The Cenci : Adaptation

Rohila Kusampudi

Diana Castro

Kate Mcaldwell

Teresa Sanchez

CENCI ADAPTATION 

Props: 

Scarf for hair tie

SCENE I

• Narrator: The setting is outside the Vatican, on the day of Beatrice being sentenced to death.
  
• Bernardo outside the Vatican (weeping as he falls to the ground): “Today is the day my family is sentenced to death. I’m left all alone in this cruel world with no one to lean on. At such a young age, I’ve had to deal with such a big loss. Oh, I cannot bear life. What shall I do? Should I witness my sister get beheaded? I hate my treacherous life. I’ve seen my mother and brother die now I have to watch my last family member lose her life. It is better that I leave than watch this horrible bloodshed!!!!
  
• *Beatrice hair is up*
  
• Assassin drags her by the hair as they enter the scene and rips hair tie as he says “After all your actions and all your deeds you don’t deserve this sign of purity. Your hair should be loose as a mark of guilt for what you did.
  
• Beatrice “ What do you know of purity? What do you know of innocence? What do you know of morality? You’re just a sick murderer that kills for a living and I kill FOR CAUSE”
  
• Assassin: “So you have finally admitted it then? You killed your FATHER!!”
  
• *Other characters gasp*
  
• Beatrice: “Yes! I admit it! How could I not have killed him? Do you have any idea what he did to me? Any idea how he made me suffer over all these years?
  
• Assassin: “How could you kill the man that gave you life? Without him you would be nothing.
  
• Beatrice (monologue) : “Better nothing than dead on the inside. How could the man that gave me life take that same life away from me, day by day, breath by breath? I have suffered like no other daughter has. I pleaded and begged for help but no one came to my aid. The only way out of this living hell was to sin. When God fails to deliver justice, it is a sign that we are to take justice into our own hands.”
  
• Orsino enters
  
• Beatrice: “Orsino!”
  
• Orsino:
  
• To Beatrice: “My dear Beatrice, it pains my heart to see you like this, bound like a dog, deprived of freedom!  I am so sorry I did not come sooner to help your dear family.”
  
• To Assassin: “As a priest, my knowledge of justice says that Beatrice should not die for she has done a good deed by getting rid of a wicked sinner. A man who not only murdered the innocent, but harmed his own family”
  
• Assassin: “Despite the fact that he was an evil man, it was not Beatrice’s job to take away his life. The only one who has the right to judge matters of sin and virtue is GOD and that final judgment comes after death. It is not up to any human being to decide.
  
• Beatrice: “I have prayed to God for as long as I can remember but he paid no attention to my prayers. Just look at how God abandoned my brothers, my mother, and now me. I begged everyone to take us away from our suffering but no one could face the monster. I cried upon deaf ears.”
  
• Orsino:
  
• “See her pain, see her suffering? Have you no empathy?
  
• To Beatrice: Beatrice, I’m sorry that I made you fight this on your own. I love you, I’ve always loved you.
  
• To Assassin: “Under my guidance as prelate, you shall not kill her.
  
• Assassin: I disagree wholeheartedly with your judgement. But what can I do when I am but a servant of the Church? I have no freedom to decide whether the ones I punish actually deserve their fate. I am simply a servant who must follow the orders of holy men like yourself. Take her away with you.
  

SCENE 2 - The scene is in the Castle, where Beatrice and Orsino have met in a private corridor.

• Orsino:  I’m so glad we are finally alone. And with the Cenci gone, Our troubles are over Beatrice, and our life can finally begin. I’ve waited for this moment for so long. You are the woman of my dreams and now, finally, those dreams are beginning to come true. Let’s run away together and start a new life! One we have always dreamt of.
  
• *bruno mars*
  
• Beatrice: As much as I want to I’m afraid i can’t just run off with you like this. I can’t leave my brother behind. Bernardo has been through hell and back with me and it’s only fair if he comes with us too.
  
• Orsino: ”Let’s take him then! The Cenci is no longer here, so why not move into this castle! “
  
• Beatrice: “You are a priest! How are we going to be together when you have sworn your life to God??
  
• Orsino: “I am friends with the pope! I can figure out a way to marry you and live with you for the rest of our lives! ”
  
• Beatrice: I have already sinned once. Do i really want to sin again?
  
• Orsino: Is it really a sin if we both feel the same way?
  
• Beatrice: I guess not. I’m ready to start this new journey with you.
  

SCENE 3 - The scene is in a private room of the castle, where Orsino stands alone, reflecting.

• Orsino: “Foolish Beatrice! Does she truly think I love her? Just like her brother, I have fooled her too! Such a gullible family! The title of a priest gives me power, but the Cenci had an empire! As a priest there is only so much I can do. If I marry Beatrice, I can have her father’s kingdom and ensure the wealth of my future bloodline. I will start my family to keep Bernardo from becoming the heir! He does not deserve this power, for he is only a child with no experience. I, however, earned this position by following God’s laws. But how will I get rid of him? I am not a murderer. I do not kill...ah! I know! I’ll send him away to Rome where he can become a priest and no longer be in my sight! Then I will wait until Beatrice bears my children and raises them to childhood. Only then will I find a way to get rid of Beatrice.”
  
