A Gentleman True

Act 1

A GENTLEMAN TRUE

NAMES OF THE ACTORS

Princess Adelaide, daughter of Silvestro

King Silvestro

Isabetta, Bianca, and Nicolosa, friends to Adelaide

King Giacamo, betrothed to Adelaide

Oberon, King of the Fairies

Titania, Queen of the Fairies

Puck, or Robin Goodfellow

A Changeling

Other Fairies attending Oberon and Titania.

Santano, a suitor

Maurizio, a suitor

Luca, a suitor

Alessandro, a servant to Giacamo

Councillor to Giacamo

Royal Guards of Silvestro and Giacamo

Attendants to Silvestro and Giacamo

Page

Scene: A courtyard in the palace of King Silvestro, where preparation for the upcoming wedding of Adelaide and King Giacamo is nearly complete.

I, I

Enter Adelaide, Bianca, Isabetta, and Nicolosa.

ISABETTA: How I love a wedding!

BIANCA:

Here is beauty so grand I know not if I

Am wand’ring through the lands of heav’n or earth.

For day by day we live as do the gods

At great Olympus’ peak, and yet I am

In wonder to think how marvelous this great

Glittering palace shall be upon the day

Of our most beloved Adelaide’s marriage.

NICOLOSA: Yea, so do I.

ISABETTA:

Adelaide, wherefore art thou so silent?

ADELAIDE:

Dearest friend, I am too happy for words.

Ere the cock has three times welcomed dawn’s light

I’ll be wed to Giacamo, the noblest,

Most genteel of kings. ‘Til he’d wooed without

Any sign of relent, at last winning

Mine heart, I had known nothing of love.

In

this love, I’m blessed more richly than saints

Themselves should deserve, with these wise and true’st

Of friends, and also with my dear betrothed.

If I could break the chains of Time that bind

Us all, confining us in weary, long

Suspense, so I may walk unbarred, and bend

It to my bright and fanciful design,

Then I’d be wed before the clock has