"swnsg10" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chekhov Anton)

NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES

"Humorous Folk" 1887
"Twilight, and Other Stories" 1887
"Morose Folk" 1890
"Variegated Tales" 1894
"Old Wives of Russia" 1894
"The Duel" 1895
"The Chestnut Tree" 1895
"Ward Number Six" 1897

MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES

"The Island of Saghalien" 1895
"Peasants" 1898
"Life in the Provinces" 1898
"Children" 1899




The Swan Song


CHARACTERS

VASILI SVIETLOVIDOFF, a comedian, 68 years old

NIKITA IVANITCH, a prompter, an old man

THE SWAN SONG

The scene is laid on the stage of a country theatre, at night,
after the play. To the right a row of rough, unpainted doors
leading into the dressing-rooms. To the left and in the
background the stage is encumbered with all sorts of rubbish. In
the middle of the stage is an overturned stool.

SVIETLOVIDOFF. [With a candle in his hand, comes out of a
dressing-room and laughs] Well, well, this is funny! Here's a
good joke! I fell asleep in my dressing-room when the play was
over, and there I was calmly snoring after everybody else had
left the theatre. Ah! I'm a foolish old man, a poor old dodderer!
I have been drinking again, and so I fell asleep in there,
sitting up. That was clever! Good for you, old boy! [Calls]
Yegorka! Petrushka! Where the devil are you? Petrushka! The
scoundrels must be asleep, and an earthquake wouldn't wake them
now! Yegorka! [Picks up the stool, sits down, and puts the candle
on the floor] Not a sound! Only echos answer me. I gave Yegorka
and Petrushka each a tip to-day, and now they have disappeared