SCENE 4
(In a lecture hall, the STUDENTS take their seats for DOCTOR DILLAMOND’S class. DOCTOR DILLAMOND is a Goat.)
DILLAMOND
Settle down, students! Settle down now! I have read your most recent essays and I am amazed to report some progress. Although some of us still tend to favor form over content. Miss Glinda.
GALINDA
It’s Galinda with a Ga.
DILLAMOND
Yes, of course. Miss Glinda.
GALINDA
I really don’t see what the problem is, every other professor seems to able to pronounce my name.
ELPHABA
Maybe perfecting the pronunciation of your precious name is not the sole focus of Doctor Dillamond’s life. And maybe he’s not like every other professor. Maybe some of us are different!
GALINDA
Well, it seems the artichoke is steamed!
(The STUDENTS laugh)
DILLAMOND
Class! Class! Miss Elphaba has a point. Doubtless you’ve noticed I am the sole Animal on the faculty. The Token Goat as it were. But it wasn’t always this way. My dear students, how I wish you could have known this place as it once was. When one could walk these halls and hear an Antelope explicating a sonnet, a Snow Leopard solving a equation, a Wildebeest waxing philosophic! Can you see, dear students, what is being lost? How our dear Oz is becoming less and less… well, colorful. Now, who can tell me what set this into motion?
ELPHABA
From what I read it began with the Great Drought.
DILLAMOND
Precisely! Food grew scarce, people grew hungrier and angrier and the question became “whom can we blame?” Can anyone tell me what is meant by the term “Scapegoat”? Someone besides Miss Elphaba. Yes, Miss Glinda.
GALINDA
It’s Galinda with a Ga.
DILLAMOND
Well, perhaps these question that I’ve prepared—
(As he turns his chalkboard around to pose the question, he sees that, across the board, someone has painted: “Animals should be seen and not heard.” DILLAMOND is shocked.)
DILLAMOND
Who is responsible for this? I’m waiting for an answer. Very well, that will be all for today. You heard me, class dismissed!
(Only ELPHABA lingers.)
ELPHABA
You go ahead, Nessa. Animals should be seen and not heard?!
DILLAMOND
Oh, Miss Elphaba, don’t worry about me. Go and join your friend.
ELPHABA
That’s alright, I have no friends. Would you like to share my lunch?
DILLAMOND
Thank you. How kind. I’ve seemed to have lost my appetite.
ELPHABA
You shouldn’t let ignorant statements like that bother you. I mean, I always do, but you shouldn’t.
DILLAMOND
Oh, Miss Elphaba—if only it were just a matter of words on a chalkboard! But the things one hears these days. Dreadful things…
(Sings)
I’VE HEARD OF AN OX
A PROFESSOR FROM QUOX
NO LONGER PERMITTED TO TEACH
WHO HAS LOST ALL POWERS OF SPEECH…
ELPHABA
What?
DILLAMOND
AND AN OWL IN MUNCHKIN ROCK
A VICAR WITH A THRIVING FLOCK
FOBIDDEN TO PREACH
NOW HE ONLY CAN SCREECH
ONLY RUMORS—BUT STILL—
ENOUGH TO GIVE PAUSE
TO ANYONE WITH PAWS
SOMETHING BAD IS HAPPENING IN OZ…
ELPHABA
SOMETHING BAD? HAPPENING IN OZ…?
DILLAMOND
UNDER THE SURFACE
BEHIND THE SCENES
SOMETHING BAAAAAAD…
(They’re both startled by an unfamiliar sound. It’s coming from DOCTOR DILLAMOND himself—a kind of belting. DILLAMOND hastily covers his mouth, clears his throat.)
DILLAMOND
BAD.
ELPHABA
Doctor Dillamond, are you alright? Shall I fetch you a glass of water?
DILLAMOND
No, I don’t know what came over me.
ELPHABA
So you’re saying that there are Animals that have somehow forgotten how to speak? How is that possible?
DILLAMOND
Well with so much pressure not to. If you make it discouraging enough you can keep anyone silent. But I for one will never…
(MADAME MORRIBLE enters.)
DILLAMOND
Oh, Madame Morrible!
MORRIBLE
I heard there was some sort of disturberance in class. Are you alright, Doctor? And Miss Elphaba, you’re still here? I thought you’d be on your way to my seminar by now.
ELPHABA
Yes, Madame, I would be but…
MORRIBLE
But? I do hope I haven’t misplaced my trust in you. Magic is a demanderating mistress, and if one’s ambition is to meet the Wizard. I’m sure Doctor Dillamond sees my point.
(MADAME MORRIBLE exits.)
ELPHABA
I better go. Doctor Dillamond, if something bad is happening to the Animals, someone’s got to tell the Wizard! He’ll make it right! That’s why we have a Wizard—
(Sings)
SO NOTHING BAD…
DILLAMOND
I hope you’re right—
BOTH
NOTHING ALL THAT BAD…
DILLAMOND
NOTHING TRULY BAAAAAAAAD…
SORRY—BAD…
(Unsettled, DOCTOR DILLAMOND leaves the classroom. ELPHABA watches him go…)
ELPHABA
IT COULDN’T HAPPEN HERE
IN OZ…
No comments:
Post a Comment