Angelica and Francesca are the identical twin daughters of Pellrue, Duke of Doretay. Doretay is a state within a kingdom called Vidien, which Angelica's and Francesca's great uncle, King Oscar, rules. Pellrue attempts to keep control of his wicked, evil daughters as they keep entering his city and raising havoc by torturing and murdering the common citizens within. Angelica and Francesca is an excellent, dramatic play, which will never be forgotten.
Angelica And Francesca
By Kenneth Jarrett SingletoniUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 Kenneth Singleton
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-0-595-37833-3Chapter One
Act I Scene I — The city streets of Doretay.
Throughout scene one, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's, " Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 I: Allegro," is to be heard in the background. The play is set in the early 1700's, therefore, all costumes must be of the era. All male characters other than Joseph and Joshua are to wear powdered—wigs throughout the play. Angelica and Francesca, the identical, twin daughters of Pellrue, Duke of Doretay, walk the busy, crowded streets of the City of Doretay well dressed in matching, blue dresses. The sisters are beautiful, fair skinned, and have dark hair. Both of the sisters are carrying whips. They suddenly see a peasant and start following him with evil intentions. As the peasant continues to walk, he suddenly feels the sisters behind him which causes him to turn around. Angelica smiles at him in a devilish way. The peasant quickly turns back around and continues walking. He then leads the sisters, as they follow behind him, into an alley between two large buildings. Once realizing there is no way out of the alley but the way he entered, the peasant stops and turns around with a look of fright upon his face.
Joseph
(Backing up slowly.) What do you want from me?
Angelica
(Angelica turns to her sister smiling. She then looks at Joseph again.) Why are you backing away from us so frantically? I love that we are feared constantly by those of common stature because our father is duke.
Francesca
They fear us due to our committed acts. The success of our father shall remain aside from this exquisite reign of brutality.
The sisters start whipping the man repeatedly as he is cornered.
Joseph
Our citizens do not permit such indecent behavior. You will no doubt be scrutinized for such actions.
Angelica
Scrutiny is most often an ordered demand of society in general, but in this case it will not be allowed.
We are not subject to investigation. Our father is the only true conductor and enforcer of law within Doretay. (Still whipping him along with Francesca.)
Joseph
Ah, no. Please!
Francesca
Such enjoyment arises within me due to such acts of brutality.
Angelica
A fulfillment such as this cannot be achieved any other way. Can it my outlandishly, ridiculous looking victim?
(Angelica laughs.)
Angelica and Francesca continue to whip Joseph. The flesh of Joseph's back is ripped and bloody. He soon falls to the ground.
Angelica
Stand up you injudicious fool. We're not finished with you as of yet.
Angelica hits him on the back with her whip again and again as he tries to crawl away on his hands and knees to no avail.
Francesca
Though you obviously have a hate for us now common citizen, you must admire our continuity.
Angelica
(Angelica laughs as she continues to whip him along with Francesca.) I am sure he does admire our continuity. Lash after lash. Such continual action is to be looked upon with esteem.
Caprice approaches from behind Angelica and Francesca.
Caprice
I demand that you stop at once!
The sisters turn around and look at Caprice.
Angelica
Who are you to command us?You are nothing more than our father's servant.
Caprice
Your father has given me orders to do so.
Francesca
You are lying.
Caprice
Ask him yourself if you do not believe me. You must realize that he does not approve of your inimical actions against his citizens.
Angelica
We do not seek our father's approval. We will do as we wish. I neither fear you, nor my father.
Caprice
Be assured that I will mention to him that you spoke those words when I report of this incident.
Angelica
Enjoy yourself. We will continue to do the same.
Caprice walks away. The sisters continue to whip Joseph for a long period of time until his death.
Francesca
(Looking at Angelica with worry.) Father will be angry.
Angelica
Let him be. Until now he has ignored our egregious behavior.
Scene II— Pellrue's palace.
The girls enter the palace to be met by their father upon entry. Directly behind Pellrue are stairs of white. The walls of the front entranceway are gold in color.
Pellrue
(With an expression of anger.) Where have you two been?
Angelica
We went into the city of course. We told mother where we were going.
Pellrue
You were in the city causing trouble no doubt.
Angelica
(With a tone of sarcasm.) You know us better than that, Father.
Pellrue
This is no time for sarcasm. When you commit conspicuous, evil acts you put my position in jeopardy.
Francesca
Your position, Father?
Pellrue
My position under the king. Don't act as though you haven't any knowledge of my responsibilities. I am responsible for all of Doretay. I cannot sit back and allow you two to cause mischief within my city any longer. Did you kill that man today?
Angelica
What man?
