Jack Of Diamonds A Play - a photo on Flickriver

St Guiles Outdoor Theatre Productions
Promotional poster photo

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
St Guiles Outdoor Theatre Productions
Promotional poster photo
The Jack of Diamonds
Performed by the University theatre troupe The Pelagia Players
An Autumn Play that was performed in the ST. Guiles Outdoor Amphitheatre summer of 1988.
This was a student written and performed play in 3 acts.
For a bit more information on the Players, please visit:
flic.kr/p/Hz5nt4

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Play Synopsis :

The Jack of Diamonds

“As a jewel thief, you go for the challenge. It's dangerous, it's glamorous, there's an adrenalin rush."
MK
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It was an early morning in mid-October when my twin sister woke up in her bed, only to discover that someone had burgled her room, taking away the jewels she had been wearing out the night before.

The burglary wasn’t a straightforward occurrence, but rather a culmination of several diverging paths crossing

Allow me to explain…

^^^^^^^^
That October my 15-year-old twin sister was invited to attend a very formal evening affair with a classmate (Kimber) and her wealthy parents.

My sister got herself all dolled up, slipping into her really beautiful ultra-soft high-necked silk gown of deep violet: A sheer bodice with long cuffed sleeves, ending in sweeping fashion with a pleated skirt.

She had winningly worn out the gown only a fortnight ago at our aunt's black tie-only wedding held at the fashionable Ischoyd Park House and Grounds.

As she had at the wedding, with her silk gown, my sister added on her favorite rhinestones: wildly sparkly long wide rhinestone filled ‘Y’ shaped necklace, matching long rhinestone earrings, her 7-strand diamond bracelet, and 4 rings from her large collection.

Her hair was held by a pair of our mum’s fancy clips which contained real chips from man-made diamonds, they looked very pretty, allowing her long natural ginger hair to fall curling down behind her back.

Though Mum had allowed her to wear the pricy clips to the wedding, there was some argument over her wearing them at a function where she would be out alone. My sister won that argument.

To complete the elegant ensemble she was wearing silver satin pumps and carried a black satin clutch purse.

She looked smashing and I told her so as she was heading out, and as hoped, receiving a warm bear hug for my words, her gown chinchilla soft in my arms.

Our parents were also out for one of their long weekends, so I spent that first evening alone watching movies on the Telly.

^^^^^^^^^^^

As it happened that evening a movie was on about a jewel thief who calls himself the “Ace of Diamonds.”

As the thief went about his business, it didn’t escape me that my twin sister, who was out in public wearing her fetching silk gown and loaded down with dripping rhinestones, (not to mention mom’s glimmering clips) looked like she would have fit right in as a potential target of the thief.

I actually was beginning to be a bit on edge that my cute sister would possibly be in danger of suffering a similar fate while gallivanting out and about, all dressed up like those girls being robbed in the movie.

I uneasily shifted my position on the couch as I pictured in my mind the perils she could encounter if an inept thief thought all my Twin’s jewels were the real thing.

Which, real life is not a stretch of imagination that a thief wouldn’t know the difference, right?

Not that she was that gullible, but I know she got rather heady by all the young males giving her pawing attention at the Ischoyd Park wedding.

The place had a lot of outdoor gardens containing a multitude of dark nooks and crannies.

So I could, and did, imagine her losing guard by swooning over a handsome young con man, whose intentions centered on her jewels, who managed to lure her off outside alone into those gardens.

As I fantasized, I could picture my twin sister in her beautiful gown, her rhinestones flickering, diamond chip hair clips shimmering, suddenly cringing when she realized he had led her into a trap and into the clutches of her “admirer’s” waiting ruffian friends.

Rough grasping Lads who looked with bug-eyed amazement over what had just been caught in their net, demanding more than the lovely lass just be handing over her satin purse.

As she balked, they would then pounce and strip down their slippery squirmy victim, head to toe, of all her valuables, leaving her shivering, hair in her face, wearing nothing more than her long thin white silk slip, if even that!

Having those those overactive, imaginative, concerns on my mind made me happy to finally hear the key turn the lock around ten

Sis came swishing(and glittering) into the room to say hello and tell me about the party.

Sounded to me like it had been a brilliant night for her. I wished I had been invited along also. Better than sitting alone at home.

