Month: May 2013

Photo used with the permission of Dimitry Gelfand.

This is the second scene of my play, A Sword Unsheathed, originally written in French and translated into English for publication on the blog. If you haven’t yet read the first scene, you can find it here. The original French version of this scene is found at the end of the post. (Read in French.) Please read the historical note here.

Voici la deuxième scène de ma pièce, Un sabre dégainé, écrite à l’origine en français et traduite en anglais pour publication sur ce blog. Si vous n’avez pas encore lu la première scène, vous pouvez la trouver ici. La version originale en français de cette scène se trouve à la fin de l’article. (Lire en français.) Veuillez lire ici la note historique.

SCENE 2
(Read the previous scene.)

The Characters

BENJAMIN HUGER, plantation owner, about 34 years old
FRANCIS HUGER, his son, about 6 years old
NATHANIEL HUGER, his eldest son, about 16 years old
ALICE, Francis and Nathaniel’s cousin, about 15 years old

One year earlier: 1776. The entry hall of the house: the main doors are center stage, with windows on either side. A desk and chair are stage right, a staircase stage left. Benjamin and Nathaniel are standing center stage. Continue reading Act One, Scene 2

Drayton Hall, Georgian-Palladian style plantation house
constructed in 1738 near Charleston, South Carolina

This is the first scene of my play, A Sword Unsheathed, originally written in French and translated into English for publication on the blog. At only eleven lines, it’s the shortest scene in the play. Hopefully these first few lines will pique your interest! The original French is found at the end of the post. (Read in French.) Please read the historical note here.

Voici la première scène de ma pièce, Un sabre dégainé, écrite à l’origine en français et traduite en anglais pour publication sur ce blog. Ayant seulement onze répliques, c’est la scène la plus brève de la pièce. J’espère que ces premières lignes piqueront votre intérêt ! L’original en français se trouve à la fin de l’article. (Lire en français.) Veuillez lire ici la note historique.

SCENE 1

The Characters

BENJAMIN HUGER, plantation owner, about 35 years old
FRANCIS HUGER, his son, about 7 years old
ROBERT, a slave

The year 1777. A cotton and rice plantation, on the veranda of the plantation house. A summer evening at dusk, hot and humid, chirping cicadas. Benjamin is seated on a rocking chair stage left, smoking his pipe. Francis stands downstage right, looking into the distance. Continue reading Act One, Scene 1