The Scottish Play Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

words. “In addition, my talented friends, I ask more from you. A thing that might seem simple, but is in truth difficult and yet terribly important.” Now he had their attention, for Horatio had never included this in his speech. “I would you all not ever say the name of the play except onstage. Only if your performance requires you say the name of the title character should you utter it. Refer to this story only as ‘the Scottish play’ or ‘the bard’s play.’ Just as you never whistle in the ’tiring house, so should you never say the title of this play. To do so will forfeit your role, and perhaps even your place among our players.”
    Nobody responded, but only stood in silence. Everyone knew each of them would slip up at least once, and nobody wanted to hear Horatio’s response to it.
    “Am I quite clear on this point?”
    Each trouper nodded, and some muttered in the affirmative.
    “Very well, then. Let us proceed.” Horatio then split the cast into groups to rehearse specific scenes. Most of them knew most of their lines already, but even so the first days would be somewhat halting for those who were new to the play. The years when theatre had been banned under Cromwell had cheated young actors of exposure to Shakespeare and every other playwright, and also it deprived them of much experience onstage. Some of the younger folk had never seen this play performed, let alone had memorized lines from it. Liza, of course, was the exception, for she could remember anything she heard verbatim. All that was required for her to memorize an entire play was for someone to recite it aloud to her one time. She was the envy of everyone in the troupe.
    The groups dispersed to various rehearsal spaces, leaving the witches, Macbeth, and Banquo on the stage for Act I, Scene III.
    The three weird sisters were, of course, played by three men. The only two authentic women in the troupe, aside from Suzanne, were more profitably used in other roles. So Arturo, who was one of the men from the independent troupe of mummers attached to The New Globe Players, played First Witch. A fiddle player named Big Willie, who was one of the regular house musicians, played Second Witch. Another occasional musician named Tucker, who was a lute player and a friend to Big Willie, Warren the flautist, and Angus the pipes player and percussionist, was tapped for Third Witch. All three were small and wiry and made entirely convincing women, given enough face paint to cover up the shadow of beard.
    Even at this first rehearsal the three seemed well suited to their roles. They had instant rapport, clowning around, speaking in falsetto, while waiting for Horatio to decide which witch was which, then set them in their places. As soon as they had their roles they were off, in character.
    The three each spoke so quickly upon each other, it seemed they overlapped. “Hail!” “Hail!” “Hail!” They danced around Ramsay as if he were a cauldron, led by First Witch Arturo.
    First Witch Arturo said in a high, piercing voice that carried to the top gallery, “Here comes that Macbeth fellow, all tall and handsomey! I wonder what he’s got tucked away for us!”
    Ramsay turned as they circled, grinning at them. They made fun of him, but he enjoyed it as much as they.
    “Some meat, I say!” said Second Witch Willie. “Some meat for us sisters! A great, long sausage! Let us eat it, and with gusto!”
    Ramsay guffawed.
    “Hail!” “Hail!” “Hail!” The three surrounded Ramsay, and First Witch said, “Show us! Show us! Let us see your sausage, pray! And let us pray it proves more meat than his finger!”
    Third Witch Tucker added, “How meet to prove more meat!”
    Everyone in hearing roared with laughter, especially Ramsay, who laughed the loudest. He gestured them away, and they scurried as a cluster of leaves driven by the wind, still in character and huddled in feigned fright as if they’d been threatened with a spell or a sword.
    “Very