Costume:
Betty (Caroline)- Pajamas, except red pants
Kat (Grace)- Pajamas except red pants
Kevin( Dead Father/Peterson)- All white, or grey is ok.
Props:
Clouds (Making at home)- Kat
Halo- Kevin
Pillows
Bed
Sofa
Light/ sound
- Kevin's side needs to me bright (white). But when Kevin's scene is done, his light should dim down to signify that he is done talking. And that his scene is coming to an end.
- Our side needs to be dark, maybe like a dark blue. But while Kevin is talking there should be no light shining near us because it's HIS "spotlight"
- For two girls, their lights can be blue or bright grey to show the night and in dream.
- When they went into dreams to find dad, the light shifts to bright yellow in order to show their happiness.
- On the last dream, when Caroline went into dream to share her marriage with dad, light shifts to bright pink.
- As for sound cues, Kevin's should have a holy sound to start off with, like angels singing when he wakes up on Heaven. Later on in the play, when Grace and Caroline wake up, their should be birds calling. That's to signify that is day time. Kevin or (dead father/Peterson) can only talk to the girls when they are asleep and dreaming. He can't communicate with them in the morning. So when he hears the birds singing and sees grace and Caroline starting to wake up, he has no choice but to leave.
Song Suggestions:
Dad died:
Dream about marriage:
Staging for the opening scene(introduction):
Left stage is hospital
-Bed. (all white)
light: white light
characters wearing black & white
Staging for scene 1
Left stage is Caroline & Grace’s bedroom (reality)
-bed
-bed
-one little table
(create a little corner)
light: yellowish light
Caroline and Grace wear normal clothes/pajamas
Right stage is heaven (nonreality)
-some clouds/white cloth to cover the ground
light: white light
Dead father wears white long clothes
(background music needed here)
Staging for scene 2 (in the dream)
Center stage is Caroline & Grace’s dream (between reality and nonreality)
don’t need other changes
light: bluish→ red
Caroline and Grace wear normal clothes/pajamas
(need background music)
Staging for scene 3 (talk about the dream)
left stage is the bedroom
-bed
light: normal light
Caroline and Grace wear normal clothes/pajamas
Staging for scene 4/ending (in the dream, the night before Caroline’s wedding)
Center stage is in the dream
don’t need other changes
light: white→ pink
Caroline wears dress, Dead father wears suit
(background music)
Scene 1:
Beginning:
(In the hospital room, Caroline and Grace are standing over the bed crying, silently watching their father struggling to breathe.)
Dead Father (Peterson): *Grabs Caroline's hand and then Grace’s hand* I will always be with you…..
Everything pause, the lights shut down. *Only one white light shoot on the bed*, after a second, dead father slowly get out of the bed and roam around (keep the white light on him). and then leave.
(white light, holy background music)
Now Entering Heaven
Dead father( peterson) *wakes up very confused* What the…. * stands up but falls back down again* Let me try that again *stands back up* *starts to looks around*
(lights only on hum, left center stage. )
*Voice speaks* : Peterson we have been waiting for you. I am sorry to inform you, but Your’e dead, Welcome to Heaven!
Dead Father: Who’s there! Where am I?
Dead Father(Peterson):
(*wonders around worries and touches hair*)
M-My hair (*long pause* )...Its back!
(*looks down and sees family and shouts*) HONEY! KIDS! ITS ME! PAPA!! (*pause*) HELLO! IM RIGHT HERE! (*sigh*) Can’t they here me?...Oh…Everything is gone... I guess I really am dead.
At the right part of the stage, lights up.
--------At home--------
Grace:( head looks back, body walks forward) Mom, I’m ok. I’ll just go to check Caroline. I believe she’s crying right now.
Grace: Knock~Knock~ Hey little sis, may I come in? (knocks the door, slightly opens the door and enters)
(*No answer*)
(*Grace slowly approches caroline*)
Grace: Are you ok? mom and I are worried about you. (sits next to Caroline)
Grace: Are you ok? mom and I are worried about you. (sits next to Caroline)
Caroline: *Sniffles*I’m ok. Just leave me alone! I don’t feel like talking right now.
Dead father: Wait..Are they Grace and Caroline?..Oh..my daughters. (sigh) So glad I can still see you here.
Grace: (*Puts arm around caroline*)Okok, but you didn’t eat anything. Don’t treat yourself like that. I believe dad also doesn’t wanna see that. Right?
Dead father: Oh, Caroline, my little trouble maker, go and have dinner with mom!
