Faust. Adolphe d'Ennery

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      COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

      Copyright © 2012 by Frank J. Morlock

      FIRST EDITION

      Published by Wildside Press LLC

      www.wildsidebooks.com

      DEDICATION

      This play is dedicated to Gerry Tetrault,

      For fifty-odd years of friendship.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Faust

      Mephistopheles

      Valentin

      Wagner

      Fridolin

      An Indian

      An Angel

      Second Indian

      A student

      Third Indian

      First worker

      Second worker

      Marguerite

      Sulphurine

      The Sorceress

      Olympia

      Daphne

      A young woman

      Sybille

      Gudulle

      Lisette

      The statue of Helen

      (Workers, strollers, sorcerers, monkeys, cats, demons, Indians, people, slaves, pages, lords and ladies, guests, coryphées, Nubians, guards, Palanquin bearers)

      Characters in the Apotheosis

      SCENE I

      PROLOGUE

      Faust’s Laboratory.

      To the left an entrance facing the public, one descends from it into the stage by a few steps—on the same side at the back, a credenza on which are books, papers. To the right an alchemists’ furnace—on the same side a window and a door.

      Wagner

      (Entering—holding an open book) Fridolin! Fridolin!

      Fridolin

      Master Wagner?

      Wagner

      For a moment leave the furnace and come closer.

      Fridolin

      (Who is at the furnace, a bellows in hand) Here I am, Master Wagner—

      Wagner

      My lad, who do you think is the wisest—me or Master Faust?

      Fridolin

      I think it’s you, Master.

      Wagner

      And why do you think that it’s me, my friend?

      Fridolin

      Because you told me so, Master.

      Wagner

      Imbecile! (Charging tone) Go blow! To the furnace! To the furnace!

      Fridolin

      I’m going—I’m going.

      Wagner

      Stop. (Pulling him by the ear) What, double moron that you are, you don’t understand that Master Faust has spent his life in studying the causes and effects to fathom what is, while as for me, I intend to create that which is not.

      Fridolin

      I understand it very well, Master, since you tell me so.

      Wagner

      Well! He studies what is.

      Fridolin

      Yes.

      Wagner

      I study what is not.

      Fridolin

      Yes—

      Wagner

      Therefore, I am more wise than he.

      Fridolin

      Yes—

      Wagner

      Much more wise than he, because....

      Fridolin

      Because you tell no so—

      Wagner

      Brute! Go to your furnaces—!

      Fridolin

      Yes, Master. (Noise of rapping outside) Master, they’re knocking.

      Wagner

      Well—! Go open.

      Fridolin

      (Going calmly to the furnace) Ah. (Shouting) Come in!

      Magnus

      (Entering) Is this the dwelling of the savant—Doctor Faustus?

      Fridolin

      This is it.

      Magnus

      I wish to speak to him.

      Wagner

      The Doctor is absent—if you’d like to come back?

      Magnus

      No, I’m going to wait for him. (Sits in a large armchair)

      Wagner

      Say, there, that’s the Master’s armchair.

      Magnus

      It must be that of his guest, of his oldest friend.

      Wagner

      His friend?

      Magnus

      I am Doctor Magnus. (Wagner and Fridolin bow with respect) It’s been thirty years since Doctor Faustus and I have been writing each other without ever seeing each other. We are indeed both old, and I didn’t want to die without having shaken the hand of the greatest Savant of Germany—

      It’s for that I’ve come express from Nurnberg.

      Fridolin

      (To Wagner) The greatest—? Then it’s not you?

      Wagner

      (After having made a gesture to Fridolin to remain at his furnace) Is it really true that the science of Master Faustus is so great?

      Magnus

      Why that question?

      Wagner

      Because I think I’m as learned as he—

      Fridolin

      More!

      Magnus

      (To Wagner) You! And from where comes it that you scorn your Master so much?

      Wagner

      Why I don’t scorn him, I esteem myself.

      Fridolin

      More.

      Magnus

      Speak, then.

      Wagner

      I don’t place Master Faust above me because I think with a little study I will end by doing what he has done, while he will never do—what I will do.

      Fridolin

      There you go!

      Magnus

      What’s that?

       Wagner

      You know that God created man in his image?

      Magnus

      I know that in their pride men pretend that.