Act 2.3 Party & Duet
Martin: o there you are, missus moss. I wanted to have a dance with you.
Grandpa: where’s Splinters, where is he? I wanted him to tell one o those tales he tells.
Top: if it’s stories you want, I know a few myself.
Grandpa: well go ahead then… go ahead.
Top: o, I was going a courtin and I knew just where to go, just down yonder, just down below. The old folks gone and the children all at home, and the girls all mad with their hair not combed, and the girls all mad with their hair not combed. When the supper comes on and they asked me to eat, they called on me to carve up the meat, one old knife, and one old fork, I sawed about an hour and I couldn’t make a mark, yes I sawed about an hour and I couldn’t make a mark. One of the girls said: “wait mister, wait,” I can just kept a-sawin till I got it on the plate. Just kept a sawin till I got it on the floor, then up with my foot and I kicked it out the door, yes up with my foot and I kicked it out the door. In come the old man with a double barreled gun. One of the girls says “run mister run!” but I stood my ground just as brave as any bear, and I tangled my fingers in the old man’s hair, yes I tangled my fingers in the old man’s hair.
Grandpa: that story true? … that really happen?
Top: If you want to go a courtin, I’ll tell you how to dress, one old coat, and that’ll be the best…dum dum dumm… and the girls all mad with their hair not combed.
Mrs. Splinters: c’mon Grandpapa, let’s you and me show these young folk what dancin’s made of.
Top: why’s missus moss actin so odd like? Why did she look that way?
Martin: you notice it now?
Top; her eyes got a knowin look in em like once that judge looked.
Laurie: lift your feet Grandpapa!
Top: maybe he needs another drink o wine!
Grandpa: we’ll take a cup of this sweet wine and dance around the room..
Mrs. Sp: wheee! That’s enough for us, lord help us! I guess I ain’t so young.
___
Martin: You dance real well!
Laurie: Mother taught me. Once, all her steps were like dancing.
Martin: Like yours are now?
Laurie: Do they dance way off and end off dancing? Isn’t there a place where dancing never stops?
Martin: It always stops.
Laurie: I want to find it, if there is a such a place.
Martin: the world seems still tonight. (kisses her)
Laurie: O Martin, I should say something.
Martin: Quiet, quiet. Tomorrow you’ll be graduated, and like your Ma says, you won’t be nervous anymore. Laurie, you know, Laurie, I’m getting tired of travelin through. My shoes are wearing thin. I’m getting tired of wand’rin, wand’rin, not caring where I’ve been. I want to stay in a place for a while and see a seedling grow. I want to come to know special skies, special rain and snow. A man must take a handful of earth and work it for his own, a handful of earth and handful of seed, but how can he do it alone? I’d like to have a wife for a while, I’d like to take her hand, and holding tight, know it was strong to lift our heads and sing our song, and when the day’s end came along to walk out on the land, to walk out on the land. I want you, are you with me? Take my hand. O Laurie, are you ready for settlin’ in with me? Do you feel in love the way I do?
Laurie: in love? In love? Yes, yes, I do love you. You came made me feel in love. I feel so many many things Martin. Tomorrow after graduation perhaps I’ll know.
Martin: Laurie, I’ll be goin soon.
Laurie: Don’t talk of that, Martin. O please, I don’t want you to go. Harvest is through so quickly.
Martin: I’ll stop here till harvest’s done, if you love me then this is where I’ll stay.
Laurie: Martin, yes, I want you, I need you. I love you. I love you, I do.
Martin: I love you, I’ll stay.
Martin: The plains so green…
Laurie: …The tender land
M; where we begin…
L: …to understand.
M: We’ll take the dreams…
L: …we’ve dreamed apart…
M: .. . and we will plant them in each other’s heart.
L: The fields of love…
M: … the tender grain,
L: We’ll gather in…
M: … from autumn rain.
L: We’ll reap the tears…
M: …we’ve wept apart…
L:…. And gather in each other’s heart.
