You know me as Hedda Gabler. A few days ago, I returned from my honeymoon in France to this house, an estate purchased by my new husband, Jorgen Tesman, a University lecturer. (Moves up toward him). The money came from a mortgage on the home of his maiden aunts, Julia and Irina, who raised him.
I hold that mortgage. They call me Judge Brack. A former suitor of Hedda Gabler, the late General's daughter, I'm rather fond of other men's wives. She however was only interested in the romantic ideals of Eilert Lovborg who left town unexpectedly. Lovborg returned while the happy couple were abroad. Because of a recent sensational book, the wayward scholar became a rival for poor Jorge's promised position at the University--with my support. Of course, things have changed dramatically today. Lovborg died of a gunshot wound to the gut at the establishment of a certain Mademoiselle Diana. The manuscript of his second book, which promised to make him really famous, has mysteriously vanished. Actually, I think Hedda may have burned it, in this very stove.
But Eilert Lovborg's work will survive, even though he told me he tore it to pieces and threw it into the fjord. The book was created with my help while dear Eilert was tutoring my children in our small provincial town . I'm Mrs. Thea Elvsted. I actually went the same school as Hedda; I was younger than her of course. I left my country home to follow Eilert here to the city; he inspired me so. And I brought all the original notes for his book with me.
I am Jorgen Tesman. I'm very fond of research, as my wife will tell you. I've made it my mission to reconstruct Lovborg's ground-breaking book from these original papers. It will mean abandoning my research on medieval French domestic arrangements, unfortunately. I feel responsible for my wife's actions. Aunt Julia says Hedda's expecting. Thea here will be invaluable in this monumental task. We're all mourning my poor old Aunt 'Rina.; she just died. I'll miss her, though dear Aunt Julia is still here. She made me these slippers.
I told Jorge earlier this evening that I
burned Lovborg's manuscript because I couldn't bear seeing my
husband overshadowed. He's very trusting. But Brack knows something
he's not telling me, something about the pistol I secretly gave
Lovborg when he was here ranting this morning. (Pause) It's time
all this came to an end.
Lights change slowly as Hedda moves to start the scene
Behind THEA's chair, rufflng her
hair, gently
Well, my darling Thea,--how goes it with Eilert Lovborg's literary
monument?
Looks up at her dispiritedly,papers in
hand
All his original notes will be so terribly hard to put in order,
Mrs. Tesman.
We'll manage it, eh? Arranging other people's
papers is just the work for me, Hedda.
HEDDA goes over to the stove, sits on the footstool.,
facing front.
BRACK rises and stands over her, leaning on the armchair.
You said something about my pistol, Judge
Brack?
Lovborg must have stolen it.
Stolen one of my pistols?
Any other explanation would be unthinkable,
Mrs. Hedda
Lovborg visited here this morning. No?
Yes.
You were alone with him here?
Briefly.
You never left this room ?
No.
Think back. Weren't you out of the room,
even--briefly?
Perhaps for a moment. I went in to the piano.
Pointing upstage
Your pistol-case was where at that time?
I keep it locked up in ---
Where, Mrs. Hedda?
The case was there on the writing-table.
Are both your pistols still there?
I haven't felt like shooting anything yet
today.
I must tell you I saw the pistol taken from
Lovborg's pocket. The same pistol I saw here yesterday. In this
room. When you almost shot me out there in the garden.
You've brought it back to return it, of
course?
Unfortunately the police kept your pistol.
The police ? Whatever will they do with
it?
Try to find its owner, of course.
Do you think that likely?
No, Hedda Gabler -- as long as I say nothing.
If you do not?
It's possible your pistol was stolen.
Death rather than that.
People say such things -- they never do anything about them.
Supposing my pistol was not simply -- stolen.
What then?
My dear Hedda--then the scandal starts!
The scandal!
Yes, scandal. That appalls you, doesn't it, Mrs. Hedda. You will, of course, be brought before the inquest -- you and Mademoiselle Diana. She will have to explain just what happened in her rooms. Was it an accident or murder? Did your pistol go off as Lovborg was trying to get it out of his pocket, perhaps to threaten her, or whatever mad act he intended ? Did she grab for it , accidently shoot him below the belt, and push your gun back into his pocket? That would be quite like her. She is an energetic young person, our Mademoiselle Diana.
But I have nothing to do with such repulsive business. I don't even know this Mademoiselle Diana.