As she was prattling on, I saw her eyes kept drifting towards the Telly, finally, she broke off her recount as something the thief was doing really caught her eye.

She quizzically asked whatever was I watching?

Her eyes lit up with interest as I explained what the movie was about, and teased her that she appeared to be a prime target for the movie’s antagonist. Then I teased by wondering out loud if that thought had ever occurred to her this evening.

She flicked her earrings, teasing me back, then said…
“No idea what you're in about me lad..no one was thieven tonight!”

She then just smiled, chirping, while her eyes were on the screen.
“0ui’ does sound like a fun movie then. Let me just get out of this and I’ll join you”

I secretly was happy she was now home safe and secure, but as I watched her gown swishing with fetching provocation along her figure while she went upstairs, I still had my lingering thoughts over her fate if a jewel thief indeed would ever target her.

^^^^^^^^^^

Not long after she went upstairs I heard her come quickly back down and felt her plop down beside me on the couch.

She was comfortably wearing her long-sleeved chocolate satin PJs.

I did a double take, she still had on her ultra glittery necklace. And her finger still had on one of her pretty rhinestone rings.

I was curious at the time why she had changed into her satin pjs, and left the necklace on, was she still teasing me? Was she expecting me to say something?

We watched on, my sister had her eyes glued to the screen, absentmindedly playing with her sparkling necklace.

At one point the movie thief was himself admiring a diamond necklace worn by a well-dressed-up lady.

I looked down at my sister, now cuddled in beside me.

I was feeling a bit piqued, thinking how pretty the necklace looked on her, when suddenly my sister blurted out…
“You know at the party tonight there was this smarmy bloke who took a great deal of interest in me, then as we talked, he suddenly appeared to have lost all interest. Weird huh?”

“Yes. Weird he took an interest in you atoll luv…”
I teased, receiving a poking for my witty efforts, after tussling a bit, we both went back to watching the movie.

My mind drifted back over to why had the bloke approached my sister only to abruptly leave her. Was it an innocent act, or a sinister one?

The movie ended and, on a rather silly note I thought. Yawning, I was thinking of calling it a night and heading up to bed.

But there was a second movie of a similar vein as the previous was playing next. As the preview was shown. I felt my sister snuggling in even closer.

“Looks interesting, let’s watch it and see if it is any good?”

The movie was Italian. With English subtitles.

Titled “Perras Callejetas” it concerned a group of lady thieves.

It was a fun watch.

The gang at one point in the movie infiltrated an upper-class restaurant and began robbing the patrons of their wallets and some rather pretty jewels.

My sister, who had been half asleep, jumped and held onto me. As I placed a hand around her shoulder she mumbled.
“That startled me, if that lot had been
to the party I was at tonight, they would have made a bloody killing.”

I lifted her necklace…
“If that had happened. It’s a good thing you were only wearing rhinestones…”

She looked up at me, her heavily mascara-lined eyes blinking sleepily, taking her necklace from my hand,
“Oh no, you bet they would make me hand mine over …. And mum’s clips, that would never do. Of course, you’d protect me if that happened wouldn’t you?”

I chuckled as I assuredly stroked her arm.
“Yes If I was there. I would twit!”

She looked up into my face, holding her necklace.
“That reminds me. I was having issues with the clasp. Here be a luv and help me.

She turned around and lifted her hair, the ring on her finger flashing.

I located the clasp and pried the stubborn bugger open, then handed it back to her.

She took it in her hand and pecked me on the cheek, then yawned, and started to speak before it was done.
“T-Thanks, I m getting tired. Good movie, fun watching those thieves at work. Thinking I’ll be heading off to bed now.”

She rose,
“Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams luv…”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

She went upstairs, and I turned back to the movie, hoping for another jewellery heist like the one at the restaurant.

But I found it hard to focus as my eyes began drooping.

^^^^^^

My sister and I were at our kitchen table. I was wearing my bathrobe, my sister her satin pajamas, and her rhinestones.

Female thieves dressed as jesters came in and started to rob the people sitting at the other tables that suddenly were in our dining room, I recognized them as being the same guests from my Aunt’s summer black tie wedding.

