1 Beyond Poetry
Chapter Two
"Romeo and Ethel" began rehearsals the next day. Olivia reported to work at the Rose, and assisted the property master with dusting off the old swords and costumes to see what they could use for the production.
"So do you know what it's about, Miss Olivia?" the property master asked her as they lifted a box of blue velvet doublets.
"I believe it's a comedy of some sort, confusion of identities and the like," she said.
"Oh well, so long as there's a bit with a dog, I won't mind. I do like comedies with dogs!" he laughed. Olivia smiled half-heartedly.
Henslowe suddenly burst into the room.
"Olivia!" he exclaimed. "Your assistance is required. Some of the actors tell me they have not been measured for their costumes. Now we have very little time before we must perform, so I trust you will take care of this immediately!"
"I'll be right there, Mr. Henslowe," she said, putting down the props she was dusting off. The property master winked at her as she followed Henslowe out into the house of the Rose. Members of the Company were onstage, running through their lines. Olivia began drawing the actors aside to take their measurements for costumes, which really weren't measurements at all; Olivia just sized up each actor to see if they had costumes to accommodate them.
She was in the middle of this when the main doors to the Rose burst open, and six men came loudly into the house. It was Ned Alleyn and the Admiral's Men, returned to the Rose after a tour in the country. Olivia rolled her eyes heavenward. She was not taken in by Ned's bombastic personality, in spite of his talent.
The actors exchanged greetings until Ned silenced them all with his announcement:
"What is the play and what is my part?"
Will anxiously came to his side, saying, "We are desperately in need of a Mercutio, Ned."
"Yes, and what is the name of this piece?" Ned asked grandly.
"Mercutio," Will said quickly. Confused glances were exchanged among the actors.
A complacent smile crept to Ned's lips.
"I will play him," he said, satisfied with himself.
Will began shaking the Admiral's Mens' hands as Henslowe again approached Olivia.
"I do not believe young Master Kent there has been measured for a costume," he told her. Olivia was not familiar with this Kent. Indeed, she had never seen him before.
"Very well," she said, approaching the boy. "Master Kent!" she called.
He did not respond.
"Master Kent!" she said again, this time touching the young man's arm. He jumped, startled.
"Oh! Um, yes, I am Thomas Kent," he said nervously, his voice suddenly deepening.
"Need your measurements, sir," Olivia said, glancing at his face.
There was something odd about this Thomas Kent. His skin was much too soft and there was no hair on his face. His features were far too fine to be that of a man, Olivia thought. And he refused to make eye contact with her, as if he had something to hide. Olivia looked at him warily. Even Sam Gosse, the actor who had always played female roles, looked more masculine than this Thomas Kent. Certainly, this must be the one playing Ethel
"What role is it that you'll be playing?" Olivia asked.
"Romeo," Kent replied.
Romeo. The hero. Olivia nodded at him.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Kent," she said. Kent nodded apprehensively, as though some secret had been revealed. No, things were certainly not as they seemed, thought Olivia.
Later that evening, when Olivia had finished her work at the Rose, she made her way home in the darkness. She didn't like to be around when her mother arrived home, usually drunk after a night servicing the men of London, so she often found work to do at the theatre to keep her there as late as possible.
The streets were growing quiet as Olivia approached her flat. In the distance, she saw a young man walking toward her at a jaunty pace. She didn't take any notice of him.
"Olivia!" he called. "What in God's name are you doing out so late?"
It was Master Shakespeare. Olivia smiled.
"Good evening, Will. And where have you been?"
"Getting inspired!" he replied emphatically.
"Well, that's a good thing, as you haven't even completed Act One."
Will laughed in response. He put his arm around Olivia's shoulders in a brotherly manner.
"Yes, indeed, I will complete it tonight."
"What's gotten you so inspired?" she asked.
Will smiled broadly.
"I…am in love!" he exclaimed.
"Really? And who is the lucky girl?" Olivia asked. She was more than half hoping he would say, "You!"
But he didn't.
"Lady Viola de Lesseps!" he replied. "Her nurse is the aunt of our own Master Thomas Kent."
"Is that so? And how did you meet this angel?" Olivia asked, almost sarcastically.
"Why, at her home. There was a dance there tonight."
"Were you invited?" Olivia imagined Master Shakespeare would not typically mingle with lords and ladies at their homes.
"Sadly, no. But I saw her, up on her balcony, and…oh, Olivia, I have never seen such beauty!" he enthused. Olivia tried to smile. "Lord Wessex's guards ended up chasing me away, but not before I could speak with her!" Will proceeded to describe this exquisite beauty with a string of metaphors that would make anyone blush. "I saw her across the room, and then she saw me, and I joined the dance so that I could be near her. We spoke, and then Wessex's guards tore me from her and threw me out. Oh, but Olivia, I must see her!"
"What are you going to do?" Olivia asked, the annoyance more than apparent in her voice.
"I'm going to write!" he said grandly as he stared off toward his garret. "I'll see you tomorrow, Olivia. Good night!" Will wandered off in a still-euphoric state as Olivia found her way up the stairs to her own straw bed. Hot tears sprang onto the pillow as she imagined how she would never catch Master Shakespeare's attention now.
