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Mortadello (A Synopsis)
From a Collection of Crowley's Plays and Scenarios
ACT I
Scene I. The action takes place at Venice. R. the Palazzo of Magdalena, C. its entrance and steps to the canal L.; its gilded and armorial morring-posts stand L and U.C. It is midnight, and there is no light in the palace, or on the water, but only the faint light of the stars. There is also access to the palazzo by land, a narrow passage C. along the edge of the canal. A bridge leads to this passage. Enter upon the bridge Lorenzo and Alessandro. They lean upon the parapet.
ALESSANDRO & LORENZO.
They have returned from 3 years at the Sorbonne. A. is a brilliant scholar, L. a rake, but devoted to A.
Lucrezia and Zelina enter.
They are old friends of A. and L. Both woo A. who treats them as toys and repulse L. who desires them.
They give the news of Venice.
1. The Doge's son is dead. 2. Mortadello is to marry the widow and succeed to power. 3. Monica leads the people's party against this plan. Her character and political assets explained. A. offers to assist Monica.
They hail a gondolier and embark. Another gondola crosses, it holds Mortadello and Magdalena. A. wants to attack, but is restrained.
Mortadello and Magdalena land hackeys with torches open the palace.
Orlando enters on bridge, sees Mortadello hides and listens.
Magdalena persuades Mortadello to have Monica killed. He goes in gondola, she throwing him a dagger.
Magdalena enters house and appears at window, in déshabillé.
Orlando advances. She sends him for a gondola to go with him for pleasure. She withdraws. He turns to go, then doubts ? ? her good faith.
Monica followed by two sisters of Mercy crosses bridge. She is praying as she walks.
Orlando suddenly decides to warn her of the plot against her life. But makes her promise to marry him as the price of full disclosure. She prays and agrees with reluctance. He tells all and goes, the nuns clasp her knees. She dismisses them.
Monica, alone, exults at having won Orlando. She draws out a cross of crystal and adores it, explaining that it is poisoned.
Hearing a gondola, she recovers her sanctity. Orlando lands, Monica hides. He summons Magdalena, who descends and flings open her wrapper for Orlando, to kiss her body. He does so and then stabs her in the navel.
Monica advances and curses her dying rival, embracing O. wildly to his amazement. He flings the corpse of Magdalena into the canal.
They move towards the gondola, when Gabriele and his sbirri approach running. He accosts her, threatening arrest, etc. He has saved her life on condition that she surrenders and gives Magdalena publicly to Mortadello at the wedding. She agrees, but stipulates that Magdalena shall be her guest till the day.
Gabriele retires. O. has been appalled by the scene, but she perfectly at ease and tells him to dine and recover the corpse. As he does so, she glides away.
ACT II
Scene I. The Piazza de San Marco. In the background, the façade of the church. The people pass.
Connection among common people showing how beloved Monica is, how good she is to all, etc.
Alessandro and Lucrezia enter, followed by Marco. They draw back to watch while Marco on A.'s order advances to test public opinion. He points to the Barge of the Doge's doctor, passing in the distance, as proof of his story which is that Monica is pregnant.
The people abuse him and at last attack him and beat him. But a knife being drawn, A. interposes and explains that the scene has been a test. Gives Marco his purse to treat the crowd.
Scene II. The cabinet of the Doge. It is furnished as a work-room with papers, etc. But there is a throne, with five seats on either hand. The Doge is with a Secretary at work. An officer is on guard at the door. A knock. The officer opens and whispers with another officer who is on guard without.
Gabriele calls upon the Doge, reporting his success with Monica.
The Doge rewards him with the order of the Lion of St. Mark, he then summons the Ten, among whom is Mortadello. He is commanded to unmask and presented to the rest as their new chief. As they unmask, Mortadello is variously affected.
They depart, the Doge has a fit foreboding.
Scene III. The steps of St. Mark's Church (as in Scene I). A number of passers-by and loungers.
Lucrezia and Zelina meet and quarrel. Zelina stabs L. in the breast.
Mortadello enters from church, orders their arrest.
Alessandro enters, objects to Mortadello's authoritative manner and challenges him. A. supports Lucrezia. A physician takes charge of Lucrezia, answering for her speedy cure.
Mortadello makes a boasting speech; A. sneers. The crowd take part; a faction fight is imminent. Monica and two nuns enter. She composes the quarrel, forcing Alessandro to do homage to Mortadello. It has been made clear that this course has been previously agreed on.
