| Reviews (9) | Split screen for review |
PDF: story: paper, binder, book (huh?) | chapter: paper, binder, book
Dangerverse, The Musical
Act I
by Eirwen
(Scene: A neighborhood park in Little Whining, Surrey. March 15, 1982. A bench sits on the left-center of the stage. A young man in shabby clothes is sitting on the bench. His name is REMUS LUPIN. In the background, a young woman with brown, bushy hair named DANGER GRANGER is watching over a boy and a girl, both several months short of age two, who are playing. The children are wearing hoodies that shielded their faces from view. The stage light is dim as the curtain opens. There are random civilians walking along the paths of the park across the stage. Toward the end of Overture, one PASSERBY drops a coin at Remus's feet. The Overture ends abruptly, and the sound of the coin hitting the ground is magnified and echoes. Remus makes motion to call after the passerby, but stops, and instead bends down and pockets the coin. Lights out. Beat. One beam of light focuses on Remus.)
REMUS
How did I get here?
HOW DID I GET TO THIS POINT IN MY LIFE
WITH NO ONE TO GO TO
NOTHING TO LIVE FOR—
A WOLF WITHOUT A PACK,
A MAN WITHOUT A FRIEND?
I had them once,
ONE SHORT YEAR AGO, IN FACT,
Friends, A JOB, A LIFE—
AND ALL OF THEM, GONE WITHIN A FLASH
ON THAT FATEFUL HALLOWEEN NIGHT.
THREE OF THEM DEAD,
AND ANOTHER TRAITOR, LOCKED UP FOR LIFE,
THE DEAR LITTLE ONE—HIDDEN FROM SIGHT
LEAVING ME HERE, WITHOUT AN ANCHOR
WITHOUT A HOME…
Why do I even bother?
TOMORROW
I WILL PUT AN END TO THIS MESS, THIS PAIN
TOMORROW
I WILL CALL THE POLICE, REPORTING A RABID BEAST AT SUNSET
TOMORROW
IT WILL FINALLY END, MY PROBLEMS, MY EVERYTHING—
MY LIFE…
(Remus looks around, and another light follows his sight across the stage. They both settle on the young woman playing with two little children. Beat. The girl pushes the boy.)
DANGER
Neenie, no! No pushing! Play nice with Harry!”
(Remus sits up straight in surprise. Beat. The girl pushes the boy, now identified as Harry, down. Harry cries.)
DANGER
(cooing, half as though speaking motherese)
Oh, it's OK sweetheart, don't cry, Greeneyes, (Remus stands up.) It's just a little bump, right?
(Danger gently pulls down the boy's hoodie, revealing messy black hair, green eyes, and tear-streaked face. Remus runs toward the boy upon seeing his face.)
HARRY
Mooey!
(He lifts his arms in a pick-me-up gesture. Remus snatched him up and held him close. Danger stares at Remus, who turns to her.)
REMUS
I'm sorry. I was a friend of Harry's father in school, and I haven't seen him for a while—
DANGER
(whispering)
I married you last night.
REMUS
(in confusion)
What?
DANGER
Oh my lord. I did not just say that out loud. I did not. I did not—I did, didn't I?
REMUS
Yes, you did.
DANGER
I'm so sorry. What a way to start a conversation. Please, can we start over?
REMUS
I'd love to.
DANGER
I DREAMED OF YOU LAST NIGHT
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T MET IN FLESH
Am I right?
REMUS
I would've remember you if we did, Miss—
DANGER
Oh I'm sorry. Call me Danger. It's my nickname.
REMUS
Then, please, call me Moony.
DANGER
(Danger bends down to the little girl)
Neenie, this is Mr. Moony.
(She straightens up.)
My sister, Neenie.
REMUS
(He smiles at Neenie.)
Hello, Neenie.
(He turns to Danger again.)
So, how do you know Harry?
DANGER
I baby-sit Harry. He lives up the street from us with his aunt and uncle. You said you were a friend of his father's? (Remus nods) May I ask what happened to his parents?
REMUS
(Remus closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.)
They were murdered. (He pauses.) Betrayed by a friend and killed by a lunatic.
DANGER
(As if murmuring to herself)
And his mother threw herself in front of him, to save him…
(She meets Remus's questioning gaze.)
Yes, I DREAM OF IT LASTNIGHT AND THE NIGHTS BEFORE
I DREAMED OF IT ALL
YOU, HIM, AND THIS
IN MY DREAMS MAGIC IS REAL—
REMUS
THEY ARE.
DANGER
Oh thanks heavens, there's no other explanation.
(Beat. She closes her eyes.)
I HAD A FAMILY
NOT LONG AGO, IN FACT,
MOM, DAD, AND NEENIE—
AND ALL BUT HER GONE IN ONE BLAST
AS IF THEY DIED IN PAIN…
(She opened her eyes again. Her voice is slightly choked.)
WHY CHOOSE THEM?
WHY CHOOSE THEM WHO HAVE DONE NO WRONG—
REMUS
(quietly)
YOU'VE SEEN IT,
YOU'VE SEEN IN YOUR DREAMS THE DARK ONE’ FALL
AND THE MINIONS, HEADLESS AND WILD—
DANGER
YES, I SAW.
(Beat.)
