Cooperstown - Sasha Matson

Cooperstown
It breaks your heart
M USIC BY
Sasha Matson
LIBRETTO BY
Mark Miller & Sasha Matson
C O NTAC T:
607-434-3504 • SASHAM ATSO N @ YAHO O .C O M
Julie Adams • Daniel Favela • Carin Gilfry
Rod Gilfry • Daniel Montenegro
k
Gernot Bernroider - Drums
Russ Johnson - Trumpets
Rich Mollin - Bass
Jason Rigby - Saxophones
Sean Wayland - Piano, Hammond C3, Fender Rhodes
k
Conducted by Sasha Matson
MUSIC BY
LIBRETTO BY
Sasha Matson
Mark Miller and Sasha Matson
PRODUCED BY
DIRECTED BY
John Atkinson
Stephanie Vlahos
BAND SESSIONS RECORDED AT
Systems Two Recording, Brooklyn, New York
June 16-17, 2011
ENGINEERED BY
Mike Marciano
VOCAL SESSIONS RECORDED AT
Schnee Studio, Studio City, California
September 1-2, 2012
ENGINEERED BY
Bill Schnee and Kenton Fukuda
PRO TOOLS EDITING BY
Justin Volpe
MIXED BY
Mike Marciano at Systems Two Recording
MUSIC PREPARATION BY
Jonathan B. Griffiths and the Terry Woodson Music Service
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Wes Bender ( Band ) and Joseph D’Allessio ( Vocal )
2
THE STORY
3
NOTES
“COOPERSTOWN OR BUST!” is chalked on many vans that pull up every summer in
front of our house across the lawn from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a long and
winding road trip to Cooperstown, and the recording process was that way as well. But what a
trip! Such great talent here to hear, on both sides of the microphones. Rod Gilfry! John Atkinson!
I have been honored by their enthusiastic support and participation. I have been to the Show.
“It breaks your heart.” That was the poetic language A. Bartlett Giamatti used in his
beautiful essay “The Green Fields of the Mind”, and I am pleased that the Giamatti estate gave us
permission to use his text. I began to work backward from there in the fall of 2000.
Whose heart? And how was it broken?
In Giamatti’s thinking, baseball is a game but also an art form, with the capacity to express
the deepest emotional truths about individuals and society. One has only to pick up the sports
pages to see this dynamic acted out against the economic and cultural realities of our time.
Baseball has its own specific historical musical attributes. One of them is the sound of the
stadium organ. That sound led me quickly to scoring the music for a “Miles” jazz quintet. This
particular grouping of instruments is as capable as any large orchestra of realizing music in all its
potential variety. The musical materials boil down to the rising three-chord “Charge” fanfare still
heard in stadiums everywhere, which can be turned to the dark side by becoming an altered
dominant harmony.
Early on in the work process I had a sonic picture in my ear of what a finished recording of
“Cooperstown” might sound like. I used as a model the great Blue Note stereo recordings of the
late 50’s and early 60’s by Rudy Van Gelder: trumpet hard left, saxophone hard right, then added
a vocal cast of five. I have nothing on my shelf that sounds quite like it.
“Cooperstown” brings together forms and techniques from jazz, opera, musical theater and
baseball itself, to tell a uniquely American story in a new and different way.
— Sasha Matson
4
Particular Thanks To: John Atkinson – for calling the plays and marking the scorecard.
Mrs. Edward T. Chase – for support of the premiere. Ted Chapin at Rogers & Hammerstein – for
cheerleading. Art Dudley – for match-making. Jeff Idelson and the team at the Hall of Fame – for
support of the premiere. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. – for the detailed notes before, and the dinner after.
Ian Krouse at UCLA – for the use of his office piano one summer. Mike Marciano and Bill
Schnee – for protecting the plate. Mark Miller – for friendship and work above and beyond. Luis
Torres – for the translation. Van Dyke Parks – for match-making. Stephanie Vlahos – for
weathering the e-mail storms.
Sasha Matson spent his formative years in
Berkeley, California, where his father taught
philosophy at the University of California. He
received a Bachelors Degree in Composition
from the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music. Moving to Los Angeles, he scored
music for a dozen motion pictures and
received a Doctorate Degree in Composition
and Theory from UCLA. Recordings of his
work have been released on the AudioQuest
and New Albion labels. Audiophile Producer
Joe Harley has called Sasha “The world’s
most unpredictable composer.” He currently
resides in Cooperstown with his family.
SASHA MATSON AND PRODUCER JOHN ATKINSON,
SYSTEMS TWO RECORDING, BROOKLYN, NY. JUNE, 2011
Mark Miller earned a history degree at
Stanford and began a journalism career
as a Reuters reporter in San Francisco.
At 20th Century-Fox he produced and
wrote for director-choreographer Bob
Fosse, and co-wrote the screenplay for
the Universal feature film “Mr.
Baseball.” He has written 40 books and
articles for the National Geographic
Society, and was a Los Angeles-based
columnist for the San Francisco
Examiner. He is currently a writerproducer for CBS Radio, recently
nominated along with CBS “60
Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley
for a Writers Guild of America Award
for Outstanding Achievement in
Television and Radio Writing. He lives
with his wife in Los Angeles.
S.M. WITH MIKE MARCIANO AT SYSTEMS TWO RECORDING.
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Stephanie Vlahos comes to the directing profession
with the experience of a former professional singer.
A graduate of Yale University and the Juilliard School,
Stephanie has worked in solo performance in
diverging musical arenas. A recipient of the Chanel
Diva Award, she is currently Artistic Director for
OPERA POSSE, and is a theatre coach and stage
director for the Domingo-Thornton Young Artists
Program at LA Opera, as well as Director-inResidence at The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
at California State University, Long Beach.
Producer John Atkinson has been editor in chief of
Stereophile magazine since 1986. Formally educated
in the sciences, with an honors degree in physics and chemistry and a postgraduate qualification in
the teaching of high-school science, his passion was always for music. A musician (primarily on
bass guitar, but also on recorder, clarinet, violin, and viola da gamba), a sound recordist, and an
audiophile, Atkinson pursued all three
areas simultaneously in the 1960s and
’70s, before finally settling down in
magazine publishing in 1976, when he
joined the UK’s Hi-Fi News & Record
Review. He has produced, engineered,
mastered or played instruments on
more than 40 commercially released
LPs and CDs since 1972.
Cooperstown was first performed at
the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s
Grandstand Theatre on May 19, 2007.
Music Direction by Charles Schneider.
Directed by Patrick Calleo.
Cooperstown is dedicated to the memory of Marvin Galbraith Barrett.
All text excerpts public domain, except excerpt from the essay “The Green Fields of the Mind” by
A. Bartlett Giamatti, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Publisher. Used by permission.
The painting “Fastball” by Josephine Coniglio (oil on canvas, 2003, 12 x 12 inches) is used by
permission of the artist.
© 2013. Published by Sasha Matson Music Co. BMI.
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Daniel Montenegro (“Angel Corazon”)
Daniel Favela (“Marvin Wilder”)
7
Sean Wayland — Piano, Hammond C3 and Fender Rhodes
Carin Gilfry (“Jan Green”)
8
Rod Gilfry (“Dutch Schulhaus
Russ Johnson - Trumpets
9
Julie Adams (“Lilly Young”)
Bill Schnee, Sasha Matson, John Atkinson and Stephanie Vlahos
Schnee Studio, Studio City
10
Jason Rigby - Saxophones
Rod Gilfry and Carin Gilfry
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Gernot Bernroider - Drums
Rich Mollin - Bass
12
Disc One
ACT I
1
Chart 1
2:18
2
First Inning (Dutch / Angel / Marvin)
7:40
3
Chart 2
1:14
4
Second Inning (Lilly / Jan / Angel / Marvin)
5
Chart 3
1:25
6
Third Inning (Jan / Dutch / Angel / Marvin)
8:38
7
Chart 4
1:25
8
Fourth Inning (Lilly / Jan / Angel)
9
Chart 5
1:19
10
Fifth Inning (Marvin / Jan)
7:41
T.T.
