Desert Rose - The Libretto
Lyrics and stage directions for the musical.
Read along while listening to the complete album on YouTube:
ACT ONE - FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
PRELUDE
Curtain rises.
Desert landscape, twilight before the dawn. Silhouette of Joshua tree, center stage.
MINER appears from silhouette and removes his hat, addressing the audience.
In Search of a Rose
MINER
The gold that men have killed for
The silver they select
The precious gems they'd die for
Are things that I reject
The treasure men have overlooked
The time and toil they wasted
I'd dig a mine in half the time
To find a flower un-jaded
A parched, un-watered wasteland
Broken bottles and bare feet
A rusting, creaking timespan
And a rushing toward conceit
Their wasteland never growing
In spite of desert clouds unloading
Has a garden flower
Beyond the tower
Refreshment ever flowing
And I must find this girl at all cost
Or life in this accursed world for me
Is lost
For without love
Life is lost
Yes, what is hope without a home?
Without a home
Will I find the light, undaunted
Before the sun wins over me?
Will I find my way
Lost not, I pray
To shade, then her to me?
Phosphorus!
There exists a contrast in this world
Dust and rust with ribbons and bows
While men keep searching for their stones
I will seek a rose
MINER exits stage. Spotlight searches stage.
OVERTURE
Desert landscape remains but with cross-dissolving projections in the sky on a screen.
The Song of the Desert
Images projected on screen during overture: M.L.I. logo, clocks, gears, rusty hinge, dust devil, broken glass, cactus, rose, mining cart, an electrical tower (High Tower), etc.
SCENE ONE - DAWN
Early morning in the desert.
MINER is in his rickety old mining shack watching his 1950s television set.
An Exhausted Land
i) Examples of a Harsh World
Video clips on screen of current world events of accidents, war, violence, drugs and civil unrest.
MINER shuts off TV disgusted.
A clock’s internal, rotating gears are projected on screen.
CROWD appears from both sides of stage. Two groups walking in circles, mirroring the gears. They dovetail in the center just as gears in a machine. MINER is at this center-point, tattered and pulled in at times as he sings.
ii) No Time For Extremes
MINER
No time
Pass me by in the onrushing flow of faces
Rushing by
Out of want for oneself and of places
No time
Rushing by on the outskirts of society
Darkening sky
Results of greed of humanity
No time
Darkening sky
Oh what lies in the After?
I want to cry
But there’s no time
Wasted time, wasted laughter
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage laughter.
MINER
No time
CROWD
Time is money!
MINER
No money, no gold
CROWD
Money is law!
MINER
No law, no justice
CROWD
Love is sex!
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
Ya’ got that right
MINER
No love, no life
CROWD
Life is cheap!
MINER
No time to sleep
No time to dream
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
Are you dreamin’ again?
MINER
No time for extremes
I stand in line
The time?
MINER looks at his pocket watch and is pulled into gears. He fights his way out.
Staggering toward the fierce wind of society
Eternity?
Deserted words, desert roads
I’ve got no time for extremes
I’m in search of a rose
MINER is pulled completely into the CROWD of gears. CROWD shape changes into saloon customers enjoying themselves.
High Tower is projected on screen.
High Towers & Railway Spikes
CAN walks into the saloon and orders a High Tower beer from BARTENDER. From then on he watches MINER as he sings.
MINER enters from behind audience, singing while walking up aisle toward stage.
MINER
I can dream
Dream of the way it's supposed to be
Dream of a day when you will be free
MINER shakes an audience member’s hand, consoling them.
Free from the voices without any sense
Free from the feelings that feel with pretense
Watching the prey of this degradant day
I'll be wasting away
I'll be wasting away
Until the rain washes it away
And so I wait
And so I wait
MINER sings sitting on edge of stage. He gestures toward screen.
This High Tower looms before us!
None higher have I seen
Except in dreams
Rising like a Sunday chorus
The pulpit's power
God before us
And no-one goes beyond
We've been brainwashed by the song
A simple melody
A proverbial rhyme
A childhood memory trapped in our mind
No-one goes beyond
God knows I tried
And nearly died
But I will try again
I'll be fighting for you my friend
Pointing through audience.
And you
And you
And you
And me
He stands up and walks onto the stage.
I can dream
Dream of the way it's supposed to be
Dream of the day when there I will see
The reality of all that I have seen
In dreams
Release me!
Release me!
Words without meaning
No substance at all
Ways without feelings
Just waiting for the fall
The words of a humble man drown
In the dust of a town
And the feet
That kick it up in the street
The High Tower casts a shadow across the stage dividing it in half right down the center.
MINER gestures to this boundary.
This threshold which lies before me
There is not another I have dreamed of passing
And a new day I can see
Beyond The Line
Another time
Another world
Surpassing
I know what lies beyond
I know because I've been there
In dreams
I can dream
Dream of release
That moment I'm free
But that remains to be seen
In dreams
Free me!
Free me!
Words without meaning
No substance at all
Ways without feelings
Just waiting for the fall
The words of a humble man drown
In the dust of a town
And the feet
That kick it up in the street
This High Tower broods before me
There is another I have seen
In a dream
And I conquered it
I went beyond
I really did
I felt it
I was gone
I was released to the breeze
I smelt it:
The rainbow's scent
I dwelt in it
Yes, she sent the rain for me
To comfort me
To tell of her love for me
And I was fighting for her
My garden flower
Oh let it be
Let the rain wash over me
Oh let me dream
Let me dream!
CAN throws his beer can at MINER.
CAN
The words of a humble man drown
In the dust of a town
And the feet
That kick it up in the street
MINER kicks the can off stage.
They face off.
CAN cracks his neck and then verbally assaults MINER.
You can dream
Dream of a way it's supposed to be
Dream of a day when you will be free
But you won't!
You'll never be free
From the voices
The feelings
The fools
You've grown long enough in the mines
To be ruled
You're a tool you see
You'll never be free
You'll never be anything
But a slave
A low class common slave
In bondage to the nonsense
To the system
And the pain
Won't you change your mind?
Please change
CAN encourages audience to participate.
Sing my song!
Property of M.L.I.
And proud to be that kind of guy
I'm proud to play these wretched games
Until the day I die!
How about some sympathy?
