THE HOURS OF LIFE
_________________
A Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics by Paul Lewis
Contact: Paul Lewis
10797 Bill Point Vw NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206 842 3403
[email protected]
© 2014 Trylon Music
Version 10.18.14
ii.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
POE (Edgar Allan Poe), 30s to 40. Mercurial, capable of smoldering rage and deep tenderness
MUDDY (Maria Clemm), 60s, Poe's aunt, a mother figure throughout his life, plain and stoic
SISSY (Virginia Poe), early 20s. Poe's cousin, who becomes his first wife. Muddy's only child.
HELEN (Sarah Helen Whitman), 30s to 40s. Mystic, occasionally histrionic Rhode Island poet
MRS. POWER, 60s. Helen's mother. A wealthy Providence society matron
ANNA (Anna Power), 20s to 30s. Helen's emotionally brittle younger sister
MAELZEL, 30s to 60s, Austrian inventor and showman
SCHLUMBERGER, 30s to 60s. Maelzel's sidekick, a Bavarian dwarf and chess grand master
PABODIE, late 20s to 30s. Gay attorney and famously terrible poet
STATIONMASTER, an optimistic believer in the march of Progress
ENGLISH (Thomas English), 30s to 50s, a writer and politician. Poe's nemesis.
MR. SWAIN, 30s to 50s. Poe's neighbor. A self-satisfied, respectable solid citizen.
ENSEMBLE/ OTHERS: Train station passengers, Man playing chess, Librarian, Barkeep,
Constable, 1st Doctor, Dr. Moran, Nurse
Doubling of some of the roles will enhance this musical's deliberate theatricality.
iii.
PLACE
Various locations in the eastern United States:
Fordham, New York (now the Bronx), Providence and Baltimore
A squalid hotel room and a pier in a Venezuelan port town
TIME
Primarily 1845-1849, with the final scene taking place in 1855
PRODUCTION NOTES
Each act of this musical is intended to be performed in one nearly continuous take, with
underscoring linking almost every scene. The scenic components may be merely suggestive.
For a depiction of The Mechanical Turk, which figures prominently in the story, see wikipedia:
The Turk.
iv.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
1. THE MACHINERY OF MAN (Stationmaster, Ensemble)
2. THIS LOVE SONG (Sissy)
3. I KNOW HOW YOU VIEW ME (Poe, Ensemble)
4. AND THEN THE PAGES TURN (Helen)
5. WITHOUT ME, NOTHING (Schlumberger, Maelzel)
6. THE BELLS (Ensemble)
7. THE STORM (Poe, Helen)
8. THE MACHINERY OF FATE (Ensemble)
ACT TWO
9. STEP INTO THE LIGHT (Poe, Muddy)
10. COME CHRISTMAS (Anna, Helen, Mrs. Power, Maelzel, Poe, Ensemble)
11. SOME CHILDREN GROW UP HATED (Poe, Ensemble)
12. MEN DON'T STAY (Mrs. Power)
13. I KNOW HOW YOU VIEW ME- Reprise (Poe)
14. TRY A TRY (Muddy)
15. THE BELLS- Reprise (Ensemble)
16. THE HOURS OF LIFE (Helen, Poe)
17. FINALE (Ensemble)
v.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and CREDITS
This musical owes much to the poetry and prose of Edgar Poe and the poetry of Helen Whitman.
Portions of the following works have been quoted:
Edgar Allan Poe
‘The Raven’
‘The Bells’
‘To Helen’
‘The Tell-Tale Heart’
Sarah Helen Whitman
‘To E. A. Poe’
‘The Raven’
‘Hours of Life’
The lyrics of ‘Henry’s Cottage Maid’ were adapted from a song which Eliza Poe popularized in
the early 1800s, the author of which is unknown.
The lyrics of 'The Bells' were adapted from Poe's poem of the same name.
Brief passages of Poe’s dialogue have been adapted from letters he wrote to Helen Whitman.
The author is deeply grateful to Colin Speer Crowley and Barbara Hume for their invaluable
contributions to the development of this script and most specifically for the lyrics to 'And Then the
Pages Turn'
ACT ONE
SCENE I
CENTRAL TRAIN STATION, NEW HAVEN, 1855
Bells toll. MUSIC cue [1]. Early morning. The
station is quiet and dimly lit. Lights up on a
STATIONMASTER, awaiting the arrival of a train
and the start of the day’s business. He checks the
time on his pocket watch then closes the watch and
looks around him, as if to take in the Universe.
