should I be cruel to set myself free? | ||
| Clara | There is nothing wrong with thinking of oneself. | ||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | All I think of is you. | ||
| Clara | Keep your distance. | ||
| Giorgio | Keep my distance. | ||
| Clara | Be unavailable to her. | ||
| Giorgio | Unavailable. | ||
| Clara | Yes, aloof. | ||
| Fosca | Three days … | ||
| Giorgio | I love you so much. | ||
| Clara | I love you more. | ||
| Fosca | Three … | ||
| Giorgio | Forever yours. | ||
| Fosca | … days | ||
| Clara | As always. | ||
| Giorgio | Giorgio. | ||
| Clara | Clara. | ||
| (Clara and Giorgio exit in opposite directions. Fosca reads from her letter as she crosses to the table. The dining hall, with its usual habitués, slowly comes into place behind her) | |||
| Fosca | Giorgio, These past three days have been perhaps the most painful of my life. I have looked for you everywhere. No matter how poor my health, I have made my way to the dining room, praying you would be there. You promised me your friendship, Giorgio. But it is clear to me that your promise was a hollow one. I wish I could strike you from my mind and my heart. But I cannot. You may disappear, Giorgio, but I will not. |
||
| (She folds the letter and slips it under the napkin at Giorgio’s place setting, then sits. Everyone follows and the scene comes to life. | |||
| Barri | … so I applied for a new pair of horses, but they only had bays or piebals. | ||
| Lombardi | Piebals! | ||
| Torasso | You certainly don’t want piebals. | ||
| Rizzolli | Perhaps you should go to Turin. There’s a wonderful stable there – | ||
| Barri | No. That stable is no longer reputable (Giorgio enters) |
||
| Torasso | Ah, Bachetti … | ||
| Colonel | We haven’t seen you for three days. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, sir. I decided to accompany my troops on maneuvers. | ||
| Barri | Your hard work will show us all up. | ||
| Giorgio | Nonsense. (He sits and as he takes his napkin, the lights elsewhere darken. He discovers the letter and is about to open it when he looks to Fosca, who returns the look. He immediately sticks the letter into his pocket. The lights restore as he begins to help himself to food.) Excuse me, Doctor. Why do you always place that gold coin on the table at mealtime? |
||
| Doctor | For thirty years, I’ve done that whenever I dine with other officers. The first meal where no one talks about horses or women, (As some of the other officers chime in) I’ll surrender my golden coin. (Laughter) |
||
| Barri | Some risk! You’ll never lose it! | ||
| Rizzolli | I remember a wager that Lieutenant Barri made once – (The lights suddenly change. Fosca grabs Giorgio’s hand as he reaches for the salt; she draws his hand by her side and out of view under the table) |
||
| Fosca | (to Giorgio, whispering) I’ve missed you so much. | ||
| Giorgio | Please. | ||
| Fosca | You must read my letter. | ||
| Giorgio | Let go of my hand. Let go. (Giorgio tries to free his hand with no success; the lights restore) |
||
| Rizzolli | Well, of course there was no chance for anyone but him to win. | ||
| Barri | No one was forced to bet, Major. | ||
| Doctor | Would you please pass the salt? (Giorgio is extremely embarrassed, because he still can’t free his hand. Fosca passes the salt.) Not hungry, Captain? |
||
| Giorgio | Yes, yes. (He helps himself to some veal with his left hand) Colonel, I’ve received a letter this morning. I’m urgently required in Milan. I therefore request a leave of at least five days. |
||
| Doctor | What? (The table noise suddenly quiets) |
||
| Colonel | If you had asked me this in my office, I might have refused. You’ve been here only a month … | ||
| Giorgio | I realised that, sir. It’s of some importance. | ||
| Colonel | When do you want to leave? | ||
| Giorgio | As soon as possible. | ||
| Colonel |
Very well. After all, how can I refuse a guest at my table? |
||
| Torasso | By this time tomorrow, Bachetti, you’ll probably be in the arms of some young beauty. | ||
| (The table fills once more with conversation as Fosca lets go of Giorgio’s hand and dissolves into herself. Giorgio quickly turns from her and continues with his meal as the lights slowly fade to black. In a ghostly fashion, the Soldiers perform their drill.)