Some empathy to set you free?
Well how about some apathy?
Some laughter free
Ha!
A tragedy!
CAN screams chorus in the face of MINER.
Sing my song!
Property of M.L.I.
And proud to be that kind of guy!
I'm proud to play these wretched games
But now we must draw The Line!
Your kind are pathetic
You're always complaining
Claiming athletic
But ending up fainting
Ready to take on
The big world
And straight on
To reach out
And search out
The one love
You brag on
But feigning
Well, excuse me if I
Put a glare in your eye
Or dampen your smile
With my innocent style
But I'd much rather chatter
With fellows with laughter
Than stand beside your kind
Where nobody gathers!
Sing my song!
Property of M.L.I.
I’m proud to play these stinking games
Heroes - Us all!
Come answer the call
Or y'all will be put to shame
You can dream
But you'll never be free
You'll never be anything!
MINER kicks CAN off stage.
CROWD exits. BARTENDER is the last to leave, counting his tips.
MINER runs toward The Line that is created by the shadow of the High Tower.
CACTUS 1 and CACTUS 2 stop him.
They fight MINER.
CACTUS 1 & CACTUS 2
High Towers:
Pride, greed
A rushing toward conceit
Railway spikes:
The sting you concede
When your greed reaches deep
High Towers:
Pride, greed
A rushing toward conceit
Railway spikes:
The sting you concede
When your pride rises inside
High Tower becomes a railway track. Both CACTUS 1 & CACTUS 2 overpower MINER and put him on the tracks with his back to the screen.
CACTUS 1
Release me!
CACTUS 2
Release me!
CACTUS 1 & CACTUS 2
High Towers:
Pride, greed
A rushing toward conceit
Railway spikes:
Driving them in!
They drive railway spikes into the hands of MINER, pinning him to the tracks.
CACTUS 1
I can dream
CACTUS 2
Dream of the way it's supposed to be
They both laugh and then exit.
Sound of a train and its horn approaching. Bright light rapidly closing in on MINER. Train appears to pass over him.
MINER
The words of a humble man drown
In the dust of a town
And the feet
That kick it up in the street
MINER hangs his head down and the stage goes dark.
SCENE TWO - NOON
Inside a dangerous mine shaft that is also a dirty bar.
BARTENDER adjusts fittings on a moonshine still behind the bar.
5 CO-WORKERS enter along with MINER. They are shoveling, pounding rock with picks, moving rubble with mining cart, etc.
Rubble Rabble (Voices Without Sense)
Eureka! Insert
CO-WORKER 1 raises up a huge nugget of gold he’s discovered.
CO-WORKER 1
YEEE-HAAAH!
OOOO-EEEE!
Ha ha ha!
And she’s all mine!
CO-WORKERS dance hillbilly-like.
BARTENDER fills up a jug of moonshine from the still and the CO-WORKERS pass it around. MINER doesn’t feel that he fits in, but he tries.
MINER
Did he find real gold?
Or just fools' gold?
CO-WORKER 2
“Did he find real gold?”
He asks!
How many times
Must ya’ be told?
Ya’ sap!
It matters not
The quality
But quantity
The weight, you see
What counts
Is what it gives to me
Other CO-WORKERS agree.
CO-WORKER 3
If you're constantly lookin’
For gold in this mine
You'll soon find yourself
At the end of The Line
If silver is what you seek to find
Well look no further
Opens mouth and points to tooth.
But alas it's mine!
All CO-WORKERS laugh.
ALL CO-WORKERS
Rubble rabble
Take the pick and shovel
Burn yourself out and find
There's pleasure
In this rotten mine
We slave away
From night to day
To prey upon a dusty shine
And when it's time
Back to the mine!
CO-WORKER 2
"Did he find real gold?"
Ya’ ask
Well let me hit ya’
With some precious facts:
When you get ahold
Of that thar gold
And ya’ take it back to yer shack
You don't keep track
Of karats, Jack
You cash it in
'Fore the Good Lord
Takes it back
They all laugh.
CO-WORKER 4
The trouble with you
Is yer too good, shoot!
Ya’ think this underworld
Oughta give you the loot
Slave in the mine
'Til the end of time
And some young
Son-of-a-gun
Gonna' tell me what to find?
I been in every mine
This side of The Line
And no young buck’s
Gonna' beat me
Outta' Lady Luck
Stand aside!
He takes the pick from MINER and begins pounding on MINER’s boulder.
ALL CO-WORKERS
Rubble Rabble
Take the pick and shovel
Burn yourself out and find
There's pleasure
In this filthy mine
We slave away
From night to day
To prey upon a distant line
A fading vein
A dusty shine
And then we find
The treasure’s mine!
CO-WORKERS argue over whose gold it is.
CO-WORKER 2
"Did we find real gold?"
Ya’ ask?
Well let me put ya’
Back on track
Cash changes hands
Like a flash in the pan
And it ain't worth a clink
'Less you bring home a wink
Ya’ gotta' make the moves
Don't be told what to do
Or you'll end up at the kitchen sink!
CO-WORKER 2 turns around and he has on a frilly apron with a scrub brush in his hand.
They all laugh.
CO-WORKER 3
She's got ya' doing the dishes
CO-WORKER 5
The trouble with your kind
Is you think all the time
You wanna' do some checkin'
On the things yer prospectin'
In the mine
Has anyone seen a rose
In this tunnel of stone?
Anyone got the time?
MINER looks at his pocket watch.
Attack the prey
I say
Pitch the tent
Until the money's spent
It may last only a day
But the more so the pay
When it's time to trade
ALL CO-WORKERS
Rubble rabble
They hand MINER a pick and a shovel but he doesn’t take them.
Take the pick and shovel
Burn yourself out and find
There's pleasure
In this worthless mine
Come slave away
From night to day
And pray you'll find a sign
Some fading vein
But if you don't find a shine
Just joke and
Lie
CO-WORKER 4
Yep, I did her
He laughs.
They all go back to their work in the mine.
BARTENDER checks a dollar bill to see if it’s real. He puts it in his pocket.
They all exit.
MINER remains alone on stage.
Mine/bar becomes a pristine, high-class, jacket-required, cocktail lounge.
BARTENDER puts a blazer on MINER and brushes off the dust from its shoulders.