10:03
12:08
53:51
Disc Two
ACT II
1
Chart 6
2:02
2
Sixth Inning (Dutch / Marvin / Angel)
7:54
3
Chart 7
0:37
4
Seventh Inning (Lilly / Jan / Marvin)
5
Chart 8
6
Eighth Inning (All)
7
Chart 9
8
Ninth Inning (All)
11:47
T.T.
49:12
12:30
1:52
11:07
1:23
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SYNOPSIS
ACT I
Scene 1 (“First Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium. Night game in progress.
There’s trouble on the field as young star pitcher ANGEL CORAZON repeatedly waves off
catcher MARVIN WILDER’S signs. Marvin loses his temper, calls time out, and marches to the
pitcher’s mound to confront Angel. DOUGLAS “DUTCH” SCHULHAUS, manager of the
Bluebloods, trots to the mound to intervene. Tempers flare; Dutch butts chests with the UMPIRE
(the on-stage Conductor) and is thrown out of the game.
Scene 2 (“Second Inning”) - “First Base” Sports Bar. Evening.
Sports agent JAN GREEN enters with a chic young woman, LILLY YOUNG. Jan is playing
match-maker; they have come to meet Angel and Marvin. Marvin is intended to be Lilly’s blind
date. Angel and Marvin arrive late. Marvin’s posturing fails to impress Lilly, and contrary to Jan
and Marvin’s intentions, Angel and Lilly fall into an immediate and easy rapport. Angel invites
her to attend his next game, and she eagerly accepts. Jan, disappointed in her hope of rekindling
Angel’s ardor, ends the evening early.
Scene 3 (“Third Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium. Workout.
In the bullpen, pitcher Angel warms up. Near him, Jan stands confidently. Jan and Dutch sing of
Angel’s talents and bright future. In contrast is the catcher, Marvin. Jan shares with the audience
a secret only she knows—Angel has a flawed heart, which if revealed, would render him
unemployable. The ensemble issues a rousing call for the game to begin.
Scene 4 (“Fourth Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium bullpen.
Lilly is waiting for Angel to complete afternoon practice. Jan urges Lilly to leave with her. They
discuss the baseball life. Angel enters greeting both women fondly from below on the field. Jan
leaves, meditating with some bitterness on her thwarted love life prior to exiting. The two lovers
are now alone. Lilly expresses doubts. Together they sing a duet – his positive and macho, hers
questioning and mixed. Angel implores Lilly to “come down to me, be by my side.”
Scene 5 (“Fifth Inning”) - “First Base.” Evening.
Jan, Angel’s agent, is drinking alone. Marvin enters and joins her. Does she want to win Angel?
More than anything, she admits. Marvin challenges Jan—use your skills as an agent to win the
thing you want most. Marvin outlines, in vague but sinister terms, a plan to sabotage the unlikely
lovers. Jan hesitates—but then agrees. She exits. Marvin vows to exact his jealous vengeance
upon the two lovers.
INTERMISSION
14
ACT II
Scene 6 (“Sixth Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium. Night game in progress.
Dutch sets the scene at an important late-season game. Angel is sweaty and weary, laboring hard
as he pitches. Angel calls time for a conference on the mound. He and Marvin argue again.
Angel agrees to throw the pitches that Marvin calls. He does, and disaster ensues: the other team
lights up the scoreboard as Angel’s magic deserts him and the game is lost. Marvin rejoices in the
ease with which he can control the Fates. Alone on the field after the players have gone, Dutch
vows to defend Angel from harm, and to protect the game of baseball.
Scene 7 (“Seventh Inning”) - “First Base Sports Bar”, evening.
Marvin sits alone at the bar, sipping a Martini. Jan arrives with Lilly in tow. Lilly looks around,
asks where is Angel—she thought he would be there. Marvin tells her that Angel couldn’t come.
Jan excuses herself. Marvin plies Lilly with drinks while planting seeds of doubt in her mind
regarding Angel’s fidelity, his suitability as a mate. Marvin and Lilly dance. Lilly, tipsy, rests her
head on Marvin’s shoulder as he guides slowly out the door.
Scene 8 (“Eighth Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium bullpen, twilight.
Angel sits alone in the bullpen. Lilly appears at the rail above, stricken. Angel asks her why she
didn’t answer when he called last night. Lilly leaves in tears. Dutch telephones from the dugout,
telling Angel he is putting him into the game as a closer, and how much is riding on his
performance. Lilly returns to the seats above. Marvin is adjusting his catcher’s gear in the
bullpen as Jan enters, furiously confronting him. Jan rejects Marvin and everything he stands for,
regretting her agreement to help him betray Lilly and Angel.
Scene 9 (“Ninth Inning”) - Metropolitan Stadium infield, night (game continues)
It is the bottom of the 9th in the Pennant Game. Things are not going well for Angel. Dutch calls
time and walks to the mound, telling Angel that he has what it takes to win. Jan appears in the
stands-concerned about Marvin’s scheming. Angel motions Marvin to the mound. Marvin states
that the fact that Lilly is now in love with him—that Angel has lost her—should mean nothing.
Marvin’s revelation stuns Angel. Lilly appears in the stands, unnoticed by Angel. He hurls his
final pitch, and strikes the final batter out. Angel’s graceful follow-through becomes a slow
collapse. A single light illumines the pitcher’s mound, where Angel has been brought to his knees
by the strain on his flawed heart. Lilly arrives to cradle Angel in her arms, his Major League
career finished. Dutch and Jan kneel beside them, and together they sing a final trio.
CURTAIN
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Cast
Angel Corazon
Daniel Montenegro
Jan Green
Carin Gilfry
Dutch Schulhaus
Rod Gilfry
Marvin Wilder
Daniel Favela
Lilly Young
Julie Adams
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COOPERSTOWN
ACT I
OVERTURE
(“Chart 1”)
SCENE 1
(“First Inning”)
New York City’s Metropolitan Stadium. Night game in progress.
Pitcher ANGEL CORAZON, wearing a Bluebloods jacket emblazoned “CORAZON,” is on the
mound.
Catcher MARVIN WILDER is behind the plate, where BATTER #1 readies himself.
BATTER #2 takes practice swings in the on-deck circle.
Blueblood Manager DOUGLAS “DUTCH” SCHULHAUS stands before the dugout, his usual
location when he is not center stage. He embodies the stern and resolute gravitas of a Major
League veteran.
DUTCH
Top of the first!
The start of the game.
(making signals to Marvin)
Give him a rising fastball!
Give him a rising fastball!
Angel winds up and “throws” ... the Batter swings and misses.
A two-seamer sinks like Titanic!
His four-seamer fastball’s gigantic!
Angel “throws” again ... the Batter watches as the ball “slams” into Marvin’s mitt.
Backspin creates the Magnus Effect.
Ball rises up—no way to connect!
Angel nods—Marvin relayed Dutch’s command—and “throws” again.
The Batter swings and misses, twisted into a pretzel.
MARVIN
Time!
Batter #1 slams his bat on the ground in anger and stalks back to his dugout.
