96 TIIE INF'ERNAL MATHINE

They disappear. We still hesr locasta and. Antiigone

tpeaking in perfect unison.
Carefully . . . Count the steps, One, two, three, four, ffve. . .
cmEoN. And if they do pass safely through the city, who
will be responsible for them, who will give them shelter?
ORPHEUS
TmEsrAs. Glory.
translated bY
cREClN, More likely, dishonor., . shame.
JOHN SAVACOOL
TrnEsras. Who can say?

CUNTAIN
 CHARACTERS
ORPHEUS
EURYDICE
TIIE HONSE
HEURTEBISE
DEATII
AZRAEL, Death's First Assistant
RAPHAEL, Death's Second Assistant
posmwANis vorcP
COMMISSIONER
CLENK

The scene is tnid in Thrace.

Orpheus was ffrst performed at the Th6Atre des Arts in

Paris on June 17, 1926, with Georges Pitoeff in the title role.
r
100 ORPHEUS
COSTUMES
Costumes for this play should conform with the place
and period in which the play is presented.
Orpheus and Eurydice wear simple country clothes, as far
as possible in no identiffable style.
Heurtebise wears a blue workmanns jacket, a dark scarf
around his neck, a pair of sandals on his feet. He is tanned
and hatless; and nelrer removes the glazier's pack of win-
dowpanes strapped like a mountaineer's pack onto his back.
The Commissioner and his clerk wear black morning coats.
They have panama hats, goatees, and spats.
Death is a beautiful young woman in a bright pink eve-
ning gown and fur wrap. Her hair, gown, wrap, shoes, ges-
tures, and manner of walking are in accord with the latest
high fashion. She wears a mask on which is painted a pair
of big blue eyes. She talks rapidly in a mechanical manner
and never quite seems to establish contact with the rest of
us. Even her surgeon's jacket should be of an elegant cut.
Death's assistants wear the white coats and rubber gloves
we associate with the operating room of a hospital.
DECOR
A room in Orpheus' country cottage. It is a curious room,
reminiscent of a magician's parlor. Despite the clear light
of an April sky seen through the window, one senses here the
presence of occult forces. In this room even the most ordi-
nary objects take on a mysterious glow.
In the center of the rear wall, in a stall which is really
no more than a cubbyhole, we see a white horse. This horse
has legs which might be human. Stage right of the horse, in
another laurel-wreathed cubbyhole, is a pedestal waiting to
receive a bust or small statue.
oRprlEUS 101
Next to the pedestal, at t}e extreme right of the upstage
wall, is a door wfrich opens onto a garden. When this door
opens it swings back and blocks our view of the pedestal.
Siage left of ihe horse is a porcelain washstand. On the ex-
treme left of this upstage wall is a glass doorway opening
onto a balcony.
Downstage right, against the wall, is a large mirror. Up-
stage of the mirror is a bookcbse. Across from the bookcase,
on the stage-left wall, is the doorway to Eurydice's room. A
canted ceiling encloses the set like a box.
This room is furnished with two tables and three white
chairs. One of the tables is used as a writing desk and, with
one of the chairs, is placed stage right near the mirror.
The second table, stage left, is set with fruit, plates, a de-
canter, glasses (all of which resemble the gadgets olr -a
magician's worktable). It is covered with a cloth which
drops to the floor. Behind the table is a white chair, facing
the audience. The third white chair is to the left of the
table, ofiering the audience a proffle view of the sitter'
In staging this play the director must neither add nor sub-
tract a uii ot change the disposition of doorways and win-
dows. The"t set, as described by the author, is a part of the
text and every element, down to the last detail, plays its
part in the action - iust as every rope in an acrobat's para-
of
|hernalia lends its bit of tension necessary to the balance
the trapezes as they fly through the air.
There are no colors in this room, except for the blue of
the sky and a band of dark red velvet stretched at waist
height across the entrance of the horse's stall, covering the
middle of the animal's bodY.
This set should remind one of those airplane or ship in-
teriors which side-show photographers o$er as painted back-
drops for their bargain-priced snapshots.
What's more, this set matches the people and actions of
the play in the same hard, naive manner as the fake per-
.p""Lr" of the photographer's backdrop matches the sub-
iects of his pictures.
 PROLOGUE

The actor uho u:ill ptay Orpheus appeals in front of the

a.rtain.
Ladies and gentlemen, this prologue is not in the script.
Doubtless the author, if he's here tonight, will be surprised
to see me in front of the curtain. But I have a request to
make. This tragedy he has given us to perform is a ticklish
affair,"and so I'm asking that you wait until the very end to
express any objections to the way we play it. You see, we'll
be performing very high with no nets to catch us if we fall.
The slightest distraction from the house might make us lose
our balance. That means death for me and my fellow actors.
He disappears behinil the curtain.
 ORPHEUS 105

The horse starnp's its hoof. Orpheus courrts.

A. B. C. D. E. E? Is it the letter E?
The horse shakes its head up and dousn,
EURyDrcE. What did you think it would be?
oRPHEUs, furious. Sh-shl
ORPHEUS
The harse starts stumping its hoof .

Orphew is seated at the table, stage right. He is inter- A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. r. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R.

rogating the spirit world by mearw of taps represmting let-
To Eurgdice
ters of the alphabet. Eu.rgdtce is seated, stage left, at the
table set for lurrch. And dont you dare laugh. R? Is it really the letter R?
EuRYDrcE, Can I move now?
M - E - R, mer? Did I miscount? Horse, tell mel Is it
really the letter R? If it is, knock once. Knock twice if I'm
oRPrrEUs. Hold it one second. wrong.

EURyDrcE. But he's not tapping any more. The horse knocl<s once.
ErmyprcE. How many times do you have to ask him?
onpHEUs. Sometimes there is a long wait between the
ffrst letter and the rest of the word. oRpHEUs. Quiet, please. You'll make him nervous. The
horse gets upset when people are skeptical. Either be quiet
or go to your room.
oRPHErus. Well, don'tl
nunynrcr- I won't open my mouth.
EuRyDrcE. But it's always the same word, over and over onrPHEUs. That's more like itl
again.
To the horse.
oRpHEUs. M, M... Come on, horse. What comes after the
Ietter MP . . . I'm waiting. Now, M - E - R, mer t.. Speak, horse, I'm listening. Speak
to me, horse; Horset Come on, tryl What comes after the
runvorcr. How long before you learn that the horse's letter R?
head is just as empty as yours is?
The horse knocks. Orpheus counts,
oRpHEt s. Come on now, I'm listeuingl Ml Ml What
comes after M? A. B. C.

The horse mooes. Silence,

C. The letter C. Did you hear that, young ladyt

What's that? Did you say something? Tell me what let-
ter comes after M. Thehorseknocl*.
r06 ORPIIEIXI ORPIIEUS L07

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. Merci! Merci! That's French for she? A woman who drinks, who walla the streets with a
"thank you." He was spelling out "thank you"! Is that all? tiger on a leash, who puts ideas in our'wives' heads and
Is that all there is to it? scares young girls out of marriage.

