Scene 1 – Teenage Years
Scene 1-
Teenage years
Set:
The stage is split. On the left is a Teenager’s bedroom, to the right a Rock band setup.
They are to be lit alternately (never at the same time).
A typical teenage boys’s bedroom. A bed and a dresser. sports equipment lying around.
To the side of the bed is a full length mirror, beside the mirror is the door to the hallway.
Scene:
Tommy is sitting on his bed with his guitar. Spreads out on the bed (within reach) are a pen, a notebook, and an old fashion cassette tape recorder.
He is writing a song.
He strums a chord; jots it down in the notebook. He is ready to record.
He stands up adjusts his guitar and places the recorder on the dresser. It’s the kind that you have to press down the play and record buttons at the same time. He fumbles his first attempt, resets the machine, successfully presses the two buttons then turns, looks into the mirror and starts to play.
His mother passes by and watches through the doorway.
The musical arrangement alternates between the single acoustic guitar (adolescent Tommy playing alone in the bedroom looking into the mirror) and the stadium rock band fronted by young adult Tommy performing in his imagination. The chorus will feature a harmony with the adolescent Tommy and the imagined young adult Tommy.
The lighting creates the contrast. As the chorus begins the lights go down on the bedroom set and up on the full rock band setup (Drums amps lighting) to the right. The spotlight however remains on adolescent Tommy as he provides harmony on the chorus. At the verses the rock band to the right goes dark and the focus reverts back to the solitary acoustic guitarist in his bedroom.
Song–You Gotta
Adolescent Tommy
By the time that the news reached my old man
I was feeling kind of mixed up, I was feeling kind of glad
And my own mother, she just smiled and cried for me
She always said something would come of my life.
She always said something would come of my life.
Chorus Full band fronted by YA Tommy
And you know that it’s true you gotta
Make the most of your life you gotta
Be the best that you can be. Go on you’ll make it now you’ll see
You were the one who’s meant to be in control of your life Of your life.
Adolescent Tommy
Just another kid not knowing where to go
When a voice inside me head said just try doing what you know
And what your good at, in the end will prove to be
What all this time you were really meant to be.
What all this time you were really meant to be.
Chorus Full band
_______
See You next week!