Both: I love you, I love you, I do.
Showing posts with label Act 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Act 2. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Libretto: 2.1, 2.2
Act 2.1 -- Graduation Party
Top: Not for me, missus Moss, I’ve already had three helpings.
Mrs. Jenks: Did you see him put that food away? He must have hid it somewhere.
T: Where I hid it you’ll never find it.
Mrs J: how many boardin houses have gone bankrupt cause of you two?
T: let’s see… one, two, three, four…
Martin: five boardin houses… and two jails!
All: tall tales, tall tales!
Grandpa: try makin peace with some of my wine. Finest wine anywhere, berry wine.
Mr Jenks: Let’s drink to a good spring harvest!
Grandpa: Here now Mr. Jenks, Harvests come and go. Some are good, others not so good, but they come and go like spring and winter weather. Girls come and go. Some are good others not so good. They come and go too like spring and winter weather. But there’s one that’s a good one, and she is nice as spring and clean as winter. The first of our whole family that’s ever graduated, and that’s what I’m drinkin to tonight, Mr. Jenks.
All: Laurie, Laurie, Laurie Moss!
Laurie: Thank you, thank you all. This whole year it seemed the endpoint of my life was graduation. That was what my ma and Grandpa had dreamed of, what I had dreamed of. What came after? None could tell me, no one knew for sure. But it’s queer, this moment of my life, this celebration, the moment each of us has watched for, and dreamed of , it passes by so quickly. The closer tomorrow comes, the more we wonder what day after tomorrow will be the closer I feel to our land, the more I wonder what those other land s are like. The more I want to wear this dress, the more it doesn’t seem to be a part of me. Maybe I say it all wrong. I’m not sure what I say. But anyway, thank you, thank you all.
Gran: ah Laurie, you are a puzzle, but such a pretty puzzle to your old Grandpapa.
Ma: she’s just nervous Pa.
Grandpa: Never disappoint me, will you Laurie?
Laurie: I’ll try not Grandpa.
Ma: We’ve been at this table long enough. I’ll wager not one of you has got the hustle left to show us what dancing is.
Top: Dancin’s not my line, but we’ll show you what drinkin is, won’t we Mister Moss? (to martin) Remember what I told you. You have a dance while I start with the ole man, then you take him over. Gee, she’s a pretty thing.
Martin: Take it easy, top. Don’t lose us our jobs. She is a pretty thing.
(Dance music begins)
1st Man/All: Stomp your foot up on the floor. Throw the windows open , take a breath of fresh June air, and dance around the room. The air is free, the night is warm, the music’s here, and here’s my home. Men must labour to be happy, ploughing fields and planting rows. But ladies love a life that’s easy: churning butter, milking cows, gathering eggs, feeding sows. Mending, cooking, cleaning, ironing, raising families. Ladies love their fine amusement, putting patches on a quilt, but men prefer to bend their shoulder to something that will stand when built. Dancing ladies, making matches, playing games, singing snatches. Romping frisking, winking, whistling, raising families. Stomp your foot up on the floor. Throw the windows open , take a breath of fresh June air, and dance around the room. The air is free, the night is warm, the music’s here, and here’s my home.
ACT 2.2
Ma: Mr. Splinters, you may think I’m crazy, but I have a funny feelin. Come with me a minute.
Mr. Splinters: how’s that Missus Moss?
Ma: a funny feelin, something strange is going on. Them two men you talked about before, then these two men show up like this so soon…have you ever seen them round here before?
Mr. Sp: Not me. Why Missus Moss, you really thing so?
Ma; I have a feelin. Things they said. Things I heard. The sheriff could clear up my mind.
Mr. Sp: won’t hurt for me to bring the sheriff round for a few questions. I’ll go right now. You rest easy. …… might be… might be….
