Araby script

ARABY – in 13 short scenes Cast Girl (Mangan’s sister): Ashley/Hannah (cello) The object of Boy’s desire, who worships her in a near religious way. As still as possible throughout (except when playing). Also plays coins.

Boy: Hai-Ting (mezzo-soprano) In constant motion throughout the show in the area of his spotlight. The movement should be regular, metronomic, abstract (not mimed action, but rather indistinct action that could be perceived as something specific: i.e. moving to and fro, stepping back and forth, crossing to reach, put down, look out, pace, wander). This constant motion represents his unrest and the circle of spotlight represents the stifled environment/space in which he lives.

The only time he is still is during Schickele’s Lamplight and Kirsten’s through the silence. Most of the time Boy is holding a schoolbook (can be used as a cheat sheet for text/music) and pencil, he fidgets with them throughout.

Setting Each player is assigned half of the stage area, Boy is stage right, Girl is stage left. Each is alternately cast in spotlight, half-light, or darkness. Boy cannot move past the edges created by his spotlight until Ko’s Between Us.

Scenes (should dovetail as much as possible, overlap text and music when possible): 1. CELLO SOLO Sept Papillons #2 a. Girl in spotlight, playing cello b. Boy in half-light, laying on floor, trying to see the object of his desire through the crack in the blind near the floorboard, he is in motion (small-scale indistinct movements perceived as reaching or straining to see) After cello solo, light fades to dark on Girl 2. NARRATION / SONG a. Light up on Boy who speaks (laying on floor and first, then moving to and fro): BOY: North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street…the houses conscious of decent lives with them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces…

ABK #1 – our house (mezzo-soprano solo) north richmond street being blind was quiet, blind, quiet our house on a blind quiet street, musty air hung in our house, littered pages curled and damp, curled and damp quiet, street blind, from our parlor on the blind street I watched her front door step, quiet

After song, fade to half-light on boy who is standing in one place farthest from Girl, facing her, but always fidgeting and as if trying to see/hear her better (abstract movements, nothing too literal) Light up on Girl, for next solo 3. CELLO SOLO Sept Papillons #1 At end of solo, fade to half-light on girl who speaks (dovetail the text with the last note of Saariaho):

4. NARRATION / SONG GIRL: Curled and damp, leaves yellow, wild garden behind the house. The short days of winter came… The lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns. I went to the doorstep to call my brother to his tea.

BOY: (without missing a beat) Her dress sung as she moved her body…Mangan’s sister.

(Fade light on Girl) ABK #2 – the space of the sky above us… (mezzo-soprano solo) When the short days of winter came winter blind quiet the space of the sky above us was an ever-changing violet quiet blind I had never spoken to her yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood

As song finishes, lights up on both.

5. CELLO and VOICE Sept Papillon #3 plus spoken text a. As Girl plays cello, Boy speaks: Her image accompanies me even in places most hostile to romance: the Saturday evening market with my aunt carrying parcels walking through flaring streets jostled by drunken men and bargaining women amid curses of laborers shrill litanies of shop boys nasal street singers and Look (imagining he is a knight) it’s my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can. I bear my chalice safely through a throng of foes, my strength from purity. I am Sir Lancelot. And a knight is not yet fully armed unless he bears the favor of a lady fair.

Attacca into…

As the next cello solo begins, lights fade on both, leave Girl in half-light for solo 6. …CELLO SOLO Sept Papillons #4 Fade to black after solo

Fade up to half-light on Boy for next song 7. SONG ABK #3 – o love! (mezzo-soprano solo) its her in strange quiet prayers, a flood from my once blind heart, o love o love

Song ends and…

BOY: At last she speaks! (Fade up on Girl) 8. LAMPLIGHT by Matthew Schickele (cellist plays and sings, mezzo-soprano is still, plays drone) When the music comes to an end: BOY: (excited) She said GIRL: I said BOY: She said Light fades on Girl.

9. SONG / NARRATION ABK #4 – are you going to Araby? (mezzo-soprano solo) Are you going to Araby, the splendid bazaar, the lamplight fell, and falling lit up her hand upon the railing, are you going to Araby? The lamplight fell and falling, are you going to Araby? quiet fell blind falling

Song ends and…

BOY: My body was like a harp, her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires. (to the Girl, light up on her) If I go I will bring you something.

(Light fades to half on Boy) 10. CELLO SOLO Sept Papillons #5

As the music plays, Boy moves to and fro in elation, excited by this interaction, one that guarantees future interactions.

11. ABK # 5 – (mezzo-soprano spoken solo, plus cello knocking and pizzicato) During this scene Boy is pacing, moving, waiting waiting. (spoken) and I wait (metronome ticking, cello knocking, cello pizz, book pages tremolo, finger tapping)and wait for the day for the time the clock wait the ticking wait for my uncle to come home with spending money the clock ticking from the window I stare at her front door wait and wait dinner passed the hours passing nearly ten pacing prolonged wait and wait and finally! deserted train the hour is late train creeping wait for the time the clock wait the creeping train creeping onward among ruinous houses and over the twinkling river to Araby nearly ten stalls closed almost all in darkness two men counting money I listened to the fall of the coins quiet fell blind falling – remembering with difficulty why I had come…

Upon the words “remembering with difficulty why I had come…” begin the next piece.

12. BETWEEN US by Tonia Ko Follow stage and lighting instructions in Tonia’s score.

(At the end of the piece, Boy crosses over to near where Girl is for the first time.)

Boy is now at Araby, in the stillness of closing time.

13. SONG ABK #6 through the silence (mezzo-soprano solo and the sound of coins played by cellist from offstage) (Not moving this time) do you wish to quiet voice, quiet fell, I heard falling calling that the last light was out I gazed up into the darkness, buy anything? No, thank you.

buy anything? A a blind voice in the gallery do you wish to

The sound of coins dropping into a jar continues after the music fades. Boy begins moving thru the area of his spotlight again in a mechanical way (as in the beginning), the light fades.