Chagall: 12-Sided Hallway

by Kara Skye Smith

  Chagall

  12-Sided Hallway

  A dramatic play

  written by Kara Skye Smith

  Published: October, 2013.

  ©Kara Skye - Fae-tality Publishing – 2004

  CHARACTERS IN THIS PLAY

  MARC CHAGALL - Young twenties, male, painter. Happy but poor Jewish upbringing. Oldest of seven children, one younger brother died while growing up. Had lived through religious reformation in Russia. Was engaged to Bella Meyer back in Vitebsk. Arrived in Paris by way of sponsor who paid for his trip. Knew poet Apollonaire to be placed at The Hive, La Ruche, to make a career to go back to Bella (who did not grow up poor) to get married. Master the Salons of Paris was his first goal upon arrival. Energetic to say the least! Sink or be a fish monger in the fish markets back home. Taught painting as a youth from Master Pen, and also backed by his mother to become an artist by trade. Chagall is diligent. Puts in many long hours in his studio, usually alone.

  MAREVNA - Russian born, female, arrives in Paris after painting at an art colony in Capri, Italy. She tours the Hive, but lives moves into a studio along a side street, nearby, instead. She is under 5 feet tall, and very slight build. She is grew up with aunts while her father worked in the forests as forestry patrol. The aunts were mean and so she has a calm resolve, but does not shy away from trouble. She is a good painter but gets involved and has to model to get paints and things she needs in her studio.

  RICIOTTO CANUDO - Editor of Mont Joie Magazine. Italian descent, from Paris, knows about the social pulse of Mont Martre, the neighborhood of the Avant Gaarde's beginnings.

  BELLA MEYER (CHAGALL) - Engaged to Marc Chagall. Grew up in Vitebsk, Russia. Works with her family who are jewelers by trade. She is known to be from wealth in the area. She loves Marc and he will be the man she marries when he returns from Paris. She is also a writer.

  BLAISE CENDRARS - Best friends with Marc Chagall. He is allowed in Chagall's studio while he is working, something no one else is allowed. He smokes often. He is a writer. He loses an arm in the war. He becomes an author of many books.

  DIEGO RIVERA - Fabulous artist, passionate man, slight womanizer but with heart - the kind that really messes up the two women he juggles. He is married (not sure if the marriage is documented, however, or just considered for the landlord's sake to be a marriage) to a Angelina. He has affairs and a wild romance with Marevna. A baby is born while living at the Hive, but that baby does not survive.

  ANGELINA (RIVERA) - Tall, pale, thin woman of Russian descent. Says she is the wife of Rivera and they share the top floor studio across from Chagall (only two at the top with glass ceiling, natural light). She, in this play, is assumed to suffer the second position kind of life to a rising star. Their relationship does not make it, and their baby also does not make it through their turbulent life. She is a conflicted woman, rather than jealous - to get where she is going as the wife of a successful man. Friends with socialite Madame S.

  MODIGLIANI - Aka: Modi. Italian, mid-twenties, passionate artist. Often paints in exchange for things he needs. He is almost never alone, paints many portraits to bring models and painters into his studio or goes visiting to other studios. He suffers an addiction to alcohol, mostly, and is often dragged home by his agent from bars to work. He puts in many, long hours in his studio.

  PABLO PICASSO - Has a large studio around the corner from The Hive. He is the foremost cubist painter at the Paris Salons and cubism is at its height when the play begins.

  OTHER ARTISTS, MODELS, WRITERS:

  ANDRE LHOTE - Cubist beginnings, as a painter. Passionate with color, and paintings become expressionist of fauvist. Is the main squeeze of a woman regularly seen with all four, or even five, of her men - Valentine. He is the one with a career in art of her small entourage.

  MAX JACOB - Writer, poetic, suffers guilt. Is close friend to Picasso. Attends the opium dens in Paris as the Hive is in the Red Light district, streets away from the main drag of it, anyway.

  FERNAND LEGER - Also a cubist painter and very well liked, very talented. Does not gain the notoriety Picasso does, however. Married to Jeanne Leger.

  DELAUNEY - Painter with his own style. Is married and his wife Sonia, a writer, lives in the small, Hive studio with him. He's steady, already a Salon artist at Salon d'Autumne.

  BEATRICE HASTINGS - Author from South Africa. She is the girlfriend of Modigliani for a short time. When she is with Modi, she is passionate, and sometimes jealous; but, when she is not she is seen as an intellectual, level-headed socialite.