The horse slmkes its heail "Ees)' ErrnyDrcE. But that's her religion. It's moon worship!
This is stu-pen-dousl You see, Eurydice, if I'd listened to onpHEUs. All right, defend herl Why don't you go back to
you I'd never have known. "Merci," and tha;t's all there is to the Bacchantes, if ,you like the way they live?
it. Stu-pen-dous! EuRyDrcE. I was only teasing. You know it's you I love.
EURYDTcE. Why? One look from you and I tumed my back on those people.
onPHEUS. What do you mean, why? oRpHEUs. Fine company for a young girl! I'll never forget
Aglaonice's voice when she said: "Take the girl, since she
EuRl'DrcE. Why is it stupendous? Of course merci means
wants to go. Silly women are mad for artists . . . but I'11 have
"thank you" - but so what? the last laugh, young fellow, you'll see."
oRpHEUs. So whatl Last week this horse gave me one of EURYDToE. It gave me the chills.
the most astonishing sentences the world has ever heard.
oRplrrus. If I ever meet that creature again . . .
EURYDTcE. Really now. .
He bangs the inleu:ell onthe table.
onpHEUs . . . . one of the most
astonishing sentences the
world has ever heard. And I intend to use it to change the EURyDrcE. See how nervous the horse has made you! You
face of poetry. Here I am immortalizing my horse and you used to laugh, kiss me, throw your afins around me. You had
wonder why he says, "thank you." Why the very fact that he a good iob. The world was in the palm of your hand. Why,
said it in French shows how tacdul he is. And all the while they couldn't wait to read your poems and everybody in
I thought. . . Thrace knew them by heart as soon as you wrote them
down. That's because you sang of the sun, because you were
Ho throus his arms around the horse. a priest singing of the gods. But then that horse came into
darling, try to be fair. Admit that since
EURLDrcE. Orpheus, your life. We moved to the country. You quit your job and
the horse gave you that astonishing sentence you've re- stopped writing. Now you spend your time petting that horse,
ceived one word, one single word - and not a very poetic interrogating that horse, waiting for that horse to answer
word at that. you. It's ridiculoust
onpHEUs. Who's to say what is poetic and what isn't? oRpHEUs. Ridiculous? I was so successful I was overripe,
beginning to rot, and I stunk of it. The sun and the moon,
EUnyDrcE. When Aglaonice had. s6ances her table always they're all the same to me. I wanted to be in the dark-deep
tapped out the same thing. in the night. Not your night, or theirs, but minet This horse
oRrHEUS. Leave that woman out of this. I told you not lcnows the way. He insinuates himself into my private dark'
to mention her name again. She almost ruined you, didn't ness and comes up like a skin diver bearing a few sentences.
 ORPHEUS ORPHEUS 109
Canlt you see that a single one of those sentences is more onpHEUs. Who cares about success or the horse or what
astonishing than any poem I ever wrote? Why, I'd give ev- the public thinks. Besides, I'm no longer alone.
ery word I ever put on paper for one of those sentences in
EuRyDrcE. Oh, I forgot your fans! Four or ffve insensitive
which I can hear myself purr the way you hear the ocean
rowdies who think you're an anarchist and a dozen adoles-
in a seashell. Ridiculous! What do you want out of life? cent morons trpng to show off.
I'm turning myself inside out to discover a world. I'm on the
trail of the unknown. onpHEUs. Just wait! Some day these poems of mine will
EURyDrcE. And now we get the famous words . . . charm the beasts - the real ones.

the sentence. EuRyDrcE. If you scorn success so much then why did you
oRpHEUs, seriouslg. Yes, here comes
enter your sentence in the poetry contest? The fact that you
He u:alks to the horse and recites his sentence, submitted a poem to the All-Thrace poetry contest means
that you attach some importance to the prize.
"Lady Eurydice shall return from the underworld."
EURyDrcE. That doesn't make sense. oRprIEUs. Someone has to make a scandal, throw a bomb.
Someone has to clear the air or we'll all sufiocate. I can't
onprrEus. Who cares if the words make sense! Glue your breathe any more.
ear to them. Listen to their mystery. "Eurydice shall return"
. . . now that'd be quite ordinary. But "Lady" Eurydice! ErrarrDrcE. But we were getting along so nicely.
"Lady Eurydice shall retum ,, ." Shall return. Can't you oRPHErrs. Too nicely.
hear the rribrations in that future tense? And then the twist
underworld." Why, you should be flattered that EURYDTcE. You were in love with me.
- "from
gou
the
I'm talking about.
it's t oRPHEus. I am in love with you.
EURyDrcE. But it's not you who's talking . . . EUByDrcE. You're in love with the horse.
Pointing. oRpHEUs. Don't be stupid. The horse has nothing to do
It's himl with it.
onpHEUs. Who's to say who's talking - him, me, or no- Halfheartedlg, he kisses Eurydice and then roalks torpard
body at all. We bump into each other in the dark; we're up the horse.
to our necks in the supernatural, playing hide-and-seek with
fsn't that right, old fellow. Isn't that right, buddy? What's
the gods. Who really knows anything at all? "Lady Eury- that? You love me, do you? Oh, you want some sugar? Well
dice shall return from the underworld." That isn't a state- then, give me a kiss, Come on, you can do better than
ment at all. It's a poem, a poem of a dream, a flower that. Isn't he beautifull Here.
plucked from the backyard of death.
He takes a lwnp of rugar out of his pocket and, gioes it
EuRyDrcE. Tell it to your public. They'll never admit that to the horse
poetry consists in just writing down words - and that your
biggest success was a whole sentence copied from a horse. There's a good boy.
110 oRPHEUs ONPHEUS 1r1
EURyDrcE. I don't count any more. I could &e, and you He bangs his fist on the table.
wouldn't even notice.
EURyDrcE. You don't have to break the furniture.
oRpHEUs.'We were already dead without noticing it.
onprrEus. Break the furniture! Listen to who's talking!
EuRyDrcE. Orpheus, put your arms around me. My wife smashes a window every day and now she tells me
oRpHEUs. Sorry, I haven't time. I'm going into town. But, I'm too rough on the furniture.
Burydice, tomorrow's the deadline and I still haven't signed EURYDTcE. In the ftrst place . . .
up for the contest.
onpHEUs, pacing. I know, you still haven't broken one
EURyDrcE, in aburst of emotion. Orpheus, please! today.
onpHEUS. Do you see that pedestal? There's nothing on it. EURYDTcE. But...
And there won't be anything on it until I've made rr)r rnas:
terpiece. oRrHEUS. Well, break itt Go ahead and break a windowl
EuRyDrcE. They'll throw stones at you. . Why must you get so upset over something so
oRpHEUs. I'll convert those stones into my own image -
mold them into a bust for the pedestal. oRpHEUs. She's a sly one, she ist If you haven't broken
one today, that's because you know I won't be home . . .
EURyDrcE. The Bacchantes will get you.
EURYDTcE. What are you hinting at?
oRPHEUS. I don't even know them.
onpHEUs. Do you think I'm blind? You break one win-
EURyDrcE. You should. They're attractive. Aglaonicerhates
dowpane a day so that the glazier will come to ffx it.
you. And she's entering a poem in the contest tob.
onPHEUs. There's that woman again!
EURyDrcE. What if I do! He's a ffne young man, and very
sensitive. And he adores you.
EURyDrcE. Be fair, Orpheus. She fs talented.
onPHEUs. How nice of himt
oRPHEUs. You don't sayt
ErrRyDrcE. Ihave to do something while you talk to your
ErrRyDrcE. In an unpleasant way, of course. But in a sense, horse, so f smash a window. You're not jealous, are you,
from one point of view, she does have talent. She does make Orpheus?
some striking images.
onprrEus. Who, me, jealous? ]ealous of a mere boy who
onpurus. "In a sense . . . from one point of view"t Did ftxes broken windows? I might as well be iealous of old
the Bacchantes teach you to talk that way? So you admit Aglaonice. Look, if you won't break one, I wilt. It'll make
that, in a sense, you ftnd her images striking, that from one me feel better.
point of view my mortal enemies have talent. Yet you claim
you love me. Well, young lady, in that sense and from that He smashes a toindowpane.
point of view; let me tell you I've had all I can take. This Outside we hear: "New roindotas fer oW New toindous
horse is the only person in the house who understands me" for ol.d,!"
tta ORPIIEUS ORPHEUS

