The Locket

A play we were forced to write :D Never written a play before.

Characters

 

BARON KARL DUPONT, of Lille

BARONESS AMALIE DUPONT, his wife

DIDIER DUPONT, his son

ADELE DUPONT, his daughter

GEORGES, the butler

BERNADETTE, the maid

 

The setting is in Flanders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Act One

Scene 1

The mansion, Adele’s bedroom. Adele and Bernadette converse before Adele leaves to go to a ball.

ADELE (strokes the locket she wears around her neck): I miss Camille so much, Bernadette.

BERNADETTE: I know, love. It seems as though she passed away only yesterday, sometimes. But at least you have your sister’s locket, and it’s very becoming on you.

ADELE: It means so much to me! I don’t know what I would do if something happened to it.

BERNADETTE: Well, why don’t you just set it on your desk before you go to the ball? You wouldn’t want someone to steal it. I’m sure it’s very valuable. But of course, you do what you like. I will wait for you downstairs. (exits)

ADELE (to herself): Well…I hate to part with it. But I wouldn’t want someone to take it, and I’m sure it would be safe here. (sets locket on desk and exits)

 

Scene 2

The mansion, during the ball in Adele’s room. Bernadette.

BERNADETTE (while tidying room, spots locket): Hmm...I really should do something with that, just so I can tidy up a bit better. (calls downstairs) Georges!

GEORGES (enters bedroom): Yes?

BERNADETTE: Can you take Adele’s locket while I clean her bedroom? I wouldn’t want to misplace it or accidentally throw it away.  

GEORGES: I shall protect it with my life. (slips locket into his pocket)

BERNADETTE: Thanks. I’ll be done in about half an hour. Be sure to return the locket to her desk then!

GEORGES: Of course.

(Georges exits)

 

Scene 3

The mansion. Adele returns to her bedroom alone after the ball to put her locket on.

ADELE (gasps when she sees her desk; the locket is missing): My locket! (shouting) Bernadette! Bernadette!

(Bernadette rushes into Adele’s bedroom, accompanied by Georges)

BERNADETTE (anxious): What’s the matter, love?

GEORGES (composed, detached manner): Is there any way I may assist?

ADELE (now in tears): My locket! It’s gone! What am I to do? (throws herself onto a chair in the corner of the room) It was the only thing I had left of Camille, and now I have nothing! 

BERNADETTE: Oh, don’t worry, love! I was cleaning your room earlier, and I gave it to Georges.

(Enter Baron Karl Dupont, Baroness Amalie Dupont, and Didier Dupont)

BARON: What happened, Adele?

ADELE: Camille’s locket! I left it on my desk and went to the ball, and when I came back, it wasn’t there anymore!

BARONESS (her face tightens at the mention of her late daughter): Obviously there must be an explanation. Had you even glanced at the floor before acting so dramatically?

ADELE (sobered by her mother’s sharpness): I…I suppose I acted rashly. I’m sorry, Mother.

DIDIER: It’s important to her! Of course she’s going to worry about it, Mother. You shouldn’t be so harsh.

BERNADETTE (to Adele): Everything is fine. Georges should have it, and he’ll return it to you, and it’ll be as if you never left it here.

BARONESS (coldly): Is everyone done here? Or must we carry on the entire night?

GEORGES: Oh, yes, the locket. Pardon me while I retrieve it.

(Exit Georges, Baron Karl Dupont, and Baroness Amalie Dupont)

BERNADETTE: See? Georges knows where it is. Now, it’s been a long day, and I must go to bed. Good night, love.

ADELE: Good night, Bernadette.

(Bernadette exits)

(Adele and Didier sit in silence for a few minutes)

DIDIER (quietly): Good night, I suppose. (walks towards bedroom door)

ADELE: Wait, please, Didier!

DIDER: Yes?

ADELE: Well…I know that you cared about Camille very much. And I know that the locket was the only thing she really had that we kept…

DIDIER (now angry): Are you insinuating that I stole your locket? Even after I defended you against Mother?

ADELE: No! It’s just…

(Georges enters)

GEORGES: I apologize, Mademoiselle. It appears that the locket is truly missing. It was on the desk in my study; however, it is there no longer.

DIDIER (shouting): Maybe this is a good thing, Adele! You were too attached to the stupid thing anyway! Why can’t you just get over yourself?

(Didier exits in anger. Adele sits in shock. An awkward silence follows, shared between Georges and Adele.)

GEORGES (breaking the silence): I’m sure we’ll locate it within the next few days, Mademoiselle. It can’t have sprouted legs and wandered off to a house where they pay their wait-staff more. (exits)

 

Scene 4

Mansion, right outside Baron Karl Dupont and Baroness Amalie Dupont’s bedroom. Didier wishes to speak with his parents. He is about to knock on the door before hearing their conversation.

BARON: …but you must understand, I don’t know where it is!

BARONESS (coldly): You know how valuable it is. You know how much we need the money.

