Written by Larry Mollin

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PRODUCTION HISTORY First staged reading – Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse – 7/2013 Premiere production – Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse – 7/2014 3-week run for 15 shows

Director ...... Randal Myler Musical Director ...... Fred Mollin Paul Clayton ...... Peter Oyloe ...... Jared Weiss Carla Rotolo & others ...... Jaime Babbitt Dave & others ...... Stephen G. Anthony & others ...... Ereni Sevasti Rev. Gary Davis ...... Chic Street Man

Staged reading – Triad Theatre – City – 12/14 for 2 shows New York Production – Triad Theatre – 5/2015 for 13 shows

CHARACTERS PAUL CLAYTON: Charismatic, flamboyant, late 20s-mid 30s gay, musician-scholar; master degree in folk song. GUITAR, VOCALS.

BOB DYLAN: Ten years younger than Paul, 18-25. Enigmatic, talented, ambitious. Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals.

THE ENSEMBLE SUZE ROTOLO: 18-early 20s. Bob Dylan’s idealistic, socially conscious girlfriend. Also playing; folk queen , YOUNG MARYBIRD, and CHORUS. Possible instruments: Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals.

DAVE VAN RONK: 30-45. Bohemian, anti-establishment, folk-performer and Village original. Also playing; PAUL’S FATHER, KEITH (English rocker), and CHORUS. Guitar, Standup Bass, Vocals.

CARLA ROTOLO: 30s-40. Paul Clayton’s girlfriend, a cynical New Yorker. Also playing; folksinger CAROLYN HESTER, PAUL’S MOTHER, MARYBIRD and CHORUS. Possible instruments: Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals.

REV. GARY DAVIS: 50s. Blind, seminal, African-American guitar player and teacher who hung downtown with the folkies while preaching uptown. A peaceful prescence among the chaos of their relationships. Also playing; CHORUS. Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals.

THE SETTING Mostly in the early 1960s: Washington Square Park, Paul’s apartments and Various coffeehouses/clubs/bandstands/jam sessions in NYC and Virginia.

THE SET There are three large RISERS of various heights on a bare proscenium stage. One Stage Left, one Stage Right and one that also serves as a larger bandstand, Up Center Stage. The open Downstage area serves at times, with set dressing, as; Paul’s first Apartment, Paul’s last Apartment, and the Washington Square fountain area. There is at least one MEDIA SCREEN hung and active.

RUN TIME With intermission: 100 minutes including ENCORE SONG

MUSICAL NUMBERS 1. SHENANDOAH: Paul Clayton on guitar. 2. BRAES OF BALQUIDDER: This is performed by a family trio: PAUL, ADAH (mother), and CLAYTON (father). Instrumentation TBD. 3. ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAIN: This is performed by MARYBIRD accompanied by granddaughter YOUNG MARYBIRD, and PAUL. It can also be performed as a MARYBIRD solo. Guitars, mandolin. Instrumentation and presentation TBD. 4. GOTTA TRAVEL ON: Performed acoustic as a trio: PAUL, DAVE and CAROLYN HESTER. Instrumentation TBD. 5. BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN: Performed by BOB with guitar and harmonica. 6. THE TWA SISTERS (traditional): A few verses. Performed by PAUL on guitar or a capella. 7. WHO’LL BUY YOU RIBBONS: Performed by PAUL on guitar. 8. TWELVE GATES TO THE CITY: Performed by REV. GARY and an extended CHORUS. Instrumentation TBD. 9. WHO’LL BUY YOU RIBBONS / DON’T THINK TWICE (licensed/fair use): A few verses. Performed by BOB. Guitar and harmonica. 10. STONES IN MY PASSWAY / CORINNA CORINNA: Performed by REV. GARY, DAVE, PAUL, BOB and possibly CARLA and/or SUZE. Instrumentation TBD. 11. HOUSE CARPENTER: Performed by PAUL, BOB, and JOAN BAEZ. Instrumentation TBD. Possibility: Joan can sing only allowing the two men to play. 12. THE MERMAID: A few verses of the sea chanty. PAUL sings acapella. 13. TALKING BOB DYLAN CROSS COUNTRY : Performed by BOB and PAUL; guitars and harmonica. 14. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN: Performed by DAVE on guitar. Accompanied by REV. GARY. 15. COCAINE/LITTLE SADIE: Performed by KEITH, BOB and PAUL on guitars, stand-up bass. 16. WHO’LL BUY YOU RIBBONS: A produced, pre-record for LIVE playback of Paul singing his song. 17. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND: Full Cast - Instrumentation TBD. 18. ENCORE SONG - THIS TRAIN: Full Cast - Instrumentation TBD. *Note to Reader: For ease of reading, many songs have been abbreviated, For complete performance music, please refer to the music charts.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 1

