Feel free to leave a comment here of what performances you would like to see. Most recent performances are marked with (*).
*Bluebeard
The Cast
Bluebeard: Viktor
Wife: Astraea
Bride 1: Zerase
Bride 2: Dinah
Brother 1: Denzel
Brother 2: Vahan
—
The lights came up onstage, but to the surprise of the audience the curtains were closed. A low hum of dramatic music filled the theatre. Viktor stood at stage left and Astraea stood at stage right. "Welcome to my luxurious mansion, Wife," Viktor said in a dull, uninspired voice. It was clear that he was not enjoying acting. "I hope you will be comfortable here."
"I am very happy to be here, my Husband!" Astraea exclaimed, clapping her hands.
"Now I must leave for business," Viktor said, and he raised a cartoonishly big brass key for all to see. "This house is for you to explore. But you must NOT!" He paused for dramatic effect. "Go into the cellar," he finished with dull, dramatic flare. "You may go into all rooms but the cellar. Do you understand, Wife?"
"O-Of course, Husband," Astraea said, taking the large key.
"If you go into the cellar I've make you sorry," Viktor quickly blurted out, pointing his finger at her.
"Viktor, you rushed through your lines!" Nour hissed from the front row. "You need to slow down and lay the foundation of your villainy!"
"I don't threaten women!" Viktor snapped at him, unmindful that he was breaking character.
"You have threatened me," a voice from behind the curtain called out.
"You're an exception!" Viktor snapped at the closed curtain before storming off stage left.
"This is quickly turning into a disaster performance," Primrose mused, glancing around at the patrons. People were muttering in discontent.
"Oh…the key to this large and magnificent house!" Astraea said in wonder as she held the large key in both hands. Then she looked towards the curtain. "My dear husband said I cannot go into the cellar…but he said this was my house as well, did he not? Because he told me I could not…now I truly want to see what's in there!"
Astraea turned her back fully to the audience and raised the key with her left hand. "I will go and see what's down there now!"
At her words the curtains were pulled open, showing the audience the charge as a dramatic chord rose with the music. The audience exclaimed in shock at what was displayed. Instead of an elaborate set, there was a large white sheet hanging up covering the stage. Smears of red and red handprints covered the sheet. It was red paint, but it was obviously meant to symbolize blood smears.
And in the white sheet, Zerase and Dinah had pushed their heads through holes that had been cut into the sheet at standing height. Their eyes were closed and they were unmoving. It was clear that their presentation was meant to look like two decapitated heads that were hanging on the wall.
"Oh, my God!" Astraea cried out, hurrying to center stage and standing between Zerase and Dinah. "These poor souls…! The women who have gone missing—are these them?!"
"…" Zerase said.
"…" Dinah said.
Astraea gasped dramatically, and spun around to face the audience. "Bluebeard," she said. "The monster everyone says kills his brides after he marries them! That person—is my own husband!"
Viktor suddenly returned to stage from stage left. He was wielding a prop axe that was smeared in red paint. "Wife!" he snapped. "What did I tell you about going into the cellar?!"
"Bluebeard!" Astraea wailed, pointing to him dramatically. "Y-You are Bluebeard! You kill all your wives—and now you seek to kill me!"
Viktor let out a hollow laugh and stepped closer to her. "I cannot help BUT kill you all! You women have such scrawny necks, and I so much enjoy chopping off—who the HELL wrote this garbage?!" he suddenly bellowed out, breaking character once more to glare at Nour.
"Viktor!" Nour snapped as laughter broke out across the theatre. Dinah herself even corpsed and visibly giggled, despite portraying a severed head.
"I kill people like this bastard, not act like them!" Viktor snapped at Nour. "Why are you celebrating pigs like this?!"
"We've got you now, Bluebeard!" Denzel shouted from stage right.
Viktor snapped out of his rant to see Denzel and Vahan stroll onstage together, each wielding prop swords as they moved to stand before Astraea. Vahan looked at Zerase and Dinah with disgust. "A vile pig, slaying helpless women! And you sought to do the same to our sister!"
Viktor stammered, and took a step back. "I…uh…"
Denzel raised his prop sword. "These women had no one to save them. But now you will feel the wrath of Big Brothers."
Vahan and Denzel lunged towards Viktor, and the stage lights abruptly dropped, filling the theatre with darkness. Dramatic, dark music continued to play as the darkness lingered. Then the stage lights came up once more. The stained white sheet was still hanging, but now Viktor's head had been pushed through the sheet giving the appearance of a severed head.
"…" Viktor said.
"Bluebeard is dead once and for all," Vahan said. He looked at Astraea. "And you—dear sister—inherit all his wealth!"
"I-I will bury the poor women he killed," Astraea said. "And his wealth—his blood money—I will donate a great amount to the poor. Never will anything like this happen again!"
"Lesson learned," Denzel said, his voice booming. "If you're going to threaten a young lady—beware her brothers!"
The play ended, but the audience began to boo. David groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Viktor really sank this performance."
"It's a shame they're all booing Dinah," Regulus said sympathetically.
"Right," Nakoa said.
"I'm not doing that again!" Viktor hollered backstage. "He needs to cast me in heroic roles next time!"
"That requires you to act like a hero," Zerase muttered.