BARON (now furious, his voice rises to a shout from what was previously a whisper): How dare you accuse me of theft? How dare you think I would steal from our own daughter! Especially an item which means so much to her! I would never hurt her in such a way!

BARONESS: Of course you wouldn’t"as long as the money wasn’t in question.

(The door swings open violently, and Didier hastily backs away. Baron appears, his face flushed in anger.)

BARON: What are you doing out of bed?

DIDIER: I wanted to…

BARON: Get to bed now! Go!

(Didier goes to his own room, thinking about his parents’ conversation.)

DIDIER (to himself): They were talking about the locket! Did Father truly steal it? That can’t be true. Then again, he was always a bit obsessed with money. But I can’t believe that he would steal that locket! I must tell Adele…but she thinks I stole it! (his temper rises as he recalls the argument) I suppose I should tell her anyway.

(Didier walks upstairs and knocks on Adele’s door.)

ADELE: Come in.

DIDIER: I heard something about your locket. But close the door! No one can hear this.

ADELE (after closing the door): I need to tell you that…

DIDIER: Shh! Tell me later. You’re lucky I’m telling you what I heard. Anyway, do you realize we don’t have much money anymore?

ADELE: Yes, I knew that. What does this have to do with my locket?

DIDIER: Father has it.

ADELE: What? That’s ridiculous. Father would never steal that locket. He knows how much Camille meant to me. (sees Didier’s expression) To us. Anyway, I needed to tell you…

(Footsteps sound on the staircase)

DIDIER: Oh, God, it’s probably Father. Tell me later! Good night!

(Didier exits and Bernadette enters)

ADELE: Bernadette! I thought you were sleeping!

BERNADETTE: I found your locket, love!

(Adele jumps up and embraces Bernadette excitedly)

ADELE: Where did you find it? (takes the locket from Bernadette) Hold on, I want to tell Georges! (calls) Georges! Georges!

BERNADETTE: Hold on, love…

(Georges enters)

ADELE: Georges! Bernadette found my locket! Isn’t that lovely?

BERNADETTE: I’m not so sure he’s happy about that, love. He stole it.

 (Didier, having heard the conversation, enters)

DIDIER: That can’t be right. Father stole it!

(Baron Karl Dupont and Baroness Amalie Dupont enter)

BARON: My own son turns against me?

DIDIER: I heard your conversation with Mother! You’re worried about money, so you wanted to sell Adele’s locket!

BERNADETTE: No, dear, it was Georges.

DIDIER: What? Why? How?

(All stare at Georges)

GEORGES (coldly): This is ridiculous. Your evidence, pray tell?

DIDIER: You don’t deny it?

ADELE: Why would you steal it, Georges?

BERNADETTE: He was trying to sell it at the pawn shop. You know how he complains of inadequate pay.

GEORGES: I may not receive adequate pay, but I would not sell possessions that did not belong to me. This is an unfounded accusation. I told you"I left it on my desk, and it was gone. I have no idea where you might have found it.

BERNADETTE: Don’t lie, Georges. I saw you at the pawn shop. As soon as you saw me, you positively ran out, and the locket was in your hand.

GEORGES (shouting now): I will not stand for this!

BARON (louder than Georges): Silence! You will depart immediately! I want you out of my house and never to return again! We could use the extra money anyway.

(Georges exits in a rage. All can hear the front door slamming a few minutes later as he leaves with a suitcase)

BARONESS: Well, that was certainly quite the event. I’m going to bed.

(Baroness Amalie Dupont exits with Baron Karl Dupont)

ADELE: Thank you so, so much, Bernadette. I can’t thank you enough!

BERNADETTE: Of course, love. I wouldn’t let scum like him steal anything from you, especially that locket. Good night!

(Bernadette exits)

DIDIER: Glad you got your locket back.

ADELE: I never accused you of stealing it, Didier. If you had let me finish… (holds out locket)

DIDIER (confused): What?

ADELE: I know you loved Camille so much. She never left you anything, so I wanted you to have the locket.

DIDIER: Oh, no, Adele. It’s yours. I appreciate it so much, but you deserve to keep it. (attempts to lighten the mood) Besides, how would I look with a golden heart around my neck? The boys at school would never let me live it down!

ADELE: Well, if you’re sure. (smiles) Good night, Didier.

DIDIER: Good night. (smiles)

(Curtain.)

Reviews

[Illeist]

You definitely, definitely have the "IP" part down; there's no mistaking this for an ill-researched work. As far as where to go with it... You could always toss in a third (or even fourth!) act murder (possibly of Bernadette, if she's going to be continue being the prime suspect), to further cast the stoic family in a Shan Yu-esque light.

[Hi]

Wow! I have never read a screen play before in writers cafe. It is pretty cool for you to do that. Since I have never read too many screen plays and it is harder to rate them, because I usually review writers, I think that putting in a couple more details wouldn't hurt. Great job on your screen play!