Hey, glaziert Up heret Now, lvho's jealousP EURyDrcE. I'd rather lorow he had a rnistress in town.
Heurtebise errters. He appears on the balcorry. The sn- HEURTEBTsE. You just say that. . .
light strikes the panes of glass strapped to his back. He
cornes in the room, bends o knee, and, crosses his arms on
EuRyDrcE. If it weren't for my friendship with you, I'd
have given up long ago.
his chest.
HEUnrEBrsE. Eurydice . . .
rrEuRTEBrsE. Ladies and gentlemen good afterqoon.
-
oRpHEUs. Come in, young fellow. It was I, I, who broke EURyDrcE. She lools at herself in the mirror and, smiles.
the window, and I want you to replace the glass while I'm ]ust think, I've done something clever. He,s ffnally noticed
gone. that I've been breaking a window every day. Instead of tell-
ing him I was breaking glass to bring good luck, I said it
To EurEdice. Darling, you'll see that he does a good job, was to get you in the house.
won't you?
rrEuRrEBrsE. I'd have thought that. ..
To the hotrse.Doeshe love his poet?
EuRyDrcE. Let me ffnish. We quarreled, of course, and he
He kisses the horse. smashed a window himself. Heurtebise, I think he,s jealous.
Until tonight. HEURTEBTsE. Then since you love him...
Orpheus leaoes. ErrRyDrcE. The worse he treats me the more I love him.
EURyDrcE, to Heuttebrsa. You see, I wasn't imagining You know, I think he was even jealous of Aglaonice.
things. HEURTEBTsE. A glaonice?
HEURTEBTsE. It's unheard of.
EunyDrcE. He has ahorror of everything that suggests the
EuRYDrcE. Now you understand. people I ffrat's why I,m afraid *ele takirrg
used to know.
an awful chance. Sh-shl I can't help feeling that horse ii
HEURTEBTsE. You poor lady. ..
listening to us.
EuRyDrcE. Ever since the night he brought home that horse,
Theg tiptoe to the h.orse's stall.
ever since they've been talking together . . .
HEURTEBTSE. He's asleep.
rrEURrEBrsE. Has the horse answered him yet?
Theg tiptoe dounstage.
EURyDrcE. It says "thank you" - in French.
EURyDrcE. Did you see Aglaonice?
HEuRTEBTsE. Merci is a lovely word.
srunrrrrsr. Yes.
EuRyDrcE. For a month now we've been torturing each
other. EURyDrcE. Orpheus would kill you if he found out.
HEURTEBTsE. It doesn't make sense io be jealous of a horse. HEURTEBTSE. He won't ffnd out.
114 onPHEUs oRprrEus tfs
EUnyDrcE, putting Heurtebise furthet from the horse, to- EURyDrcE. Heurtebise, you,re sweet. you wouldn,t. . .
usardher room.Do you have it . . . it?
HEURTEBTSE; Come, come. T-hat's a v,ery big thing to ask.
HEURTEBTsE. I have it.
EURyDrcE. You said you'd do anything to help.
EURYDTcE. What did she Put it in?
rrEURrEBrsE. And I'll say it again, but . . .
HEURTEBTsE. A lump of sugar.
EURyDrcE. Of course, if it inconveniences you in the slight-
EURYDTcE. Was she in a good mood? est, f wouldn't think of it.
rrsrrnrEsrsr. No mood at all. She simply said, "Here's the 'HEURTEBrsE.,Give me the sugar.
poison. Bring me back the letter."
EURyDrcE. Thank you. I think you're very brave.
EURyDrcE. She won't like what I wrote.
HEUnrEBrsE. What if he won,t take it from me?
HEURTEBTsE. Then she said: "Just to make sure nobody
lrrows, here's a self-addressed envelope', written in my own runvurcn. Try.
hand. All she'll have to do is insert the letter and seal it'
No one wfll ever know she's written me.
rrEuRTEBrsE, near the horse, I eonfess my legs are a little
shaky.
ErrRyDrcE. No matter what Orpheus thinks, Aglaonice
EURyDrcE. Be a mant
can be very thoughtful. Was she alone?
She crosses left and stops at the door of her room.
HEURTEBTsE. There was a girl with her. Those were
people for you to run around with. HEURTEBTsE. Here goest
EURyDrcE. Of course, they weren't. But I still think Ag1ao- In a ueakooice.
nice is a very sweet Person,
Horse. .. Horse.. .
rrEURTEBrsE. Don't trust those srryeet persons and well-
meaning men. Here's the sugar. .ElrRyDrcE,
looking out the ui,ndou, Heavens, it?s Orphe-
us! IIe's coming through the garden. euick, pretend yolo,ru
EURYDTcE. Thank you . . . working.
She takes the sugar and fearfullg walks to the horse' Heurtebi,se tosses the lump of sugar onto the tabl.e anil
I'm afraid. then pushes the table against the oall betueen the rca.r uin-
d.ou and the door to Eurgdice's room.
nrunrrrrsr. Are you backing out?
Climb on the chairt
EURyDrcE. Not backing out, iust afraid. Now that it's time
to act, I don't think I can qo through with it. Heurtebise climbs on the chair and. prsten^it^s to take meas-
urenl,ents of the raindow frames in the gl.ais doorusag, Eury-
She usalles downstage to the writing table. Heurtebise?
d,ice slumps onto the cltair at the u>ri,ting table. Orpit"^ ,ir-
HEURTEBTsE. What? ters.
116 oRpHEUs ORP}IEUS 1L7
onpHEUs. I forgot my birth certiffcate. Where did I put it? HEURTEBTsE.You claim I was standing there with nothing
to hold me up, halfway between the ceiling and the floorI
EURyDrcE. In the bookcase, top shelf on the left. Shall I
get it for you? EUnyDrcE. Heurtebise, I saw you
- with my own eyes.
Even if I do live with a talking horse, I still think some-
onpHEUs. Stay where you are. I'll get it myself. thing's wrong when a friend starts to float in the air in front
He passes in front of the horse, stopping iust long enough of me. Stay where you are! Until I know what happened,
to pat it. He takes the chai,r on uh,ich Heurtebise is stand- even the light on your back gives me the creeps. alf,igtt,
ing and caruies it to the bookcase. Heurtebise remains in Heurtebise, explain yourself.
position, suspended in mid-air. Eurydice stifles a cry of sur- But I
HEURTEBTsE. haven't done anything to explain. Eith-
prise. Oryheus, rtho notices nothing stro.nge, illmbs onto the er f'm dreaming or you were dreaming.
chair and. runanages on the top shelf of the bookcaso.
EURyDrcE. In dreams I've done exactly the same thing, I
Here it is. admit it. But we weren't asleep, either of us.
Orpheus puts the birth certificate in his pocket, climbs off rrEuRTEBrsE" It must have been an optical illusion _ the
the chair, carries the chair back to' the usindous, slides it light reflected from the glass on my back to the window.
under Heurtebise's feet, and, leaoes the room without saE- Objects sometimes fool us that way. Once at a fair I saw a
ing a uord. naked woman walking on the ceiling.
EURyDrcE. Heurtebise, you're a magician! EURyDrcE. This was no trick contrived by a magician. It
was beautiful and at the same time it was chilling. In one
rrEURTEBrsE. A magician?
second I saw you as spine-chilling as an accident and as
EURyDrcE. Nobody but a magician could remain suspend- lovely as a raintrow. You were the shriek of a man falling
ed in mid-air while someone slides a chair from under his out the window and the silence of the stars. And norv
feet' I'm afraid of you : and I'm honest enough to admit it. If you
don't want to talk, don't; but things will never be the same
HEURTEBTsE. Who's suspended in mid-air? )
between us. I thought you were simple, Iike me. But no,
EURyDrcE. Don't deny it, I saw you. You were standing on you're complicated. I thought we belonged to tlle same race
air three feet ofl lhe ground, with nothing underneath to of people. But no, you're like the horse.
-
hold you up. HEURTEBTsE. Eurydice, this hurts me. ft's as if you were
HEuRTEBTSE. Sometimes you amaze me.
talking in your sleep.
EURyDrcE. Now you sound like Orpheus. Stay in charac-
EURyDrcE. For a full minute you were dangling between
ter. Don't Aou try to drive me out of my mind.
heaven and earth.
HEruRTEBrsE. Eurydice, I swear. . .
HEURTEBTsE. Impossible.
EURyDrcE. It's no use, Heurtebise. I've Iost faith in you.
EURyDrcE. Of course it was impossible, that's why I want
an explanation. HEURTEBTsE. What can we do about it?
118 ORPHEUS
ORPHEUS
EURYDTcE. Wait a minute. tuRyDrcr. Good by.
She walks to the bookshelf, climbs on a chair, takes a They cross paths on stage. Euryilice moaes tousard her
book, opens it, remooes a l.etter, anil puts the boak back in room, Heurtebi,se opens the dnor and usalks out, Izaoing the
place. door_open, As he steps irto the garden ue catch the rags of
Hand me the envelope you got from Aglaonice. sunshine reflecteil off his back. Eurydice suddenlg stops,
changes courrtenance. She reels, clnsps a hand, to her heart,
He hands it to her. and shouts. I