The backdrop is a barren landscape with cracked desert ground and blue sky.
Driftwood (I Know the Rains Will Come)
DUST reclines on the grand piano, accentuating the curve of her hip and thigh. BARTENDER brings her a martini with an olive on a toothpick in it. She flirts with MINER. He is tempted.
MINER
Driftwood
Don't fan the fire
It's a tragedy waiting to happen
MINER & DUST
Like a blaze in the breeze
Driftwood burns easy
Humility won't save him
WAGNERITE
So it seems
MINER & DUST
Keeping hope alive
I know the rains will come
DUST slides off piano and seductively eats half of the olive from her drink. She puts the other half in MINER’s mouth. She takes a drink of the martini and then hands the glass to him. He accepts and drinks.
WAGNERITE
Who will claim the heart of this man?
BARTENDER brings DUST another martini to replace the one she gave to MINER. It has a lot of olives in it.
MINER
I know refreshment lingers near
WAGNERITE
Who will claim the heart of this man?
MINER & DUST
I know it flows
WAGNERITE
Release this fear
Who will claim the hope of this man?
MINER
I know you know I'm standing near
WAGNERITE
Who will stop to help this man?
MINER
I know that you will be with me
WAGNERITE
Who would want to hurt this man?
Keep hope alive!
MINER & DUST
I know that the rains will come!
WAGNERITE
Driftwood!
MINER
Don't fan the fire!
WAGNERITE
Release this fear
Everyone exits at closing time. MINER is led out by DUST who is holding his hand. BARTENDER stays after hours and cleans martini glasses. He eats an olive.
Stage goes dark.
Black or White
Fog rolls in.
MINER and ROSE enter from opposite sides of the stage. They are drawn toward each other. Before they can touch however, a flash of lightning separates them.
An animated video begins on the screen. Note: All Desert Rose characters in it are of an animation-style using the official Desert Rose action figures. They are not the vocalists on stage.
Events in the video: The lightning thrashes like two whips. The whips become power lines of the High Tower. CO-WORKER 5 enters with a pick, hits a boulder and sparks flash from it. Dust devils appear in the desert. It is DUST. She dances, showing her too-good-for-you attitude and shaking her butt a lot toward the audience. A door is blowing open and closed by the wind. We zoom in to the rusty hinge. It becomes RUST. She dances, puckers her lips and shows her tongue a lot toward the audience. A High Tower beer bottle crashes to the ground and shatters. The broken pieces come together to form GLASS. She dances in her violent way and bounces her breasts a lot toward the audience. A beautiful pink rose begins to rise from the desert floor. The sun rises, to scorch the rose. A man’s hands appear and shelter the rose from the sun. The leaves on the rose turn into a bow tied around the stem. End of animated sequence.
MINER appears on stage with his cupped hands extended as was seen in the video. He looks for ROSE but cannot find her.
WAGNERITE
There exists a contrast in this world
Dust and rust with ribbons and bows
Is it black or white?
Wrong or right?
Who knows!
CO-WORKER 1
Commandment 7. Thou shalt not grow discouraged, nor think of going home before thou hast made thy pile.
Commandment 8. Thou shalt not steal a pick, a shovel or a pan from thy fellow miners, nor borrow a claim, nor pan out gold from others' riffle box. They will hang thee, or brand thee like a horse thief with the letter R upon thy cheek.
ROSE enters and they are both back-to-back, not seeing each other. Not once do they look at each other during this next song.
They alternate facing the audience when singing solo. They face left/right during their duets.
I Misplaced the Place (Doubling Back)
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
-where we came in?
MINER
Addressing the audience.
I was there
You saw it
I was far away from here
She was fair
And soft
And mine
She called me Darling
I called her Dear
And I was wanted
We were united
I was acceptable to her
She came into my arms
And we were warm
I was desirable to her
MINER & ROSE
Now I'm back
I've misplaced that place
Where has it all gone?
Will I get it back?
See that face?
Reclaim the dawn?
You were there
I saw you
You were reaching out to me
MINER
Your hair
So fair
And light
It hung down upon my face
MINER & ROSE
I wasn't sure what was right
And you were teaching it to me
I remember
MINER
She laid her head upon my shoulder
I wanted nothing more than to hold her
But overwhelmed so much, me
Like the first time I felt her touch me
I didn't want to scare her
Didn't want to push her further
By advancing more than meet her
For that brief but wonderful moment
So I placed my head upon
Her golden hair that flowed and shone
And prayed my God would hear my voice
And make that moment last as Ours
MINER & ROSE
But it all went by too soon
MINER
Before I knew it she was gone
Was it something that I'd said?
Some foolish thing unknown I did?
Some distant thing that I had done
To lose the heart I thought I'd won?
Will that moment known as Ours
Return and let my sleeping be?
Forever again, the blessed of men?
Or lost again without her with me?
MINER & ROSE
Now I'm back
I've misplaced that place
Where has it all gone?
I have doubled back
No more to see her/his face
No more to see the dawn
I do remember this:
MINER
She put her hand, soft into mine
And I wanted nothing more at that time
But I was scared so much, you see
Like the time her hair had touched me
I didn't want her pressured
Didn't want her to feel committed
So with every ounce of power
And some without that I was not holding
I released her hand
That fragile hand
And that moment that was Ours
Slipped on by and was lost forever
MINER & ROSE
It had all went by too fast
MINER
I look around and she is gone
Is there something I can say?
Some righteous thing that I can do?
To make the queen of all my dreams
Say
MINER & ROSE
My Darling
ROSE
How I love you
MINER & ROSE
Will that moment lost called Ours
Ever return and never leave me?
Or will forever and a day
Show me up to just be dreaming?
I am back
I remember where we'd been
Must I now always just see your back?
Or will we ever come face-to-face
Again?
They both walk away sad in opposite directions, never knowing the other was there the whole time.
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
Isn’t this-
SCENE THREE - DUSK
MINER walks home as the sun is descending on a desolate valley plain.
