Stories Of The Earth
Fire
Water
Earth
Wind
Stories of the Earth tells the story of the world from the perspective of its first four occupants, Fire, Water, Wind and Earth. They are charged with striking a balance between what they want, and what the world needs them to be. It is a story of self-discovery and an examination of our impact on those closest to us,
as well as those farthest away.
Director’s Note
Three summers ago, Joshua Smith, Emily Zornado and I were given the opportunity to create an original musical titled Stories Of The Earth for our third session of the Ultimate Musical Theatre Program here at the Complex. The three of us put our heads together and eventually arrived at an exploration of the four elements, an origin story for the balance they eventually create with each other and with the humans. We had two and a half months to workshop with our students the characters, themes, and plot. Much of our process involved exploring the elements through poetry, movement, sound, and visual art and the resulting student writing remains at the core of Stories.
Over the past two years Emily has continued to develop the script and the score, and though there were long stretches where Stories could not be the priority, our conversations often turned to the latest question about character motivation, or song lyric, or scene placement. Spending so much time working through each of our choices was critical and continues even now. Stories Of The Earth is an unfinished work in progress, and though we are incredibly proud to present the latest iteration of the script it will continue to evolve as we move forward.
Restaging this show has been a true privilege. Creating an original work is daunting and exciting, but the creating with our students in mind has always been the inspiration behind us. Stories Of The Earth has found a special place in our hearts. When you hear the lyrics Earth’s first song, know that we are referring to this place, these people, and the wonderful work we get to do here.
This is our home. I hope you can see
That your lives are meant to be
Something more than the lines you’ve drawn,
You mean more than the side you’re on.
It’s more than a home, it’s a start.
For whatever’s coming next.
You will learn to protect
And you’ll learn to respect
The lives that depend on you
This world has been waiting for you
Earth greets the other elements with wisdom and advice.
LOOK AT HOW YOU’VE GROWN, I SEE YOU’VE FOUND EACH OTHER.
I’M SO PROUD TO SEE THE START YOU’VE MADE TOGETHER
IT’S SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
CAN’T YOU FEEL THIS WORLD IS JUST AS NEW AS YOU ARE
EVERY MOMENT THAT YOU SEE IS SOMETHING NEW
I WISH I COULD SHOW YOU ALL THE GOOD YOU’LL DO HERE
THIS WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU…
THIS IS OUR HOME. I HOPE YOU CAN SEE
THAT YOUR LIVES ARE MEANT TO BE
SOMETHING MORE THAN THE LINES YOU’VE DRAWN,
YOU MEAN MORE THAN THE SIDE YOU’RE ON.
IT’S MORE THAN A HOME, IT’S A START.
FOR WHATEVER’S COMING NEXT.
YOU WILL LEARN TO PROTECT
AND YOU’LL LEARN TO RESPECT
THE LIVES THAT DEPEND ON YOU
THIS WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU
YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN, WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP ALL THIS IN CHECK.
I SEE WHAT YOU SEE, DISASTERS THAT COULD BE
WHEN BALANCE CAN’T BE KEPT.
I KNOW YOU’LL TRY, I KNOW YOU WANT WHAT’S BEST.
EVERY LIFE YOU MEET IS TIED TO EVERY OTHER
ALL THE LIGHT YOU BRING WILL KEEP YOU ALL TOGETHER
THIS WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU
Written by Emily Zornado and Joshua Smith
Recorded by Amelia Large
WIND
NOBODY HEARS ME
IT’S LIKE THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE.
NOBODY LISTENS
ARE THEY TRYING TO IGNORE ME?
BREEZES
I’M RIGHT HERE, I’M RIGHT HERE, I’M RIGHT HERE, I’M RIGHT HERE
WIND
I’M RIGHT HERE!
I'M RIGHT HERE
I GUESS THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU...
I THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO PLAY.
NOT TODAY.
I GUESS IT'S JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY
AND I'M STUCK HERE BY MYSELF, BEING WHERE SHE SAID TO BE.
WITH NOTHING ELSE TO DO...
BUT STAY PUT.
(BREEZES come to cheer her up, she laughs and drops the gift, the laughter turns into a game of tag and the village is whipped into a frenzy. WATER enters and pulls WIND out of the village to scold her. The storm calms but the repairs to the village have been destroyed. LEADER finds their offering to WIND on the ground where WIND dropped it. LEADER takes it and exits, heading toward EARTH. MOTHER and SISTER follow her.)
Wind and her Breezes find themselves in the human village
The Humans weather another storm
WE KNOW THE NIGHT IS DARK AND COLD
WE KNOW THAT SOMEDAY WE’LL GROW OLD
FOR NOW WE CLOSE OUR EYES AND SLEEP
SO THE MORNING WE WILL SEE
SO YOU CAN DREAM OF WARMER DAYS AND I WILL HOLD, THE STORMS AT BAY,
I CAN KEEP YOUR FEARS AWAY
AND WE WILL SEE A BRIGHTER DAY
WE KNOW THE STORM MUST ALWAYS END
WE WILL SEE THE LIGHT AGAIN
FOR NOW WE CLOSE OUR EYES AND SLEEP
SO THE MORNING WE WILL SEE
Water's attempts to bring balance backfire in terrible, irreversibile ways.
FIRE
OH YOU’RE SORRY. I KNOW
I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO
BUT LOOK AROUND, DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT WORKED?
DOES IT LOOK LIKE YOU DID WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO? NO.
NO, NO IT DOESN’T, BUT THAT’S FINE
YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE THEM A GIFT.
WELL GOOD JOB!
THAT’S A GIFT NO ONE’S EVER TAKING BACK
DID YOU THINK I WAS LYING WHEN I SAID IT WAS ME? OR DID YOU JUST FORGET?
WHY I STAY ON MY SIDE, WHY I’VE NEVER ONCE LEFT SINCE THE DAY THAT WE MET
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT’S LIKE SEE ALL THAT YOU TOUCH DISAPPEAR?
I DIDN’T WANT THIS TO SPREAD, BUT TOO LATE, IT’S ALL DEAD, AND YOU BROUGHT IT HERE.
IT’S OVER. I GUESS.
SAY GOODBYE TO THE GREEN AND THE BLUE
SAY GOODBYE. I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO SAY TO YOU
THIS IS OUR MISTAKE.
SO STAY ON YOUR SIDE.
WATER
I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU RIGHT AWAY
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING
I DIDN'T MEAN TO KEEP YOU HERE
WHEN YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HIDING
I GUESS I THOUGHT THAT I WAS HELPING
I GUESS I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I'D BE ENOUGH..
BUT I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
WHAT I'D DO TO TAKE IT BACK
I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
WHAT I'D DO..
FIRE
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE ALL THAT YOU TOUCH DISAPPEAR?
AND THEN WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU DECIDE YOU WEREN'T AFRAID, TO BE, HERE..
YOU ALWAYS TOLD ME I WAS WAITING. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE LEFT A LONG TIME AGO...
EVERYTHING'S GREEN AND BLUE...
WATER
I SHOULD'VE TOLD YOU RIGHT AWAY
I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LYING
I ONLY WANTED TO BE CLOSER
FIRE
I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD YOU
I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD YOU
I ONLY WANTED TO BE CLOSER
Water and Fire say goodbye