The Ramayana Inspirations Theater Camp Summer 2016 Script and Songs by Torsti Rovainen Rights held by Rovainen Musicals Story based on the ancient Indian epic of The Ramayana Some spoken lines in Scene IIIB from a translation of The Kurontokai (The Ancient Epic of Love) Script printed on post-consumer recycled paper using less environmentally damaging inks Rovainen Musicals Inspirations Theater Camps and Clubs http://rovainenmusicals.com Scene Synopsis / Song List ACT I (Overture) 0.0: Street scene in modern-day India: Boy playing gets into fight, comforted by Grandmother who sings The Ramayana along with Demon and Human Narrators. Describes creation of world of yakshas and Rakshasas, rakshasas initially peaceful; how Ravana came to be; Rakshasas beginning to prey on humans; the no-man's land between Rakshasa & human territory; Rama & Lakshmana's roles along with Vibishina I Opening Village Bazaar Bazaar Song II Rama learns he to become king in How To Be King Sung by Dasaratha his ministers; overheard by Kaikeyi's servants Manthara and Suchara; Manthara and Suchara discuss the news of Rama's planned kingship. III Sita's rooms; she is arguing with her father about her rejecting suitors. He reflects on how they used to get along in the Lullaby and Then You'd Grow. Maidservants enter for You Should Marry Transitions to brief balcony scene where Rama and Sita see each other and are enamored; brief song (at end of You Should Marry) III.B Having met Sita, Rama is smitten; Lakshamana and the other warriors try to persuade Rama not to marry her, instead to stay single and a warrior in Love Just Makes Things Worse IV Bowlifting ceremony; Rama and Sita decide to marry V Beha Din Ayo Bollywood-inspired short song and dance showing Ayodhya celebrating the upcoming wed- ding VI Manthara and Suchara persuade Kaikeyi to have Rama banished and Bharatha put on throne He Promised You VII Na Jane Rama's Mother, Viswamithra, Sumanthra, nobles, and townsfolk singing to Rama to stay. VIII Ravana's War Council Room: we see the demons debating what to do about the human intrusion into the Dandaka Forest, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana having made a homestead there; we get to know Vibishina a bit more and see the beginnings of his conflict with his brother. Surpanakha comes forth to take a demon raiding party to get rid of the intruders. IX Surpanakha tries to seduce Rama Marry Me; defeated in fight by Rama and Lakshmana. X Surpanakha soliloquoy X.i Some demons sing the Demon song Rakshasa City then we transition to Surpanakha & court persuading Ravana to marry in You Need A Wife XI Ravana arrives at time Rama and Lakshmana are gone; he kidnaps Sita, fought by Jatayu the eagle XI.B Ravana imprisons Sita in Lanka. Laksh and Rama come back and hear from the dying Jatayu what hap- pened. Ravana, Sita, Vibishina, Rama, and Lakshmana all sing in the We Will Go on (Finale) INTERMISSION Act II XII Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman and monkeys I Am Hanuman Hanuman offers to help them. XIII Monkey City Bollywood song Bodol Ysili Ma. Hanuman details plan for getting to Lanka to see if Sita is there: he will make the jump over the ocean and bring back a report. XIV Lanka; Ravana attempts to persuade Sita with tenderness, a poem, then My Queen. Demonesses taunt her with Your Time Will Soon Be Done Sita debates what to do (this time whether to marry Ravana in order to stay alive, the subtext being to end things otherwise) in Should I Go? (Sita) In the song she is visited by the memory-picture of her father who sings with her as a duet. Hanuman arrives at end of song, letting Sita know Rama is coming soon and to hold on in Right Now, and is chased off by the Rakshasas. XV Hanuman arrives back at the Monkey camp with the report. Hanuman and Lakshamana decide to invade Lanka—but how to cross the ocean? Bridge Song XVI Generals debate what to do, Vibishina objects to war, defects in Should I Go (Vibishina)? XVII Rama and Lakshmana debate best course, Lakshmana advising all-out war, Rama caution. They bitterly disagree and walk away angry with each other. War Song involving Lakshmana rousing monkeys, demons singing about their strength, Rama comforting and encouraging a reluctant soldier, Rama debating whether war is right, ending with he and Lakshmana agreeing to put aside their differences, Rama having decided war is the best course here. XVIII War scene with drums; Rama finds fallen reluctant soldier. Calls out Ravana for final battle, Rama winning. Reunion with Sita, Vibishina made king of Rakshasas. Rama