(I'm Not) Finding the Way Home
MINER
I know the place where the Desert Rose grows
A girl that is chaste and her long hair flows
Oh this pond in the desert
I put on my best face
Trying to hide the past
But it won't last
Soon she'll see the cracks
In the mask
But I’ve hidden it for her
It’s the best I can do
I know the place where the day and night unite
A girl that is soft and a face that is bright
Oh this solitary flower
In an un-watered wasteland
I surrender myself
Trying to stake a claim to her
But I don’t know
Soon the cracks of this parched ground
Will sound and show
And who then will blame her?
But it will reveal what I feel
It’s the only thing I can do
And what would you do?
His rickety old miner’s shack is coming into view.
I'm heading back to my shack
I'm going back
I'm not headed home
It doesn't look like home
I'm not finding the way
Back
Home
I know the valley where
She lays upon her bed
I followed a gold vein
through which I've been led
To the long-sought Mother Load
Her tender heart of gold
Is enveloped in time
The clock to soon chime
While my nights are filled with moonshine
Is that a crime?
I've heard the tales of apples in the valley
A scent that is youthful, where a mint is but folly
Golden apples in the spring
And I can see
The kind of woman she’s going to be
But will she choose me?
When all is said and done
Will she refuse me?
And run?
He is outside of his shack now, looking at how it is falling apart.
I've headed back to my shack
I am back
But it doesn't feel like home
I've not found the way home
A fragrance of the rose
Has reached my nose
And I’m unable to sleep
But fully capable to weep
Now he is inside of his shack looking at all of his meager belongings.
Pots and pans and plates and things
What pleasure do these things bring
If I’m still alone
And cannot share my home?
I know the place in which she rests
Her beating breast
Is warm
And I’m coming near to her
Thinking I know best
Am I wrong?
This gentle island in a restless sea
He sits on the edge of his unmade bed.
I dream of a love
As I'm struggling to her side
But will I survive?
I am longing to kiss
Her pure and tender lips
Tonight
I am back at my shack
I am back
But I am not home
I've not found the way home
He gets under the quilt on his bed and fluffs the pillow.
The fragrance of the rose
Has reached my nose
And I'm unable to sleep
But I can imagine her needs
I know it won't make things right
But in the darkness of this night
It's the only thing of hers that I might keep
I am back at my shack
I am back
But I am not home
I've not found the way home
This is not home
He slides down into a sleeping position.
I'm not finding
The way
Back
Home
He pulls the quilt over himself, rolling over and away from the audience. He goes to sleep.
The lighting very slowly brings the stage to black.
End of Act One.
INTERMISSION
ACT TWO - RAIN IN THE DESERT
SCENE ONE - DAWN
The beginning of a sunny day above a dry wash in the desert. A modern dance club that is also an 1849 mining camp. Old tents, sluice boxes, mirror ball, strobe lights, etc. The dance floor is located where the river used to run through. Attractive women dance on the floor while some of the CO-WORKERS excitedly pan for gold along its edges.
Entire cast is there along with the wild and intoxicated CROWD dressed in the latest hip fashions.
Behind the bar are floor-to-ceiling shelves displaying every type of liquor bottle. BARTENDER is dressed as a DJ with headphones around his neck, serving the customers and spinning the latest beats.
Dust, Rust & Broken Glass
DUST appears out of the CROWD and takes center-stage, dancing and singing for MINER. She brings a lot of attention to her butt, hips and thighs.
DUST
I’m at the end of the rainbow
I’m at the bend of the bow
I will penetrate your heart if you need me tonight
Then I'll alienate you and leave you outright
DUST & BE GEEZ
Accelerate
Exaggerate
Evaporate
Recuperate
Do it again
Disco bump
DUST
Ooooh
Everyone dances, showing off the latest Disco moves.
Boogie, do it
It’s just sand in your eyes
Hustle through it
With strong hips and thighs
DUST & BE GEEZ
Disco boogie
Infatuation
Get down
DUST
Ooooh
Everyone dances showing off the latest Disco moves.
MINER dances with DUST.
So groovy
With outta’ sight booty
DUST hits MINER hard with her hip which knocks him to the floor.
Everyone laughs and continues dancing.
MINER
Kicking up dust
Let me refer to the words of my Master
WAGNERITE
This is a love that has no hope
MINER
Tarnished silver
A metal without shine
Untouched, unloved
Let the dust subside
RUST appears out of the CROWD and takes center-stage, dancing and singing for MINER. She brings a lot of attention to her lips and tongue.
RUST
I am tattered and torn and need your help
I am a leaking powder keg upon a broken shelf
I will detonate your senses if you wish
And then disintegrate you with my golden lipstick kiss
RUST & DIVAS
Isolate
Lacerate
Mutilate
Nauseate
Do it again
The pain
RUST
Ooooh
Everyone dances, showing off the latest R&B moves.
My creaking, smooth style
Is just underlying deteriorations
A symphony of entropy
With amazing lip sensations
RUST & DIVAS
Feel my rhythm
Sing the blues
Get off
RUST
Ooooh
Everyone dances, showing off the latest R&B moves.
MINER dances with RUST.
No near misses
When cutting kisses
RUST slices MINER across the face with her lips which knocks him to the floor.
Everyone laughs and continues dancing.
MINER
Waiting on the rust
Can I love this time?
Let me refer to the words of my Father
WAGNERITE
This is a love that will not share
MINER
Spinning aimlessly
Like the sands of time in a stone
WAGNERITE
This is a love that cannot grow
MINER
Fools' gold
Hid in a mine
'Til the end of time
And sat like a bat
'Til it's time for flight
At night
WAGNERITE
Gold!
MINER
It's only cold that unfolds
When its worth
Is as priceless as dirt
Disguised
Hinged on the edge of time
A love that will not move
This is how a love dies
Let the time rush in
GLASS triumphantly appears out of the CROWD and is given an enthusiastic welcome. She quiets the CROWD and takes center-stage. She dances and sings for MINER, bringing a lot of attention to her breasts.
GLASS
I am scattered across your path
A broken window with a shy laugh
This bleeding heart inside my breast
Is beating for a man who’s naive and needing
Contaminate
Interrogate
Manipulate
Subordinate
Do it again
GLASS & BARBERSHOP QUARTET
Contaminate
Interrogate
Manipulate
Subordinate
GLASS
Industry rave
Everyone dances, showing off the latest Industrial Dance moves.