The thieves got to our table and my Aunt, wearing an A-line white satin gown with rhinestone trimmings, started to hand over her pearls. An argument broke out as the thieves told her they wanted diamonds and not pearls and my Aunt said she had to go to my sister’s room to change into them…

My Aunt got up and I saw my sister sitting on the couch.

She is again wearing her alluring violet gown, she is also wearing diamonds all along her figure.

As I watch, helpless to help her, hands begin reaching out, locating and removing her diamonds, and placing them into a basket that is being held out from the Telly screen, all except for the diamond clips.

Then the cat was made to hand over her pearled collar.

At this point, I knew I was dreaming and told myself to wake up. We don’t even have a cat.

^^^^^^
When I woke from my dream at 2:00 am it was to a staticky Telly screen.

I shook my head, rose, and went up to bed.

Reaching the top stair I saw my sister had left her bedroom door ajar.

Still half asleep, the dream lingering, I just had the compelling urge to look inside her room to make sure she was indeed ok and not being tied up and robbed of her jewels ( a stark image of which was imprinted on my mind)

I peered in, and suddenly I was wide awake, of course, she was ok, but in the moonlight streaming through her window I could see my sister’s richly clad figure, half covered by the satin sheets, laying deeply asleep on her bed. Her shiny back was facing her vanity.

The vanity had her jewel case sitting off on one side, where jewelry was just sparkling.

Uncannily this looked like the scene in the earlier movie when the jewel thief entered his vulnerable sleeping victim’s room.

I saw that her glamorous necklace was curled up on top of the jewel case lid, the the wide end of the necklace was hanging out over the edge, glittering itself up a storm.

I remembered my sister commenting on how fun it was watching the movie Thieves at work.

I was thinking it may be fun to see her reaction after a burglar did his…

A warm tingling rush of adrenaline swept over me at the thought of doing a burgle. The idea of stealing the rhinestones from m my sister’s room was like the feeling I had had when I watched it happening in the movie, but tenfold better seeing the opportunity unfold now in real life.

It was indeed an arousing feeling that one would assume any cat burglar worth his salt had when seeing a sleeping lady’s diamonds, invitingly laid out in the open.

Unwilling to suppress my urge, I quickly went to my room and grabbed a few things.

Then thinking as I thought a jewel thief would, I snuck back and crept ever so softly as I stole into my sister’s room.

Looking around like it was my first time there. I had brought a small torch but decided I didn’t need to use it. The moon was providing enough light to see by.

She looked so very vulnerable, fast asleep, wearing her shiny satin pjs, I saw her equally shiny gown reflected in her vanity mirror as it hung from the back of her bedroom door.

I saw diamonds glittering from her antique vanity. I observed her jewellery case sitting upon it.

Her back was still facing the vanity. This should not be difficult atoll.

I went to her vanity, one eye on her, the other on her jewelry case, my heart thumping with increasing force as I got closer, hoping she did not wake and catch me in the acte before I had had my fun.

I lifted her black satin clutch purse and opened it, carefully laying it back down on the satin sheets of my victim’s bed, it sat there daringly close to her back.

I then eyed the jewel case containing the sleeping girl’s jewels.

I carefully scooped up her necklace, which blazed into a stormy fire, dangling it over my sister’s sleeping form as I was admiring the total allure, and then I slipped it into her purse.

I slowly opened the wooden top lid of the 2 drawer case. Here lay the rest of the glittering rhinestones my sister had been wearing out, now fully exposed, crying out to be taken.

Slowly, carefully I silently extracted each glimmering piece as I thought how pretty each had looked when she wore them out.

I then opened both drawers and removed the glittering trinkets they contained.

In my mind I imagined the jewellery was real, worth a mind-blowing amount.

I took everything, not just what she had been wearing out that evening.

What proper thief wouldn’t?

She stirred in her sleep, and I froze. She flipped over and I snatched up the purse just in time, her nose came so very close to hitting it.

Still, in her sleep, she rubbed that nose with a satin sleeve, But her eyes did not even flutter open.

When she settled back down(and my heart came back down from up my throat) I continued on with my work. Setting the now weighty purse next to her jewel case.

When I had finished looting her rings from the bottom drawer I closed the case, I took out of my pocket a playing card, the Jack of Diamonds. And placed it inside where her rhinestones had been.