Batter #2 walks to the plate. BATTER #3 steps into the on-deck circle.
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DUTCH
Trouble in the battery!
Kid’s waving him off.
Wilder needs flattery,
He’s got to be boss!
Dutch signals “time” and marches grimly to the mound, beckoning Wilder to join him.
MARVIN
(to Dutch)
He’s off the reservation!
Completely lost.
ANGEL
I throw what I want!
To hell with the cost!
DUTCH
You can throw,
But you don’t know
The Book.
ANGEL
I know plenty,
I can deal with these jerks!
MARVIN
Just what we need—
More prima donnas at work!
DUTCH
(to Angel)
There’s one guy who knows,
There’s one guy you owe,
And that guy, Angel,
Is me!
(indicating Marvin)
Do what he says!
Sliders and curves,
Tighten the screws,
By degree.
Dutch trudges to the Blueblood dugout. Marvin stalks back to the plate, where Batter #2 waits.
Angel turns his back to the plate, composing himself.
DUTCH
Now batting fourth—
Leading the League,
A fearsome monster,
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Going for ten in a row.
Now comes the wind-up...
Now comes the pitch...
Now comes the switch...
As in slow motion, Batter #2 swings and misses:
ANGEL
Control, power, and speed,
All the tools that I need.
Upper pocket, inside!
Upper pocket, inside!
MARVIN
This guy’s a ball chaser,
With no place to hide.
Low down corner, outside!
Low down corner, outside!
Marvin has to reach hard for Angel’s pitch, falling on the ball.
ALL
(shouted)
Stirrrr-RIKE!
Angel throws again—and Batter #2 swings—the CRACK of a bat! Marvin throws off his mask and
waits for a pop-up to fall into his mitt.
DUTCH
Angel’s got the heat
Never a hitch.
The man of the hour
To beat.
(to Marvin)
Changes and off-speed
Stuff for this guy!
I read the stats,
And they never lie.
MARVIN
Start thinking ahead
To next Opening Day.
I’m tired of playing
For half Angel’s pay.
DUTCH
How much is enough?
MARVIN
Talk to my agent.
DUTCH
That’s not my job
19
MARVIN
I run this team—
DUTCH
How much is enough?
MARVIN
—From behind home plate.
DUTCH
Try a little pitching,
Instead of bitching
All day and all night.
What ever happened
To this Game,
They played in the sun?
No rules, no shame,
Dealers out to game the Game.
What ever happened?
Angel leans to stare at Marvin, waiting for signals. He shakes his head “no.” Another shake-off,
and a third “no.” Marvin calls time and marches to the mound. Dutch trots out.
MARVIN
(as they converge—their voices overlapping as tensions mount)
I call for a curve,
He shakes me a no!
Waves off a screwball,
Won’t throw it slow!
ANGEL
You play by the book,
You end up with the hook!
DUTCH
You’re throwing a pattern!
When they figure it out,
They’ll light you right up
Like the Fourth of July!
Dutch confronts the Umpire—chin-to-chin!
DUTCH
Hey ump!
How ‘bout letting me manage
Every once in a while?
20
The Umpire (the on-stage Conductor, a non-singing role) reacts and waves Dutch away. Dutch
butts his chest against the Umpire.
DUTCH
You clueless sawed off runt!
Your little hat’s too tight!
Go piss on the plate!
It needs a light dustin’!
MARVIN
You’re on your own now, kid!
ANGEL
Watch and learn!
MARVIN
I’m watchin’
(pause...)
I’m waitin’
(pause...)
When’s my lesson?
Marvin gives Angel a chilly look, turns and walks to the plate.
Batter #3 readies himself. Angel stares him down, then throws.
The Batter throws himself to the ground to avoid being hit, dusts himself off and readies.
DUTCH
The old brush-back—
A little chin music.
Looks like Corazon
Wants to call the tune.
Angel throws—and on-stage action freezes and holds at the end of his follow-through—
ALL
(shouted)
Strike!
(Blackout)
21
SCENE 2
(“Second Inning”)
“First Base” Sports Bar, Evening.
An upscale sports bar. A big-screen TV silently projects a Major League game.
To stage-left, The ONSTAGE BAND plays quiet jazz music.
Two stylish and attractive women enter.
Sports agent JAN GREEN, who represents Angel and Marvin, is perhaps ten years older than
LILLY YOUNG, a Wall Streeter. They sit at the bar and signal the BARTENDER.
LILLY
Where are the boys?
Are we early?
JAN
Don’t worry Lilly,
You’re top of the order tonight.
LILLY
Like moths to a flame,
We dance at the window panes.
Of glowing male egos.
JAN / LILLY
Diamond princes we will wed,
A Major League wedding bed.
Sit with the player’s wives,
And tell each other stories.
LILLY
Happy ones.
JAN
Sad ones.
LILLY
About being bored.
JAN
Being ignored.
JAN / LILLY
Because there’s a game on.
22
JAN
Can you imagine? Imagine?
The BARTENDER silently delivers two Martinis.
JAN
(raises her glass to toast with Lilly)
Now playing for the women:
Jan the Super Agent!
LILLY
And her good friend,
Lilly the Uptown Girl!
ANGEL and MARVIN enter from the far side. The band members wave and nod in affectionate
greeting and launch into a Caribbean pop tune.
Angel acknowledges the music—all confidence and youthful cockiness—and dances to it as he
crosses the room.
MARVIN
What kind of music
Are they playing?
Are they drunk?
ANGEL
They know where
I’m coming from.
MARVIN
There’s Jan
With my blind date.
It’s good to be a little late—
Make them wait.
ANGEL
You’re always playing a game!
Marvin embraces Jan and tries to kiss her on the lips. She turns a cheek to his lips.
MARVIN
My beautiful Svengali—
You bring me a gift?
JAN
(slipping from his embrace)
Lilly, this is Marvin Wilder,
Smartest catcher in The Show.
And the star of my roster,
Angel Corazon!
23
The Bartender sets up four Martini glasses and quickly fills them from a shaker.
MARVIN
(aside to Bartender)
A year ago I topped that list….
Marvin presents Martinis to Lilly and Jan.
LILLY
What’s this?
MARVIN
A performance-enhancing substance.
JAN
(clinks her glass against Marvin’s)
Cheers, lover!
Angel touches his glass to Lily’s
ANGEL
I am most pleased
To make your acquaintance.
LILLY
(to Marvin, trying to be polite)
Jan’s told me so
Much about you.
ANGEL
She’s my agent, remember?
(to Jan)
Are you working on commission tonight?
ANGEL
Do you like baseball?
Marvin cuts in to wrest back Lilly’s attention:
MARVIN
You’re an Upper East Sider
I can tell by looking.
LILLY
Do you think
I’m predictable?
JAN
(to Lilly)
The Bluebloods’ scout.
24
Brought Angel to me,
Signed, sealed, delivered.
MARVIN
Watch out—watch out ladies!
He’s hot-hot-hot-blooded,
He’s Caribbean!
LILLY
I thought you were his friend.
MARVIN
Oh, I am—
To the bitter end!
LILLY
(to Angel)
Jan tells me you’re new,
From the Dominican Republic.
ANGEL
I was raised in San Cristóbal
On the wrong side of the tracks
Except there weren’t any
By the seaside.
LILLY
I was raised on the Upper East Side.
Boarded in prep schools
Where I learned how to ride
And how to look cool.
LILLY
When I was a young girl
We cruised to Santo Domingo.
My father drank in the bar
While my mother played bingo.
