Whisper House (excerpt) Composer and Lyrics by Duncan Sheik & Writer and Lyrics by Kyle Jarrow

Page 1

1. Opening Sequence Lights rise on TWO GHOSTS: a man and a woman, dressed in dapper, yet faded, 1920s-style evening wear. The Male Ghost strums a guitar. It’s gentle, haunting music. He looks out at the audience and he sings. SONG: Better to Be Dead MALE GHOST WE PRESENT TO YOU A STORY SET UPON A NORTHERN SHORE ABOUT LONELY LITTLE PEOPLE DURING TIMES OF WAR THE FOOLISH THINGS THEY DID THE FOOLISH THINGS THEY SAID I THINK THAT YOU’LL AGREE THEY’D ALL BE BETTER OFF DEAD As he continues to strum, the lights rise on a small boy, CHRISTOPHER, sitting alone in a chair in the middle of the stage. He holds a TOY PLANE in his hands. Presently, a DOCTOR enters. He looks at the boy for a long moment, then goes to him. Christopher?

DOCTOR The boy looks up at him but says nothing.

DOCTOR (CONT’D) Thank you for waiting so patiently. Is she better?

CHRISTOPHER Beat. The Doctor clears his throat. This won’t be easy to say.


Draft January 2020

2.

DOCTOR Losing your father has been very hard for her. I’m afraid she’s going to be here awhile. CHRISTOPHER I can take care of her, sir. DOCTOR (shakes his head, then) We’ve contacted a relative of yours, an aunt. She lives in a lighthouse; that’ll be something, won’t it? I have a ticket for you… He continues talking but his voice fades as the music swells. Now the Female Ghost steps forward to sing. As she does, the lights shift and the Doctor disappears. Christopher opens his suitcase, carefully places his toy airplane inside, then closes it. He sits there alone, facing his future. FEMALE GHOST HERE IS YOUNG CHRISTOPHER SITTING ON A TRAIN HIS FATHER HIT THE OCEAN IN A FIERY AEROPLANE THEY’RE SENDING HIM AWAY NOW HIS BELLY FILLED WITH DREAD AND THOUGH HE’S JUST A CHILD HE MIGHT BE BETTER OFF DEAD GHOSTS WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE AND EVERYTHING IS SAID LIFE IS NAUGHT BUT PAIN IT'S BETTER TO BE DEAD RELEASE YOUR HEAVY HEART REST YOUR WEARY HEAD WHEN ALL THE WORLD'S AT WAR IT'S BETTER, IT’S BETTER…

*


Draft January 2020

3. Lights up on LILY. She’s pale, not unbeautiful, but hunched over with a limp and a cane. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun. She stands frozen while the ghosts sing about her.

FEMALE GHOST AUNT LILY KEEPS A LIGHTHOUSE IT’S THE ONLY HOME SHE’S KNOWN SHE'S NO RAY OF SUNSHINE SO MOSTLY SHE'S ALONE NO ONE CARES ABOUT HIS LONGING OR THE DREAMS ON WHICH SHE’S FED AND THOUGH I’M SAD TO SAY IT SHE WOULD BE BETTER OFF DEAD Lights up on YASUHIRO, a Japanese man dressed in a dark coat. He stands frozen while the ghosts sing about him. MALE GHOST WITNESS YASUHIRO HE HAILS FROM OLD JAPAN HE SEARCHES FOR REDEMPTION IN THIS STRANGE AND FOREIGN LAND AND NOW HE WORKS FOR LILY TO EARN HIS DAILY BREAD BUT THE MOST THAT ONE CAN SAY IS THAT HE'S BETTER OFF DEAD We’re now at a TRAIN STATION. The music continues as underscoring. Christopher, his suitcase in hand, stands alone, eyes searching for whoever has come to fetch him. Lily approaches Christopher on the train platform. Yasuhiro stands beside her. Christopher.

LILY Christopher nods: yes, that’s him.

LILY (CONT’D) I’m your Aunt Lily.

* * *


Draft January 2020

4. A beat in which they stare at each other silently.

LILY (CONT’D) (re: his suitcase) This is all you have? Yes, ma’am.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY How was your train ride? Fine.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY (nods, then) Well, that’s enough small talk. Let’s get moving. Yes, ma’am.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY Don’t call me ma’am. Don’t call me aunt either. Or auntie, that’s even worse. You may call me Miss Lily. (She gestures to Yasuhiro.) This is Mister Yasuhiro. He’ll carry your luggage for you. YASUHIRO Hello, Christopher. He reaches for Christopher’s suitcase. Christopher shrinks from him as he takes it. LILY The lighthouse is this way. She leads Christopher off. Yasuhiro follows. The music swells. GHOSTS WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE AND ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID LIFE IS NAUGHT BUT PAIN IT’S BETTER TO BE DEAD RELEASE YOUR HEAVY HEART REST YOUR WEARY HEAD


Draft January 2020

5.

WHEN ALL THE WORLD'S AT WAR IT'S BETTER, IT’S BETTER TO BE DEAD… IT'S GOOD TO BE A GHOST IT'S BETTER TO BE DEAD. Lights shift.