Monica commands A.'s attendance. Mortadello still shaken, goes. The crowd follow him, cheering.
A. and M. congratulate each other on the success of their comedy.
Scene IV. The Church of St. Mark's. The Doge, enthroned, surrounded by ecclesiastical dignitaries as for a marriage. Count Mortadello standing on the R. of the Doge. Many nobles gathered.
Magdalena makes everyone wait. Mortadello threatens Gabriele, who laughs at him.
The bridal procession enters. Monica speaks words of peace and goes out on the arm of the Abbess.
The marriage service begins. When Mortadello has to take Magdalena's hand, her corpse crashes to the floor, this is the signal for a riot. The church fills with smoke. The great bell of St. Marks begins to toll. There is a fight in the square. All rush out to oppose Monica's partisans, who are now in open revolt.
The Doge and Mortadello are left alone, bending over the corpse, Orlando rushes from behind the Alta and attacks Mortadello, wounding him. The Doge falls dead from shock, as nobles enter and force Orlando to flee.
Mortadello raving, swears revenge.
ACT III
Scene I. The Rialto. Three Jew merchants, meeting.
Venice agog with rumours. A noble questioned by the Jews, announces the death of the Doge and that Mortadello will be proclaimed his successor. He adds that Monica is in hiding, though no warrant for her apprehension has been issued.
The crowd flock in alarmed for Monica, whom they suppose to have been murdered.
Alonzo speaking lightly of her is mobbed and flung into the canal.
The Jews resolve to lend no money till Venice is quiet again.
Scene II. The Cabinet of the Doge. A couch, on which lies the wounded Mortadello, convalescent. The Lord Gabriele stands near by, toying impatiently with his rapier.
The situation reviewed failure of loan, etc. Mortadello tells Gabriele that he must stop Monica at once.
Scene III. A Charnel-House beneath the Convent of the Ursulines. It is a cellar piled with skulls and bones. There is a truckle bed, above which is a wooden crucifix. There is also a prie-Dieu and image of the Virgin, luxurious and decorative, a startling contrast to the simplicity of the rest.
Monica in prayer rising to ecstasy. Lucrezia brings news, Zelina is now Mortadello's mistress, a passionate scene.
Orlando enters. The sbirri are hot on his trail. His news, many arrests of their friends. The Abbess has sent a courier to Rome to plead their cause. A passionate physically intense. An explosion: shots, cries and blows heard without.
A second explosion.
The two gates of the Abbey have been blown in.
Enters a soldier, wounded.
Orlando prepares a last stand.
They rush out.
Monica praying at prie-Dieu rises to full hysteria, than falls in swoon as an outer door is burst in and Orlando with five soldiers are forced back into the charnel by Gabriele and his sbirri. General fight. Orlando and Gabriele in duel. All five soldiers killed.
Gabriele points to Monica, telling Orlando she is dead; he stabs him as he turns to look.
Gabriele orders Monica's arrest; she rises and displays the stigmata. The soldiers draw back in awe, refusing duty.
Monica advances on Gabriele, holding up her crystal cross. He is fascinated as by a snake and cannot repel her. She towers over him and touches him with the cross. He falls, writhing in agony. He dies while the soldiers adore her rapturously. They wish to lead her to the Palace; she insists that they bind her wrists and take her to the prison. Weeping, they escort her.
ACT IV
Scene I. A street in Venice. Alessandro, upon a bridge overlooking a narrow canal. He leans heavily, weary, and decrepit.
Alessandro, Monica's chief of staff, in love with her.
Scene II. Without the prison. The window of the Governor's room overlooks the quay, which is approached on the left by a bridge, behind which is seen the Bridge of Sighs.
Alessandro tells Lorenzo to send 40 men to cry that Monica has been murdered in the prison and to direct the crowds to come and demonstrate.
He then calls the Governor to the window. Monica's conduct described; she is so holy and meek that all the prisoners imitate her. The Governor fears an explosion of religious mania.
Gondola passes, with excited man waving a flag and shouting crown enter; Governor retires. Crowd demand Governor, insists on seeing Monica.
Alessandro has assumed the lead; he calms them getting Governor to promise to bring her to the window. He makes all kneel in prayer.
Monica appears, saint-like and addressed the crowd, then steps back.
