Moscow. the Red Square. November 7, 1940. a Group of People Mount the Tribune: Semen

LEAR. A COMEDY Act I Scene1 Moscow. The Red Square. November 7, 1940. A group of people mount the tribune: Semen Mikhaylovich Cornwall with his wife, Georgii Maximilianovich Albany and his wife, President of the Union of Soviet writers Samuel Yakovlevich Gloucester, the leader of the "Young Lear" organization Cordelia Learovna Lear, Ambassador of Europe in our country, Mr. Zarathustra. Samuel Yakovlevich's illegitimate son Edmond Samuilovich Gloucester, a Kremlin cadet, broadcasts the appearance of the high-ranking comrades on the microphone. Goneril Learovna and Regan Learovna view handsome Edmond with interest and ask Samuel Yakovlevich about the circumstances of his birth. Lear, King Lear mounts the rostrum. He is upset: he has been diagnosed for cancer, a mortal diagnosis. Lear reads from the article on the disease in the great Soviet encyclopedia. Scene 2 Moscow. The Kremlin. St George's Hall. January 1941. Lear divides his Kingdom among his daughters. Goneril tells Lear about his love for him, in reply Lear lets her inherit a great part lands. Speaking about his country, Lear excitedly makes love to the map of his motherland, presented as a rubber doll with rivers and cities marked on it. Then Regan addresses Lear with a flattering speech and gets her share of the inheritance. Samuil Yakovlevich Gloucester dedicates to Lear a sonnet composed by himself (Shakespeare. Sonnet No. 14). Lear presents Gloucester with Birobidzhan (the capital of the Jewish national autonomy within the Soviet Union). The microphone is transferred to Cordelia Learovna, but she is laconic. In response to the Lear's persistent demands to speak Cordelia congratulates her father on dying on time (quotes the text by Friedrich Nietzsche from the book "Thus spoke Zarathustra", the chapter "On free death". Cordelia says that anyone should die on time, passing on the right to manage things to the young, and death in this case is no grief but a celebration. Lear is furious and disinherits Cordelia. Zarathustra, Ambassador of Europe (probably a German diplomat), asks Lear for Cordelia's hand in marriage. Lear does not know foreign languages and does not understand Zarathustra. Samuil Yakovlevich translates Zarathustra's words, while the actors playing the parts of Lear and Zarathustra, speak Russian and the translation is made into German. So they literally enact a story of mutual misunderstanding... Lear has no objections to the marriage of Zarathustra and Cordelia, but demands their instant departure from the Kremlin. Lear leaves, and the other feast participants do the same. Samuel Yakovlevich and Edmond stay.

Scene 3 Edmond finishes the remaining food from the Government table and cleans up the dishes at the same time. He puts the diary of his half-brother Edgar in front of his father. Samuil Yakovlevich reads the diary ("Tenebrae" by Paul Celan) and is horrified: his legitimate son secretly writes religious texts. Samuil Yakovlevich decides to arrest the son.

Scene 4 Moscow. March 1941. Albany's apartment in Granovsky street (the street, where the residential buildings for the USSR leaders were located). Fatally ill Lear spends the last days of his life in festivities and amusements. Every evening Lear's loyal friends gather in the apartment, his retinue – Earl Kalinin with wife, Duke Trotsky and his wife, Mikoyan, Squire, with his wife. Cancers come as guests too. Edmond speaks on the microphone: "when darkness deepens, guests pass to separate rooms to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh ... The scene is a metaphoric presentation of state leaders as cancerous cells affecting the body of our vast motherland ". There enters Goneril Learovna disturbed by the outrage of the royal retinue, penetrating everywhere – even under Goneril's night dress. The daughter demands that Lear should reduce his retinue, in response the King curses Goneril, packs his retinue in a suitcase and leaves Albany's flat.

Scene 5 April 1941. Neuschweinstein Castle, Germany. The night after Zarathustra's and Cordelia's wedding. The newlyweds talk on the purpose of man and woman (Nietzsche's text, "Thus spoke Zarathustra", chapter "On women"). Zarathustra makes love to Cordelia. The girl discovers the joys of love.

Scene 6 Moscow. Vorobyovy Gory. May 1941. Semyon Mikhailovich and pregnant Reagan Learovna take a festive walk in the green park (government dachas were located in Vovobyovy Gory). There appears Lear with his suitcase. He asks Regan to provide a haven for him and his retinue, but Reagan insistently persuades him to come back to Goneril. Suddenly appears repentant Goneril. Lear remains adamant: he curses his daughters, calls for a storm to rage and pronounces gloomy prophecies (the text of his monologue on the storm comes to the text from the Apocalypse). Lear is sent to the Institute of mental health after Serbsky, where a nurse meets him at the reception.

