LILIOMSYNOPSIS OF SCENESPROLOGUE—An amusement park on the outskirts of Budapest.FIRSTSCENE—A lonely place in the park.SECONDSCENE—The photographic studio of theHOLLUNDERS.THIRDSCENE—Same as scene two.FOURTHSCENE—A railroad embankment outside the city.FIFTHSCENE—Same as scene two.SIXTHSCENE—A courtroom in the beyond.SEVENTHSCENE—JULIE’Sgarden.There are intermissions only after the second and fifth scenes.CAST OF CHARACTERSLILIOMJULIEMARIEMRS. MUSKATLOUISEMRS. HOLLUNDERFICSURYOUNGHOLLUNDERWOLFBEIFELDTHECARPENTERLINZMANTHEDOCTORTHEMAGISTRATETWOMOUNTEDPOLICEMENTWOPLAINCLOTHESPOLICEMENTWOHEAVENLYPOLICEMENTHERICHLYDRESSEDMANTHEPOORLYDRESSEDMANTHEGUARDA SUBURBANPOLICEMANTHE PROLOGUEAn amusement park on the outskirts of Budapest on a late afternoon in Spring. Barkers stand before the booths of the sideshows haranguing the passing crowd. The strident music of a calliope is heard; laughter, shouts, the scuffle of feet, the signal bells of merry-go-round.The merry-go-round is at Center. LILIOMstands at the entrance, a cigarette in his mouth, coaxing the people in. The girls regard him with idolizing glances and screech with pleasure as he playfully pushes them through entrance. Now and then some girl’s escort resents the familiarity, whereupon LILIOM’Sdemeanor becomes ugly and menacing, and the cowed escort slinks through the entrance behind his girl or contents himself with a muttered resentful comment.One girl hands LILIOMa red carnation; he rewards her with a bow and a smile. When the soldier who accompanies her protests, LILIOMcows him with a fierce glance and a threatening gesture. MARIEand JULIEcome out of the crowd and LILIOMfavors them with particular notice as they pass into the merry-go-round.MRS. MUSKATcomes out of the merry-go-round, bringing LILIOMcoffee and rolls. LILIOMmounts the barker’s stand at the entrance, where he is elevated over everyone on the stage. Here he begins his harangue. Everybody turns toward him. The other booths are gradually deserted. The tumult makes it impossible for the audience to hear what he is saying, but every now and then some witticism of his provokes a storm of laughter which is audible above the din. Many people enter the merry-go-round. Here and there one catches a phrase “Room for one more on the zebra’s back,” “Which of you ladies?” “Ten heller for adults, five for children,” “Step right up”——It is growing darker. A lamplighter crosses the stage, and begins unperturbedly lighting the colored gas-lamps. The whistle of a distant locomotive is heard. Suddenly the tumult ceases, the lights go out, and the curtain falls in darkness.END OF PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE—An amusement park on the outskirts of Budapest.
FIRSTSCENE—A lonely place in the park.
SECONDSCENE—The photographic studio of theHOLLUNDERS.
THIRDSCENE—Same as scene two.
FOURTHSCENE—A railroad embankment outside the city.
FIFTHSCENE—Same as scene two.
SIXTHSCENE—A courtroom in the beyond.
SEVENTHSCENE—JULIE’Sgarden.
There are intermissions only after the second and fifth scenes.
An amusement park on the outskirts of Budapest on a late afternoon in Spring. Barkers stand before the booths of the sideshows haranguing the passing crowd. The strident music of a calliope is heard; laughter, shouts, the scuffle of feet, the signal bells of merry-go-round.
The merry-go-round is at Center. LILIOMstands at the entrance, a cigarette in his mouth, coaxing the people in. The girls regard him with idolizing glances and screech with pleasure as he playfully pushes them through entrance. Now and then some girl’s escort resents the familiarity, whereupon LILIOM’Sdemeanor becomes ugly and menacing, and the cowed escort slinks through the entrance behind his girl or contents himself with a muttered resentful comment.
One girl hands LILIOMa red carnation; he rewards her with a bow and a smile. When the soldier who accompanies her protests, LILIOMcows him with a fierce glance and a threatening gesture. MARIEand JULIEcome out of the crowd and LILIOMfavors them with particular notice as they pass into the merry-go-round.
MRS. MUSKATcomes out of the merry-go-round, bringing LILIOMcoffee and rolls. LILIOMmounts the barker’s stand at the entrance, where he is elevated over everyone on the stage. Here he begins his harangue. Everybody turns toward him. The other booths are gradually deserted. The tumult makes it impossible for the audience to hear what he is saying, but every now and then some witticism of his provokes a storm of laughter which is audible above the din. Many people enter the merry-go-round. Here and there one catches a phrase “Room for one more on the zebra’s back,” “Which of you ladies?” “Ten heller for adults, five for children,” “Step right up”——
It is growing darker. A lamplighter crosses the stage, and begins unperturbedly lighting the colored gas-lamps. The whistle of a distant locomotive is heard. Suddenly the tumult ceases, the lights go out, and the curtain falls in darkness.
END OF PROLOGUE