Sharp shards of shattered laughter
As I reveal you’re not what I’m after
Such clear and scattered love complications
With perfect breast augmentations
GLASS & BARBERSHOP QUARTET
Industrial automation
Termination
Get real
GLASS
Ooooh
GLASS & BARBERSHOP QUARTET
Contaminate
Interrogate
Manipulate
Subordinate
Everyone dances, showing off the latest Industrial Dance moves.
MINER dances with GLASS.
GLASS
Get with the move
Pathetic little boob
GLASS hits MINER hard with her breasts which knocks him to the floor.
Everyone laughs and continues dancing.
DUST, RUST and GLASS all dance on the bar during the electric guitar solo. BE GEEZ, DIVAS and BARBERSHOP QUARTET surround the bar and praise them with dance. The CROWD goes crazy.
BARTENDER
Last call for alcohol!
Dance party settles down and a lot of alcohol is consumed. BARTENDER flips bottles into the air while mixing drinks. Some in the CROWD just have him pour the drinks straight down their throats.
Last call for alcohol!
Some couples leave for a one-night-stand, phone numbers are exchanged with others. Men are trying hard not to go home alone, etc.
No one pays much attention to MINER now. He walks across broken glass on the dance floor and stands in the midst of it.
MINER
Broken bits of glass
Let it be this time
Let me refer you to the words of my Maker
WAGNERITE
This love will make you bleed
MINER
This heart I have won’t stop me
A gem in a wasteland
An outstretched hand
When you're down in the sand
GLASS
Then finding
This shining
Was a thief
That made its cut
Deep in your feet
Red light projections around MINER’s feet simulate streams of blood as a result of walking across the broken glass.
BARBERSHOP QUARTET
Stones!
MINER
Precious pieces of broken purple glass
WAGNERITE
This love will not last
GLASS
Walking on The Line
A jagged darkness shines
With laughing eyes
BE GEEZ
Dust!
MINER
Disguised by a shine
WAGNERITE
This love has no hope
DIVAS
Rust!
MINER
Sand in a wasteland
Glowing dirt
For fools who hurt
WAGNERITE
This love cannot grow
GLASS
Stones!
MINER
Precious pieces of broken purple glass
WAGNERITE
This love won't give
Without something to gain
MINER
Let me listen to the words of my God
WAGNERITE
Wait for the love wrapped in ribbons and bows
This is a love that will not grow cold
Wait for the rose!
Wait for the rose!
Wait for the rose!
Everyone goes home with someone and MINER is left alone on stage.
BARTENDER mops up spills on the dance floor and then pretends to play the mop like an electric guitar, Prince-style, with a single purple spotlight on him. He shuts the lights off on final note of song, then exits.
She Is Woman
MINER walks along a desert road as RUST follows from a distance.
MINER
Far beneath this world we live in
Cavernous, subterraneous
Un-excavated, labyrinthian
MINER & RUST
She is woman
The compliment
And taunt
Of man
MINER enters a run-down liquor store. RUST leans on the wall outside and puts on a generous amount of gold lipstick.
The man behind the counter is BARTENDER.
MINER
She is the cavernous night
A damp and cool
Wading pool
A relaxing, rippling
Liquid sight
A complex catacombed delight
MINER opens the refrigerator door and grabs a 6 pack of High Tower beer. MINER pays and leaves store.
The creaking wooden beams
Are falling
Dripping echoes deep within
Are calling
RUST catches his attention as she displays herself to him, puckering her lips and licking them. He is tempted.
Through the tunnels
A hard cold wind
Is wailing
MINER & RUST
For men who dare
Her hypnotic stare -
Their failing
Woman steals
Your fate is sealed
All others
Beware
Beware
MINER hands a beer to RUST. She opens it, drinks it all, crushes the can and throws it and its tab into the desert.
MINER
She is a wonder to me
A mineralogical masterpiece
A font for inspiration
Creativity and spirituality
A perplexing curiosity
MINER & RUST
She is woman
The compliment
And taunt
Of man
A deep intent to care
With some deep resent
To share
A basic fact:
A vampirous bat
A fly trap
A honey-laden snare
MINER
Well, who knows how man will fare
When disregarding
The sign at the entrance
Which reads:
MINER & RUST
Beware
Beware
RUST holds out her hand. He takes it and they walk behind the building together.
Stage goes dark with one soft light in center. Fog rolls in.
There is a delicate pink rose projected on the screen.
Until When?
CO-WORKER 1
Commandment 1. Thou shalt have no other claim than one.
Commandment 2. Thou shalt not make any false claim nor jump one.
Commandment 3. Thou shalt not go prospecting before thy claim gives out. Neither shall thy take thy gold to the gambling table in vain.
ROSE dances poetically on the stage, expressing her loneliness.
Commandment 4. Thou shalt remember the Sabbath. Six days thou mayest dig, for in six days labor thou canst work enough to wear out thy body in two years.
MINER enters and they dance together in a beautiful perfected routine.
Commandment 5. Thou shalt not think more of thy gold than how thou shall enjoy it.
Commandment 6. Thou shalt not kill thy body by working in the rain. Neither shall thou destroy thyself by getting "tight" nor "high seas over" while drinking down thy purse.
Thunder startles ROSE interrupting their dance.
MINER
Don’t be afraid
They embrace. ROSE lays her head on MINER’s shoulder.
She sees the Pick and Shovel tattoo on his shoulder. Thunder crashes. She backs up fearful and runs away into the fog.
The rose image on the screen now has a pick and shovel over it like a big X.
Until When?
MINER looks up at the rose, pick and shovel.
Stage goes dark.
SCENE TWO - NOON
Bright desert landscape with the electrical High Tower in the background. Its shadow separates the stage in half right down the center. There is a notable difference between the two sides. One side is barren desert and dead, the other has some growth and shows life and hope. The quivering heat rising from the sand and rocks distorts the view on the dead side.
GLASS reclines on a boulder on the dead side, putting sunscreen on. She is waiting for someone to pass by and notice her. She adjusts her breasts within her top making sure they’re perfect.
MINER staggers in from off-stage, dehydrated and falling down on the dead side.
Parched (I Can Smell the Rain)
MINER
Parched
Parched
MINER & GLASS
The desert heat
Like an oven
It's the living things that suffer
MINER
Thought I saw some water
MINER & GLASS
But I was just melting
MINER
She was my shelter
MINER & GLASS
But I was dreaming
MINER is hallucinating.
