Act I, Scene 9
SETTING:
The big top.
AT RISE:
A driving beat fills the air. The lights come up to frantic motion all over the stage. The circus is pulling out.
CHORUS
PULLING UP STAKES, GOTTA GET OUT, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
PACKING THE TRUNKS, FILLING THE CRATES, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
TONIGHT WE'RE HERE, TOMORROW WE'RE THERE,
IN HALF A YEAR WE COULD BE ANYWHERE,
EVERYWHERE.
LOADING THE TRUCKS, FILL 'EM UP, FILL 'EM UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
GET IT ALL OUT, KEEP IT UP, KEEP IT UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
MAN 1
Hurry! Get that line!
MAN 2
Bring it down slow boys. Bring it down slow.
TERRI
Hey! Has anybody seen my cat? She got out of the trailer.
CHORUS
NEVER LOOK BACK, GOTTA GET OUT, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
SAY YOUR GOODBYES, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
ONE DAY WE'RE HERE, ANOTHER WE'RE THERE,
TOMORROW WE COULD BE ANYWHERE,
EVERYWHERE.
GET OUT THE MAP, MARK IT UP, MARK IT UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
LOAD UP THE TRUNKS, HURRY UP, HURRY UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
WHO WANTS TO LIVE IN A BOX ALL HIS LIFE
WITH HIS KNEES TO HIS CHEST AND THE LID SHUT TIGHT?
NOT ME.
LOCKED IN A HOLE WITHOUT AIR TO BREATH.
CHAINED TO ONE PLACE, HOW COULD I BE?
NOT ME.
I GOTTA BE FREE.
YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME TIED TO ONE PLACE
LIKE A BOOK GATHERING DUST ON AN OLD BOOKCASE,
NO SIREE,
YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME.
I'M LOOSE AS THE WIND SLIPPING THROUGH THE TREES.
I COVER THE MEADOW LIKE A HONEY BEE.
THAT'S ME.
YES SIR I'M FREE!
MAN 2
Come on! Give me a hand!
TERRI
Sheba!
MAN 1
Watch it there. Get a move on. What do you think this is? A circus?!
(Dance. There is motion everywhere. Apparent chaos. But it is an ORCHESTRAted chaos that has been rehearsed and acted out in hundreds of cities. Bleachers come down, the ring is packed away, apparatus spanning the stage come down like magic. Watching the circus pull out is almost more incredible than the circus itself. The action pauses momentarily, as if a huge breath is being taken.)
GROUP 1
HEAVE!
GROUP 2
UP!
GROUP 1
HO!
GROUP 2
DOWN BOYS!
(Etc. GROUPS 1 and 2.)
TONI
DO YOU HAVE SOME SPACE? I BOUGHT A COAT AND IT WON'T FIT. (Etc.)
MAN 2
TRAIN! WE GOTTA CATCH THE TRAIN!
GET ALL THEM ELEPHANTS, AND TIGERS, AND BEARS, ON THE TRAIN!(Etc.)
SUE
GAS FOR THE CAR.
MR. BEANS
YOU BOUGHT GAS?
ANGELA
I THOUGHT YOU BOUGHT GAS.
TONI
GAS?
MIKLOS
FOR THE TRAILER.
MR. BEANS
WHO BOUGHT GAS?
(Etc. SUE, MIKLOS, ANGELA, MR. BEANS, and FIRENELLI.)
TERRI
SHEBA!
HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY.
SHEBA!
HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY.
SHEBA!
HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY.
(Etc TERRI.)
TERRI
Hey! Hey!
(The music stops.)
Has anybody seen Sheba? I still can't find her.
ROUSTABOUT
You can't find your cat? Hey, Terri can't find her cat. Has anybody seen it?
(EVERYBODY stops. One group at a time dropping to their knees to look for the cat.)
CHORUS
SHEBA! HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY.(Etc.)
MAN 1
What is going on?! Get back to work!
(CHORUS 1 and CHORUS 2 sing counterpoint.)
CHORUS 1
PULLING UP STAKES, GOTTA GET OUT, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
PACKING THE TRUNKS, FILLING THE CRATES, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
TONIGHT WE'RE HERE, TOMORROW WE'RE THERE,
IN HALF A YEAR WE COULD BE ANYWHERE,
EVERYWHERE.
NEVER LOOK BACK, GOTTA GET OUT, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
SAY YOUR GOODBYES, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
ONE DAY WE'RE HERE, ANOTHER WE'RE THERE,
TOMORROW WE COULD BE ANYWHERE,
EVERYWHERE.
CHORUS 2
WHO WANTS TO LIVE IN A BOX ALL HIS LIFE
WITH HIS KNEES TO HIS CHEST AND THE LID SHUT TIGHT?
NOT ME.
LOCKED IN A HOLE WITHOUT AIR TO BREATH.
CHAINED TO ONE PLACE, HOW COULD I BE?
NOT ME.
I GOTTA BE FREE.
YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME TIED TO ONE PLACE
LIKE A BOOK GATHERING DUST ON AN OLD BOOKCASE,
NO SIREE,
YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME.
I'M LOOSE AS THE WIND SLIPPING THROUGH THE TREES.
I COVER THE MEADOW LIKE A HONEY BEE.
THAT'S ME.
YES SIR I'M FREE!
(During the preceding we see TIM sneak on stage. HE works HIS way behind everybody. TERRI'S trunk is left standing upstage. TIM slips into it. During the following it is conspicuously rolled off stage.)
LOADING THE TRUCKS, FILL 'EM UP, FILL 'EM UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
GET IT ALL OUT, KEEP IT UP, KEEP IT UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
LOADING THE TRUCKS, FILL 'EM UP, FILL 'EM UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
GET IT ALL OUT, KEEP IT UP, KEEP IT UP, GOTTA MOVE IT ON.
(While the CHORUS sings the ropes come down. The rigging comes down. The canvass trembles. And the big top comes down! Something can be seen crawling under the canvass. TERRI pops out the center hole with Sheba.)
ALL
Sheba!
(BLACKOUT)
End of Act I
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.
Comments Widget