Pellrue
There is no need for you to contradict your actions. I have already spoken with Caprice.
Angelica
Caprice is nothing more than a liar. How dare you take his word over ours?
Angelica walks past her father and up the stairs with Francesca following directly behind her.
Scene III— Pellrue's palace.
Pellrue enters a large sitting room within the palace where he finds his wife Suzanna comfortably seated on the far, right side of the room drinking a cup of tea. Inside the room, which is gold in color, are luxurious, red chairs with frames that consist of gold. Pellrue sits down on the left side of the room directly across from Suzanna.
Pellrue
It seems that our daughters are becoming more creative.
Suzanna
By that you must mean more mischievous? (Suzanna takes a drink.)
Pellrue
Of course. Could I possibly mean anything else? How they love to contravene. How can I control an entire state when I cannot even control my own daughters. It is my responsibility to maintain the sovereign, political entity within this fixed territory.
Suzanna
Within Angelica lies the most ingenuity of the two.
Pellrue
I agree. There is no doubt in my mind that she is the leader.
Suzanna
Your uncle will be very displeased when he hears word of their most recent actions.
Pellrue
As king he must maintain constant control. He depends on me to rule Doretay with sound judgment. To disappoint Oscar is a disgrace. The common people cannot be exposed to such friction within our royal family. We must always maintain control of our kingdom Vidien. I have a great fear that I will lose Oscar's favoritism.
Suzanna
You must recognize Angelica and Francesca by way of contradistinction. They are very different in many ways despite their obvious similarities. If you cannot get through to both of them, perhaps you can get one of them to obey you. If all goes well, hopefully the other will follow.
Pellrue
Perhaps you are right.
Scene IV— Outside upon the land of Pellrue's estate.
Angelica and Francesca stand alongside one another and patiently await Caprice's arrival holding their whips. As Caprice approaches the sisters, he stops as they stand in front of him. Ludwig Van Beethoven's, "Piano Concerto No. 5, in E flat major, op. 73, III: Rondo: Allegro," is to be played in the background throughout the scene.
Angelica
Well, if it isn't Caprice my father's most loyal, peasant servant.
Caprice
What are you girls doing with those whips?
Francesca
We shall do what we always do with them.
Angelica and Francesca suddenly start beating Caprice with their whips. Caprice falls to the ground. As the sisters continue to whip Caprice, he manages to stand in an attempt to flee.
Angelica
Where do you think you are going?
(Angelica yanks Caprice back down to the ground by wrapping her whip around his legs.)
Francesca
(Francesca continues to whip Caprice along with Angelica.) Such a simpleton you are. You are destined to remain in a state of utter poverty.
Angelica
Perhaps you will tell father of this crime, Caprice.
Both sisters laugh. They continue to whip Caprice until he enters a state of total weakness.
Angelica
(Angelica points at two trees to her far right.) Let's chain him between those trees over there.
Francesca
That is a superb idea.
Angelica
As are all of my ideas. (Angelica pulls Caprice's head up by his hair and looks directly into his eyes.) Isn't that right peasant servant? (Angelica then spits in his face. Both sisters laugh.)
The sisters drag Caprice over to the trees. They let go of him, and he falls to the ground.
Angelica
Go get shackles from father's dungeon. The nails and hammer should be close by his other instruments of torture.
Francesca leaves.
Angelica
Have you learned your lesson yet, Caprice?
Caprice
(With an expression of anger.) I have learned nothing.
Angelica
Oh, but you must. We cannot have you interfering with our fun. Discretion is of the utmost importance to us.
Angelica starts beating Caprice with her whip once again. Francesca soon comes back carrying shackles, a hammer, and large nails. They nail the shackle chains to the trees and then bound Caprice by his wrists with the shackles. Angelica rips the bloody shirt from Caprice's back. He stands in a state of bondage with his back exposed towards the sisters. They whip him repeatedly as he moans in pain.
Angelica
I will only be fully pleased if he dies.
Francesca
Then kill him.
Angelica picks up the hammer off of the ground and walks to the front of Caprice.
Angelica
Your time has come to an end. (Angelica hammers his face repeatedly killing him. Blood splashes upon her face. She smiles as she wipes Caprice's blood from her chin with her left—hand.)
Francesca
Let's get rid of his body before father arrives.
Angelica
(Looking at Francesca.) No. I want him to see what we have done.
Scene V— Oscar's palace.
Pellrue stands before King Oscar as Oscar is seated on his throne of red. Soldiers of Oscar stand by. The soldiers wear red uniforms and hold their muzzle loading rifles.
Oscar
(Oscar looks at the large rings he wears on his fingers as he begins to speak.) I have heard about the unlawful actions of your daughters.