ACT I Lights slowly rise. We hear resounding, building applause and shouts of “MORE,” and “ENCORE.” CS we see an elevated bandstand, instruments waiting for to return. A media screen hangs above with a projection illuminated: PROJECTION - THE BANNER: It’s 1976. Applause explodes as BOB DYLAN comes back on stage for his encore. He waves for quiet, then addresses the audience. BOB Thank you. Like to dedicate this to… Paul Clayton. Wherever you are. He wrote this, “Gotta Travel On”… A… one… two… The bandstand lights go black. A spotlight appears DSR. We see PAUL CLAYTON, a 60s-style folk troubadour with a guitar strapped on his back; late 30s, thin moustache, musician-scholar look. With aplomb, he stops BOB’s music before it starts and addresses the audience. PAUL FACT: In 1976 Bob Dylan dedicated the encore of his Rolling Thunder Revue to Paul Clayton. Assumption: 99.9% of the audience had no idea who Clayton was and that continues to this day. Tonight you are going to find out. (Paul speaks to the media screen as the spotlight dims) Search: Paul Clayton. P-a-u-l C-l-a-y-t-o-n. On it a projection appears— PROJECTION - THE WIKIPEDIA PAGE OF PAUL CLAYTON —with full biographical text as if on a computer screen. We hear: COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] Paul Clayton born Paul Worthington, March 3rd, 1931, New Bedford, Massachusetts— died March 30th, 1967, ; was an American folk singer and folklorist. Lights reveal PAUL seated on a stool on the bandstand beneath a sign as— PROJECTION - “KETTLE OF FISH” SIGN A small club’s welcoming applause is heard. He plays and sings the folk classic SHENANDOAH. He finishes to small club applause and steps downstage to address the audience.

SONG #1: SHENANDOAH

PAUL Folk singer. That’s me in a nut shell, nut sack, same difference. Menu, please.

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Highlighted Wiki text appears on the screen and COMPUTER VOICE is heard. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 1. Early years PAUL Not easy with parents who fought like mine. Music was my refuge. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 2. Folk song scholar. PAUL With a graduate degree from UVA. Collecting the roots music of rural Virginny. The world of song- catching opened up to me. Among other… openings. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 3. Recordings and copyrights, starting in 1951. PAUL By 1961— I was the most recorded young folk singer in America. Eleven albums and one hit song with copyright problems. Like herpes, it never goes away. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 4. Greenwich Village salad days. PAUL I was Pablo on the street. No one had more friends and admirers at those wild, Sunday afternoon jam sessions in Washington Square Park. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 5. Relationship with Bob Dylan. PAUL Even after all that happened between us I still love him. From SL, BOB is seen at the SL wings trying to get PAUL’s attention. He stage whispers. BOB Remember… I get my to have my say here too. PAUL Don’t you always have the last word? But everyone knows your story, your songs. This Wiki- musical is about me. Can we continue? COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 6. Plagiarism by Bob Dylan. BOB speaks again from the wings, calmly adding: BOB Alleged plagiarism. PAUL (to audience) You be the judge… Number 7…

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 3

COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 1964 cross-country road trip with Bob Dylan. PAUL looks SL. PAUL Confirm or deny? BOB Confirm. PAUL Those highway days and nights, in the back seat of a Ford station wagon with a typewriter on his lap, he wrote a lot of the Another Side Of Bob Dylan album. But in New Orleans, I may have discovered another, another side. BOB rushes out onto the stage again. BOB Pablo, you get into that, there will be lawsuits. This show will be shut down pronto. PAUL C’mon. This is a musical not a documentary. As solid as something you read on a crowd-sourced, internet encyclopedia. And besides, you know I don’t kiss and tell. Number 8… COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] Out of Dylan’s inner circle and into Gay Liberation. BOB (to audience) This was not our agreement. PAUL What can I say? I gave head ahead of my time… Number 9. COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] Declining years. PAUL It wasn't pretty. It wasn’t fair. BOB (to audience) Incredible. He’s going to blame me. PAUL Never. And does it matter what anyone thinks? Everyone including me will continue to worship you. BOB nods and heads OS. BOB That’s cool. PAUL Okay. Menu from the top… for real this time…

