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Scene 6

Before the Performance

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(ZOOM out from the curtains to see the auditorium of the opera house slowly filling with people. Then CUT to backstage. The camera is at about a six-foot eye level and is moving about through the crowd backstage. We see props being moved, flats being put in place, costumes being put on, etc. We PAN to LEFT and see the BALLET GIRLS, in costume, practicing their steps with Mme. GIRY. Then, wander through crowds a bit more to see PIANGI, in costume, with M. REYER. The following dialogue is heard passed between them:)

REYER

Don Juan, Signor Piangi, here is the phrase:

(singing it correctly)

“Those who tangle with Don Juan...”

If you would, please...

PIANGI (singing it wrongly)

“Those who tangle with Don Juan”

REYER

No . . . no. Nearly, but NO! Again...

PIANGI (still wrong)

“Those who tangle with Don Juan...”

REYER (shakes his head)
"No, no.  Those who *tan*, *tan*, *tan*..."

(We see and hear the edge of a black cape move furiously as we turn swiftly from them. We apparently are the PHANTOM. We are moving again further through the crowds. We suddenly see MARKSMEN gathered together with RAOUL. He is giving them instruction about where to be stationed. He says to one:)

RAOUL

Do what you have to do. Don’t shoot unless you have to, but shoot to kill! .

(We suddenly hear the PHANTOM’s laughter coming. RAOUL and the MARKSMEN hear it, but cannot tell where it has come from.)

MARKSMAN

What was that?!

RAOUL

He’s already in the building. Alright. Guard your posts, and man them well. This . . .thing is dangerous.

(The marksmen leave.  We CLOSE IN on RAOUL, who looks up and shakes his fist as though he had seen the Phantom and
knows he is present.)

Let the show begin...

(We turn away and FADE to scene 7 at a WIDESHOT of the closed curtains of the stage.)

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Scene 7

PERFORMANCE OF “DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT”

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(The AUDIENCE are taking their seats for the premiere of "Don Juan Triumphant." MONTAGE to show that armed SOLDIERS and GENDARMES have taken over the building. Supervised by RAOUL, ANDRE and FIRMIN, all exits from the opera house are barred and sealed as the last of the audience filters into the auditorium. The AUDIENCE is locked in. SOLDIERS guard all exits. BACKSTAGE, STAGEHANDS, SINGERS and DANCERS are preparing for the impending performances, watched by the SOLDIERS.  Meanwhile, the orchestra has been tuning up. REYER takes his bow on his podium to polite applause. He raises his baton. The OVERTURE begins. It is incredibly dissonant, a cacophony of sound; the AUDIENCE has never heard anything like it before. People are horrified, consult their programs, cough and whisper, fidget uncomfortably.  SOMEONE tries to leave but the doors are locked. REYER, pained by the music he is forced to conduct, stuffs cotton plugs into his ears. The CURTAIN rises. The awesome set, modern and severe, is dominated by two Moorish pillars and a small curtained alcove. There is a table adorned with numerous fruits and vegetables. CHORUS, including MEG as a GYPSY BOY and CARLOTTA as a HAG, are dressed in an austere flamenco style. The atmosphere is dark and erotic.) (CUT to: CLOSE-UP of CARLOTTA, MEG, and CHORUS.) 

CHORUS

Here the sire may serve the dam, here the master takes his meat!

Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat! 

CARLOTTA AND CHORUS

Poor young maiden! For the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets

You will have to pay the bill - tangled in the winding sheets! 

Serve the meal and serve the maid! Serve the master so that when tables, plans and maids are laid, 

(CUT to: CHORUS, ET AL seen from right view, where arch is nearly seen.) 

Don Juan triumphs once again! 

(CUT to: PIANGI at CLOSE-UP) (SIGNOR PIANGI, as Don Juan, emerges from behind the arch. MEG, a gypsy dancer pirouettes coquettishly for him. He throws her a purse. She catches it. MEG, CARLOTTA, and the CHORUS exit.) (CUT to: PIANGI, as DON JUAN, and PASSARINO) 

DON JUAN

Passarino, faithful friend, once again recite the plan. 

PASSARINO

Your young guest believes I'm you - I, the master, you, the man. 

DON JUAN

When you met you wore my cloak, she could not have seen your face,.

She believes she dines with me, in her master's borrowed place!

Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff, stealing what, in truth, is mine.

When it's late and modesty starts to mellow, with the wine . . . 

PASSARINO

You come home! I use your voice - slam the door like crack of doom! 

DON JUAN

I shall say: "come - hide with me! Where, oh, where? Of course - my room!" 

PASSARINO

Poor thing hasn't got a chance! 

DON JUAN

Here's my hat, my cloak and sword. Conquest is assured, if I do not forget myself and laugh . . . 

(DON JUAN puts on PASSARINO's cloak and goes into the curtained alcove where the bed awaits. Although we do not yet know it, the Punjab Lasso has done its work, and SIGNOR PIANGI is no more. When next we see DON JUAN, it will be the PHANTOM. Meanwhile, we hear AMINTA (CHRISTINE) singing happily in the distance.) 

AMINTA (CHRISTINE - offstage, entering)

". . . no thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy!

No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!" 

PASSARINO (onstage)

Master? 

DON JUAN (PHANTOM - behind the curtain)

Passarino - go away! For the trap is set and waits for its prey . . . 