Thank you. Heurtebise! Heurtebisel Don't go yett

She puts the letter in the enoelope anil licks the flap. HEURTEBTsE comi.ng back. What's wrong?
Oh deart
EURyDrcE. Help. . .
HEURTEBTsE. Did you cut your tongue?
HEURTEBTSE. You're shivering. Your face is green.
EuRyDrcE. No, but the glue has a funny taste. Here's the
envelope. Take it to Aglaonice right away.
,,
EuRyDrcE. I can't move. My heart's skipping a beat. My
stomach burns.
rrEUnrEBrsE, But I haven't ffxed the window.
rrEUnrEBrsE. The envelopet
EuRYDrcE. The window can wait.
EunyDrcE. What about the envelopeP
rrEuRTEBrsE. You want to get rid of me, don't you?
HEURTEBTsE, shouting. The envelope from Aglaonice.
EURYDTcE. I need to be alone. You licked it. You said it had a strange taste.
HEUnrEBrsE. You're being nasty.
EURyDrcE. The witcht Hurry, ffnd Orpheus for me. I,m go-
EuRvDrcE. I don't like tradesmen with light ffngers - or ing to die. I want to see Orpheus once more. Orpheust Or-
light feet. pheust

rrEuRTEBrsE. And now you're making bad puns. HEun'rEBrsE. But I can't leave you alone. There must be
some antidote.
EuRYDrcE. That was not a pun.
EUnyDrcE. I know this posion. The Bacchantes brew it.
IrEuRrEBrsE, picMng up his bag. You'll be sorry you hurt
me. Nothing can save me. Run quick, bring back Orpheus. f want
to see him again and ask him to forgive me. f love him,
Silerrce. Heurtebise. Hurry or it will be too late. Please, Heurtebisel
Are you sending me awayP You're good, you're kind. Oh, they're driving needles be-
tween my ribsl Quick, run, flyt Take the short cut. If he's on
EuRyDrcE. I hate mysteries. I've decided to assert myself. his way back you'll meet him on the road. I'll be in my room,
HEURTEBTsE, Good-by, Madame. I trust at least that my waiting. Help me.
obedience pleases you. Heurtebise helps her to the door of her room.
120 oRPHEUs ORPHET'S 12t
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Azrael takes a tahite surgeon,s iacket out of one of th.e
bags and helps Death sli.p it on ot)er her eoening go*,n.
At the oerA monxent that Heurtebise reaches the outside
do or, Eurg dic e r eapp ear s. AZRAEL, to Raphael. Put the metal boxes on the table. No,
not that way. First, the napkins. First cover the table with
Heurtebise, listen to me, if you can really do things . . . well napkins.
. . . things like a little while ago . . . that let you sail through
space . . . don't be angry with me, I was upset,.I was being DEATH, mooing to the waslxtand. Alrrael will tell you
-
stupid. ..I really do like you, Heurtebise. .. Try anything, that I demand absolute cleanliness
- like on a ship.
but bring back Orpheus. Oh! RAprrAEL. Yes, Madame. I
hopg Madame will forgive
She goes back into her roorn. me, but I was looking at the horse.

HrtrRTEBrsE. I'll bring him back, I promise. DEArrr. Do you like that horse?

He l,earses. nap:rarr.. Oh yes, Madame, very much.

The stage remai"rw emptg for a moment. The lights chango. DEArrr. What a childl And you wish he were yours, don,t
Lou sgncopated drumbeats accom.pang tha dialogue of'the you. Very well, I'll give him to you. Azrael,the alcohol.
follouing scone. Death enters through the mirror, folloued To Raphael.
bg hgr iloo assistants. She usears a formal gown and eoe-
ning urap, Her assistants are dt'essed, im wrgeon's uniforms. You'll ffnd a piece of sugar on the table.
We see onlg their eges; the rest of their faces is cooered usith nArHAEL. Yes, Madame. I see it.
gmwa Rubber glooes. Each ca,mies a large and expensioe'
l,ooking blnck suitcase. Death u;allcs in rapidly and. stops DEArrr. Give it to the horse. If he refuses, I,ll give it to
abruptlg inthe cerrter of the room. him myself. Azrael,my rubber gloves. Thank you.
She puts a glorse onher right hand.
DEATH. Get to work right away.
napHAEL. Madame, the horse won't eat the sugar.
nArHAEL. Where does Madame wish us to place the lug-
gage? DEArrr, takes the sugar from Raphael. Eat it, horse, I
want you to eat it.
DEATH. On the floor, anywhere. Azrael will tell you what
to do. Azrael, my coat. The horse takes the $ugar, baclcs up in his stall, anil ills-
o.ppeus from oiew. A blnck curtai,n is drawn ooer the open-
He takes ofi her urap.
ing.
aAPrrAEL. I'm so afraid of making a mistake.
There!
You can't expect to learn as much as Azrael in
DEATrr.
To Raphael.Now he's yours.
tivo days, young man, Azrael has been with me for centu-
ries. He was clumsy, too, in the beginning. My jacket, please. nAPHAEL. Mad.ame is too generous!
122 ORPHEUS ONPIIEUS 123
DEArrr, pulting on her l.eft gloae' A w-eek ago you still DEATrr. Go on, talk. You are not disturbing me.
thought I was a skeleton wrapped in a, shroud, carqring a RAprraEL. Azrael,where is EurydiceP
;;r,h"" A kind of bogeyman with wrinkles and scars on my
face. DEATH. I expected that. Always the same question, isn,t
it, Azrael? Explain it to him.
naPrrAEL. Oh, Madame! ...
AznaEL. When Death wants to touch a living object
During this d,ialogue, Azrael drapes o piece of cloth ooer operates through a'neutral element which
she
its posi
the mirror' tion in space. These machines enable her"hao-ges
to touch things
DEATH. Oh yes, you did. They all do' The truth
is' my where she sees them. That eliminates mathematical calcu-
dear boy, that if I were really the way people picture- me' lations and saves us considerable time.
tt ut tt ry *ould recognize me when I come- to them' And it is
essentiaf that I slip into their lives unnoticed'
RArHAEL. It's like spearing ffsh in the water. If you aim
straight at the ffsh, you'll never hit it.
She places a chai.r dousnstage center' DEArrr, lnughing.If you hke.
lvtael,try the switch.
Seriously.
AznAEL. It works, Madame.
Azrael, prepare the spool.
There is a rumbling sound, of an electrical apparatus' AZRAEL. Yes, Madame... Does Madame know what has
taking a hand.kerchief out of the ia-cket pocket'
DEATH, happened to Heurtebise?
f*""it"ott Now]Raphael, if you'll tie this handkerchief over DEATH. He's bringing Orpheus back from town.
my eyes.. .
nAprrAEL. What if they come in before we finish?
While Raphael is blindfoldingher'
'We're on one-wave-seven and one-zone-seven-twelve' Set the :
DEATH. That's up to Azrael. He controls the time gears.
up to One minute to them is a whole hour for me.
control dial on four. If I call for more crrrent turn,it "'
please, and make a double knot' The needle's moving past number ffve. Is Ma-
0"", U"a no further. Tighter, AZRAEL.
Thank you. Are You both in Position? dame ready for the spool?

Azarel and' Raphael stan'd' sid'e by side behind tha tabla' DEATH. Tie it appropriately and give me one end.
Tieir hanits are in the instrum'ent boxes on the tebl'e' Azrael d;isappears into Eurydice's roorn and, then returns
I shall begin. uith the spool. Death courrts the rrumber of steps betusem
her chai.r and the door to Eurgdice's room. At the doontsag,
Death n1,ol)es to the chair, With slow, caressing motiotts
she stops. Azrael hand.s her the spool ushich is shaped like
she seems to be hgpnotizing an irwisible heod' a circul.ar tape measrne and uoutd, usith a uthite thread,
RAPHAEL, lous. Azrael.,, one end. of u:hinh is noa anchored in Eurydice's rootn.

AznaEL. Sh'shl AZRAEL. Raphael, the chronometer.

r24 ORPIIEUS ORPIIEUS L25

nAprraEr,. I forgot to bring it with me! He cuts the threa.d. The dooe flies into space.

AznaEL. Now we're in a ffx. Adiust the bandages. Azrael, show him how. It's very simple.
No, let him do it. He's got to learn.
DEATH. Don't get excited. There's anotherway. ..
Azrael and, Raphael close the metal boxes. Theg pack
She uhispers to Azrael. then. in the suitcases along u:ith the iackets, etc. Death
AznAEL, stepping doan to the footlights. Ladies and gen- leans on the tablq stage left. She passes one hand across
tlemen. Death has requested me to ask the audience if there her forehead, like someorle uaking from a deep sleep or
hgpnotic trance.
isn't someone in the theater who would kindly lend us a
watch. AZBAEL. Everything is in order, Madame.
A man in the fi,rst row raises hi"s hand, DEATH. Then closethe lids. Lock them. My cloak.
Thank you, sir. Raphael, would you hand me the gentle- Azrael puts the cloak on her shoulders ushile Raphael
men's watch? closes the witcases.

Raphael usalks into the aud,ience andtakes the watch. Have we forgotten anything?
DEATH. Are you ready? AznAEL. No, Madame.

AZRAEL. Ready, Madame. DEATH. Then let's go.