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COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] 1. Early years. Paul was born to Adah and Clayton Worthington… Lights up SL on PAUL’S MOTHER on a raised platform. ADAH Paul was the most beautiful child with baby blue, blue eyes that could laugh and hair of ebony. Lights up SR on PAUL’S FATHER. CLAYTON Adah wanted a girl and she got one. ADAH Clayton wanted a son like himself— a big bullying jock… (to Clayton) Tool salesman! CLAYTON She babied him and dressed him up like a Little Lord Fauntleroy. Poor boy never had a chance. But I never thought he was a fairy. That lovely piece of information came later when… he got… Agh, nevermind. Only good thing he got from me was a little musical talent. ADAH Talent? That came from my family and you know it. CLAYTON Really? Then why did he take my first name as his stage name? He knew. But your family did get him into the old time music that he loved. They both step down from their risers and meet center stage, grabbing instruments: ADAH a guitar, CLAYTON a guitar. Adah looks to the audience. ADAH After our honeymoon in Lake Winnepasocki only good times I remember was when we’d make music together. Clayton could pick it. CLAYTON appeals to the audience. CLAYTON And Adah could sing. If she coulda screwed as good I never would have had affair after affair. But once Paul was born she dried up on me. ADAH Screw you! She viciously swings a guitar at his head. He ducks. Whoosh. Near miss. ADAH You don’t like it here. Move out! CLAYTON Thanks for the invitation. Don’t mind if I do! With a guitar of his own, PAUL comes between them and turns to the audience.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 5

PAUL Mother and father, needless to say, divorced when I was twelve. She had a temper like a summer storm. He dealt with it by staying high and dry, far away from home as he could. CLAYTON I didn’t completely abandon you. PAUL (to audience) After I billed myself as Paul Clayton on my first album he didn’t speak to me for a year. CLAYTON I always sent money. PAUL A little affection or even some fatherly “like” wouldn’t have hurt. CLAYTON I… I… ADAH You what?! PAUL Mom! Dad! Let’s just sing. A favorite from those long ago, magical, living room nights. True folk songs passed down from generation to generation of Scottish… folk. PAUL starts to pick out the tune. They join in. SONG - BRAES OF BALQUIDDER. The family plays the lovely, old Scottish tune.

SONG #2: BRAES OF BALQUIDDER

PAUL, ADAH & CLAYTON LET US GO, LASSIE GO TAE THE BRAES O' BALQUIDDER WHERE THE BLAEBERRIES GROW 'MANG THE BONNIE HIGHLAND HEATHER, WHERE THE DEER AND THE RAE LIGHTLY BOUNDING TOGETHER SPORT THE LANG SUMMER DAY 'MANG THE BRAES O' BALQUIDDER … I WILL TWINE THEE A BOWER BY THE CLEAR CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN AND COVER IT O’ER WITH THE GARDENS OF THE MOUNTAINS… At the musical break, from his SL riser, BOB joins in on harmonica, adding to the sweet, soulful chorus. PAUL, ADAH, CLAYTON & BOB LET US GO, LASSIE, GO… They all sing taking the song to its conclusion. Applause. ADAH kisses PAUL on the cheek and exits SL. CLAYTON shakes his hand, avoiding eye contact, and exits SR. BOB hops down from his riser.

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BOB You used to say you grew up in the bosom of musical riches. PAUL I was being a little ironic. BOB You taught yourself guitar, banjo, accordion and dulcimer before you graduated high school, your album liner notes said. True? PAUL It tain’t braggin’ if you done it. BOB I heard your LP of whaling chanties back in 10th grade English, studying Moby Dick. Amazing songs that stuck to you. He gives BOBBY a little shoulder hug bringing him in with affection. PAUL Thank you, Bobby. You would have made a fine cabin boy, lad. BOB gently separates. BOB And I thought you were only interested in my songs. You had a girlfriend when I met you, for chrissakes. Now you want to get right into those Village days or your time at the University of Virginia? Your show, kimosabe. PAUL You’re right, darlin’. Let’s not put the cart before the whores. UVA, Charlottesville. Looking back, it’s the part of my life I’m most of proud of. Lights up— SL riser. PAUL’S FATHER speaks to the audience. CLAYTON While in graduate school for Folklore Studies, he got paid to record nationally distributed albums. They even used some of his songs in the movie Moby Dick. He bought a little, hideaway cabin in the Shenandoah Valley, northwest of Charlottesville with the money. He didn’t know how proud of him I was. PAUL Good thing. Instead I was determined to stick my success up your arse. (to audience) With my Professor’s encouragement I started doing field recordings of Appalachian performers. But it was in the back hills and hollows of rural Virginia that I first swore my love to a woman. Up Center Stage riser— PROJECTION - BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS PANORAMA PAUL She was 75 years old but sounded like a teenager. I had to shamelessly flirt with her to get her to agree to be taped singing with her family. Forgive me, Marybird but it was all about the songs.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 7

On center stage— PROJECTION - OLD RURAL CABIN OLD MARYBIRD is joined by YOUNG MARYBIRD.