MUSCULAR MAN and TANNED WOMAN walk by in bathing suits as though they were walking on the beach. She has a fruity drink with a green umbrella in it. She takes it out and pretends to shade the man from the sun with it. He pulls the straw out of his coconut and pretends to be bowling. MINER is the pin he knocks down. They laugh.
Keeping hope alive
MINER
I can smell the rain
GLASS struts across stage and MUSCULAR MAN turns to watch her butt after she passes. TANNED WOMAN turns his head back toward herself.
MINER & GLASS
Keeping hope alive
MINER
I can smell the rain
MUSCULAR MAN kicks sand in MINER’s face.
MUSCULAR MAN, TANNED WOMAN and GLASS exit.
MINER is delirious. There is a glare from the sun hitting something in the sand. He finds a crushed High Tower beer can and tries to get just one drop out of it. Nothing.
WAGNERITE
Calling on the rain to put the fire out
MINER
His calling out is directed heavenward.
I am calling on you to quench this fire
WAGNERITE
Calling on the rain to put the fire out
MINER
I am begging you to stop this burning
He struggles to his feet.
WAGNERITE
Calling on the rain to put the fire out
MINER
I am screaming to you to unload the rain clouds
He looks at the High Tower and The Line running down center-stage. He is determined to pass over and into the other side.
WAGNERITE
Calling on the clouds to put the fire out
MINER
I am dying down here while the gears keep turning
WAGNERITE
Calling out to put the fire out
Keep hope alive
MINER struggles closer to The Line. He is focused on crossing it.
MINER
I can smell the rain
WAGNERITE
Parched
The desert heat
He is overcome by the heat just as he reaches The Line, unable to cross over.
MINER
Pounding me down!
MINER collapses and passes out, not reaching his goal.
A group of happy BEACH-GOERS (Includes GLASS, MUSCULAR MAN and TANNED WOMAN) run onstage and bounce a colorful beach ball back and forth using The Line as the net.
On last note of drums MINER’s hand suddenly reaches up, grasping. BEACH-GOERS stop everything and look at him surprised. He gently places his hand on the other side of The Line.
Lights go out.
MINER is now past The Line, on the side of the desert that has some life. There is desert greenery in a lot of places.
The scenery has changed but he still feels oppressed by the burning sun. It is as if he is wandering around in some terrible nightmare. Passing The Line seemed to change nothing.
The Sun, a Shield & a Sanctuary
WAGNERITE
Fire on the mountain!
Fire on the mountain!
MINER
I’m on fire!
Suddenly a shadow is cast upon him and his surroundings, protecting him from the harsh sun. He exhales in relief.
Shelter
A shield
Am I just dreaming?
Did they see me leave?
Was I spotted?
Is it time to grieve?
Or fight it?
Where's my love?
My life?
Where's the garden rose
Which grows and shows
The future bright?
ROSE enters but he doesn’t see her.
The fragrance of the rose
Has reached my nose
And I am unable to weep
At the end of this trip
No cloud drips
But still the more so
I'd rather
Have her tell me that I matter
And for me to kiss
Her pure and tender lips
They see each other and express their love for each other.
Throughout this part of the song there is a sense of foreboding and danger. Will they be caught together and punished?
I've been thinking of you
To try to describe
Your true worth and value
Your shining, bright side
You're one in a million
No, that will not do
You're far beyond that
Oh what words describe you?
MINER & ROSE
Do you see the way I see
(When I look at you)
When you look at me?
Do you feel the way I feel?
The way I feel for you
Do you feel that for me too?
Tell me what the chance would be
For you to select me
ROSE
Can I encompass it all
The things that you are
The warmth of the summer
The night's shining star?
You're one in a lifetime
A precious fine gem
The sun in its noontime
A kite in the wind
But that doesn't do it
With words I compete
What can I say
To say what's complete?
MINER & ROSE
Do you see the way I see
(When I look at you)
When you look at me?
Do you feel the way I feel?
The way I feel for you
Do you feel that for me too?
Oh tell me what the chance would be
For you to accept me
MINER
Is it greed
For me to want to be
The only one you see?
Is it pride
To feel inside
A better person
When you're close by?
Or is it conceit
For me to think
What I feel for you
Is complete?
You're innocent and clean
A refreshing light rain
A scent in the spring
A smile that remains
A contentment unseen
A thought that endures
Can I describe you
What I feel with mere words?
MINER & ROSE
And if a love can last forever
And a dream can be shared together
By two people
Then I perceive
Both you and me
A love surpassing boundaries
Can only be
One love
And I believe it can't be severed
A bond two share
To brave all weather
Two together
MINER
So I could never love another
Or find my mind to stray to others
Like some people do
ROSE
For then true love would be a fallacy
An unreality
With no certainty
And not for eternity
Not “one forever”
And so, not for me
MINER & ROSE
Do you see the way I see
(When I look at you)
When you look at me?
Do you feel the way I feel?
The way I feel for you
Do you feel it for me too?
Tell me what the chance would be
For you to desire me
MINER
If I've loved you until maturity
Of this I would not lie
Respected your virginity
On this you can rely:
I'll love you for eternity
I'll never make you cry
Unbroken bond, serenity
Companion by your side
And if at last when I have waited
You will not have me
My true love will not have faded
Just that man, Me
Then I will be of all men
The most to be mocked
For you will be
The same
Possessed of key
And I shall be
Ashamed
One love
Remained locked
MINER & ROSE
Do you see the way I see
(When I look at you)
When you look at me?
Do you feel the way I feel?
The way I feel for you
Do you feel it for me too?
Tell me what the chance would be
For you to want me
MINER
If I've loved you until maturity
Of this I would not lie
Respected your virginity
On this you can rely:
I'll be your firm security
Your best friend in whom you confide
Invincibly your sanctuary
A love tested by time
If only you will have me
ROSE
I've concluded your worth
And with deepest sincerity
You my Dear are worth far more than others
You are one in eternity
MINER
I have found my rose
Fear grips the two of them. They have been found out and the opponents are coming for them. What can they do?
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
Where did he go?
CO-WORKER 2
Off stage.
