Polly - A One-Woman Musical book, music, and lyrics by Steven Kapp Perry / starring Johanne Fréchette Perry directed by Mark Huffman / orchestrations by Greg Hansen
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ACT I Time: August 1891. Place: Polly's home in Ashley, Utah (present-day Vernal).
1. Overture
2. Remarkable
(Polly--in her 70's--sits in her rocker.) It's mighty thoughtful of you folks to come visit--most young folks would just as soon leave old folks be. They get weary of the same stories time and time again. Can't think why... I reckon they get better with every tellin'!I hope you'll forgive me
For speaking my mind--
I'm just an old woman
With far too much time to think.
How strange I must seem to be.I'm not so peculiar,
And yet I'm remarkable.
What's so remarkable
About Polly,
Polly Matilda?Polly Matilda Merrill Colton.
Just "Polly" alone
Will do perfectly well.
If you want a remarkable
Story to tell
Talk to Eliza;
That's where you should go.
Or to Polly,
Polly Matilda!We can't all be Eliza R. Snow . . .
Smith . . . Young . . .Well, whomever she's gotten herself attached to lately.
Or else there's that woman,
Miss Mary Graves.One of the ill-fated Donner Party, I'm afraid!
She was remarkable too;
Having eaten a bridle,
A belt, and a shoe
And, of course,
Her fellow travellers!She was uncommon,
She was of note,
She was remarkable!She was a cannibal!
For what she'd done
To stay alive
She was shunned,
But she survived!
That's what's remarkable!Such notoriety
Never was mine.
Excessive piety
My only crime.
Still, I have lived through
Remarkable times . . .They were remarkable.
I was remarkable . . .
If I'd known then
What I know now
Would anything be changed?
If I could choose again,
Somehow,
Would I still choose the same?(The years fall away as Polly
removes her cap, shawl and
glasses.)I was a girl
From a small town,
It was called Shelby, Michigan . . .Shelby, Michigan.
But I won't be there again . . .
3. Milking a Cow
Well, how difficult can it be?
What's all the fuss
About milking a cow?
Any fool could see how!She's a friendly cow,
Contented and sweet,
Why should she care if
I pull on her teat?Ouch!
But remember to
Observe the feet!All you need to milk
A cow is a pail,
Simply fill it up,
Well, how can you fail?Ouch!
Only don't forget
To watch the tail!Hmmm.
Why is no milk
Coming out of the cow?
It should be here by now.Oh!
She's a hungry cow
I'll give her some hay,
And in no time we'll be
Milking away!So the hay goes in
And the milk comes out!
And that's what cows
Are all about!Auugh!
But!
Much more than milk
Can come out of a cow,
I can see it all now!So you dodge all the splashes
And avoid all the splatters,
But you get the milk;
That's the one thing that matters!When you hear that plop
Then it's time to stop
And you grab a mop
Or a shovel and you muck it . . .
No! You're stepping in the bucket!Get your filthy hoof out of my pail!
What's all the fuss
About killing a cow?
I could do it right now!Cause my hands are raw,
My fingers are chapped,
And there's still no milk!
I think I'm trapped.And it's no longer clear to see
If I have the cow,
Or the cow has me!
4. The Ladies in the Carriages
The ladies in the carriages
That pass me now and then
All benefit from marriages
To such important men.
The ladies in the carriages;
I'd like to be like them.I'd love to live that other life,
Instead I'll live this "udder" life,
Til who knows when.Women's Work #1
Women's work is never done,
And much to women's sorrow.
Even if you do it well,
You start again, tomorrow.
5. Movers and Shakers
Folks who make things happen, Papa calls em "movers and shakers." Oh, I get gooseflesh just thinkin, about it! And folks from smaller places than this have done important things. Ladies too. Course, they had to go somewhere else to do it. But some of what they did is important even after they died! Oh, that must be the proudest feeling of all.Only a girl
From a small town,
Somewhere in Shelby, Michigan.Only a girl
Doing her chores,
Looking out where the fences end.Only a girl
Hoping there's more;
More than this house,
More than this cow,
More than just Shelby, Michigan.I'll leave this place
I don't know when,
But someday I must go.
And I will find
Another place
And I will make it home!Gonna be one of the movers and shakers!
Gonna be one, gonna be one!
Out in the world with the history makers!
Gonna be one, Gonna be one!
Where will I go?
What will I do?
