Scene #1: The Hunt
House Lights: Dim
Stage Curtain: Open to full
Stage Lights: Go to full
[Open to empty stage] Suddenly vines drop down from behind the curtains, trees are wheeled onto stage by technical crew dressed in black and the cyclorama gives an image of a lush forest background]
Sound: Play sound clip of many near and far away animals with the distant noise of hooves running over dirt and leaves getting louder
[Enter stage right] Two actors in a realistic deer costume. The deer stops once at center stage, looks behind itself towards stage right and then continues running until it disappears off stage left.
[Enter stage right] A chariot pulled by two actors in a realistic horse costume. The chariot is decked out in gold and gemstones, the horse is covered in gold and gems as well. On the back of the chariot stands a man wearing a deep blue antariya with a bow and a quiver slung on his left shoulder. In the front sits a man in a much less ornate but still official looking antariya. He holds up the reins to the horse and the chariot stops.
Charioteer looks around for the deer, then looks back towards his passenger). Your Majesty
Stage Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
I see you hunt the spotted deer
With shafts to end his race.,
As though God Shiva should appear
In his immortal chase.
Stage Lights: Go to full
King. Charioteer, this deer has led us on a long race. We may have lost sight of him, but even now
Stage Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
His neck in beauty bends
As backward looks he sends
At my pursuing car
That threatens death from far.
Fear shrinks to half the body small;
See how he fears the arrow’s fall!
The path he take sis strewed
With blades of grass half-chewed
From jaws wide with the stress
Of fevered weariness
He leaps so often and so high
He does not seem to run, but fly.
Stage Lights: Go to full
[Enter deer stage left] The deer walks slowly, then stops upon seeing the chariot. Both the charioteer and the king see the deer.
(In surprise) I see him once more, pursue!
[The deer turns around and runs, exiting stage left. The chariot follows, but slower than the deer. However, the sound of the deer, the horse, the chariot, the charioteer and the king do not cease. The sounds instead are projected using speakers. As this happens, the forest set pieces are replaced with different pieces to show that the location has changed]
King. We must pursue at a greater speed, we are losing him once more!
Charioteer. Your Majesty, I have been keeping our speed at a slower pace because the ground was rough. This gave the more nimble deer an advantage. Now that we are on level ground, we can proceed at full strength.
Charioteer. Then shall I let the reins hang loose, your Majesty?
King (Excitingly). Yes!
[Enter stage left deer, followed by horse and chariot, the chariot quickly gaining on the deer]
King (Joyfully). We are gaining on the deer!
Stage Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
As onward and onward the chariot flies,
The small flashes large to my dizzy eyes.
What is cleft in twain, seems to blur and mate;
What is crooked in nature, seems to be straight.
Things at my side in an instant appear
Distant, and things in the distance near.
Stage Lights: Go to full
[The deer, exhausted, stops and pants. The king raises his bow, but is stopped when a voice comes from stage right]
Hermit. O King, this deer belongs to the hermitage, it must be spared.
[Enter from state left two hermits]
Charioteer. Your Majesty, two hermits have come, they say the deer belongs to the hermitage.
King. The stop the chariot
Charioteer (holding up his reigns). Of course, your Majesty.
Hermit. O King, this deer does belong to our hermitage.
Stage Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
Why should his tender form expire,
As blossoms perish in the fire?
How could that gentle life endure
The deadly arrow, sharp and sure?
Restore your arrow to the quiver;
To you were weapons lent
The broken-hearted to deliver,
Not strike the innocent.
Stage Lights: Go to full
King (stepping off his chariot, stowing his bow and bowing his head low to the ground). It is done
Hermit (happily). A deed worthy of you, scion of Puru’s race. You are a shining example of kings. May you bear kin who shall rule over heaven as well as earth.
King (still bowing low to the ground). I am forever grateful for a Brahman’s blessing.
The two hermits. O King, we are gathering firewood. You are close to the bank of the Malini, if you wish you can visit the hermitage of Father Kanva. Over which Shakuntala presides, so to speak, as guardian deity. Unless other deities prevent, you are welcome to visit. Besides
Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
Beholding pious hermit-rites
Preserved from fearful harm,
Perceive the profit of the scars
On your protecting arm.
Stage Lights: Go to full
King. Is the hermit father currently there?