|
|||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | All the time I watched from my room … | ||
| Augenti | Thinking we’d meet … | ||
| Soldier 1 | Thinking you’d look at me … | ||
| Soldier 2 | Thinking you’d – | ||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | – be repelled by what you saw. | ||
| Soldier 1&2 | Don’t reject me … | ||
| Others | Don’t deny me … | ||
| Augenti, Soldier 1&2 | Understand me, be my friend. | ||
| All | They hear drums, we hear music Be my friend … |
||
|
|
|||
| Fosca | When will you be back? | ||
| Giorgio | What are you doing up and out at this hour? | ||
| Fosca | When will you be back? | ||
| Giorgio | You know I have a five-day leave. | ||
| Fosca | Will you think about me when you’re gone? | ||
| Giorgio | I’ll think about my work, my superiours, your cousin. That is why I will think of you. (He begins to walk away but Fosca steps in his path) Signora, please. Don’t make this difficult. (He walks further, but she continues to block his path. He raises his hand to impede her; Fosca grabs it and presses it to her breast, then throws herself around him. Giorgio pushes her away) Let go of me. You don’t want someone to see you. |
||
| Fosca | What does it matter if they see me? What do I care if the whole world knows how I feel? I adore you. Is that something I should be ashamed of? Is that something I should hide? (He tries once more to escape, but she drops to the ground and wraps herself around his legs) I’m not a fool. I know you don’t feel the same way as I do. But one loves a dog, an animal. What can I do to get you to love me – a human being like yourself? (She begins to weep) |
||
| Giorgio | Get up Signora, please. (he helps her up) Calm down. Calm down, please. I have to leave straight away. I am touched by your affection. It flatters me greatly. My mind is racing with so many thoughts … |
||
| Fosca | Tell me your thoughts. | ||
| Giorgio | I have to leave straight away. | ||
| Fosca | Write me. | ||
| Giorgio | Fine. I will write you. | ||
| Fosca | Promise. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, I promise. | ||
| Fosca | Tomorrow. | ||
| Giorgio | Tomorrow. Now, please go. I really don’t want anyone to see you here. | ||
| Fosca | Bless you. | ||
| (She lets go and he races out. Music. Fosca crosses to her drawing room on one side of the stage while on the other side Giorgio and Clara’s meeting place appears. Clara is in bed. Silently, Giogio comes to her and embraces her passionately as she begins to strip off his clothes. Augenti enters Fosca’s drawing room with a letter. He hands her the letter, then exits. Fosca tears open the letter)
Trio |
|||
| Fosca | I am writing to you, Signora Just as soon as I’ve arrived With a most unhappy heart. |
||
| Giorgio | God, you are so beautiful – | ||
| Fosca | I do not wish to cause you pain – | ||
| Giorgio | As I remember every night – | ||
| Fosca | So please consider what I say – | ||
| Giorgio | Clear and beautiful – | ||
| Fosca | With calm. | ||
| Giorgio | Every night, every day, Every part of you – |
||
| Fosca | My heart – | ||
| Clara | You feel so good – | ||
| Fosca | My heart belongs – | ||
| Clara | As if you’d never been away – | ||
| Fosca | My heart belongs to someone else. | ||
| Clara | Your breath so warm Your touch so sure – |
||
| Giorgio | Your skin so delicate … | ||
| Clara | Your arms so strong … | ||
| Fosca | I am in love, hopelessly in love – Hopelessly in love, and I am loved Hopelessly in turn, Signora. |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | All this happiness – | ||