Governor re-appears and is sarcastic and contemptuous.
Abbess, robes torn, hair loose, brandishing crucifix, rushes on and abuses him.
Mortadello seen approaching afar.
A man throws a knife at the Governor, two soldiers advance and shoot the would-be assassin with cross-bows.
Crowd, more unruly, throw stones at window, break down wall for more and Governor driven from window.
Mortadello arrives with a company of archers. He orders them to disperse the crowd.
Abbess charges him with her crucifix. General fight; Alessandro watches, aloof, he calls Governor to bring Monica to calm riot.
She re-appears. Peace. She rebukes mob and asks Mortadello to come up to consult with her. He agrees, in humiliation and enters prison.
Monica blesses the crowd and retires.
Scene III. The room of the Governor. Monica closes the window
Governor and gaolers leave Monica alone. She indulges in gestures of murder-lust towards Mortadello, as his step approaches. Mortadello enters, she drops her saintly manner and reaches, shameless advances to him. She partly forces, partly seduces him, to assert to marry her.
They advance to the window and embrace before the waiting crowd. Monica explains that she has consented for their sakes. Their doubts resolved, they acclaim the new arrangement. Monica leads Mortadello away. He is now quite conquered. She averts her face with a sinister smile.
ACT V
Scene I. The garden of the Palace of Count Alessandro. Parties of nobles and their ladies are strolling up and down. The Doge and his bride are present. L. is a pavilion of stone pillars with a canopy; on the ledges are boxes with poppies and other flowers.
The heat is intense, Monica passionately in love with Alessandro, refuses to prove it until matters are straightened out. Badinage ends by Alessandro inviting Mortadello to a banquet to see a Saharan dancing girl.
Scene II. A small room in the Palace. The furniture, principally three thrones, is all of ebony; the hangings and curtains are of black. A small square table in the middle of the room holds four candles in iron candlesticks; the candles themselves are of black wax. Two of the thrones are occupied by masked men; the third is empty. Near the table stands Alessandro, gorgeously dressed in white velvet, with a great crimson cloak. He is toying with hat and rapier.
Alessandro, expecting doom, is made instead a member of the Three, to replace Gabriele. He invites the other two to the banquet.
Scene III. The Palace of Count Alessandro. A chamber arrayed for dining, the table being curved like a horse-shoe. Mortadello on the right of the host, Zelina on the right again, then The First Mask and a Venetian gentlewoman. On the left of the host The Second Mask, then a gentlewoman, then Lorenzo and another gentlewoman. It is after midnight. The guests are in various stages of intoxication, which Alessandro and The Masks only simulate.
Mortadello has inquietudes shown during toasts.
The Saharan girl with a guitarist dances. She gives Mortadello a potion of hashish, promising that he shall see where his wife is and what she is doing.
She drops her veil — it is she — she curses him and vanishes. Mortadello thinks he is poisoned, but swears to kill Monica and the Legate before he dies, seizes his sword, and rushes out. Alessandro and the two masks, with all other male guests, follow him.
Zelina sees through the plot and jumps up to start a counter-plan.
The guitarist unveils and it is Lucrezia and stabs Zelina in the heart, slashing also her face and downtown office. She dances on the corpse, forcing the women to dance to her rhythm.
Scene IV. Outside St. Mark's. Early morning.
Enter Mortadello wildly with drawn sword, Alessandro, Lorenzo and the Masks.
Mortadello raving with hashish visions. The Legate attended comes from the church. Mortadello attacks him. He falls. Mortadello would scalp him.
Monica rushes from church, snatches a sword and interposes. Her blade passes through Mortadello's neck.
General consternation.
Monica takes lead, issuing sharp commands. The corpse to be guarded and displayed, the bell to summon the notables at noon into the throne-room.
The Legate, raised, faints, but recovers in the arms of his chaplain sufficiently to bless her.
Scene V. The Palace of the Doge. The Throne-room, Monica, Alessandro, Lucrezia. A distant bell, the Great Bell of St. Mark's, still tolls.
The three conspirator-lovers congratulate each other on the victory.
The Legate and all Venice enter. Delegates from each power in the State acclaim Monica as sole ruler.
She kneels humbly. She accepts Alessandro as her consort. She begs them to leave her in prayer. Her humility rouses their enthusiasm still further. When they have gone, Monica crushes the mouths of Alessandro and Lucrezia against her face.
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