The two hermits. He is not, he has left his daughter to welcome any guests. He has gone to Somatritha to avert an evil fate which threatens her.
King. I see, I will give her my devotion, which she may pass to the sage.
The two hermits. We must go on our way.
[Exit hermits stage left]
King. Charioteer, we shall depart. This pious hermitage will purify us.
Charioteer. Of course, your Majesty.
King (looking around the stage). One could tell, without even being told, that this place is holy.
Charioteer. Oh, how so?
King. How can you not see? Why, here
Lights: Dim to half
[Everything stops]
Are rice-grains, dropped from bills of parrot chicks
Beneath the trees; and pounding-stones where sticks
A little almond-oil; and trustful deer
That do not run away as we draw near;
And river-paths that are besprinkled yet
From trickling hermit-garments, clean and wet.
Besides,
The roots of trees are washed by many a stream
That breezes ruffle; and the flowers’ red gleam
Is dimmed by pious smoke; and fearless fawns
Move softly on the close-cropped forest lawns
Stage Lights: Go to full
Charioteer. So it is.
King (after a few more seconds of being mesmerized by the forest). On second thought, we cannot disturb the hermitage. I must leave you here.
Charioteer. Your wish is my command, your Majesty. I shall stand guard here, ready to depart once you have returned.
[The King walks to the apron of the stage]
Lights: Dim
Stage Curtains: Close to full
End of scene #1
This is a lot harder than I thought. I never thought I would be looking up “500s cs indian charioteer clothing”. I am a perfectionist, which means I want to include everything a script would have, from what side of the stage a character enters from to the sound design and cyclorama. This reminds me of last year when I wrote a script based on a short story I wrote in high school. I actually like writing scripts. I decided not to use any pre-made structuring. I am manually indenting and italicizing words and phrases. This is based on the structuring style of The Ghost Stories of Yotsuya which we read recently. I have been using the translation provided by Project Gutenberg which provides free ebooks with no need for copyright. I decided to end this with the King departing his chariot and charioteer to venture further into the hermitage. The main focus of this piece is to showcase how important the non dialogue parts are. They dictate what everything does, the set pieces, the actors, the curtains and even the lights. The also need to be formatted in a way which makes it easy for actors, stage crew, stage managers, light crew and sound crew to read and know when to perform their respective responsibilities for the production. I myself have been in 20 shows, I have been an actor, a stagehand, a curtain operator, a stage manager and even a sound technician. I have a lot of experience looking at scripts and memorizing who does what, when and where. I also had a lot of fun figuring out how to portray the moving of the chariot and the chase between the chariot and the deer. The idea of the chariot going stage left after the deer, the deer reappearing from stage left followed by the chariot would definitely be a difficult task. A stage has several curtains and so the pulley systems for them are right at the edge of where the stage ends and the wings (the large rooms on either side of a stage). The wings are where set pieces, actors and technical crew also are, so when the deer and the chariot enter they must have a clear path. I can imagine making a spike tape path so it is evident where the deer and chariot will be going into and then out of the wings during the chase scene. That is something I definitely miss about high school, figuring out how to do something others would see as impossible. I can imagine for the second scene the curtains would open behind the King as he is towards stage left. The stage would have different trees, vines and a cyclorama background image and sound. Then Shakuntala and two of her friends enter from stage right and begin talking. Upon hearing the three girls, the King hides behind a tree set just before the apron on stage left. The idea of having either actors or crew dress in horse and deer costumes is a difficult one to achieve with success. I chose a horse and deer custom manned by one to two actors / crew for the fluidity. So that the legs could move, of course the horse itself would not be the force pushing the chariot around the stage. Crew would be underneath the chariot pushing it around the stage, following a spike tape course so they would know where they are going without being able to see. I also had the idea of having the horse be static, possible with legs and a head attached to a pulley mechanism operated by a crew member under the chariot. The deer would be more difficult, because it has no chariot, so it would likely have to be a costume manned by crew members. Overall I really enjoyed writing this, thinking about solving these types of problems and putting on a convincing and entertaining play/scene is very satisfying for me.
Kalidasa. “Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works.” Https://Www.gutenberg.org/Files/16659/16659-h/16659-H.htm, 1666, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16659/pg16659-images.html. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
Sprockets and Springes 