UC-NRLF it f LYING STA& PL/VVS NO. 3 MONT Attt NS :>&?; THE FLYING STAG PLAYS For The Little Theatre NO. THE ANGEL INTRUDES COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY EGMONT ARENS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The professional and amateur stage rights on this play are strictly reserved by the author. Ap plications for permission to produce the play should be made to the Provincetown Players, 139 MacDougal Street, New York. While it is hoped that the publication of the plays in this series will encourage their produc tion in all parts of the country, it is held that the interests of the New Theater movement can best be served by vigorous protection of the play wrights, without whom the movement cannot go forward. Therefore any infringement of the author s rights will be punished by the penalties imposed under the United States Revised Statutes, Title 60, Chapter 3. THE PUBLISHER. The ANGEL INTRUDES A Play in One Act by Floyd Dell v v as played by the Provincetown Players. Published by EGMONT ARENS at the Washington Square Bookshop V New York 1918 TIME: The present. PLACE: THE PROLOGUE: Washington Square, New York City. THE PLAY: Jimmy Pendleton s Studio in Macdougal Alley. THE ANGEL INTRUDES was first produced by the Provincetown Players, on December 28th, 1917, with the following cast : A POLICEMAN - Abram Gillette THE ANGEL James Light JIMMY PENDLETON - - - Justus Sheffield ANNABELLE - Edna St. Vincent Millay Scenes by Floyd Dell and Neal Reber. Directed by Nina Moise and Floyd Dell. THE ANGEL INTRUDES THE PROLOGUE: Washington Square by moonlight. A stream ef Greenwich Villagers hurrying across to the Brevoort before the doors are locked. In their wake a sleepy policeman. The Policeman stops suddenly on seeing an Angel with shining garments and great white wings, who has just appeared out of nowhere. THE POLICEMAN Hey, you! THE ANGEL [Haughtily, turning. ] Sir! Are you addressing me? THE POLICEMAN [Severely.] Yes, an I ve a good mind to lock you up. THE ANGEL [Surprised and indignant.] How very inhospitable! Is that the way you treat strangers? THE POLICEMAN Don t you know it s agen the law of New York to parade the streets in a masquerade cos tume? THE ANGEL No. I didn t know. You see, I just arrived this minute from Heaven. THE POLICEMAN Ye look it. > 1 7 6 THE ANGEL INTRUDES THE POLICEMAN [Taking his arm kindly.] See here, me lad, you ve been drinkin too many of them stingers. Ye d better take a taxi and go home. THE ANGEL What! So soon? THE POLICEMAN I know how ye feel. I ve been that way me- self. But I can t leave ye go trapesin about in skirts. THE ANGEL [Drawing away.] Sir, I am not trapesing about. I am attend ing to important business, and I must ask you not to detain me. THE POLICEMAN [Suspiciously.] Not so fast, me laddie-buck. What business have you at this hour of the night? Tell me that. THE ANGEL I don t mind telling you. It concerns a mor tal called James Pendleton. THE POLICEMAN [Genial, again.] Aha! So you re a friend of Jimmy Pendle- ton s, are you? THE ANGEL Not exactly. I am his Guardian Angel. THE POLICEMAN Well, faith, he needs one! Come, me boy, I ll see ye safe to his door. FLOYD DELL 7 THE ANGEL Thank you. But, if you don t mind, I prefer to go alone. [He turns away.] THE POLICEMAN Goodnight to you, then. [He idly watches the angelic figure walk away, and then stares with amazement as it spreads its wings and soars to the top of Washington Arch. Pausing there a moment, it soars again in the air, and is seen wafting its way over the neighbor ing housetops to the northeast. The Po liceman shakes his head in disapproval.] THE PLAY: Jimmy Pendleton is dosing in an easy chair be fore the grate-fire in his studio in Washing ton Mews. A yellow-backed French novel has fallen from his knee 1 to the floor. It is Anatole France s "La Revolte des Anges." A clock strikes somewhere. Jimmy Pendleton awakes. JIMMY What a queer dream! [He looks at his watch.] One o clock. The taxi ought to be here. [He takes two tickets from his pocket, looks at them, and puts them back. Then he commences to pace nervously up and down the room, muttering to himself.] Fool! Idiot! Imbecile! [He is, not so that you could notice it, any of these things; he is a very handsome man of forty. There is the blast of an auto horn outside. He makes an angry gesture.] 