Music of Sunrise Dance
begins softly. FREDDY draws back curtains, revealing part of audience,
left. He steals off. OCEANA gradually awakens, raises her head, lifts
herself to her knees, stretches out her hands in worship to the Sun-
god. Then slowly she rises, rapt in wonder. The robe falls back,
revealing a filmy costume, primitive, elemental, naive. She begins to
sway, and gradually glides into an ecstatic dance, which portrays the
joyful awakening of morning.]
MRS. MASTERSON. [Enters, left, in great agitation, stares at OCEANA,
wrings her hands, paces about, signals to her frantically.] Oh! Oh!
[Rushes left and releases curtains, which fall.]
OCEANA. [Turns in consternation.] Why! What . . . [Sees MRS.
MASTERSON.] Aunt Sophronia!
MRS. MASTERSON. How dare you! How dare you!
OCEANA. Why, what's the matter?
MRS. MASTERSON. You ask me? Oh, oh!
OCEANA. Aunt Sophronia, you stopped my dance!
MRS. MASTERSON. Hussy! Shameless wanton! You have disgraced me before
all the world!
OCEANA. [Stares at her, slowly comprehending.] Oh! I see! [Goes to her
with signs of distress.] Oh, Aunt Sophronia, I'm so sorry! I didn't
mean to displease you!
MRS. MASTERSON. Such a humiliation!
OCEANA. Aunt Sophronia, you must believe me . . . I had a reason!
MRS. MASTERSON. A what?
OCEANA. A reason for doing it! I couldn't help it . . . believe me,
believe me!
MRS. MASTERSON. But what . . . what reason? What do you mean?
OCEANA.
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