Tybalt and Mercutio Are Dead (Excerpt)
Tybalt and Mercutio Are Dead explores the titular characters’ hidden romance as it unfolds offstage during Romeo and Juliet. On the outskirts of the most iconic love story of all time, Tybalt and Mercutio grapple with a love so potent and so forbidden it can only end in a tragic duel. They fence. They flirt. They rebel against traditional narratives of love, tragedy, and queerness. And along the way, they find their place in a play that wants them dead.
In the scene directly preceding this one, Tybalt and Mercutio were dancing in the Capulet orchard, outside the ball at which Romeo and Juliet first meet. They kissed for the first time, and were interrupted by Benvolio, who came looking for Romeo. In this scene, Tybalt waits for Mercutio’s return.
ACT I SCENE iv
(There is no blackout between scene iii and scene iv. After MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO exit, TYBALT peeks out from behind the tree. Seeing them gone, he leans back against the tree, closes his eyes, and breathes heavily. We hear some of Romeo and Juliet II.i from offstage — BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO calling after ROMEO. As the scene fades out — it should do so partway through MERCUTIO’s first monologue — TYBALT walks downstage towards to audience. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but finds he is at a loss for words. He shakes his head, frustrated, excited, and confused. He walks back to the tree and pulls the bottle of alcohol out of it. He looks at it, turns it in his hands. He puts it back in the tree. He kicks the tree. He picks up one of the books and throws it across the stage. After a moment, he walks over, picks it up, and places it back on top of the stack. He slumps to sit against the tree. He touches his lips, feeling the post-kiss tingling sensation. He smiles. Then he laughs, at first chuckles and then big, full-body laughs. While he’s laughing, MERCUTIO reenters.)
MERCUTIO
What’s so funny?
TYBALT
Us. Here. This.
MERCUTIO
I’m perfectly serious about this.
TYBALT
I know. And I’m perfectly unserious. (He laughs)
MERCUTIO
I’ll leave you with your jokes then. (He starts to exit)
TYBALT
Wait. (He stands. They look at each other in silence for a moment. Then TYBALT bursts out laughing) I can’t think of anything to say. Aren’t I supposed to spout a sonnet or something? Here we are in an orchard, under the moon, and I don’t have a couplet in me.
MERCUTIO
Meter is performative. It doesn’t belong to us. Tell me in prose.
TYBALT
I can feel my heartbeat thumping in my neck, like I’ve been running. My skin feels like a breeze could blow it off. My lips remember yours. And you’re just standing there, like the world isn’t ending.
MERCUTIO
I’m absolutely, Earth-quakingly terrified. I just hide it well.
TYBALT
What are you scared of?
MERCUTIO
That the world isn’t ending. That I’ll wake up in the morning tomorrow and the world will be the same.
TYBALT
If you don’t wish to wake up tomorrow, don’t go to sleep tonight.
(While they’ve been talking, the distance between them has closed. TYBALT reaches out and takes MERCUTIO’s face in his hands, and kisses him)
MERCUTIO
(smiling) You kiss like the moon.
TYBALT
Cold and virginal?
MERCUTIO
Luminous.
(They kiss. It starts gentle, but starts to get more intense, hands under shirts. They’re both into it. TYBALT pulls off MERCUTIO’s belt)
MERCUTIO
Wait.
TYBALT
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to —
MERCUTIO
I can’t.
TYBALT
It’s alright. We don’t need to —
MERCUTIO
No, I can’t. I’m sorry.
(MERCUTIO runs offstage, leaving TYBALT standing by himself, hurt and bewildered, staring after him. TYBALT drops the belt. From offstage, faintly, we hear a few lines of the balcony scene, starting from “If they do see thee, they will murder thee”)
END ACT I