SONG #3: ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAIN

(singing) ONE MORNING, ONE MORNING, ONE MORNING IN MAY I OVERHEARD A MARRIED MAN TO A YOUNG GIRL SAY "I’LL DRESS YOU UP, PRETTY KATIE, AND COME ALONG WITH ME. ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAIN TO THE ALLEGHENY.” Lights come up on THE MARYBIRDS, harmonizing and accompanying. OLD MARYBIRD WELL, UP STEPPED HER MOTHER, AND ANGRY WAS SHE DAUGHTER, DEAR DAUGHTER, HE IS A MARRIED MAN BESIDES, THERE'S YOUNG MEN A-PLENTY MORE HANDSOMER THAN HE LET HIM TAKE HIS OWN WIFE TO THE ALLEGHENY. YOUNG MARYBIRD OH MOTHER, DEAR MOTHER, HE'S THE MAN OF MY HEART. WOULDN'T IT BE A DREADFUL THING IF WE SHOULD HAVE TO PART. I'D ENVY ALL THE WOMEN WHO I’D EVER SEE GO ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAIN TO THE ALLEGHENY. ALL WE LEFT BEFORE DAYBREAK ON A BUCKSKIN AND A ROAN PAST TALL SHIVERING PINES WHERE MOCKINGBIRDS MOAN, PAST DARK CABIN WINDOWS WHERE EYES NEVER SEE, ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAINS TO THE ALLEGHENY… It builds to its climax and ends to applause. PAUL claps as well. BOB drifts CS joining Paul, clapping. PROJECTION - OUT BOB Damn that is one, solid weeper. Man, you were a performer yourself by then. No one would have known. You could have claimed you wrote it and recorded it but you didn’t. PAUL Only you, Bobby, would go there. And I didn’t just record her. I arranged for her to have publishing and copyright on it. She got paid. BOB Hey, St. Pablo, relax. I’m not saying you were corrupt. Yet.

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PAUL Thanks but don’t paint me with your brush. Like Marybird, when you did write originals you revealed your own larcenous life… (croons like Dylan) “Steal a little and they call you a thief. Steal a lot and they make you a king.” In the end I just didn’t steal enough I guess. BOB You did all right… (taunting, singing like Paul) “DONE LAID AROUND, AND STAYED AROUND THIS OLE TOWN TOO LONG” (speaking) …You didn’t write those lines but it opened the song up for you. PAUL —Hey, enough. You’re the only one I told that secret. And you never stopped using it against me. BOB Hypocrites are fair game. You taught me the “code” for skinny-dipping in the pond of the classics. PAUL Yeah, and you cannonballed in, putting your copyright on as many as you could. BOB The trick was adapting them into something personal and better. Better is something you were too much of a purist to dig. PAUL Really? (Paul strums the opening chords to Girl From The North Country, singing) IF YOU’RE TRAVELLING TO THE NORTH COUNTRY FAIR WHERE THE WINDS BLOW HEAVY ON THE BORDERLINE REMEMBER ME TO ONE WHO LIVES THERE… …I DIDN’T CHANGE A WORD OF THIS OLD SONG! (to Bob, speaking) But your fans still obsess over who you wrote it for. Was it Echo, the old girlfriend back in North Hibbing? Or Suze? Or? BOB Fans‘ll do what they do. The more you deny, the more they believe. PAUL Got that rationalization out of your system? Good. Let’s get back to the legal issue later. Move on to the meat of the matter. #4: Greenwich Village, 1961-1964. BOB 1961 it is. PAUL When I first laid eyes on my Bobby boy. It was at ’s Folklore Center.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 9

BOB It was at the Gaslight. PAUL I know. Just testing you. Let’s go over that night blow by blow. BOB With pleasure. (to audience) For the record— I was a nobody. PAUL Fact. BOB He was a hot shit folk star on stage with and Carolyn Hester. Singing about one of my favorite songs. Your ONE hit song. (calls) Hit it, please! Lights up on Center Stage Bandstand. PROJECTION - GASLIGHT CLUB EXTERIOR PAUL joins two other musicians; DAVE VAN RONK, and CAROLYN HESTER as they launch into the CHORUS of a lively acoustic version of GOTTA TRAVEL ON.