A ilrum rolls, The thread is usound on the spool; slouslg cENTLEMAN rN THE rrnsr now. Psstl
it inches its uay out of Eurgdice's room into the metal box AZRAEL. Oh, excuse me.
uhich Death hil.ds ln her lnnd*. Azrael and Raphael stand
behinil Death, their ba.clcs twned. Azrael is counting. He DEATH. What's wrong?
hold* one hand in the ab like a referee at a boxing mntch' AZRAEL. The watchl Raphael, give the gentleman back his
Raptmel sl.otol7 goes through a set of hand signals, like o watch, and don't forget to thank him.
s ailo r pr acticin g semnPhor e,
Ra.phaol r eturns the watch.
Enought
DEATH. Hurry, Raphael, hurry.
The d.rum rolls cease. Raphael freezes in position' The
thread, is taut. Death rushes into Eurydice'l room' When she napHAEL. I'm hurrying, Madame. I'm ready.
retunts the bandnge is no longer on her eyes and she carries Death 'moaes rapidly. She ertends her arms and stands
a lioe d.ooe uhlci Ls altached to the end of the thread' The motionless in frorrt of the mirror. Then she usallcs right into
electric apparatus is no longer buzzing. it, foll.otoed bg her assistants who go through the sa.me ri,t-
DEArrr. Quick now. Quick, Raphael, the scissors! ual, On the table, stage left, in full oieu of the au.dience
o.rethe rubber glooes uhich Death forgot ta take uith her.
She runs to the balconY. lmmediately follouing Death's lnst order to Rophael, ue
Out here; Now, cut! hear Orpheus'in the garden.
726 onPHEUs tzv
oBpHEUs. You don't know her the way I do. She makes He pushes Heurtebise aside.
an act out of it to get me back in the house.
Where is she?
The. iloor opens. They enter. Hewtebise rushes to Eury-
Off stage.
d.ice's roon1,, loolcs in, steps back, and falb to his knees in
the doorwag. She was here, I saw her, sitting in the chair next to the bed.
The room's empty!
Where is she? Eurydice! . ..I bet she's sulking again. That
woman will drive me out of my mind. The horset Where's He returns from Eurydice's room.
the horse?
Eurydicet
He uncooers the stall.
HEURTEBTsE. You only thought you saw her. Eurydice has
Gone! Someone must have opened the door. Someone must left this house. She's gone to live with Death.
have frightened him away. I'll make Eurydice pay for this!
oRpHEUs. I don't care about the horse. I want Eurydice.
He xoi.ngs around and starts for Eurydice's toon7.. I want her to forgive me. Help me, Heurtebise. What can
rmunrnnrsr. Stopl I do?

oRpHEUs. You're not going to keep me out of my own rrEURTEBrsE. Those few kind words have already helped
wife's rooml you, Orpheus ...
nrunrrmsr. Look. onpHEUS, slum,ps to the table, sobbing. Deadl Eurydice's
dead!
onPHEUs. Where?
He rises,
rrEUR'rEBrsE. Look through the glass on my back.
oRpHEus, loolc through ane of the glnss panes. Shezs fall- Well, I'll get her back, I'll ffnd her again if I have to go all
the way to the underworld.
en asleep in the chair.
HEuRTEBTsE. Orpheus ... Listen to me. Calm yourself and
HEURTEBTsE. She's dead.
listen to what I have to say.
oRPHEUs. WhatP
onplrEus. Yes . . . I'll be calm. But think, think of away . . .
HEURTEBTsE. Dead. We arrived too late.
HEUnrEBrsE. I lrrow one way to do it.
oRPHEUs. I don't believe it. oRPHEUS. You dot
Hebangs onthe glnss.
HErrRrEBrsE. But you'll have to obey me to the letter.
Eurydice, darlingl Wake up!
onPHEUs. I will. I swear I will.
TTEURTEBTSE, It',s nO use, I tell you.
During this d,ialague Orpheus ansu)ers usith a kinit of
onpHEUs. Get out of the way. I'm going in. docil.e feroor. The scene slmtld. be plnEeil aery ro.pid.ly,
128 oRprrEUS
u
"i+
'

oRpHEUs 129
HEURTEBTsE. Death came into your house to take Eury- oRpHEUs. But mirrors are solid glass.
dice.
HEURTEBTsE, hand l.reld high.With those gloves you'll pass
oRpHEUs. Yes .. . through mirrors as if they were water.
HEURTEBTsE. She forgot her rubber gloves. onprrEus. Where did you learn all thisp
A silence. Heurtebise ualks to the table. Hesitates. Piclcs rrEURTEBrsE, haryd, drops to his side. Mirors, you know,
up the glorses gingerly - the uay one migW handle a holg are only a special kind of glass. And glass is my business.
relic.
onprrEus. But once I go through that . . , that door . . .
onPHEUs, terrified. Ohl
HEunrEBrsE.Take deep rhythmic breaths. Walk fearless_
rrEURTEBrsE. You're going to put them on. ly straight ahead. Turn right, then left, then right, then
oRPHEUS. If you say so . . .
straight ahead. After that I can,t explain . . . except th"i th"r"
are no more directions . . . you just keep on turning. It,s quite
HEuRTEBTSE. Put them on, Orpheus. confusing at ffrst.
He hands the glooes to Orpheus roho puts them on.
oRpHEUs. And then where do I go?
Now you are going to return these gloves to their owner, rrEuRTEBrsE.
give them to her yourself. Then? No one can tell you what to do after
that. That's where Death begins.
oRPHEUS. If you say so . . .
oRpHEUs. Ilm not afraid of her.
rrEURrEBrsE. Death will be looking for her gloves. If you
refurn them to her, she'll offer a reward. Fundamentally, HEuRrEBrsE. Good-by, Orpheus. I,ll be waiting for your
she's a rather stingy person, she'd rather take away than refurn.
give; and, since she:s had no experience with giving up what I
oRpr{EUS. may be gone for a long time.
people have let her take away, she'll be quite astonished
by your gesture. Of course, she won't ofier much, but it'll HEunrEBrsE. Long. , . for you. For us it will be only a
be something. matter of seeing you walk in and walk out again.

oRPHEUS. As you say. oRpHEUs. I can't believe the mirror's really like water.
Well, here goes.
HEURTEBTsE leails Orpheustothe mimor. Through here.
HEURTEBTsE, as Orpheus nxoaes toward the mi.rror. Lead
oRPHEUs. Through the mirror?
with your hands!
HEURTEBTsE, For you, Orpheus, I am going to unwrap the
secretof secrets. Mirrors are doors. It's through them that _Walking @ith lxi"$ hands outstretched. in frot of him, Or_
pheus plunges into the rni.rror
Death moves back and forth into life, You're not to tell any-
one. Besides, spend your life looking at yourself in a mirror, onpHEUs. Eurydicel ...
and you'll see Death at work like a swann of bees storing
up honey in a hive of glass. Good-by. And good luckl He disappears from oieus.
130 onPHEUs ORPIiEUS 131

Heurtebise remai'ns alone, kneeling in frant of the horse's onPHEUs. My friend, you're an angel.
ernpt7 stall. There is aknock at the door. HEURTEBTsE. Not at all.
r{EURrEBrsE. Who is it? oRpHEUs. Oh, yes, you are, a real angel. Yofve saved the
vorct. The postman. I have a letter for you. day for me.

rrEURTEBrsE. Orpheus isn't home. HEURTEBTsE. And Eurydice?

vorcg. What about his wifeP onpnpus. Lookt

HEtrRrEBrsE. She's not home either. Slip the letter under HEURTEBISE. WhETE?
the door. oRpHEUs. In the mirror. One, two, three.
Someone slides aXettet under the door. Eurydice steps out of the mirror,
vorcE. Where did they go? HEURTEBTsE. Eurydicet
HEURTEBTsE. Nowhere. They're asleep.
EURyDrcE. Yes, it's me, the ffrst woman whose husband's
love was strong enough to wrest her from the dead.
T}IE ACT CURTAIN FALLS SLOWLY
onputrus. "Lady Euryilice shall refum from the under-
AND
world." And we thought the horse was talking nonsense.
IMMEDIATELY RISES AGAIN
EunyDrcE. Careful, dear. Rernember your promise. You
are never to mention that horse again.
EEURTEBTsE. Who is it?
oRPHEUs. What was I thinking of?
vorcE. The postman. I have a letter for you'
EURYDrcE. And you lcnow, Heurtebise, he found the way
rrEuRTEBrsE. Orpheus isn't home.
all by himself, didn't hesitate one second, Wasn't it ingen-
votcE. What about his wife? ious of him to think of putting on those rubber gloves?

HEURTEBTSE. She's not home either. Slip the letter under HEURTEBTSE. YeS, WaSn't it ingenious?
the door. oRpHEUs, quicklE. The important thing was to get ttere,
vorcE. Where did they go? no matter how.

HEURTEBTsE. Nowhere. They're asleep' He starts to face EwrYdice.

Orpheus steps out of the minor. ruRYDrcE. Watch outl

oRPHEUs. Are You still here? onPHEUs. Oh deart

HEURTEBTSE. Quick, tell me what happened' He freezes.