Over here!
CACTUS 1
Behind audience.
He went this way!
MINER and ROSE run, hand-in-hand, off stage.
Stage goes dark.
I Will Wait
MINER and ROSE are in a pleasant, shaded area in a large riverbed. There is a trickling stream coming out from between the rocks. New grass shoots form a tranquil carpet for them to recline on. A small oasis only for them to enjoy, hidden from the opposers.
Off to one side on a small hill are tombstones surrounded by a dilapidated picket fence. This is Boot Hill.
They drink some water and eat beef jerky. They smile at each other.
MINER sings to ROSE.
MINER
When the time is right
I understand
Until that time, I will wait
I will wait until it's time
Just you wait and see
I will wait
'Til you come to me
Just you wait and see, my love
Voices whispering a different song
One that we both know and sung
Sing along
When it's time
I am waiting for you to shine
When you open up your eyes
Let your petals open wide
I will be there by your side
Until that time
Grow
CACTUS 1 and CACTUS 2 come running down the aisle recklessly, jumping on stage, attacking the couple.
They pull ROSE away from MINER. CACTUS 1 restrains MINER while CACTUS 2 drags ROSE off the stage, struggling.
As each character sings their part they walk on stage, one by one, until everyone is on stage together. The group progressively grows in size surrounding MINER. CROWD appears as well.
Death: A Jagged Shadow
BE GEEZ
Are you dreaming again?
CO-WORKER 1
From off stage.
Anyone got the time?
MINER looks at his pocket watch.
DIVAS
We've found you!
BARBERSHOP QUARTET
YEEE-HAAH!
She’s all mine!
CAN wears a desperado-style trench coat and cowboy hat as though he was the sheriff. His beer can tab comes out the top of his hat.
CAN
You won't be free
From the voices
The feelings
The fools
CO-WORKER 2
Did he find real gold?
RUST
Is my touch cold?
CACTUS 1
He just won't conform to the rules!
CACTUS 2
Returning without ROSE.
What should we do?
CAN
These words have no meaning?
They're seeming pretentious?
CO-WORKER 3
Pointing to Boot Hill.
End of The Line!
DUST
Come back to the mine
CACTUS 1
It's time we stripped him defenseless!
CACTUS 2
I agree
CAN
You've lounged long enough
Past The Line
Now give up
It is time
CO-WORKER 4
No young Son-of-a-gun
CO-WORKER 5
Gonna' spoil my fun
CACTUS 1
Nor mine
CACTUS 2
Ha!
CAN
Come back to yer shack
Or we'll nail ya'
To the railway track
GLASS
Come find my shine
RUST
In a jagged shadow of the mine
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
Gold!
I’ve struck gold!
DUST
DUST puts her hand inside MINER’s vest and strokes his chest.
No one will have to know
Just lie
MINER pushes her away.
CAN
These ways have no feelings?
It all seems so pointless?
DUST
You've wasted your time!
DUST now goes to CO-WORKER 5 and puts her arm around him.
CO-WORKER 5
The gold is all mine!
They exit stage.
CACTUS 1
It makes perfect sense
CACTUS 2
I know
CAN
Your kind are a pain here
Your drive everlasting
Forecasting rain near
Are you sure that you're sane Dear?
CACTUS 1
How dramatic!
CAN
Searching for true love
You break down
And take down
Your friends on the bottom
You've shot 'em
And robbed 'em
CACTUS 2
You've runged 'em
And hunged 'em
CAN
And flogged 'em
You've walked too long on The Line
CO-WORKER 4
No young buck
Is gonna' press his luck
ALL EXCEPT MINER
Back to the mine!
ROSE appears struggling with CO-WORKER 1.
CACTUS 1 and CACTUS 2 restrain MINER who tries to get to her.
MINER
Take me for what I have, just let her be
ROSE is pulled back off stage.
CAN
It's all the same to me!
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage.
I’ve struck gold!
BARBERSHOP QUARTET
She’s all mine
She’s all mine
CO-WORKER 1
Off stage
I’ve struck gold!
Ha!
MINER
I will fight for you my love
My garden flower
To my death
BARBERSHOP QUARTET
She’s all mine
She’s all mine
CAN
Your plans are met!
CAN pulls out the sawed-off shotgun he has been concealing under his trench coat. He cocks it and shoots MINER dead.
Everyone gathers around MINER’s body.
ALL
The words of a humble man drown
In the dust of a town
And the feet
That kick it up in the street
CO-WORKER 1 comes out on stage.
CO-WORKER 1
Has anyone seen a rose
In this tunnel o' stone?
Everyone laughs.
The group becomes a funeral procession paying their respects to the deceased, some tossing roses upon him.
They pass around red plastic cups. BARTENDER walks around filling them with champagne. It’s a great opportunity to have a party.
The gathering blocks the view of MINER to the audience. They drink, laugh and converse.
CO-WORKER 1 unrolls an old parchment and reads from it.
Commandment 9. Thou shalt not tell any false tales about "good diggings" in the mountains, lest your neighbors return with naught but a rifle and present thee with its contents thereof and thou shall fall down and die.
Commandment 10. Thou shalt not commit unsuitable matrimony nor neglect thy first love. If thy heart be free thou shall "pop the question" like a man, lest another more manly than thou art should step in before thee, and then your lot be that of a poor, despised comfortless bachelor.
CO-WORKER 1 laughs.
Everyone slowly leaves the stage and we see ROSE seated on the floor with MINER lying dead next to her. She is turned so as not to see him.
SCENE THREE - DUSK
ROSE is seated on a chair hidden under her long flowing dress. It elevates her as she sings making her appear to be a growing, blossoming flower with its petals opening up. The dress is exceptionally long to hide the mechanics when at its highest point.
There are no lyrics in this song. The Vocal Emotions Timeline below describes her life challenges and growth that is being expressed. The times for each change are noted.
She Blossomed
ROSE
0:15 - The gentle and soft singing of an innocent young woman in a garden, oblivious to the fears and insecurities of this world.
0:54 - Her first life challenge arises. She is confused as to how she is to handle it.
1:44 - She communicates her feelings and works through the problem.
2:09 - There is another heavier life struggle she cannot avoid.
2:42 - She recuperates from the trauma she has been through.