SONG #4: GOTTA TRAVEL ON

PAUL, DAVE & CAROLYN DONE LAID AROUND AND PLAYED AROUND THIS OLE TOWN TOO LONG, SUMMERS ALMOST GONE, YEAH, WINTER’S COMING ON DONE LAID AROUND AND PLAYED AROUND THIS OLE TOWN TOO LONG AND IT LOOKS LIKE I GOTTA TRAVEL ON… As the song continues, they trade verses: PAUL POPPA WRITES TO JOHNNY BUT JOHNNY CAN’T COME HOME… NO JOHNNY CAN’T COME HOME… NO, JOHNNY CAN’T COME HOME… HE’S BEEN ON THE CHAIN GANG TOO LONG Chorus and then as DAVE takes CS for his verse we HEAR: COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] Dave Van Ronk, nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street." DAVE shouts out. DAVE I was the one to turn Bobby on to weed.

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PAUL Yeah, but it was my dope. And you both smoked it all up! From SL wings BOB shouts back— BOB And I turned on , so there. Play on. They do. VAN RONK hits his verse. DAVE WANT TO SEE MY HONEY, WANT TO SEE HER BAD WANT TO SEE HER BAD, LORD, WANT TO SEE HER BAD, SHE’S THE BEST GAL, THIS POOR BOY’S EVER HAD. They all join the chorus and then CAROLYN HESTER takes CS. We hear: COMPUTER VOICE [V.O.] Carolyn Hester— She gave Bob Dylan his first studio gig, playing harmonica. CAROLYN (to audience) And he fucked me too! From the wings, BOB DYLAN appears momentarily and responds. Shouts. BOB More like the other way around. I was date raped! CAROLYN (to audience; remembering) Never mind. (Carolyn sings her verse) HIGH SHERIFF AND POLICE COMING AFTER ME, COMING AFTER ME OH, COMING AFTER ME. HIGH SHERIFF AND POLICE COMING AFTER ME, IT LOOK LIKE I BETTER TRAVEL ON… A big chorus and the number finishes. Blackout. Lights up on stage. PROJECTION - A NIGHTTIME VILLAGE STREET PAUL, CAROLYN and DAVE have left the club. Now a harmonica drifts in playing a refrain of GOTTA TRAVEL ON. Standing in their way SL is BOB, looking younger in his cap and flannels. He has a guitar and harmonica on a neck holder. DAVE Nice, kid. Get out of the way. CAROLYN Don’t listen to him. He’s on a reefer safari.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 11

DAVE Got some? BOB No. I got a new song. Can I play it for you? DAVE (growls) Aagh. We all have songs. CAROLYN (to Bob) Later, kitten. She and DAVE move off. PAUL remains with him. DYLAN smiles, not certain where this is leading. Paul smiles now too. Effusive. He turns to the audience. PAUL It was love at first sight. The little corduroy cap, the elfin grin, the slight lisp. BOB What lisp? I was eating pumpkin seeds. He spits one out. PAUL My mistake. I’ve always been a sucker for a hot mouth organist. I felt my own heart leap into my throat. I wanted to take you under my wing and smother you with love, my fantasy, cabin boy, Pip. And that was before I even heard your songs… Sing! Take me back. BOB settles on a stool and with guitar and harmonica performs, BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN.

SONG #5: BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN

BOB I heard this from Erich Von Schmidt who heard it from . (singing) BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN, BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN WELL I'LL DO ANYTHING IN THIS GODALMIGHTY WORLD IF YOU JUST LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN CAN I COME HOME WITH YOU, BABY CAN I COME HOME WITH YOU? YES I'LL DO ANYTHING IN THIS GODALMIGHTY WORLD IF YOU JUST LET ME COME HOME WITH YOU. He takes a harmonica break. It’s magic. BOB continues. Bob looks at PAUL for approval. Paul nods.

