Act I, Scene 7
SETTING:
A circus midway. There are games booths in the foreground and carnival rides in the background.
AT RISE:
CIRCUS GOERS wander among the booths. Various BARKERS and VENDORS ply their trade.
BARKER 1
STEP RIGHT UP! TRY YOUR LUCK! WIN A PRIZE! (etc.)
BARKER 2
GIRLS! GIRLS RIGHT HERE! COME ON INSIDE! (etc.)
VENDOR 1
PEANUTS, GET YOUR PEANUTS HERE! PEANUTS! PEANUTS! (etc.)
VENDOR 2
COTTON CANDY! COTTON CANDY! COTTON CANDY HERE! COTTON CANDY HERE! (etc.)
VENDOR 3
CO---CA COLA! CO---CA COLA! (etc.)
(DAVID enters while the BARKERS and VENDORS sing. HE crosses and exits. TIM enters, wary of anybody who might be looking for HIM. ANGELA enters looking for DAVID. DAVID reenters stage opposite ANGELA. ANGELA spots DAVID and waves. HE sees HER. THEY cross and meet. TIM sees ANGELA and follows, keeping hidden. The CARNIES lurk in the background. THEY are the dark side of the midway. When DAVID and ANGELA meet the CARNIES sing. The BARKERS and VENDORS are carnies also, but THEY are like the gingerbread on the witches' house. As THEY sing the CARNIES draw DAVID and ANGELA into a sensual dance.)
CARNIES
THINGS ARE POPPIN', HOPPIN', HEARTS ARE STOPPIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
MARKS ARE WALKIN', SHOPPIN', MONEY'S DROPPIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
KEEP ON CROWIN', GLOWIN', HOPES ARE GROWIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
JUST SUPPOSIN', KNOWIN', FORTUNE'S BLOWIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
DON'T TRY TO PASS FOR A HIGH BROW.
THEY DON'T HAVE FUN, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW.
LET DOWN YOUR HAIR, THAT'S A START NOW.
SHAKE IT ALL LOOSE, LET IT GO, WOW!
THAT YOUR GIRL THERE? BOY IS SHE NICE.
SHE'S THE KIND MAKES A MAN LOOK TWICE.
WIN HER A BEAR, IT'S A SMALL PRICE.
SUGAR HER UP, SHE'LL BE ALL SPICE.
COME ON, COME ON, TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE ON THE MIDWAY.
RIDE ALL THE RIDES, FLYING HIGH, WIN A PRIZE ON THE MIDWAY.
STEP RIGHT UP AND SEE US ON THE MIDWAY!
(MIKLOS enters. HE is looking for TIM.)
GOD'S FORGIVIN', KEEP ON SINNIN',
LIFE'S WORTH LIVIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
KEEP ON SPINNIN', GRINNIN', WE'RE ALL WINNIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
GET YOUR LOVIN', COUSIN, HEAR IT BUZZIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
HEARTS ARE LUSTIN', FLUSHIN', THERE'S NO BLUSHIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
PST, FELLA', WHAT'CHA SAY? SEE HERE.
TELL YA' STRAIGHT, I'LL MAKE IT ALL CLEAR.
WHAT WE GOT, IT'S STRICTLY SINCERE.
CATCH IT ALL, CHECK IT FRONT TO REAR.
GIRLS INSIDE, GIRLS INSIDE, LAST CALL.
YOU LIKE GIRLS YOU'LL HAVE A BIG BALL.
THEY DON'T KNOW NOTHIN' BUT SHOW ALL.
BAUBLES AND BANGLES THEY ALL FALL.
COME ON, COME ON, TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE ON THE MIDWAY.
RIDE ALL THE RIDES, FLYING HIGH, WIN A PRIZE ON THE MIDWAY.
STEP RIGHT UP AND SEE US ON THE MIDWAY!
(Dance.)
(The BARKERS and VENDORS sing counterpoint to the rest of the CARNIES.)
BARKER 1
STEP RIGHT UP! TRY YOUR LUCK! WIN A PRIZE! (etc.)
BARKER 2
GIRLS! GIRLS RIGHT HERE! COME INSIDE! (etc.)
VENDOR 1
PEANUTS, GET YOUR PEANUTS HERE! PEANUTS! (etc.)
VENDOR 2
CANDY! COTTON CANDY! COTTON CANDY HERE! (etc.)
VENDOR 3
CO---CA COLA! CO---CA COLA! (etc.)
(MIKLOS catches up to TIM. HE has been on HIS trail throughout the dance.)
CARNIES
THINGS ARE POPPIN', HOPPIN', HEARTS ARE STOPPIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
MARKS ARE WALKIN', SHOPPIN', MONEY'S DROPPIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
KEEP ON CROWIN', GLOWIN', HOPES ARE GROWIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
JUST SUPPOSIN', KNOWIN', FORTUNE'S BLOWIN' ON THE MIDWAY.
ALL
DON'T TRY TO PASS FOR A HIGH BROW.
THEY DON'T HAVE FUN, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW.
LET DOWN YOUR HAIR, THAT'S A START NOW.