  MOISE KISLING - Somewhat like Delauney, although he is single, by the end asks artist's model, Renee to marry him and she says yes.

  RENEE - Known artist's model, accepted among the socialites of the Avant Gaarde, Paris art culture, and Montmartre.

  GUILLIAME APPOLLONAIRE - Poet who takes Marc Chagall to Paris under his sponsor. He is well known and respected as a poet of the times.

  SONIA DELAUNEY - Writer and wife of a Hive artist, shares a studio at the Hive.

  JOLIE - Artist's model.

  MINOR CHARACTERS:

  MARC CHAGALL'S MOTHER - Has seven children, loses her second son. Is invested in Marc's art career, but is not sure about the modern art world. She often cries while Marc stays with her after dinner, during his upbringing. She does the dishes while he draws and paints which seems to make her happier. She is the one who gets him into the art school under Pen.

  BOUCHER - Owner of La Ruche - the Hive. He buys it after the World's Fair Olympics it was built to house visitors. It is his idea to turn it into a collection of studios for up-and-coming artists. He makes sure the artists are provided paint and models as part of their rent.

  SALON DIRECTOR - Woman, early fifties. Director of Salon Des Independents.

  GALLERY DIRECTOR - Man, early fifties. Director of Salon D'Autumne.

  ZOBROWSKI - He is a cocaine addict turned agent. At first, he is not much help other than to drag his Hive clients back to work after partying, but he turns out to be quite an agent and does make his art clients wealthy, with the exception of Modigliani who dies rather young, before enjoying the fame of his artwork.

  MADAME S. - Montmartre socialite, art patron

  VALENTINE DE SANDPOINT - Friend of Madame S., local character, art fan of Salon artists, often seen with 3-4, male suitors at a time; namely Lhote, Segonzac, and Luc-Albert.

  JEAN COCTEAU - Parisian socialite, thought to be a writer, more like a gentleman. Frequented the opium dens of Paris and the Red Light district.

  EXTRA CHARACTERS:

  THE MAID AT LA RUCHE - Becomes Chagall's lover but very understated in the play - only alluded to.

  SALON VIEWERS 1 & 2 - Speak to Picasso. Salon D'Autumne. Paris. Montmartre.

  SALON CROWD - Paris. Montmartre.

  CLUB CROWDS - Paris. Montmartre.

  MARIE - Date of Cendrars, friend. Paris.

  THE PRIEST - Catholic church, Paris.

  MARKET GIRL - Paris. Montmartre.

  SOPHIA - Paris. Montmartre.

  CARMEN - Artist's model. Paris. Monmartre.

  MITRIANI - Musician. Paris. Montmartre.

  THE POLICEMAN - In Vitebsk.

  SEGONZAC - Paris. Montmartre.Valentine's suitor.

  LUC-ALBERT - Paris. Montmartre. Valentine's suitor.

  STREET URCHIN - Paris. Montmartre.

  LENIN - Cafe Rotunde. Paris. Montmatre.

  CHARLIE CHAPLIN - Cafe Rotunde. Paris. Montmartre.

  THE TZAR AND THE SOLDIERS - In Vitebsk.

  CHILDREN WITH PEOPLE TO SEE THE TZAR - In Vitebsk.

  THE NURSE - Paris.

  THE DOCTOR - Paris.

  JAVITCH - In Vitebsk. Owns the studio Chagall rents.

&nbs
p; JAVITCH'S DAUGHTER - In Vitebsk.

  WOMAN ON THE TRAIN - St. Petersburg.

  BOMB SHELTER EXTRAS - Paris. Montmartre.

  CAFE CUSTOMERS - Paris. Montmartre.

  POLICEMAN - Paris. Montmartre.

  WAITRESS & SERVER - Cafe Rotunde. Paris. Montmartre.

  WAITER - La Cremerie. Paris. Montmartre.

  MEN IN LINE TO BE SEEN BY THE DOCTOR - Paris.

  PRIEST - Funeral. Paris. Montrouge Cemetary.

  JEANNE LEGER - Wife of Leger. Paris. Montmartre

  DANCERS - Ballet dancers at the Paris Opera.

  Les Amoureux, Marc Chagall

  Act I, Scene 1: Lead In.

  Setting: Paris City Street.

  Time: 11:00 a.m., May, 1972.

