|
Scene 6 The courtroom. BILLY: Ladies and gentlemen, we present – Justice. JUDGE: The State of Illinois versus Roxie Hart for the murder of Fred Casely. Thank you. (As the GIRLS move in slow motion to their places on the stairs, with 6 chairs representing the Jury box, which they brought on. One Actor, in various disguises, which he changes throughout the Scene is ostensibly all 6 people on the JURY.) BAILIFF: The state calls Mr. Amos Hart! Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah… truth… truth… truth. Selp-ya God. AMOS: I certainly do. (BAILIFF exits.) HARRISON: (From a typewritten paper.) "Question by Sergeant Fogarty: "What happened next?" Answer by Roxie Hart: "I shot him because he was walking out on me, the louse." (Music out. Very dramatically.) Signed Roxie Hart." (Hands paper to AMOS.) Do you recognize the signature? AMOS: (Looking at the paper.) Yes sir, that is the signature of the lady who used to be my wife. HARRISON: Exactly. Take the witness. (BILLY rises and crosses to AMOS. Music under.) BILLY: Hello, Amos. AMOS: (Amazed that BILLY got his name right.) Amos, that’s right, Mr. Flynn. Amos. BILLY: (Very pleasantly.) Amos, you are at present obtaining a divorce from the defendant? Any reason? AMOS: I’ll say! The newspapers said that she was expecting a little stranger. BILLY: (Super charming.) Well, that’s hardly grounds for divorce, is it? AMOS: A little too much of a stranger. BILLY: Oh, by that you mean you doubt the paternity of the child. AMOS: (Narrow eyed, at BILLY.) Well, sure! BILLY: (Losing his friendliness.) Well did you even bother to ask her if you were the father? AMOS: No sir, but you told me… BILLY: (Quickly, interrupting.) Just jumped to a conclusion? Do you call that playing square? If Roxie Hart swore that you were the father of her child, which she does… AMOS: She does? ROXIE: I do. BILLY: She does. Step down, Daddy. The defense calls Roxie Hart. BAILIFF: Roxie Hart to the stand. (ROXIE crosses to the stand as a bewildered AMOS rises. AMOS walks dazzled off. ROXIE takes the stand. The BAILIFF holds a Bible in front of her.) Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah… truth… truth… truth. Selp-yuh God. ROXIE: I do. BILLY: (Approaching her.) What‘s your name? ROXIE & BOYS: Roxie. BILLY: Roxie, I have here a statement on which you admit having had illicit relations with the deceased, Fred Casely. Is this statement true or false? ROXIE: I’m afraid that’s true. BILLY: You’re an honest girl, Roxie. When did you first meet Fred Casely? ROXIE: (Well-rehearsed.) When he sold Amos and me our furniture. Also he was a regular patron at the nightclub where I was a member of the chorus. BILLY: And your personal relationship with him – when did that begin? ROXIE: When I permitted him to drive me home one night. (FRED enters. Charleston beat begins. He dances through the following.) FRED: Hey, chickie. ROXIE: Hello Mr. Casely. FRED: Fine night for ducks, ain’t it? Why don’t I drive you home? It’s raining so hard and all. COMPANY: Charleston, Charleston, Charleston, Charleston... ROXIE: (Softly.) Oh, he seemed like such a fine gentleman. BILLY: And yet, you were married, Mrs. Hart. ROXIE: I know. And I don’t think I would have gone with him, if Mr. Hart and me hadn’t quarreled that very morning. BILLY: Quarreled about what? ROXIE: (To AMOS, who is standing beside her, reading a newspaper.) Oh, Amos, I don’t want to work in that cheap Southside nightclub. AMOS: Yeah yeah. ROXIE: I don’t like you working those long hours at that garage either. AMOS: Sure sure. ROXIE: Oh Amos, I want a real home and a child. AMOS: Fat chance. BILLY: So… you drifted into this illicit relationship with Casely because you were unhappy at home. ROXIE: Most unhappy. AMOS: (Twisting ROXIE’s "boob.") I love ya, honey. I love ya. BILLY: And yet, you