MACBETH / BETH Act 1 Scene 6 MILKED OF HUMAN KINDNESS

BETH

Spilled Milk

Act 1

Scene 6

[ INTERIOR divided his and her hotel health spa,  Las Vegas. NIGHT.  In the center is a RECEPTIONIST. BETH is getting a massage and facial.  She has cucumber slices on her eyes. BILLY is also getting a massage. They are separated by a wall.  BILLY is restless and not enjoying his massage very much.]

BILLY

(To Masseur)

I need to check my messages. I think I'll sit in the spa for a while now.  Thank you.

[BILLY goes over to the locker area and makes sure no one is looking.  He opens his toiletry kit, takes a couple of pills and then gives himself an injection.  He gives a big SIGH of relief and begins to calm down. He removes his towel and steps into a steaming spa tub.  In the ladies' spa, BETH is asleep while being covered with oils, flower petals and crystals by TWO ATTENDANTS .] 

[RECEPTIONIST'S phone RINGS.]

RECEPTIONIST 

(to caller)

I'm sorry, the spa has closed early tonight for a private function.  We open again tomorrow at 8:00 A.M.  Would you like to schedule a treatment?

[ BILLY carefully puts his kit away and checks his phone. There is message from BETH.  He reads it out loud.]

BILLY

(reading out loud)

"My dear, soon to be husband, earlier this evening at the coliseum I had a chance encounter with three fortune tellers.  You might not believe in such things but after I tell you their predictions, you will. Several of their predictions came true tonight.  You need to know that you are on the verge of inheriting vast riches, greater wealth than you have ever dreamed of or imagined possible.  For now we must act innocent, surprised, humble and keep our knowledge secret until there is no way our  good fortune can be reversed."

BILLY

(looks up from his cell phone)

Beth, you are too gentle and kind to know what lengths I will go to.  There will be no reversal.

[ There is a  TERRIBLE AND STRANGE NOISE coming from the steam room behind him. GRAYMALKIN appears briefly and then disappears in the steam.]

BILLY

Who's there?

[ The MASSEUR enters from opposite the steam room.]

MASSEUR

What can I do for you?

BILLY

Is there someone in the steam room?

MASSEUR

No.  We are the only ones here besides the receptionist.

[ The phone RINGS again.  The RECEPTIONIST answers and then speaks into the intercom.]

RECEPTIONIST

Pick up line three, please.  Line three please. 

[The MASSEUR picks up the phone and listens, then relays the message to BILLY.]

MASSEUR 

Mr. Winchell is on his way here.  He asks that you stay until he arrives.  He has something very important for you.

[ The MASSEUR exits.]

[ Enter WINCHELL and TWO BODYGUARDS.  WINCHELL motions for the guards to be seated in the waiting area.  He goes into the men's spa and sits on the edge of the hot tub next to BILLY.]

WINCHELL

( to BILLY)

I had this diamond ring flown in from my vault in downtown Los Angeles. 

[ WINCHELL coughs, takes out his inhaler and sprays, inhaling deep into his lungs.]

This ring was my mother's.  I want Beth to have it and I want you and Beth to allow me to host a reception for you later tonight.  I know you're having a quiet ceremony but the rest of us are going to celebrate your wedding with or without you.  My people are setting it up now poolside on the roof.  I hope you'll attend.

BILLY

Of course we will.  I don't know how we will ever repay you.

WINCHELL

It's the least I could do.  I have more lined up for you and Bancroft, but it can wait.  Enjoy your wedding night.  Where the hell is Bancroft?  I have something for her too.

[ WINCHELL and his BODYGUARDS exit.]

[ BILLY phones BETH.]

BILLY

Are you alone?

[ BETH motions for her attendants to leave. They exit.]

BETH

What is it?

BILLY

Winchell was here.  He has given me a diamond to give you that would make Elizabeth Taylor gasp.  I'm going to kill him tonight so he can't change his mind in the morning.

BETH

Spilled milk.

BILLY

What do you mean?

BETH

I've done it.

BILLY

Done what?

BETH

Did he have his inhaler with him?

BILLY

As a matter of fact, he did.  Why?

BETH

Did he use it?

BILLY

Yes.  Why? What did you do?

BETH

We'll talk about it later.  Tell me about my diamond.  What does it look like?

BILLY

There's no one here.  Come and see for yourself.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~

 

 

 

 

MACBETH / BETH Act 1 Scene 5: STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES

BETH

STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES

Act 1

Scene 5




[ INTERIOR very posh private jet, NIGHT.  Near the audience, DOWN STAGE, HOUSE LEFT: BETH is inside the restroom looking at herself in the mirror, putting on makeup. 