  Chagall, at 83 years old, carrying a paint box and wearing a cardigan sweater and a hat, walks down a Paris street in the sunshine. Music plays, no words are heard by the audience. He stops and talks with a shop keeper, a woman. She is outside her shop, opening the grate that covers the shop doorway at night. He talks with his hands, animated; his eyes open wide with excitement as he talks. She is amused. She waves her hand in the air and smirks at him. He makes a face and walks on, waves back at her. She smiles. He walks past several store fronts then enters a deli. Somewhat like Café Rotund. He walks up to the deli counter and smiles, talks, a newspaper on the floor catches his eye.

  Act I, Scene 2: Sixty Two Years Earlier.

  Setting: Interior. Café Rotunde. Paris.

  Time: 1:20 pm. September, 1910.

  Chagall is 21 years old. He has just met Canudo, the editor of Mont Joie magazine; and, he has just arrived in Paris from his hometown, Vitebsk, Russia. He is sitting at the table, lunch plates in front of both of them, when Canudo grabs Chagall’s head with both hands and takes a deep breath in and out. Chagall stares, mid-chew.

  Canudo: God! Your head… Your head looks like Christ’s!

  Chagall: [Laughs. Nearly choking. I don’t know what to say, I -

  Canudo: Are you always this good? I mean, such a head! Wow.

  Chagall: I haven’t ever…

  Canudo: What?! You haven’t ever been told that, have you? It does. It really does. How’s the bread?

  Chagall: Good.

  Canudo: Really good! Isn’t it? I’m not eating. Any more. I’m done. You eat.

  [He grabs a newspaper.

  Chagall: I’m nearly finished, I’ll….

  Canudo: [Flings the newspaper onto the floor. It spills out all over. To hell with it!* There’s nothing in it about me anyway!* You ready?

  Chagall: [Stuffs all of what is left in his mouth, his eyes wide with anxiousness. He nods.

  Mm-hmm…

  Canudo: [Whispers. Let’s go.

  Act I, Scene 3: The Introduction

  Setting: Interior. Canudo’s Apartment.

  Time: Same Date, That Night.

  Canudo takes out several sketches and paintings from Chagall’s portfolio - the portfolio Chagall had been carrying with him most of that day. Paintings are laid out against a chair and some sprawled on a table. Many are propped against the wall or an armchair.

  Canudo: God! The colors in this one. That’s an absolutely absurd statement. You’ve heard it a hundred times at least. Most unoriginal critique you’ve ever heard. But, my god, what else is there to say?

  [He swigs wine and sits back looking full of pride.

  Chagall: I like to burst the color - pop it - as much as possible - it seemed necessary… If you didn’t say it, I’d…

  Canudo: You’d be offended! Definitely! I had to say it. Redundant as it sounds, tired and just what is this one? Fuck, man!

  Have you exhibited in Paris yet?

  Chagall: No.

  Canudo: What?!

  Chagall: You are the first Parisian to see my paintings. Salon des Independents is the first place I went upon my arrival in Paris - where I met you and other than a quick set-up in my room.. well, this is my introduction, of sorts, to Paris, as a painter, and…

  Canudo: And Jesus, man, you get an A. You haven’t even seen Paris! For fuck’s sake, what are we doing in here? Besides setting up your first exhibition. If you ever need a reference: You are - absolute bursting color as thick as drips of honey from a poppy flower on a sunlit, summer day. Canudo. Dammit. Editor of Montjoie Magazine. You’ve got to move into La Ruche. You Do Not have a choice. Please stop me if I’m rushing things. You have so much to see. [He squeezes Chagall’s head again. You’re such a baby. Christ’s head on a baby. Gorgeous! I have to kiss you. Mmm... Oh yes. Let’s go! Grab your coat.

  Act I, Scene 4: Moving In

  Setting: Interior. La Ruche.

  Time: Daytime. 1910.

  Chagall moves a box full of paints and brushes up the stairs. He walks past a man and woman in a conversation on the stairs. He walks past an open studio door where a nude model is being asked to hold her pose.

  Kisling: Ten more minutes. Then I’ll let you take a break.

  [Chagall nearly bumps into a young man who pops out of his studio door without looking first.

  Delauney: Oh. Hi! Sorry. Moving in?

  Chagall: Hi. Yes.

  Delauney: Next door?

  Chagall: Right here. [He fumbles for keys.

  Delauney: Welcome to The Hive. Tight quarters. But you’ll like it. Non-stop energy. You’ll no doubt feel it. You’re a…?

  Chagall: Painter.

  Delauney: Fabulous. So am I. See you at the Salon. Here’s your box.

