Show timelines

Act One
Pre-show, lights down. Lights come up "flickering" with some sound to give the illusion of a movie being played on the cyc. It is June 5, 1967 at 11:20 AM in Zion Cinema and people are gathered to see a matinee. Shelling of West Jerusalem begins to take place and the "movie" ends, with lights up as an announcement is done to tell everyone to find shelter. Shots have been fired, screams from children (our cast) is heard from the back of CSP (Zion Cinema). A few people begin to wander from the back (some from the aisle seats) to the stage where there are instruments also placed around. A box/crate of sorts that can hold various props and headpieces/jewelry is somewhere on the stage (out of way of the screen). The band members, in costume, make their way to the stage and inspect things followed by our Narrator, "Joseph", and their son. The husband and wife are arguing; we're not sure about what as audience members but eventually the son ends up with "Joseph" and the Narrator looks around the stage to inspect it. A few others have come up onstage by now, mainly the 3 other younger children to talk with the son who is still clinging closely to "Joseph". After the Narrator speaks with the 4 members of our band, she gets them into place to begin the show with "Prologue". By this time the sounds outside have begun to die down and fade out slowly.

"Any Dream Will Do" - Joe is singing to the kids, ignoring his wife as much as he possibly can. He's going along with this for his son.

"Jacob & Sons"/"Joseph's Coat" - Joe is given the coat that the Narrator finds; he doesn't put it on immediately so the kids can touch it. In fact, he doesn't put it on until very close to the end of the song (if we are using Sheryl Jo's coat which cannot be truly altered, so pretty much during "Joseph's Coat" ending). This is the first time "set pieces" will be used. The people grab pieces of fabric for their heads (not necessarily whole clothing pieces) to indicate they are now "Jacob" & brothers.

"Joseph's Dreams" - No set change needed. We're still in the story and right now people have forgotten for the moment, the war.

"Poor, Poor Joseph" - "Next day far from home..." New "location", or if needed the small set piece we're using can be moved from SR to SL to indicate this. Ishmaelites - a few of the women become the Ishmaelites, perhaps putting on a beard each. No blood for the bloodied coat, and no ripping of the coat. Just a piece of fabric, perhaps, to indicate the torn coat.

"One More Angel" - Setting is back to what it was for "Jacob & Sons". End of song ("Poor poor Joseph, whatcha gonna do" sung by camels -- we'll let it be the Narrator instead) before big hoedown dance break, more sounds of shelling and tanks from outside the theatre. People stop what they're doing, music gets quiet. Pause before Narrator takes us back in with her line. Sounds of the war go through the entire dancebreak section, finally quieting enough that the Narrator can get the musicians back to play and sing the line "Where he was bought by a captain named Potiphar". Quick tempo music can be used for a scene change after.

"Potiphar" - Next set "dressing/piece" has been brought out to represent Egypt/Potiphar's home, the outside has gotten quiet and we're back in the story.

"Close Every Door" - We lose the lights here, right after Narrator sings the last secition of "Potiphar". Flashlights can be found, families holding them. Joseph is off SR and Narrator is SL apart from each other at the beginning. Joseph is alone, I'd prefer a more minimalistic look (maybe no handcuffs, only mimed - no bars, again mimed?).

"Go Go Go Joseph" - Beginning of song is when we have Butler & Baker join Joe in prison - shadow puppets aren't workable but perhaps marionettes to signifiy the 2 characters? Tanks and personnel carriers are heard driving down Jaffa Road, toward the end of the song which breaks the singing/dancing as our group listens instead to the sounds travelling past them on the street that Zion Cinema is located. Machine gun fire is heard as well. Warily, they go back to the song and sing the last section without music: “Ahead of your time”, wondering at their fates, not the normal “happy” end to the act. Our Narrator and “Joseph” sing together but there is still something between them that hasn’t been resolved. (NOTE: Dancing will occur during part of “Go, Go” at the beginning – the hora for the Hebrews, and the Dabke for the “outsiders”, but it stops once we get to the sounds from outside growing louder). Lights are possibly emergency lights here?

Act Two
Entracte - House to half, lights down from intermission, lights back up slowly to give us the look from where we left off at the end of Act One (flashlights, emergency lights). Time has passed, though. Glenn is playing acoustic guitar for the entracte, while everyone is seated in various places onstage and around the theatre. No energy or urgency. It's evening June 7, 1967, and fighting is continuing - the first sound of more shelling/gunfire at the end of the entracte is what brings the Narrator back to action to start our story again.

"Pharoah Story" - The lights return. People are releieved, more willing to tell the story now. We're in "limbo" - no set needed really, for this part as she is setting up the next part of the story.

"Poor, Poor, Pharoah" - Set for Pharoah/Egypt. Pharoah has, after all this time, decided to join the group telling the story - he has become less concerned about any tensions that might be there because of the Narrator and the group. He's alone against them anyway - once the wall comes down at the end of the war, he would have been one of the many to join/visit/return to West Jerusalum.

"Song of the King" (Seven Fat Cows) - Same set. No flashy Elvis lights here. Any choreo is similar to the style of dance that Elvis made famous in "Jailhouse Rock" since that is the Elvis from this time period. He isn't dressed like Elvis, per se, and no over-the-top impression. The song starts off "normal" and he gets more enthusiastic as he goes.

"Pharoah's Dream Explained" - Same set. Nothing outside is intruding at the moment.

"Stone the Crows" - Same set.

"Those Canaan Days" - No longer in "Egypt" so something to represent that. Not looking for the typical table and chairs that's done for this song. Maybe a change in lights.

"The Brothers Come to Egypt"/"Grovel, Grovel" - Back to using the Egypt "set" or look, again perhaps a change in lights?

"Who's the Thief" - Same set.

"Benjamin Calypso" - Same set.

"Joseph All the Time" - Same set.

"Jacob in Egypt" - This is the last part of the story-within-a-story. Very short, so no set for Egypt probably needed to indicate it. Maybe lights?

"Finale: Any Dream Will Do/Give Me My Colored Coat" - Any set pieces, props, costumes are all being placed back where they were here. It's the real people singing this time. Before Joseph/Narrator get to the end and the whole group joins in, we hear the shelling again outside - quietly, though, a small reminder that they are still trapped and still unsafe. They've gone through a lot at this point, though, and their singing grows louder even as the noises (gunshots, tanks) grow louder, one trying to overpower the other. (Voices win out, of course).

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