Mundane Musings

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 188, 29 October 1927, Page 20 (Supplement)

Mundane Musings

A Rising Dramatist! Marilyn has been writing her first play. Begun during the term they were doing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’* —they had already done “The Merchant of Venice” and “Romeo and Juliet”—it is clearly based on the Shakespearean model, but, of course, with improvements. For one thing, as she herself points out, the language is easier to understand, without so many old-fashioned words, and consideration for future generations of school children has caused her to avoid long speeches difficult to memorise. It is called “Florian and Stephanie,” and the first scene is laid on a wild, j rocky coast of Arabia. I asked Mari- ; lyn, why Arabia? And Marilyn answered very sensibly, Why not? It reads as follows (the spelling, I hasten to state, is Marilyn’s, not mine): ACT I. Scene 1. —A wild, rocky coast of Arabia. Enter King Stanislas, Queen Rosita, cawtiers, soldiers and attenddants. King Stan: My dear, our daughter comes of age to-day; A wilful girl, who always wants her i way. I’ve sent a herald up and down the land To find a prince to whom to give her hand. Queen Ros (sighing): Ah, may she find a fiting mate and true! So many people don’t, while others do. Exeunt omnes. * * 0 Scene 2.—A lemon grove in Spain. Enter good fairies and bad fairies. They dance. After a while they stop dancing. Sylvia, a good fairy, and Bobbo, a bad one, come forward. Sylvia: You are on mischieff bent wher’eer you go. What have you done to-day, I’d like to know? Bobbo: I’ve op’d the doors of many a chicken-run And let the chickens out. It was such fun. Sylvia: I think you’re simply horribly unkind. You’ll come to a bad end, if you dont’ mind. They dance together for a bit. Exeunt omnes, good fairies L., bad R.

Scene 3.—A ballroom in Asia Minor. Prince Rollo. is sitting out by himself, eating some fruit sallard. Prince R.: I wonder who that lovely maid can be, Dressed all in pink, with white imbroiddery ? She’s the most bewteous girl I’ve ever seen. If I were king, I’d like her for my queen. Enter Herald, R. Herald: I wonder, Prince, if you have heart, the news? To-day the King dercided he mus. choose A suiter for his only daughter’s hand She’s rather hard to please, I understand. Prince R. (hortily): What care I for her rank or roi degree? I do not care for girls as proud at she. The maid I wed must be my own true mate, However low and humble be her state. Herald: I’ll tell King Stanislas what you have said. Oh. by the way, your roil father’s dead. He died of chicken-pox at twelve today, So now you’re king. And now I must away. Exit Herald, L. Scene 4. —Princess Flavia’s bedroom. Holly, her maid, is doing her hair for her. Prin. F.: I wonder what my bridegroom’s name will be? I do hope he’ll be tall and fair to see. Holly: I’d like a man with eyes of flashing blue for mine. Prin. F. (sadly): Oh, dear! I’d rather far be you Than me. For you can marry anyone, While I can only wed a monnark’s son. (Aside): I wish my father wouldn’t quarrel so With King Koffetuar of Lavengro. His son was at the dance the other night

The manuscript breaking off abruptly here, I asked Marilyn why she hadn't finished it. Marilyn said she’d

had to put it on one side to go and do pj her Nature Notes for Guides, and when £ she’d finished her Nature Notes she Ej couldn’t remember what she was go- {£ ing to make Princess Flavia say next. E One thing puzzled me rather. “When do Florian and Stephanie come in, ni Marilyn?” I asked. Marilyn gave a E. start. £:■

“I forgot about them,” she said. « “Well, perhaps I will bring them into qmy next play. After all, titles don’t c matter much, do they? Look at some CT of Shakespeare’s!” E