I'VE MOVED ON WHEN THE DREAMS BEGAN
THERE WAS A WEDDING AND THE GROOM IS YOU
I WAS HAPPY THOUGH YOU ARE A STRANGER TO ME
THEN SUDDENLY I SAW
IN MY DREAMS I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU—
REMUS
(Nervously)
EVERYTHING?
DANGER
YES, EVERYTHING AND DON'T BE AFRAID
I UNDERSTAND
I SAW.
YOUR NAME IS REMUS,
REMUS JOHN LUPIN, IN FULL,
(Remus's jaw drops in surprise.)
YOU JUST LOST YOUR DEAREST FRIENDS
RATTED OUT TO THE DARK ONE BY THE RAT—
REMUS
NO, SIRIUS.
DANGER
NO, IT WAS THE RAT.
HEAR YOUR HEART'S WHISPER
AND TRUST IN ALL IT SAYS
WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU?
REMUS
THAT SIRIUS IS A LOYAL MAN
DANGER
THEN DON'T DOUBT
AND LET THE DREAMS FLY
OPEN YOUR EYES, IT'S NOT HARD TO BELIEVE
OPEN YOUR HEART TO ALL THE POSSIBILITIES
LET YOU HEART GUIDE YOU TO A REVELATION—
REMUS
YES, I WILL.
MY GRIEF HAS CONSUMED ME
AND MY EYES TURNED BLIND
BUT NOW I SEE CLEARLY
THE TRUTH BEFORE MY EYES
(THEY SINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY)
DANGER
THEN DON'T DOUBT
REMUS
I WON'T DOUBT
DANGER
AND LET THE DREAMS FLY
REMUS
I'LL LET MY DREAMS FLY
DANGER
OPEN YOUR EYES, IT'S NOT HARD TO BELIEVE
REMUS
I'LL OPEN MY EYE TO THE THINGS LONG HIDDEN
DANGER
OPEN YOUR HEART TO ALL THE POSSIBILITIES
REMUS
I'LL OPEN MY HEART TO ALL THE POSSIBILITIES
DANGER/REMUS
LET OUR HEART GUIDE US TO A BRAND NEW LIFE
AND BEYOND
(Rain starts during the last, long note.)
REMUS
Ah, it's raining!
DANGER
Let's go over to my place, it's not far from here. We can talk there, maybe over a cup of tea or two.
(Exits all.)
(The kitchen in Danger's house. The sink, stove, and cupboards are on the upper left stage. There's a kitchen table at the center of the stage. A door to the hallway is located at the lower left stage, and another door to the backyard is at the lower right stage. Remus is sitting at the kitchen table. Danger takes the kettle from a kitchen cabinet, then goes to the sink to fill it with water.)
REMUS
So, tell me more about your dreams.
DANGER
(She puts the kettle on the stove.)
They're always similar if not exactly the same.
(She sits down at the kitchen table.)
Cacophony. Madness. Blurs of colors and sounds. But I can get bits and pieces here and there.
(She hands Remus a sheet of paper.)
REMUS
(Thoughtfully)
Black to red and red to brown
Shall truly bring the darkness down.
(A male voice over doubles Remus's words, until it completely takes over.)
Find the red and find the rat
Whose cunning plot did catch no cat.
Trust thy heart and try the grim,
And truth shall bring new life to him.
The wolf that runs in brightest dark
Of fear in danger strikes no spark,
For she is maid of warrior soul,
And by her touch his mind is whole.
When they who saved the savior twine
The freshest blood with founders’ line,
Then has the age of hope begun,
And peace comes to the man who won.
(Beat. Remus mutters to himself, trying to figure out what the poem means. The kettle whistles. Danger jumps up to tend to it.)
DANGER
(She pours water from the cattle into the teapot.)
Anything?
(Remus shakes his head and knots his eyebrows in contemplation. Beat. His face dawns with realization.)
REMUS
“Try the grim”, it means Padfoot, and try him, as in give him a trial. The kind he never had. The evidence was overwhelming. He was the key to the spell Lily and James were under—
DANGER
The Secret Keeper. I dreamed of it…
(Her eyes are half-lidding and she speaks in a monotone. Her voice fades into v.o. by VOLDEMORT and PETER PETTIGREW as she mouths the words.)
PETTIGREW
My Lord, it has happened - the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper…
VOLDEMORT
Well done, Wormtail, You had no trouble convincing the cur it was his own idea to switch you, then?
PETTIGREW
None, my Lord. He sees me as weak and foolish, he would never believe such a clever idea was mine…
VOLDEMORT
You are weak and foolish, Wormtail. But not as foolish as your former friends, who continue to hold out vain hopes of my defeat. You will be rewarded for this, I promise you…
DANGER
(Danger's eyes are completely closed, then it shots open and she gasps.)
What was that?
REMUS
You looked as if you're in a trance. And you just told me exactly what I needed to know. Now, I can do something about it.
DANGER
(Determinedly)
We. We can do something about it.
REMUS &DANGER
TOMORROW
WE'LL SET RIGHT THIS INJUSTICE, THIS CRIME
TOMORROW
WE'LL TAKE HARRY AND FREE SIRIUS, OUR FRIEND
TOMORROW
WE'LL FIND A PLACE TOGETHER, A SHELTER, A HOME—
REMUS
Well, not tomorrow—
DANGER
BUT SOON.
(The last note dies as the curtain falls.)
Tell me what you think?