132 oRPrrEUs oRPHEUS 188

HEuRTEBTSE. What's wrong? EURYDTcE. Not at all, Heurtebise.

oRpHEUs. Nothing important, really. At ffrst I thought I Weighingher u.tords.
couldn't stand it, but with a little caution we'll make out.
My travels have changed the face of the earth for me. I've
EURYDTcE. We'll soon get used to it; learned a lot, and I'm ashamed of what I was' From now
rrEuRTEBrsE. Used to what?
on I intend to be a model wife. Orpheus and I will be liv-
ing one long honeymoon.
oRprrEus. I made a pact with them. They let me bring
oRpHEUs. Eurydice, remember your promise! You're not
Eurydice back from the underworld, but I must never look
supposed to mention the moon again.
at her. If I look at her, she'll disappear.
EuRrDrcE. Oh dear, it was my turn to forget. Let's eat
rrErrRTEBrsE. That's terriblel
lunch! Heurtebise, you sit here, on my right. Sit down, please.
EURyDrcE. Now don't you discourage my husband! Orpheus, across the table.

oRrHEUS, pulling Heurtebise in frorrt of him. Let him talk. HEURTEBTSE. Not where he can see yout
He won't discourage me. We went through the same thing. oRprrEus. By the gods, I'm glad we invited you, Heurte-
You can imagine how upset we were after making the pact bise. I'll sit on your left with my back turned. So what, I'll
- because we had to make it, no matter what. But it is hold the plate on my knees.
feasible. Not easy, but feasible. Certainly it's better than
going completely blind. Eurydice seraes them.

EuRYDrcE. Or losing a leg. HEuRTEBTsE. I'm dying to hear about your trip.
onpHEUS. It's not easy to put into words. I still feel like
oRPHEUS. You see, we had no choice,
a man iust out of the hospital after a major operation' I
EURyDrcE. And there are certain advantages. Orpheus will vaguely remember reciting one of my poems to stay awake,
never see me grow old and wrinkled. and then there were all those disgusting beasts dozing away.
HEURTEBTsE. Bravot Then all I have to do is wish you Then a big black pit. Then there I was, talking to a lady
good luck. who wasn't there. She thanked me for her gloves, though.
A kind of surgeon took them from me and showed me the
oRPHEUs. You're not leaving? way out. He said that Eurydice would follow me and that
HEURTEBTsE. suddenly feel as if there is one person too
I I was not, under any circumstances, to look at her. I'm
many in this room. You must have lots to tell each other. thirstyt
He picks up his glass and turns oround.
oRpHEus. After lunch. The table is set. I'm hungry. You're
too much a part of this afiair not to have lunch with us. EURYDICE AND HEUATEBIST. WAtCh OUtt
r{EUnrEBrsE, Are you sure your wife won't object to a EURyDrcE. What a scare! Darling, without turning around,
third person at the table? just feel my heart pounding'
184 oRPrrEUs oRPHEUs 135

oRrHEUS. This is ridiculous. Maybe I should bandage my He swings around.

eyes. EURYDTcE. Don'tl
HEURTEBTsE. I'd advise you not to do that. It's against the rrEuRTEBrsE. Carefult
rules. If you cheat, you lose everything.
onpHEUs. It's her own fault. She'd make the dead sit up
You can't imagine the efiort
oRpHEUs. it takes to carry and wail.
out those stupid rules.
EURyDrcE. I should have stayed dead.
EURyDrcE. But darling, if you'd just stop mooning . . .
Silence.
oRrHEUS. There's that moon again! You might as well
oRplrEUS. As for the moon! If I let her go on about that,
call me nuts.
you know where we'd be. It'd be the horse affair all over
EURYDToE. Orpheust again.
oRpllEus. Save the moon-talk for your old playmatps. HEI-IRTEBrsE. Don't exaggerate . . .
Silence. onPHEUS. So I'm exaggerating?
HErrRrEBrsE. Orpheus! Hgunrpsrsu. Yes.
oRPHEUS. I'm a priest of the sun. onpHEUs. Well, what if I am exaggerating.

.
EURYDTcE. Not any more, my dear. He swi.ngs around,.
oRpHEUs. As you like. Anyway, don't mention the rnoon EuRYDrcE. Watch out!
in my house agaiu.
HE"uRTEBrsn, to EurEdice. Don't cry. Orpheus, you are
Siknce. going to spoil everything.

EURyDrcE. If you knew how insigniffcant all this talk is onpr{Eus. Well, what if I am exaggerating! Who started
about the sun and the moon. it?
oRpHEUs. It's beneath you, I suppose. EURYDICE. NOt ME.

EURyDrcE. If only I could ffnd the words to . . . oRPrrrus. Not you! Not you!

onpnnus. It seems to me that for someone who can't ftnd He suings around agatn.
the words you're using an awful lot of them. EURyDTcE AND HEURTEBTST. Carefull
Eurgdice sta,rts to rU. Silence. HEURTEBTSE. You're a dangerous man, my friend.
HEURTEBTsE. Now you've made her cry. oRrHEUS. Correct. And in that ease the best thing for me
oRPHEUs. You stay out of this. to do is to leave you alone.
 U
136 ORPHEUS ORPHEI'S 187

He rises. Eurydice and Heurtebise grab his coat and pre- onpHEUs. I
lost my balance on pu{pose. I turned my head
oent him from leaoing. on pu{pose. And don't contradict me.

EuRYDrcE. Darling... Silence.

HEr.rRTEBrsE. Orpheus . . . rrEURTEBrsE. You don't expect me to congratulate you, I

hope.
onPHEUs. No, no. Let me go.
oRpHEUs. I can ido without your congrafulations. I,m quite
HErrRTEBrsE. Be sensible. capable congratulating myself for having looked *y i"ifu
-of
oRPHEUS. I'll be anything I want. in the face. Well, it's better than staring at other men,s
wives, isn't it?
EURYDTcE. Don't leave me.
rrEURTEBrsE. Is that intended for me?
She tugs on his coat. He trips, loses his balnnce, tu'rns,
and, stales at her, He cries out. Terri,fied, Eurgdice rises to oRpHEUs. Take it any way you like.
futl hei.ght. On her face use read horror. The li.ght dims as HErrRTEBrsE. You're unfair, Opheus. f never made love to
Eurgdice slowly collnpses anil ilisappeats, The lights come your wife and she would never have permitted it. She was a
up again. perfect lady. You didn't realize it until you lost her for the
It was inevitable. ffrst time,_and now you'vp lost her again stupidly, tragi-
,rally_ lost her, lost yourself, killed her when- she was
rrEURrEBrsE.
al.eady
onpuErus, pale, ueak, forcing a kind, of cdrefree attitude' dead, played with life and death as il you were playing jrist
Oofl Now I feel better. another game. Because she fs dead, twice dead. AnJ she
HEURTEBTSE. What did you say? won't come back again.

oRpHEUs, ttsi,th the same fake nonchal,ance. Now we can oRPHEUs. That's what you thinkl
breathe freely. HEURTEBTsE. That's what I think.
rrEURTEBrsE. He's out of his mind. oRpHEUs. Did you ever see a woman leave the table,
onprrEros, cor.,ering his discomfort @ith anger. A man has swearing she'd never come back, who didn,t retum meek as
a lamb in time for dessert?
to be ffrm with women, show he can get along without
them. Otherwise, they lead you around by the nose' rrEURTEBrsE. Ill give you ffve minutes to come to your
rrEUnrEBrsE. Are you trying to say that you looked at her
senses.

on purpose? Orpheus throuss his napkin on the Rises. Walks

floor.
How else would I look at her? arqund, the table. Loolcs at the rnirror, crosses to the door,
oRpHEUs.
and picks up the Letter.
HEURTEBTSE. But you lost your balance; it wasn't your
fault you turned your head' I saw it happen. oRrHEUS, opening the letter.![[s1's thisf
188 ORPHEUS ORPHEUS ts9
HErrRTEBrsE. Bad news? oRpHEUs. Why didn't I see that letter before? How long
has it been on the floor?
onprrEus. I can't read it. It's written backrvard.
HEURTEBTsE. It's my fault, Orpheus. The postman slipped
HEURTEBTsE. That's an old trick to disguise the writing. the letter under the door while you were traveling in the
Hold it up to the mirror. Now, read what it says. underworld. I was so excited by your wife's return that I
oRpHEUs, holding letter in front of the mirtor and read' forgot to tell you about it. Do what the unLrnown friend ad-
ing. "Dear Sir: Excuse me if I choose to remain anonymous, vises: hide yourself.
but someone should inform you of the danger you're in.
oRPHEUs. It's too late.
Aglaonice has discovered that if you translated into French
your sentence about Lady Eurydice returning from the un- The horse magic has completely disappeared,. Orpheus ts
derworld and take the ffrst letter of each word, the result is a chnnged man.
a four-letter sentirnent which may be construed as an in-
sult to the judges of the poetry contest. By translating your HErLrRrEBrsE. You can hide in the caves behind the house.
sentence into French and capitalizing the initial letters, Ag- I'll tell them you're away on a trip.
laonice has convinced the judges that you are a phony. She oRpHEUs. It's no use, Heurtebise. It's no use trying to
has roused half the women in town against you. In fact, avoid the inevitable.
there is a crowd of raving females on its way to your house
now. The Bacchantes are with them, fanning their anger, HEURTEBTsE. I'll save you despite yourself.
screaming for your head. If you want to save yourself, yorr oRPHEUs. I won't let you.
must hide from them. There's not a minute to lose. An un-
known friend.. ." HEuRTEBTsE. But it makes no sense.

