The Phantom of the Opera Page #2

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CAPTAIN:

Silence

Silence

(reading a decree) By order of the town Burgher

MAN:

(mockingly) By order of the town Burgher

CAPTAIN:

Who speaks in the name

Of the Earl of Warwick

MAN:

Who speaks in the name

Of the Earl of Warwick

The TOWNSPEOPLE erupt into laughter.

CAPTAIN:

(pointing at the MAN)

Seize him

Seize him

SOLDIERS:

Seize him

(The SOLDIERS grab the MAN and throw him down a set of steps.)

CAPTAIN:

You lousy Frenchie

You think this is a joke

I'll tell you something now

To take your smile away

From this day forward

There is to be

An increase in the taxes

TOWNSPEOPLE:

Taxes, taxes, taxes...

Cut back to D'ARCY and LATTIMER in the box.

D'ARCY

I thought you said the house was sold out.

LATTIMER:

So it is, my lord.

D'ARCY

Then why is that box empty over there?

LATTIMER:

There have been complaints, my lord.

D'ARCY

Complaints? Complaints of what?

LATTIMER:

Of noises, my lord.

D'ARCY

What?

LATTIMER:

Voices. People do not like to sit there, my lord.

D'ARCY

Are you trying to tell me it's haunted?

LATTIMER:

That's what they say, my lord.

D'ARCY

Oh no, this is too much. I shall speak to your directors in the morning. A perfectly good box going to waste.

Onstage, the TOWNSPEOPLE are struggling with the SOLDIERS.

SOLDIERS:

Get to your beds

To your beds

Get to your beds

To your beds

The DWARF is shown watching from above the stage.

SOLDIERS:

Get to your beds

Get to your beds

TOWNSPEOPLE:

No!

SOLDIERS:

Away!

TOWNSPEOPLE:

No!

SOLDIERS:

Away!

The curtain falls and the audience applauds. MARIA is backstage in costume, accompanied by HARRY who appears to be encouraging her. ROSSI turns the page of the music book and the next page has been torn. MARIA walks out to the front of the stage. The music rises dramatically and a thunder sound effect is heard. The DWARF is still watching from above. As MARIA begins to sing, a small curtain rolls up in the empty box, revealing the eye of PETRIE.

MARIA:

In the sound of rain

As thunder grows distant

From darkest night

To broadest day

I hear your voice

In summer sunshine

In...

A piece of scenery is slit open from behind, and through it swings the corpse of a MAN hanging from a noose. MARIA and the audience scream. PETRIE closes the small curtain in the empty box. Fade out.

Outside the opera house, a worker pastes a banner which says "Postponed indefinitely" over the poster. Cut to D'ARCY and LATTIMER in the office.

D'ARCY

Of course, I appreciate that the police had to be called in. After all, the criminal must be apprehended and punished.

LATTIMER:

Of course, my lord.

D'ARCY

At the same time, Lattimer, I rely on you to see that not one breath of scandal attaches itself either to my name or to the name of my opera.

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