(right after dead father’s line. )Caroline:(hands cover ears) I don’t know. I miss him!! How can he just leave us?!
(wants to say something but stop) Peterson (Dead Father): (*sigh and looks down at his feet*) I’m sorry, dear. I never wanted this to happen. Trust me! I love you and your mother.
Grace: (sigh, trembling sound but tries to calm down) You know sis. He fought long and hard, but the cancer spread too fast and he couldn't keep up anymore. If he had the chose to stay, he would have.
Caroline: But…...I still have many things want to tell him… He can’t listen to me any more. I want papa back!!(crying, puting head between legs)
Dead father: Oh no.. Don’t cry Caroline…. I need to go, I need to go, I need to go.. my daughters need me! (exit)
left side lights off.
Grace: Listen sis.. Do you really want to meet dad again? (serious)
Caroline: Yes! But how?
Grace: Maybe..that’s too risky..I doubt we should listen to Ma
Caroline: Tell me! Tell me! Grace! please…
(show her two red pants) Grace: Ma said, start from today, we need to wear these red pants every night. In Ma’s family, the widows often wore blood-red panties so that their dead husbands would not come back and lie down next to them at night. And daughters who looked a lot like the widowed mother should also wear those panties, so that if they were ever mistaken for her, they will be safe. You know.. because dad is gone..so...Ma gives me them...Maybe..maybe
Caroline: maybe if we don’t wear them… Dad could come back!!
(Grace nods)Grace: Are you afraid of ghost?
Caroline: I will never afraid of papa!
(Grace and Caroline go to sleep)
SCENE END
Scene 2:
Dad: Felt anxious to rush down. . Where am I ? ( touches his pocket) ah? What is this? ( Find out a note)
The note said: The penultimate. Or the last twelfth.
This is the dream of someone who misses you so strongly..
At the time when the bell rings three times is the time you need return.
Do not touch the person you are familiar with! (Father read out)
(He sees Caroline and Grace figure far away, and he can hear their voice) ah. . Is their dream
(Very slowly approached)
Grace: Where am I? I’m not suppose to be here..I’m on my way home. (looks around)
Wait a minute.. Where - is - my - home ? Am I in Haiti right now? No..no..that’s impossible.
(flute music)
Caroline: Grace! Where did you go? I asked you to wait for me!
Grace: Caro..Caroline! You are Caroline!
Caroline: Of course I am! What’s wrong with you?
Grace: Your arm..is back!! Why? I mean.. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
Caroline: What are you talking about? My arm? Back? Come on.. it’s always there, sis. Are you ok? You might be sick…
Grace: I’m ok. I’m ok..
(turn around, bite on arm) It doesn’t hurt…….Now, everything make sense. It’s a dream.
Caroline: Hurry up! Hurry up! He is waiting for us! We don’t have that much time left!
Grace: Who? Who is waiting?
Caroline: See! Papa! He is right there! Papa! Papa! (waves)
(Father, waving his hands)
(Two daughters, felt joyful, ran up): Dad, we miss you. . where did you go? ( Together)
(His father reached out, wanted to touch the two daughters’ heads, but suddenly remembered the phrase "You can not touch the person who you are familiar with." Hand stopped in the air, a few seconds, puts down)
Father (muttered): No. . I cant do that.
(Her daughter step forward, his father step down once, then her daughter stepped forward, then father step back again. )
Father: No, you can not come! … Silence Daddy really had a good time with you, and dad missed you, too. Caroline, you little bastard, Did you cry in the midnight? That’s not good. Listen to your mom’s advice, the bone soup mom cooked every day you needed to drink it. Grace did well, you grew up a lot, papa was very pleased. More and more looks like a sister. You have to take good care of yourselves, also take good care of your mother. I'm sorry I can not protect you anymore, but you have to believe that I love you forever . Dad will bless you. .
Grace: No!dad. We can not live without you. We have a lot of words to say to you.
(Bells sounded three times)
Dad: Time to leave, remember stay safely, my dear!
Light out immediately.
Scene 3:
Grace: No! No!!Dad please don’t leave us!
Caroline: Grace! Grace, wake up!
Grace: Ah.. It’s a dream...Oh my god.. Dad…
Caroline: Did you also dream about dad?
Grace: Yeah.. You too?! And..and in my dream, your arm is back!
Caroline: I guess we must have the same dream
Grace: Probably.. Papa did came back..Do you remember what did dad say?