  Cendrars and Chagall weeks later. Chagall paints in his studio as Cendrars sits on the floor pouring wine and rolling a cigarette. [They are talking, although not heard, both burst out laughing, although not heard.

  Chagall’s Voice [over the scene:

  Cendrars was the first to come see me at La Ruche. And I was so thirsty for an old friend and news from Russia, I nearly drank him in. He hadn’t changed. Dingy smock. Unmatched socks. Waves of sunshine, poverty and art. Liquid, flaming art.* He read his poetry. I painted. At night, we drank and talked until the sun shone into the rooms. Then we slept, and lunched at suppertime. He came to Canudo’s Friday Night with me. We drank on the river bank and pitched stones into the water remembering times past and challenging each other to reveal the most unspoken parts of ourselves.

  Cendrars: You haven’t told me what you’re planning to do about Bella.

  Chagall: [Laughs. You make her sound like a delinquent school girl. I’m not her father for god’s sake. [Mimics in a parental voice: You haven’t told me what you’re planning to do about Bella.?

  Cendrars: Each time I mention her, you comment on the way I’ve worded the sentence. You haven’t answered the question. Not once since I’ve been here.

  Chagall: I miss Bella. I’ve told you that.

  Cendrars: You know what I mean.

  Chagall: Yes.

  Cendrars: Well, what?

  Chagall: The answer is yes. Do I plan to marry her?… Yes.

  Cendrars: Well, when?

  Chagall: When… I… Oh, I don’t know. Why? You planning to steal her away from me? Poor Chagall, out in Paris, has no idea of his beloved’s betrayal… you back-stabbing cad!

  Cendrars: Sure. Right. But… how will you do it? Keep temptations away? Models, women at art parties, me?… God, man, you’re here, in Paris! Everywhere there’s seduction. It’s dripping off the riverbank, seeping through the air, the water… It’s in this wine.

  Chagall: I just… will.

  Cendrars: You love her that much? Or do you dislike her that much?

  Chagall: What do you mean? You know how I hate this… questioning my intentions. What do I have to offer her if I haven’t given myself this time… It’s like all of Vitebsk, and all of Chagall’s paintings in Vitebsk, were grey*. And then I came to Paris. And now, the canvases burst with color, like never before. What would my painting be without Paris? It isn’t possible to choose - everything of who I am - all of my art - is in Paris. What am I to Bella without my art? I am no
thing - shall I return to the fish markets like my father or hawk jewels at her family’s business? Could I? Or would I be killed? A family of jewelers… a roast chicken at their table nearly every night… for my family it was twice a year… How can I return when the very essence of who I am as a painter now is Paris. Yes, my friend, seduction is seeping, oozing into the colors on my canvas. To return to Russia now seems like putting on dark glasses on a sunless day.

  Cendrars: I understand, Marc… you are certainly proving this move was good for you as an artist…

  Chagall: As a painter, and this is who I am. Bella’s love, in her parents’ opinion, could not have fallen on a more unfortunate choice. [Mimics the whispers he has heard. He’s an artist… Oh, dear, I’m so sorry…

  Cendrars: [Laughs. Let’s go see a show, then, before I must return to a village full of marriable girls….

  Chagall: And if I say no?

  Cendrars: Then I shall go alone…

  Chagall: I could paint…

  Cendrars: But you won’t…

  Chagall: The sun is nearly up…

  Cendrars: But it isn’t. [Holds out his hand and helps Chagall stand up. Let’s catch these last hours of night immersed in intense red… and all these other colors you keep painting.

  Act 1, Scene 5: Moulin Rouge’s Reds.

  (Scene’s inspirational painting: Dedicated to My Fiancée.)

  Setting: A Montparnasse, Red Light District dance club front of the stage, opium den in the back.

  Time: Same date. Midnight.

  Chagall and Cendrars stand in front of a stage where a dance show takes place. The whirling, swirling colors of dancers in the Moulin Rouge district of a Montparnasse club fill the view of the artist and his friend. Cendrars is drunk and hitting on a dancer. The view, or focus, is of a red, swirling dress, then red drink going to Cendrars’ lips, a red scarf being wrapped around Chagall and Cendrars by a girl in the middle who kisses both their cheeks and leaves a red lipstick stain. She wears a red feather in her hair. Cendrars’ and Chagall’s lips come close together as she tightens the scarf, laughing. Cendrars puts his forehead against Marc’s. Smiling, drunk. Chagall sighs a deep sigh. Cendrars whispers in his ear.