No. But you will have to answer one
question: Did you give Eilert Lovborg your pistol? People will
draw conclusions, whatever you answer
I hadn't considered that.
You're in no danger, my dear Hedda, as long
as I say nothing.
So I am in your power, my dear Judge.
Pause
You have me at your beck and call, from this time forward.
Believe me, Mrs. Hedda, I shall not abuse
my singular advantage.
None the less, I am subject to your will--and
your demands, A slave!
Rises impetuously. Never!
People generally accept the inevitable,
my dear.
Perhaps.
Well? How are you two getting on, Jorge? Mocking Eh?
Heaven knows, darling. In any case all this cross-referencing will take months.
Fancy that! Passes her hands softly through
THEA's hair.
Doesn't it seem strange to you, Thea? Here you are sitting with
Jorgen Tesman
--just the way you used to sit in your house with Eilert Lovborg.
If I could only inspire your husband the same way!
Oh, inspiration will come--in time.
Yes, you know, Hedda--I do think I begin to feel something like that. Pats THEA's hand. But why don't you go and keep Judge Brack company again? Eh?
There's nothing I can do to help you two?
Nothing I can think of. Turning his head. I trust to you to keep our Hedda entertained, my dear Brack.
With the very greatest of pleasure.
I 'm feeling wretched after this horrible day. I will go in and lie down in the music room.
You do that, dear--eh? Shows something
to THEA. BRACK stirs fire.
HEDDA goes into the back room. A short pause.
Suddenly she is heard playing the Death March on the piano
.
Oh heavens! Music stops
Dearest Hedda--don't play that tonight!
Think of the dead!
Aunt Rina -- and Eilert Lovborg too.
Don't forget General Gabler. Pause
I will be quiet from now on.
HEDDA closes the curtains again. Sound of door
locking
It's not good for her to see us at this
distressing work. She and Eilert were such good friends.
I have an idea, Mrs. Elvsted,--you shall take Rina's rooms at
Aunt Julia's.
I will come over in the evenings. We can sit and work there --
eh?
How convenient for you, Jorgen Tesman.
How am I to get through my evenings alone in this mausoleum?
Oh, I daresay Judge Brack will be so kind as to look in on you now and then, even though I am out.
Every blessed evening. I'll teach you to
play chess, Mrs. Tesman!
We shall get on famously together, just we two!
Don't you flatter yourself, my dear judge.
A shot is heard within. JORGE, THEA, and
BRACK leap to their feet.
She 's playing with the General's old pistols
again. Tries doorknob through curtains
She's locked this door. We'll have to go around to the hallway.
JORGE goes out UL followed by THEA.
BRACK goes up to try the door . He reaches for
the knob
HEDDA steps through with an antique pistol.
The hall door's locked too.
Good God! - people don't do such things.
BRACK crumples on his side stage center facing
upstage, shudders and dies.
HEDDA kneels, puts pistol in his hand, then stands
above him..
Hedda, Hedda! JORGE , THEA
return
What this, eh? THEA screams, runs out
Eh?
Sit down. Your friend the Judge has just shot himself. Our Brack couldn't face the scandal.
Scandal?
At Mademoiselle Diana's. She was a -- friend of his. It was Brack who gave my other pistol to Eilert Lovborg, his protege. That's what we were talking about so quietly earlier.
I heard a shot.
The General had a derringer. Totally inaccurate. It's on the piano. I thought it would get your attention. Kneels, searches BRACK's inner breast pocket. Pulls out mortgage. I knew he'd have this with him. Aunt Julia's mortgage. (To herself) In case he needed to threaten me with her house too. Looking through it. The only witness is Aunt Rina. Not very clever for a judge.
I don't understand.
You don't need to. Thea will be back with the police eventually, if she doesn't fall in the fjord. Just remember your place at the University is now assured--with Lovborg and Brack out of the picture.
Perhaps I better go after Thea, eh?
And leave the mother of your child alone with a corpse!
You're not --
Aunt Julia has a keen eye.
HEDDA goes to the stove, sits, tears and burns
mortgage while talking
Now as for Mrs.Thea Elvsted --you understand that a respectable
member of the University Faculty can't be seen associating with
a woman who's left her husband and children for a man who's just
committed suicide in a brothel.
But Lovborg's wonderful book --
I'll help you with that--God knows I heard Eilert prattle on about his advanced ideas for years. Reaches under chair. We will have to rewrite this opus completely. Produces a manuscript
But you burned --
An embarrassing catalog of medieval French domestic habits. Even the scenery was boring, dear. After the baby comes, we'll take a proper trip.
