Re-Play
Doing more work for MuchAdoDotCom. Remember how it begins?
Hey, I’m still in search of a theatrical angel with interest in (what I think) is a very interesting and exciting script. If you know anyone with connections in the theatre world, help us get in communication.
Meanwhile, here’s a reminder of what the world is missing. Following is the opening of MuchAdoDotCom.
***********************
PROLOGUE
Vargas and members of The Company enter. They have push brooms, five-gallon buckets, mops and mop buckets, dust pans, and possibly a big bass garbage bin on wheels. Silence at first and then floor sweeping sounds in rhythm. Found percussion. The performers set up a beat.
JOULE
Appearing somewhat magically, MC Joule struts, dances, encourages the musicians and appraises the audience. He works with a hand-held microphone, using it for his lines as well as gesturing with it and using it to cue the call and response for the audience.
To the audience.
Yo! Check it out!
Turns to The Company.
Bee bop to hip hop
Beat ’n’ rock ’n’ don’t stop
Bang, bang the boogie baby,
Pump it up!
Pause while The Company amps up the beat.
Get a beat, don’t cheat
Keep it sweet, no retreat
Pound your feet on the street
Shake it out ‘n’ make it flow
Gesturing to the audience.
All those people out there
Confused and kinda square
Take a peek; don’t stare
They come here to see a show
That’s our job; make it pop
non-stop, hippa hop
Gonna rock it to the top
But first they gotta know
To audience now.
They won’t get no satisfaction
Sitting there; watchin’ the action
To begin, you need some skin
In a game you want to win
So before we dig in
to this tale you think you know
You got a chance to go all in
I’m gonna let you join the show
Spoken.
Don’t drop the ball on me now, baby.
Here we go.
Back into verse. Gestures to The Company to respond to the cue.
Are you ready?
COMPANY
The company responds and moves forward to help lead/encourage the audience in the call and response. Words [In Square Brackets] are for audience to say/sing along with The Company.
[We’re Ready]
JOULE
To audience. Available members of The Company help lead call and response.
That’s your line
Are you ready [We’re ready]
Your job—not mine
Are you ready [We’re ready]
I can hear you just a bit
Say are you ready [We’re ready]
C’mon now, commit
Are you ready [We’re ready]
Yeah, say it nice and loud
Are you ready [We’re ready]
Now this is my kinda crowd
Smart bunch of people
Come here for a play
With a story that you know
or least you think you know the way
There’s a woman with a vision
She is nobody’s fool
And there’s a dude. He’s got ambition
But he’s playin’ it cool
That’s Beatrice and Benedict
Two players in our story
Know each other since forever
You can guess where this is goin’
Now Bea she has a cousin
You’ll meet her soon enough
And Ben has got a friend
but has he got the right stuff?
There’s a wise woman, kind gent
you meet a little later
Another lady and geezer
they get on and they don’t waver
And me; I got my crew
work it hard, get it right
pounding code and slingin’ rhymes
and goin’ deep into the night
So there is love and there is wit
An’ we rap it double time
Everything that you can ask for
And you know that’s not a line
Joule and The Company lead the audience in a new call and response.
But wait, there’s more
You got to follow the money
[But wait, there’s more]
Got some stuff that’s feeling funny
[But wait, there’s more]
you got to follow the money
[But wait, there’s more]
no lie, it gets ugly
One more piece of business
to conduct before we start
One more little matter
that you got to take to heart
Unwrap that piece of candy,
and the droplets for your cough
an’ absolutely positively
Turn your cell phone off
Wass that? You can say it
Call and response.
[Turn your cell phone off]
Let me hear you, don’t debate it
[Turn your cell phone off]
No annoying little toying
[Turn your cell phone off]
And no texting you or sexting
[Turn your cell phone off]
Cell phone ring interrupts. It belongs to Joule, who ostentatiously turns it off. The Company exits with percussion instruments. Joule cues the action.
Act one, scene one,
Let’s turn up the lights,
There’s an office here for rent
And it’s very, very nice
Now Bea she needs an office
And I’ll let her fill you in
For it’s time, gentle people
For our story to begin
*******************************