Turn Around the Receiver [CANCELLED]

SCENE II

INTWe watch two figures approach the mansion from afar. It is high summer. They drag cases in from their Volkswagen.

INTThe entryway. It is grandiose. LUDWIG BEILSCHMIDT (18) shuts the door behind him. He is tall, broad-shouldered, with a fade in his blonde hair. The top of his hair is slicked backwards. He has startling blue eyes: the very picture of Nordic ancestry.

[This is actually MONIKA BEILSCHMIDT. Ludwig is her name she is using to join the Wermacht and fight in the war. She did have a brother called Ludwig who died young of polio. She is very masculine, and unless one knows, it is hard to discern that she is not actually male. She will be referred to as ‘he’ until Aria begins referring to her as Monika rather than Ludwig.]

The other Beilschmidt is already in the entryway. He is tall too, but almost unnaturally pale, with whitish hair and pinkish eyes. He is sharp and wolfish, and his name is GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT (38) .

ENTER RODERICH from the hall. He performs a tiny bow.

RODERICH

Welcome. I hope you’ve been well, Gilbert.

GILBERT

(his voice is like a record scratch) Ja, ja, of course. (He speaks in High German, a native of Berlin.) Luddi, you remember Mr. Edelstein.

Ludwig just nods and offers his hand. Roderich takes it, appearing to have great difficulty doing so.

RODERICH

You were very different when you were younger. You’ve… grown.

LUDWIG

(brow furrowing, to Gilbert) I’ve never heard this sort of German before.

GILBERT

(With a pleasant smile, to Roderich) Sorry. He’s got absolutely no tact.

Roderich

(narrowing his eyes) Right.

The sound of footsteps distracts them. ARIA flies into the entryway.

ARIA

(brightly) Hello!

RODERICH

Aria! You are supposed to be helping Elizabetta with dinner. (He flushes, obviously, weirdly embarrassed.)

ARIA
(breathless) She said I could come say hello!

RODERICH

Well, you’ve said it, so you can go back!

GILBERT

(With a toothy grin) No, no, it’s fine! I haven’t seen Aria in forever. And she has barely met Ludwig!

RODERICH

(aside) No, she hasn’t met Ludwig.

Gilbert gives him a brief look, but turns his attention back to Aria.

GILBERT

Look at you. Such a beautiful young woman. (He reaches out and touches her chin; she grins at him.) Look, here’s Ludwig.

Ludwig blushes deeply and nods, eyes fluttering. He has obviously caught Aria’s attention quite quickly.

GILBERT (CON’T)

He’s shy, heh.

ARIA

It’s very nice to see you again, Ludwig.

RODERICH

(obviously sensing she likes him)

Get away now, Aria, go back to what you’re meant to be doing. You can speak to them more when you serve them dinner.

Aria looks at him for a few moments. She glances at the Beilschmidts, then leaves.

A moment of awkwardness while they watch her leave.

GILBERT

She is a woman now.

RODERICH

Yes.

GILBERT

She’s still so petite.

RODERICH

Should we really be having this conversation in front of- of Ludwig? (it’s like saying the name is hard for him)

GILBERT

(throwing an arm around Ludwig) Hey, I’m pretty sure he’s a man now. He likes women just as much as I do. (Roderich grimaces)

RODERICH

Well, dinner should be ready by the time you finish putting your bags in the guest rooms.

He leaves. The other two stand awkwardly for a moment. Gil raises an eyebrow and Ludwig, who looks away.

CUT AWAY

INT The dining room. Roderich and Elizabetta sit opposite each other. Aria sits on one side, with an empty chair beside her. Ludwig and Gilbert sit across from her. Gilbert is grinning; Ludwig keeps his eyes on his food.

Awkwardness while forks and knives scrape on the plates.

GILBERT

So you’re done with school?

ARIA

Yes, Mr. Edelstein pulled me out of the spring semester. I guess I’m going to keep working here.

It’s suddenly very uncomfortable for everyone in the room. Aria is aware, but not sure why. She is instead just wary.

