Dark Is Light Enough - Theatre Arts

Theatre Arts, February 1955
Page 3 of 4

6. The soldiers have taken off their holsters to dance, and under cover of their dancing and the clapping, Stefan, enraged at the insult to his sister, removes their guns. He slaps Gettner to provoke him; they go outside unnnoticed. Shots are heard and Gettner rushes in, crazed with fear that he has killed Stefan.

GETTNER:
Why me, why me?
I didn't make the gust of a wind, the tree-trunk
Or whatever it was killed him. I aimed away.
I was laughing him off, but I heard him fire
And the bullet coming. I did refuse to meet him.
Before God, I said No, I said No, no, no.
(Ted Gunther, Tyrone Power, Philip Keanneally, Katharine Cornell)

7. COUNTESS:
Richard, give me a quiet answer
To what I need to know from you.
You must say to me, Stefan is living.
(Tyrone Power, Ted Gunther, Christopher Plummer, Philip Keanneally, Katharine Cornell)

8. Stefan has been wounded only, not killed, but the soldiers attempt to take Gettner to the Colonel. The Countess still refuses to let him go and pleads with them not to make her son's wound a cause of death, "not to turn his challenge into a judgement." The effort has been too much and Kassel supports the Countess as she collapses when she hears that they are bringing Stefan in.

COUNTESS:
No, no that is over now. Perhaps for a moment
He drew-in a draught of my strength. And now
He comes on again with life, as I do. I can stand,
I can welcome him. I need no help.
(Tyrone Power, Katharine Cornell, William Podmore)

9. The Hungarian rebels have been defeated, and the Austrian government is taking terrible reprisals. Moved back into the house once more, the Countess is near death, but she insists on harboring the now fugitive Colonel Janik. Belmann, Kassel and Gelda try to dissuade her.

BELMANN:
They may get quickly tired of the argument,
And decide that we have qualified for traitors
As well as Janik.

COUNTESS:
There is nothing
They may not do; there's no foolishness
They may not think; souls who will not budge
Out of their barren islands.
(William Podmore, Katharine Cornell, Marian Winters, John Williams, Paul Roebling.)