The mirror is like a two way mirror through which BETH  also speaks directly to the audience while she is speaking to herself.  The restroom has a window with a view of the night sky.

DOWN STAGE, HOUSE RIGHT: Beautiful FLIGHT ATTENDANTS are mixing cocktails.

In the rear, UP STAGE, on fine leather seats are WINCHELL, his son youngest son MAX, his eldest son DONALD, LENNY, BANCROFT, BILLY, ROSELINDE, ANGELO and a bevy of beautiful GROUPIES.

LENNY slides legal documents across for WINCHELL to sign, then slides them over to BILLY, shows him where to sign and then to BANCROFT for her signature.


BETH
(looking in the mirror, talking to herself)
I have one foot in the world that I have always longed to live in.  This plane alone is more beautiful than any place I have been before.  I'm going forward no matter what I have to do next.

[ BETH closes the window shade.]

BETH
Go away, Milky Way,
Be gone, Vegas neon.
Make this night as dark as the deed I must do so I cannot see my hands pour this into Winchell's inhaler.  Fate and supernatural forces are at work.  Winchell's doctor has suggested he wait out the storm away from the mold of the beach cities, in the dry desert.  The fortune tellers led me to this pendant of holy water from Italy and now I see it has in it the mold he flys away from.  Here, in this very private place sits Winchell's inhaler, waiting for me. It is not his fate to escape the mold tonight. 

Winchell has given to Billy what I wish he had given to me.  Billy says I am his girl.  All this is a nightmare I must calmly walk though if I am to wake up the queen the fortune tellers said I could be.


[ BETH carefully unscrews the top off the pendant, opens the inhaler, pours out the medicine and pours in the moldy water from the pendant. There is a KNOCK on the door.]



BILLY
Beth, are you all right in there?


 
BANCROFT
She is in a daze.  She's had too much excitement for one evening.  She lost it when Winchell gave you the beach house.  Did you see the color leave her face?


 
BILLY
We're just getting started.  I'm going to marry her as soon as this plane lands.




~ TO BE CONTINUED ~

  







 

 

MACBETH / BETH Act 1 Scene 4: SO FAIR AND FOUL

BETH

SO FAIR AND FOUL

Act 1

 Scene 4

[ EXTERIOR Los Angeles Coliseum, NIGHT.  On the trampled, garbage strewn lawn outside of the Los Angeles Coliseum after most of the concert goers have dispersed quickly due to the storm. THUNDER RUMBLES.  The THREE WITCHES enter from three different directions and meet.]

FIRST WITCH

(Singing as she approaches)

Vote for them if you deign,

All withall without a brain,

My charm made them quite insane,

Never will they work again.

 Republican and Democrat

Locked in an eternal spat

Fight each other night and day

Waste a waste a waste away!

(To the other two witches)

 

Where have you been, sisters?

SECOND WITCH

Catching up on my random killing.

THIRD WITCH

Giving free samples to the children of the wealthy.  And you, sister?

FIRST WITCH

With that senator my charms elected.  He promised to take me to the Inaugural Ball.  Once in place he replaced me with a proper woman.  This necklace I made of her teeth while Squamous shifted into her shape did things to make me new earrings of more value to the senator than the diamonds he gave her. Squamous chewed and chewed and brought me these two.

[ The FIRST WITCH pulls back her mass of nasty hair to reveal the SENATOR'S testicles hanging from her earlobes. ]

SECOND WITCH

I wish I had been there.

THIRD WITCH

I wish I had a pair.

FIRST WITCH

The senator is out of balls. There are other ways of getting in.  Squamous can assume the shape of many men.  One way or the other I will attend.

SECOND WITCH

I will loan you my Graymalkin.

[ The FIRST WITCH and SECOND WITCH look at the THIRD WITCH, waiting for a response. ]

THIRD WITCH

I would lend you my Louis Le Roux, but well we know we never know what he will do.

FIRST WITCH

That's what happens when your familiar falls in love with you.

SECOND WITCH

He's just trying to impress you, poor Louie Le Roux! He's in love and means no harm.

THIRD WITCH

Enough! Enough! It's time to administer the charm.

[ The THREE WITCHES cackle with laughter, hold hands and dance in a circle.  A LOUD SLAM comes from the coliseum. Enter BETH and BANCROFT with BILLY lagging behind.  BILLY slips out of sight behind a tree and is obviously buying drugs from GRAYMALKIN. ]

BANCROFT

I never would have recognized you tonight in that sea of people if not for that crazy haircut.  Funny how things turn out.

BETH

This is the best and the worst day of my life! Hey, where did Billy disappear to?

[BETH looks around for BILLY. BANCROFT sees the witches and takes BETH'S hand.]

BANCROFT

(To Beth)

Holy shit!  Are we being punked? Where is the camera?

