Imogen Says Nothing

Imogen Says Nothing is a play by Aditi Kapil. The play's development and production are funded by Yale’s Binger Center for New Theatre.

Plot

Act I

In Scene 1, Imogen arrives in London and decides to see a bear at a theatre in Shoreditch, where all the theatres are. In Scene 2, three days later, John and Henry are bantering and drinking in the Theatre in Shoreditch until Imogen enters. The men talk over her and act like she isn't a person. Imogen says she has come to "the Theatre of the Empyre of Great Britaine" to request the renaming of Quaere. Quaere used to be called North Burcombe and would like to return to its previous name because of the Latin meaning of quaere. Quaere means something absent or missing, and its neighbors in other towns in Wiltshire have stopped being able to see it or trade with it because it is "absent." Henry and John then realize that it was a map made by Saxton the Master Draughtsman that was entitled "The Theatre of the Empyre" and this is what Imogen actually seeks to rectify. However, Saxton is dead, so Henry and John tell Imogen to go back home unless she has skills which will enable her to make it in London. Imogen says her "skills" are in whoring. In Scene 3, two months later, Henry, John, Alexander, and Imogen are on stage preparing for a performance of Much Ado About Nothing. John is sleeping and the group has trouble waking him. Nicholas is very nervous because it is his first show. John cannot stand and Imogen has to walk him during the show. It is a crime for humans to perform on stage, so this is quite alarming to some of the cast. William (Shakespeare) write Imogen's entrance into the play. The audience reacts well, and the play is a hit. In Scene 4, the cast is enjoying drinks in the tavern. Alexander and William get into a fight over the changing from the word "picture" to "image" to make a play on words "image and says nothing" (pronounced like Imogen says nothing). Alexander storms off. The group asks Imogen to tell a story; she tells a story of a pirate who visited North Burcombe, when it was still called that, and he told of his travels until they hung him above the door of the Inn. So, the Inn was renamed the House of the Winking Pirate, and this was where Imogen whored. Henry and Imogen walk Nicholas home because he soiled his pants. Scene 5 takes place on Tuesday, December 29, 1598. It is night and the Thames is iced over. The cast is walking on the ice, carrying the floorboards of the theatre, which they are taking from their landlord Giles Allen, who is evicting them. They bump into a Bear on Ice, which they believe to have escaped from the Garden. Imogen speaks in bear and tells the bear to go upriver to Oxford to eat young meat (students). They have moved the boards across the river to Bankside, when they realize that they will have to compete with other shows in this new location. They meet the Crier for the bear baiting show next doors, who says that if the theatre leaves Thursdays alone, they'll all get along fine. The Crier also thinks he recognizes Imogen (which the Bear on Ice said as well), but John says the Crier must be mistaken. Alexander makes a rude remark about the Crier, so they agree to a "game" and are now rivals.

Act II

Scene 1 takes place several months later in the bear cage in the Paris Garden. The bears are discussing a brown bear that escaped a long time ago. The scene shifts to Imogen and Henry having sex. Henry says that the theatre is almost ready to reopen but will face tough competition from the Garden next door. He also brings up that William Aspley the Stationer was seen outside the whorehouse, and he'd love to know which whore Aspley is seeing, in order to blackmail him as revenge for stealing and printing a Quarto of Much Ado About Nothing. Henry invites Imogen to attend the bear baiting tomorrow, since the rest of the cast is planning on going. Back in the Garden, the bears, Ned Whiting and Harry Hunks, are being disturbed by their warden. In Scene 2, the cast is at the Garden for the show. They are chatting before the baiting starts, and Richard mentions that Shakespeare has written a new play called Julius Caesar. The Crier calls on Imogen to be a member of the audience to come fight the bear. Nicholas tries to help her get out of this by saying that she can't because she's his mother. The Crier lets her sit back down, and the show proceeds with the killing of the bear. Imogen asks to be included in the folio of William's work that is to be printed. When Henry refuses, Imogen storms off. In Scene 3, Imogen visits the bear cages and confirms that she is indeed a bear that escaped a long time ago (256 baitings ago, in bear time). Imogen proposes to help the rest of the bears escape so they can all go to Messina. The Warden and the Crier walk in then, and the Crier recognizes Imogen as a bear. Imogen tries to steal the keys and successfully opens the cage. The Fluffies then attack and eat the Warden, but the Crier is able to lock them back in the cage and capture Imogen as well. In Scene 4, the Crier is parading Imogen around. He announces a match open to any dogs in "this Paradise of Southwark" to fight with Imogen the Fair for three Crowns a dog. He bills the show as one of "star-crossed lovers" since Ned Whiting will be forced to watch. Then, Ned Whiting, enraged, will be made to fight at a baiting later that night. The players are watching the parade, and Imogen sees them and cries out to Henry to help free her, or if he won't, to kill her. Henry doesn't, but Alexander suddenly jumps up and stabs Imogen. Imogen dies. The cast pretends the Alexander is visiting from Wiltshire and was startled because he's never seen a bear publicly paraded like that. The Crier says that they are now enemies, and says that he is like a god over Paradise (another name for his bear gardens).

Act III

Scene 1 takes place thirteen years later on Friday, February 14, 1612 in the court of King James and Queen Anne. The same troupe of players is setting up for a performance and moving around the stage. Henry notices a map on the wall, called the Theatre of the Empyre of Greate Britaine. Anna, the Queen's personal maid comes to supervise the preparations. The cast begins practicing the opening scene, and Anna interjects to note that there is no Imogen in this performance. She and William argue over whether or not Imogen is a real character in the play. Anna has a copy of Aspley's printing of the script, which includes Imogen, and insists that the cast include Imogen in their performance or they will not be paid. Anna volunteers to play Imogen since they don't have enough people otherwise. Anna mentions that Princess Elizabeth is marrying Frederick V, the Elector Palatine of Bohemia, which will make Elizabeth the Queen of Bohemia. William realizes that his next play A Winter's Tale, which is set in Bohemia and Sicily, will need to portray Bohemia in a positive light. They continues practing the opening scene with Anna as Imogen, ans she tries to interject to give Imogen lines but since she is insisting on the performance of Aspley's text, it would be hypocritical to add lines for Imogen that are not there. Henry studies the map on the wall and notices that Quaere was indeed on it. The cast is surprised that Imogen was not just making it up. William agrees to let Henry publish a folio with the correct version of the plays. Scene 2 takes place in 1621.

Characters

(Human) Characters

Bear Characters: (double cast with humans)

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