HELrRrEBrsE. I don't believe a word of it. onpHEUS. The mirror is solid now. It read the letter for
me. There's only one thing left for me to do.
ln the distance, use hear uild rhythms of drums beating.
rrEuRTEBrsE. What's that?
oRPIIEUS. Listen. ..
oRPHEUs. Join Eurydice.
HEURTEtsTsE, Drums.
HEURTEBTsE. But you can't do that again.
oRpr{EUS. Theii drams. Eurydice was right. The horse was
bait in a trap they set to catch me. onPHEUs. Oh, yes, I can.

HEuRTEBTsE. They can't string up a man for a word. HEURTEBTsE. And even if you do ffnd her, it will be the
same old quarrel all over again.
oRpHEUs. The word's only an excuse. Their hate runs so
deep it's a religion to them. Aglaonice was waiting for her onpHEUs, ecstatic. Not in the place she's calling from.
chance and now she's got it. HEURTEBTSE. Look at your face, it's contracted with pain.
HEUnrEBrsE. The drums are coming nearer. I won't let you throw yourself away like this.
140 oRPrrEUS ORPHEUS 141

onpHEUs. It's those drums! Those drums! They're com- Drum roll.
ing for me, Heurtebise. They'll soon be here. Ladiesl
rrEr,rRTEBrsE. You've done the impossible before. Drum roll.
onpHEUs. The impossible is what I've lived for. Ladies!
rrEURTEBrsE. You've survivecl other conspiracies. Drumroll. i

oRpHEUs. But I've never fought to the last drop of blood. Orpheus mooes left on tlw babong, out of oiero. His ooice
HEunrEBrsE, his face illumi,nated. usith a supernatural ioy. is drotoned, in the noise of drums. A shadoa fiwDes acrols
Orpheus, you frighten me . . . the stage. Heurtebise cooershis face andkneels.

onpHEUs. What thoughts does the marble think while the Suddenly an obiect contls hu*kng through the u>indnu.
sculptor chisels its veins to make a masterpiece? The mar-
It is Orphed head. lt falls to the flnor anil rolls toaard
the footli.ghts. Heurtebise lets out a feeble cty. Drums faile
ble thinlar someone's striking me, destroying me, insulting
me, breaking me - I'm doomed to die. The marble is wrong
inthe distance.
to think those thoughts. It's life that's chipping away at my onprrEus' ttneo, the ooice of a usounded man. Where am
veins, chiseling a new form, Heurtebise. She'll make me I? It's dark in here. My head aches. My whole body hurts.
into a work of art. ft's my duty to let her hammer away - I must have fallen ofi the baleony. I must have fallen from
without trying to understand. Make myself hard. Accept the way up high, way up high . . . Where's my head? Oh, of
blows as they come, try to help her, work along with her,
but let her ffnish the task herself.
course, that's what's talking
- my head. But where is itP
Where's my head? Eurydicet Heurtebiset Helpl Put on the
lights, Eurydice, I can't see my legs. I can't feel my head
rrEURTEBrsE. Watch out for the stonest
any more. They've gone, both of them - no head, no body.
Stones come crashing through the usind.ows. I'm empty now, empty all over. Help! Helpt Somebody
wake me upl Eurydice!
oRpHEUs. Glass! Luck's on my side. I'll have the image
I've always dreamed of. Amoan.

A stone breales the mi.rror. Eurydice. . . Eurydice . . . Eurydice. . .

HEuRTEBTsE. The mirrort Eurydi,ce steps out of the nxifiot. She stanils motionbss.
oRpHEUs. Oh no, they mustn't break the mirrort EURYDToE. Did you call me, darling?
He rushes onto the balcony. oRpHEUs'rmep. Is that you, Eurydice?

rrEuR'TEBrsE. They'll cut you to pieces. EURYDTCE. It's me.

oRpHEUs, on the balcong, back to the oudience, he leans onpHEUs' nrap. Where's the rest of me? Where did I put
on the b alustrad.e, Ladies t my body?
 iu
L42 ORPHEUS ORPHEUS 143
ErunyDrcE. You mustn't get upset. Just give me your hand. coMMrssroNnn. Commissioner, please"
oRPEEUS'rrren. Where's my head? HEURTEBTsE. But, Commissioner, I'm a friend of the fam-
ily. . . I was still recovering from the shock. . .
EURyDrcE, taking an irwisibl.e body bg the hand. There,
hand in hand. Now, walk. You mustn't be afraid. Just come coMMrssroNpn. Shock? What shock?
along with me . . .
rrEURrEBrsE. I was alone with Orpheus when it happened.
oRPHEUs'rreo. But where's my body?
coMMrssroNBn. When what happened?
EunyDrcE. Next to mine, pressed close. Now that you can't
I can take you back with me.
HErrRTEBrsE. The murder . . When Orpheus was mur-
see me any more,
dered by the Bacchantes.
onpHEUS' nr,r.u. But my head, Eurydice . . . my head. . .
coMMrssroNnn, turning to his Cletk fust what we expect-
where did I put it?
ed him to say. And the victim's wife . . . where is she? We'll
EURyDrcE. Forget your head, darling. You'll never have to see what she says about your storY.
worry about your head again. . .
HEURTEBTSE. She's gone.
EurEdice leads the irwiilbl.e bodg through the mimor and
coMMrssroNrn. How convenientt
disappears.
HEURTEBTsE. She'd already left her husband before the
A knock at the door. Silence. Heurtebise loolc up but
crime was committed.
d,oes not o.nsuer. Knocks, Still no arwu'er.
coMMrssroNnn. You don't say!
coMMrssroNER's vorcr. Open in the name of the law.
To Clerk.
HEuRTEBTsE. Who's there?
Why don't you sit at the table so you can take iotes.
coMMrssroNnR's vorcr. The police. Open the door or we'll
force our way in. The Clerk sits at the uriting table ulwre pen and. paper
arc uaiting for him. The Clerk sta.tts to si,t, his back to the
HEUR'TEBrSE, Inm coming.
mi,rror, but Heurtebise is in lfis way so he lns to ilrag the
He mooes quickly to Orpheus' head. Picks it up. Pl.aces table upstage u:here it blacl$ the exit.
the hea.d on the pad,estal and. then opens the d.oor usi.de so rrgunrEBrsE.ButI...
that it coaors the pedestal from oiew. lt is at this moment
tlrut the actor pl.aging Orphew substitutes his own.head for cLERK. Quiet, yout
the papier-md.chd replico. The Cornmhssioner enters, fol- coMMrssroNun. Now, one thing at a time' And don't speak
louedby his clerk. unless you're spoken to. Where's the body?
coMMrssroNnn. Why didn't you answer the ffrst time I HEURTEBTsE. What body?
knocked?
corvrMrssroNER. When there's a crime there's always
HEuRrEBrsE. But. ]udge, I ... a body. Where is it?
 ORPIIEUS ORPIIEUS L45
114
HEURTEBTSE. But, Commissioner, there is no body' It was that window. The whole town is up in arms. We have riot
tom to pieces, decapitated, and carried away by those rav- squads patrolling the streets. And they've sertt tne, the Chief
ing women. of Police, to interrogate you on the scene of the crime. So
you see, I do not expect to be treated like any ordinary cop
coMMrssroNm, Primo, you are not to insult those ladies' on the beat. Enough said.
They were performing a holy dtfty. Secondo,lhave ffve hun-
dred eyewiin"rru, *io will say you're not telling the truth' HEURTEBTsE. But I didn't mean to . . .

HEUnrEBrsE. You mean. .. ? cLmK. Quietl Nobody asked your opinion.

coMMrssroNnn. Quiet! coMMrssroNrn. Now, one thing at a time.

