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Stories Of The Earth

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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

​

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Earth greets the other elements with wisdom and advice.

SONG: THIS IS YOUR HOME  

​

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.)

​

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Wind and her Breezes find themselves in the human village

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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.

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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

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I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LYING

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I ONLY WANTED TO BE CLOSER

FIRE​

 

I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD YOU

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I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD YOU

​

I ONLY WANTED TO BE CLOSER

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Water and Fire say goodbye

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