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The Stonecutter's Dream

(Angel appears again on ladder with rippling cloth, music, spotlight, as before.)

ANGEL:
     Earths turn. Moons revolve.
     Seas rise. Worlds dissolve.
     Hearts beat. Faces glow.
     You are what you said. It is so!

(Flurry of activity. Throne is brought out stage right, couch is dragged off stage left, stagehands put crown on her head, scepter in her hand, and servant comes out with the gold parasol and shades her head. Queen’s cape is put on her.)

SERVANT:
     Oh Queen, most powerful in the land,
     Don’t ever let your dainty hand
     Lift up for anything but to scratch
     A little of your royal thatch.

2ND SERVANT:
     You should not work, but only smile
     At this whole world, yours, mile on mile!

QUEEN:
     This is fine! Rich was not enough!
     Now I sit in royal stuff!
     Crown on head, umbrella above!
     This must be what it’s like to be in love!
     No dust-mote floats across wide space
     That doesn’t pass before my face!

Queen With Servants On Throne With Parasol

QUEEN (continuing her speech):
     No fly that buzzes flying by
     Escapes my piercing, royal eye.
     I am the most powerful on earth
     And I intend to milk it for all it’s worth!

(While Queen is sitting royally smiling, her servants bowing, shuffling backwards, approaching, going down on bended knee, she touching them, they getting up again, bowing, etc., a giant-faced sun comes out from stage left, all golden with streamers, extensions of sun-rays, with face visible inside it, and does a dance. She may be intoning a high-pitched wordless song, which gets stronger when later her beams bear down on something, such as flowers. Sun does a slow dance for a while, and comes near the Queen, and servants start fanning her with huge fan.)

Sun Dancer With Arms Spread Wide

(Sun does slow dance, bending forward, beams hitting ground. Two or more flowers come out, do a dance of being flowers, but eventually come before the sun, who overpowers them until they collapse on the ground, shouting)

FLOWERS:
     Water! Water! We’re so dry
     We’re going to shrivel up and die!

(Sun comes around to Queen. She puts on huge dark glasses, her servant moves the parasol around to try to block the sun, the sun runs around to other side, sometimes holding a ray out to touch Queen’s face, etc. Servant brings out big bottle of sun-block cream. Queen slathers it on. Sun runs around, striking her with another ray. Choreograph a comic mime-dance here.)

QUEEN:
     I command you to desist!
     Be cool! Be mist!
     …Ouch! You’re burning me!
     I’m a powerful Queen, can’t you see?!

(Finally the sun stands above the Queen, who cowers at the sun’s feet.)

QUEEN:
     This is no good. The sun is stronger!
     Her rays extend so very much longer!
     Her light that travels at the speed of light
     Cuts right through space and endless night
     Brightening the whole earth, making things grow!
     I too must be strong enough to melt snow!
     Being just Queen isn’t enough, sun glasses or not!
     I’ve got a sunburn! I’d rather have a sunspot!
     I WANT TO BE THE SUN!

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THE STONECUTTER'S DREAM

Cast

Introduction

Scenery and Setting / Beginning

 

 
 

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