James Mcbride & Ed Shockley
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BOBOS AN URBAN OPERA BY: JAMES MCBRIDE & ED SHOCKLEY CHARACTERS (Featured roles in boldface ) ALFRED .............................................…...........13 years old. DORIS ..................................................….........13 years old. Chubby. Dental retainer. SKOOLEY ........................................................Drug Czar. GERALD SNEED .....................................…....Middle forties. Bum. PHYLLIS ..........................................................Caribbean. Middle aged. THE AUTOBOTS BRICK .................................................................Street gang leader DOODIE..............................................................Female gang banger CHINK.................................................................Southeast Asian SKEETER............................................................ A featured dancer SKOOLEY'S CREW BUTCH .............................................................…..Skooley's enforcer.Baritone/Bass CHAQUITA...........................................................Gangster. Alto. CATRICE...............................................................Skooley's girl. Soprano. GINA.................................................…..................Gangster. Alto. KAHEEM(Dwight).........................................….….Gangster. Baritone. SPIDER................................…........................…....Gangster Tenor. (Featured dancer) PARTY CAST (double as Skooley's Crew, Chorus and Neighborhood Kids. ) MOTHER.................................................................Late twenties. GRANDPA...............................................................Mr. MaGoo AUNTIE HAUER(HAR)..................................….....Alcoholic. Belter UNCLE JOE..............................................................Fat MISS IRENE..............................................................Prim. Light complexion. SONNY.....................................................….............Thirties. Cool. 2 LIST OF SONGS ACT I 0. OVERTURE: BREAK BREAK 1. SURPRISE PARTY (Parents) 2. JACKETS AND SHOES(Alfred & Doris) 3. WE'RE THE AUTOBOTS (Autobots) 4. LISTEN TO THE WORD (Skooley & his crew) 5. BOBOS (Brick & Autobots,1 Crew, Chorus) 6. NOT ONCE IN 13 YEARS (Alfred and Doris) 7. PULLED CHICKEN (Phyliss & Alfred) 8. LIVING LARGE (Skooley & Crew) 9. GOT TO GET WHAT YOU NEED (Alfred, Crew) 10. NEW KICKS (Chorus & Alfred) 11 WISEUP (Gerald) 12 A FELLA'S GOTTA DREAM 13. WALK STRAIGHT THROUGH THE DOOR/Robbery (Autobots, Alfred, Crew) 14.SHOWDOWN (Alfred & Skooley ) 15. ALFRED'S LAMENT (Alfred) ACT II 1. IF I WAS A KID (Parents) 2. I BOW MY HEAD AND PRAY(Doris) 3. THE REAL DEAL (Autobots, Alfred, Doris, Butch) 4. SNAP! (Skooley) 5. COULDN'T WE BE A PAIR? (Gerald, Phyliss) 6. LIFE CAN GET TOO REAL(Alfred, Phyliss, Gerald, Doris, Butch and Crew) 7. THIS IS LIFE (Gerald) 8. SUMMER CELEBRATION BLOCK PARTY:(Phyllis, Cast) 9. FINALE: SKOOLEY ARRIVES (Skooley, Crew) GERALD ARRIVES (Gerald) AUTOBOTS ARRIVE ( Autobots) IF SOMEBODY HAS TO DIE (Alfred, Cast) SUMMER CELEBRATION REPRISE(Cast) © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. AT RISE: Late summer on a side street in the shadow of William Penn’s statue in South Philadelphia. Skeeter enters carrying a boom box and a large piece of linoleum. He sets down the radio, unfolds his dance floor, hits the play button and an explosion of percussive music launches him into an acrobatic hip-hop dance. He changes his style of dance to match his perception of each passerby: salsa, calypso, ballroom with his jacket for partner et cetera. Despite his best efforts, everyone ignores him. He stops, turns off the music, picks up his beat box then races off snatching an old woman's purse as he exits. BLACK END OVERTURE 2 SCENE I: SURPRISE PARTY Afternoon light from a doorway cuts the blackness as Alfred enters his modest apartment to the swinging groove of a hi-hat. Suddenly a camera flash cuts the darkness and Alfred's comically distorted family of misfits appear each with some exaggerated body part or defining prop. ALL Surprise! MOM Look who's come around to see you celebrate your birthday. AUNTIE HAR (Kissing Alfred and leaving lipstick.) How about some sugar for your favorite Auntie Harry? MOM Daddy couldn't be here cause he's working at the fact'ry... overtime. MISS IRENE(Spoken) Isn't that what they always say. AUNTIE HAR (Spoken) Who asked you, heifer? MISS IRENE (Leading Alfred away from Auntie Har) Here's your cousin Sonny home to visit from the army. (Sonny holds up his hands as targets and Alfred throws an uppercut/hook combination) SONNY (Spoken) Golden gloves. AUNTIE HAR Be a doll and fetch your favorite Auntie Har a whiskey. MOM First dear hang your jacket on the coat rack in the hallway. (Mom takes a drink from Sonny and gives it to Auntie Har.) AUNTIE HAR Where's the lime? MOM(Spoken) Oh, I left it in the kitchen. (Exit mother) (Grandpa grabs Alfred by the coat as he