A play by William Alan Ritch

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Act V. "What fools these mortals be"
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Thank you for that fanfare, Mr. Hornblower. Our queen knows no captain. SONG: A Case of the Benns I have powers than can move her mind to me. Thy wish is but a snap to me. So I shall fetch thy bride-to-be. What madness is this? How is it that I am to be wed? I know you not, sir! I bring thee word about thy fate. I can keep nothing from thee. Show thyself that I might know my tormentor. The very thought of such freedom now causes me to chafe at chains I wore not yesterday.  No. Let me guess. You have a locket. 
Well said, my boy. Now at each turn Just keep your head and quickly learn. 
I have learned one thing. When it doubt, someone will give you a locket. 
Assuage your doubt when life’s a blight, Open this charm and all will be bright. Much time has pass’d and now it’s night.
And you have miss’d a wond’rous fight 
Between the captains Church and Dredd. 
The steel flew so, I fear’d them dead. 
And all the while they’d vent their spleen. 
And Church used big words, Dredd obscene. 
A better sword fight, I’ve not seen! 
But….. 
Our play’s too long. We cut that scene. Tell him: I rather dead would be!  What? What's this. No. This cannot be. She's dead. They have killed her. Her bright flame snuffed out too untimely. Out, out, brief candle. The world is over for me. Oh, fair cousin, I shall avenge thy murder most foul… What was it the sprite said to me? 'When life's a blight, open this charm and all will be bright.' Send these ruffians away. 'Tis your duty. Today be a black day. Through our pride, through our meddling, through our foolish contracts, we did sentence these two lovers to death. Me, marry him? But I do abhor the masculine sex.I weave for thee a love that’s mighty. To Admiral Benn you shall be wed, To outside eyes we must behave. If suspicions be not aroused.  Now is the summer of our great content! Now the only impediment to your union be your cousinhood. Perhaps Her Majesty can put in a good word with the archbishop of Canterbury and get ye a dispensation… I have a sad and complicated tale to tell. I have been a nurse in the Church family for many years. But I am a prone to be a might addle-pated. Many years ago I apprenticed these two lads to the sea. One as a pirate, one as a pilot. But what you do not know, was that years before I was witness to the birth of these children in the Church house. At the same time Mrs. Church was a-birthing one child, the upstairs maid, young Sally, was also in labour. Since Sally was not then married, I brought her baby along with other to the mistress of the house and told her that he had twins.Then that means....That we are not brothers.We hope that all are happy now. And if we are quite finished we have a war against Spain to prosecute. Captains Church. We shall need both of you for this task.Shut up and ...... kiss me.Song: A Pirate's LIfe RepriseSong: A Pirate's Life RepriseSong: The Navy Life RepriseSong: As Lover's DoSong: As Lover's DoSong: The Play's the ThingSong: The Play's the ThingSong: The Play's the ThingSong: The Queen receives her Oscar. Bows Bows Bows Bows The Producer, Writer, and Director: William Alan Rich The Prop Master: Charles "Oz" Dillman The director and the prop master.
Photos© 1999 by the MRAP's official photographer: Ken Grimes
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