Ma: drive fast, Mr Splinters, so they won’t have time to miss you! So nice they seem, yet I feel it is them. The chances that we take, have I the right to make an accusation just on feeling? I hope I’m wrong.
Top: Not for me, missus Moss, I’ve already had three helpings.
Mrs. Jenks: Did you see him put that food away? He must have hid it somewhere.
T: Where I hid it you’ll never find it.
Mrs J: how many boardin houses have gone bankrupt cause of you two?
T: let’s see… one, two, three, four…
Martin: five boardin houses… and two jails!
All: tall tales, tall tales!
Grandpa: try makin peace with some of my wine. Finest wine anywhere, berry wine.
Mr Jenks: Let’s drink to a good spring harvest!
Grandpa: Here now Mr. Jenks, Harvests come and go. Some are good, others not so good, but they come and go like spring and winter weather. Girls come and go. Some are good others not so good. They come and go too like spring and winter weather. But there’s one that’s a good one, and she is nice as spring and clean as winter. The first of our whole family that’s ever graduated, and that’s what I’m drinkin to tonight, Mr. Jenks.
All: Laurie, Laurie, Laurie Moss!
Laurie: Thank you, thank you all. This whole year it seemed the endpoint of my life was graduation. That was what my ma and Grandpa had dreamed of, what I had dreamed of. What came after? None could tell me, no one knew for sure. But it’s queer, this moment of my life, this celebration, the moment each of us has watched for, and dreamed of , it passes by so quickly. The closer tomorrow comes, the more we wonder what day after tomorrow will be the closer I feel to our land, the more I wonder what those other land s are like. The more I want to wear this dress, the more it doesn’t seem to be a part of me. Maybe I say it all wrong. I’m not sure what I say. But anyway, thank you, thank you all.
Gran: ah Laurie, you are a puzzle, but such a pretty puzzle to your old Grandpapa.
Ma: she’s just nervous Pa.
Grandpa: Never disappoint me, will you Laurie?
Laurie: I’ll try not Grandpa.
Ma: We’ve been at this table long enough. I’ll wager not one of you has got the hustle left to show us what dancing is.
Top: Dancin’s not my line, but we’ll show you what drinkin is, won’t we Mister Moss? (to martin) Remember what I told you. You have a dance while I start with the ole man, then you take him over. Gee, she’s a pretty thing.
Martin: Take it easy, top. Don’t lose us our jobs. She is a pretty thing.
(Dance music begins)
1st Man/All: Stomp your foot up on the floor. Throw the windows open , take a breath of fresh June air, and dance around the room. The air is free, the night is warm, the music’s here, and here’s my home. Men must labour to be happy, ploughing fields and planting rows. But ladies love a life that’s easy: churning butter, milking cows, gathering eggs, feeding sows. Mending, cooking, cleaning, ironing, raising families. Ladies love their fine amusement, putting patches on a quilt, but men prefer to bend their shoulder to something that will stand when built. Dancing ladies, making matches, playing games, singing snatches. Romping frisking, winking, whistling, raising families. Stomp your foot up on the floor. Throw the windows open , take a breath of fresh June air, and dance around the room. The air is free, the night is warm, the music’s here, and here’s my home.
ACT 2.2
Ma: Mr. Splinters, you may think I’m crazy, but I have a funny feelin. Come with me a minute.
Mr. Splinters: how’s that Missus Moss?
Ma: a funny feelin, something strange is going on. Them two men you talked about before, then these two men show up like this so soon…have you ever seen them round here before?
Mr. Sp: Not me. Why Missus Moss, you really thing so?
Ma; I have a feelin. Things they said. Things I heard. The sheriff could clear up my mind.
Mr. Sp: won’t hurt for me to bring the sheriff round for a few questions. I’ll go right now. You rest easy. …… might be… might be….
Ma: drive fast, Mr Splinters, so they won’t have time to miss you! So nice they seem, yet I feel it is them. The chances that we take, have I the right to make an accusation just on feeling? I hope I’m wrong.
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