2:54 - She grows stronger from that event and is determined to continue on despite the setbacks.
3:41 - She accepts that there will be opposers and has decided to stay solid on her life course.
4:01 - She comes to full womanly maturity with the belief that the path she has chosen is the right one.
She is now at the highest position on the chair.
4:13 - She sees her one true love, MINER, lying dead below her and she screams!
She slowly descends downward with her arms extended as though she were an angel coming to his aid.
4:21 - Sadness overwhelms her.
She holds him in her arms.
Finding the Way Home (Reprise)
ROSE
I am a woman in a place that is distant
I've kept chaste for a love that is different
Oh this place is a wasteland
I have saved away
For this beautiful day
But it has darkened
Soon I must let him go
And I will be alone
But I have wanted only him
It's the worst thing that could happen
She takes the bow out of her hair and ties the ribbon around his arm, covering over the Pick and Shovel tattoo.
He is free
I am a wall that no man has ever scaled
And I am a blossom that no man will ever smell
My one love has gone
There will be no other
I will go
Continue to grow
But I don't know
Soon the well-watered ground around me
Will parch
And I will dry
To blow away and die
And who then will save me?
But it will conceal how I feel
It's the only thing I can do
And what would you do?
I am all grown up
He is here
But I do not feel I'm home
I've not found the way home
I'm only home alone
I know your life is what you make it
Balancing extremes
Making choices for your future
Taking chances
I've not left it to chance
But to time
Beyond circumstance
Refined
And I can dream
What the perfect wedding present will be
But this western land
Is a dead land
For me
For without love
Life is lost
Yes what is hope without a home?
Without a home
I've waited for you to kiss
My longing, tender lips
She kisses him very tenderly.
WAGNERITE
The fragrance of the rose
Has reached his nose
He is unable to sleep!
His eyes open. He strokes her hair and they embrace.
Ribbons, bows
She has claimed the heart of this man!
Ribbons, bows
She has brought a hope to this man!
Ribbons, bows
Waiting has brought true love to this land!
Ribbons, bows
A woman and a man
Together
Grow
It begins to rain. They rejoice in the downpour, hand-in-hand.
MINER & ROSE
The rains have come back
They are back
And it feels like home
We are finding our way home
We surrender ourselves
And put on love
Together we will survive
MINER
With you beside me
The two as one
Your heart will guide me
ROSE
Your mind will lead me
MINER & ROSE
One love
Brighter than the sun
MINER
I'll never miss
ROSE
Your tender kiss
MINER & ROSE
For our hearts will beat as one
MINER
And never feel your feminine form
Is too familiar to me
For you to me, I say
Are new and clean each day
And you're bright and alive each night
Just as the spring
In your own way
WAGNERITE
Calling on the rain to put the fire out!
MINER
Unload the rain clouds!
WAGNERITE
Calling on the rain to put the fire out!
ROSE
Release the innocent!
WAGNERITE
Calling on the clouds to release the innocent!
MINER
I can feel the rain!
WAGNERITE
Calling on the clouds to release the innocent!
ROSE
I can see a new day!
The entire cast appear, gazing at the wonder of the rainfall. They’ve never seen anything like it before. They are in awe.
MINER, ROSE & WAGNERITE
The rains have washed the streets clean!
They are clean
It all feels like home
We/They have found the way home
MINER
Love me for what I am
And nothing more
ROSE
Know me like no other can
For evermore
Love me forever
MINER
I will
MINER & ROSE
We'll be building a home
Together
CACTUS 1
It's all making sense
CACTUS 2
We were wrong and repent
CAN
Love will find its way home
ALL BUT MINER & ROSE
Love has found their way home!
FULL COMPANY
The rains have washed the streets clean!
They are clean!
It all looks like home
We have found the way home!
MINER
Building our home together
ROSE
We'll be finding the way home forever
The scent of fresh roses fills the theatre.
WAGNERITE
The hope of the rose
Has reached your nose!
FULL COMPANY
Are you building for the future?
Curtain drops.
POSTLUDE
Curtain rises.
Same scene from Prelude. Desert landscape, but it is now twilight after dusk. Silhouette of Joshua tree, center stage.
There are cross-dissolving projections in the sky on the screen. These are still images of various scenes from this production that relate to what MINER is discussing.
MINER appears from silhouette, removes his hat and addresses the audience.
In the Light (A Sun That Is Not Harsh)
MINER
The gold you men have killed for
The silver you select
The precious gems you'd die for
Are they things that you respect?
That treasure men have overlooked
Their digging done in haste
You
You
You ask yourself
Your love and wealth?
Your treasure, or your waste?
Waste
This desert wasteland burning
Keeps the present wheels a-turning
But if you're minding
What you're mining
There is time enough for learning
Are you feeding the fires
With your selfish desires?
Or do you stand alone
To find a home
No matter what transpires?
Stop and think
Give it time
What's the fleeting pleasure in a shine?
When all else seems to fail
Do you drive in your own nails
By retreating back into the mine?
The rose
As it grows
Leans toward the light
She lays her head upon my chest
And her hair I caress
In the night
This parched un-watered wasteland
Has its greed that reaches deep
If you value your health
You may need help
If you're rushing toward conceit and self
Do you mind
Standing at the back of the line
Until it's time?
Or are you quick to cash in
The first spark you hit
In the dark
With your pick?
In a pound of worthless rubble
Be it less or be it double
You can shift and sift from dusk to dawn
But what's valuable is gone
You can relax and act as wealthy
You can pray and say you're healthy
But you're not
Removing honesty and sensitivity
If modesty you pan out
There is a rusting from the inside
For the substance all has ran out
In the balances of time
Nothing
Will be weighed and found as wanting
I am the place where the Desert Rose
Now grows
In light
And I've learned to kiss
Her well-watered lips
Alone
At night
Hesperus!
There exists a contrast in this world
Dust and rust with ribbons and bows
I've made my choice known
My heart has rejoiced in our home
Are you still seeking stones?
Are you still seeking stones?
ROSE emerges from the silhouette wearing a white hat similar to MINER’s but with a pink ribbon around it. She removes the hat and embraces MINER.
They take their bows.
The rest of the cast come out and take their bows.
Curtain slowly drops.
© L.HUNT