do respect the sacredness of the marriage vow. ROXIE: Oh yes, sir. BILLY: So why didn’t you stop this affair with Casely? ROXIE: I tried to. But Mr. Casely, he’d plead and he’d say… FRED: (Grabbing her, bouncing her up and down on the stand.) I can’t live without you! I can’t live without you! I can’t live without you! (FRED exits.) AMOS: (Grabbing her "boob" immediately.) I love ya, honey. I love ya. (AMOS exits.) ROXIE: I was being torn apart. BILLY: (Super dramatic.) Roxie Hart, the state has accused you of the murder of Fred Casely. Are you guilty or not guilty? ROXIE: Not guilty! Not guilty! Oh, I killed him – yes – but I’m not a criminal! BILLY: (Handing ROXIE a handkerchief.) There, there… (ROXIE remembers to cry as the COMPANY start to sing the "Methusaleh" chorus of RAZZLE DAZZLE softly under the following.) BILLY: Roxie, can you recall the night of February 14th? ROXIE: Yes sir. BILLY: Tell the jury, in your own way, the happenings of that night. (ROXIE leaves the stand to act the following out.) ROXIE: Well, it was about 2am and I stopped in at an all-night grocery store to pick up some baking powder to make cup cakes for my Amos. Oh Amos just loves my cup cakes! And then, I went right home. And I was getting ready for bed, when, suddenly the doorbell rang. Now, I thought it was my friend, Gloria, so I slipped on my kimono and went to the door. BILLY: And who was there? ROXIE: Fred Casely. BILLY: And what did he say, Roxie? FRED: That note you wrote me. Telling me that it was all over? Why did you write it? ROXIE: Because I have seen the error of my ways and... and... and... (Looks to BILLY for help) BILLY: And when you asked him to, did he go away? MARTIN: I object to the Counsel's leading the witness. JUDGE: Sustained. BILLY: I'll rephrase the question. What did you say? ROXIE: Oh, go away! (COMPANY applauds. BILLY and ROXIE acknowledge it. ROXIE and FRED then act out the following:) I tried to close the door, but he forced his way in. I ran into the bedroom, but he followed me! (FRED follows ROXIE across the stage. She stops.) FRED: Look, just have one little drink with me and I'll go. BILLY: Why didn’t you scream? ROXIE: I was afraid to wake the neighbors. (to FRED in a stage whisper.) Please, no good will come of this! And besides…I love my husband! COMPANY: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! BILLY: So…you told him that you loved your husband and what did he say to that? FRED: It doesn't matter, you're mine. You're mine! You're MINE! (He shakes ROXIE and they dance the Apache Dance across the stage.) ROXIE: I can't go on. I can't go on! BILLY: No. Roxie, you must tell the Jury everything. They have a right to know. (ROXIE rises and taps FRED on the shoulder.) ROXIE: OK. Amos and me are gonna have a baby. BILLY: And what did he say to that? FRED: I'll kill you before I see you have another man's child! BILLY: What happened next? ROXIE: In his passion, he ripped off my kimono and threw me across the room... (She and FRED act out the following:) Mr. Hart's revolver was layin' there between us. He grabbed for the gun, I knocked it from his hand, he whirled me aside… BILLY: And then? ROXIE: And then (dark) we both reached for the gun. But I got it first! COMPANY: Hurray! ROXIE: Then he came toward me with that funny look in his eyes. FRED: I mean to kill you! BILLY: Do you think he meant to kill you? ROXIE: (Staring at FRED but talking to BILLY.) Oh, yes sir. BILLY: So it was his life or yours? ROXIE: (Goes to the JURY and pats her stomach.) And not just mine! (Back to FRED.) And I closed my eyes and I shot… (She fires. COMPANY hit tambourines once) FRED: Sweetheart... Roxie... BILLY: In defense of your life? COMPANY: Razzle dazzle 'em Razzle dazzle ‘em ROXIE: To save my husband's unborn child… ALL: And they'll make you a star! BLACKOUT |