1. THE MACHINERY OF MAN
STATIONMASTER
TOMORROW HAS ARRIVED
TOMORROW HAS ARRIVED
EACH PASSING YEAR
OUR ENGINEERS
DRAW NEARER TO THE SECRETS
THE CLOSELY GUARDED SECRETS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE HEART OF
THIS INTRICATE MACHINE
THAT WE’RE A PART OF
Light reflects off the back of his watch.
HOLDING A MIRROR TO THE UNIVERSE
WE’VE BUILT OUR CLOCKS AND OUR CARILLONS
AND THE BALDWIN OH-EIGHT-ZERO LOCOMOTIVE
TOMORROW HAS ARRIVED
TOMORROW HAS BEGUN!
Bells toll. The pace of the MUSIC picks up, and
lights brighten as the sun rises. There is hustle and
bustle as people with suitcases (ENSEMBLE) enter
in ones and twos. A MAN and WOMAN approach
the Stationmaster.
p. 2 7/28/15
MAN
Good morning, Sir. When will the train from New York be arriving?
STATIONMASTER
Any minute now. Traveling north with us today, are you?
WOMAN
We are, indeed. And just how long is the journey to Providence?
STATIONMASTER
A mere five hours on our new locomotive.
MAN AND WOMAN
(looking at each other, pleasantly surprised)
NEW HAVEN TO PROVIDENCE IN JUST FIVE HOURS
STATIONMASTER
NEW HAVEN TO PROVIDENCE IN JUST FIVE HOURS
ENSEMBLE
(turning to us)
NEW HAVEN TO PROVIDENCE IN JUST FIVE HOURS
FIVE SHORT HOURS!
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY, BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY OF MAN!
MUSIC continues.
A WOMAN
They say it’s only seven hours to Boston.
A MAN
And twelve hours to Portland.
STATIONMASTER
Barring any mechanical difficulties, of course.
THE MACHINERY OF MAN
THE MACHINERY OF STATE
THE IRON HORSES SET THEIR COURSE
AND SPEED US TO OUR FATE
p. 3 7/28/15
MEN
THE MACHINERY OF TIME
WOMEN
THE MACHINERY OF LOVE
ALL
THE HEAVENLY MACHINERY
THAT HUMS FROM HIGH ABOVE, HIGH ABOVE
THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE
HOW BEST TO EXPLAIN?
DO THE VAPORS AND THE ELEMENTS
COMBINE TO GO INSANE?
MEN
THE MACHINERY OF LIFE
THE MACHINERY OF BREATH
STATIONMASTER
THE GREASE AND GRIME AS IRON TIME
PROPELS US ON UNTO DEATH
WOMEN
THE MACHINERY OF LUST
THE MACHINERY OF LOVE
ALL
THE HEAVENLY MACHINERY
THAT HUMS FROM HIGH ABOVE, HIGH ABOVE
THE MYSTERIES OF LOVE
HOW BEST TO EXPLAIN?
DO THE HEAD AND HEART MACHINES
BECOME MECHANICALLY DERANGED?
THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE
HOW BEST TO EXPLAIN?
p. 4 7/28/15
DO THE VAPORS AND THE ELEMENTS
COMBINE TO GO INSANE?
A train whistle sounds, and there is the sound of an
approaching train. Stage smoke envelops a portion of
the stage. All turn toward it.
STATIONMASTER
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY OF MAN!
ALL
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY!
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY!
BEHOLD THE INDUSTRY
THE INDUSTRY OF MAN!
MUSIC segues as Ensemble disperses or freezes.
MUDDY emerges from the stage smoke, suitcase in
hand, appearing a little bewildered, then sees the
Stationmaster.
MUDDY
Pardon me, sir, but he train to Providence—?
STATIONMASTER
—It will be boarding very soon, Ma’am. At platform B. Just over there.
(gesturing to a bench)
Why not rest your feet here while you wait, Ma’am?
MUDDY
That’s very kind of you.
(she sits down; then producing a photo of
Poe, she addresses him)
I received a letter, Eddy. From a Mr. Maelzel. (MUSIC cue [1a])Six years it’s been since
you fell mortally ill on a Baltimore street and I just now received this letter. I remember
how you used to look forward to the next mail delivery, when times were hard– and when
were they not? Sometimes there was news of a publication, or an offer of some work.
