Black Swan Page #14

ERICA:

This role is destroying you.

Nina rifles through her dresser drawers.

She notices her mother sitting calmly.

NINA:

Move.

ERICA:

Nina...

Nina grabs her by the wrist.

ERICA (CONT’D)

Stop it.

NINA:

You’re crazy!

ERICA:

What happened to my sweet girl?

Nina yanks Erica off the chair onto the floor.

NINA:

She’s gone.

ERICA:

Please, you’re not well.

Under the cushion Nina grabs the hidden brass DOORKNOB.

Erica lunges for her daughter’s legs.

NINA:

Let go!

87A.

ERICA:

You can’t handle it!

NINA:

I can’t?! I’m the f***ing swan

queen! You never even got out of

the corps.

ERICA:

You f***ing ungrateful-

Nina jams the knob onto the post, opens the door.

ERICA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Don’t leave! Nina!

88.

95

EXT. THEATER - EVENING 95

Nina approaches the theater with harried steps.

Quickly past the row of SWAN LAKE posters.

She reaches the side of the building, flings open the stage

door and enters.

96

INT. BACKSTAGE HALLWAY - EVENING 96

Nina frantically makes her way down the bustling hallway,

chaotic with dancers. Excitement in the air.

She nears the soloists’ dressing room.

Just outside of it, she spots a group of DANCERS excitedly

chatting around a smiling Lily.

Nina stops in her tracks.

Lily glances in her direction, and her smile quickly fades

into a sneer.

LILY:

What are you doing here?

The other girls follow her gaze towards Nina, and their

smiles turn to confusion.

LEROY (O.S.)

Nina?

She turns and finds that Leroy has approached from behind

her.

LILY:

You’re supposed to be sick.

LEROY:

Lily, give us a minute.

Leroy pulls Nina towards her room. Lily glares at Nina as she

passes.

97

INT. PRINCIPAL DRESSING ROOM - SAME 97

Leroy closes the door behind them. He looks at Nina, wheels

spinning.

89.

LEROY:

Are you okay?

NINA:

I’m fine.

Nina goes to her wardrobe, finds her two costumes hanging.

One for the White Swan, one for the Black Swan.

LEROY:

Nina?

She doesn’t heed him, pulls out the White Swan leotard and

sets it on her chair.

LEROY (CONT’D)

Nina!

NINA:

What?

LEROY:

I already asked Lily-

NINA:

F***. Have you announced it?

He hasn’t.

NINA (CONT’D)

After Beth, do you need more

controversy?

Leroy smirks at her directness.

NINA (CONT’D)

I’m here, Thomas. I’m doing it.

He looks at her, considering, and gives her a reluctant nod.

She smiles.

90.

LEROY:

The only person standing in your

way is you. It’s time to let her

go. Lose yourself.

She nods. He takes one last look at her and leaves. She

breathes a sigh of relief.

Curious, she cracks open the door and peeks outside:

98 INT. BACKSTAGE HALLWAY (NINA’S POV) 98

Leroy has pulled Lily down the corridor to break the news.

Lily takes off, furious.

99 OMITTED 99

91.

100

INT. PRINCIPLE’S DRESSING ROOM - LATER 100

Through the PA, music from ACT 1 plays.

Nina sits at her vanity in a robe, wearing the full White

Swan makeup and FEATHER CROWN. Pale, with red lipstick and

dark eyeliner, she looks like a porcelain doll.

She drops the robe off her shoulder and covers her rash with

white makeup.

The STAGE MANAGER’S voice comes through the PA speaker:

STAGE MANAGER (V.O.)

Act 2’s starting. Ten minutes.

She removes a slipper off one foot. Her big and second toe,

and her pinky and fourth toe are stuck together. Puzzled, she

peels them apart.

She removes her other slipper and finds the same toes

completely FUSED, forming two large toes with double toenails

on either side of the middle toe.

She touches the bird-like foot, concerned, but slips on her

tights and hides the feet.

101

INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT 101

Nina stretches nervously in the wings, awaiting her entrance.

She peeks out through a small hole in the wall, sees the

AUDIENCE sitting expectantly in their seats.

The music begins and they shift and mummer in anticipation.

Nina pulls away, taking deep breaths and clenching her hands,

trying to stay calm.

On stage, David enters, beginning the Act. He traverses the

stage, “hunting” with a crossbow.

STAGE MANAGER:

(to Nina)

Go.

Nina takes a last breath and runs on.

102

STAGE 102

Under the spotlight, she begins dancing her intro.

92.

David runs towards her and she startles away from him,

afraid.

He grabs her and they begin their first Pas de Deux.

103

INT. BACKSTAGE - LATER 103

Nina comes offstage, catching her breath. All around her,

CORPS MEMBERS dressed as little swans rush back on stage,

where FOUR LITTLE SWANS begin the Pas de Quatre.

Nina looks into the opposite wing and sees Leroy watching

her. He gives her a small, contented nod, then disappears

behind a swarm of dancers.

On stage, the Four Little Swans perform. In their identical

makeup and costumes, they look disturbingly alike.

During the applause, Nina catches a glimpse of David

backstage, sweaty, laughing and holding someone’s hands. Nina

can’t see who, her view obscured by moving bodies and limbs.

Suspicious, Nina moves to get a better look.

Revealing that David’s flirting with Lily.

Nina tenses.

Then the Four Little Swans rush offstage past Nina. She

watches them go, unsettled.

STAGE MANAGER:

What are you doing? You’re on!

He gently nudges her, and she has to run back on.

104

STAGE 104

Nina rushes from the wings, directly into David’s arms.

All the swans are frozen in two rows on each side of the

stage, looking downstage.

David launches Nina into the air, hands around her waist.

93.

He slowly turns her around, keeping her held high.

From her swirling, bird’s eye view, Nina sees the rows of

identically dressed Little Swans glaring at her...

Nina freaks, jerking her body.

David’s grip SLIPS and Nina SLAMS onto the stage.

It’s a horrific moment that feels like an eternity.

Gritting her teeth, Nina looks up around her, sees the faces

of the other ballerinas. Staring at her sadistically.

Nina finds Lily, glancing at David. He snaps to and quickly

helps Nina up.

DAVID:

What the f***?

She’s too freaked to respond.

They resume dancing, Nina barely keeping it together.

Behind them, Rothbart appears and commands his flock to exit.

The Little Swans start swirling off stage.

Leaving Nina and David alone.

David tries to pull her in one direction, but the dark hand

of Rothbart summons her, transforming her back into a swan.

She pulls away from David, frantically flapping, until she

disappears into the wings.

105 INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME 105

As soon as she’s off, she breaks down, hyperventilating. The

dancer playing ROTHBART eyes her with concern.

ROTHBART:

You alright?

She looks up, sees his creepy MASK, and backs away.

Rothbart has to go back on stage to finish the Act.

Other CORPS MEMBERS surround her, chirping “You okay?, “What

happened?” etc.

Dazed, Nina doesn’t answer. The music ends and there’s a weak

smattering of applause.

94.

STAGE MANAGER:

That’s intermission! Act 3 in

fifteen.

The other dancers scurry to get ready, abandoning her.

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