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BOB (to audience) That little nod. He didn’t know how much that meant to me. After Woody I worshipped him as next-in-line. Then he invited me back to his place. PAUL (to audience) And he never wondered why? He had to know I was smitten. BOB (to audience) Of course I did. I wanted to be loved. By everyone, anyone, animal, vegetable, mineral who’d listen to my songs— who could help me to meet Woody. PAUL And I did help. Now back to 1961, our first night, please. Play. BOB Okay… I got another song I wrote myself. It’s called. “To Woody.” He starts to pick at the guitar. A beatnik woman, CARLA, joins quickly and whispers to PAUL indicating a cigar smoking SHADOW of a hefty man that now looms, cigar smoke twirling. CARLA Hold on… PAUL sees the SHADOW and cautions BOB. PAUL Not now… not with The Man listening. BOB Who’s The Man? CARLA Gross Man. If ever a name suited a person. He hears any more from you, he’ll sign you right up and have you wearing a clown suit strumming flamenco if that’s what’s selling next week. PAUL , personal manager. All of a sudden, Folk is big and the barracudas are in a feeding frenzy. They put random, fake musicians in a studio and grind out elevator like . Filthy lucre follows. CARLA (to Bob) So what’s your bag? Faux folk or real folk? BOB does a run on his harmonica as he thinks. He beams. BOB My bag’s… Bob Dylan. CARLA laughs. PAUL Bob I want you to meet Carla. Carla Rotolo.

SEARCH: PAUL CLAYTON – PRODUCTION SCRIPT 13

BOB Hi… Carla. CARLA Hi, Bob. BOB So. You two are a couple? PAUL and CARLA, arm and arm, share a laugh. PAUL Yeah. But a couple of what I’m not going to say. Hey, Carla is ’s secretary. BOB Alan Lomax!? PAUL She has access to every folk song record ever made. The keys to the folk kingdom are in hand, Pip. Your journey begins. BOB I’m ready. PAUL So Carla. What do you think of this Bob Dylan? CARLA Positively… Fourth Street. (to Bob) That’s a compliment. Come on. My sister Suze will be there. BOB provides a harmonica toot and some travelling music as they exit SL. Light up on SR— DAVE VAN RONK. He addresses the audience. DAVE The minute Dylan came on the scene Paul became fixated on him. Bobby could talk of nothing else but and Pablo could talk about nothing but Bobby Dylan. PROJECTION - EXTERIOR VILLAGE APARTMENT BUILDING Lights come up on a comfy, bohemian apartment. SUZE ROTOLO, 20, adorable, young activist is creating large protest signs as PAUL, CARLA and BOB enter. She holds up a big sign for them to see. It reads: “LET MY PEOPLE SING!” SUZE You like it? PAUL Well, I do always prefer the classic— “Repent Now! The End is Near!” BOB and CARLA laugh— not SUZE. She doesn’t even notice Bob. She’s worked up.

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SUZE You don’t know what happened, do you? If you did you wouldn’t be laughing. This is war! (off their looks) Izzy applied for the usual permit for the Washington Square Sunday jam and the city turned it down. They are outlawing us from singing in the park on Sundays! CARLA What!? That’s impossible. How can they do that? SUZE It’s a conspiracy by the Mayor and the Police and the Greenwich Village Homeowners’ Council to bar folk singers from playing in the park on Sundays because we are— to use their word are— “Undesirable!“ It’s really an anti-beatnik protest, anti-Negro protest, anti-artist, worker, anti- everything! And the police department has their new riot squad gear just in time. Word is they’re going to be out in force to make sure we don’t sing. It gets me so mad. It’s such evil, stupid, bourgeois bullshit! (now she notices Bob and pauses before launching in again) Izzy says we all have to be there tomorrow to protest. We are going to sing our asses off. BOB I’ll be there. He and SUZE lock eyes. PAUL breaks their moment. PAUL Speaking of “undesirables.” Suze, this is Bobby. SUZE No, he seems very desirable. BOB Funny. I was thinking the same about you. CARLA and PAUL share a bemused look. CARLA Bobby, this is my kid sister, Suze. Go slow. BOB & SUZE Nice to meet you. BOB and SUZE laugh. PAUL moves for his chair and takes out his guitar. PAUL This reminds me of the lovely murder ballad, The Twa Sisters. Also called, The Wind and the Rain. Do you know it? CARLA Aye, I do. Scottish in origin. The younger sister gets asked in matrimony before her older sister and the older sibling kills her. Lovely, indeed. You’re not going to sing it are you? PAUL Try and stop me. Gather ‘round, cats and listen to this cautionary tale. It can be found on my 1958 Folkways album Unholy Matrimony available at Sam Goody’s and all fine record stores.

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