8 THE ANGEL INTRUDES Too late! That s the taxi. [But he stands uncertainly in the middle of the floor. There is a hard pounding of the knocker.] Yes, yes! [He makes a movement toward the door, where it suddenly opens, and a lovely lady enters. He stares at her in surprise.} JIMMY Annabelle! [Annabelle is little. Annabelle s petulant up turned lips are rosebud red. Annabelle s round eyes are baby-blue. Annabelle is young.] ANNABELLE Yes! It s me! [There is a tiny lisp in Annabelle s speech.] I got tired of waiting, and the door was un locked, so I came right in. JIMMY Well!! ANNABELLE [Hurt.] Aren t you glad to see me? JIMMY I m delighted. But but I thought we were to meet at the station. ANNABELLE So we were. JIMMY You haven t changed your mind? ANNABELLE No. . . JIMMY Er good. FLOYD DELL 9 ANNABELLE But. . . JIMMY Yes . . . ? ANNABELLE I got to wondering. . . [Drifts to the easy chair in front of the fire.] JIMMY Wondering. . .about what? [He looks at his watch.] ANNABELLE About love. . . JIMMY Well. . . [He lights a cigarette.] It s a subject that can stand a good deal of wondering about. I ve wondered about it my self. ANNABELLE That s just it you speak so cynically about it. I don t believe you re in love with me at all! JIMMY Nonsense! Of course I m in love with you. ANNABELLE [Sadly.] No, you re not. JIMMY [Angrily.] But, I tell you, I am! ANNABELLE No. . . JIMMY Foolish child! ANNABELLE Well, let s not quarrei about it now. 10 THE ANGEL INTRUDES JIMMY [Vehemently.] What do you suppose this insanity is if it isn t love? What do you imagine leads me to this preposterous elopement, if not that prepos terous passion? What makes you come with me in spite of the way I talk? Tell me that! ANNABELLE Perhaps I m not coming. JIMMY Yes you are. It s foolish mad wicked but you re coming. [She begins to cry softly.] If not ten minutes away is safety and peace and comfort. Shall I call a taxi for you? [She shakes her head.] No. I thought not. Oh, it s love all right. ANNABELLE I hate you! JIMMY [Cheerfully.] That s all right. [Smiling.] I rather hate you myself. And that s the final proof that this is love. ANNABELLE [Sobbing.] I thought love was something quite differ ent! JIMMY You thought it was beautiful. It isn t. It s just blithering, blathering folly. We ll both regret it tomorrow. ANNABELLE I won t! FLOYD DELL 11 JIMMY Yes you will. It s human nature. Face the facts. ANNABELLE [Tearfully.] Pacing the facts is one thing and being in love is another. JIMMY Quite so. Well, how long do you think your love for me will last? ANNABELLE For ever! JIMMY H-m! I predict that you will fall in love with the next man you meet. ANNABELLE I think you re perfectly horrid. JIMMY So do I. I disapprove of myself violently. I m a doddering lunatic, incapable of thinking of anything but you. I can t work. I can t eat. I can t sleep. I m no use to the world. I m not a man, I m a mess. I m about to do something silly because I can t do anything else. ANNABELLE [Pouting.] You ve no respect for me. JIMMY None whatever. I love you. And I m going to carry you off. ANNABELLE You re a brute. JIMMY Absolutely. I d advise you to go straight home. 12 THE ANGEL INTRUDES ANNABELLE [Defiantly.] Perhaps I shall! JIMMY Then go quick. [He takes out his watch.] In one minute, if you are still here, I shall pick you up and carry you off to South Amer ica. Quick! There s the door! ANNABELLE [Faintly.] I I want to go ... JIMMY Well, why