The Love of Three Oranges 37 BRIGHELLA. Well, since I’ve been such a loyal lackey, I want a posi- tion too. All I want is to be in charge of the court's entertainments. I want to be the master of revels, the raja of rubber chickens, the workman of the whoopee cushion! (LEANDRO and CLARICE gag and look ill.) CLARICE. Comedies! Spare us! LEANDRO. You don’t see comedies winning the awards and criti- cal acclaim. We'll need to raise our brow a bit higher. Our court will have the kind of art that’s good for us: stories steeped in searing po- litical commentary, reflective pieces that examine the futility of the human condition and those delightful English class staples where every line needs a corresponding footnote to decode it. BRIGHELLA. But don’t you think sometimes people enjoy some- thing a little more relatable? Just your standard good versus evil, they lived happily ever after...? CLARICE. You are just so lost, aren’t you? Nobody likes stories like that anymore. They like something they can wear their pearls to and discuss over an expensive glass of scotch. LEANDRO. If you had your way, weld be sharing our art with the rabble. (He shudders.) If you must do comedy, do the dark satire, the ironic parody, the self aware serio-comedy. CLARICE. Broad comedy and slapstick is so last millennium. (To LEANDRO:) Come along, my cuddly little lump of dryer lint, let’s sneak into the trophy room and see which crown looks best on you. (They both exit. BRIGHELLA looks around the empty stage. To himself} BRIGHELLA. I kinda like broad comedy and slapstick. (He starts to exist and trips, falling comically to the floor. He gets up and winks at the audience before exiting.) Scene 2 (The NARRATOR turns the page as he speaks. The scene chang- es to an ominous wilderness and caldron. There are no actors on stage, save the NARRATOR.) NARRATOR. A large, ominous wilderness. Celio, the good magi- cian, nemesis to Fata Morgana, (Chord.) and the protector of Prince Tartaglia, was making circles on the ground to summon the demon Farfarello to his aid. But Celio is more powerful than Morgana knew.