| Fosca | You and I – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | Being here with you in the dark. | ||
| Fosca | We’re not meant for each other. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | So much happiness – | ||
| Fosca | If I seemed to imply Something more – |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | Even more than what I felt before! | ||
| Fosca | I apologize. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | To feel your touch again – | ||
| Fosca | But since we’re forced to be together – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | When so much time has passed – | ||
| Fosca | Let us try to face the fact. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | To dream of you and then to be with you again And have some time at last … |
||
| Fosca | Let us both behave with tact. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | How long were we apart – | ||
| Fosca | If this letter seems cold- hearted – | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | A month, a week, a day? | ||
| Fosca | It conceals my own distress. Nonetheless – |
||
| Giorgio, Clara | To feel your touch again – | ||
| Fosca | We must end what never started. | ||
| Giorgio, Clara | You’ve never been away. | ||
| Fosca | You must recognize – | ||
| Clara | Still, I’ve missed you – | ||
| Fosca | There is nothing – | ||
| Giorgio | Hush. | ||
| Fosca | Between us. | ||
| Clara | – so much. | ||
| Fosca | Nothing … | ||
| Giorgio | Shhh. I’m here now. | ||
| Fosca | Nothing, nothing … | ||
| Clara | Welcome home … | ||
| (Clara and Giorgio embrace passionately as Fosca, sone-faced remains alone in her drawing room; her Attendants ever with a shawl, which they wrap about her, and a needlepoint frame, which she takes and begins feverishly working at. Fosca’s Attendants set the stage for Giorgio’s entrance)
|
|||
| Attendants | I’ve watched you from my window I saw you on the day that you arrived. Perhaps it was the way you walked. The way you spoke to your men. You were different then, You were kind and good. I thought you understood … |
||
| Scene Six
Fosca’s drawing room. |
|||
| Giorgio | You sent for me. | ||
| Fosca | I received your letter and I thank you. I hope we can still shake hands. (She extands her hand to him) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes, of course. We can certainly be friends. | ||
| Fosca | You have no idea how mortified I am. | ||
| Giorgio | Mortified? | ||
| Fosca | About everything that has happened. My emotions sometimes overpower my judgement. | ||
| Giorgio | I found your affection very flattering. | ||
| Fosca | How indulgent you are with me. Did you amuse yourself in Milan? | ||
| Giorgio | Very much. | ||
| Fosca | Admit that you only took leave to visit my rival. | ||
| Giorgio | Your rival? Yes, of course that was the purpose of my visit. | ||
| Fosca | Excuse me. I can be very naive sometimes. I should have understood what you meant by your “urgent need to leave”. Will you be going back soon? | ||
| Giorgio | Whenever I can. As soon as possible. | ||
| Fosca | If you get another leave. | ||
| Giorgio | Naturally. | ||
| Fosca | Perhaps I should put in a word to my cousin. My help might serve you well. On the other hand, a negative word … | ||
| Giorgio | Place more value on your dignity. Don’t offend your pride, Signora. | ||
| Fosca | We each deal with our pride as best we can. Do you love this woman very much? | ||
| Giorgio | I wrote to you. | ||
| Fosca | Is she beautiful? | ||
| Giorgio | As an angel. | ||
| Fosca | Then why don’t you marry her? | ||
| Giorgio | She is already married. | ||
| Fosca | And you respect her. | ||
