Intermission comes at the end of the third act, and it could not come soon enough for Michel. He'd forgotten how exhausting this was, and he desperately needed to down a pitcher of water.
He closed the scene, so he concentrated on getting the blocking just right.
"On the ground, sleep sound: I'll apply to your eye, gentle lover, remedy." He half knelt, half laid next to Henri and dropped two drops of water on each closed eye. "When thou wak'st, thou tak'st true delight in the sight of thy former lady's eye: and the country proverb known, that every man should take his own, in your waking shall be shown," he slowly stood, and began backing away towards the wings, "Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill; The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well."
He stepped into the darkened wing and the curtain fell. He could hear Jean-Pierre announcing a ten minute intermission to the crowd as he greedily drank the water offered to him by Adélaïde's grandson, he could never remember the young boy's name, Thibaut, that was it. He turned and peeked out of the side curtains, Hans was deep in conversation with his sister, occasionally looked at the woman behind him. He shook his head. He loved Agnès, she was one of his best patrons, but she was nearly impossible to sit near during a show - absolute silence or you received the business end of her handbag. He pitied Varner.
Thibaut tapped on his shoulder. Curtain call already? He sighed, and stepped back from the curtains. Time goes awfully fast when you're distracted.
The stage lights came up, and the curtain rose on Titania, Bottom, and the queen's fairies.