YOU'LL SEE
(BENNY enters.)
BENNY
Joy to the world--
Hey, you bum -- yeah, you, move over
Get your ass off that range rover
MARK
That attitude toward the homeless is just what
Maureen is protesting tonight.
(Holding camera up to BENNY)
Close up: Benjamin Coffin the third, our ex-roommate who married Alison Grey, of the
Westport Greys -- then bought the building and the lot next door from his father-in-law in
hopes of starting a cyber-studio.
BENNY
Maureen is protesting
Losing her performance space
Not my attitude
ROGER
What happened to Benny
What happened to his heart
And the ideals he once pursued?
BENNY
The owner of that lot next door
Has a right to do with it as he pleases
COLLINS
Happy birthday, Jesus!
BENNY
The rent
MARK
You're wasting your time
ROGER
We're broke
MARK
And you broke your word -- this is absurd
BENNY
There is one way you won't have to pay
ROGER
I knew it!
BENNY
Next door, the home of Cyberarts, you see
And now that the block is re-zoned
Our dream can become a reality
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
A state of the art, digital, virtual interactive studio
I'll forego your rent and on paper guarantee
That you can stay here for free
If you do me one small favor
MARK
What?
BENNY
Convince Maureen to cancel her protest
MARK
Why not just get an injunction or call the cops
BENNY
I did, and they're on stand by
But my investors would rather
I handle this quietly
ROGER
You can't quietly wipe out an entire tent city
Then watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' on TV!
BENNY
You want to produce films and write songs?
You need somewhere to do it!
It's what we used to dream about
Think twice before you pooh-pooh it
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
You'll see -- the beauty of a studio
That lets us do our work and get paid
With condos on the top
Whose rent keeps open our shop
Just stop the protest
And you'll have it made
You'll see -- or you'll pack
(BENNY exits.)
ANGEL
That boy could use some prozac
ROGER
Or heavy drugs
MARK
Or group hugs
COLLINS
Which reminds me --
We have a detour to make tonight
Anyone who wants to can come along
ANGEL
Life support's a group for people coping with life
You don't have to stay too long
MARK
First I've got a protest to save
ANGEL
Roger?
ROGER
I'm not much company you'll find
MARK
Behave!
ANGEL
He'll catch up later -- He's just go other things on his mind
You'll see boys
MARK & COLLINS
We'll see boys
ROGER
Let it be boys!
COLLINS
I like boys
ANGEL
Boys like me
ALL
We'll see.
TANGO: MAUREEN
(The lot. JOANNE is reexamining the cable connections for the umpteenth time.)
MARK
And so into the abyss...The lot. Where a small stage is partially set up.
JOANNE
(playing with some wires)
"Line in"...
I went to Harvard for this?
MARK
Close on Mark's nose dive.
JOANNE
"Line out"...
MARK
Will he get out of here alive...?
(JOANNE notices MARK approaching.)
JOANNE
Mark?
MARK
Hi.
JOANNE
I told her not to call you
MARK
That's Maureen
But can I help since I'm here
JOANNE
I hired an engineer ...
MARK
Great!
Well, nice to have met you
JOANNE
Wait!
She's three hours late
The samples won't delay
But the cable --
MARK
There's another way
Say something -- anything
JOANNE (into the mike)
Test -- one, two three --
MARK
Anything but that
JOANNE
This is weird
MARK
It's weird
JOANNE
Very weird
MARK
Fuckin' weird
JOANNE
I'm so mad
That I don't know what to do
Fighting with microphones
Freezing down to my bones
And to top it all off
I'm with you
MARK
Feel like going insane?
Got a fire in your brain?
And you're thinking of drinking gasoline?
JOANNE
As a matter of fact --
MARK
Honey, I know this act
It's called the 'Tango Maureen'
The Tango Maureen
It's a dark, dizzy merry-go-round
As she keeps you dangling
JOANNE
You're wrong
MARK
Your heart she is mangling
JOANNE
It's different with me
MARK
And you toss and you turn
'Cause her cold eyes can burn
Yet you yearn and you churn and rebound
JOANNE
I think I know what you mean
BOTH
The Tango Maureen
MARK
Has she ever pouted her lips
And called you 'Pookie'
JOANNE
Never
MARK
Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?
JOANNE
This is spooky
Did you swoon when she walked through the door?
MARK
Every time -- so be cautious
JOANNE
Did she moon over other boys --?
MARK
More than moon --
JOANNE
I'm getting nauseous
(They begin to dance, with MARK leading.)
MARK
Where'd you learn to tango?
JOANNE
With the French Ambassador's daughter in her dorm room at Miss Porter's. And you?
MARK
With Nanette Himmelfarb. The Rabbi's daughter at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Center.
(They switch, and JOANNE leads.)
It's hard to do this backwards.
JOANNE
You should try it in heels!