(To the witches)

Are you real? Are you holograms?

BETH

(To Bancroft)

They are fortune tellers!  They told me I would meet Winchell tonight!

BANCROFT

(To Beth)

I'm sure he's already left. 

(To the witches) 

Can you hear us?

BETH

(To The Witches)

Do you remember me? 

[The WITCHES speak to BETH].

FIRST WITCH

All hail, Apple of Winchell's eye!

SECOND WITCH

All hail, the only heir!

THIRD WITCH

All hail, the future Queen! 

[BETH freezes. She looks like a zombie.]

BANCROFT

(To Beth)

Beth! Earth to Beth!?

(To the witches)

You seem to have killed my friend with kindness. What have you got to say to me, not that I believe in predictions? 

WITCHES

Hail Bancroft!

FIRST WITCH

You don't want as much as Beth, but you shall have.

SECOND WITCH

Not so much, yet much more. 

THIRD WITCH

You made royalty, but are not.

ALL WITCHES

All hail, Bancroft and Beth!

[The WITCHES turn and begin to walk away slowly.  BANCROFT turns and looks for BILLY.  BANCROFT exits.  BETH follows the WITCHES who seem to fade with each step.]

  

BANCROFT

(off stage)

Billy! Come get your fortune told!

BETH

(To The Fading Witches)

Wait! I don't understand.  He doesn't know I'm alive!  What am I to do next?  Have you no charm or potion to help me tonight?  I gave you my mother's ring!

[ A vial on a chain hangs from one of the tree branches and hits BETH in the face.  She snatches it from the tree. She hides it in her purse quickly. The WITCHES vanish. BANCROFT enters will BILLY in tow.  BILLY is so high on drugs he is hardly aware of his surroundings.]

BANCROFT

I found Billy. Where are the fortune tellers?

BETH

They vanished into thin air.  I wish they would come back.

BANCROFT

I told you they were holograms!  Or maybe Billy slipped us some of whatever he's on!  Maybe we are hallucinating!

BETH

Your children will be royalty!

BANCROFT

(looks upset by the comment)

My Felix was born with Down's syndrome and other complications.

BETH

I didn't know you'd married.

BANCROFT

I didn't.

BETH

Does the father help out?

BANCROFT

The father doesn't know.  Let's just say he's not a nice man and leave it at that.  I haven't seen you since high school.  I can't believe you still have a crush on Winchell.  Don't you follow him on twitter?  All he does is post selfies of him with his dog.

He has sex with women but he only loves his dog.  I think you are in love with a fantasy.

BETH

Someone is coming!  Who are they?

[Enter ROSELINDE ROSS and ANGELO.]

ROSELINDE

(to Billy and Bancroft)

Yo! We've been looking everywhere for you.  Give Angelo your car keys and tell him where you parked.  Follow me to the limo.

ANGELO

(to Billy and Bancroft)

Winchell sent us.  He wants to reward you for taming the audience tonight, but not here.  He wants to do it at his penthouse in Vegas.

ROSELINDE

(To Billy and Bancroft)

Here's a hint. Winchell is having his attorney draft documents to give you two everything he was going to give to Chowder.  You're going to finish out the tour with him.  You get paid even if the tour gets canceled.  Hell, you're even in the old man's will. Billy, you are the apple of eye!  Lucky dog.

BANCROFT

(To Billy)

We have to behave now! 

BILLY

(Barely conscious due to the drugs effect)

I'm not going anywhere without my girl.

(To Beth)

You're my girl.

ROSELINDE

(To Angelo)

We're dead if we don't get them to Zampernini Field within the hour.

ANGELO

(To Billy)

Bring your girl.

BETH

(To Bancroft)

What's at Zampernini Field?

BANCROFT

Winchell's private jet. 

BETH

(Aside, to herself)

The fortune tellers sort of got it right. But everything is a little off.  I am WITH the apple of his eye.  I am WITH his heirs.  The honors fall near me but not directly upon me and yet I do begin to feel like a queen.  I must play it by ear until a clear path be seen!

[BETH moves closer to BILLY.  He takes her hand. Everyone starts walking in the direction of the limo.  When they pass a tree, BILLY suddenly pulls BETH around behind the tree, looks her in the eyes and then kisses her.]

BILLY

You're my girl.

[BILLY pulls her back to the lawn and they run to catch up with the others.  They all exit.]

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~ 

 

 

 

 

INTERMISSION / BRANAGH'S MACBETH: Reviews of Park Avenue Armory's Rustic Seating Steal The Spotlight

When back pain caused by the seating at a play takes attention away from the play, then the attempt at making the experience authentic via rustic seating has failed. You may as well chuck real spears into the audience if you are going that route.