I --
Will be famous for uniting the late Eilert Lovborg's philosophic fantasies with sound scholarship. Just think of the fun you'll have, Jorge, finding historical instances. And you can cross-reference all that original material.
Eh --
Paris! The Opera. Pause The Bibliotechque
Nationale. JORGE sits down
Aunt Julia can mind the baby back here. Just let me do the talking.
HEDDA puts manuscript back under the chair from
behind
We'll hide that until Thea's gone. Too bad Mrs. Elvsted has to
stay around for Brack's inquest. She'll really want to leave after
that kind of experience.
Here's what happened. I came back out here while you and Mrs. Elvsted were going around to the hall door. Judge Brack had already taken my other pistol from his pocket. He must have made off with the pair of them when he was here - as usual - this morning. I asked him "Are you going to shoot me too?" I said "You'll really need a better story than the one about Lovborg. Mademoiselle Diana wouldn't be here to back you up and I'll be dead." Then I asked him -as a joke- "Why don't you shoot yourself just like your friend Eilert? And he did. But I won't go into the details. We'll just say I found him like this when I came out after I heard the second shot. The authorities will be eager to cover up the whole scandal.
You have to admit your dear Brack had been
acting strangely since we've come back -- always coming around
here-- sponsoring Eilert Lovborg at the University! When
men reach a certain age without finding a partner --
Walks over and looks down at the pistol
I'm going to miss General Gabler's old pistols. I think I'll replace
them with a nice pair of Colt revolvers - soon.
JORGE starts gathering up the papers as lights fade.
A full-scale production of this interlude is probably pointless, though attention to props and careful staging to create period "realism" may help.
HEDDA -
A dark dress, period hairstyle will do. Try a shawl in the first
part of the scene,>
JORGEN - A tweedy suit, a vest and period shirt collar.
Glasses. Mourning band around his right jacket sleeve.
BRACK - A tailcoat if possible; he needs to look well-dressed.
Evident jewelry. Don't overdo the villain look.
THEA - A shirtwaist. Small jacket. Her hair can be down.
Maybe glasses.
- Starting on a neutral, preferably black
stage
Upstage center hang a set of heavy drawing room curtains, which
hide the music room doors. Support on stands or hang from above.
These don't need to draw but Hedda has to go in and out. Doorknob
can be mounted on a movable black upright, swung upstage when
exiting. Hedda puts this stand back on its marks, so Jorge can
reach it to discover the door's been locked, Hedda then swings
this out of the way for her final entrance. Put scrap rug on the
bottom of the stand to avoid noise. The UL exit doesn't need any
indication, though floral displays indicating upper corners of
the set would be nice, with a third to mark the door to the garden.
The writing table UL can be a cardtable with a suitable green?
cloth. Needs two plain side chairs. Avoid a kitchen look. Use
best furniture feasible.
An oriental rug stage center would be nice. Would help with final
focus
The armchair DR should be throne-like if possible. Can be made
more period with antimacassars and a laprobe draped down (which
will also hide the manuscript).
The hearthstool DR needs to high enough so Hedda can sit and rise
gracefully. Cover or drape to work with the armchair.
The "stove" DR stage edge is indicated by a "brick"
base and fire tools. Action with it should be carefully mimed.
If possible, mount a red light in the base pointing up, which
is turned on when stove is opened.
Firetools -
Upstage of "stove", period looking.
Pistol - Add weight (plasticene?) to plastic dueling toy.
Should look real, finish with permanent marker.
Papers - Loose handwritten, discolored?? Use same ribbons
on manuscript, which should look more orderly. It must fit under
the armchair. Add period fringe to hide it if necessary. Mortgage
has seals
Gunshots
-Starter pistol for off-stage, or fewer caps. Could be a clapper.
**Stage Manager's "sure-shot" for the real one.
Music - Piano at opening - A mazurka perhaps. Fade out
on lights up.
- Death March - record this being played not especially well with
too much pedal.
Doorlock - do live if possible. Experiment with metallic
objects.
**Sure-Shot. Tape a roll of red caps to the head of a metal
or fiberglass handled hammer. Use several layers of masking tape.
Strike on a scrap of hardwood flooring. Wear a leather work glove
and eye protection. Keep the fire extinguisher handy; watch out
for sparks. Don't use in a dusty environment or close to flammable
materials. Don't try hitting rolls of caps taped down; instead.
use one hammer for each shot.