| Giorgio | You can’t love someone without respecting. | ||
| Fosca | That’s not true, but it hardly matters. And is your angel also a mother? | ||
| Giorgio | Let’s stop torturing each other like this. It’s humiliating and degrading. I find your sarcasm most distasteful. | ||
| Fosca | I have many flaws, Captain. | ||
| Giorgio | Our situation is well-defined. Let’s not discuss this subject again. | ||
| Fosca | That is what I would like. | ||
| Giorgio | Good. Perhaps we should have no further occasion to speak of ourselves. | ||
| Fosca | You may also hope that we do not see each other again. | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, that might be very well the best course of action. | ||
| Fosca | You may go now, Captain. I have more important things to do. | ||
| (Giorgio clicks his heels and exits. As Clara walks through, reading a letter. We segue to the Doctor’s office)
|
|||
| Clara | Three weeks … Three weeks … |
||
| Soldiers | This is hell, Living hell … |
||
| Clara | My darling Clara. The last three weeks have been a blessing. Signora Fosca has all but disappeared from my life here. | ||
| Soldiers | Living hell … This godforsaken place |
||
| Clara | She no longer has her meals with us. Even in her absence I find myself hating her more and more. | ||
| Soldiers | This sterile little town This military madness … |
||
| Clara | I’ve realized how I’ve had to temper my feelings towards her. But now that I’m free, I can feel as I please. | ||
| Soldiers | Uniforms, uniforms … | ||
| Clara | But you, my Clara – | ||
| Soldiers | Our days are spent in maneuvers Our evenings in discussing the day |
||
| Clara | You remain in my thoughts | ||
| Soldiers | Uniforms, uniforms | ||
| Clara | – as strong as ever | ||
| Soldiers | (growing louder) Military madness … Military madness … |
||
| (Giorgio approaches the Doctor, who is at his desk) | |||
| Giorgio | Doctor | ||
| Doctor | Thank you for coming so late, Captain. Signora Fosca has taken a turn for the worse. She is mortally ill. | ||
| Giorgio | I’m sorry to hear that. | ||
| Doctor | Don’t you understand, my boy? It’s because of you. | ||
| Giorgio | Because of me? | ||
| Doctor | She told me everything. You rejected her love – which doesn’t actually surprise me – and that has increased the gravity of her disease. She is letting herself die because of you. | ||
| Giorgio | Because of me! Letting herself die? | ||
| Doctor | This passion she has developed for you – | ||
| Giorgio | Passion for me? Doctor, I hardly know this woman. She threw herself at me and for no reason. I am sure you will do all you can for her. | ||
| Doctor | A simple act on your part is also required. | ||
| Giorgio | I do not wish to get involved. | ||
| Doctor | You are involved. Go and see her. | ||
| Giorgio | No! How can I possibly visit Signora Fosca at her sick bed at night? It’s improper. The Colonel would never improve. | ||
| Doctor | You needn’t worry about that. I have made all the arrangements. | ||
| Giorgio | Does she know about this? | ||
| Doctor | You can’t imagine what this has cost her. You’re a good-looking young man. Beauty has a price as has goodness – another quality you embody. Be kind. Go and see her now. | ||
| Giorgio | And if I go, what then? What will she ask of me tomorrow, next week? | ||
| Doctor | I know how difficult this is for you. But she is dying. And all you have to give her is a few words. Kind words which will make her well. What is the cost of a few words when a life hangs in the balance? Good night. | ||
| (A moment, then Giorgio exits as the Doctor watches)
Scene Seven Fosca’s bedroom.