Wonder if dreams like this
Come true?Dear God, . . . I don't think you would let me feel this way unless there
really was something to it.There must be something
Waits for me,
But what? I wish I knew.
And somewhere in this great wide world
Is something I can do!Gonna be one of the movers and shakers!
Gonna be one, gonna be one!
Out in the world with the history makers!
Gonna be one, gonna be one!
Where will I go?
What will I do?
Wonder if dreams like this
Come true?
6. You Can't Kiss Polly!
When he inquired after my name, the Shelby fellers fairly hooted with
laughter!You can't kiss Polly!
Those who tried, sir,
Nearly died, sir!
If you get Polly
On your lap, sir,
It's a trap, sir,
In a snap, sir,
You'll be slapped, sir!You don't want a girl like her.
All full of ideas
And full of imagination."She's always thinkin, about things. What would a feller do with such a
girl?"You can't kiss Polly!
Some would like her
For their wife, sir,
But they also
Love their life, sir.Wouldn't go, sir,
Any closer,
I should know, sir!You can't kiss Polly!
7. From Out of the Blue
Your name, sir?
Philander.
Philander?
I ask in all candor;
Should a girl take a chance
On a dance
With a man named
Philander?What's that you say?
Sorry, I missed it.
You think my face looks familiar?
It ought too, you kissed it!Really, Mr . . . Colton, Philander, didn't your parents ever teach you any
manners? Oh, I'm sorry. Both of them? So . . . you're a brickmaker. You
make bricks. How . . . solid. We primarily use lumber around these parts.
Well, I suppose they do last longer . . . Me? Oh, I'm going to be a mover
and . . . no one ever asked me that before. Thank you . . . I think.All of my rage
So soon forgotten.
His manner, his look
And his name;
All so . . . uncommon.Uncommon?
From out of the blue
Maybe a dream will come true.
And strange as it seems
I think I'm dreaming of you.Just when you never suspect it,
That's when you learn to expect it.
And who knows when lightning will strike
From out of a clear blue sky!Pardon me, sir,
If it's no bother;
Would you dance with me
And with no other?Oh, Mama, I've never been so happy, or so nervous. My hands won't stop shaking. Why must we decide the most important things without even knowing how they'll turn out?How can you know?
How can you choose?
With so much to gain,
So much to lose?Is this what you felt
When it was you
Leaving your parents' home?Mama,
Were you confused?
Was it exciting
Or were you scared?
Thanking your lucky stars,
Whispering a prayer?Oh, Mama, don't cry. I'm happy, truly. I hope.
Courted in June,
Wed in July.
Starting out new,
Starting our lives!From out of the blue
Maybe a dream will come true.
No warning at all
Suddenly falling for you.Love can appear in a minute
One look at you and I'm in it.
And who knows when lightning will strike,
From out of a clear blue sky!
8. Women's Work (#2)
Women's work is never done,
A life-long occupation.
But working for the ones you love,
Can have it's compensation.
9. According to Your Light
There was a man
Preaching God's word,
Preaching in Shelby, Michigan.Things that he taught
No one had heard,
Saying God speaks to man again.
And I was . . . interested.I found it strange;
He spoke so plain,
And I could not ignore
That when he spoke
I felt as though
I'd known it all before.Philander came
And heard the same,
Then much to my surprise
He raised his hand
And asked the man
When he could be baptized!Yes, it sounds fine,
Yes, it sounds nice,
Part of me says
Don't think twice.Or should I?
Yes, it feels good,
Yes, it feels right,
But people don't change
Overnight.Or do we?
But with nothing to go on
But how I feel
It's hard to believe it's real.Is it changing
That I'm afraid of?
Or am I scared
To find out what I'm made of?And would the future I may find
Be worth the life I'd leave behind?Philander, are you fixin' to join these folks? I asked you first! Well, I
have a . . . feeling too . . . But it'sMore than a question of
Do you believe it?
Our life is in Shelby,
How can we just leave it?
Just like that, are we going to go?
Leave Mama and Papa,
Our work, and our home?How to decide?
If all that's important
Is doing the right thing,
Then why is the right thing
The one thing that's fright,ning?We're still young
And a lifetime's too long
For living with choices
That might turn out wrong,How to decide
Which way is right?
Mama said,
"Live according to my light."But if I choose
What's truly in my heart,
Then it will change me forever
And tear my world apart.Whatever may happen
I can,t be afraid!