don t you?. . .Thirty seconds! ANNABELLE I I can t! JIMMY [Shutting his watch.] Time s up. The die is cast! [He lifts her from the chair. She clings to him helplessly.] My darling! My treasure! My beloved! Idiot that I am! [He kisses her fiercely.] ANNABELLE [Struggling in his arms.] No! No! No! Stop! JIMMY Never! ANNABELLE Stop! Please! Please! Oh!... [The light suddenly goes out, and an instant later blazes up again, revealing the Angel, who has suddenly arrived in the middle of the room. The two of them stare at the apparition.] FLOYD DELL 13 THE ANGEL I hope I am not intruding? JIMMY Why why not exactly! THE ANGEL If I am ... JIMMY No, really. . . ANNABELLE [In his arms, indignantly.] Jimmy! Who is that man? JIMMY [Becoming aware of her and putting her down carefully.} I why why, the fact is, I don t. . . THE ANGEL The fact is, madame, I am his Guardian Angel. ANNABELLE An Angel! Oh! THE ANGEL Tell me, have I intruded? ANNABELLE No, not at all! THE ANGEL Thank you for reassuring me. I feared for a moment that I had made an inopportune en trance. I was about to suggest that I with draw until you had finished the er cere mony which I seem to have interrupted. JIMMY [Surprised.] But wasn t that what you came for to in terrupt? THE ANGEL I beg your pardon! 14 THE ANGEL INTRUDES JIMMY [Bewilder edly.] I mean if you are my Guardian Angel, and all that sort of thing, you must have come to to interfere! THE ANGEL I hope you will not think I would be capable of such presumption. JIMMY [Puzzled.} You don t want to so to speak reform me? THE ANGEL Not at all. Why, I scarcely know you! JIMMY But you re my my Guardian Angel, you say? THE ANGEL Ah, yes, to be sure. But the relation of an gelic guardianship has for some hundreds of years been a purely nominal one. We have come to feel that it is best to allow mortals to attend to their own affairs. JIMMY [Abruptly.} Then, what did you come for? THE ANGEL For a change. One becomes tired of familiar scenes. And I thought that perhaps my rela tionship to you might serve in lieu of an in troduction. I wanted to be among friends. JIMMY Oh, I see. ANNABELLE Of course. We re delighted to have you with us. Won t you sit down? [She leads the way to the fire.} FLOYD DELL 15 THE ANGEL [Perching on the arms of one of the big chairs.] If you don t mind! My wings, you know. JIMMY [Hesitantly.] Have a cigarette? THE ANGEL Thank you. [He takes one.] I am most anxious to learn the more impor tant of your earthly arts and sciences. Please correct me if I go wrong. This is my first attempt, remember. [He blows out a puff of smoke.] ANNABELLE [From the settle.] You re doing it very nicely. THE ANGEL It is incense to the mind. ANNABELLE [Laughingly, blowing a series of smoke rings.] You must learn to do it like this! THE ANGEL [In awe.] That is too wonderful an art. I fear I can never learn it! ANNABELLE I will teach you. THE ANGEL [Earnestly.] If you were my teacher, I think I could learn anything. ANNABELLE [Giggles, charmingly.] 16 THE ANGEL INTRUDES JIMMY [Embarrassed.] Really, Annabelle . . . ANNABELLE What s the matter? JIMMY Ordinarily I wouldn t mind you re flirting with strangers, but. . . ANNABELLE [Indignantly.] Jimmy! How can you? THE ANGEL It was my fault, I m sure if fault there was. But what is it to flirt? You see, I wish to learn everything. ANNABELLE I hope you never learn that. THE ANGEL I put myself in your hands. JIMMY Er would you like a drink? THE ANGEL Thank you. I am very thirsty. [Taking the glass.] This is very different from what we have in Heaven. [He tastes it. A look of gratified surprise ap pears on his face.] And much better! [He drains the glass and hands it back.] May I have some more? ANNABELLE Be careful! FLOYD DELL 17 THE ANGEL What should I be careful of? ANNABELLE Don t take too much of that if it s the first time. THE ANGEL Why not? It is an excellent drink. JIMMY [Laughing.] The maternal instinct! She is afraid you may make yourself ridiculous. THE ANGEL Angels do not care for appearances. [He stands up magnificently in the chair, tow ering above them.