Kathryn Kramer (14 page)

ACT TWO:   All
the World’s A Stage

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.”

Shakespeare

AS YOU LIKE IT, act 2, scene 7

Chapter Nineteen

The world of the theatre was a world unto its own as Nicholas was soon to discover.  Drama was a kind of magic.  It was a colorful sphere of make-believe and pretense where for a while reality was put at bay in favor of the fantasies the actors created.  As for the actors, Nicholas had heard Shakespeare say that they were shadows of reality, their purpose  to hold the mirror up to nature and to embellish upon what they found there.

Nicholas was able to forget  his own plight and problems for a time as he delved into this new environment. 
Shakespeare had  assigned him to be a prompter and he found himself completely absorbed in preparing for the coming performance in Faversham. Pitching in made him feel necessary and needed, as well as endearing him to the others.

Sequestering himself in the back of the play
wagon from time to time with Alandra, he listened as she explained to him the elementary rules of the company, which he had to know to continue his charade.  There was always a director of the troupe, called a "captain", she said.  For this tour that man  was Shakespeare. 

"Captain Shakespeare."  He smiled at addressi
ng the creative genius thus. 

Alandra told him that the acting companies were or
ganized on the "sharing plan."

"Sharing plan?" Nicholas was dubious.  He had learned at court that men seldom truly shared anything.  It seemed the true nature of hu
mans was to be selfish.

"Profits as well as financial risks are divided among the members.  'T
is only fair...."

"I can well imagine.  Will and his friends undoubtedly get the largest share of the pie!" he mumbled, remembering the way such a matter would play with the noblemen."  He looked down at her silently, his eyes raking her as he remembered the days they had shared on the road.  Thinking about them now made him realize that despite the danger they
had been enjoyable moments.               

"Not at all."  Alandra met his eyes, stare for stare.  How dare he judge them when he himself was far from sinless! Realizing that the only way to win his respect was to be just as firm of opinion as he
, she held her ground, coming to the actors' defense.  A man like this would have little use for those who were spineless.  "Will is always most fair.  After each performance the shareholders divide the money left, after meeting all expenses that is."

"Aha!"  Nicholas was certain he had found the flaw in the plan.  No doubt the list of expenses was padded to allow someone to put th
e shillings in his own pocket.

Alandra sensed his thoughts and bristled. "Heminges is a most able b
usiness manager.  A fair man.  The account books are open for any of the members of the company to see."  She squared her shoulders proudly as she informed him, "As a matter of fact keeping the ledgers is one of my duties."

He couldn't help but smile.  "Well then, it seems my finances will be in very good
hands."  As well as his fate.

Alandra looked at his hands, hanging loosely at his sides.  Big hands, strong hands, just the sort to wield a sword.  But he was weaponless now a
nd at her mercy.  Were she to say but a word to the others he would be lost.  But what was the use of thinking about it?  She had already made her choice.  Nor could she really say that she was sorry.  Having him with the players had added spice to their travels.

There was a long pause, an unnerving silence.  It seemed that suddenly each was ill at ease with the other, wondering just what was going to happen from here?  Were they to be adversaries pretending
camaraderie for the sake of the others, or was there the possibility of more?

"Once you have made a few shillings you can pay back the company for your use of
Will’s horse." Alandra blurted, taking refuge from the uneasiness of her feelings with sarcasm.

"I would repay the money now if I had it, just to see a softer look in your eyes when you look towards me."  Picking up a wooden scepter he toyed with it.  Damned if she didn't make him nervous at times, he who was always so at e
ase with the court's ladies. 

Alandra sighed.  "It's just that I'm  uncertain about so many things, Christopher.  You requested my trust, and I conditionally agreed, but there are se
veral things that trouble me."

"Nevertheless, you will not be sorry."  She had saved him.  How could she think he could ever return such a debt with betrayal?  "T
hat I most sincerely promise."

Alandra sighed.  "A woman who believe
s a man's promises is a fool!"

Nicholas smiled.
  "Nonetheless, I am sincere."

"Then I had best help you play at your little game, at least for awhile, lest you make an unfortunate slip of the tongue." Alandra continued with the subject of the business side of things. "The expenses of the company include payments to authors, hired men and the fund out of which the common stock of costumes, properties and other
materials are purchased. And so far we have been managing to acquire quite a goodly sum above and beyond what we spend.  Entertainment is quite profitable, Christopher!"

Though not all in the company
were shareholders, Nicholas followed her advice and promptly made an agreement with Will to be one of those who would risk his earnings on the venture.  Thus, though he was penniless now, having spent the last of his money during his and Alandra’s journey, he hoped it would not be long before he was earning a goodly sum.  He had no liking for penury.

Alandra was careful to familiarize Christopher with the
Company’s rules of conduct and fines for their infringement.  Nicholas learned that each player was to be fined one shilling for lateness to rehearsals, three shillings for lateness to a performance, ten shillings for being intoxicated during a performance, twenty shillings for missing a performance and forty pounds for taking any company property. 

"Such as a horse?" Nicholas asked raising one dark brow.  "Then it seems I have reason to be even more beholding to you tha
n I first realized, mistress."

"It seems that you do," she quickly countered.  "And I shall see that you repay
your debt, Christopher.  You're not at court now.  Each among us has to earn his keep.  If you are going to be among us, you'll have to work."

And work he did.  He spent the next few days dedicating himself to learning as much as he could about the theater world in the hope that by so doing he could  ma
nage reasonably well.  He did not want to be found out to be a fraud and cast out.