Pellrue
I have made many attempts to control them.
Oscar
Yet, you have failed miserably.
Pellrue
(Pellrue kneels and bows to Oscar.) Forgive me, Your Majesty.
Oscar
This kind of behavior cannot continue. You must find a way to control your audacious daughters.
Pellrue
(Pellrue stands up straight.) I understand.
Oscar
If you are unable to handle this situation then I will be forced to deal with it for you. That you do not want.
Pellrue
I will control them, Your Majesty. You have my word.
Scene VI— Outside upon the grounds of Pellrue's estate.
As Pellrue walks upon his estate, he looks to his far right and sees Caprice still chained between the trees. He walks over to Caprice as his body hangs lifelessly.
Pellrue
(Pellrue walks around Caprice observing him from all angles.) I have yet to see murder committed in such a superlative fashion. I have fully lost control. Such flagrant acts will plague my rule of state in the eyes of Oscar. I must now punish my daughters without clemency.
Scene VII— The top floor of Pellrue's palace.
(Pellrue walks to the closed door of Angelica and Francesca's bedroom. He opens the door without knocking and enters the large bedroom to find Angelica and Francesca reading silently to themselves as they both sit on their beds. Both sisters are wearing identical, red dresses. The beds are on opposite sides of the room and perfectly even set with one another. Angelica's bed is to the right of the room and Francesca's is to the left. Both beds are red and consist of frames of gold. The walls of the bedroom are white. A large window is at the back of the room. Red curtains complement the window. Both sisters look at their father silently for a moment once he enters.
Angelica
Must you enter without knocking?
Pellrue
You wouldn't have let me in otherwise. I need to speak with both of you for a moment.
Angelica
(Angelica smiles.) Then speak.
Pellrue
(Now displaying a state of anger.) I will not tolerate your unacceptable conduct any longer.
Angelica
No one has asked you to. Behavior such as our's is not to be tolerated anyway. I for one do not, nor have I ever expected leniency from you, Father. Punishment will make me even naughtier. (She smiles.) I favor that thought greatly.
Pellrue
(Angry.) You are both to be punished to the highest degree!
Angelica
And how are you going to do that? What method shall you use? (With an expression of sarcasm.) Please, enlighten me. I feel as though I have a need for entertainment at the moment.
Pellrue
I will practice the same methods in which I use to punish all unruly criminals within Doretay. Guards!
All four guards enter. Both sisters stand up. Two guards grab each sister one guard to each arm.
Angelica
Oh, come now, Father. Is this really necessary?
Pellrue
It is obvious that it is, or I would not have to take such extreme measures. I will let neither of you ruin my political status.
Francesca
Please, Father. You don't have to punish us in this fashion. Let's discuss the matter at hand.
Pellrue
(With sternness.) The time for discussion has passed. No more words are to be spoken in my attempts to control both of you. Now is the time I take action. No matter what I tell you two to do you repeatedly refuse to obey. I have had enough of your egocentric manner of behavior.
Angelica
(Trying to jerk away from the two guards holding her, Angelica speaks with a harsh tone.) Tell these bastard peasants to get their dirty hands off of my beautiful dress. They're causing it to crinkle. Mother just bought it for me a short time ago.
Pellrue
(With an expression of anger.) Hold your tongue, Angelica!
Angelica
(In anger.) I demand that you tell them at once!
Pellrue
(Looking at the two guards that are holding Angelica.) Ease up, but make sure you don't let her slip away. She's very crafty. Let's go.
They all leave the room with Pellrue leading the way.
Scene VIII— The dungeon beneath Pellrue's palace.
As Pellrue leads the way, the guards escort Angelica and Francesca down the dungeon stairs. To the right of the dark dungeon are shackles hanging from the wall. To the left are five barred cells. Pellrue opens the door of the first cell.
Angelica
You cannot be serious?
Pellrue
Does it look as if I'm joking?
The sisters are put into the cell by the guards. Pellrue then shuts the barred door.
Francesca
(Pleading with her father.) Please, Father. Let us out. We're your daughters. We are not common citizens.
Pellrue and all of his guards, except for Guard I, begin to walk out. Guard I stands on duty in front of the cell in which Angelica and Francesca are held.
Angelica
Quit your whining. He's not going to let us out. (Angelica yells so her father can hear her.) He's to weak to control us! We won't be in here for long, I promise you! You'll never keep us contained!
The last of Pellrue's guards to walk out, Guard II, shuts the dungeon's main door behind him.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Angelica And Francescaby Kenneth Jarrett Singleton Copyright © 2009 by Kenneth Singleton. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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