Disclaimer: See Default Chapter.
The Bear
Scene: A drawing room in CARLOTTA'S house.
CARLOTTA is in deep mourning and has her eyes fixed on a photograph. BUQUET is haranguing her.
BUQUET: It isn't right, Senora... You're just destroying yourself. The maid and the cook have gone off fruit picking; every living being is rejoicing. Even the cat understands how to enjoy herself and walks about in the yard catching birds. Only you sit in this room all day, as if this was a convent, and don't take any pleasure. Yes, really! I reckon it's a whole year that you haven't left this house!
CARLOTTA: *dramatically* I shall never go out... Why should I? My life eez already at an end. He eez een heez grave, and I have---
PS: Hold it!
BUQUET and CARLOTTA freeze.
PS: Carlotta, you've got to lose the accent. No one can understand a word you're saying.
CARLOTTA: *confused* But zees eez how I talk.
PS: *grumbles* Fine. But if I can't understand you later, the accent goes. I'll bring in the understudy!
PS leaves.
CARLOTTA: Where was I?
PS: *offstage* He is in his grave!
CARLOTTA: Oh, yes. *continues dramatically* He eez een heez grave, and I have buried myself between four walls... We are both dead. *blinks in confusion* But I am alive. How can I be dead eef I am alive?
PS: IT'S A METAPHOR!!!!
CARLOTTA: Oh.
BUQUET: Well, there you are! Ubaldo Piangi is dead...
CARLOTTA: *sniffles*
BUQUET: *continues* It's the will of God, and may his soul rest in peace... You've mourned him---and quite right--- but you can't go on weeping and wearing mourning forever. My old woman died too, when her time came. Well? I grieved for her, I wept for a month, and that's enough for her. But if I've got to weep for a whole age... Well, the old woman wasn't worth it. *sighs* You've forgotten all your neighbors. You don't go anywhere, and you see nobody. We live, so to speak, like spiders, and never see the light. The mice have eaten my livery. It isn't as if there were no good people around, for the district's full of them. There's a regiment quartered at Riblov, and the officers are such beauties---you can never gaze your fill at them. And, every Friday, there's a ball at the camp, and every day the soldier's band plays... Eh, my lady! You're young and beautiful, with roses in your cheeks--- if you only took a little pleasure. Beauty won't last long, you know. In ten years' time you'll want to be a pea-hen yourself among the officer's, but they won't look at you. It will be too late.
CARLOTTA: *with determination* I must ask you never to talk to me about eet! You know that when Ubaldo Piangi died, life lost all eet's meaning for me. I vowed never, to the end of my days, to cease to wear mourning, or to see the light... You hear? Let his ghost see how well I love heem... Yes, I know eet's no secret to you that he was often unfair to me, cruel and...and even unfaithful, but I shall be true till death, and show heem how I can love. There, beyond the grave, he will see me as I was before heez death...
BUQUET: Instead of talking like that you ought to go and have a walk in the garden, or else order Caesar or Giant to be harnessed, and then drive out to see some of the neighbors.
CARLOTTA: Oh! *weeps*
BUQUET: Senora! Dear Senora! What is it? Bless you!
CARLOTTA: *stops crying* I did not sneeze.
PS: JUST FOLLOW THE SCRIPT!!!!!
CARLOTTA: *sniffs regally at PS, then continues weeping* He was so fond of Caesar! He always used to ride on heem to the Daae's and Chagny's.
RAOUL: *offstage* I thought I wasn't in this.
PS: You're not. *loud clang and sound of a comatose body falling to the ground*
CARLOTTA: *never missing a beat* How well he could ride! What grace there was een heez figure when he pulled at the reins with all heez strength! Do you remember? Caesar, Caesar! Tell them to give heem an extra feed of oats.
BUQUET: *sighing in defeat* Yes, Senora.
A bell rings noisily.
CARLOTTA: *shaking* Who eez that? Tell them that I receive nobody.
BUQUET: Yes, Senora. *exit*
CARLOTTA: *looking at photograph* You will see, Ubaldo, how I can give love and forgive... My love will die out with me, only when this poor heart will cease to beat. *laughs through her tears* And aren't you ashamed? I am a good and virtuous little wife. I've locked myself een, and will be true to you till the grave, and you... aren't you ashamed, you bad child? You deceived me, had rows with me, left me alone for weeks on end...
BUQUET enters in consternation
BUQUET: Senora, somebody is asking for you. He wants to see you...
CARLOTTA: But didn't you tell heem that since the death of my husband I've stopped receiving?
BUQUET: I did, but he wouldn't even listen; says it's a very pressing affair.
CARLOTTA: I do not re-cieve!
BUQUET: I told him so, but the... the devil... curses and pushes himself right in... He's in the dining room now.
CARLOTTA: *annoyed* Very well, ask heem een... What manners! *exit BUQUET* How these people annoy me! What does he want of me? Why should he disturb my peace? *sighs* No, I see that I shall have to go een-to a convent after all. *thoughtfully* Yes, een-to a convent...
= = = = = = = = =
A/N: I made it short for those of you that want to see what's going on. This will only be about three chapters, and the last will be the longest.
A/N 2: Carlotta translation --- heem= him heez= his eet= it eez= is eef= if een= in
A/N 3: Let me know if I should just drop the "Carlota Accent" writing.
