The Shakespeare Garden Club A FANTASY --by-- Mabel M. Moran of the Larchmont Garden Club Larchmont, N. Y. [Illustration] Copyright 1919. By Mabel M. Moran. CAST Ann Hathaway Mistress Page Mistress Ford Lady Macbeth Perdita Cordelia Desdemona Katherine Jessica Portia Rosalind Juliet Titania Ophelia Rosaline Cleopatra The Shakespeare Garden Club A FANTASY By MABEL M. MORAN. SCENE: A room in Ann Hathaway’s cottage at Stratford-on-Avon. Furnishing in keeping with the period. (As curtain rises Ann is in the act of placing chairs, benches etc., in a semi-circle around the room; in center of circle is a long chest to be used as desk for the presiding officer. Noise is heard at door. Ann runs and opens same. Enter Mistress Page and Mistress Ford,--with animated flutter). ANN: Mistress Page (kisses) and Mistress Ford (more kisses). No finer sight ere greeted eye than you two dear ladies--nor never did I need you more. PAGE: How now? FORD: And why is this? ANN: Forsooth, ’tis a meeting here to-day of the Shakespeare Garden Club--and like to be grave and solemn, so none better than you Merry Wives of Windsor to cheer me up. PAGE: A meeting--a-lack-a-day--may we stay? We are not members. ANN: Oh, you are my guests--and most welcome. FORD: Do we know the ladies? ANN: Nearly all, I trow, there’s the President, Lady Macbeth. PAGE: She was ever all dignity--and ambition. ANN: And the Secretary is Portia, the attorney-at-law. FORD: A-la-la, she’ll make you toe the mark. ANN: Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, is Treasurer. PAGE: No one dares owe dues to her, I’ll warrant. ANN: But sit you down, and have a merry gossip together. Methinks the ladies do arrive. (Knock on door. Perdita enters, greeting and handshaking) ANN: (Aside to wives as Perdita crosses stage and takes chair at end) You remember the Winters’ Tale they told of her? (Wives nod energetically) ANN: And here comes Desdemona, wife of Othello. Enter Desdemona. (sits by Perdita) PAGE: (aside) How could she ever have married that horrid black man? Enter Cordelia. FORD: I have never met her, she’s daughter to King Lear, a cranky father and hard to please, but she’s a lovely religious woman. Enter Katherine. PAGE: Why that’s Petrucio’s wife, the one they called the Shrew, she hath an untamed twinkle in her eye. Enter Jessica. (sits at table) FORD: Shylock’s daughter, she keeps him guessing I’ll warrant. Enter Rosalind. (in man’s attire) PAGE: That must be Rosalind, she always did love the doublet and hose, but--as you like it--so do it, say I. Enter Portia. (Mortar-board and gown) (Sits at center table.) FORD: ’Tis Portia, the lawyer, and most successful. She’ll win a case tho it be for the Queen or only for a pound of flesh. Enter Juliet.