Then I did a quick Look around for any stragglers. I spied only the one…

Emboldened, I knelt next to her bed.

As she was rubbing her nose I saw she was still wearing her real diamond-looking rhinestone ring.

In for a penny….

And that hand, half covered by her satin pj sleeve, was mere centimeters away.

I touched her soft sleeve, but she did not budge. I peeled it back and then lifted her warm finger with as delicate a touch as my trembling excited fingers could muster.

Still nothing from my happily slumbering victim.

Slowly I worked off the conveniently loose ring with a subtle dexterity, holding my breath.

It finally came off and I exhaled while
plopping the stolen jewel on top of the sparkling stash already inside the purse.

I felt that if she had still been wearing her necklace I would have welcomed the challenge, my victim was that much out of it.

I rose, Then picked up the now much heavier purse and backed out of my victim's room, looking around.

I saw her white A-line satin gown with rhinestone trimmings hanging in the corner. My sister’s debutante gown. Then I realized I had not found her pearls.

I sighed, having mixed emotions about trying vs not trying to locate her too real pearls.

Truth be told, I had no idea where she kept them.

I suppose a real thief would have seen the white gown, read the clue realizing its significance, and been able to find where she kept her pearls based on experience in such matters as to where females like to hide jewellery in their room.

But this burglar was not that well-practiced, getting sleepy and needed a bed. Her “diamonds” would be it for me.

I did stop at her door, watching my victim sleep as I contemplated my deeds while fingering the far too-soft gown hanging there.

I pictured my sister as she had been prettily dressed up in silk and flashy jewels that evening, how people must have eyed, even briefly, her richly decorated figure.

I found myself wondering if that was how real Cat Burglars sought out their prey beforehand, by looking for ladies and girls provocatively dressed up like my twin had been, except wearing real diamonds, then followed a jeweled-up girl home, creeping in and out of the shadows like a cat.

It was both an enticing, as well as stimulating, idea to ponder over.

Was it possible that is what the weird bloke who had approached my sister was thinking?

Maybe he spotted the diamond chip hair clips and got in closer to see if the rest of the jewels my sister was wearing were the real thing? Then he got a closer look and realized not. Was he a thief, or just some gigolo looking for wealthy girls to meet their Mums?

An unlikely scenario, but an intriguing titillating pondering nonetheless.

I closed her door, and stealing back downstairs to the study, hid her now weighty clutch purse behind some books.

Then stole back upstairs to my room, where falling into sleep, figured I would be wakened in the morning by my sister angrily demanding I return her jewels.

Instead, I was roughly shaken awake a few hours later by a frantic, albeit cutely satin pj clad, sister telling me she had been robbed last night!

Woken from a deep sleep I had actually forgotten my exploits.

I told her she was only having a bad dream from watching those movies.

She squealed ..,
“It’s not a dream. Come I’ll show you!”

By then I had remembered what I had been up to in her room earlier, and that she was telling the truth.

Playing dumb I got up and had her show me what she was on about.

Taking me to her room she showed me her empty jewel case.

Quivering she looked up at me…
“I never heard a thing, took everything they did!”

In my head, I had a vision which made me say…
“So that smarmy bloke was up to something.”

She looked at me very wide-eyed as she recalled the incident at the party.
“O my Lord, do you really think he had something to do with this? Mum will kill me, he nicked her clips!”

That realization, had her coming into my arms. I soothingly patted her back.
“At least they didn’t nick your pearls. “

With worried eyes, she looked up at me and moved to her wardrobe, opening it she pulled a case from a drawer.

She opened the case and looked inside, seeing her pearls were still there. Then she looked up at me with an interrogating suspicion in her eyes ….
“Lad, just how did you know that?!”

^^^^^^^^^^

Thus the first time I did a role play as a jewel-hunting Cat Burglar was achieved.