ARIA

(clears throat) Uh, Ludwig. Are you done with school?

LUDWIG

(Startled, looking up) J-ja. I don’t have any left.

ARIA

No college, then?

LUDWIG

No, I’m going to be a soldier. I’m enlisting after this vacation.

ARIA

(concerned and impressed) You’re going to fight in the war?

LUDWIG

(a slight bit of pride showing through; he manages to make eye contact with Aria) Yes.

ARIA

Why?

(Tension changes at the table, focused on this question)

LUDWIG

(still looking at her) I want to be a fighter. (There’s something about the way he says it that suggests much more than what was said)

ARIA

(she holds his gaze seriously for a moment, then relents to her usual bubbly self) Why fight when you could eat Swiss chocolate and sleep in the sun all day? (Ludwig grins a little, then looks back down at his food).

GILBERT

So, uh, what do you do around here for fun, Aria?

ARIA

(eyes stutter to Gilbert) Well, I like to eat Swiss chocolate and sleep in the sun all day. (Ludwig is still smiling into his food). Sometimes I walk to Vienna and watch the shows.

GILBERT

(Falsely) That’s a bit of a far walk! Where we live in Berlin, there’s a theatre not far from us.

ARIA

Oh, you’re from Berlin! I was trying to figure out what German that was. (Roderichis visibly annoyed)

LUDWIG

(quietly, no longer smiling) You’re Italian. Not Austrian.

ARIA

(glancing at him, then Roderich). Si, sonoItaliana.

GILBERT

I told you that, Ludwig.

(There’s silence at the table)

ELIZABETTA

She also paints. She’s quite good at any of the arts.

GILBERT

Really! I’d love to see your paintings, Aria.

ARIA

I can show you after dinner, if you like.

GILBERT
I’d love to.

The mood seems to be ruined. They eat silently once again.

INTOne of the hallways, dark. A light is on. Aria walks through, on her way to the staircase. She hears something, is alerted somehow. She backs up, pressing against the wall to listen.

From off-screen, voices.

RODERICH

You’ve got to do better than that.

GILBERT

It’s not even been two hours around this place. Give me some time to warm up.

RODERICH

Well, hurry up. I want this over with. And watch out with- with- you know what I mean.

GILBERT

(coldly) No, I don’t.

RODERICH

Your fucking freak.

GILBERT

(beat) I know you’re a coward. That doesn’t mean you have to hate anyone with larger balls than you. (Roderich makes a sound halfway between a scoff and a laugh) You know I don’t like what he’s going to fight for any more than you do.

RODERICH

Because you fought the first war. Because you know sh-

GILBERT

You think I don’t know what’s in store? You think I like this decision, and that’s why I’m letting it go? No. I’m letting it go because that’s my brother, and it’s his life. I’ll support him until the end.

RODERICH

Well. It won’t be long until then, huh?

GILBERT

Feeling guilty for this iteration too?

RODERICH

Don’t pretend you don’t, either.

GILBERT

I don’t, actually.

(cold silence)

RODERICH

It’s late. You’d better be getting to bed.

GILBERT

Right.

(FOOTSTEPS. Aria starts and flees up the stairs, where she runs into LUDWIG).

ARIA

Oh-!

LUDWIG

Shh! I’m so sorry! I promise I wasn’t snooping, Eliza told me to use that bathroom… (gestures towards the end of the hall)

ARIA

(placing a hand over her heart) My goodness, you nearly frightened me to death!

LUDWIG

(pained) I’m so sorry. I really am sorry.

ARIA

You’re fine, you’re fine! Just a little scare. (little laugh) I hope you have a good night. (She brushes by, smiling and touching his hand a little as she goes. He whips around to watch her go, then faces forwards, blushing).

INT The upstairs hallway, empty. It is night. The windows fill with light at the passing of time. Fully morning, Aria steps out of Lovino’s bedroom in her nightclothes. She walks to the bathroom at the end of the hall.