[Mid-term] Rizki Sulistya - The Necklace (Drama)

A Play

By Rizki Sulistya

Based on the short story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant

Mathilde Loisel an old, strong, hard, coarse women of poor households. Her hair is badly done, her skirts are awry. She spoke in a shrill voice. For ten years she worked like a slave to pay her debts. She came to know the heavy work of the house, the hateful duties of the kitchen. She washed the plates, she washed the dirty linen, the shirts and dish-cloths, and hung them out to dry on a string; every morning she took the dustbin down into the street and carried up the water, stopping on each landing to get her breath. And, clad like a poor woman, she went to the fruiterer, to the grocer, to the butcher, a basket on her arm, haggling, insulted, fighting for every wretched halfpenny of her money.

One Sunday, Mathilde walk along the Champs-Elysees to freshen herself after the labours of the week, she caught sight suddenly of a woman who was taking a child out for a walk. It was her old friend, Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful and still attractive even after ten years.

[Slow music is playing while mathilde enters] 

[Mathilde enters looking rough. Her clothes are dirty and torn. She went up to her]

Mathilde : Good morning, Jeanne.

Jeanne : [Confused] Madame . . . I’m afraid I don’t know you. You must be making a mistake.

Mathilde : There is no mistake. I’m Mathilde Loisel.

Jeanne : [Shocked] Oh! My poor Mathilde, how you have changed!

Mathilde : Yes, I've had some hard times since I last saw you and many sorrows . . . and it was all your fault.

Jeanne : [Dumbfounded] My fault? But how can that be? How can it be my fault?

Mathilde : You remember that diamond necklace you lent me to go to the party at the ministry?

Jeanne : Yes! But what about it?

Mathilde : [sigh] Well, I lost it.

Jeanne : How could you? Why, you brought it back.

Mathilde : You know Jeanne, wearing that necklace was one of the most amazing feeling ever. You see, all the men in the ball looked at me in an amazement. [All the light turns off. Spotlight on Mathilde. She walk slowly to the edge of the stage, talking to the audience]. I was beautiful . . . No, I was the most beautiful woman in the room. I don’t suppose I’ll ever know another evening like it. Even the minister asked me for a dance. It was truly one of the best days of my life.
 

Lights off for a moment then on. Mathilde appeared beautiful than ever with her fancy dress. She just got back from the party. She went straight to her room, stares and admires herself in the mirror.

[classic music plays for a moment as she admiring herself then stop abruptly]

Mathilde : [Smiling] Oh look how beautiful I am. [Shocked] Aagh! No! No!

Loisel : [Rushing] What’s wrong dear?

Mathilde : Madame Forestier’s necklace is gone! [Panicked while searching through her body]

Loisel : What do you mean gone?

Mathilde : [Showing her neck] It’s not here!

Loisel : [Panicked] See if it’s fallen down the front of your dress. Perhaps it got caught!
 

They looked frantically into the clothing

Loisel : Are you sure that you still had it on when you came away from the ball?

Mathilde : Yes, I’m sure dear.

Loisel : But if you had lost it in the street, we should have heard it fall. [They stared at one another, dumbfounded]. 

[Loud music plays then slowly fades out]
 

The lights turn off for a brief moment then on again. Mathilde appeared looking old and fragile still talking to Madame Forestier about the diamond necklace.

Mathilde : I brought you another one just like it. And for the last ten years me and my husband has been paying for it. You realize it wasn't easy for us, we had no money [sigh]. . . . Well, it's paid for at last, and I'm glad indeed.
 

Jeanne : [Shocked] You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?

Mathilde : [Proud] Yes. You hadn't noticed it? They were very much alike.

Jeanne : [Took her hands] Oh, my poor Mathilde! [Guilty] But mine was imitation. It doesn’t worth ten years of working . . .
 

Mathilde gasps and fall to her knees, cries 

[Sad melody from a violin plays. Curtain drops. Melody fades out slowly.]