Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit): A Tragedy in Four ActsWedekind, Frank
General
Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit): A Tragedy in Four Acts
Wedekind, Frank
German drama -- Translations into English; Tragedies (Drama)
LULU. I would soonest have left it off. It only bothers me.
DR. GOLL. He should be able to paint it out.
LULU. (Taking the shepherd's crook that leans against the Spanish
screen, and mounting the platform, to Schön.) What would you say now,
if you had to stand at attention for two hours?
SCHÖN. I'd sell my soul to the devil for the chance to exchange with
you.
DR. GOLL. (Sitting, left.) Come over here. Here is my post of
observation.
LULU. (Plucking her left trowser-leg up to the knee, to Schwarz.) So?
SCHWARZ. Yes....
LULU. (Plucking it a thought higher.) So?
SCHWARZ. Yes, yes....
DR. GOLL. (To Schön who has seated himself on the chair next him, with
a gesture.) From this place I find her still more attractive.
LULU. (Without stirring.) I beg pardon! I am equally attractive on all
sides.
SCHWARZ. (To Lulu.) The right knee further forward, please.
SCHÖN. (With a gesture.) The body does show finer lines perhaps.
SCHWARZ. The light to-day can be borne at least half way.
DR. GOLL. Oh, you must throw on lots of it! Hold your brush a bit
longer.
SCHWARZ. Certainly, Dr. Goll.
DR. GOLL. Treat her as a piece of still-life.
SCHWARZ. Certainly, Doctor. (To Lulu.) You used to hold your head a wee
mite higher, Mrs. Goll.
LULU. (Raising her head.) Paint my lips a little open.
SCHÖN. Paint snow on ice. If you get warm doing that, then instantly
your art gets inartistic!
SCHWARZ. Certainly, Doctor.
DR. GOLL. Art, you know, must so reproduce nature that one can find at
least some =spiritual= enjoyment in it!
LULU. (Opening her mouth a little, to Schwarz.) So--look. I'll hold it
half opened, so.
SCHWARZ. As soon as the sun comes, the wall opposite throws warm
reflections in here.
DR. GOLL. (To Lulu.) You must keep your position just as if our
Velasquez here didn't exist at all.
LULU. Well, a painter =isn't= a man at all, anyway.
SCHÖN. I don't think you ought to judge the whole profession by just
one famous exception.
SCHWARZ. (Stepping back from the easel.) I should have liked to have
had to hire a different studio last fall.
SCHÖN. (To Goll.) What I wanted to ask you--have you seen the little
Murphy girl yet as a Peruvian pearl-fisher?
DR. GOLL. I see her to-morrow for the fourth time. Prince Polossov took
me. His hair has already got dark yellow again with delight.
SCHÖN. So you find her quite fabulous too.
DR. GOLL. Who ever wants to judge of that beforehand?
LULU. I think someone knocked.
SCHWARZ. Pardon me a moment. (Goes and opens the door.)
DR. GOLL. (To Lulu.) You can safely smile at him with less bashfulness!
SCHÖN. He makes nothing of it.
DR. GOLL. And if he did!--What are we two sitting here for?
ALVA SCHÖN. (Entering, still behind the Spanish screen.) May one come
in?
SCHÖN. My son!
LULU. Oh! It's Mr. Alva!
DR. GOLL. Don't mind. Just come along in.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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