passes.) © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 3 GRANDPA You won't believe it, son, but I once was as young as you are, now I would trade my right leg to be you. (Grandpa takes off his wooden leg. Alfred slips out of his coat and escapes.) SONNY Pay no mind to grandpa he's just plain old fashioned crazy. AUNTIE HAR (Shoving a glass in Alfred's hand.) Alfred be a dear and get your Aunt another whiskey. MISS IRENE (Returning glass and taking Alfred) Alfie meet my niecie here to visit from Kentucky. Doris Knight. (Enter mom with lime) SONNY(Spoken to Alfred) You could do worse, (Doris lifts head and reveals her dental retainer) SONNY(CONT) ... I guess. MOM (Leading Alfred back to Doris) Come on, no need to be shy. UNCLE JOE(Blowing cigar smoke into Alfred's face.) Bet you're surprised that we are here to celebrate your birthday. ALFRED You show up every year...like locusts. (Chorus:These are the best of times.) DORIS (to Alfred) Excuse me but I didn't catch your name. ALFRED(Granpa pushes Alfred toward Doris with cane.) Name?! AUNTIE HAR(Holding up glass) Alfred! MISS IRENE Alfie. ALFRED(spoken) Excuse me. DORIS(Sighing) Alfred. © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 4 (Alfred crosses to Auntie Har) MOM (Spoken to Doris) We'll get him to show you around the neighborhood. DORIS (Hugging Alfred’s coat) I'd like that. MISS IRENE Don't they make a nice couple. SONNY(Spoken) A couple of what's is what I wanna know. GRANDPA(spoken) You slay me, Sonny... UNCLE JOE(Intercepting Alfred) Hey! GRANDPA (Spoken) ...always making with the jokes. UNCLE JOE Remember me? ALFRED No. UNCLE JOE I held you in my lap. ALFRED Oh. UNCLE JOE You peed so much I had to get a life preserver. ALFRED (Spoken) I think I'm going to be sick. AUNTIE HAR (Offering whiskey) This'll fix you right quick. (Miss Irene cuts between them.) MISS IRENE This is from me and Uncle Joe. ALFRED Thank you. Oh. (They have given him a two dollar bill.) © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 5 UNCLE JOE Spend it slow son. ALFRED(SPOKEN) Two dollars.. .Right. AUNTIE HAR Alfred? ALFRED (Spoken) Yes ma’am? (Auntie Har indicates that her glass is empty.) ALFRED (Crossing to Auntie Har) Be right there. MOM(Spoken) You're all coming to the block party tomorrow, yes. VOICES(Spoken) Oh yeah. Of course. God willing. Wouldn't miss it for the world. AUNTIE HAR(To Alfred) Make it another whiskey sour for Auntie Har. MISS IRENE She may as well just go and ask the poor boy to bring her a bottle. AUNTIE HAR (Spoken) Is that right? UNCLE JOE(Spoken) It ain't much wrong. AUNTIE HAR Not that it really is any of your business... (Chorus Ooooooo) AUNTIE HAR(CONT) But since your mouth is in this. (Chorus:Aaaaaa) MISS IRENE Well I never. AUNTIE HAR I bet that you have, Sis, and more than once. SONNY Oooooooweee! © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 6 MISS IRENE You're a drunk. (Chorus: She's a drunk.) AUNTIE HAR And you're a high waisted, half-yellow, horse hair wig, no dressing, flat chested, foul minded, hard hearted, narrow hipped, hairy nose, sliver-lipped, sour like a lemon old crow. (Irene slaps Auntie Har who then snatches off her hairpiece.) MOM Will everybody try real hard to get a grip upon themselves... CHORUS Come on, it's his birthday. (Each gives a present rhythmically.) UNCLE JOE Alfred. CHORUS Happy birthday! GRANDPA Alfred. CHORUS A CHORUS B(spoken) Aren't you glad we came around to celebrate your birthday? Happy birthday, Alfred! Aren't you glad we came around to celebrate your birthday? Happy birthday, Alfred! Aren't you glad we came around to celebrate your birthday? Happy birthday, Alfred! Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? (Chorus C counterpoints: These are the best of times.) ALL Surprise! (A camera flashes then Mom stands in a light holding a sneaker size box. Alfred shoves all of the other presents aside.) ALFRED(Spoken) Mom! You remembered! MOM(Spoken) Happy birthday, Pumpkin. (Drum roll) © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 7 ALFRED(Opening box) What are these? (Drum stops) SONNY(Spoken) Bobos! MOM(Spoken) What do you mean? ALFRED(Spoken) I asked for sneakers. MOM(Spoken) And that's what I got you. ALFRED Nooooo!...You don't understand. MOM(Spoken) Obviously not. ALFRED Everyone will laugh at me. MOM(Spoken) Why would they do that? ALFRED Shoes make the man. All the kids on earth agree. MOM(Spoken) Children, I swear. (sung) You're old enough to know I'm not Onassis AUNTIE HAR Jackie O! MOM And dollars never grow on trees. AUNTIE HAR(spoken) There aren't many trees uptown so.. ALL (to Auntie Har) Be quiet! MOM You don't have to fall down on your knees, but damnit I work hard. MISS IRENE(Spoken) Life is hard when you're alone. © James McBride and Ed Shockley This is a perusal copy only. Absolutely no copying permitted. 8 MOM and ALL You haven't had it bad. Be thankful for the little that you've.... ALFRED I can't go to school. MOM(Spoken) Excuse me? ALFRED I'm never gonna graduate. MOM(Spoken) Lord, give me strength. ALFRED I might as well die.