Monte Cristo
A Drama in five acts
X...
80 pages
French’s Acting Edition - 1860 - Royaume-Uni
Pièce de thêatre
Intérêt: *
Cette version théâtrale du Comte de Monte-Cristo a
été publiée simultanément en Grande-Bretagne et aux
Etats-Unis par la maison d’édition Samuel French dans la
collection French’s Acting Edition (le mot
« French » désigne ainsi l’éditeur et non la
langue d’origine de la pièce). Le volume n’est pas daté
mais est probablement paru vers 1860. Il s’agit d’une
édition destinée aux acteurs, avec de nombreuses
indications de mouvements, de mise en scène, de costumes,
etc.
 La
pièce est présentée comme étant « un drame
romantique en cinq actes adapté de la célèbre œuvre de
Dumas ». « Pour la première fois,
est-il affirmé, on a tenté de condenser » les
épisodes les plus importants de « ce remarquable
roman ». Une affirmation qui est fausse:
Plusieurs tentatives du même genre avaient déjà été
menées, notamment par Louis Placide Canonge
en 1846, Gustavo Bugamelli
en 1847 et Victor Balaguer et
Francisco Luis de Retes en 1849.
Les cinq actes de la pièce portent les titres suivants:
Acte 1: 1815 - The conspiracy
Acte 2: 1829 - The prison of the Castle d’If
Acte 3: 1833 - The blood-hound on the track
Acte 4: The first blow of vengeance
Acte 5: Paid in full
Dans la pratique, cette « condensation » porte
sur les quatre pièces de l’adaptation théâtrale du roman
écrites par Alexandre Dumas et Auguste Maquet en 1848 pour
les deux premières et 1851 pour les deux dernières. Le
résultat est donc sans surprise un raccourci vertigineux
du roman, en particulier pour tout ce qui concerne la
vengeance. On peut s’en rendre compte dans l’extrait
ci-dessous: en quelques minutes, on apprend les
assassinats commis par Mme de Villefort, le déshonneur et
le ruine de la maison Danglars, on voit Villefort
« condamner » son épouse à mourir, Benedetto
révéler sa véritable identité, Mme de Villefort tuer son
fils et se suicider, etc.
Cette ahurissante accumulation d’événements ne nuisait à
vrai dire pas forcément au succès de la pièce: on peut
supposer que les spectateurs de l’époque connaissaient par
cœur le roman qui avait eu un colossal succès. Dès lors,
ils venaient au théâtre pour y trouver un simple rappel
des grands scènes de ce dernier. Mais de nos jours, cette
version théâtrale ne présente plus guère d’intérêt.
Extrait de l’acte V
SCENE FIRST - A Chamber. (1st grooves.)
Enter D'AVRIGNY and MADAME DANGLARS, R.
MADAME D. Dead! Valentine is dead!
D'AVRI. It is too true.
MADAME D. A curse on the house of Villefort, infamy is now
attached to my name.
D'AVRI. What say you, madame?
MADAME D. (R. C.) Oh! you know well, the whole world
knows, that the Italian prince whom my husband Monsieur
Danglars, had chosen for his son-in-law is nothing more
than an escaped galley slave, and that on the very day of
his betrothal, our house crowded with guests, he was
arrested for the murder of a wretched companion.
D'AVRI. (L. C.) Yes, madame, but -
MADAME D. And do you know also that my husband has fled?
D'AVRI. Fled?
MADAME D. The riches he not long since possessed have
vanished in unlucky speculations, he has now absconded
with the wealth of others, leaving his wife and daughter
to an infamous poverty. Oh! heaven had but delayed its
vengeance to render it more complete. (Exit R.)
Enter VILLEFORT, L.
D'AVRI. Justice, Monsieur de Villefort, must no longer be
cheated of its rights. The wealth that Valentine had
inherited from Madame de Saint-Meron belongs now to you,
and after you, must descend to your son Edward!
VILLE. (C.) Ah! I fear to understand you !
D'AVRI. (R. C.) Madame de Villefort is the assassin that
so long has haunted your dwelling.
VILLE. I no longer doubt it — would that I could.
D'AVRI. And she must die.
VILLE. She shall, I swear it, only promise me that this
terrible secret shall remain between ourselves.
D'AVRI. I promise, see! she is here! (he goes off,
R., as MADAME DE VILLEFORT enters L.)
VILLE. Madame, where conceal you the poison with which you
commit your assassinations?
MADAME V. (starting) Ah! oh, I entreat you, believe
not in appearances.
VILLE. You have not I hope forgotten, while contriving
your infernal plans, to calculate the result of disclosure
of your horrible guilt? No, you have thought of all that,
and have reserved a poison more subtle, more suddenly
destructive than the others - to escape that punishment
which is your due - surely you have done that?
MADAME V. Oh! why do you address to me those terrible
words! what do you exact of me ?
VILLE. That you shall not dishonour at one blow your
husband and your son! I would you should not perish on the
scaffold - where there is the poison you have so often and
so skilfully employed?
MADAME V. Pardon, for our son's sake! let me live, let me
live!
VILLE. By Heaven, madame, if ten minutes hence you are a
living being, I will send you to the scaffold! you cannot
doubt me, for you know me!
MADAME V. O! (dashes her hands to her head and rushes
off despairingly, L. Music. BENEDETTO, handcuffed,
is brought on by GENS D'ARMES, R.)
BENE. You are no doubt prepared to question me; but first,
I have a revelation to make; you need not fear to be alone
with me, for, you see! (showing handcuffs -
VILLEFORT signs to GENS D’ARMES who go off,
R.)
VILLE. Now, speak, what have you to confess?
BENE. My birth and parentage.
VILLE. Those matters concern not me.
BENE. There you are wrong. Listen! I was born on the night
of the twenty-seventh of September, 1817. (VILLEFORT starts
and gazes on BENEDETTO) I was born at Anteuil, rue
de La Fontaine, number twenty-eight; I am the son of
Monsieur Gerard Noirtier de Villefort, and by my doating
father was buried alive, and all these particulars I have
learned from the man who saved and reared me.
VILLE. Yes, you are my son. Now tell me, what is it you
hope, what is it you ask of me ?
BENE. In the first place, my liberty.
VILLE. No! I am the law; implacable to all who are
criminal, to myself as well as others. Guards. (GENS
D'ARMES re-enter, R.) Lead this man back to
prison, and remember, his life is due to the executioner.
BENE. You are a father worthy of your son! (music,
taken off R., by GENS D’ARMES.)
VILLE. Yes, justice alike for all; the honour of the judge
will cover the infamy of the assassin.
(MADAME DE VILLEFORT staggers on pale and dying,
L., and D'AVRIGNY enters R.)
MADAME V. See! I have obeyed you.
VILLE. Ah! you have obeyed me! (MADAME DE VILLEFORT drops
a phial from her hand) And my son. (X's L.) Where is
my son?
MADAME V. He is dead.
VILLE. (horror stricken) Dead!
MADAME V. (R. C.) You know how well I loved him, since it
was for his sake I became criminal !
VILLE. (L C., gazing vacantly) Well!
MADAME V. Well! a good mother will not be separated from
her child!
VILLE. (with a wild cry) Ah!
MADAME V. Together - we die together! (falling dead is
caught by D'AVRIGNY who bears her off L. Music.)
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