Making The Floating Opera - Act Six

Previously, In Act Five

Todd's staging of scenes from his play continues and Francesca, aware of this activity and calculating its costs, castigates Todd for not throwing some money her way. She gives him an ultimatum: Todd, she says, must honor his frequent promises to back her and give her the money she needs to promote her own career. Her threats are vague but ominous.

Jane's serenity and apparent sense of normalcy are increasingly bizarre. The evidence of Todd's sexual infidelity is not very obscure, the bank balances and accounts are careening toward the abyss with no relief in sight, and Todd is increasingly obsessive and uncommunicative about a writing project whose theme is suicide. Most wives would be terribly worried.

Jane's diffidence is a mystery. There may be more to Jane than Todd knows.

As the stagings go on suicide emerges from the abstract, fictional world of the novel and Todd's peach baskets and takes form in the material world.

Three sets take increasingly elaborate and detailed form: the showboat below-decks, the showboat stage, and a section of several seats in the showboat theatre hall. Todd's plans for destroying himself are built into the sets and the staging, with options for contexts of accident, murder, and suicide.

Jane does indeed have a project of her own going on. She's on the telephone, goes out to unknown places and appears at unexpected times were Todd has just been or is about to be.

Todd forms his final judgments of the people closest to him.

Todd begins to view Jane as supremely arrogant. He believes she thinks she is vastly more capable than Todd in all the serious matters of life, which he finds laughable inasmuch as he's been conducting his affair with Francesca right under her nose. Jane, he thinks, just doesn't understand how bad the situation is.

Dad is increasingly critical of Todd, and reveals surprises about the past which illustrate a surprising ( to Todd) continuity of character between the generations. Todd's mother died, it develops, when Todd was a small child. Dad reveals he himself had considered suicide at that time. Todd judges his father, therefore, a coward.

Daniel's worth diminishes in Todd's eyes. He seems alien to Todd, unlike a Mavette. Todd wonders if Daniel is really his biological son. Todd judges Daniel to be a bastard.

Todd perceives Francesca's lust, greed, and gluttony as uncontrollable and ultimately self-destructive. She thinks she'd be a brilliant success if only she had the means to do what she wants. Todd inclines toward providing her with those means, certain they'll enable and speed her flame-out and bring her the fate she deserves.

And the doctor? Todd cannot figure out what the doctor's portion should be.

Todd resolves the enterprise to which the remainder of his life and his death are to be dedicated: rendering justice. His death will bring to each of those around him exactly what he or she deserves. Each shall be consigned to a special circle of Mavette's Inferno.

Rerun From Act One