Saturday, March 21, 2009

SCÈNE 3: Le Point Culminant

Please make sure your volume is up and please click on all images to see the details.


Bienvenues à tous! Welcome everyone to act III of La Diva. Critics and playwrights, please be ready to think about the final act. You will have the opportunity to write act IV and submit your work for a chance to determine La Diva's destiny! Please feel free to take some time to make a cup of tea or café, relax and think about how you would finish this play. Two paragraphs are all that is needed; three if you wish, but no need to carry the final act until the middle of the night; there is a cast party to be had! Please submit your ideas by next Saturday, April 4, 2009. Your ideas will be posted that weekend, and you will vote for YOUR favorite version. The winner will have their work included on the final post of La Diva, be acknowledged along with the author Camille Benoit as the writer of the final act and will receive...a handmade book of La Diva©, from the Atelier of Castles Crowns and Cottages.


Let us begin...


It had been several years since Isabeau left the woods. The little girl who had loved her grew up into a fair but sad young woman. Her piercing eyes told the story of the forest; the once verdant home of the beautiful songbird stood still and quiet. No longer was the air filled with the song of angels, long gone was the sweetness of the lavender scent that wafted in the gentle breeze and forgotten was the sparkle of blue gossamer skies. Both beast and mortal longed for the soothing waters that rained from the sky at the beckoning of Isabeau's sweet voice. For you see, Isabeau was the soul of the forest.

Meanwhile, in Anastasie...Isabeau continued to bring a certain beauty to the stage; faint and almost colorless, she had become like the make believe trees and painted skies that stood lifeless on stage. The scent of burning candles from the glass chandeliers that hung from the ceilings was unlike the perfume of the flowers in the meadow that smelled of life; the dripping wax burned away all hope of burgeoning life and truth and left Isabeau void of passion. As her sweet song once surged from the joy of being a beautiful blue songbird, her now insipid vibratos dimmed in the pale, brown dusk.


Night after night, she was escorted to the theatre in a golden carriage. She was no longer able to spread her wings and fly freely from branch to branch to sing; she was a feathered soul trapped in a mortal body and a dark box of pipe dreams.


The inevitable came one day; she was taken to the Hall of Divas where she was shown a display of all of the Divas that had ever sang in Anastasie.


There, stood lifeless a multitude of chanteuses frozen in a moment of glory. Donning vestiges of their former lives as magnificent song birds with great plumes and delicate wings, they were locked in a distant memory in this cold yet mesmerizing hall of stone. "It is your time, Isabeau" said her companion. "You will be immortalized in this hall as a tribute to Anastasie under one condition; you must promise your soul to the kingdom and to no other. If you betray your vow, you will be forgotten forever, as if you had never existed." That night, a messenger came to the window as the Diva contemplated the decision set before her. "Come and sing for us in the woods one last time so that we may live Isabeau, for if you do not return to your birthplace, the forest will die." Isabeau was troubled by the words of the feathered harbinger. "Why one last time?", she thought as she lay on her gilded bed of gold and cried herself to sleep.


La fin de scène 3

What will Isabeau do? It's entirely up to you. Submit your ideas by next Saturday, April 4 and the voting will begin. In the mean time Mesdames et Messieurs, happy writing and long live the theatre!



All text and new photography the property of Castles Crowns and Cottages©
Paintings: John William Waterhouse, "Destiny"
William Adolph Bouguereau, Unknown title and "Italian Girl Drawing Water"
Frederick Sandys "White Maiden" and "Iris"
Vintage photography: "The Opera House" courtesy of Lisa Kettell's Photostream on Flickr.com


15 comments:

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Bravo Madame Benoit! Bravo!!
What an exciting yet saddening Act III ! I must get out mon papier et mon stylo and start writing! How would I, a humble amateur writer, end such an enchanting story?

You will definately be receiving my version of Act IV from me Madame!

I challenge each one of you that reads my comment to submit your version! Let the contest begin!!

Bisous, Madame Sherry

KeKe said...

Beautiful post!!!!

Fete et Fleur said...

Bravo! So sad . . . I must see if I can find a happy ending.

Nancy

The Dutchess said...

How sad...what will Isabeau do...We where talking about it all night....We didn't catch much sleep you know..When we went home ..after we had a lovely chat and a drink with the other gasts..we got LOST in the Hill Top Forest! First everyting was fine..Mozes always knows where he is going ..but then in the dark, dark, forest we got caught in a storm. Luckely we had our hats and coats and mittens,umbrella's,and eachother! It was very scary indeed! The wind was howling trough the tree tops and it started to rain..with buckets..we could't see where we where going.It was just a big curtain of rain..I hate rain!
Mr LOwl..this is his name because he is funny..lo(w)l..gathered a surchparty..bless him the dear soul ..it was then already after midnight!We found a shelter in a big hollow tree...and waited for the rain to stop. So..there we made ourselves comfortable as good as possible..kept eachother warm...and finished the tale of Isabeau...In the early morning light the rain stopt and the wind in the willows began to sing a more quiet gentle song..along with the birds in the treetops..Mr Lowl found us..he was so happy he couldn't stop giggling..its his nerves you know.. and our sweet garden friends made us a big breakfast with lots of honey tea.Now..its off to bed..and tomorrow our dear Dutchess is going to mail you our story, the final act according to Me Myself and I...Gustave..Mozes and the Dutchess....hope you like it..

With kind regards ,your friend
Miss Moussie

Unknown said...

Oh, this is so sad. I do hope that some blogging friend creates a happy ending to the story.
Happy Sunday,


Karen

Rosemary said...

Bravo!!!!
Beautiful!
You are so talented. I do not have that talent. Writing and making up stories. Not so great at it. I will think about the next act though. If I come up with anything I will let you know.
Thanks for visiting me.
Rosemary

Rosemary said...

Hi again,
You are up late!!
I know, Spring break!
You just let me know whenever you want the crown. I will make one special for you.
Chat soon,
Rosemary

Tiffany said...

Oh my, I'm swept away. I found you through Sherry at Edie Marie's Attic. Your blog is enchanting. You have a true artist's soul. I must come again. I can't wait for Act III. ~Blessings!

Tiffany said...

So sorry, I meant Act IV. I will be anxiously awaiting. Thank you for your visit and please stop by anytime. I myself am not an artist in the traditional sense. But, I am a singer, and was a lyric soprano in my former life before babies. Now, I am a domestic diva by trade, and a deep south southern belle (momentarially residing in northeast Ohio) at heart.

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Lovely post as always!!!

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

Oh my goodness, I thought of you today, there is a blog that you MUST visit to see his most recent post since I know you love miniatures..it is tristanrobin.blogspot.com and the photos are amazing~ let me know what you think.

Unknown said...

Anita,
I bet you are enjoying your Spring break. Getting up each morning without a care in the world. The best part is the whole day just belongs to you, and you can create paradise.
Karen

Barb said...

Hi Anita,

BRAVO! Just beautiful. You have such a flair. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. As you can see, since it is Tuesday and I am just reading this now- I will be visiting but not sending anything in.

hugs to you,
Barb

Bonnie said...

Once again, Bravo! I am late to respond but would like to know where I may humbly submit Act IV? Thru Comments?

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Dear Bonnie,
How wonderful of you to enter! In case you didn't get my message on your blog, you can send your entry to:
rivani@bethel.edu

BRAVO et merci mille fois! Anita