OUTLINE FOR MUSICAL VERSION

of

STREET SCENE

The setting is the same as that described in the text, with one important exception. In addition to the steps leading down to the cellar at stage right to the Janitor's apartment, there is also an opening in the rail, at stage left, with steps leading down to a small shop, which is just below street level, under the Fiorentino's flat. A neat sign on the railing reads: Carl Olsen, Locksmith. The Olsens live downstairs, behind the shop. They are no longer the janitors but merely another family living in the house. The Janitor is an elderly Negro, who lives by himself in the cellar at stage right.

Before the curtain rises, a brief symphonic prelude is heard, descriptive of New York and embodying the sounds of the city on a hot summer evening. This continues as the curtain goes up on the scene, substantially as described in the text. Kaplan is seated in the window, reading his paper; Mrs. Fiorentino is leaning out of her window, fanning herself. There are a few passers-by, as in the text, or perhaps more than are described in the text. And for the first few moments there is only this panto-mimic action which is accentuated by an orchestral commentary on the scene, accompanied by offstage noises, typical of the city, the cries of children or a street vendor, traffic noises, radio playing, distant whistles of boats, etc.

At the conclusion of this, Mrs. Jones enters from the right, and at the same time Mrs. Olsen comes up from the cellar at

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the left, and both engage in conversation with Mrs. Fiorentino.
This is treated musically, in the form of a trio with lyrics, em-
bodying the substance of the discussion of the three women, about
the heat and other banalities (pp. 6 to top of 8, just preceding
Willie's entrance).

At this point *Shirley* appears at the window of the Kaplan
apartment, greets the three women, and perhaps joins musically
into their discussion, gives her father tea, and asks him whether
he has not yet finished the paper. (Bottom of p. 33 and p. 34)

Kaplan now comments on the scandalous nature of the con-
tents of the newspapers and sings a song describing the g-
murders and similar lurid incidents which make up an average daily
newspaper. Perhaps the several * standards of this song are inter-
spersed by dialogue comments from the neighbors.

At the conclusion of this song, Willie comes on, on roller
skates and demands a dime from his mother for/icecream cone, as
in the text (pp. 8 to 10), though perhaps somewhat condensed.
This is in spoken dialogue.

There then follows the discussion among the women of
Sankey's visit to Mrs. Maurrant (pp. 10 to the top of 12), which
might possibly be treated musically in a similar manner to the
opening discussion about the heat.

Mrs. Maurrant then enters (p. 12) and the scene plays
substantially in dialogue, including Mrs. Olsen's exit to the cel-
lar, as in the text (pp. 12 through Mrs. Jones' last speech on
p. 14).

Buchanan now appears at the right, carrying a large bag

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of oranges. The women greet him and ask him whether he is not afraid to leave his wife alone, since she is momentarily expecting a baby. He replies that he had to go out because of her sudden craving for oranges and comments, pathetically, on the difficulties which confront an expectant father. This leads into a song by Buchanan, with musical interruptions of commentaries by the women on the ordeal to which an expectant father is subjected, a subject about which women understand nothing at all. (The substance of this is on pp. 14-16) At the end of the song Mrs. Buchanan's voice is heard above, nervously, and he dashes into the house, leaving the women amused. Even Mrs. Maurrant, though very sympathetic to Buchanan, is laughing at him.

This climax of gayety and fun, at Buchanan's expense, is suddenly interrupted, both dramatically and musically by Maurrant's entrance. From Maurrant's entrance to his exit, the treatment in dialogue is substantially as in the text, though perhaps somewhat condensed (pp. 17 to 20). As Maurrant goes into the house, Mrs. Olsen comes up from the cellar and, with just a line, explains that she is going to the drugstore to get some paregoric for the baby and exits at left.

On Maurrant's exit, Jones enters into dialogue, which continues substantially as in the text (pp. 21 to middle of 22). And here Mrs. Maurrant's expression of her philosophy of life is treated musically, as an aria with a lyric which expresses with tenderness and warmth her desires and her longings for peace and happiness, and for better relations among human beings. This is the first really emotional and dramatic musical number, and

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the scene is substantially as in the text (bottom pp. 30 through 32) except that it is Mrs. Olsen who brings the news instead of Miss Cushing, and she exits to the cellar with the medicine for the baby at the end of the scene.

This leads immediately to Lippo's entrance (p. 35), and there now begins a series of musical numbers, rapidly succeeding each other, and building up climactically. The first of these is a gay aria from Lippo about the glories of icecream on a hot summer night, which he sings as he distributes ice cream cones among the neighbors, with musical interjections from various other characters. The lyrics for this should be substantially based on the text (pp. 35 to top of 39).

Here a major and very important cut will be made. The episode of the Hildebrand family being dispossessed will be retained only for the effective purpose of having their furniture moved out in Act II, during the murder climax. But in Act I, Mrs. Hildebrand and her children will not appear but will be referred to only in the dialogue (see later in this synopsis). And, Miss Simpson, the charity worker, will be dropped entirely.