Chapter Two
"Romeo and Ethel" began rehearsals the next day. Olivia reported to work at the Rose, and assisted the property master with dusting off the old swords and costumes to see what they could use for the production.
"So do you know what it's about, Miss Olivia?" the property master asked her as they lifted a box of blue velvet doublets.
"I believe it's a comedy of some sort, confusion of identities and the like," she said.
"Oh well, so long as there's a bit with a dog, I won't mind. I do like comedies with dogs!" he laughed. Olivia smiled half-heartedly.
Henslowe suddenly burst into the room.
"Olivia!" he exclaimed. "Your assistance is required. Some of the actors tell me they have not been measured for their costumes. Now we have very little time before we must perform, so I trust you will take care of this immediately!"
"I'll be right there, Mr. Henslowe," she said, putting down the props she was dusting off. The property master winked at her as she followed Henslowe out into the house of the Rose. Members of the Company were onstage, running through their lines. Olivia began drawing the actors aside to take their measurements for costumes, which really weren't measurements at all; Olivia just sized up each actor to see if they had costumes to accommodate them.
She was in the middle of this when the main doors to the Rose burst open, and six men came loudly into the house. It was Ned Alleyn and the Admiral's Men, returned to the Rose after a tour in the country. Olivia rolled her eyes heavenward. She was not taken in by Ned's bombastic personality, in spite of his talent.
The actors exchanged greetings until Ned silenced them all with his announcement:
"What is the play and what is my part?"
Will anxiously came to his side, saying, "We are desperately in need of a Mercutio, Ned."
"Yes, and what is the name of this piece?" Ned asked grandly.
"Mercutio," Will said quickly. Confused glances were exchanged among the actors.
A complacent smile crept to Ned's lips.
"I will play him," he said, satisfied with himself.
Will began shaking the Admiral's Mens' hands as Henslowe again approached Olivia.
"I do not believe young Master Kent there has been measured for a costume," he told her. Olivia was not familiar with this Kent. Indeed, she had never seen him before.
"Very well," she said, approaching the boy. "Master Kent!" she called.
He did not respond.
"Master Kent!" she said again, this time touching the young man's arm. He jumped, startled.
"Oh! Um, yes, I am Thomas Kent," he said nervously, his voice suddenly deepening.
"Need your measurements, sir," Olivia said, glancing at his face.
There was something odd about this Thomas Kent. His skin was much too soft and there was no hair on his face. His features were far too fine to be that of a man, Olivia thought. And he refused to make eye contact with her, as if he had something to hide. Olivia looked at him warily. Even Sam Gosse, the actor who had always played female roles, looked more masculine than this Thomas Kent. Certainly, this must be the one playing Ethel
"What role is it that you'll be playing?" Olivia asked.
"Romeo," Kent replied.
Romeo. The hero. Olivia nodded at him.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Kent," she said. Kent nodded apprehensively, as though some secret had been revealed. No, things were certainly not as they seemed, thought Olivia.
Later that evening, when Olivia had finished her work at the Rose, she made her way home in the darkness. She didn't like to be around when her mother arrived home, usually drunk after a night servicing the men of London, so she often found work to do at the theatre to keep her there as late as possible.
The streets were growing quiet as Olivia approached her flat. In the distance, she saw a young man walking toward her at a jaunty pace. She didn't take any notice of him.
"Olivia!" he called. "What in God's name are you doing out so late?"
It was Master Shakespeare. Olivia smiled.
"Good evening, Will. And where have you been?"
"Getting inspired!" he replied emphatically.
"Well, that's a good thing, as you haven't even completed Act One."
Will laughed in response. He put his arm around Olivia's shoulders in a brotherly manner.
"Yes, indeed, I will complete it tonight."
"What's gotten you so inspired?" she asked.
Will smiled broadly.
"I…am in love!" he exclaimed.
"Really? And who is the lucky girl?" Olivia asked. She was more than half hoping he would say, "You!"
But he didn't.
"Lady Viola de Lesseps!" he replied. "Her nurse is the aunt of our own Master Thomas Kent."
"Is that so? And how did you meet this angel?" Olivia asked, almost sarcastically.
"Why, at her home. There was a dance there tonight."
"Were you invited?" Olivia imagined Master Shakespeare would not typically mingle with lords and ladies at their homes.
"Sadly, no. But I saw her, up on her balcony, and…oh, Olivia, I have never seen such beauty!" he enthused. Olivia tried to smile. "Lord Wessex's guards ended up chasing me away, but not before I could speak with her!" Will proceeded to describe this exquisite beauty with a string of metaphors that would make anyone blush. "I saw her across the room, and then she saw me, and I joined the dance so that I could be near her. We spoke, and then Wessex's guards tore me from her and threw me out. Oh, but Olivia, I must see her!"
"What are you going to do?" Olivia asked, the annoyance more than apparent in her voice.
"I'm going to write!" he said grandly as he stared off toward his garret. "I'll see you tomorrow, Olivia. Good night!" Will wandered off in a still-euphoric state as Olivia found her way up the stairs to her own straw bed. Hot tears sprang onto the pillow as she imagined how she would never catch Master Shakespeare's attention now.