Well, I received a letter the other day, and I am on my way to Providence to bring it to the
attention of your beloved Mrs. Whitman.
(a beat)
p. 5 7/28/15
MUDDY (CONT’D)
It was a terrible deceit that ruined your last chance at love. It’s all in this letter from Mr.
Maelzel.
EUROPEAN MUSIC
CUE
SCENE 2
ONSTAGE AT THE HIPPODROME THEATER, NEW YORK CITY, 1845
MAELZEL, a showy Austrian in coat and tails,
stands next to The Mechanical Turk, gesturing and
expounding in pantomime to an audience over
Muddy’s lines.
The Turk is a wooden cabinet topped by a chess
board, over which looms the mechanical replica of
the upper half of a man, its head draped in a turban.
An onstage banner reads: ‘The Mechanical Turk
Chess-Playing Automaton. Presented by Dr. Johann
Maelzel, World-Famous-Engineer-Scientist And
Inventor-of-The-Metronome’. A MAN, a volunteer
from the audience, is puzzling over his next move.
MUDDY (VOICEOVER)
Mr. Maelzel: wasn’t he the man behind The Mechanical Turk, Eddy? The chess-playing
machine you wrote about in some magazine or another. I still remember the night you took
us to the theatre to see it, a few years before you died.
MAELZEL
(to his audience, with a wink)
If this gentleman played chess any more slowly, he’d be moving the pieces in reverse.
Laughter and guffaws from the audience.
POE, MUDDY and SISSY become visible in low
light, sitting side-by-side in the audience, speaking in
low voices to one another as Maelzel continues
expounding in pantomime.
SISSY
Have you ever seen such a beautiful place, Mother? It’s like a palace. (MUSIC cue [1b])
p. 6 7/28/15
MUDDY
Yes, but such extravagance, Eddy. Three tickets to the theatre.
SISSY
You can place the blame for that on squarely on me, Mother. I had heard so much about
this machine that I prevailed upon Eddy to bring us here—
POE
—And, as you know, I have never been able to resist your daughter’s urgent entreaties—
SISSY
—Besides, now that ‘The Raven’ is on the verge of being published throughout the land,
perhaps we shall allow ourselves a few extravagances. I should so like to have a
daguerrotype done of the three of us —Oh, look! There’s Mr Swain in the orchestra
section.
POE
You’re singing at his salon tomorrow, aren’t you?
SISSY
Yes, that’s right.
POE
I don’t want you to strain your voice, as you did the last time you performed.
SISSY
You’ll come with me, won’t you, Eddy?
POE
Mr Swain made it clear that my presence at the affair would be entirely optional.
MUDDY
That’s because you drink too much.
SISSY
There’s a new song I’ll be performing. I wrote it for you and I’d so like for you to hear it.
POE
In that case, I will accompany you.
MAELZEL
(pulling out his pocket watch)
Loathe as I am to intrude upon your leisurely cogitation, sir, we do have a scheduled
engagement in Tarrytown this coming Thursday.
p. 7 7/28/15
MAN
Oh, I’m sorry. Here you go.
(he moves a white piece)
MAELZEL
B –e –5 is the gentleman’s move.
MUSIC cue [1c]. After a beat, with much belabored
grinding of gears, the mechanical arm of the Turk
picks up a black chess piece and moves it. The Man
moves another piece.
MAELZEL (CONT’D)
C-h-6 is the gentleman’s move. And still within the calendar year 1845! Bravo.
The Turk picks up a black chess piece and moves it,
and then speaks.
THE TURK
Échec! Échec! Échec!
The audience gasps, then applauds.
SISSY
(applauding)
Oh, Eddy. Look. It actually speaks, this automaton!
MUDDY
My word. These modern times.
THE TURK
Échec! Échec! Échec!
MAELZEL
Échec! And checkmate! Well played, sir. I trust that you will find consolation in the
knowledge that emperors, generals, sages and aristocrats the world over have matched their
wits against the Mechanical Turk and virtually all have been roundly defeated.
MAN
May I have another look inside that cabinet?
MAELZEL
(opening the cabinet’s front door)
As you see, there is nothing here but an elaborate, scientific clockwork of gears and levers.
p. 8 7/28/15
MAN
(conceding)
There’s no room for a man in there.
MAELZEL
He would have to be a very tiny man, wouldn’t he?