ANGEL
When I was a small boy
We went down to the docks
The ships came, lights all ablaze
Filled with beautiful people
Over the rail in the harbor
I pitched the boys pennies.
I was told by the purser,
They didn’t have many.
We looked up at them in wonder
Called out for pennies
Without any shame,
I’d do the same again.
LILLY
Did you catch any?
ANGEL
Some days were
25
Better than others...
LILLY
I’m sorry I didn’t
Throw more to you.
ANGEL
I can still hear
The songs they used to sing
In the old cafés.
On the water.
Angel walks to the band, stuffs a bill into their tip jar, and says something to them.
The band members launch into a “pre-war Cuban love song.“
ANGEL
(in Spanish / supertitles)
Al lado de la fuente,
By the fountain so cool,
Abajo la sombra de arboles’
Neath the shade of the trees
Al lado del lago tan azúl,
By the lake so blue,
Se encontraba una linda dancella.
Sat the fairest maid.
Con ojos abajo de su mantilla,
Miró al desfile que pasaba
Y miró el joven tan guapo,
Con corazón que cantaba a ella.
Through her lace-covered hair,
She gazed at the parade
And the young man so bold,
Whose heart called for hers.
“Sientate aquí con migo,”
Le contestó al joven.
“Dame el toco de tu mano
Y dame el perfume de tu cabello.”
“Pray sit with me here,”
To the young man she answered.
“Give me the touch of your hand
And the scent of your hair.”
“Tengo que ingresar en el desfile,
Al cual estoy prometido,”
Y con eso se fue
En el Día de los Muertos.
“I must join the parade,
For which I am promised,”
And away he strode
On the Day of the Dead.
Ella lo espera siempre allí,
Abajo de la sombra de los arboles,
Al lado del lago tan azúl
Con su mantilla tan claro.
She waits for him there,
‘Neath the shade of the trees,
By the lake so blue
With her lace so pale.
Angel and Lilly gaze at each other for a long moment—a magical moment.
JAN
I wonder which maid
He has on his
Made-up mind?
26
ANGEL
(to Lilly)
You’ve broken many hearts,
Would you like to break mine?
LILLY
That must be one
Of your very best lines.
ANGEL
Come see me play!
LILLY
Name the day.
She opens her purse, takes out a card and gives it to Angel.
MARVIN
(to all, grouchily)
Is it time to eat?
JAN
(takes Lilly’s arm)
It’s getting late.
MARVIN
Change of plans.
Change of plans!
ANGEL
(to Lilly and Jan)
Do you have to leave so soon?
LILLY
(as Jan pulls her away, toward the exit)
Goodbye, Marvin—
Nice to meet you.
Good night … Angel.
They pause at the door to look back at Angel and Marvin at the bar.
LILLY
He’s gorgeous—
Oh Jan, what a find!
JAN
He’s gorgeous—
Oh innocent friend of mine!
Lilly and Jan exit.
27
ANGEL / MARVIN
She’s beautiful!
ANGEL
Elegant, schooled, and kind.
MARVIN
Expensive, spoiled, and blind.
Marvin snaps his fingers to get the Bartender’s attention, and points to their two empty Martini
glasses.
(Blackout)
28
SCENE 3
(“Third Inning”)
Afternoon Workout, Metropolitan Stadium.
ANGEL stretches in the bullpen (stage left).
At stage right, MARVIN straps on his armor, preparing for battle, with a cold stare at Angel.
JAN looks down over the bullpen rail, confident and at ease in the world of men.
DUTCH” walks onto center stage between Angel and Marvin. Dutch gives Marvin a perfunctory
nod, places a hand on Angel’s shoulder, and confers privately with the rookie.
Marvin, standing off to the side, watches them, resentfully punching a fist into his mitt.
Dutch steps away from Angel, reviews the line-up sheet on his clipboard, then notices Jan.
DUTCH
Hey, Jan—is it
Contract time again already?
JAN
Relax, Schulhaus—
I like to watch my men work out.
ANGEL
I play for the poor man,
The lunch bucket fan.
For the people who struggle for bread.
The cabbies and shoeblacks, the public school teachers
Stuck up in the bleachers.
Up there in the cheap seats!
I can hear their heartbeats!
It’s for them that I throw—
‘Cause the rich don’t need any heroes...1
MARVIN
(to Dutch)
I’d like to be the one
Who makes the news every night.
1
Leon Lamar Wagner (May 13, 1934 – January 3, 2004) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball,
affectionately known as "Daddy Wags" during his playing days, which ended in 1969 with the San Francisco Giants.
29
Max out the speed gun,
See my name up in lights.
Lead the League
In strikeouts pitching—
Even that wouldn’t stop
Dutch from bitching.
DUTCH
Why, any manager would
Want a guy like that.
Only trouble is,
To get him to put down his beer.
Come down from the stands
And do these things, here. 2
JAN
Fans tell their wives and lovers
They played this game so well.
That if they’d kept on playing
They might have cast a spell.
Millions would adore them
As they rode in parades.
Rode in parades.
ANGEL / DUTCH
Every game is an affirmation
Of all we believe.
Honesty and hard work,
Fair play by the rules.
The kind of things these days,
They don’t learn in school.
MARVIN
There’s the game in their heads,
There’s the game that we play.
They cheer for the Mets,
The Mets want their pay.
2
Daniel “Danny” Edward Murtaugh (October 8, 1917 – December 2, 1976) was an American second baseman,
manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the
Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager.
30
They read about the Yankees—
They get out their hankies.
The Cubs are so nice—
Not one has his vice.
“It’s not if you win,
It’s how you play the game!”
Have you ever heard anything so lame?
(indicating Angel)
For him it comes easy,
For me it comes hard.
My stomach is queasy
When I play in this yard.
When I play in this yard.
DUTCH
(indicating Marvin)
Ten years catching in the Minors,
His old man a drunk.
Gave his mom shiners
When he fell in a funk.
MARVIN
Wife left me for a guy
Who sold Buicks.
The divorce came through
In just under two weeks.
—We had nothing to divide.
Angel gets called up to The Show.
At twenty years old,
What does he know?
What do they see in him,
They don’t see in me?
ANGEL
No time to ponder or to doubt.
Don’t need the priest or the shrink.
When the crowd proclaims you royalty,
Who cares what the critics think?
My arm commands respect,
It will not be denied.
I demand obedience, loyalty—
King until I die!
JAN
Angel could be my perfect prize.
31
Only I know his secret:
A flawed heart could fail
At the slightest heartache.
Angel’s heart could break,
At the slightest ache.
ANGEL
My future’s ahead of me.
MARVIN
Where the hell else would it be?
JAN
The future ends at thirty-three.
ANGEL
I’d play this game for free!
MARVIN
You’re paid nine-million-three—
ANGEL
I don’t play for pay—
MARVIN
That’s what they all say—
ANGEL
I’ll build a convent!
I’ll build a school!
I’ll play baseball forever!
MARVIN
This kid is not too clever.
ANGEL
I’ll build a university!
JAN
That’ll get you great publicity.
ANGEL
I will Marv—I will!
MARVIN
O.K. with me—
You’re paying the bill.
32
DUTCH
A hot dog at the park
Beats a rib-eye at Lugar’s!
MARVIN
People who say that
Don’t know Bud from Beluga!
DUTCH
With Angel, we’ll take the pennant!
MARVIN
You’re the reason we never win it!
ANGEL
Este es nuestro año!
ANGEL / DUTCH
This is our year!
DUTCH
That’s what I want to hear!
Let’s play ball!
DUTCH / MARVIN
Let’s play ball!
