분야
hwpINT. THE ROSE THEATRE. DAY.
SKY. Over which a title "LONDON--SUMMER 1593" appears.
Title card: In the glory days of the Elizabethan theatre
two playhouses were fighting it out for writers and
audiences. North of the city was the Curtain Theatre,
home to Englands most famous actor, Richard Burbage.
Across the river was the competition, built by Philip
Henslowe, a business with a cash flow problem...
...The Rose...
Gradually a building is revealed, The Rose Theatre, three-
tiered, open to the elements and empty. On the floor,
roughly printed, a poster--torn, soiled, out of date. It
says:
SEPT. 7TH & 8TH AT NOON
MR. EDWARD ALLEYN AND THE ADMIRALS MEN AT THE ROSE
THEATRE, BANKSIDE
THE LAMENTABLE TRAGEDIE OF THE MONEYLENDER REVENGD
OVER THIS the screams of a man under torture. The screams
are coming from the curtained stage.
VOICE (O.S.)
You Mongrel! Why do you howl When it
is I who am bitten?
INT. THE ROSE THEATRE. STAGE. DAY.
The theatre owner, PHILLIP HENSLOWE, is the man
screaming. HENSLOWES boots are on fire. He is pinioned
in a chair, with his feet stuck out over the hot colas of
a fire burning in a brazier. He is being held in that
position by LAMBERT, who is a thug employed by FENNYMAN,
who is the owner of the VOICE. The fourth man, FREES, is
FENNYMANS bookkeeper.
FENNYMAN
What am I, Mr. Lambert?
LAMBERT
Bitten, Mr. Fennyman.
FENNYMAN
How badly bitten, Mr. Frees?
FREES
Twelve pounds, one shilling and four
pence, Mr. Fennyman, including
interest.
HENSLOWE
Aaagh! I can pay you!
FENNYMAN
When?
HENSLOWE
Two weeks, three at the most, Aaaagh!
For pitys sake.
FENNYMAN
Take his feet out. Where will you get
FREES
(the mathematical genius with
a notebook)
Sixteen pounds, five shillings and
nine pence
FENNYMAN
including interest in three weeks?
HENSLOWE
I have a wonderful new play!
FENNYMAN
Put his feet in.
HENSLOWE
Its a comedy.
FENNYMAN
Cut his nose off.
HENSLOWE
A new comedy. By Will Shakespeare!
FENNYMAN
And his ears.
HENSLOWE
And a share. We will be partners, Mr.
Fennyman!
FENNYMAN
(hesitating)
Partners!
HENSLOWE
Its a crowd-tickler--mistaken
identities, a shipwreck, a pirate
king, a bit with a dog, and love
triumphant.
LAMBERT
I think Ive seen it. I didnt like
it.
HENSLOWE
This time it is by Shakespeare.
FENNYMAN
Whats the title?
HENSLOWE
Romeo and Ethel the Pirates Daughter.
FENNYMAN
Good title.
FENNYMAN snaps his fingers at FREES and LAMBERT. LAMBERT
unties HENSLOWE, FREES starts writing a contract.
FENNYMAN (CONTD)
A play takes time. Find actors몭
rehearsals몭lets say open in three
weeks. Thats--what--five hundred
groundlings at tuppence each, in
addition four hundred groundlings
tuppence each, in addition four
hundred backsides at three pence--a
penny extra for a cushion, call it two
hundred cushions, say two performance
for safety how much is that Mr. Frees?
FREES
Twenty pounds to the penny, Mr.
Fennyman.
FENNYMAN
Correct!
HENSLOWE
But I have to pay the actors and the
authors.
FENNYMAN
A share of the profits.
HENSLOWE
Theres never any
FENNYMAN
Of course not!
HENSLOWE
(impressed)
Mr. Fennyman, I think you may have hit
on something.
FENNYMAN slaps a contract down on the table next to n ink-
pot and quill.
FENNYMAN
Sign here.
HENSLOWE takes the quill and signs.
FENNYMAN (CONTD)
Romeo and Ethel The Pirates
Daughter몭Almost finished?
HENSLOWE
Without doubt he is completing it at
this very moment.
INT. WILLS ROOM. DAY
A small cramped space in the eaves of a building. A
cluttered shelf containing various objects, wedged
between crumpled pieces of paper. Among those we have
time to observe: a skull, a mug that says A PRESENT FROM
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON.
At infrequent intervals further pieces of crumpled paper
are tossed towards the shelf. The man who is throwing
them, WILL SHAKESPEARE, is bent over a table, writing
studiously with a quill.
Now we see what he is writing: Will is practising his
signature, over and over again. "Will Shagsbeard몭W
Shakspur몭William Shasper몭" Each time he is dissatisfied,
and each time he crumples, and tosses it away.
Suddenly WILL becomes impatient. He jumps up and goes to
the loft area in the rafters, where he sleeps, and starts
to pull on his boots. At this point the door opens and
HENSLOWE walks in. He is out of breath and his feet hurt.
HENSLOWE
Will! Where is my play? Tell me you
have it nearly done! Tell me you have
it started.
(desperately)
You have begun?
WILL
(struggling with his boots)
Doubt that the stars are fire, doubt
that the sun doth move
HENSLOWE
No, no, we havent the time. Talk
prose. Where is my play?
WILL
(tapping his forehead and
heading out the door)
It is all locked safe in here
HENSLOWE
God be praised!
(then doubt)
Locked?
WILL
As soon as I have found my muse
EXT. STREET. OUTSIDE WILLS HOUSE. DAY.
WILL lives in a crowded area of the city. Hawkers are
crying their wares, tract-sellers, delivery boys, and
merchants go about their business. HENSLOWE catches up
with WILL as he strides