If you know what you feel
Then there's only one choice to be made.Time to be brave,
Mama was right.
I have to live
According to my light!Standing waist deep
In the water,
Standing in cold lake Michigan.Coming at last
To the Father.
Leaving my past
In the water,
Praying that I'll be born again.Ahhh.
Who would have thought
All of this change
Coming like that
From a man named
Parley P. Pratt?I'll miss this place,
I know I will,
But now it's time to go.
And there will be
Another place,
I hope it feels like home!Gonna be one of the movers and shakers,
Gonna be one, gonna be one!
Out in the world with the history makers,
Gonna be one, gonna be one!
Where will I go,
What will I do,
Where is this place
They call Nauvoo?Gonna be one!
10. We Built a House/The Spirit of God
We built a house,
We built on stone
For our foundation.
And row by row
We made it grow;
Our creation.With rugged walls
And over all
A span of shingles.
We made a plan
And with our hands
We built a house.My pride and joy,
The simple house
We built together.
And through and through,
In every room,
It felt like home.With mortar and trowel and plaster,
With glances and whispers and sighs,
With work and with laughter
And barring disaster,
We built to outlast our short lives!Most any man
Can take a plan
And build a house,
But only hearts
Can even start
To make a home.We built our lives
Upon the Lord
As our foundation.We built a house
To honor God
And to praise Him.Within our hearts
We felt it grow,
A heavenly blessing,We gave our hearts
To be the Spirit's
Earthly home.Most any man
Can take a plan
And build a house.But only God
Can take our hearts
And make a home.
11. Rocking Chair Lullaby
If I were a blanket
I'd wrap up around you
And softly surround you
Delicious and warm.And there you would sleep
While I'd keep out the cold
I would snuggle and hold you
In deep flannel arms.If I were a blanket
Then that's what I'd do
To show how I love you.If I were a rocking chair
Sturdy and strong
I would rock you as long
As you wanted to stay.In my wooden arms
You would yawn and you,d nap,
You'd be safe in my lap
At the end of the day.If I were a rocking chair
That's what I'd do
To show how I love you.If I were a song
Or a sweet lullaby
You could close your small eyes
While I'd sing you to sleep.Just lazily listening
And drowsily drifting
Then floating and lifting
Away in a dream . . .Women's Work (#3)
Women's work is never done,
Not even time for sorrow.
With lives to live and mouths to feed;
I'll cry my tears tomorrow.
12. Thirty Days
"You cannot make bricks quickly or easily, Polly--not good ones. A good brick takes longer; if you take it out before its fired clean through, it will crumble. Folks are like that too, Polly.Thirty days to make a brick,
Bake it hard enough to stick together.
Thirty days.Thirty days is long enough,
Less and they're not strong enough to stay.
Thirty days.Shape them square,
Spread them flat,
Stack them high
And burn them black!Will they stand,
Will they fall,
Will they hold
Or will they crack?Thirty days.
We hadn't been with the Saints in Ohio and Missiouri when they were driven out, so it never entered my head that anyone would want to stop us from building our Zion. But some folks just can't abide living in the same county with anyone who thinks different.Thirty days.
Brother Joseph was killed by a mob of cowards with painted faces. "Thus ends Mormonism!" was the cry. But we were not the church of Joseph Smith. After Moses came a Joshua, and after Joseph . . . Brother Brigham. The road to Zion now lay to the West.Make your choice,
Make your choice,
Make your choice
And don't look back!Will you stand,
Will you fall,
Will you hold
Or will you crack?Thirty days.
We planned to leave in April, but when the Mississippi itself froze over in February, we saw the hand of God and crossed over on the ice, ready or not.Thirty days the oven burns
Hard as rock the kilns will turn the clay.
Thirty days.Bake them til they,ll never crack
Til they'll never crumble back to clay.
Thirty days.Thirty days.
13. Thirty Days (reprise)
I was so proud of the house that Philander and I built that it nearly broke my heart to lose it.I miss that place,
I always will,
No matter where I go.
And even after
All these years,
I think of it as home.I decided then and there that I would never set my hopes on earthly things again. The work of our hands goes to moth and dust, but the work of our hearts--all my loves--I still had gathered around me . . . all but one.If I were a shroud
Or a small box of pine
I would cover and keep you
Forever as mine.And I'd be your resting place
All the years through
To show how I love you.Thirty days.