DUTCH /MARVIN/ANGEL
Let’s play ball!
ALL
Let’s play ball!
Play... ball!
(Blackout)
33
SCENE 4
(“Fourth Inning”)
Metropolitan Stadium. Afternoon, end of a practice.
Lilly sits alone in the front row of the bleachers, between the dugout and home plate.
LILLY
Not only boys
Love the smell of new-mown grass,
And an open field.
Where they can play.
Spring-filled newborn life.
With different names
Than Wall Street
Or Third Avenue.
Not only men
Travel through the world,
Slide into the plate
To dodge the tag.
This man I’ve met
Can take me there,
To a land beyond
Red, white, and blue.
Jan enters and joins Lilly.
JAN
There you are,
Ready for your balcony scene.
LILLY
See how well they move,
How graceful they seem.
JAN
Look closer! They’re men of sweat and stubble,
Who live for the double-play.
Head Uptown tonight with me,
We’ll find someone worth all the trouble.
LILLY
Look at Angel running!
34
JAN
Look at yourself slumming!
LILLY / JAN
Think of our lives,
Lived somewhere else.
To find a world,
That doesn’t ring false.
JAN
Your heart will break on the first road trip.
The truth will hurt when he lets it slip,
That you are living the player’s life.
And the part you play, is player’s wife!
Angel steps onto the field, dressed casually. He sings to himself.
ANGEL
A golden field at twilight,
Sweet fragrance of grass,
Purple promise of night.
Summer’s fulfillment of springtime.
He sees Jan and Lilly in the bleachers.
Two beautiful women,
Come to watch me play.
May I have your autographs?
JAN
We’re going out later;
Thought we’d say hello.
ANGEL
We’ve almost finished—
A few more routines.
LILLY
It is rather warm up here.
JAN
It’s hot,
And getting hotter!
ANGEL
I’ll take you both dancing,
Any place you’d like to go!
35
JAN
I’m a free agent, Corazon,
—not your draft-pick.
Farewell you two.
The night belongs to the young,
And foolish.
Jan walks to the exit stage left, pauses and looks at the two lovers, now gazing at each other.
JAN
Look at her!
The light in her eyes.
That flame was mine
Not so long ago...
Look at them!
Listen to their laughter.
She’s found happiness
For keeps, for ever after!
Jan exits.
ANGEL
I was hoping I might find you here today.
LILLY
I find it hard to stay away.
ANGEL
You love the game?
LILLY
I’m more interested in the players,
Than in keeping score.
ANGEL
What would you like to know?
LILLY
To know where my wandering heart is,
And what it’s searching for.
ANGEL
It lives in a world,
High and luxurious.
Where the sounds and colors
Are soft and mysterious.
Looking down from
Skyboxes far above.
36
LILLY
I’m not above you,
Angel Corazon.
Angel gently takes her in his arms. They gaze at one another. He gently strokes Lilly’s hair.
ANGEL
You want something beyond
The life you’re living now.
What is that thing you want?
The thing you do not have?
LILLY
I have all I need!
ANGEL
I don’t believe it.
LILLY
That is the truth
As I see it.
ANGEL
To see the truth
Is not to lie.
LILLY
Don’t you believe me?
ANGEL
Not to lie.
Lilly, I have won,
All there is to win.
You I cannot win,
For love is not a game.
I will take you
To the simple places.
The true places,
Beyond all others
You have known.
And you in turn,
Will give to me
A life, a love,
A home.
37
LILLY
Where is that world,
Beyond all time and care?
ANGEL
Wherever life leads.
LILLY / ANGEL
Here—and everywhere!
ANGEL
I wish I did not feel
So many worlds apart.
LILLY
This cannot work,
Brave Angel Heart.
Every thing is new,
Right here, right now,
From the start.
I’ve forgotten what I knew,
What I meant to say
From the start.
ANGEL
(gestures to the baseball diamond)
Lilly, take this diamond,
For your finger.
Embedded in emerald,
Green as your eye.
Come down to me.
Come down to me!
Take the field with me,
Play by my side!
Lilly hesitates, then descends the steps to the field Angel offers his hand. She takes it.
They gaze at one another—then come together in a passionate first-kiss embrace.
During the scene the stage lights have been slowly dimming, accelerating in ‘stage-time’ an
implied sunset, so that by the conclusion of the scene the two lovers stand together in a soft postsunset glow.
LILLY
Give me the touch of your hand!
LILLY / ANGEL
And the scent of your hair!
(Blackout)
38
SCENE 5
(“Fifth Inning”)
From Metropolitan Stadium to the “First Base”.
Jan is drinking alone. Marvin enters, sees her and stops. She does not see him.
MARVIN
(indicating Jan)
Alone with a glass,
Striking a pose.
In a thicket of barstools,
Blooms the thorniest rose.
Jan and Marvin lock gazes. He saunters to her with the knowing swagger of a former lover.
JAN
Men in macho guise,
Stride across this land,
Think it is their right,
To command any prize.
Today’s Team Captain is
Tomorrow’s Board Director.
Fabulous dreamers,
Fantastical suitors.
Their ambitions intertwine with mine,
And for that, they send a case of wine.
MARVIN
(to Bartender)
A double Martini—
For the Super Agent,
(to Jan)
Evening, my weary
Fading beauty.
JAN
Be polite;
Treat me nice.
MARVIN
Don’t play the fool.
You’ve been working overtime.
I’m not your tool!
You’re smart as a cat.
39
Lilly’s stuck on Angel
Like pine tar on a bat.
JAN
That was not my invention.
This Angel needs a guardian.
I could be good for him!
MARVIN
‘Mr. Plaster-Saint-Baseball-Today’?
JAN
I believe in Corazon!
He’s not like all the rest—
Hearts of stone beating ice-cold
Blood through their Bluebloods chest.
(next two lines sung ‘sotto voce’)
A fragile heart easily broken—
A secret I’ve never spoken.
MARVIN
You want to win
Your cardboard Angel?
JAN
I will not lose
My final chance.
What chance for love
Is left to me?
I will not leave
My perfect love,
Benched and sidelined,
Carried off the field.
Pleasure time is
Measured time,
Part of the package,
From deal to deal.
Yards are gained,
Years are lost.
A yellow flag’s
Upon the play.
Run ‘round the base,
40
Like a crazy clock.
With no arms—with no arms
For me to hold.
Hey bartender,
Hit me once again.
Roll your laughing dice.
Last call for love.
Last call for love.
MARVIN
Don’t play fair!
JAN
What kind of scheme?
MARVIN
Work your magic,
Weave your user’s dream.
I’ll get what I want,
And we’ll all live...
JAN
Lilly?
MARVIN
What do they have in common?
JAN
Youth, beauty, trusting hearts.
MARVIN
Together they’re less
Than the sum of their parts!
JAN
You want me to...
MARVIN
Put the ball in play.
Bring Lilly to the “First Base.”
I’ll do the rest.
JAN
Angel loves Lilly.
MARVIN
He often acts rashly.
41
JAN
When he’s shamed.
MARVIN
When he’s blamed.
JAN
For what?
A lie?
Marvin answers by opening his arms, presenting himself as the Betrayer.
MARVIN
If he thought she’d betrayed him—
JAN
We’ve all taken our pleasure
Where and when we’ve found it.
The end will justify the means.
Draw the curtain, no one will see.
MARVIN
I’m not speaking of truth,
I play to win.
MARVIN / JAN
We know what we want,
So let it begin.
MARVIN
‘Capice?
JAN
Yes, and then?
MARVIN
One game at a time.