SHAKE IT ALL LOOSE, LET IT GO, WOW!
THAT YOUR GIRL THERE? BOY IS SHE NICE.
SHE'S THE KIND MAKES A MAN LOOK TWICE.
WIN HER A BEAR, IT'S A SMALL PRICE.
SUGAR HER UP, SHE'LL BE ALL SPICE.
COME ON, COME ON, TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE ON THE MIDWAY.
RIDE ALL THE RIDES, FLYING HIGH, WIN A PRIZE ON THE MIDWAY.
STEP RIGHT UP AND SEE US ON THE MIDWAY!
(DAVID and ANGELA embrace passionately. FIRENELLI enters. The CARNIES melt away. DAVID and ANGELA are oblivious of HIM, and everything. MIKLOS and TIM conceal THEMSELVES.)
FIRENELLI
Angela!
ANGELA
Papa!
(DAVID and ANGELA part.)
FIRENELLI
What are you doing?!
ANGELA
I love him!
FIRENELLI
I forbid it.
DAVID
I love her.
FIRENELLI
Quiet! Remember Bobby Angela. What killed him?
ANGELA
Bobby fell off of the trapeze.
FIRENELLI
The trapeze never killed a Firenelli. It was a wife, distractions, clowns making the people laugh.
ANGELA
Papa, I can't live without him!
FIRENELLI
I forbid it Angela!
ANGELA
No Papa!
FIRENELLI
I forbid it!
ANGELA
I love him!
(FIRENELLI faces DAVID.)
FIRENELLI
Leave my daughter alone! She is all I have left. Find a carnival girl. If she has a father he has long forgotten her.
(HE backs DAVID up to one of the booths.)
ANGELA
Papa! Stop!
(FIRENELLI has lost control.)
Papa!
(FIRENELLI hits DAVID in the face with the back of HIS hand.)
Monster!
(ANGELA runs off. DAVID stands and looks FIRENELLI in the eye. DAVID exits after ANGELA. MIKLOS and TIM slip off. FIRENELLI is horrified at what HE has done. HE looks at HIS hand.)
FIRENELLI
(spoken)
My daughter has called me a monster. I, Roberto Christiani Firenelli, a monster.
(sung)
WHEN I WAS TWO MY FATHER TOOK ME AND INTRODUCED ME TO THE TRAPEZE.
I COULD HARDLY WALK, BUT ALREADY, HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO FLY.
I GREW UP AMONG THE NETS AND THE ROPES,
THEIR SOUND WAS MY LULLABY.
HE NEVER TOLD ME WHAT IT WOULD MEAN.
I AM THE GREAT FIRENELLI!
KING OF THE SKY!
LORD OF THE WIND, FIRENELLI!
I LAUGH DEATH IN THE EYE!
I LAUGH!---
AND THEN I CRY.
I HAD A SON AND I TOOK HIM WHEN HE WAS TWO TO MEET THE TRAPEZE.
HE COULD HARDLY WALK BUT ALREADY, I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO FLY.
HE GREW UP WITH THE NETS AND THE ROPES,
THEIR SOUND WAS HIS LULLABY.
I NEVER TOLD HIM WHAT IT WOULD MEAN.
HE WAS HEIR TO THE GREAT FIRENELLI,
KING OF THE SKY!
LORD OF THE WIND, FIRENELLI!
HE LAUGHED DEATH IN THE EYE.
HE LAUGHED!---
AND THEN HE DIED.
(spoken)
Oh my son.
Never was there one for the air such as he. Sometimes I thought he would soar straight up through the tent top and into the stars. And then, one day, he did. Now my daughter, the only child my God has left to me, she calls me a monster. I! the Great Firenelli.
(sung)
HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHILDREN?
HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR EYES?
ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN,
HOW THEY LOOK AS I WALK BY?
I CLIMB THE ROPE,
THEY'RE ALL BY MY SIDE.
THOSE EYES HAVE ALL GROWN NOW,
A HUNDRED FEET WIDE!
AND I LEAP INTO THE AIR!
RIDE THE WIND, CATCH A PRAYER!
DARING TO REACH EVER HIGHER,
I AM MOTION, ASCENDANT, INSPIRED!
FIRENELLI!
FIRENELLI!
I AM HE!
I AM THE GREAT FIRENELLI!
KING OF THE SKY!
LORD OF THE WIND, FIRENELLI!
I LAUGH DEATH---------
IN THE EYE!!!
(BLACKOUT)
End of Scene 7
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sawdust In My Shoes... Home, Title Page, Cast of Characters, Songs
Act I ---- Scene... One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine
Act II --- Scene... One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
circus, Ringling Brothers, Cirque du Soleil, trapeze, lion, parade, clown, high wire, accident, death, mother, father, grandfather, marriage, love, chorus girl, musical, Broadway, show
© 1982 and 1985 by Gregg Butterfield and Michael J. Pickering.
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to make one printed copy for personal/non-commercial use only. Any reproduction of this material must include this copyright notice. Written permission from the authors is required for further reproduction, by any method. Written permission from the authors is required to perform this work or any portion thereof.
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