So that, as a result of this cut, we go directly from the end of the ice cream song to Mrs. Maurrant's re-entrance (p. 44), and in dialogue the scene continues substantially as in the text (bottom of pp. 44 and 45) leading into an aria by Maurrant, in which he expresses his hard, bitter, intolerant, puritanical philosophy of life. The substance of this should be his bitter tirade against the breakdown of family life and morals, as contained in his two long speeches (bottom pp. 55 and 57). The general theme of this song is expressed by Maurrant's line: "It ain't going to be that way in my family." But although the emphasis of the song is

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personal, it might be well to consider giving it an overtone
of political significance by suggesting the old America First
psychology of narrowness and bigotry, the kind of incipient
Fascism that is typical of the America Firsters or Christian
Front, of whom Maurrant might very well be an adherent.

The reappearance of Miss Simpson and her ensuing col-
lequy with Kaplan will of course be cut. But instead of this,
some commentary by Kaplan or Mrs. Maurrant on Maurrant's philo-
sophy should lead in dialogue into a brief and heated discussion
and economic questions, with Kaplan and Maurrant as the protagonists,
expressing diametrically opposite points of view, and most of the
neighbors of course siding with Maurrant.

This might be introduced by some reference to the family
which is being dispossessed the next day, which provokes Kaplan's
comments about the injustice of the current economic system, and
Maurrant's defence of it. In substance, this will cover the
material now contained in pp. 46 to 57, but of course modified
and condensed to conform with this new arrangement. In any case,
it will lead to the physical encounter between Maurrant and Kaplan
(bottom of pp. 57 and 59). However, Kaplan and Shirley will not
leave the scene, as they do in the present text but will remain
in the windows of the flat.

After the two belligerents are separated, Mrs. Maurrant
makes a comment, deploring the bitterness and enmity that exists
among neighbors and expresses the wish again that people could
live peaceably together. Maurrant replies with an angry comment

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about foreigners, suggesting that if they don't like America, they should go back where they came from. The neighbors of foreign extraction, Lippo, Mrs. Fiorentino and Olsen, who have all along been siding with Maurrant in his political and economic views, now become very indignant about his remarks about Americans of foreign birth. And this leads into the argument about Columbus and Lief Ericson (pp. 53-55). This will be treated as an important ensemble musical number, with a kind of melting pot theme, half serious, half humorous, Maurrant and perhaps Mrs. Jones, representing the America-for-Americans point of view, while each of the other characters speaks for the contributions made by his particular race or nationality to the general progress and culture of America. Olsen speaks for the Swedes, Lippo for the Italians, Mrs. Fiorentino for the Germans, Jones for the Irish, and in the course of it, the Negro Janitor joins in to speak for the Negroes, and eventually even Kaplan to speak for the Jews. This will be a big concerted number, including solos and ensembles, and will introduce various musical strains, suggestive of the different nationalities involved in the discussion.

At the conclusion of this number, Sam enters (p. 60). There is a general greeting. Shirley and Kaplan withdraw from the windows, and Jones goes off to the pool room (bottom of p.63 and top of 64). And Olsen goes down to the cellar. Sam and Lippo then become involved in an argument as to the merits of classical versus popular music, and Sam now has an arietta, in which he expresses, poetically, his feelings about music, the theme of this possibly suggested by his speech on page 64.

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two women the scandalous news of Sankey's encounter with the Maurrants. It is possible that this may again be treated musically, as a quartet of the three women and Lippo, based on the gossip theme previously used (pp. 71 to top of 73). This leads into Sam's outburst (p. 73), which may perhaps be treated musically.

This is followed, in dialogue and stage business, substantially as in the text, from Sam's exit (p. 73) through the entrance of Rose and Easter (p. 75), except that Mrs. Olsen goes down into the cellar instead of going into the house.

Rose, on her entrance, greets Mrs. Fiorentino, and the latter pulls down the shade and turns out the lights in her flat (p. 75). Rose and Easter begin the scene as in the text (p. 76), the interruption from Mrs. Olsen coming from the cellular areaway at the left. Perhaps we do not see Mrs. Olsen at all but her voice comes up from below (p. 77).

The scene between Rose and Easter continues in dialogue substantially as in the text (pp. 78 through 87), though perhaps in a condensed form, with an important exception that Easter's offer to Rose to make a stage star of her may be expressed in a song from him, setting forth the glamorous life of Broadway in contrast to the drab life of the slums, in which Rose leaves.

After Easter's exit and Maurrant's entrance, the scene plays substantially in dialogue as in the text, through Rose's going for the doctor and Maurrant's entrance into the house (pp. 88 to 91).

As Rose exits hurriedly, she encounters Mae and Dick. They play their scene substantially as in the text (pp. 92 to top of 96), except that it will consist, probably, of a duet

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of a very erotic nature in the jive form. This number should
fully exploit the possibilities of the unrestrained phrenetic
sexual excitement of the jitterbug youth of today, and should
include a dance of a very flamboyant and extravagant nature.
As Mae and Dick exit, Rose returns, is jeered by Mae and reassures Buchanan about the doctor (pp. 96 and 97).