JAN
I’ve had enough to drink,
And quite enough of you.
Give my love to Dutch.
Jan exits.
MARVIN
Keep in touch!
(meditating to himself)
People are so easy,
42
They know not what they do.
An Angel sent from nowhere,
His winning streak is through.
He lifts his Martini glass in the air to toast himself.
It will be cold and clear as this,
Served straight up, with a twist.
(Blackout)
43
ACT II
Scene 6
(“Sixth Inning”)
From the First Base to Metropolitan Stadium. Night game in progress.
Dutch leans on the dugout rail—his spot whenever he’s not center stage—and observes the action.
DUTCH
In spring I called them “My Perfect Pair”
—The Bluebloods’ ticket to the Series.
Now in autumn
There’s a chill in the air
From these two and their furies.
The Batter tosses his bat and trots to first.
DUTCH
Eighty-nine miles an hour,
Angel’s beginning to tire.
Missing his phenomenal power,
Lost his crowd-pleasing fire.
Throwing low when he should throw high,
Slow when the call’s for fast.
He delivers what Wilder signs,
Or this rookie’s not going to last.
In September the heat turned cold.
An unsuited pair,
About to fold.
Angel signals for a time out and motions Marvin to the mound.
MARVIN
What’s the problem?
Send ‘em packin’!
ANGEL
I throw what you call,
And look what happens!
MARVIN
Fastball’s got to smoke,
Curve’s got to choke ‘em.
44
ANGEL
I put it where you want,
They hit it hard.
It’s over the wall
And out of the yard!
MARVIN
Show me heat—no hesitation,
Out on the mound, no reservations.
ANGEL
I’ll throw the pitches
I want to throw.
Whatever you tell me,
I can always say “No!”
MARVIN
I’ve caught Hall of Famers.
You’re a pretty-boy flamer.
You don’t know the score,
On the field…
(spoken ‘sotto voce’)
…Or in bed.
Angel reacts. Marvin flips the ball to Angel, shoots him a hard look, then walks back to the plate.
Angel watches him walk away, stunned by Marvin’s hostility. The game continues.
DUTCH
Once it was a game of camaraderie.
Now they live for fame and celebrity.
Angel peers at Marvin who signals. Angel shakes his head “No”—again, and again.
He throws—the “Batter” swings—
DUTCH
(spoken)
A hit! Going... going... Gone!
(walking to the mound to join Marvin and Angel)
What the hell was that?
I haven’t seen ball that bad
Since I managed in Florida!
MARVIN
(to Dutch)
I call low and inside,
He throws high and wide!
45
ANGEL
I don’t need your calls!
DUTCH
(to Angel)
I didn’t come out here
Just to pat you on the ass.
ANGEL
You want my power.
My gift from the gods!
I’m the golden calf you need,
To beat the odds.
DUTCH
Loneliness goes with the turf,
On the mound, or alone on the bench.
Take it in stride.
Turn off the pride.
There’s another game—tomorrow.
Dutch pats Angel on the back—removing him from the game.
MARVIN
The gold is in the averages.
It’s the weak ones
The game savages.
Angel trudges toward the dugout. Marvin lifts his arms in a shrug of feigned innocence.
MARVIN
I do my best,
Angel has to do the rest.
DUTCH
Don’t give me that baloney, Wilder!
What’s going on with you two?
Envy? Jealousy?
I’m watching you,
And I don’t like what I see!
Marvin shakes his head contemptuously and strides from the mound. Halfway to the dugout he
stops and turns to the audience.
MARVIN
How sweet it is—
I signal from the plate.
Angel trusts me,
And I control his fate.
46
The lights narrow to illuminate only Dutch, alone on the mound.
DUTCH
We live in a meadow of green,
Filled with lives of men unseen,
The men upon the walls
In the Hall of Fame.
By the strength of my right arm,
I will defend from any harm,
The men who love the game
They were born to play.
Full moon over second base,
A hanging pitch in space,
Bring me a touch of grace,
From Cooperstown.
From Cooperstown!
(Blackout)
47
SCENE 7
(“Seventh Inning”)
“First Base” Sports Bar. Evening.
Marvin, Lilly and Jan enter simultaneously—Marvin stage right, Lilly and Jan stage left. They
converge at the bar. Marvin is more fashionably dressed and groomed than previously. Jan
reacts—looks him up and down with a lascivious smirk of exaggerated surprise.
Marvin reacts by slowly turning around, displaying himself as a matador shows off his suit of
lights to the crowd, to elicit applause. He signals the BARMAN who sets up three Martini glasses
and begins the mixing ritual…
Throughout the scene, until Jan’s exit, Marvin positions himself strategically between the two
women.
LILLY
I’ll just check my messages.
JAN
Don’t make that call!
Why tie strings to a star?
You’re left with heat
Grown cold and blurred.
MARVIN
So poetic—I’m sympathetic
As his post-season numbers go south.
Your Dominican Tourist, once so athletic,
Back to the mano to mouth
—Back to the Island—
—Hola, mis amigos!
Back in the ‘hood!
Marvin steps away to where the Bartender waits, leaving Jan and Lilly briefly alone.
JAN
Stylish dresser...
LILLY
The dimmer the light, the better.
JAN
Ruggedly handsome, don’t you think?
48
LILLY
So they say—he gets a lot of ink.
JAN
He’s got style and savoir faire.
LILLY
Marvin broke your heart.
JAN
He merely took the dare.
Marvin returns, takes his place between them.
LILLY
I thought Angel would be here.
JAN
The Angel I know
Makes up rules as he goes.
MARVIN
Rich, young and handsome—
At the top of his game!
Let him enjoy
His fifteen minutes of fame.
LILLY
What are you implying?
MARVIN
Be careful what you wish for.
LILLY
Just friends!
That is where it ends!
MARVIN
(to Jan)
Why protect him?
Why not tell her?
Angel disappointed you as well!
Jan stands and walks toward the Band.
JAN
(spoken)
Open up a ballplayer’s head
And you know what you’d find?
49
A lot of little broads
And a jazz band.
She grabs a mike from a stand and sings in the manner of a ‘Berlin Ballad’ introduction:
JAN
For the love of a Single-A boy
I gave up the joy
Of singing in small Upstate churches.
Schubert and hymns
Gave way to the whims
Of dreams losing their purchase.
Jan now sings in full ‘Ballad’ style:
Romance is frail,
A kind of jail
Made of illusions and rapture.
Through gin and tears,
I sing of the year
When I loved an Angel.
Jan continues to sing wordless ‘vocalise’ as Lilly and Marvin dance.
LILLY
I’m sure he’s very happy
With his new-found fame
Dazzling some low-rent dame.
MARVIN
I’m your consolation prize.
LILLY
(with bitter humor)
You see the question marks in my eyes?
He twirls her—she’s performing for a moment—then spins back into his embrace.
MARVIN
Corazon is still a kid
Who sees his face
On baseball cards
Clutched to his chest
Like brightly colored toys—
You complete the collection.
LILLY
The swinging single life
50
You men all flaunt—
Where’s the truth in that?
MARVIN
Whistling in the dark,
We search for life, for love—
We seek, we need, and want it!
LILLY
You do?
MARVIN
I do!
LILLY/JAN
I am weary of men
Who only live for winning.
I remember what I knew,
At the start, at the beginning.
MARVIN
My gaming ends
With the ninth inning.
Jan ends her singing interlude—kisses one of the musicians—rejoins Marvin and Lilly.
JAN
Still no Angel, I see?
That’s old business to me.