Fini
^^^^^^^^^

Perras Callejetas clip

youtu.be/vaz9Nn90UIg?si=6xxpQcddmC9l4NoF

Burglary Clip

youtu.be/oCNKF54adM4?si=BYj7KGctQVToxdmQ

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Taken on: February 26, 2024

Tags:

actor

actress

bridge

britian

cambridge

campus

college

england

great

lovers

higher learning

masters

mystery

oxford

performing

play

sexton

spooky

story

students

theater

university

wales

hunt

ball

ghillies

royal

caledonian

animal

belvoir

kenwood

house

boodles

boxing

devonshire

trinity

oat

autumn

dance

queen

charlotte

iscoyd

davids

day

park

mystery story

midnight

formal

black

tie

jewels

burglar

burglary

thief

may « less

Sets appears in: • Art Intelligences • A bit of my Life

Groups appears in: • Writers General • Writers more » • UK Flickr users • Magic Moments • Writing (read rules!) • Beautiful Women (AI, 2nd life or CD/TV/TS = ban ) • Thought - Provoking • This • ANYTHING ALLOWED!!!!!! • Your photo goes here! no 30/60 • Anything Goes No Limits • Eerie... • People / No Children + Photo Titles • Anything Goes! • The Write Way • "I AM TELLING YOU A STORY HERE. CAN YOU SEE IT?" • ...stranger than fiction. • The Writer's Haven • ..:: I LOVE DARK PHOTOS ::.. • 攝影人碼頭 [ Photographer's Wharf ](post 1,award 2) • Writer's Questions • Creative Art Photography • Creative Photography Experimenting with Photoshop-Camera-PSP • National Geographic | World Wide • CANON-NO LIMIT • The Dark Place • !!* DRAMA! ➢ ONLY dramatic work! • Photos Without A Rabbit • The UK Photographer • ***All beautiful shots and many more. • -= Storytellers =- • Noir/ Outre-Noir • Unpublished Authors • A Wee Bit Warped • The Beauty of Girls and Women • Image Gallery... B&W and Colour !!! [No AI or SL] • Tell me a story... (Show & Tell) • Tales from the mind • Building A Mystery • Mod Girls • Writers, authors, poets and readers of Flickr • Photography Tales • Amazing Image: Stories • Beautiful Women in Tight Outfits and Dresses • digital is the devil • Ladrón De Momentos • Writing Daily • Macabre Danse - Bizarre Stories for Curious Children • Once upon a time : Tales • A Eye of the Beholder- Intelligence Creativity • THIEF OF HEARTS • Highwayman • Date Night Romance & Role Play • DEVIOUSLY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS • Twisted Fate • Artificial Intelligence:: AI The Villainous Side • Princesses, Damsels, Rogues & Thieves Gallery • The Dark Side Of The Light - No Second Life • True Mystery Photos • Dark Subjects of the Realm • Ian Fleming's Muse • Intrigue of the Realm • FEMALE ROBBERS AND BURGLARS • A Funny Picture • Cops and Robbers :Dare's Game • Chatwick University Flickr • This is Why I Bought A Camera • Film Noir Dangerous Shadows • British Mystery Tales • Cat Burglar Noir • And now... for something completely different… • Theatre de Absurd • Banana Oil • Story Tellers of the Realm • Creative Digital Art Community - Flickr • Wow What A Contrast • Poet and the Peasant Pub Halloween Picture Op • Noir Film • Compelling Images • Django's Master Class Photo Group • Writing Crime & Mystery stories • The Sisterhood of the Linked Ring • One rule : WOMEN • Flickr Gallery of Distinction Your Best • Juste du talent • Au-delà du quatrième mur • A Wee Bit Wicked • Seven (7) Deadly Sins • The Storyteller's Circle • flick® • beautyful bride • Robbers Den • Pseudo Cinematography • Voleur de Coeurs • Journey - Welsh Photography • Pursuing the Posh • Oh, Right, That's Not Weird! • Jewel Thief • Mystery After Midnight (Mystère Après Minuit) • All you can Shoot! • Female Burglars • Jewel of the Isles -United Kingdom's Beauty • Tales of Thievery • Mysterious Lady • Sunday Funny • Down A Rabbit Hole • ABBOTS POET & PEASANT PUB CRYPTIC GALLERY • AI ART - Artificial Intelligence Creations • Ai Capture • AI Artificial Intelligence • Artificial Intelligence : To Entice a Thief « less

Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T3i, f/4.5, 1/60 sec, 30mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS REBEL T3i
Lens:	EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	30mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	On, Fired
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 11.0 Windows
Show full info

Stats: 2,319 views / 3 comments