Acting was not as easy as he had first supposed, Nicholas was soon to find
as he watched the players in their rehearsals.   What a conceited buffoon he had been to ever suppose he could easily masquerade upon a stage.  Acting was much more than memorizing lines and phrases and repeating them.  It was portraying a character in detail so convincingly that all who looked on believed the fantasy.  Gestures, tone of voice, movement, all added to the performance and defined novice from professional. Some of the men he traveled with had been trained from childhood in this profession. How could he then have expected to compete successfully? 

Shakespeare decried poor players who strutted and fretted their hour upon the stage
, only to fail.  Poor players were plentiful, and Nicholas had no liking for suffering their fate of being booed off the stage in disgrace.  He had far too much pride. Besides, he just could not take the chance of being  recognized  were he to be so bold  and stupid as to actually venture  forth on this  new challenge. Thank God that  Shakespeare had  not put him to the test  yet, but Murrey’s faith in his acting ability was unfaltering and therefore dangerous.             

Murray seemed obsessed with bolstering his confidence.  Thinking it to be Christopher’s hope to make a mark for himself as an actor of great renown, he was constantly speaking up in favor of Shakespeare quickly giving Christopher an important role.   Nicholas quickly assured him that he was well content in being patient and performing the various tasks assigned to him as well as being a prompter.  The truth was that he wished he could silence the old man.  Murray's good natured interference was going to get him in trouble. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas' observation on acting was that it was much like being a rope dancer.  A man had to be skilled yet at the same time the greatest offense was to call undue attention to oneself.  How could he forget Shakespeare's sensor of one actor that "he had become a strutting and bellowing player whose conceit had made him adore nothing quite so much as the sound of his own voice".  In an unusual display of temper the playwright had sharply
admonished that he would as soon have the town crier speak the young man's part. As embarrassing as it was to forget one's lines there seemed to be one thing worse according to Shakespeare.  That was to overact, or as he put it, to "replete with too much rage!"             

Shakespeare seemed to take a keen interest in Nicholas, much to his unease, which
further complicated the matter.  The "captain" of the company always seemed to stare at him with a penetrating intent that seemed  to examine the workings of his mind.  Nicholas experienced a gut-wracking nervousness in the man's presence that he had never known before.  He was certain on many occasions that his farce of being an actor had been exposed. That somehow Shakespeare was not fooled.

When the company held a meeting to find out who was to take certain parts
, Nicholas held his breath for, Murray had strongly suggested that he be given the role of Demetrius in
A Midsummer Night's Dream
.  As it was, a young man named Howard Abbington was assigned the role in the comedy set in a fairytale world of Athens, Greece, thus putting Nicholas' mind at ease. Shakespeare had stressed the importance of Christopher’s prompting Abbington in his lines. Again,  Nicholas was relieved that Shakespeare had ignored Murray, for his job gave him the chance to be involved with the theatre company  yet at the same time be able to keep his distance from the audience.

The late afternoon sun sparkled in the cloudless blue sky, reflecting on the sea of blossoms that thickly covered the trees in the orchards as the traveling troupe passed by.  Birds flew from bough to bough, singing a brilliantly cheerful melody but Nicholas attention was diverted from the beauty surrounding him when he heard his name.

“Christopher! Christopher!”
The rumble of wagon wheels announced that Murray had ridden up behind Nicholas’s horse.  Catching his eye he waved joyfully.  "I wouldst have a word with you."

Nicholas paused  as he squinted his eyes in
Murray's direction.

"I'm sorry, Christopher."

"Sorry for what?" 

"That Abbington was chosen
to play Demetrius when we perform in Faversham. I think Will intends to groom  you for a very important role.  Undoubtedly he didn't think any part in this play good enough for your talents. You'll eventually get a large part.  You'll see."

Nicholas smile
d ruefully.  "Aye, we'll see."

Murray
's face flushed as he said, "By the way, I never really  had the chance to properly thank you for saving Alandra! Seems every chance I meant to speak my platitudes someone else was about you.  But I am grateful, Christopher.  I want you to know that.  There be no greater man in my eyes, I'm thinking."

"Your thanks is most humbly accepted," Nicholas replied,  "But Alandra was in truth the heroin
e, not I the hero as she described." 

He smiled, thinking of Alandra.
She would never know how much he looked forward to those times when they were together in the wagon. He was coming to know her, and with each day that passed she fascinated him all the more.  Were he not to watch out, he thought, he might well fall in love  with her.  He must be careful, he must guard his heart.   But how?  He knew her innocence had seduced him as Morgana's wiles had never completely done. 

There was no artifice
with Alandra.  How could he not be charmed by her?  She was a young woman of thoughtful intelligence, spirit and a strong will.  It surprised him to see that among such a scholarly group she could hold her own very well.  Even Shakespeare himself often bowed to her outspoken opinions, sensing her intuition to be correct.

"Now don't be too modest, Christopher." 
Murray gave a deep throaty chuckle.  He'd watched the two young people as they traveled, noting the meaningful glances that had passed between them.  He suspected what Alandra had not dared to hope, that this new young actor among them felt more deeply for her than even he realized.  Murray knew he was not mistaken, for he'd seen the expression that entered Christopher's eyes whenever he gazed upon his brown-eyed daughter. 

Ah, young love
, he thought with a sigh.  All this time he had been so worried about finding a proper husband for Alandra. Now all his troubles seemed to be fading.  All he needed to do was to lend Cupid a hand in aiming love's potent arrow.  And he would, God's chin whiskers but he would.

"Ah, yes.  It's a hero that you be.  Tell me the story again, for I don't think I c
ould ever tire of hearing it."

Nicholas was  unnerved by the old man's scrutiny. He suddenly felt uneasy and sought to change the subject before he inadvert
ently gave himself away and let it be known that he had been culprit not rescuer.  Glancing toward Shakespeare he promptly spotted the needed diversion.  "How did you meet  Will, Murray?"