The Piano Lesson Page #10

BAINES is beside her. He pulls the shoulders of her bodice down,

exposing her shoulders and some of her breast. ADA immediately stands,

but BMNES is much stronger and man-handles her across to the bed. ADA

struggles seriously, this is much, much more than she was expecting.

BAINES:

Ada, four keys.

ADA holds up five fingers and mouths 'five'.

I just want to lie.

ADA shakes her head vigorously and again mouths five'.

All right, all right five.

ADA no longer struggles. She is stiff and still. BAINES intoxicated by

the smell and presence of her skin becomes soft and gentle. He kisses

and touches her with feeling and affection. Then suddenly aware of her

stillness he too becomes still. He pulls himself up to see whether her

face betrays her feelings. ADA seizes this opportunity to return to

the uncertain sanctuary of her piano. From the bed, BAINES watches her

run a hand noiselessly over the polished ivory keys, a gesture

betraying affection never afforded to him. BAINES gets up. He shuts

the piano lid forcing ADA to remove her hand.

ADA immediately stands and dresses, marking hurtfully BAINES'

ownership of her piano.

Sc 63 EXT STEWART'S HUT SUNSETSc 63

A golden evening. STEWART in his best shirt and trousers prepares the

horse and cart.

Sc 64 INT STEWART'S HUT ADA's BEDROOM SUNSETSc 64

Inside FLORA is in her finished Angel costume, she sings softly to

herself while ADA undoes the long strands of plaits and separates them

to comb.

FLORA:

The Holly and the Ivy...

STEWART comes in to put on his jacket, but the collar is all tucked

in. ADA automatically adjusts it for him, settling it around his neck.

Her touch, meant practically, strangely affects him. In an impassioned

impasse, meant gallantly, he tries to kiss ADA's finger tips. The

gesture falters as ADA, surprised, jumps back.

Sc 65 EXT SCHOOL HALL DUSK Sc 65

People are arriving at the school hall. One family is being ferried

through the mud in a wheelbarrow.

10 See Notes

Sc 66 INT SCHOOL HALL NIGHT Sc 66

Some people are already seated in the hall. Several other angels have

arrived, and they like FLORA are ushered backstage.

Sc 67 INT SCHOOL HALL BACKSTAGE NIGHT Sc 67

BACKSTAGE, the Sunday School teacher is gathering the children

together, reminding them of the order of songs, checking their hair,

etc. The local dramatic society are also preparing themselves. One of

the women is peeping through a hole in a make-shift curtain to watch

the townspeople seating themselves.

WOMAN:

They're bringing in extra

seats!

Despite this, there would still be only a maximum of forty people. 10

or so of them MAORIS in their best European dress.

ANOTHER WOMAN:

Oh God, don't pin my hair too

high Alfred!

STILL ANOTHER:

Yes, me too, do it about here

... (she shows Alfred)

Two of the women are putting a little c4ouring on each of the angels

while two other angels are being smacked for putting their white gloved

hands in the bucket of blood.

Sc 68 INT SCHOOL HALL NIGHT Sc 68

Everyone is chatting at each other's seats, except the MAOIRI guests

who wait solemnly. AUNT MORAG is organising the placement of the new

seats. BAINES arrives.

MAN ONE:

Look who's here, the musical MR BAINES

What will we have tonight

George, "Twinkle, twinkle?"

BAINES smiles and blinks, the teasing continues as BAINES scans the

room for ADA. Two of the MAORI PARTY share one pair of shoes so that

only one may be in the hall at a time, while the other waits

barefooted outside.

ANOTHER MAN:

'Mary had a little lamb' or a

polka, come on George what's it

to be?

AUNT MORAG hustles over to BAINIES and pushes him in front of her

towards NESSIE and the piano.

AUNT MORAG:

Mr. Baines, do come and turn

pages

BAINES looks wildly about for rescue.

BAINES:

I can't read music, I have just

begun.

BAINES backs off from NESSIE whose face drops in disappointment. He

has spotted ADA and is eager to take a seat near her. He takes the

seat next to ADA but one. He sits smiling and blinking. The teasing

continues, behind him.

STEWART:

(turning) Lot of fools. Come

on, move up.

ADA puts her hand on the seat and shakes her head indicating that she

is saving it for FLORA. BAINES is rebuffed and looks across at ADA who

ignores him.

The main lights are put out and everyone returns to their places. In

the dark STEWART shyly takes ADA's hand in his. BAINES watches STEWART

squeezing her hand and quite out of control stands and leaves

accompanied by a chorus of eshhhhhhhhhhhhhn. Satisfied, ADA watches

him go.

The children file on with their candles, They stand in a group singing

with great seriousness, but struck with shyness their voices are so

small as barely to be heard.

-sing up Billy!

-Come on sing out!

One of the smallest promptly pees. An arm reaches under the curtain to

wipe the stage.

Sc 69 INT SCHOOL RALL & BACK STAGE NIGHT Sc 69

Backstage all is ready for the main dramatic event. There seems to be

more peep-holes than curtains as eyes press themselves to the little

flap. The master of ceremonies, the REVEREND is on stage explaining

the dramatics. He is wearing harlequin tights and rompers, his face is

dramatically paled. The candles are blown out.

REVEREND:

And so the young maid came upon

each and all of Bluebeard's

missing wives, their severed

heads still bleeding, their

eyes still crying.

The piano accompaniment is suspenseful while the audience shriek

appreciatively. Backstage AUNT MORAG provides the dripping blood,

moving between the corpses, she peers at the audience through a peep-

hole in the curtain.

REVEREND:

But who it this?

(AUNT MORAG looks around gasping, fooled despite herself)

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