HrruR'rEBrsE.ButI... To Clerk.

coMMrssroNER, pomlpously. Quiet, I said' Now listen care- Wh6re was I?

fully, young *"o. Iti" aftemoon there was an eclipse of the
cLERK. The head. May I remind you, sir, about the head?
**. tfrit iipt" has brought about a reversal of public sen-
timent in favor of Orpheus. The whole town is in mourning' coMMrssroNrn. Oh yes, the bust of Orpheus.
'We're going to have a state funeral and the authorities want
To Heurtebise.
to t*"loJt"ssion of his mortal remains' Now it so happens
that the Bacchantes saw Orpheus walk out onto the balcony' Do you live here?
smeared with blood and crying for help' I know they
had
rrEURTEBrsE. I'm a friend of the family.
tome to make trouble for him, but they (and ffve hundred
other witnesses) would have flown to his side if he hadn't coMMrssroNrn. The town fathers want a bust of Orpheus
fallen to the ground, dead, right in front of their eyes' to carry in the procession. Is there one in the house?
"The
i repeat. ladies had organized a mass protest' they Heurtebise usalks to the d.om, cl.oses it. We see the heail
*"r" oi,t to make trouble by shouting "Down with Orpheus' on the pedestal. The Commissioner and, the Clprk aun to
*frr" *ad"nly the window opened and a blood-drenched look at it.
Orpheus rosh"d onto the balcony screaming for help' The
hdfes would have rushed to his side, but it was too late' coMMrssroNER. It doesn't look much like him.
Otpn""t tumbled to the ground, and all five hundred of rrEURrEBrsE. I ffnd it quite beautiful.
tt"* 1ao"'t forget that these were women ' ' ' and blood)'
women
*ake a lot of noise, but they can't stand the sight of coMMrssroNrn. Who's it by?
all ffve hundred of them took to their heels and ran' And rrEruRrEBrsE. I don't know.
,t L" eclipse of t}e sun' In town they interpret the -eclipse
""
*t" ,igo thlt the sun is angry at this lack of respect for one coMMrssroNEn. Didn't the artist sign it?
priests. The authorities assembled and went
of its Tormer HEURTEBTST. NO.
out to meet lhe crowd returning from Orpheus' house'
a;;"kt"g for the women, all ffve hundred of them' Aglaon- coMMrssroNER. Take this down: one bust, presumed to be
i." ao.itf"a the sBange crime they had witnessed outside head of Orpheus.
148 oRPHEUS ORPHEUS 147

rrErrRrEBrsE. It's Orpheus, all right, I'm sure of that' coMMrssroNrn. No papers. No residence. A clear case of
What's in doubt is the sculptor. vagrancy. How old are you?

coMMrssroNm, Cross that out. Write: one head of Or- HEURTEBTsE, hesi,tati,ng,l . . .
pheus, artist unknown. coMMrssroNva, tuming uDaA, eAes to the ceili.ng, in the
To Heurtebise. ,runmer of a ptofessiorwl cross-examiner. I suppose you do
have an age... l

Name?
oRPHEUs' nneo. Eighteen.
IIEURTEBISE, PATdON?
cLEnK, uniting, Seventeen.
cLmK. He asked for your name? Last name first, please'
oRPrfius' Hnen. Eighteen.
coMMrssroNER. A matter of form, that's all; I know whom
coMMrssroNrn. Place of birth?
I'm dealing with.
He ualks to uind.ous andtaps the panes. cLERK. Not so fast, Commissioner. I've got to erase some-
thing.
Young man, you're the glazier.
Eurgdi,ce appea.rs in the mi,rror and, puts one foot into the
rrEURrEBrsE, smiling,I admit it. room,
@MMrssroNrn. Admit everything, young man. That will EUnyDrcE. Heurtebise . . . Heurtebise . . . I've found out
be your best defense who you are. Come with us, we're waiting for you.
cr.ERK. Excuse me, Commissioner, but wouldn't it save Heurtebise hesitates.
time if we iust asked for his PaPers? nren. Hurry, Heurtebise. Go with my wife. I'll
oRpltBUSr
coMMrssroNrn. Give the clerk your papers, young man' answer his questions - even if I have to make something
up.
rrEURTEBrsE. But I . . . I don't have any.
Heurtebise disappears into the mi,rror.
coMM:tssroNER. What's that?
cLERK. I'm ready, Commissioner.
cLERK. Oh-ohl
coMMrssroNBn. Place of birth?
@MMrssroNBR. You've been walking around with no pa-
pers? Where are they? Where do you live? oRPrrEUS' sueo. Maisons-Lafitte.

rrEuRTEBrsE. I live. . . that is, I used to live. . . cLERK. What's that?

coMMrssroNrn. I don't care where you used to live' I want onpHuus' nreo. Maisons-Laffitte. Two f's and two ,'s.
your present address. coMrvrrssroNnn. Well, now that you've told us where you
ruunrrmsr. Right now I don't have any. were born, maybe you can remember your name . . .
148 oRPHEUs oRprrEus 149

onPurus'rmeu. Jean. coMMrssroNrn. That leaves the window.

@MMrssroNrn. Jean what? cLERK. If he went out that window he'il have walked in
front of us. Besides, he was answering questions until you
onPHEUS' rrnao. Jeau Cocteau.
turned around.
coMMrssroNun. Coc... coMMrssroNm. Well then?
oRprrsus' rrnen. C - O - C - T - E - A - U. Cocteau. cr..ERK. I can't imagine what happened to him.
coMMrssroNrn. That's a name to walk the streets with. ooMMrssroNm. Then the murderer must have escaped
Unless, of course, you've changed your mind and will tell through a secret door. Anyway, vre have our proof. If he
us where you live . . . ran away that proves he's tle criminal. Tap the walls, see if
onpHEUs'nrao. Number 10, Rue d'Aniou. they're solid.
The clerk taps the usalls.
@MMrssroNnn. That's more like it.
cLEnK. They sound solid to me.
cx-EnK. Sign here, please . . .
coMMrssroNsR. Good. That means he's hiding somewhere
@MMrssroNrn. Give him the pen.
in this room. And I don't intend to give him the satisfaction
To Heurtebise. of watching us search.

Over here, young man. Over here. He won't eat you. In aloud ooice,

He turns around. I have the house surrounded. If he goes into the garden
he'll be caught. If he stays inside he'll starve to death.
Wellt
crrnr. This is scandalous.
cr,nnx, What's wrong?
@MMrssroNER. What's scandalous about it? You see a
@MMrssroNrn. Thunder in heaven, the accused has dis- scandal everywhere you look.
appearedt
They leane. When the daor opens it c,ooers the bust and
ca;ERK. Magicl the attor stbstitutes a papier-mdchd head, for his oum om the
peilestal. The stago rcmoil* emptg fu a moment. Then the
@MMrssroNrn. Magic. . . magic! There's no such thing'
Commissioner returrx.
He paces the stage,
We forgot the bust of Orpheus.
I refuse to believe in magic. An eclipse is an eclipse' A ta-
ble is a table. An accused is an accrrsed. Now, one thing at a cLEnK. It wouldn't do to go back empty-handed'
time. That door. . . coMMrssroNER. There it is. Take it,
crJRK. Impossible, sir. If he went out that door he'd have The clerk takes the heait off the peilestal and, folluss
jostled my chair. the C ommissiorler fr om the room.
r50 ORPHEUS

The ualls of the room fly upuard, out of oieus. Orpheus

and Eurydice, guided bg Heurtebise, step out of the mirror.
They look around, as if seeing the room for the first ti,me.
Theg sit at the table. Eurgdice motions to Heurtebise to si,t
on iu, right. Alt smile. They are the image of contentment.
EURyDrcE. Shall I pour the wine, dear? THE
oRrHEUS. Not yet. First let's say grace. EIFFEL
The three of them stand; uthile Orpheus recites his prayer. TOWER
Dear God, we thank you for having made heaven of our WEDDING
home and for revealing your heaven to us. We thank you
for having sent Heurtebise to guide us, and we are ashamed PARTY
for not having recognized him as our guardian angel. We translated by
thank you for having saved Eurydice - since, for love of DUDLEY FITTS
me, she killed the devil in the form of a horse and died a
horrible death. We thank you for having saved me - since
I worship poetry and poetry is what you are. Amen.
Theg sit doun.
rrEURTEBrsE. Shall I serve the wine?

oRpHEUs, reryectfullg. Let Eurydice do it . . .

Eurydice pours him a gl.ass of uine.
HEURTEBTsE. And maybe at last we'll get something to eat.
CURTAIN