Act 1: Scene 8

SCENE 8

(Lecture Hall)

ELPHABA

Toss. Toss. What?!

FIYERO

Nothing. It’s just you’ve been Galindafied. “Toss. Toss.” You don’t need to do that you know.

DILLAMOND

Take your seats, class. Take your seats, please. I have something to say and very little time. My dear students, this is my last day here at Shiz. Animals are no longer permitted to teach.

ELPHABA

What?!

DILLAMOND

Please Miss Elphaba. I’d like to thank you all for sharing with me your enthusiasm, your essays, however feebly structured, and even on occasion your lunch.

(DOCTOR DILLAMOND’S lecture is interrupted by MADAME MORRIBLE and several OZIAN OFFICIALS.)  

MORRIBLE

Oh, Doctor, I am so terribly sorry.

ELPHABA

Madame, you can’t permit this!

DILLAMOND

Miss Elphaba, don’t worry about me. They can take away my job but I shall continue speaking out!

OZIAN OFFICIAL

Come on, goat.

DILLAMOND

You’re not being told the whole story! Remember that, class!

            (DOCTOR DILLAMOND is taken away.)

ELPHABA

Doctor Dillamond! Well, are we all just going to sit here in silence?!

MORRIBLE

Miss Elphaba, I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.

ELPHABA

But, Madame—

MORRIBLE

Please, my dear, take your seat.

            (One OFFICIAL takes over the class.)

OZIAN OFFICIAL

Good afternoon, students!

MORRIBLE

Good afternoon!

STUDENTS

Good afternoon.

OZIAN OFFICIAL

More and more everyday with each tick of the Time Dragon Clock in every corner of our great Oz, one hears the silence of progress! For example, this is called a cage!

            (He reveals this devise to the STUDENTS. There is a small Lion Cub trapped inside.)

OZIAN OFFICIAL

Yes, you’ll be seeing more and more of them in the future. This remarkable innovation is actually for the Animal’s own good!

ELPHABA

If it’s for his own good, than why is he trembling?

OZIAN OFFICIAL

He’s excited to be here, that’s all! As I was saying, one of the benefits of caging a Lion Cub this young is the he will never in fact learn how to speak!

ELPHABA

Oh no!

OZIAN OFFICIAL

That’s right! Gather around!

ELPHABA

Can you imagine a world where Animals are kept in cages and they never speak?!

OZIAN OFFICIAL

He does seem a bit agitated by that is easily remedied!

ELPHABA

What are we going to do?!

FIYERO

We?

ELPHABA

Well somebody as to do something!!!

(ELPHABA becomes so distraught that she involuntarily casts a spell over the entire CLASS—except FIYERO.)

FIYERO

What’s happening?

ELPHABA

I don’t know! I got mad and then—

FIYERO

Don’t move. And don’t get mad at me.

            (FIYERO grabs the cage.)

FIYERO

Well? Are you coming?

            (The two head out to the forest, where they can set the Lion Club free.)