(he abruptly closes the cabinet door)
Good people of New York, I have brought this automaton to America so that the New
World might marvel at a mechanical triumph which surpasses any other thus far created by
man.
Maelzel continues to expound in pantomime over the
next few lines.
POE
There’s something not quite right about this so-called automaton.
SISSY
What is it, Eddy?
POE
I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I can spot a swindler from a mile away, and
something tells me that we’re in the presence of a first-class charlatan.
MAELZEL
...Trusting that you have enjoyed this demonstration. I thank you for your attention, bid
you Gute Nacht, farewell and adieu.
‘European’ MUSIC underscoring resumes. Maelzel
bows gravely to applause.
SCENE 3
76 BENEFIT STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, 1845
MUSIC cue [1d]. Lights up on HELEN reading a
poem aloud from a magazine while sitting at a desk.
Her sister ANNA stands over her shoulder,
watching. Both are flushed with excitement.
p. 9 7/28/15
HELEN
Dim vales and shadowy floods/And cloudy-looking woods
Whose forms we can’t discover/For the tears that drip all over!
Huge moons there wax and wane/ Again, again, again
Every moment of the night/ Forever changing places
And they put out the starlight/ With the breath from their pale faces
Poe’s voice breaks in.
POE (OFFSTAGE)
Its atomies, however/ Into a shower dissever
Of which those butterflies/ Of Earth, who seek the skies
And so come down again/ Never contented things!
POE, HELEN AND ANNA
Have brought a specimen upon their quivering ... wings.
HELEN
Isn’t it a splendid poem, Anna?
ANNA
Oh, yes!
Helen gasps and closes her eyes briefly.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Are you alright, Sarah Helen? Shall I have Mother bring the ether?
HELEN
(after a beat)
No need, Anna. It was just a passing flutter. I’m fine.
ANNA
You’re sure, now? Then let me see the letter you wrote.
Helen produces a letter. As Anna reads, Mrs. Power
enters, picks up the magazine and begins to look it
over.
ANNA (CONT’D)
‘12 February 1845. Dear Mister Poe. As a representative of the Providence Women’s
Literary Society, I have taken the liberty of writing, in order to extend to you an
invitation— to travel to Providence at a suitable date as befits your schedule, in order to
speak...’ But you have not mentioned ‘The Raven’! He must recite it, don’t you think?
p. 10 7/28/15
HELEN
I think it best not to be so forward, but no doubt the audience will demand it.
MRS. POWER
I was unaware of your newfound interest in ornithology.
(handing the magazine to Anna)
Anna, take this outside, please, and bury it at once.
ANNA
Yes, Mother.
HELEN
I beg your pardon, but that is my periodical!
MRS. POWER
And this is my house. Whoever this, this...
(taking the magazine from Anna again)
‘Mr. E. A. Poe of Fordham, New York’ is, he must surely have been under the influence
of opium when he composed this rubbish.
(giving the magazine back to Anna, she huffily
begins to exit, then pauses)
Longfellow: now there’s a writer! That’s literature!
(she exits)
ANNA
If Mother only knew that you have collected all of Mr. Poe’s works— hidden behind your
volume of Longfellow.
HELEN
Anna! You’ve been snooping through my things—
ANNA
—Don’t worry. I’ll never tell, dear sister. So, I may attend? The lecture, that is?
HELEN
Of course you may attend. (MUSIC cue 1e.)
ANNA
Oh, to hear Mr. E. A. Poe recite ‘The Raven’— just the way it was meant to be recited,
from the very lips of its creator. Mr. Poe must be a marvelous, dreamy sort of gentleman,
wouldn’t you say?
p. 11 7/28/15
SCENE 4
THE SALON OF THE SWAINS, FORDHAM, NEW YORK
MUSIC cue [2].Sissy is singing before a small social
gathering, at the edge of which stands Mr. Swain. Poe
enters, glass in hand.
2. THIS LOVE SONG
SISSY
THIS LOVE SONG MAY NOT HAVE FLOWERS
OR OTHER FANCY THINGS
MY LOVE SONG SCARCELY HAS WORDS THAT RHYME
AND WHENCE COMES THE DAWN, IT WILL SURE BE GONE
THIS SONG OF MINE
WAS NOT DESIGNED TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THIS LOVE SONG IS BUT A PALE AND PRECIOUS, TINY THING
THIS LOVE SONG THAT’S NOW NEARLY AT AN END
BUT I WROTE IT JUST FOR YOU, THIS LOVE SONG
FOR YOU, MY MOST BELOVED FRIEND
As MUSIC continues, the party-goers politely applaud,
exiting, while Poe and Sissy exchange a tender glance. Mr.