Draft January 2020

6. 2. The Lighthouse We discover Lily and Christopher, having just come in the lighthouse door.

LILY Your father and I were raised in this lighthouse. I imagine he mentioned that at one point or another. Christopher shakes his head no. LILY (CONT’D) Well, it’s been in our family for three generations. Tallest one in Maine, nearly a hundred feet high. There, you can see the path to the water. You must never go in. The undertow is strong and could pull you out to sea. Understand? Christopher, intimidated, nods. Yasuhiro enters, carrying Christopher’s luggage. YASUHIRO Should I take up his suitcase? Yes, thank you.

*

LILY

YASUHIRO If there is anything else you need, Christopher, please let me know. Christopher shrinks from him once again. Lily sees this, but doesn’t remark on it. Instead she says, as Yasuhiro exits— LILY Mister Yasuhiro lives in the bell house. He helps out around here. There are many things I can’t do because of my limp. CHRISTOPHER Can I ask you a question? LILY It’s called a clubbed foot. I was born with it. CHRISTOPHER That’s not the question, ma’am.


Draft January 2020

7.

LILY What did I say about that word, “ma’am”? Sorry.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY Ask your question. Is he a Jap?

CHRISTOPHER

LILY He is Japanese, yes. CHRISTOPHER Dad went to war to fight the Japs. LILY I hired Mister Yasuhiro long before the war. He has nothing do with it. Now, are you hungry? I ate on the train.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY Alright, come along then. I’ll show you your room. She leads Christopher up the stairs. She’s slow to climb them, with her limp. As they climb, the band uses their instruments to create the creepy sound of WOOD CREAKING. Christopher reacts. LILY (CONT’D) The stairs are old. They creak. They get to the top of the stairs. There’s the sound of distant BIRDS SQUAWKING eerily, also created by the band. Christopher reacts again. LILY (CONT’D) Those are the gulls circling the tower.

*


Draft January 2020

8. The band creates the sound of distant WIND and a ringing BELL. Christopher reacts yet again.

LILY (CONT’D) That’s the wind blowing through the bell house. You may hear people in town claim it’s the whispers of drowned spirits or some other nonsense. But surely you’re old enough to know there’s no such thing as ghosts. If there were, they wouldn’t waste their time ringing an old bell. Now let’s get you unpacked.

*

They’ve now reached the room at the top of the stairs. Lily opens his suitcase, starts unpacking it for him. She comes across the TOY PLANE. Christopher gets nervous when she touches it. Be careful—

CHRISTOPHER

LILY I remember this. It was your father’s, when he was a boy. She lifts the toy plane out of the suitcase. Looks at it, remembering her brother. Then discovers that one of the wings has snapped in half. CHRISTOPHER What did you do?! LILY Nothing. It must’ve happened on the train— Give it to me.

CHRISTOPHER He yanks the broken plane out of her hands and holds it close to his chest, looking away from her.

LILY Christopher. (she tries again) Christopher. (peering at him) Are you crying? CHRISTOPHER (lying, wiping his nose) No.

*


Draft January 2020

9.

LILY Don’t use your sleeve! Here. She reaches into her pocket, pulls out a handkerchief, hands it to him. He stares at it. It’s all dirty.

CHRISTOPHER

LILY Right. Forgot about that. (Awkward beat.) Look, I am not used to being around children, and you are not used to being around me, so this may not be easy. I would like to apologize in advance for that. Do you need anything else? No? Then good night. She exits, leaving Christopher alone. There’s the sound of creaking. And birds squawking. And the ringing bell. The Ghosts begin to whisper. MALE & FEMALE GHOST Christopher… Christopher… Christopher…. Christopher doesn’t see them, but he hears them. He tries to convince himself it’s all in his imagination… CHRISTOPHER There’s no such thing as ghosts. With that, music slams in. SONG: We’re Here To Tell You MALE GHOST INDEED THERE'S SUCH A THING AS GHOSTS AND MORE TO CAUSE YOU FEAR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHERE OR WHEN BUT SURELY THEY'LL APPEAR Christopher pulls the bedcovers over his head and hides there while the song continues.

*


Draft January 2020

10.

GHOSTS QUIET MEN TURN INTO WOLVES DURING CERTAIN MOONS AND SIRENS SING THEIR SIREN SONGS SWEET AND DEADLY TUNES WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THIS IS REAL AND IF YOU'RE TERRIFIED TODAY THAT'S HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL (FOR REAL) WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU GHOSTS ARE HERE FOR GOOD AND IF THIS DOESN'T TERRIFY YOU IT SHOULD… IT SHOULD! DON'T YOU KNOW THE FEELING WHEN BLOOD HAS LEFT YOUR VEINS AND HORSEMEN OF APOCALYPSE RIDE THROUGH POISON RAINS THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS AND IN THE GRAND DESIGN ONCE HE GETS YOUR NUMBER HE CALLS YOU ALL THE TIME WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THIS IS REAL AND IF YOU'RE TERRIFIED TODAY THAT'S HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL (FOR REAL) WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU GHOSTS ARE HERE FOR GOOD AND IF THIS DOESN'T TERRIFY YOU IT SHOULD… IT SHOULD! Blackout.


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