Vincent now enters into the scene between him and Rose,
and then Sam's intervention and Mrs. Jones, return with the dog, lead-
ing the play substantially as in the text (pp. 97 to 101), except that the anti-Semitic emphasis will be toned down or eliminat-
ed, and the contest will be merely that between a sensitive
young poet and a thick-skinned bully of the streets.

After Mrs. Jones and Vincent go into the house, the scene
between Sam and Rose (pp. 101 to top of 108) will play substantially as written, except it will culminate in a full and rich love duet between the young couple, which should be one of the most impressive and important musical features of the entire play. Instead of the Walt Whitman quotation, used in the text, being set to music, it might be well to substitute for the lyric a love poem which Sam wrote, not specifically directed to Rose but certainly for her, which expresses his philosophy inspired by his feeling about the cruelty and hopelessness of life, as set forth in the text, with Rose replying in a mood that is in complete contrast in the simplicity of its language and the optimistic tone of its philosophy. This duet should be sharply interrupted as it reaches its conclusion by Buchanan's voice, the entrance of the doctor, Maurrant's appearance at the window, and the brief good-night scene between Sam and Rose, followed by her exit (pp. 108 to 110). As Rose goes into the house, the janitor

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comes up from the cellar and follows her in, to turn out the lights
in the inner hall. Sam stands looking up at Rose's window.

She appears and says good-night to him again (pp. 110 and 111)
and goes away from the window. Then, as Sam enters the house, the
Janitor comes out, turns out the lights in the vestibule and
starts slowly for the cellar. As he reaches the cellar steps, he
pauses, looks at the house, and then sings a song, expressing in
his own simple words the idea that in all the years that he has
been the guardian of this house, he has seen people born and
people die, and the many incidents that characterize human ex-
istence, but the tide of life still goes flowing on in the same
way and is apparently expressive of some larger purpose that he
is unable to understand but that he feels exists. As he finishes
his song, he goes slowly down into the cellar, perhaps again re-
peating the refrain of his melody and we hear the night sounds
of the city, perhaps musically expressed, as the curtain comes down
slowly.

"The Roof clogs The Sky"

17. Janitor's Song

1. Heat Song - Trio

2. newspaper song
Buchanan's Roby song

mrs. maurrants aria
blues
Gossif song

Liff's clu cream song
Bread that Mokes you Choke

Maurrants Song

## OUTLINE FOR MUSICAL VERSION OF
<u>Street Scene</u> (continued)

Act II opens, as in the play, with the awakening of the house and the various little incidents, as in the text (pp. 115-116). This will be accompanied by an appropriate musical commentary. May and Dick return, as in the text, and there is an opportunity here for a <u>short reprise</u> of their duet in Act I, but with the emphasis now on weariness and disillusionment.

The incidents continue, as in the text (pp.117-120), again with a musical commentary. But, in addition to Willie and Charlie, three or four other children cross right to left, on their way to the bakery for bread.

When Willie and Charlie return (p. 120), they are accompanied by the other children, all carrying loaves of bread. The children now begin a <u>singing game</u>, accompanied by a contra-puntal song from Sam. (?) He sings easily of the grim and sordid life of the city child, to whom the beauties of nature are unknown, and who has only stone walls and gutters to replace trees and brooks. The children, however, seem unaware of their miserable lot, and sing gayly the traditional street games of the city child, perhaps using some that are actually rural in origin, like Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush, or Water, Water, Wild Flower. From this, they might go on to a very brief little musical drama, based perhaps on some such singing game as I've Come to See Miss Jenny O' Jones, in which they all assume the roles of persons of great elegance and wealth, as seen through the eyes of a slum child.

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treated as a duet, Rose expressing her desire to get away from
the sordid city streets and find a pleasant place in the suburbs
for them to live, and Maurrant resisting her with his harsh and
gloomy outlook on life.

Maurrant leaves and Kaplan appears. The scene between
him and Rose (pp. 148-152) may offer an opportunity for a song
from Kaplan, expressive of his philosophy of life (p. 149).
After the first verse, the Hildebrand children appear and announce
that they are being dispossessed that day. And after they go off
to school, Kaplan sings a second verse, expressive of his economic
solution for the ills of humanity.

Kaplan exits and Mrs. Maurrant appears (p. 152) and
the scene between her and Rose (pp. 152-157) should be treated
lyrically in the form of a tender and moving duet, filled with the
contrasting anxieties and emotions of the mother and daughter, and
centering, perhaps, on Mrs. Maurrant's expression of her needs and
longing (p. 156).

The scene with Buchanan (pp. 157-158) follows, in
dialogue.

And then comes the scene between Rose and Shirley
(pp. 159-163), but greatly condensed.

Shirley goes off to school, and the scene between Rose
and Sam begins (p. 164), but is interrupted almost immediately
by the entrance of Vincent (p. 169).

Vincent bullies Sam, as before, then jeeringly invites
Rose to ride in his taxi. This leads into a song from Vincent:
*a bawdy, raucous number, in which he describes the behavior of
the upper classes, as seen by a tough New York taxi-driver in
his rear view mirror.*

*Humorous*