Caroline: Yes, but not all of them. He wanted us to be strong, and he will always be with us. Sis, that’s his wish!
Grace: You are right. We shouldn’t let him down. We need to take care of ourselves and Ma. And if we miss him, we can always call him back. Cause he’s always there! Caroline, don’t tell Ma about the dream. Otherwise, she will be mad with us. And remember to hide your red pants carefully.
Caroline: So glad we can see him again.
Scene 4：
Grace: Time to go to bed sis. Hope you can enjoy the last night before your wedding.
Caroline: I know, but I don't want to, I miss dad, Do you think Dad will agree me marry Eric?
Grace: Of course he will. Don’t you remember he has been always looking for us?
Caroline: Yeah. Time flies. You and me are no longer little girls. By the way, did you remember the game that dad taught us? Let's play it.
Grace: do you mean that free association game? Ok,sure
Darker light. Caroline: who are you?
Grace: I am the lost child of the night.
Caroline: where do you from?
Grace: I come from the inside of the lost stone.
Caroline: where are your eyes?
Grace: I have eyes lost behind my head, where they can best protect me.
Caroline: who is your mother.
Grace: she who is the lost mother of all.
Caroline: who is your father?
Grace: he who is the lost father of all.
Silent…..
Caroline: ok I think I have nothing to ask.. So good night and have a nice dream sis. love you Grace: Good night. love you too.
-------Dream-------
Dad: Caroline..Caroline.. (wakes her up)
Caroline: Papa! You haven’t come to my dream for a long time. Oh my god! I’m wearing a wedding dress! (looking at her dress and surperised) Yes! Dad! I’m gonna marry! I really want to tell you that! (happy)
Dad: I know.. I know.. sweet heart. Eric? Right? Glad you can find your happiness! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I am so impressed. Finally, there is another man who can take care of you! (smile and nod)
Caroline: Oh dad! Do you really think so! I’m so happy. I was afraid that you won’t agree my marriage. (nearly cry)
Dad: That’s impossible Caroline. The only shame is I can’t come to the wedding ceremony in person. You don’t know how much I want to attend it. I’m sorry Caroline. I’m sorry. (sigh)
Caroline: Oh, dad...you don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault. I always remember you told me you will always be there.
Dad: Caroline….my girl, you are alway strong. Just go and chase your bright tomorrow. You deserve a better life. Once I thought god is unfair because he took your arm away and caused your disability. Me and Ma were very worried about you. But now everything is becoming better and better. It seems like your happiness is right around the corner.
Caroline: thank you dad. Thank you. I believe Eric will treat me well. (cry)
Dad: Yeah, I believe so. Well listen..This is dad’s last time come back.
Caroline: What? What do you mean? You… You won’t come to my dream again?
Dad: Yes
Caroline: Why? No...Are you gonna leave us?! （yell)
Dad: Sweet heart, I hope you can understand. This is the last time. That’s why I haven’t come for so long. I need to go. And actually I’m ready to go because I won’t worry about you anymore. See? Eric is waiting for you. (walk forward and point to the audience side)
Caroline: Dad...don’t go.. (follow him)
Dad: (hug) I will alway love you.
Information: Resource.
We sat facing each other in the dark, playing a free-association game that Ma had taught us when we were girls. “Who are you?” Caroline asked me. “I am the lost child of the night.” “Where do you come from?” “I come from the inside of the lost stone.” “Where are your eyes?” “I have eyes lost behind my head, where they can best protect me.” “Who is your mother?” “She who is the lost mother of all.” “Who is your father?” “He who is the lost father of all.”
In the dream they would chase after him but never reach him.
Mrs. Ruiz, the family’s Cuban neighbor, is hosting her large extended family for a celebration with blaring rumba music. Caroline and Grace observe the proceedings from a window. Caroline tells Grace that last month Mrs. Ruiz’s son was killed trying to hijack a plane in Havana so he could fly it to Miami.
Caroline buys her wedding dress from Goodwill, mom decides to wear a pink gown, and Grace will wear a green suit.
Her father got a visa by entering into a fake marriage with a widow leaving Haiti for America. In exchange for some money, the woman took his last name. A few years after arriving stateside, Grace’s father divorced the widow and sent for mom and Grace.
They discuss how Hermine and her husband always feared Caroline would settle for someone less than she deserved because of her missing forearm. That’s the real reason Hermine doesn’t approve of Eric: she thinks Caroline is afraid that no other man will come along.
Last thing, after marriaged, went to honeymoon, dad stood.
