Read Count Orlok: The Bloody Truth about the Greatest Vampire to Ever Un-Live Page 7

JAMIE

  Get! Get!

  ORLOK hisses and exits.

  ELLEN

  No, don't! Come back and bite me more!

  JAMIE

  Move the stage!

  STAGEHAND 1

  You got it, boss.

  JAMIE exits. STAGEHAND 1 and STAGEHAND 2 push the bed offstage and exit, along with ELLEN.

  STAGEHANDS put a single lamppost onstage and exit.

  In an alley.

  THOMAS (OS)

  There he went! I can see him right now!

  KNOCK (OS)

  No, you can't!

  BULWAR

  Come, Mr. Hutter! We must catch him!

  KNOCK runs Onstage.

  KNOCK

  (to offstage) You'll never catch me! Not in a hundred years!

  Enter THOMAS from the opposite side. KNOCK runs into THOMAS and falls down.

  THOMAS

  Hah! We caught you.

  KNOCK runs away, but BULWAR enters to block the way.

  BULWAR

  We definitely did. Come, Mr. Hutter. Let's subdue this minion of evil.

  KNOCK

  Alright! You've forced me to do this.

  KNOCK makes martial arts moves similar to a rabid cat drowning in water. The actors THOMAS and BULWAR are embarrassed by KNOCK.

  THOMAS

  (Breaking character, to BULWAR) This is beyond sad.

  BULWAR

  (Southern accent) You think this is sad? Try wearing a cat costume on Broadway for ten years and calling it a career.

  KNOCK

  (In character) I am dangerous, can't you see? I'll shred the skin off your bones if you dare touch me!

  THOMAS

  Enough of this!

  The actor THOMAS sighs, and then in character moves to punch KNOCK, but KNOCK's martial arts moves block the punch and another move throws THOMAS on the ground. All of this is done without actual contact.

  KNOCK

  Try again?

  THOMAS makes another swing, but KNOCK dodges it, spins THOMAS around in a half circle, and then flips THOMAS in the air by a mere twist of a pinkie.

  KNOCK

  The Master has given me powers of the undead! You cannot beat me!

  BULWAR pulls out a gun.

  KNOCK

  Ha-ha-ha! No miracle of science can--

  BULWAR fires a warning shot.

  KNOCK

  AAAAH! Don't shoot! I'll tell. I'll tell everything. Please don't shoot me! I swear eternal allegiance to--

  THOMAS

  Shut up! Where is the Count?

  KNOCK

  (breaking character) How...how rude to cut me off on my lines like that.

  THOMAS

  (breaking character) It's not like you were given the good lines anyway. (in character) Now you shut up and tell me where Count Orlok is!

  KNOCK

  He is with your wife.

  THOMAS

  No! You're a liar!

  KNOCK

  I am a distraction for the Master. He is feeding on her last drop right now.

  BULWAR

  Mein Gott! I've fallen for the Count's clever trap. Hurry, Mr. Hutter! We must save Ellen!

  THOMAS and BULWAR exit.

  KNOCK

  You'll never reach her in time! (to audience) No one wins against my Master. He is the ruler of the moon, the guardian of the underworld, the defiler of the pure! None can defeat him, for--

  The actor BULWAR re-enters and shoots the actor KNOCK. KNOCK reacts as if HE's been shot, but eventually realizes HE hasn't.

  KNOCK

  You shot at me! Are you crazy?!

  BULWAR

  (Southern accent) Say I have a pig-belly one more time and it won't be a fake bullet.

  The actor BULWAR exits.

  KNOCK

  Pig-belly.

  SFX: Gunshot.

  The actor KNOCK ducks for cover offstage.

  END ACT 2, SCENE 4

  2.5 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS TRAGICALLY