} Besides. . . [Refilling his glass.] I feel that you do an injustice to this drink. Already it has made a new being of me. [He looks at Annabelle.} I feel an emotion that I have never known before. If I were in Heaven, I should sing. ANNABELLE Oh! Won t you sing? THE ANGEL The fact is, I know nothing but hymns. And I m tired of them. That was one reason why I left Heaven. And this robe. . . [He stands up, viewing his garment with dis approval.} Have you an extra suit of clothes you could lend me? JIMMY [Reflectively.] Yes. I think I have some things that might fit. 18 THE ANGEL INTRUDES [The Angel waits.] Do you want them now? I ll look. [He goes into the bedroom. The Angel looks at Annabelle, until his gaze becomes in supportable and she covers her eyes. Then he comes over to her side.] THE ANGEL \Gravely.] I am very much afraid of you. [He takes her hands in his.] ANNABELLE [Smiling.] One would never guess it! THE ANGEL I am more afraid of you than I was of God. But even though I fear you, I must come close to you, and touch you. The strange, new emotion is like fire in my veins. This world has become beautiful to me because you are in it. I want to stay here so that I may be with you . . . ANNABELLE [Shaken, but doubting.] For how long? ^ THE ANGEL Forever. . . ANNABELLE [In his arms, surrendering to the word.] Darling! THE ANGEL I am so ignorant! There is something I want to do right now, only I do not know how to go about it properly. [He bends shyly toward heflips.] ANNABELLE I will teach you. [She kisses him.] FLOYD DELL 19 THE ANGEL Heaven was nothing to this. [They kiss again. Enter Jimmy, with an old suit of clothes over his arm. He pauses in dumbfounderment. At last he regains his voice.] JIMMY Well! [They look up. Neither of them is per turbed.] THE ANGEL [Blandly.] Has something happened to annoy you? [Jimmy shakes the clothes at him in an out raged gesture.] Oh, my new costume. Thank you so much! [He takes them gratefully.] JIMMY [Bitterly, to Annabelle.] I suppose I ve no right to complain. You can make love to anybody you like. In fact, now that I come to think of it, I predicted this very thing. I said you d fall in love with the next man you met. So it s off with the old love, and. . . ANNABELLE [Calmly.] I have never been in love before. JIMMY The fickleness of women is notorious. It is exceeded only by their mendacity. But An gels have up to this time stood in good repute. Your conduct, sir, is scandalous. I am amazed at you. 20 THE ANGEL INTRUDES THE ANGEL It may be scandalous, but it should not amaze you. It has happened too often before. I could quote you many texts from learned theological works. "And the sons of God looked at the daughters of men and saw that they were fair." But even if it were as un usual as you imagine, that would not deter me. JIMMY You are an unscrupulous wretch. If these are the manners of Heaven, I am glad it is so far away, and means of communication so difficult. A few more of you would corrupt the morals of five continents. You are utterly depraved Here! What are you doing? THE ANGEL I am taking off my robes, so as to put on my new clothes. JIMMY Spare the common decencies at least. Go in the other room. THE ANGEL Certainly, if that is the custom here. [With the clothes over his arm, he goes into the bedroom.] JIMMY [Sternly.] And now tell me, what do you mean by this? ANNABELLE [Simply.] We are in love. JIMMY Do you mean to say you would throw me over for that fellow? FLOYD DELL 21 ANNABELLE Why not? JIMMY What good is he? All he can do is sing hymns. In three months he ll be a tramp. ANNABELLE I don t care. And he won t be a tramp. I ll look after him. JIMMY [Sneeringly.] The maternal instinct! Well, take care