14. The Little Things
And more than missing you,
I'll miss each little saving grace--
The little things you do for me
I never could replace!For who will make sure
That my birthday's forgotten?
Who'll wear the same stockings
All week til they're rotten?Who'll cuddle and coo
With his fine healthy babies--
At least til they cry,
Then you'd think they had rabies!And who'll watch me work
While he whittles in bliss?
Yes, these are the little things
I'll miss.Who'll sweat like an ox
In the sun til he's sloshing,
Then climb into bed
Without one thought of washing?Who can't fall sleep
If I'm so much as humming,
But snores with the force
Of the Lord's second coming!Oh who could unravel
A riddle like this,
Why these are the little things
I'll miss?And who will look after those
Tedious jobs
Like using the paper
And leaving the cobs?But who else would sit
While I tell him an earful
And not be put off
If I'm suddenly tearful?Who else, by just winking,
Can make me feel youthful,
And ask what I'm thinking
And let me be truthful?Who's willing to meet
In the middle and kiss?
Yes, these are the things,
Each little attention,
Yes, these are the things,
(The ones I dare mention!)
Yes, these are the little things
I'll miss!
15. Women's Work (#4)
Women's work is never done
No matter how I hurry.
Even when I rush and run,
There's always time to worry.Will He Miss Polly?
Will he miss Polly
Through the autumn,
Through the winter,
Come the spring
Will he remember?And who'd miss a girl like me,
No time for ideas,
Too tired for imagination . . .
16. The Other Lives
The other lives
I might have lived
Are different as can be,
With picket fences
Clean and white
Beneath the shade of trees.
The other lives
I might have lived
Are different as can be.The other wives
I might have been
Have husbands safe at home,
Who share a fire,
The work, the life,
Instead of nights alone.
The other wives
I might have been
Have husbands safe at home.With every fork in the road
You choose one future and lose another,
But now and then you can't help but wonder . . .Would any of
Those other lives
Have ended up like this?
I think about
Another life
When all this "wife
And mother life"
Is closing in.And will the future I may find
Be worth the life I left behind?
INTERMISSION
ACT II
17. Salt Lake City!
It was perfect. Perfect! We found the one place in the whole wide world we'd be left alone. Why, folks wouldn't come if we invited them!Folks, won'tcha come to Salt Lake City
And stay for a week or two?
Folks, won'tcha come to Salt Lake City
And live like the Mormons do?It's on the way to California,
Don't you listen when they warn ya,
"You could lose your life,"
At most, you'll lose your wife!
Mmm-hmm.Folks, won'tcha come to Salt Lake City
And see the lake of salt!
It's stale, it stinks, it's a little bit gritty,
But that's it's only fault!Drink the water of the west,
Put some hair upon your chest!
Guaranteed it's true!
Works for ladies too!
Uh-huh.Come try our Great Salt Lake elixir!
Granny's sick? One sip,ll fix her!
Just a little bit'll calm her,
Not too much or you'll embalm her!
Neatest little trick you ever saw,
You wanna get a bottle for your mother-in-law!
Hey! Ho! Where'er you go,
No place like it in the whole wide world!Wait! There's more!
Folks, if you come to Salt Lake City
Then come at the harvest time.
Gee, but the sunset sure looks pretty
When crickets fill the sky!Come and see our annual onslaught,
Egypt had no plagues like we've got!
Charming little chirps,
Swarming up your skirts!
Brrrrrrr!Just open up the door and you'll have a houseful,
One breath more and you'll have a mouthful,
Watch while the sea gulls swoop 'n fetch em,
Then fly out to the lake 'n retch em!
Got no use for the great bald eagle,
Our state birds a regurgitatin' sea gull?
Hey! Ho! Where'er you go,
No place like it in the whole wide world!Folks, if you come to Salt Lake City
You'll see that it's all true.
That's why folks in Salt Lake City
Are mostly passing through!Come and see how we survive it!
Come and see if we,re alive, yet!
Come fore it's too late!
See why we call it great!
I can hardly wait!No place like it in the whole wide world!
18. The Way of Things
Is this what Mama felt
When she was young?
To see her daughter grow,
Then give her up?Wasn't I Mama,s girl
Just yesterday?
But she is Grandma now
And I am Mama in her place.And that's the way of things,
Of things that grow.
We have a destiny
We can't control.And how could anyone
Remain the same?