• Bernardo: *in the background* clenches heart and stumbles away
  

SCENE 4 -  The scene is in the grand chapel of the town, on the day of the wedding between Beatrice and Orsino.

• Bernardo: *to Beatrice* My dear sweet sister, I have found out horrible news.
  
• Beatrice: What’s wrong Bernardo? You’re not yourself right now.
  
• Bernardo: Orsino is a wretched man with disgusting intent! He doesn’t love you, instead, he wants our power and wealth. He wants me gone that way he can control you and our land. Please say you’ll leave. We cannot trust this “holy” man.
  
• Beatrice: So he thought he could just come in, sweet talk me into marriage and extend our suffering? No. I won’t let someone else take control of our lives, Bernardo.  We’ve lost too many people and too many good days to that dog. We’ve earned the right to our freedom.
  
• Bernardo: What will we do about him then? I will not stand to see you be used. We must get rid of him; I refuse to be thrown out and see you waste your life away. We didn’t get a second chance at life for it to be taken away from us. Wait, worry no more sister, I am the man of the house. I shall murder him for you since you have gone through too much. Now is the time to plot and seek revenge.
  
• Beatrice: No, brother, you will not follow in our father’s footsteps. If you kill him, our father wins. He can delight in your earthly sins from his grave. Your actions would invalidate his death. The whole point of his murder was to uproot the wickedness he contrived.
  
• Bernardo: *aside* But mother and Giacomo would never want to see you discard your life. I will avenge our family with or without your permission.
  

SCENE 5: On the day of their wedding, Orsino comes to see Beatrice outside her parlor.

Orsino knocks on door 

• Orsino: “My love! Oh I have come to see you because I cannot wait one more second. You are the love of my life and my dream of marrying you is finally coming true. I have waited so long for you!
  
• Beatrice: I find that hard to believe. I’ve heard rumours that you are only marrying me for my name and everything that comes with it. Is that true Orsino?”
  
• Orsino: “How dare someone speak that ridiculous lie! I have been after you for years, even before your father died. I wanted you then, when you had no power and I want you now. Not for the money nor the castle, but for the love i have for you. It is the day of our wedding. please let us enjoy this moment and forget about everyone else and their wicked lies.”
  
• Beatrice: I wish I never met you because now it feels like my world is turning upside down and I don’t know who to trust or what to believe in anymore.
  
• Orsino: Was the renunciation of my priestly vows not enough? How can you do this to me before our wedding?! What can I do to show you how much you mean to me? I have saved you from your death, I only want the best for you and your brother! Bernardo is a young boy with his whole life ahead of him. We will raise him as our own and prepare him to be a competent lord so he may redeem your family name!”
  
• Orsino side: “Who told her the truth?! She better not back out of this now! I have come too far to walk away with nothing!”
  
• Beatrice: This is too much for me. I’ve loved and I’ve lost and I just want to start over. *sighs heavily* And Bernardo…he deserves the world. . . Okay. I will commit to you and this marriage under one condition.
  
• Orsino: Anything you ask.
  
• Beatrice: Swear to me that you will cede all of my father’s possessions to Bernardo’s name.
  
• Orsino: “Done. Anything for you.”
  
• Beatrice Exits.
  
• Orsino side: *Smirks maliciously*
  

SCENE 6: In the Chapel, Orsino stands alone, until a surprise guest enters.

• Bernardo *creeps slowly up to Orsino* *stabs Orsino in the back multiple times*
  
• Orsino *hunches over from original statue*
  
• Bernardo: Finally, I have avenged my family and released my sister from your blood soaked hands. You can no longer manipulate Beatrice.
  
• Orsino: Just like your father, I curse you and your sister. This time there will be no one there to save you two. My bitterness will overwhelm your lives till you die a slow and painful death…...
  
• Bernardo: He speaks of lies as he always has done. Beatrice and I will live out our lives the way WE intended. He never deserved her hand in marriage. The light of the world cannot be placed in the darkness once again.
  
• *Enters Beatrice*
  
• Beatrice: “Brother what have you done? He loved me and I loved him. You’ve taken what little hope I had away from me. *drops to the floor and weeps* My love is now gone.
  
• Bernardo: Please sister, understand that his intent was never love. How can you believe him and not your own brother? I know what I saw and I know what I heard. He was not the love of your life let alone my father figure. Don’t you dare say you love him again.
  
• Beatrice: I thought this was my new start. I thought that after all the bloodshed you and I could finally be happy. I guess I underestimated the power of our father’s curse. He won, afterall. Your soul is stained with Orsino’s  murder and my heart is forever broken, never to feel the warmth of love again. Let us go now.