A ring of lights. Sawdust. Sound of a beer hall band in the distance. KARL leaning on his crutches. A boy dancing on barrels.
WOYZECK and MARIE enter, marveling at the booths. Other people milling about.
WOYZECK … look at that poor little boy!
MARIE Yes.
WOYZECK Having to perform like that, it makes no sense …
MARIE Hmmm. When fools make sense, it’ll make fools of us all.
WOYZECK … his face, joy and fear.
MARIE Oh, Franz, it’s a crazy world … a crazy, beautiful world!
MARIE swings the baby around in her arms, dancing. Happy. WOYZECK watches her for a moment, smiling. Pleased that she is pleased.
Lights up on a BARKER outside a dirty tent. A monkey on a leash sits next to him.
BARKER … step up, ladies and gentlemen! Look at this creature, as God made him … he’s nothing, absolutely nothing. Lowest form of animal life. But see now what art has done to him … yes, art!
The BARKER cracks a whip and the monkey stands on its hind legs.
BARKER Ah-ha! See how he walks upright like a man! How he wears a fancy jacket and trousers, even carries a sword! Look, he’s no longer at the bottom of the food chain. Why, he’s now a soldier!!
General applause from the gathered audience. WOYZECK is now holding the child over his head, hoping for a better view.
BARKER Come inside … see the little love birds … admire the astronomical horse … just one of the many wonders of Europe! It can tell any one of you your age, number of children, even your illnesses … yes, your illnesses! We’ve all got them, so why not know them? (Beat.) Show’s about to begin, because we always begin at the beginning. Step in, step on in … step inside!
The BARKER holds open the curtain, then he and the monkey disappear inside. A small crowd follows.
WOYZECK Want to go in?
MARIE It’s all the same … (Beat.) Yes, let’s go inside … there must be wonderful things in there to see.
MARIE waits while WOYZECK, baby in hand, goes off to one side to purchase tickets.
The DRUM-MAJOR and a SERGEANT arrive at the fair. The two men watch MARIE with an open hunger.
SERGEANT Hold it … do you see that?
DRUM-MAJOR Yes. I’ve seen her before …
SERGEANT What a woman! Could breed a whole regiment of cavalry …
DRUM-MAJOR … or a battalion of drum-majors.
SERGEANT The way she holds her head. That flowing hair …
DRUM-MAJOR … and those eyes. Strange, dark. Like looking down a well …
SERGEANT … or up a chimney!
MARIE glances over at the men as they laugh out loud. The DRUM-MAJOR moves to MARIE, offering an elbow. She glances at WOYZECK, then moves into the tent with the DRUM-MAJOR.
WOYZECK returns and looks around. The SERGEANT pats him on the shoulder.
SERGEANT Looking for something, Private?
WOYZECK … Marie.
SERGEANT “Marie.” hmmm … a beauty, with the red dress on?
WOYZECK Yes.
SERGEANT Wearing red, a girl all in red?
WOYZECK Yes …
SERGEANT Stunning face … in a bright red …
WOYZECK Yes, yes!
SERGEANT … haven’t seen her.
WOYZECK looks around the milling crowd, terrified. The baby starts to cry.
WOYZECK Marie! (Shouting.) Marie!!
SERGEANT I’m joking, soldier … only joking. Of course I saw her. Can’t miss eyes like those …
WOYZECK … but where?
SERGEANT Ran off toward the woods.
WOYZECK … the woods?
SERGEANT Looked over at you, she did. She looked and said something, but … ran off.
WOYZECK … off …
SERGEANT Probably to relieve herself. That would be my guess … to do it in the woods.
WOYZECK stumbles off clutching the baby, screaming out “Marie!” The SERGEANT laughs and watches WOYZECK go off. He slips inside the tent.
Blackout.