Swain notices Poe. Lights gradually fade on Sissy.
MR. SWAIN
Poe. What a pleasant surprise.
POE
Swain. Do you happen to know the cost of a daguerrotype?
MR. SWAIN
With a proper frame and all, upwards of fifteen dollars, I should think.
(a beat, as Poe takes this in)
The price of silver, you know. I’m so glad your wife could perform at our little salon this
evening. Her voice is...pleasing.
POE
Pleasing?
MR. SWAIN
More than adequate, to be sure.
p. 12 7/28/15
POE
Sissy would be the first to say that she does not aspire to the pantheon of the greats, among
whom most music aficionados would count my mother. Which is why her performances
are usually relegated to the stultifying salons of self-satisfied merchants and burghers, the
present venue being a notable exception, of course.
MR. SWAIN
Of course. And does your mother still sing?
POE
That would be highly improbable, as she’s been dead for well over thirty years.
MR. SWAIN
Poe: there is a ridiculous rumor going around that your wife...Sissy...is actually your
cousin.
POE
Is that so? Then that would make my dear Aunt Muddy... my mother-in-law, wouldn’t it?
Listen, Swain, while you ruminate on that I wonder if I could bother you for a loan of two
or three dollars.
MR. SWAIN
(taken aback but not entirely surprised)
But, surely your fortunes have turned around now that ‘The Raven’ is being published
everywhere—
POE
(producing a letter)
—I received this letter from my attorney by post only this morning. When I sold that poem
to the American Review for nine dollars last month, I unwittingly surrendered all of my
rights of ownership.
MR. SWAIN
Oh, my.
POE
I was desperately pressed for money, you see, and anxious for some immediate relief. But
now it appears that as a result of my haste I shall never see another penny for that poem.
MR. SWAIN
That’s highly unfortunate.
p. 13 7/28/15
POE
It is, indeed. The truth is, in virtually every one of my business dealings with publishing
houses I have been lied to, exploited and abused. And now Sissy needs to see a doctor, of
course. (MUSIC cue [3])
MR. SWAIN
Nothing serious, I hope.
POE
I’m afraid it may well be. Coughing up blood is not generally considered to be a harbinger
of good fortune.
MR. SWAIN
(fishing around in his pocket for money)
Oh, dear. This is not turning out to be the best week for you, is it? Here you go.
POE
Thank you. I will surely repay it with interest as soon as I am able.
MR. SWAIN
What are neighbors for? We are Christians, you know. Put it out of your mind.
Mr. Swain freezes in place.
POE
We all have to live, Mr. Swain.
3. “I KNOW HOW YOU VIEW ME”
WHILST WE PLAY THIS LITTLE GAME
I INTUIT YOUR DISDAIN
HUMAN KINDNESS CAN’T BE FEIGNED
SMUG, COMPLACENT MISTER SWAIN
OFF TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY
RESPECTED, WELL-FED
SLEEPING EACH NIGHT ON A
FINE FEATHER BED
NOURISHED BY MEMORIES
FILLING YOUR HEAD
LIKE PLUMP JUICY RAISINS
IN PLUM PUDDING BREAD
p. 14 7/28/15
MUSIC pauses. Mr. Swain is reanimated.
MR. SWAIN
By the way, I spotted you at the Hippodrome Theatre last night.
POE
From the orchestra section? You must have had a powerful telescope at your disposal.
Sissy and I have not yet recovered from the depredations of altitude sickness.
MR. SWAIN
That Mechanical Turk is really quite marvelous, wouldn’t you say?
POE
It’s a preposterous fraud, is what it is. The more I think about it the more indignant I
become. I confess to not being certain of how that Mr. Maelzel does it. But of this I am
convinced: there is a human hand, will and intelligence behind every move. Mr. Maelzel
may be an illusionist of the highest order, in addition to being an incurable gasbag. But to
travel the world and misrepresent his creation as an automaton capable of intelligence— to
shamelessly pawn it off it to a gullible public, makes him a swindler.
MR. SWAIN
I see.