Check the buzz on twitter.  If reporters are writing about how bad the seating was instead of what they thought of the play, you could have scrimped on rehearsal, special effects and other production costs because an audience with their heads between their knees or hoping to find a motrin dispenser in the restroom, isn't really paying attention.
Macbeth himself felt more comfortable about back support than the audience when he said:


"Ring the alarum-bell! Blow wind, come wrack,
At least we'll die with harness on our back."

One wonders if Sir Branagh smiled when he delivered that line and if anyone in the audience laughed.  Authentic seating begs for authentic rotten eggs, cabbages and tomatoes.  Sometimes authentic is too much of a distraction.
                                                                                                    

                                                                                              Exeunt

MACBETH / BETH Act 1 Scene 3: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

BETH

Act 1

Scene 3

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

[EXTERIOR King Harbor, evening. PORTER, the drunken grounds keeper of Winchell's gated compound on the bluff overlooking the marina and pier at Redondo Beach, is drinking his dinner at an outdoor table of one of the rowdy bars facing the boats in the marina.  PORTER is with an old friend.  Due to THUNDER and mist, all the customers suddenly rush inside except PORTER and his FRIEND.  The halyards on the boats begin to clang wildly.]


PORTER
If I told you, you wouldn't believe me.  You'd say I was mad.


FRIEND
I think I know what you're going to say.


PORTER
I saw DeWitt.


FRIEND
He's still dealing drugs.


PORTER
DeWitt's been dead for weeks.


FRIEND
He smells like it.


PORTER
O yes and the flesh on his hands and face is peeling.


FRIEND
When did you see him?


PORTER
Tonight.  He wanted me to open the gate. I locked up and sent him away.

FRIEND
O, he's inside now.  Doing whatever.

PORTER
What do you mean?


PORTER'S FRIEND
That's not DeWitt. That shit he's selling ain't the shit DeWitt sold. Somebody is using DeWitt's body to sell some strange shit.  Truth be told, at first I was kinda glad to see he was back.  I've been buyin' from him all my life.

 
PORTER
You sound crazy.

 
FRIEND
You saw him too.

 
[ The two drink in silence for a moment.]


PORTER
He was in that nasty van that's been around lately.  It usually says "FORTUNES TOLD" but tonight it had "TV, INTERNET & PHONE" written on it.  It was DeWitt.  He said his name was Louis Le Roux and that he had to get into all the condos because of the new cable TV channel line up.


PORTER'S FRIEND
I've seen that van in two places at once!


PORTER
How did you manage that?  Wouldn't you have to be two places at once?


PORTER'S FRIEND
No. I was running away from that van.  It was behind me, then it was parked in front of me too!



 
[ Enter a  ragged STRANGER.  He stops at a garbage can and digs through it until he finds some food.  He walks up to PORTER and FRIEND and talks with his mouth full.]


STRANGER
Sometimes that van sells tacos.  Sometimes it sells ice cream to the little ones and they can't sleep no more after that ice cream.

 
PORTER
Do we know you? Who are you?

 
STRANGER
I'm out and about.  I know things.  I'm out and about.  For instance, I know Le Roux is not like the other spirits.  He is not a pet. His mistress adores him. Graymalkin the cat and Squamous the squirrel, they can shape shift into human form when they run errands.  Le Roux does not shape shift.  He occupies a body, usually a dead body.  Le Roux is a crab.  This certainly ain't no place to be a crab, not with the way people eat crabs around here.  Never seen so many wooden mallets.

 
[The STRANGER starts LAUGHING too loud and then starts CHOKING.  PORTER offers him the whiskey bottle.]



PORTER
(to the stranger)
Have a seat.  It's a rough night to be out and about.



STRANGER
Thank you.  Don't mind if I do.

 

[Just as the STRANGER sits down, PORTER'S cell phone rings. He reads a text message.  PORTER'S FRIEND notices a CRAB on the sidewalk nearby.]


PORTER'S FRIEND
Speak of the devil!  Look! It's a crab.

 
[Loud SPLASH as the crab goes over the edge and into the harbor.]


PORTER
I have to go.  The concert has been canceled.  Everyone is headed back.

 
[The STRANGER'S head is bowed as if he is sleeping. PORTER touches his shoulder.]



PORTER
Better find some shelter old man.  You can keep the whiskey.  We have to run now.

 
[The STRANGER slumps and falls out of his chair.]



PORTER'S FRIEND
(feeling for a pulse on the stranger)
This man is dead.

[ PORTER and his friend exit with haste.]



PORTER'S FRIEND
(off stage in a high, frightened voice)


We were talking to Le Roux.  He's fucking with us.  He was inside that dead wino who probably died from exposure.  That was Le Roux.  Those witches are after us!




~ TO BE CONTINUED ~