“Libretto” by Ed Mabrey, published inThe Poeming Pigeon: In The News, released in August 2018 by The Poetry Box.
Libretto
The Libretto of the Opera: Death of a Black Boy
Curtains open
Sun rises on anywhere USA
Small kitchen with mother at stove
(We never see her face)
The Black Boy sits at table eating
Soft piano
Mother sings the song, How lucky am I to have a boy such as this
Violins giggle Cellos chuckle
The Black Boy sings the song, I’m going to get us out of here one day
Enter Father
Director’s note: The part of Father has been cancelled
(Replace Father with empty notes from woodwind section)
Wood wind section plays the song, Absence
ACT ONE
Enter Mothers Boyfriend
Director’s note: All Boyfriends shall be given title “temporary” or “fill-in” regardless of instrument backing
The Boyfriend sings the song, Bitch where’s my breakfast, why you feeding him first when I’m the one helping you with these bills, it’s not like he’s my kid anyway
Director’s note: Option to replace this song with, Gimme your car keys
Boy leaves
Piano 1 and 2 begin walking music
Concrete will be played by strings
Cue percussion to perform song, Broken glass everywhere
ACT TWO
The Black Boy Tries to Make It to School Alive
The Black Boy walks thru his neighborhood
Cue homeless men
Cue daytime hookers
Cue drug dealers
Drug Dealer sings song, I got a job for you
Blaring car horns by trumpets section 1
All instruments stop
Cue single snare drum
The Black Boy enters school
Lockers sing the song, Insecurity
Walls sing the song, Inferiority complex
Teacher sings, Overworked and underpaid
Career Counselor sings, You won’t live to see 20 so why discuss job opportunities
Principle sings, I’ve touched a child in an inappropriate manner
School Board sings, Keep the student to teacher ratio high enough for federal funding and if things go bad, fire a teacher
School desks perform medley, Get them behinds in the seats
Students perform, All in all it’s just another brick in the wall
ACT THREE
The Black Boy Goes Home
Cue timpani for gun shots
(Next section is simultaneous)
Stage left mother sings, Will my son make it home today
Stage right father sings, I’ll do better tomorrow
Upstage boyfriend sings, When did I stop caring
Homeless man sings, I used to live round here
Hooker sings, Has anyone seen my babies
Drug Dealer sings, If you don’t give a damn, we don’t give a fuck
Apartment buildings sing, Don’t it make my brown eyes blue
Cue police officer
Cue neighborhood watch vigilante
Cue stand your ground
Black Boy sings song, Wallet on the ground sun in the sky bullet in my back, sandwich in my hand bullet in my face, cell phone in my hand bullet in my head, skittles in my hand iced tea in my blood, cigar in my hand college bound in the wind
Enter 100 police officers singing, Bad moon rising
Enter Fox News singing, Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name
Enter a thousand bullets singing, Dead men can’t be witnesses
Keep snare, add bass drum
Upright bass with bow, then off key piano
All instruments! Harder! Louder! Cymbals crash! And stop!
Violins and cellos hum of a million bees whispering
Single street light center stage on Black Boy
Sopranos sing song, And the blood came a trembling down
Cue Michelle and Barack – tenors sing, Too much too little too late
Light fades to black on Black Boy- as moon sings, Change gon’ come
The End
Director’s note: I think if we do this right, we can bring this opera back every week around the country and no one will notice. Tell the producers- we’ve got a hit on our hands.