POE
He swindled me out of my hard-earned pennies and, worse, he hoodwinked my wife. And
as one who was orphaned at an early age, torn from the company of my brother and sister,
and then deprived of an inheritance by my so-called foster ‘father’ John Allan— also a
Christian, I might add— I know a swindler when I see one, even from a mile away, and I
do not suffer their presence kindly. (MUSIC vamp resumes, ms. 16)
MR. SWAIN
(looking for a way to make a quick exit)
Oh, my. With an upbringing like that, little wonder your writing tends to be a bit on the bleak
side.
POE
Some children grow up hated, Mr. Swain.
MR. SWAIN
Here. Let me take that glass for you.
Mr. Swain freezes once more.
p. 15 7/28/15
POE
I LOST MY DAD WHEN I WAS YOUNG
BUT MY TRAVAILS HAD JUST BEGUN
MOTHER DIED. I WASN’T THREE
SO MUCH FOR OUR FAMILY
With my mother dead and my father, David Poe, nowhere to be found, my sister Rose,
brother Henry and I were all sent to different homes, Mr. Swain. I had the singular
misfortune to be adopted by John Allan and his wife.
THE MOST RESPECTED MAN IN TOWN
HOW HE LOVED TO CUT ME DOWN
THOUGH HIS HATRED WAS UNEARNED
I WAS JILTED, THWARTED, SPURNED
HIS WIFE WAS A LAMB
HIS HEART, MADE OF STONE
CAME INTO A FORTUNE
NE’ER THREW ME A BONE
WHEN YOU’RE A STRANGER
IN YOUR OWN ‘HOME’
ONE FAST LEARNS THE VIRTUES
OF BEING ALONE
MUSIC pauses. Mr. Swain is reanimated.
MR. SWAIN
Perhaps you should write a story about him. Now that your name is becoming widely
known.
POE
(shaken from his thoughts)
John Allan?
MR. SWAIN
No, no. That Mr. Maelzel and his Mechanical Turk.
POE
Oh, him I do intend to write about. I’ll be attending his upcoming performance in
Tarrytown. It’s a much smaller house, so even the meanest of gallery seats should provide
a superior vantage point for uncovering the gears and levers behind Mr. Maelzel’s deceit.
p. 16 7/28/15
With the publication of my exposé I would hope to at least earn back the tidy sum I have
thus far wasted on tickets to the theatre.
(walking away)
Thank you for the loan, Mr. Swain.
MR. SWAIN
Don’t mention it.
MUSIC resumes, ms. 37. Lights out on all except Poe.
POE
I KNOW HOW YOU VIEW ME
BUT IF IN FACT YOU REALLY KNEW THE
COUNTLESS HARDSHIPS I’VE ENDURED
YOU’D THINK MY HEART WOULD BE INURED
TO THE PAIN.
THINK AGAIN, MISTER SWAIN
THERE’S A BOY STILL INSIDE ME
WANTS HIS DAD, BUT HE CAN’T FIND HIM
WANTS THE MOM HE SCARCELY KNEW
HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTER, TOO
IT WOULD DRIVE A LESSER MAN INSANE,
MISTER SWAIN
WHAT I WOULDN’T DO
TO SLUMBER UNDISTURBED
BY APPARITIONS
TRAGIC VISIONS
TO BE A MAN LIKE YOU
TO BLITHELY MUDDLE THROUGH
WITHOUT APPARITIONS
TRAGIC VISIONS
OH, THERE IS NOUGHT I WOULDN’T DO
BARTER, BEG OR SUE
CUT THIS VERY ARM
CUT THIS VERY HEART IN TWO
Ensemble emerges.
POE
ENSEMBLE
p. 17 7/28/15
THERE’S A YEARNING INSIDE ME
FOR THE LOVE THAT LIFE DENIED ME
WAGING BATTLES DAY AND NIGHT
BOXING SHADOWS, WET WITH FRIGHT
TRYING TO ESCAPE THE PAST
BUT PLUNGING DOWNWARD JUST AS FAST
OH, WHAT I WOULD PAY
WHAT I WOULD GIVE
FOR JUST ONE DAY TO FINALLY LIVE
WITHOUT PAIN
TO BE AN ORDINARY TOAD LIKE YOU,
MR. SWAIN.
AHH....
WAGING BATTLES
BOXING SHADOWS
SOME CHILDREN GROW
UP HATED (REPEATS)
SCENE CHANGE
MUSIC CUE 3A
SCENE 5
THE ATHENAEUM, PROVIDENCE
A female LIBRARIAN sits behind a counter. WILLIAM
PABODIE is at a reading desk, his nose in a book. Helen enters.