She cheated
MARK
She cheated
JOANNE
Maureen cheated
MARK
Fuckin' cheated
JOANNE
I'm defeated
I should give up right now
MARK
Gotta look on the bright side
With all of your might
JOANNE
I'd fall for her still anyhow
BOTH
When you're dancing her dance
You don't stand a chance
Her grip of romance
Make you fall
MARK
So you think, 'Might as well'
JOANNE
"Dance a tango to hell"
BOTH
'At least I'll have tangoed at all'
The Tango Maureen
Gotta dance till your diva is through
You pretend to believe her
Cause in the end -- you can't leave her
But the end it will come
Still you have to play dumb
Till you're glum and you bum
And turn blue
MARK
Why do we love when she's mean?
JOANNE
And she can be so obscene
MARK
Try the mike
JOANNE
My Maureen (reverb: een, een, een...)
MARK
Patched
JOANNE
Thanks
MARK
You know -- I feel great now!
JOANNE
I feel lousy
(The pay phone rings. MARK hands it to JOANNE.)
Honey, we're... (pause) Pookie?!
You never call me Pookie...
Forget it, we're patched.
(She hangs up, looks at MARK.)
BOTH
The Tango Maureen!
LIFE SUPPORT
(ANGEL and COLLINS attend an AIDS Life Support group. PAUL, the support leader, sits on
the downstage railing above. GORDON, one of the members of the group, is standing
downstage left, facing the audience. As the members enter, they introduce themselves and
form a semicircle. Note: The names of the support group members should change every
night and should honor actual friends of the company who have died of AIDS.)
STEVE
Steve.
GORDON
Gordon.
ALI
Ali.
PAM
Pam.
SUE
Sue.
ANGEL
Hi, I'm Angel.
COLLINS
Tom. Collins.
PAUL
I'm Paul. Let's begin
ALL
There's only us
There's only this ...
(MARK blusters in noisily.)
MARK
Sorry ... Excuse me ... oops
PAUL
And you are?
MARK
Oh -- I'm not --
I'm just here to --
I don't have --
I'm here with --
Um -- Mark
Mark -- I'm Mark
Well -- this is quite an operation
PAUL
Sit down Mark
We'll continue the affirmation
ALL
Forget regret or life is yours to miss
GORDON
Excuse me Paul -- I'm having a problem with this
This credo -- My T-cells are low --
I regret that news, okay?
PAUL
Alright
But Gordon - How do you feel today?
GORDON
What do you mean?
PAUL
How do you feel today?
GORDON
Okay
PAUL
Is that all?
GORDON
Best I've felt all year
PAUL
Then why choose fear?
GORDON
I'm a New Yorker!
Fear's my life!
Look - I find some of what you teach suspect
Because I'm used to relying on intellect
But I try to open up to what I don't know
GORDON & ROGER (who sings from his loft)
Because reason says I should have died
Three years ago
ALL
No other road
No other way
No day but today
OUT TONIGHT (Mimi's apartment)
MIMI
What's the time?
Well it's gotta be close to midnight
My body's talking to me
It says, "Time for danger"
It says "I wanna commit a crime
Wanna be the cause of a fight
Wanna put on a tight skirt and flirt
With a stranger"
I've had a knack from way back
At breaking the rules once I learn the games
Get up - life's too quick
I know someplace sick
Where this chick'll dance in the flames
We don't need any money
I always get in for free
You can get in too
If you get in with me
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna play?
Let's run away
We won't be back before it's Christmas day
Take me out tonight (meow)
When I get a wink from the doorman
Do you know how lucky you'll be?
That you're on line with the feline of Avenue B
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna prowl
Be my night owl?
Well take my hand we're gonna howl
Out tonight
In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels too damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry
So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
And all the scars from the
Nevers and maybes die
Let's go out tonight
Have to go out tonight
You're sweet
Wanna hit the street?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight
(MIMI makes her way to ROGER's door and ends the song in front of him.)
Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me -- out tonight
I'll let you make me -- out tonight
Tonight -- tonight -- tonight
ANOTHER DAY
(The loft. MIMI plants a huge kiss on ROGER, who recoils.)
ROGER
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar
Little girl -- hey
The door is that way
You better go you know
The fire's out anyway
Take your powder -- take your candle
Your sweet whisper
I just can't handle
Well take your hair in the moonlight
Your brown eyes -- goodbye, goodnight
I should tell you I should tell you
I should tell you I should -- no!
Another time -- another place
Our temperature would climb
There'd be a long embrace
We'd do another dance
It'd be another play
Looking for romance?
Come back another day
Another day
MIMI
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today
ROGER
Excuse me if I'm off track
But if you're so wise
Then tell me -- why do you need smack?
Take your needle
Take your fancy prayer
And don't forget
Get the moonlight out of your hair
Long ago -- you might've lit up my heart
But the fire's dead -- ain't never ever gonna start
Another time -- another place
The words would only rhyme
We'd be in outer space
It'd be another song
We'd sing another way
You wanna prove me wrong?
Come back another day
Another day
MIMI
There's only yes
Only tonight
We must let go
To know what's right
No other course
No other way
No day but today
(Lights slowly fade up on the Life Support group.)
MIMI & OTHERS
I can't control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only goal is just
To be
There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way
No day but today...
