Quintus Roscius Gallus appeared on stage to the cheers of the crowd. His arms were outstretched and his costume mask bore a wide smile. He and his band of actors had a growing reputation up and down the Italian peninsula. They were best known for comedy and Roscius had a personal affinity for political satire.

Some of the people in their seats pointed with laughter as the opening skit began. ?Oh look, it?s our Tribune of the Plebs, Cethegus!? Roscius danced around the stage. His every move was brilliantly accentuated and his timing impeccable. As if by magic, a bouquet of flowers was produced from underneath his toga, and coyly he leaned forward on one foot to offer it to the fairest maiden he saw in the front row. Batting his eyes he leaned even further to present his cheek for a kiss. And once received, he clutched at his chest as if to have an attack and fainted on the stage.

It was at this time that one of Roscius? mates that had been wandering aimlessly on the corner of the stage stumbled into the center of the scene. The actor was playing a blind beggar. As the men fell over one another, a thundering clash of tin pots was made from behind the curtains and a stray chicken was let loose to fly across the stage. The man sobbed as he gave his apology. He was a former soldier and lost his sight in battle. The clumsiness of their actions halted for just a moment, the sad story caught the affections of a few of the women in attendance. ?Awwww, the poor man.? Continuing his play as Cethegus, Roscius put a finger into the air as if he had a stroke of genius and ran off stage. In a flash, he had returned with a wooden stick for the beggar to use as a cane and another comical noise was produced backstage as he made the motion of dropping a coin in a tin cup.

The antics continued as Roscius tickled the crowd?s funny bone in an endless effort to help the people until a new actor appeared on the stage in stealth. He wore a black hooded cloak. Even as he turned to place his finger against his lips in a motion to hush the crowd, his face could not be discerned. Across his back he carried a thick sack filled with seashells, though to the crowd it had the pleasant sound of jingling coins.

Roscius turned his head away from the black clad man to bury it in his arm. His other hand was outstretched with palm out in a signal to halt. After an appropriate comical pause, the hand turned over and the fingers waved and invited the man to step forward and deliver his goods. Roscius? head never leaving the cover of his arm.

The cloaked figure disappeared and Roscius soon revealed his face again, but this time with a new mask. A mask that displayed anger. He dragged the sack off stage tripping and falling all the way in a pretence of the content?s weightiness. Rubbing his back he quickly returned, jeered at the audience, and promptly reversed all his good deeds. The blind beggar fell forward in a summersault when his new cane was abruptly taken from him. The woman in the front row to the roar of the crowd refused to give up her freshly cut flowers and Roscius himself had to give a laugh as he yielded.

The actors all ran back on stage to give a bow to the applause, and in a flash, ran back as the props for the next skit were now all in place.