gets message from Bharata that he is welcome back and can assume kingship. Finale Songs in Nepali / Sanskritic —AND How to read the script when it comes to lyrics for songs Beha Din Ayo Beha din ayo; natchne par cha x 3 The wedding day has arrived; it's time to dance Hami natchne mont par cha We love to dance Na Jane Na jane; Hami maya dine; Don't go, we love you Tapai januhuncha tyespachadi; aichlai aouncha After you go we'll feel alone Na jane; Hami ta somjine Don't go; you'll be in our thoughts Sapanama dekcha matra We'll only see you in dreams Kohille phere aoundicha; johille tapai hami chaincha, chaincha; When will you return? Whenever you need us Bodol Ysili Ma O-le-o-le-o-le-o-le-o, hey-o, hey-o O-le-o-le-o-le-o-le-o, hey-o din ma! Nonsense words Hami natchne natchne montparcha We like to dance Ysili manche niskincha Silly people should move about too Hami natchne natchne montparcha We like to dance Bodol haru ysili ma The monkeys are silly Muskoune sdye din ma We smile all day Bodol bodol ysili cha The monkeys are silly A-a, Muskoune sdye din a recha We smile all day (plus nonsense word) Bodol haru ysili ma, recha, Bodol haru ysili ma The monkeys are silly Parts of the script that both the Friday/Saturday performances and the Thursday performance share are in boldface Parts that are only in the Friday/Saturday performances are in plain text. Scene numbers and song titles are underlined: Scene V How To Be King Beat Numbers are italicized, boldfaced, and underlined. Beats are a way for actors and stage managers to keep track of where we are in a play. Some scenes have only one beat, while others have four or more. Beats are numbered continuously for the longer show, not the shorter one. How to read song lyrics, timing, and groups. 1) While dialogue is plain text, singing lines are in italics. VILLAGER: White-eyed jackfish, fresh today! 2) If two or more groups share the timing of a sung line, the bottommost singer will have their name and the first word of their song underlined to indicate that these two lines happen concurrently and not sequentially. S,V,D,L:You'll be a king some day! Rama: I'll be a king some day! 3A) If groups sing on the same line but at different times, the text is placed so that you can see where one group stops and one starts. In the next example, 'The Demon King who feeds on terror and our cries of pain' is one line in the song, but the Demons only sing the first half, while the Humans sing both parts. DEMONS & HUMANS: The Demon King who feeds on terror HUMANS: and our cries of pain 1 3B) Sometimes the timing / spacing is more complicated, with multiple groups. In this case, in one sung line we have two groups and three individuals, sometimes having individual parts (as with the Demons singing 'One of battles), sometimes shared (as the Humans and Vibishina singing 'Justice!') Since this can be complicated to sort out, it is best done while listening to the music of that song. DEMONS: One of battles, of sword and claw; HUMANS, variously: of darkness, justice; love, VIBISHINA, RAMA, LAKSHMANA: (V) Justice! (R) Love! (L) Of sword! 4) For longer separated parts, we simply list the lines in groups based on the singer, but will note that the lines in these groups are sung together or intertwined. LAKSHMANA: Rama, go! We should go, every minute she gets farther away, And you sit there, you waste time to pray! She needs our aid, and you/we need to find a better way RAMA: My God...I ask of you today, To help us find our way She needs our aid, and you need to find a better way List of Players Rama Son of Dasaratha Sita's Servants Sita Daughter of Janaka Demon Tormentors Sita's Guards Lakshmana Son of Dasaratha Na Jane Chorus Hanuman King of the Monkeys Bowlifters Compete for Sita's Hand Ravana 10-Headed Demon King Indrajit Ravana's Son Vibishina Brother of Ravana General Prabasta of Ravana's Army Surpanakha Sister of Ravana General Yamaraj “ “ “ Demon Surpanakha “ “ “ Fighting Rakshasas (Demons) Dasaratha King of Ayodhya Bharata Kaikeyi's Son Viswamithra Holy Man to Dasaratha Jatayu King of the Eagles Sumanthra Minister to Dasaratha Kausalya Rama's Mother Ayodhyan Villagers Kaikeyi Wife To Dasaratha Sari Sellers Manthara Servant to Kaikeyi Suchara Servant to Kaikey Monkeys Janaka Sita's Father Janaka’s Steward . Lakshmana's Warrior Gang: Deepak Pratosh Ganesh Narayan Mandeep Boy in Narration Grandmother His Grandmother Demon Narrators Human Narrators Children in Narration; one named Pankaja 2 ACT I (Overture) Scene 0.0 Narration Opening Beat 1 Streets of a town in modern-day India.