Tell All

ACT III, SCENE TWO

We continue with the audio bridge of Webster Carlton Westward III reading, “ ‘… Katherine Kenton committed suicide on what seemedlike such a joyous occasion.’ ”

The mise-en-scène shows my Miss Kathie in herdressing room, backstage, the soft-focus stand-in perfect and lovely asif filmed through a veil. We watch as she sits at her dressing table,leaning into her reflection in the mirror, fixing the final smears ofblood and scars and crusted scabs for her upcoming Guadalcanalbattle scene. From outside the closed dressing room door we hear avoice call, “Two minutes, Miss Kenton.”

The voice-over continues reading, “ ‘It hadlong been rumored that Oliver “Red” Drake, Esq.,had taken his own life, after traces of cyanide were uncoveredfollowing his sudden death. Although no suicide note was ever found, anda subsequent inquest was unable to reach a conclusion, Drake wasreported to be severely despondent, according to Katherine’s maid, Hazie Coogan. …’ ”

On Miss Kathie’s dressing table, among thejars of greasepaint and hairbrushes, we see a small paper bag; the sidesare rolled down to reveal its contents as a colorful array of Jordan almonds. Miss Kathie’s lithe movie-star handcarries the almonds, a red one, a green one, a white one, almond byalmond, to her mouth. At the same time, her violet eyes never leave herown reflection in the mirror. A glass bottle, prominently labeled CYANIDE, sits next to the candied almonds. Thebottle’s stopper removed.

Webb’s voice-over continues, “ ‘It’s likelythat my adored Katherine feared losing the happiness she’d struggled solong and hard to attain.’ ”

We see the idealized, slender version of MissKathie stand and adjust her military costume, studying her reflectionin the dressing room mirror.

The voice of Webster reads, “ ‘After so manyyears, my beloved Katherine had regained her stardom in the lead of a Broadway hit. She’d triumphed over a decade of drugabuse and eating disorders. And most important, she’d found a sexualsatisfaction beyond anything she’d ever dreamed possible.’ ”

The Katherine Kentonfantasy stand-in lifts a tube of lipstick, twists it to its full redlength and reaches toward the mirror. Over the beautiful reflection ofherself, she writes: Webster’s amazing, massivepenis is the only joy in this world that I will miss. She writes,As the French would say … Adios. Thefantasy version of Miss Kathie dashes a tear from her eye, turningquickly and exiting the dressing room.

As the shot follows her, Miss Kathie dashesthrough the maze of backstage props, unused sets and loiteringstagehands; the voice-over reads, “ ‘According to the statements of MissHazie, Oliver “Red” Drake, Esq., had oftentalked in private about ending his own life. Despite the general publicimpression that he and Katherine were deeply, devotedly in love, MissHazie testified that a morose, secret depression had settled over him.Perhaps it was this same secret sorrow which now drove my exquisiteKatherine to eat those tainted sweets only minutes before the hit show’sfinale.’ ”

Onstage, Japanese bombs pelt the ships of Pearl Harbor. Under this pounding cascade ofexploding death, the svelte Miss Kathie leaps from stage right, boundingup the tilting deck of the USSArizona. Already,her complexion has paled, turned pallid beneath the surface of herpancake makeup.

In voice-over, we hear Webster reading, “ ‘Atthe greatest moment of the greatest career of the greatest actress whohas ever lived, the rainbow reds and greens and whites of those fatalcandies still tingeing her luscious lips …’ ”

At the highest point of the doomedbattleship, the ideal Miss Kathie stands at attention and salutes heraudience.

“ ‘At that moment, in what was clearly andundeniably a romantic self-murder,’ ” the voice- over continues, “ ‘mydearest Katherine, the greatest love of my life, blew a kiss to me,where I sat in the sixth row … and she succumbed.’ ”

Still saluting, the figure collapses,plunging into the azure tropical water.

The voice of Webster reads, “ ‘The end.’ ”