The Bear
Scene: A drawing room in CARLOTTA'S house.
CARLOTTA is in deep mourning and has her eyes fixed on a photograph. BUQUET is haranguing her.
BUQUET: It isn't right, Senora... You're just destroying yourself. The maid and the cook have gone off fruit picking; every living being is rejoicing. Even the cat understands how to enjoy herself and walks about in the yard catching birds. Only you sit in this room all day, as if this was a convent, and don't take any pleasure. Yes, really! I reckon it's a whole year that you haven't left this house!
CARLOTTA: *dramatically* I shall never go out... Why should I? My life eez already at an end. He eez een heez grave, and I have---
PS: Hold it!
BUQUET and CARLOTTA freeze.
PS: Carlotta, you've got to lose the accent. No one can understand a word you're saying.
CARLOTTA: *confused* But zees eez how I talk.
PS: *grumbles* Fine. But if I can't understand you later, the accent goes. I'll bring in the understudy!
PS leaves.
CARLOTTA: Where was I?
PS: *offstage* He is in his grave!
CARLOTTA: Oh, yes. *continues dramatically* He eez een heez grave, and I have buried myself between four walls... We are both dead. *blinks in confusion* But I am alive. How can I be dead eef I am alive?
PS: IT'S A METAPHOR!!!!
CARLOTTA: Oh.
BUQUET: Well, there you are! Ubaldo Piangi is dead...
CARLOTTA: *sniffles*
BUQUET: *continues* It's the will of God, and may his soul rest in peace... You've mourned him---and quite right--- but you can't go on weeping and wearing mourning forever. My old woman died too, when her time came. Well? I grieved for her, I wept for a month, and that's enough for her. But if I've got to weep for a whole age... Well, the old woman wasn't worth it. *sighs* You've forgotten all your neighbors. You don't go anywhere, and you see nobody. We live, so to speak, like spiders, and never see the light. The mice have eaten my livery. It isn't as if there were no good people around, for the district's full of them. There's a regiment quartered at Riblov, and the officers are such beauties---you can never gaze your fill at them. And, every Friday, there's a ball at the camp, and every day the soldier's band plays... Eh, my lady! You're young and beautiful, with roses in your cheeks--- if you only took a little pleasure. Beauty won't last long, you know. In ten years' time you'll want to be a pea-hen yourself among the officer's, but they won't look at you. It will be too late.
CARLOTTA: *with determination* I must ask you never to talk to me about eet! You know that when Ubaldo Piangi died, life lost all eet's meaning for me. I vowed never, to the end of my days, to cease to wear mourning, or to see the light... You hear? Let his ghost see how well I love heem... Yes, I know eet's no secret to you that he was often unfair to me, cruel and...and even unfaithful, but I shall be true till death, and show heem how I can love. There, beyond the grave, he will see me as I was before heez death...
BUQUET: Instead of talking like that you ought to go and have a walk in the garden, or else order Caesar or Giant to be harnessed, and then drive out to see some of the neighbors.
CARLOTTA: Oh! *weeps*
BUQUET: Senora! Dear Senora! What is it? Bless you!
CARLOTTA: *stops crying* I did not sneeze.
PS: JUST FOLLOW THE SCRIPT!!!!!
CARLOTTA: *sniffs regally at PS, then continues weeping* He was so fond of Caesar! He always used to ride on heem to the Daae's and Chagny's.
RAOUL: *offstage* I thought I wasn't in this.
PS: You're not. *loud clang and sound of a comatose body falling to the ground*
CARLOTTA: *never missing a beat* How well he could ride! What grace there was een heez figure when he pulled at the reins with all heez strength! Do you remember? Caesar, Caesar! Tell them to give heem an extra feed of oats.
BUQUET: *sighing in defeat* Yes, Senora.
A bell rings noisily.
CARLOTTA: *shaking* Who eez that? Tell them that I receive nobody.
BUQUET: Yes, Senora. *exit*
CARLOTTA: *looking at photograph* You will see, Ubaldo, how I can give love and forgive... My love will die out with me, only when this poor heart will cease to beat. *laughs through her tears* And aren't you ashamed? I am a good and virtuous little wife. I've locked myself een, and will be true to you till the grave, and you... aren't you ashamed, you bad child? You deceived me, had rows with me, left me alone for weeks on end...
BUQUET enters in consternation
BUQUET: Senora, somebody is asking for you. He wants to see you...
CARLOTTA: But didn't you tell heem that since the death of my husband I've stopped receiving?
BUQUET: I did, but he wouldn't even listen; says it's a very pressing affair.
CARLOTTA: I do not re-cieve!
BUQUET: I told him so, but the... the devil... curses and pushes himself right in... He's in the dining room now.
CARLOTTA: *annoyed* Very well, ask heem een... What manners! *exit BUQUET* How these people annoy me! What does he want of me? Why should he disturb my peace? *sighs* No, I see that I shall have to go een-to a convent after all. *thoughtfully* Yes, een-to a convent...
= = = = = = = = =
A/N: I made it short for those of you that want to see what's going on. This will only be about three chapters, and the last will be the longest.
A/N 2: Carlotta translation --- heem= him heez= his eet= it eez= is eef= if een= in
A/N 3: Let me know if I should just drop the "Carlota Accent" writing.