|
|||
| Giorgio | No need to be frightened. It’s only me. It’s Giorgio. | ||
| Fosca | Oh my God! It’s really you. I never thought you would come. Of course I had hoped … Will you forgive me for having asked? | ||
| Giorgio | I am here because I chose to be. | ||
| Fosca | Sit down. (Giorgio goes to a nearby chair) No, sit here. |
||
| Giorgio | I am fine, Signora. | ||
| Fosca | I want you to be comportable. Please. (Reluctantly, he raises his legs onto the bed; she reaches for a candle, which she raises to his face) God, you are so beautiful. Come, let me see you in the light. No, don’t look at me. Let me look at you. I feel better in the dark. |
||
| Giorgio | Your kindness makes you beautiful. | ||
| Fosca | And do you value such beauty? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes, of course. | ||
| Fosca | How do good hearts beat? Can you distinguish them from the bad? Listen to my heart, Giorgio. (Fosca takes Giorgio’s hand and puts it on her heart) It says it loves you. (She places her hand on his chest) What does your heart say? |
||
| Giorgio | It says it loves you. | ||
| Fosca | Like a friend? | ||
| Giorgio | Tonight, (he hesitates) tonight it loves you as you wish. | ||
| Fosca | Thank you, Giorgio. I so wanted to forget you. To think that I could! I wanted to die without seeing you – | ||
| Giorgio | No, I am here to tell you you’d be happier living. | ||
| Fosca | That day I was so unpleasant to you – | ||
| Giorgio | Please, don’t speak of the past. Now that I’ve come, now that we’ve spoken, now you should get some sleep. | ||
| Fosca | Will you stay if I do? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes. Yes, of course. | ||
| Fosca | Will you sleep, too? | ||
| Giorgio | If I can. | ||
| Fosca | Put your head near mine. Can we dream together? | ||
| Giorgio | Yes. (They close their eyes, as Clara enters) |
||
| Clara | My darling Giorgio. It’s three in the morning. I’ve just arisen from a dream of you, a dream so real I could swear you were there at my side. I am so used to this, having you in my dreams night after night. How I wish I could just lie by your side and watch you sleep. To see you disarmed, at peace. Sometimes I think when you watch a person sleep there’s a transparency that lets you see their soul. How I long to see yours … |
||
| (Clara exits. Fosca wakes up and stares at Giorgio a moment before he wakes. She gently reaches out to touch his face.) | |||
| Fosca | It is you. I thought I was dreaming. Draw the curtain, please. I want to see the stars before the daylight takes them away. (Giorgio gets up and complies) Do you think there are worlds out there? |
||
| Giorgio | (staring into the sky) Yes, I do. | ||
| Fosca | Will we visit them one day? | ||
| Giorgio | Oh, I hope so. When I was a child I used to dream I could fly – travel to faraway places. | ||
| Fosca | What is a man like you doing in the army, Giorgio? | ||
| Giorgio | My father was an officer. It was expected. | ||
| Fosca | Call me by my name. | ||
| Giorgio | Fosca. | ||
| Fosca | Say “Giorgio and Fosca”. | ||
| Giorgio | Giorgio and Fosca. | ||
| Fosca | Say “Fosca and Giorgio” | ||
| Giorgio | Fosca and Giorgio. | ||
| Fosca | It’s music! (Pause) Do you love this woman very much? | ||
| Giorgio | Please don’t ask me. I’ve told you how I feel. | ||
| Fosca | What is her name? | ||
| Giorgio | Clara. | ||
| Fosca | Clara. | ||
| Giorgio | I should be going. It will be light soon. | ||
| Fosca | Will you do me a great favor before you go? | ||
| Giorgio | If I can. | ||
| Fosca | Would you write a letter for me? | ||
| Giorgio | Certainly. | ||
| Fosca | You find paper on my desk. (He goes to her desk and sits, taking up a pen.) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes? | ||
|
I Wish I Could Forget You |
|||
| Fosca | My dearest Fosca … (He stops writing and looks at her, annoyed) Please. (he resumes writing) |
||
| Giorgio | ‘My dearest Fosca’ | ||
| Fosca | I wish I could forget you. Erase you from my mind. But ever since I met you, I find, I cannot leave the thought of you behind. That doesn’t mean I love you … |
||
| Giorgio | That doesn’t mean I love you … | ||
| Fosca | I wish that I could love you … I know that I’ve upset you, For now I’m seeing love like none I’ve ever known. I don’t know how I let you so far inside my mind, And should you die tomorrow, (As the music fades) |
||
| Giorgio | Yes. | ||
| Fosca | Do you kiss them goodbye? | ||
| Giorgio | Occasionally. | ||
| Fosca | Would you kiss me goodbye the way you do them? (Giorgio gives her a peck on the forehead) No, like you kiss her. (Fosca suddenly pulls Giorgio to her and embraces him like a lover. Stunned, he pulls himself away; agitated) Go now! Go quickly! I’m going to scream! |
||
| (Giorgio runs from the room. There is a moment of calm and then Fosca lets out an involuntary scream; blackout) | |||