Pride and Prejudice A Comedy in Three Acts by Pauline Phelps Wetmore Declamation Bureau Box 131166 Ann Arbor, MI 48113 www.wetmoredeclamation.com or www.rockbranchproductions.com Email: speeches@wetmoredeclamation.com CAUTION: Wetmore Declamation Bureau material is protected by United States copyright law and conventions. None of our material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-without prior permission. No trademark, copyright or other notice may be removed or changed. All rights reserved. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS Pauline Phelps Copyright by WETMORE DECLAMATION BUREAU MRS. BENNET: fair, fat and forty-five MR. BENNET: her husband JANE BENNET: oldest and most beautiful of the daughters LYDIA BENNET: youngest daughter, headstrong and spoiled KITTY BENNET: second youngest, pretty and peevish MARY BENNET: third in line, with a taste for music BENNET: second daughter, vivacious and witty FOR SIX MALES AND EIGHT FEMALES CAST OF CHARACTERS: CHARLES BINGLEY: a wealthy and agreeable young bachelor FITZWILLIAMS : Bingley s friend, proud and haughty CAROLINE BINGLEY: Bingley s handsome sister CAPTAIN WICKHAM: fascinating, but insincere WILLIAM COLLINS: a pompous young rector HILL: the Bennet s butler LADY CATHERINE DE BURGH: Darcy s aunt TIME AND PLACE: 1790 Longbourne, a small town in England, fifty miles from London SCENES: Act I: Scene I: The library in the Bennet home, a morning in October Scene II: The same, that evening Act II: Scene I: The same, next morning Scene II: The same, a morning one week later Act III: Scene I: The same, an afternoon in early spring Scene II: The same, later afternoon of the following week 2
COSTUME NOTE: The last part of the Eighteenth Century was a time of great formality in speech and manners, and this should not be lost sight of throughout the play. (The daughters refer to their parents as pa- PA and ma-ma.) The women all take mincing steps and speak with precision and correctness. When they sit, they are careful that their skirts are adjusted so as to show only the tips of their slippers. Women rise when they are introduced to a man, as well as to a woman. Younger women stand when an older woman enters the room. The gentlemen are highly deferential, not only to the opposite sex, but to men older than themselves. On being presented, or when entering or leaving a room, they bow very deeply from the waist. The costumes for this play need not be absolutely authentic, but some general rules should be observed. Women s hair-dress should be elaborate, the hair piled high upon the head. Full skirts with hoops are necessary for afternoon and evening wear, although straight skirts, with waists buttoning up the front may be used for morning. Loose wraps or capes were more prevalent than coats. Hats may be either very tiny or large-brimmed and loaded with feathers. As a rule, the men wear dark knee breeches with black stockings for daytime, and in the evening gaily colored breeches with white stockings. The entire cast may use the same costumes in Act II as in the first scene of Act I, unless otherwise specified. SCENE: The family library-sitting room of the Bennet home. Door up C. opens into front hall. Door down R. leads to music room and ball room, and up R. is a window, with a shade, which looks out upon the park and carriage entrance. Door up L. leads to the upstairs, study, and kitchen. A long bell pull rope to summon the servants is near this door. The room is comfortably furnished in the fashion of the day. Against the back wall up R.C. is a rather long table with an oil lamp upon it. There is a chair a R. of table and another larger chair down L. front of the table. Down R.C. is a small settee or tete a tete seat, long enough to hold two people and down R. is a large chair with a Martha Washington cabinet within reach of it on the L. This cabinet contains sewing materials, also Mrs. Bennet s unfinished evening headdress. Against the back wall up L. is a secretary filled with books and in the desk is a vinaigrette, small fan, notebook and pencil. In front of the secretary is a chair and at the R. is a stand with an oil lamp upon it. A sofa at L.C. faces front and the large easy chair, usually occupied by Mr. Bennet, stands at the L. of stage. A small stand with lamp is near this chair. Other chairs, stands, etc. may be added ad lib. 3
Act II, Scene II (BENNET and enter immediately from up L.) MR BENNET (Cordially) I m glad we happened to meet as we did, Mr. Darcy. Now, which of my daughters did you wish to call upon? Upon Miss Elizabeth, if you please. MR BENNET Then sit down and make yourself at home. I don t know just where she is, but I ll send Hill to find out. (Exits up C.) (, who seems slightly nervous, starts to take a book from the secretary, changes his mind, goes to the window and looks out, then turns from the view impatiently. enters from up L.) (Starts toward her impetuously) Miss Elizabeth! (Recoils from him slightly, then speaks with assumed cordiality) Mr. Darcy! No one told me you were here, so I was somewhat surprised. Not unpleasantly so, I hope. Indeed, I m flattered that you should have taken time to call upon me. (Sits on sofa, motions him to a place on the settee.) The weather is quite perfect, isn t it? Jane and I were speaking of it a few moments ago. I hope your sister has recovered from her illness. Almost entirely. By the way, she s just received a note from Charles Bingley, saying he and the rest of you at Netherfield Park are leaving for London tomorrow. 4
(A trifle embarrassed) Yes. An unexpected move, but probably a wise one. And does Mr. Bingley expect to stay in the city long? Through the social season if all goes well. (Hesitates) I hope your sister did not feel upset by his change of plans? (With forced lightness) Mercy me, no! Dear Jane has so many friends that one more or less hardly counts. (Relieved). I told Bingley it would turn out that way. (But he is not at ease. He rises, tries another seat, returns.) Isn t your chair comfortable? (Half-laughing) Yes, but I m nervous, embarrassed. I suppose because I m about to ask a questions I ve never asked before. (Abruptly) Miss Elizabeth, will you marry me? Mr. Darcy I never was so surprised in my life! Have you forgotten that my grandfather was in trade, and my uncle an attorney? I ve forgotten nothing. For days I ve been trying to make myself believe that I only admired your wit and loveliness that I wanted you as a friend, not a wife. Then all in a moment the realization came that I loved you with a love strong enough to overcome all obstacles. So now I stand a humble suitor, suing for your favor. (Stands before her with bowed head) Such humility seems foreign to your nature. Love makes us humble, as well as proud. 5
(Thoughtfully) I believe you do love me in a way, and I should feel quite happy over it. Elizabeth! (Holds out his arms to embrace her) (Rises and silences him with a gesture) Stop! I only meant I should rejoice in your love because it gives me a chance to pay you back for your cruelty. (Starts back) Cruelty, did you say? Yes. Haven t you always been cruel, intolerant, regardless of the feelings of others? Driving your chariot, beating down those weaker than yourself? Wasn t it cruel to deprive Captain Wickham of the living in the parish, and so turn him into an embittered, disappointed man? Wasn t it cruel to hold my mother up to ridicule the night of the ball? More than all else, isn t it cruel of you to separate Charles Bingley and my sister? I lied just now when I said that little note meant nothing to Jane! It did. It filled her with hopes! Now it Charles Bingley is taken from her, it will break her heart. And after all this, you have the hardihood to come here and address me. Your suit is rejected, Fitzwilliams Darcy. I wouldn t marry you to save your life or mine. (Quietly) If what you have said is your real opinion of me, I congratulate you upon the wisdom of your refusal. Be assured that you will never again be troubled with my protestations of love. (Bows very deeply and exits up C.) (Looks after him, her face working. Speaks tearfully and passionately.) It s all true what I said! He is cruel he is unjust! And yet I have never liked a man so much in all my life! CURTAIN End of free preview WETMORE DECLAMATION BUREAU Ann Arbor, MI 6