(quickly checks her cell phone, then flips it closed)
Another client,
Young and compliant,
Waits for me Uptown.
This one won’t let me down!
Jan gives Lilly a quick air-kiss on both cheeks, the same to Marvin, and breezes off-stage with a
wave back to them. A moment of silence follows as Marvin walks to the end of the bar, and speaks
‘sotto voce’ to the Barman. As Marvin waits for drinks he sings to the audience, implying that
Lilly does not hear. Lilly sits alone at the other end of the bar, lost in thought.
MARVIN
Trust, freely given,
Is the coin of the lover’s realm.
Steal it away
And hearts will break.
Forgiveness, if it comes at all,
Is always a little late—
—In the give and take.
51
When push comes to shove,
I never make mistakes.
Dreams that lovers dream,
Are easy to placate.
Like reporters,
You can buy ‘em with a steak!
—In the give and take.
(Instrumental Solo Verse)
Love is the loser’s game,
The stats are bent and fake.
Lovers place their foolish bets,
Hoping to beat the Fates.
Cupid is nodding off,
But I am wide awake—
—In the give and take.
Marvin receives two Martinis from the Bartender and carries them back to Lilly.
One is bright green and illuminated from within—an ‘Appletini’ cocktail.
Marvin offers it to Lilly as the lights dim around them.
MARVIN
Ever try an Appletini?
LILLY
Am I allowed?
MARVIN
(holds up his Martini in toast)
To romance—
LILLY
(holds up her glass and touches his)
To happiness—
MARVIN
And doing a little business.
They each take a sip. Lilly places her glass on the bar.
LILLY
You’re here with your Beefeater dry—
Why not out with the guys?
52
MARVIN
Why do you ask?
LILLY
Your face is a mask—
If not for Jan,
Then for whom?
MARVIN
Who else is in the room?
LILLY
You came hoping?
MARVIN
—Angel would not!
That summarizes the plot.
LILLY
Odds favor its success;
My little fling seems a mess.
The Bartender sets up two more Martinis, then moves to the end of the bar. He remains, as if
waiting to close, in the half-shadow.
Lilly downs her previous Martini. Marvin places a fresh one before her.
LILLY
That’s my limit.
(throws her head back and shakes it, as if trying to clear her mind)
I think I’m getting tight.
MARVIN
I know a place we could go—
LILLY
—I should say good-night.
MARVIN
—It’s on your way home.
LILLY
(tipsy)
Are you hustling me,
Mister All-Star Catcher in the Rye?
MARVIN
Call it ‘courting’ please—
A charge I won’t deny.
53
LILLY
Then court me as you may
For just this one night.
My heart is in two places,
Too weary to fight.
Lilly rests her head on Marvin’s shoulder. He drapes his coat around her and guides her toward
the door.
LILLY
I can feel
A touch of fall.
Fingers of frost cover
The tumbling leaves.
We reap what we sow,
Drink the bitter with the sweet.
Harvest as best we can—
The bold, the brave, the meek.
MARVIN
October is the cruelest month.
(Blackout)
54
SCENE 8
(“Eighth Inning”)
Metropolitan Stadium bullpen, twilight.
Dutch leans on the dugout rail by the bullpen phone, flipping through pages on a clipboard,
preparing for the Pennant Game about to start. Angel slumps on the bench, the picture of despair.
DUTCH
One hundred-sixty games done.
One more victory,
The Pennant’s won.
Bottom of the eighth,
Blues lead by a run.
Three outs away from
Our Series in the sun.
Nine strikes—it’s over!
I’ve got to have a closer
Nine strikes—it’s over!
I’ve got to have a closer!
Dutch exits. Lilly appears at the rail above Angel, looking distraught.
Angel sees her—they gaze at one another, silent for a long while.
ANGEL
I called, you didn’t answer.
I called later, still, no answer.
LILLY
What can I tell you?
ANGEL
The truth.
The truth!
LILLY
We’re in love—
That’s the truth.
ANGEL
At half-past three—
“Away from the phone
55
Or on another line,”
—All night long?
LILLY
You stood me up!
ANGEL
No one tells a Corazon
What to do!
A man must have
A woman he can trust.
LILLY
You did.
“Una mujer que le trae
Paz a su corazon.”
ANGEL
(‘A woman who brings
Peace to his heart.’)
LILLY
I could.
ANGEL
How can you prove that, now?
LILLY
You’ll have to take it
On faith.
ANGEL
Who are you
To talk of faith?
Go back to your world
Of white-gloved doormen!
LILLY
Parquet floors are better than dirt!
Loving you is a world of hurt.
My life depends on love,
Yours ends with the ball and glove.
Within these walls,
Greenness is all—
Outside all is gray.
Where the faithless deceive—and betray.
ANGEL
Go back to your world,
LILLY
Why can’t you hear me?
56
So near, yet so far away!
You need to leave now—
Go!
Go back to your world,
Go back to your world
So near, yet so far from here!
You need to leave—
Go!
Please don’t send me away.
Don’t ever let me—
Go!
Please don’t send me away.
I need you to hear
Don’t ever let me—
Don’t ever let me—
Go!
Lilly rushes away in tears.
ANGEL
For years, kept to myself,
My secret—mi corazon.
I always play each game,
Like it was my last.
Love weighs on my chest,
I’m pitching on two days rest,
We’re in the Pennant now,
Not at the beginning.
“No pain, no gain.”
For lovers that is true.
Set love aside—
Now is the time for winning.
The bullpen phone rings.
DUTCH
Angel!
Time to plow the field!
Angel!
Time to plow the field!
ANGEL
No pain, no gain!
DUTCH
Light ‘em up
Shut ‘em down and wrap The Show!
ANGEL
No pain, no gain!
DUTCH
Nine strikes it’s over—
I’ve got to have a closer!
57
ANGEL
Now is the time!
Now is the time for winning!
DUTCH
Nine strikes it’s over—
I’ve got to have a closer!
Angel picks up his glove and walks to the mound (exits). Lilly appears in the stands.
LILLY
Never in my life,
Have I lost my way.
Lost what I held close,
And found my heart astray.
Never in my life,
Have I seen the stars so clear.
Love is a nebula spinning
Around an invisible core.
Angel, I can still feel
The touch of your hand.
Press my ear to your chest,
To hear its beating sound.
Lilly exits.
Dutch confronts Marvin.
DUTCH
Why have you got such
A problem with him, Wilder?
MARVIN
He rankles me.
DUTCH
Everybody rankles you.
MARVIN
No one is that good at ball,
No one is that good in bed,
It’s messed with his head!
DUTCH
Only a few days to go—
Play it cool, and play it straight.
I want you thinking at the plate.
58
MARVIN
I’ll try to behave.
DUTCH
You’re gonna send me
To an early grave!
Dutch exits. Marvin stalks around in exasperation.
MARVIN
I was not raised,
Between Lexington and Park.
I do not hail from a
Colorful cruise destination.
In my shotgun world
They slave all their lives
To honor their
Small obligations.
They’re fools—suckers!
Set up—knocked down!
Laid out—wrapped up!
The grave their final vacation!
Jan enters the dugout area, furiously confronting Marvin.
JAN
This dugout’s a snake pit!
You’re the cause of it!
What the hell was I thinking?
Twice burned,
You would think I would learn—
I’ve got to cut out the drinking!
What could I have gained,
That would counter the pain
Jealous desires inflicted?
When love is a vice
Not worth the price
Only pain is predicted!
Marvin flips his mask down, crouches down in a ‘catcher’s stance,’ facing the audience.
Behind your catcher’s mask
On a rock you bask,
Curled reptilian evil!