ROGER
Control your temper
She doesn't see
Who says that there's a soul?
Just let me be...
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar
Little girl, hey
The door is that way
The fire's out anyway
ALL
No day but today
No day but today
No day but today
No day but today
No day but today
ROGER
Take your powder; take your candle
Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile, your silhouette
Another time, another place
Another rhyme, a warm embrace
Another dance, another way
Another chance, another day
(MIMI and the Life Support group members exit. One person, STEVE, remains at stage right,
above.)
WILL I?
(Various locations)
STEVE
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
GROUP #1
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
GROUP #2
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
GROUP #3
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
GROUP #4
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
(ROGER puts on his jacket and exits the loft.)
ON THE STREET
THREE HOMELESS PEOPLE
Christmas bells are ringing
Christmas bells are ringing
Christmas bells are ringing --
Out of town
Santa Fe
SQUEEGEEMAN
Honest living, man!
(He recoils as though he's almost been run over by a car.)
Feliz Navidad!
(Three POLICE OFFICERS, in full riot gear, enter and approach sleeping BLANKET
PERSON. The FIRST OFFICER pokes her with a nightstick.)
HOMELESS PERSON
Evening, officers
(Without answering, the FIRST OFFICER raises his nightstick again.)
MARK (pointing his camera)
Smile for Ted Koppel, Officer Martin!
(The FIRST OFFICER lowers his stick.)
HOMELESS PERSON
And a Merry Christmas to your family
POLICE OFFICERS
Right!!
(The POLICE OFFICERS stride offstage. MARK continues to film BLANKET PERSON.)
BLANKET PERSON (To MARK)
Who the fuck do you think you are?
I don't need no goddamn help
From some bleeding heart cameraman
My life's not for you to
Make a name for yourself on!
ANGEL
Easy, sugar, easy
He was just trying to --
BLANKET PERSON
Just trying to use me to kill his guilt
It's not that kind of movie, honey
Let's go -- this lot is full of
Motherfucking artists
Hey artist
You gotta dollar?
I thought not
(BLANKET PERSON crosses to downstage left with another HOMELESS PERSON.)
SANTA FE
(The Street.)
ANGEL
New York City --
MARK
Uh huh
ANGEL
Center of the universe
COLLINS
Sing it girl --
ANGEL
Times are shitty
But I'm pretty sure they can't get worse
MARK
I hear you
ANGEL
It's a comfort to know
When you're singing the hit-the-road blues
That anywhere else you could possibly go
After New York would be a pleasure cruise
COLLINS
Now you're talking
Well, I'm thwarted by a metaphysic puzzle
And I'm sick of grading papers -- that I know
And I'm shouting in my sleep, I need a muzzle
All this misery pays no salary, so
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Oh sunny Santa Fe would be nice
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
And leave this to the roaches and mice
COLLINS
Oh--oh
ALL
Oh--
ANGEL
You teach?
COLLINS
-- I teach -- Computer Age Philosophy
But my students would rather watch TV
ANGEL
America
ALL
America!
COLLINS
You're a sensitive aesthete
Brush the sauce onto the meat
You could make the menu sparkle with rhyme
You could drum a gentle drum
I could seat guests as they come
Chatting not about Heidegger, but wine!
(with HOMELESS PEOPLE in the shadows)
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Our labors would reap financial gains
ALL
Gains, gains, gains
COLLINS
We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
And save from devastation our brains
HOMELESS
Save our brains
ALL
We'll pack up all our junk and fly so far away
Devote ourselves to projects that sell
We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Forget this cold Bohemian hell
Oh--
ALL
Oh--
COLLINS
Do you know the way to Santa Fe?
You know, tumbleweeds...prairie dogs...
Yeah
I'LL COVER YOU
MARK
I'll meet you at the show.
I'll try and convince Roger to go.
(MARK exits)
ANGEL
Alone at last...
COLLINS
He'll be back, I guarantee.
ANGEL
I've been hearing violins all night!
COLLINS
Anything to do with me? Are we a thing?
ANGEL
Darling... we're everything!
Live in my house
I'll be your shelter
Just pay me back
With one thousand kisses
Be my lover -- I'll cover you
COLLINS
Open your door
I'll be your tenant
Don't got much baggage
To lay at your feet
But sweet kisses I've got to spare
I'll be there -- I'll cover you
BOTH
I think they meant it
When they said you can't buy love
Now I know you can rent it
A new lease you are, my love,
On life -- be my life
(They do a short dance.)
Just slip me on
I'll be your tenant
Wherever -- whatever -- I'll be your coat
ANGEL
You'll be my king
And I'll be your castle
COLLINS
No you'll be my queen
And I'll be your moat
BOTH
I think they meant it
When they said you can't buy love
Now I know you can rent it
A new lease you are, my love,
On life -- all my life
I've longed to discover
Something as true as this is
COLLINS
So with a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
ANGEL
If you're cold
And you're lonely
You've got one nickel only
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
COLLINS
When you're worn out
And tired
When your heart has expired
BOTH
Oh lover I'll cover you
Oh lover I'll cover you