HELEN
Good afternoon. I should like to know if—
LIBRARIAN
—No, Mrs. Whitman, I’m sorry to disappoint you once again but I’m afraid we have not
received any new work by Edgar Poe.
HELEN
Alright, then.
LIBRARIAN
Why not consult with the fishmongers on Wharf Street? Chances are you’ll find ‘The
Raven’ there, in a discarded copy of the Providence Gazette.
HELEN
How dare you. As you well know, I have followed Mr. Poe’s writing closely since long
before ‘The Raven’ was published—
LIBRARIAN
—And as you well know, this is The Athenaeum, not a magazine seller or novelty house.
p. 18 7/28/15
HELEN
I’ve very much aware of that, thank you. And I would think that the oldest and most
renowned library in America might cultivate an interest in one of the most brilliant writers
of the 19th century—
PABODIE
—Psst. You.
HELEN
Me?
PABODIE
Yes, you. I believe that we should get acquainted, seeing as how we are kindred spirits.
HELEN
Are you a devotee of Mr. Poe’s work?
PABODIE
(gradual crescendo from whisper to flamboyant
incantation, as he rises from his chair)
‘It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted
me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. I
think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture - a pale blue eye, with a
film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees - very
gradually - I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the
eye forever. Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you
should have seen me—’
LIBRARIAN
—Shh!
PABODIE
Sorry.
(to Helen, as they move to an undefined space. )
‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’ Have you read it?
HELEN
Oh, yes. My late husband, John, subscribed to Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine. I’d scour
each edition for Mr. Poe’s poetry and have been seeking out his writing ever since.
PABODIE
William Pabodie, at your service.
p. 19 7/28/15
HELEN
Sarah Helen Whitman.
PABODIE
Yes, I know.
HELEN
You are the author of the epic poem ‘Calidore’.
PABODIE
(surprised)
Have you read it?
HELEN
I haven’t yet had the pleasure.
PABODIE
Let me save you the trouble. It is an embarrassment— a spectacular failure. I recited it for
my graduating law school class and by the time I mounted the final stanza the scattered
few who were left in the auditorium were either sound asleep or had long since expired. I
was held up for ridicule in the press for days thereafter. ‘Mistress Nobody’ they called me.
HELEN
I thought that was terribly cruel.
PABODIE
No, it was well-deserved. One writer suggested that since I obviously had no talent for
writing I should perhaps turn my attention to sewing.
HELEN
I would like to read your poem, Mr. Pabodie.
PABODIE
Truly?
HELEN
I would, indeed. I am a poet myself. A minor one, I hasten to add.
PABODIE
I should like to make up my own mind on the merits of your work.
p. 20 7/28/15
HELEN
Then I shall share it with you. Mr. Pabodie: Edgar Poe will be lecturing at Howard’s Hall
in four weeks— at my instigation, in fact— followed by an intimate soiree at my house.
Would you do me the honor of being one of my guests?
PABODIE
(speechless for a beat, then)
Would I? Why... I will meet Mr. Poe at the train station, if you’d like, and ensure his safe
arrival both at the lecture hall and at your salon!
HELEN
Would you? It’s settled, then! This is very exciting, is it not?
PABODIE
Mrs. Whitman, I am so glad we met. Tell me: what exactly is it about Mr. Poe’s writing
that appeals to you? (MUSIC cue [4])
HELEN
Why, it’s exciting. It’s dangerous. You feel as if you’re pressing your face to a steamy
window for a glimpse of a hidden world. And then he takes you through the glass.
4. “AND THEN THE PAGES TURN”
IF I EVER ASK MYSELF
WHY HE OCCUPIES MY SHELF
WHEN OTHER BOOKS I’D TURN BACK INTO A TREE
I JUST OPEN TO A PAGE
AND I’M A PRISONER IN HIS CAGE
OH, BUT WHAT A CAGE
WITH SO MANY THINGS TO SEE
A TOWER BUILT OF INK
WITH POEMS UPON ITS WALL
ONCE OR MAYBE TWICE I BLINK
AND I’M DANCING IN ITS HALLS
UNTIL THE DARKNESS FALLS
THEN I, TREMBLING, DISCERN
THE PAGES AS THEY TURN
YES, THEN THE PAGES TURN