of him if you like. But of course you know that in six weeks he ll fall in love with somebody else? ANNABELLE No he won t. I m sure that I am the only girl in the world to him. JIMMY Of course you re the only girl in the world to him now. You re the only one he s ever seen. But wait till he sees the others! Six weeks? On second thought I make it three days. Immortal love! [He laughs.] ANNABELLE What difference does it make? You don t un derstand. Whether it lasts a day or a year, while it lasts it will be immortal. [The Angel enters, dressed in Jimmy s old clothes, and carrying his wings in his hands. He seems exhilarated.] THE ANGEL How do I look? JIMMY It is customary to wear one s tie tucked in side the vest. 22 THE ANGEL INTRUDES THE ANGEL [Flinging the ends of the gorgeous necktie over his shoulder.] No! Though I have become a man, I do not without some regret put on the dull garb of mortality. I would not have my form lose all its original brightness. Even so it is the ex cess of glory obscured. ANNABELLE [Coming over to him.] You are quite right, darling. [She tucks it inside his vest.] THE ANGEL Thank you, beloved. And now these wings! Take them, and burn them with your own sweet hands, so that I can never leave you, even if I would. ANNABELLE No! I would rather put them away for you in a closet, so that you can go and look at them any time you want to, and see that you have the means of freedom ready to your hand. I shall never hold you against your will. I do not want to burn your wings. I really don t! But if you insist. . . ! [She takes the wings and approaches the grate.] JIMMY [To the Angel.] Don t let her do it! Pool! You don t know what you are doing. Listen to me! You think that she is wonderful superior di vine. It is only natural. There are moments when I have thought so myself. But I know why I thought so, and you have yet to learn. FLOXD DELL 23 Keep your wings, my friend, against the day of your awakening the day when the glamour of sex has vanished, and you see in her, as you will see, an inferior being, with a weak body, a stunted mind, devoid of creative power, almost devoid of imagination, utterly lacking in critical capacity a being who does not know how to work, nor how to talk, nor even how to play! [Annabelle, putting down the wings beside the grate, stares at him in speechless anger] THE ANGEL Sir! Do you refer in those vulgar and insult ing terms to the companion of my soul, the desire of my heart, the perfect lover whose lips have kindled my dull sense to ecstacy? JIMMY I do. Remember that I know her better than you do, young man. Take my advice and leave her alone. Even now it is not too late! Save yourself from this folly while there is time! THE ANGEL Never! JIMMY Then take these tickets and I hope I never see either of you again! [He holds out the tickets. Annabelle, after a pause, steps forward and takes them.] ANNABELLE That is really sweet of you, Jimmy! [The blast of an auto horn is heard outside.] JIMMY [Bitterly.] And there s my taxi. Take that, too. 24 THE ANGEL INTRUDES THE ANGEL Farewell! [He opens the door. Annabelle, at his side, turns and blows Jimmy a kiss. Stonily Jimmy watches them go out. Then he picks up his suitcase and goes, with an air of complete finality, into the other room. There is a moment s silence, and then the door opens softly, and the Angel looks in, enters surreptitiously, seizes up the wings, and with them safely clasped to his bosom, vanishes again through the door.] X CURTAIN. RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT TO- * 202 Main Library LOAN PERIOD 1 HOME USE 2 3 4 5 6 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS Renewals and Recharges may be made 4 days prior to the due date. Books may be Renewed by calling 642-3405. r .PJJE AS STAMPED BELOW LI_ ^ \j v i~jy2. AUTO DISC CIRC FEi FORM NO. 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