The mark of living things
Is how they change.There's nothing like children to show the years going by. Its nature though, like seasons. First they're always under foot, like goslings in the spring. Then before you know it they scatter, like geese in the winter.Is this what Mama felt
When she grew old?
If she was ever scared
It never showed.And letting Mama go
Was strangely calm,
As if she'd finished here
And just moved on.Wasn't I was Mama,s girl
Just yesterday?
But she has gone ahead
And I am grandma in her place.And now my little girl
Is Mama, too.
And one day, Emily,
I know I'll leave my place to you.For that's the way of things,
Of things that grow.
We bloom and have our day
And then we go.But what I've planted here--
The seeds--remain.
And those who follow me
Will be the links in a living chain!Is that what Mama felt
That made her strong?
Is that what Mama knew;
That life goes on . . .?
19. At the Campfire
Look in the mirror,
See what its showing.
But don't be discouraged, my dear;
Your forehead's still growing!Stay with me now
My old companion
And watch while the lights flicker out
Over the canyon.Everywhere you've been there are walls, houses, permanent things to show you were there. So the children can say, "My father built this, and still it stands. " And hard as I labor, what will they have from me? Oh, Mother could cook and sew and make candles that burned for hours, Mother was neat as a pin, Mother could milk and churn, and make soap from only fat and lye. Stories, that's what. When the milk and butter are gone and the soap's used up, candles burned . . . stories. Stories.Women's Work (#5)
Women's work is never done
Outlasting all creation.
A thread that winds through hearts and minds
Of every generation.It's not half as grand
As the life I had planned,
But I won't complain
If I never have more
Than more of the same.
20. Make a Space for Joy
Just when you never suspect it.
That's when you learn to expect it . . .Oh, Emily.
No! It can't be true,
I should have been there with them;
There must have been something
That I could have done!Was I wrong to have brought them out here,
Where its wild and it's empty
And nothing is clear?
What have I done?It should have turned out right,
Mama, I lived according to my light!I was only eighteen when I
Made my decision!
How could I have known
What was in the bargain?
I did what I thought was best
How could I know the rest?It's not fair! Mothers die first! This is not the way . . . I have given everything, you cannot have my children!If I'd known from the start
What would happen,
If I'd known in my heart,
Well then, . . . what then?But I chose right.
I felt it all along.
If I had known what would happen
I might have chosen wrong.Is that why you keep us guessing?
Is our ignorance protection?
Is it really just a blessing
In disguise?Could you celebrate a birthday
Knowing life would soon be past you?
Could you spend the sweat to build a house
You knew would not outlast you?
Could you bear to love the children
Who would die before their season?
We'd miss so much of happiness
And maybe that's the reason
Not to know!To free us from the burden of the future
And make a space for joy!
To make a space for joy.
21. Lead, Kindly Light/Ashley
You were right, Mama. "Just live one day at a time. "
(POLLY lights a candle
as she sings.)Our lives don't turn out
Like we've planned them
Which shows how we, mostly,
Don't understand them.
Which is how we survive.Lead, kindly light
Amid th' encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark,
And I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!Keep thou my feet;
I do not ask to see
The distant scene"--
One step enough for me."Live according to Your light." When they built the transcontinental railroad, they built a line right out Ashley way. You could anywhere in the whole country in just a few days. Philander, he was all set to buy me a ticket to Detroit. Then hire me a carriage to see Shelby. That's what he said. Imagine that . . . me riding a carriage to Shelby. (Smiles and hums, remembering.) Well, I think I'd just like to remember it like it was . . . like I was . . .I was a girl
From a small town,
It was called Shelby, Michigan . . .Shelby, Michigan.
Gonna be one of the movers and shakers,
Gonna be one, gonna be one.
Out in the world with the history makers . . .I was remarkable.
It's mighty thoughtful of you folks to come visit. Most young folks would
just as soon leave old folks be. They get weary of the same stories time and
time . . . oh.I'll miss this place
I know I will,
But now it's time to go.
And there will be
Another place,
I hope it feels like home.(POLLY leans over, with
effort, and blows out the
candle.)THE END
Lyrics Copyright © 1992 Steven Kapp Perry, BMI.
All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Lead, Kindly Light, text by John Henry Newman. Prime Recordings / 2245 North 800 East / Provo, Utah 84604 / 1-800-377-6788 Unauthorized reproduction punishable by law. "Polly" is available on Cassette, Compact Disc, VHS Video Cassette
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