Scene 7 A psychiatry clinic in the city of Dover, Kaluga region. Beginning of June 1941. Lunch time. A nurse tells the audience about the methods of punitive psychiatry in the Soviet Union. The patients (Lear, Edgar Gloucester and Prophet Zoroaster) are served their own excrements as meals. The nurse interrogates Zoroaster and conducts a medical treatment with him: during the treatment Zoroaster reads Nietzsche's text from "Thus spoke Zarathustra", chapter "On intoxication". Samuil Yakovlevich visits his son in the clinic. Edgar, locked up by his father in the clinic, tells him about his life in the mental hospital, about the prophet, his ward neighbor he talks about God with. It causes the father's displeasure. Edgar soothes him: the prophet testifies that God is dead. Samuil Yakovlevich is calmed and leaves. Radio broadcasts Molotov's speech, he declares that German troops have invaded the territory of the Soviet Union. The medical personnel release the patients and leave the clinic. Act II Scene 1 Moscow. Red square. One day before the beginning of the war. Edmond shows Semyon Mikhailovich Cornwall, doing exercises in Red square, Samuil Yakovlevich's secret correspondence with fascists. In the letter old Gloucester complains about the intolerable conditions in the psychiatric clinic in the town of Dover Kaluga region where Lear is kept. Cornwall praises Edmond for reporting his father and promises the cadet his patronage. Goneril and Reagan learn the contents of the letter and demand terrible retribution for old Gloucester. Scene 2 For two days after the outbreak of the war. Cornwall and Regan interrogate and torture Gloucester at Lubyanka. Gloucester calls for help, but in vain: Cornwall tears out his eyes. An enemy bomber flies over Moscow with Cordelia on board. It conducts the bombing raid of Moscow. Cornwall is seriously wounded during the raid. He makes hara-kiri. Scene 3 Moscow. An apartment in Granovsky street. November 1941. Edmond starts an amorous intrigue with Goneril. Goneril promises him promotion. Scene 4 On return home, after a visit to her sister Goneril clarifies the relationship with her husband. Albany disapproves of the brutality on the part of Lears's elder daughters towards the King and Gloucester. Goneril reproaches her husband for leniency. Cornwell comes with sad news: he is killed. Scene 5 Cornwall's funeral. Shocked by the incident, Regan gives birth to a child in front of her husband's tomb. Scene 6 A city under siege. War time. An apartment of the Gloucesters. On their return home Edgar recites "Todesfuge" by Paul Celan and Samuil Yakovlevich recites a poem from the "Sionides" by Samuil Marshak. Unrecognized by his father, Edgar helps Samuil Yakovlevich to climb the cliff (the house roof). The father asks to leave him alone, and Edgar fulfills his wish, but before leaving, pushes his father into the abyss. Then Edgar recites an extract from Nietzsche: "What falleth, that shall one also push!" ("Thus spoke Zarathustra", chapter "On old and new tables"). Scene 7 A German field hospital on the occupied territory. Cordelia visits the sick and neurotically exhausted Lear. First Lear does not recognize Cordelia, then he asks for her forgiveness on his knees, but she does not remember the evil. Lear is equipped and put at the head of Zarathustra's troops.

Scene 8 War time. The frontline. Edmond and Regan clarify their relationship: it turns out that Edmond also has an affair with Regan, and she is jealous of the cadet to Goneril. Albany convenes veterans, seeking their advice and assistance in the conduct of the military campaign. Saints on Orthodox icons are ironically presented as veterans. There appears the German army under the command of Lear, Cordelia and Zarathustra. Edmond addresses Zarathustra with a speech urging him not to attack the vicious city, not to soil himself in its mud and turn back (Nietzsche's text, "Thus spoke Zarathustra", chapter "On the passing by"). Zarathustra replies him with the parable about a shepherd, biting off the head of a snake that has crept into his throat (chapter "On the riddle and the vision"). At this time, Cordelia seduced by Edmond's beauty and sexual appeal, joins her lips with his in a kiss. The cadet bites off Cordelia's tongue. Lear is confused and surrenders at discretion asking to take him and Cordelia to prison. The cell door is banged behind them. The cell-grave is covered with earth. The war is over.

Scene 9 Six o'clock after the war. Goneril, Regan, Albany lay the table. Zarathustra washes the floor. Edmond comes and brings the sisters captured presents – like the presents brought from the war by Soviet soldiers. Edmond goes to wash off the blood and take a shower. Regan declares to everybody of her affair with Edmond and the upcoming wedding. Edmond returns from the shower. Having quarreled because of Edmond the sisters leave. There appears Edgar, leading stooping Samuil Yakovlevich by the hand. In revenge Edgar kills the traitor Edmond with a revolver. Edmond recognizes his defeat. Edgar tells everyone that his father is dead. There appears Regan with a blood stained knife and says that she has stabbed Goneril out of jealousy. Goneril appears and says that she has poisoned her sister. All sit down at the table. Cornwall wakes up from his deadly sleep. He asks where the King is. Edmond says that Lear and Cordelia are in prison and threatened by death. Albany orders to bring Lear and Cordelia. Lear and Cordelia return from prison. Albany solemnly awards Lear with the order of Victory and proclaims him ruler of the country for life. Lear and Cordelia sing the song "Vaninskiy port" (a song of unknown authorship, known as "the anthem of Kolyma prisoners). Varlam Shalamov's poems performed by the author are given as a soundtrack. Zarathustra recites a monologue on love for life (Nietzsche, "Thus spoke Zarathustra", chapter "Another dance song"). Edgar recites "Tenebrae" by Celan. The actors leave the stage. Moscow. Red square. May 9, 1945. All the play characters mount the tribune. Lear, King Lear mounts the tribune.