59
I know you, Marvin—
I know what—and who—
You are!
(Blackout)
60
SCENE 9
(“Ninth Inning”)
Metropolitan Stadium - the afternoon continues.
Angel stands on the mound, holding a baseball. Marvin squats at the plate. Dutch leans on the
dugout rail.
ANGEL
What can we believe in?
Why should we forgive?
Who plays the fool,
When we hope against all odds?
He throws. The sound of a hit—cheers—Angel slumps—receives a new ball.
At home we trust
The rain will come,
Fish will bite,
Tourists will throw us their silver.
The rains came,
Dollars pouring down on me.
Doors opened,
Crowded with smiling faces,
Beautiful and false.
Angel bends to see Marvin’s signs. He shakes the first sign off—“No!”
Shakes off the second—shakes off the third! Checks first, then throws.
The CRACK of a bat—another roar from the crowd!—Angel reacts—upset with himself.
Catches a ball from the plate and then turns toward the audience.
Top of the ninth,
Two on, no outs—
Tying run on second.
Two on, no outs.
My stuff’s not working!
DUTCH
(shouts first sign-word—then sings)
Cross!
Break off the mound!
Angel makes no reaction—his attention has wandered. Lilly appears in the stands.
Circus!
In close for the bunt!
61
LILLY
Why me?
Why must I love this man?
ANGEL
My heart is bleeding
Into my game.
I’ve been a fool!
LILLY / ANGEL
Who’s behind?
Who’s ahead?
LILLY
Is life nothing but a game
Played for pleasure—
LILLY / ANGEL
—Played for profit?
Games!
Games!
Games!
DUTCH
(shouted)
Time out!
Dutch beckons Marvin—they trot to the mound for a conference.
DUTCH
You boys want to fill me in?
Why the shaking off?
MARVIN
Save yourself another trip,
Yank him now!
DUTCH
(gesturing to Angel, then to Marvin)
He stays—
You shut up!
Show me some baseball.
Dutch stalks back to the dugout.
MARVIN
(to Angel)
You haven’t got what it takes.
62
ANGEL
We’ll see about that!
Marvin flips Angel the ball – Angel bobbles and drops it.
Marvin walks back to the plate.
Jan enters the stands and joins Lilly.
JAN
What’s the score?
LILLY
You and Marvin are ahead.
JAN
I never intended—
LILLY
(interrupting)
—Games!
It’s all a game to you.
Where was Angel last night?
JAN
I never meant—
DUTCH
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
DUTCH / ANGEL
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
DUTCH / ANGEL / JAN
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
ALL
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
Angel peers at the plate... shakes off Marvin’s sign, then throws… The CRACK of the bat!
Angel rubs up a new ball, checks Marvin’s signal—shakes it off once, twice, three times!
He calls “time out” and waves Marvin to the mound. Marvin trots out to the hill.
DUET
(Sung to Angel)
JAN
Double play!
Score it six-five-four!
LILLY
Send me away—
Treat me like a whore!
63
Keep it going, Angel
Just one more!
Treat me like a fool,
Just once more!
DUET
(Sung to each other)
ANGEL
He’s a power hitter—
Sucker for a slider.
Why call for
A low inside?
MARVIN
He’s a right-hander.
He knows you’ll throw outside.
I called for a splitter.
QUINTET (ALL)
DUTCH
On with the show!
You’re not paid
To stand around—
Let’s see some pitching—
Let’s see some catching!
LILLY
Angel lives for the game,
More than he lives his life!
Why must I lose,
For Angel to win?
JAN
Marvin is stalling—
Crazy, power hungry—
Everyone must lose—
So Wilder can win!
DUTCH
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
3
MARVIN
When I call a deuce
How ‘bout you produce
A curve ball,
Instead of excuses?
ANGEL
If you keep the ball
From hitting the backstop,
3
Deuce. A curveball, because it is usually signaled for by the catcher by showing the pitcher two fingers.
64
You’ve done all
I need you to do!
DUTCH
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
Let’s go Bluebloods—let’s go!
MARVIN
Everyone ready?
ANGEL
Do it now!
LILLY
Only a game,
Only a game—
It’s only a game!
Lilly exits
MARVIN
We live for this!
MARVIN / ANGEL
We live for this!
DUTCH
Let’s play ball!
DUTCH / MARVIN
Let’s play ball!
DUTCH / MARVIN / ANGEL
Let’s play ball!
(Quintet ends)
JAN (SPOKEN)
No!—Marvin wouldn’t dare!
Jan quickly exits – implying she is on her way down to the dugout.
DUTCH
I’m sending that
Sonofabitch catcher down!
MARVIN
(to himself, as he walks to the mound)
Time to serve it up—
This knuckleball can’t miss.
65
Marvin raises the baseball to the light.
The catcher becomes the pitcher—
Straight up with a twist!
ANGEL
On this hill I am alone.
My stats and life are my own.
No one else matters!
MARVIN
Then you won’t mind
I was with the woman—
—The woman you treasured,
The trophy you pleasured!
ANGEL
It was you last night!
It was you!
Angel begins to rub his chest, as if reacting to pain. His hand intermittently returns to his chest
throughout the remainder of this scene.
ANGEL
(rubs his chest as if in response to pain)
Lilly?
It can’t be true!
MARVIN
(spoken)
Welcome to The Show!
Marvin strides back to the plate. He sets up to receive Angel’s pitch.
ANGEL
(looks up at the glowing evening sky)
A golden autumn eve,
Sun racing past
A sky so blue.
We yearned for love,
Yet life is cruel.
It plays us all for fools.
I climbed this hill of sand,
This summit of perfection.
The price is Lilly’s love,
A price I cannot pay.
66
What prize matters most?
Peace of mind,
A love for life?
Or a place among the ghosts
Of Cooperstown?
LILLY
Never in my life
Have I seen the stars so clear.
Love is a nebula,
Spinning around an invisible core.
Give me the touch of your hand—
And the scent of your hair!
ANGEL
What prize matters most?
Peace of mind,
A love for life?
Or a place among the ghosts
Of Cooperstown?
Angel hurls his final pitch. In slow motion the ball flies to the plate and the fearsome batter
swings—and misses.
Angel’s graceful follow-through becomes a slow collapse—he sinks to his knees… The Bluebloods
win the Pennant!
ANGEL
(hands on his chest)
Lilly!
Mi corazon!
In the seconds before they react to Angel, Dutch jumps for joy, while Marvin merely removes his
mask and glove as if it were just another win. He stands and stares—watches what follows from
the shadows. A single light illumines the pitcher’s mound, where Angel is on his knees, clutching
his chest in pain. Lilly runs onto the field and cradles Angel in her arms. She is joined by Dutch
and Jan.
DUTCH
It breaks your heart.
It is designed
to break your heart.
The game begins in spring,
When everything
begins again.
Filling afternoons
and evenings.
Keeping the memory
of sunshine and high skies…
…alive.
And then, as soon as the chill rains come
When the days are all twilight
67
When you need it most...
It stops
And leaves you
to face the fall…
…alone. 4
From his kneeling collapsed position, Angel reaches his arm up and out to Lilly, as the
lights fade to a single spot, illuminating the baseball held in the palm of Angel’s hand.
(Blackout)
CURTAIN
4
From A Great and Glorious Game: Baseball Writings of A. Bartlett Giamatti, 1989. Angelo Bartlett "Bart" Giamatti
(April 4, 1938 – September 1, 1989) was the president of Yale University and later the seventh Commissioner of
Major League Baseball.
68
MATSON & MILLER