(PASSARINO leaves. CHRISTINE (AMINTA) enters. She takes off her cloak and sits down. Looks about her. No- one. She starts on an apple. The PHANTOM, disguised as DON JUAN pretending to be PASSARINO, emerges. He now wears PASSARINO's robe, the cowl of which hides his face. His first words startle her.) (CUT between: the PHANTOM seen from CHRISTINE’s POV and vice versa, side views, WIDESHOTS, and CLOSE-UPS of the PHANTOM.) 

DON JUAN (PHANTOM)

You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge,

in pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent, silent . . . 

I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge -

in your mind you've already succumbed to me

dropped all defenses completely succumbed to me -

now you are here with me: no second thoughts, you've decided, decided . . . 

(CUT to: WIDESHOT of the PHANTOM and CHRISTINE.  DON JUAN sits down beside AMINTA.) 

Past the point of no return - no backward glances:

our games of make-believe are at an end . . . 

( [CUT to WIDESHOT of STAGE from a BALCONY seat. CHRISTINE, uncomfortable with the intentsity of DON JUAN’s words and the familiarity of his voice, makes a smooth “dance” away to DOWNSTAGE LEFT. The PHANTOM follows.) 

Past all thought of "if" or "when" - no use resisting:

abandon thought, and let the dream descend . . . 

(CUT to: CLOSE-UP of the PHANTOM and CHRISTINE. The PHANTOM places a hand on CHRISTINE’s and moves down the length of her body, and then almost touches her breasts before quickly turning away.)  

What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door?

What sweet seduction lies before us . . .? 

Past the point of no return, the final threshold -

what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?

Beyond the point of no return . . . 

(AMINTA, downstage left, now sings alone.) 

AMINTA (CHRISTINE)

You have brought me to that moment where words run dry,

to that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence . . . 

I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why . . .

In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining defenseless and silent - 

( [CLOSE-UP of CHRISTINE. She has a look of terror on her face; she knows Don Juan is now being played by the PHANTOM. We continuously CUT between CHRISTINE and the PHANTOM until the “decided ...decided.” Then we cut to a CLOSE-UP of the PHANTOM, getting a few short CLOSE-UPs of his hands a couple of times. CHRISTINE is singing off to the side and entwines her fingers together. The PHANTOM is sitting on the bench turned away from the audience. He gradually turns around on the bench to face frontwards to the audience. He slowly runs his hands down the length of his body.*

[* NOTE: There is actually much more to this scene and Michael Crawford’s performance of it that is too erotic for public reading.] )  

and now I am here with you: no second thoughts, I've decided, decided . . . 

(CUT to: CLOSE-UP of PHANTOM. We move up and notice he is breathing very heavily by his motions and movement of the cloak.) 

(The PHANTOM clutches his hands upward and his chest begins to heave.) 

Past the point of no return - no going back now:

our passion-play has now, at last, begun . . .

Past all thought of right or wrong - one final question:

how long should we two wait, before we're one . . .? 

(The PHANTOM once more runs his hands slowly back up his body, CHRISTINE comes up behind him and grasped his fingers. He runs her hands over his head and down his body, then quickly turns to face her still grasping her hands.) 

When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom?

When will the flames at last consume us . . .? 

(The PHANTOM and CHRISTINE are face to face. It is apparent to almost everyone now that PIANGI is dead and the PHANTOM has taken his place on stage.) 

BOTH

Past the point of no return, the final threshold -

the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn . . .

We've passed the point of no return . . . 

(CHRISTINE removes the PHANTOM’s hood.) 

PHANTOM

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime . . .

Lead me, save me from my solitude . . . 

(He takes from his finger a ring and holds it out to her. Slowly she takes it and puts it on her finger.) 

Say you want me with you, here beside you . . .

Anywhere you go let me go too - Christine that's all I ask of . . . 

(We never reach the word 'you', for CHRISTINE quite calmly removes the PHANTOM's mask and reveals his face to the audience. At the same time, MEG pulls back the curtain to reveal PIANGI’s body hanging from the archway. MEG screams.  POLICEMEN, STAGEHANDS, rush onto the stage in confusion. Also: ANDRE, FIRMIN, RAOUL, MME GIRY, CARLOTTA and MEG. Screams and gunshots. Very fast: the PHANTOM grabs CHRISTINE and runs. PIANGI is cut down from his gibbet.) 

ANDRE

Oh, my God…my God! We're ruined, Andre - ruined! 

(CARLOTTA runs on with her little dogs.) 

CARLOTTA

What is it? What has happened? Ubaldo!

(Rushing over to PIANGI's body)

Oh my darling, my darling… Who has Done this….? 

(We notice the two little dogs sniffing PIANGI's corpse. FIRMIN kicks one of them out of the way.) 

CARLOTTA (Hysterical, attacking ANDRE)

You! Why did you let this happen? 

MME GIRY (to RAOUL)

Monsieur le Vicomte! Come with me! I know where they are!  

RAOUL

But can I trust you? 

MME GIRY

But remember: Keep your hand at the level of your eyes! 

(MEG demonstrates:) 

MEG

Like this, monsieur - I'll come with you. 

MME GIRY

No, Meg! No, you stay here!

(To RAOUL)

Come with me, monsieur, do as I say. But hurry or we shall be too late… 

(They rush off. MEG stares after them. She rushes off too.)

(CUT to next scene)