Dave Malloy
The Photograph
[CHORUS (Dave & Brent)]
HOW DID ROSE LOSE HER CAMERA?
[GELSEY (Pearl)]
SHE THREW IT TO THE GROUND
DISGUSTED BY WHAT SHE HAD DONE
[CHORUS]
WHAT HAD SHE DONE?
[GELSEY]
SHE HAD TAKEN A PHOTOGRAPH OF SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE
OR RATHER, A PHOTOGRAPH AT AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME
OR RATHER, A PHOTOGRAPH INSTEAD OF BEING A HERO
[CHORUS]
WHAT WAS THE PHOTOGRAPH OF?
[GELSEY]
A GHOST
OR RATHER
A GHOST
[CHORUS]
DOES THE GHOST HAUNT HER?
[GELSEY]
SHE SEES HER EYES WHEN SHE CLOSES HER EYES
HER EYES LOOKING BACK AT HER
HER EYES UNDERNEATH HER EYELIDS
SHE IS ALWAYS SCREAMING
[GELSEY & BRITTAIN]
SCREAMING
[CHORUS]
HAS ANYONE ELSE EVER SCREAMED?
[GELSEY]
HER DAUGHTER
HER SISTER
HER MOTHER
HER LOVER
ROSE
[ALL]
ROSE
[CHORUS]
DOES ROSE BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
[GELSEY]
ROSE BELIEVES IN THE RESTORATIVE PROPERTIES OF THE OCEAN
IN THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING MEALS
AND NEVER DRINKING COFFEE ON THE GO
SHE BELIEVES IN THE STANDARD MODEL OF LOVE
IN WHICH THE TWO LOVERS ARE BONDED
INTO SOMETHING GREATER THAN THEMSELVES
SHE BELIEVES IN THE OVERSOUL
THAT ALL LIVING THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE
ARE PART OF A SINGLE CONSCIOUSNESS
SHE BELIEVES IN FRESHLY WASHED LINENS
AND FLOWERS ON THE TABLE
AND BUYING USED BOOKS FULL OF MARGINALIA
[GELSEY & BRITTAIN]
SHE BELIEVES IN SOUL
[CHORUS]
HOW DID HER BELIEF SYSTEM BREAK DOWN
WITH THE APPEARANCE OF THE GHOST?
[GELSEY]
SOFTLY, WITHOUT TRAUMA
IN A SERIES OF IMPERCEPTIBLE SHIFTS
[CHORUS]
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAS ROSE BEEN?
[GELSEY]
ROSE IS THE SAME AS ANYONE ELSE