ACT I
Scene 1
SETTING: A small, Midwestern city, on a Friday
in February 1943.
AT RISE: The stage is divided in half. One half is the SHANNON home (bedroom and kitchen). The other half is the
vestibule and sanctuary of St. James the Lesser Catholic Church. The time is
early morning.
(MUSIC starts)
1 "THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT DAY"
TOMMY
THIS IS THE DAY; THE DAY OF MY DEBUT.
AN ALTAR BOY, NOT STUCK IN A PEW.
MRS. SHANNON
OH, TOMMY, TIME TO GET UP!
TOMMY
I KNOW ALL THE LATIN.
MRS. SHANNON
TOMMY, GET UP!
TOMMY
I'LL MOVE SMOOTH AS SATIN
OL' FATHER GRUNDY MAY GRIN.
HE WILL HEAR AND SEE… THERE'S MORE TO ME THAN SIN.
MRS. SHANNON
(Reading)
“SINCERELY,
PAUL”
TOMMY
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL…
MRS. SHANNON
MY PAUL.
TOMMY
TONIGHT I WITNESS A WORK OF ART.
CORKY WILL LIGHT HIS OWN FAR-T.
MRS. SHANNON
FAR, TOO FAR AWAY FROM HOME.
HIS WHOLE BATTALION HEADED FOR ROME.
I HOPE THAT…
TOMMY
FIRST,
THERE'S THE MASS…
MRS. SHANNON
TODAY THERE'S A LETTER.
TOMMY
THEN BURN THE GAS.
MRS. SHANNON
TO SAY THAT HE'S BETTER.
GOOD NEWS'LL MAKE MY HEART SING.
BOTH
I GET A FEELING WHEN KNEELING… A SENSE THAT PROVIDENCE
WILL BE WITH ME TO STAY. I PRAY THAT
THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT DAY!
(LIGHTS switch to the other half of the stage)
SISTER MARY JEAN
GOOD MORNING, GOD.
BRING GOODNESS AND GOODWILL.
CONSOLE THE SUFF'RING, COMFORT THE ILL.
AND TOMMY…
FATHER GRUNDY
WE'RE GONNA WIN!
SISTER MARY JEAN
HIS SPIRIT IS SINKING.
FATHER GRUNDY
WE GOTTA WIN!
SISTER MARY JEAN
HIS DAD DOES SOME DRINKING…
BROTHER'S AWAY IN THE WAR.
AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THE LAD THIS SAD BEFORE.
FATHER GRUNDY
FORFEIT
WOULD DO.
SISTER MARY JEAN
HE SEEMS SO BLUE.
FATHER GRUNDY
(Praying)
GET FLU!
SISTER MARY JEAN
AND THOUGH HE'S NOT ALWAYS PENITENT,
YOUR HELP WOULD BE HEAVEN SENT.
FATHER GRUNDY
CENTRAL HIGH PLAYS HERE TONIGHT.
TO CREAM THAT TEAM WOULD BE A DELIGHT.
AND WHY NOT?
SISTER MARY JEAN
I'M JUST A NUN.
FATHER GRUNDY
REMEMBER GOLIATH…
SISTER MARY JEAN
THY WILL BE DONE.
FATHER GRUNDY
FOUGHT DAVID AND DIE-ETH
WE'LL PUT THEIR BUTTS IN A SLING.
BOTH
I GET A FEELING WHEN KNEELING… A SENSE THAT PROVIDENCE
WILL BE WITH ME TO STAY. I PRAY THAT
SISTER MARY JEAN
I CAN SOMEHOW MOTIVATE!
FATHER GRUNDY
OUR TEAM'S GONNA DOMINATE!
BOTH
THIS
IS GONNA BE A GREAT DAY!
(As
the cast ENTERS, the entire stage is converted into St. James the Lesser Catholic Church.
Women and girls must wear chapel veils, scarves, or hats)
DADS
PAYIN' OFF THE DODGE…
MOMS
DINNER AT THE LODGE…
KIDS
BASKETBALL, THEN DANCE…
DADS, MOMS, KIDS
AND PERCHANCE ROMANCE!
TOMMY, MRS. SHANNON,
FATHER GRUNDY, NUNS
GIVE US, OH LORD,
DADS, MOMS, KIDS
THERE'S SOMETHING FANTASTIC…
TOMMY, MRS. SHANNON,
FATHER GRUNDY, NUNS
HOPE OF REWARD.
DADS,
MOMS, KIDS
ABOUT BEING CATH'LIC.
