Don’t Stop Believing — A
Musical
By Amanda Martin
A smoky bar in the city. It is late Saturday night. STEVE PERRY, lead singer of the band Journey,
is on a small stage to the left of the bar, microphone in hand. The BARTENDER stands behind the bar, upstage
center, polishing glasses. The door to
the bar opens, stage right, and MAGELLAN, a sea turtle, shuffles in, looking
tired and downtrodden.
STEVE PERRY
(Singing) Just a small town girl, livin’
in a lonely world. She took the
MAGELLAN the Sea Turtle
(To
bartender) Gin and tonic.
STEVE PERRY
Just a city boy, born and
raised in
BARTENDER
Gin and tonic.
MAGELLAN
Thank
you. (Watching
STEVE PERRY) He sounds pretty good.
BARTENDER
That’s
Steve Perry. He used to be the lead
singer for Journey. He comes in here
every Saturday night and sings that song.
Don’t know what he’s looking for.
Kinda sad actually.
STEVE PERRY
(Singing, now to MAGELLAN) A singer in a
smoky room…
MAGELLAN
Is
he singing to me?
STEVE PERRY
The smell of wine and cheap perfume…
BARTENDER
It
looks that way.
STEVE PERRY
For a smile they can share the night, it goes
on and on and on and on….
MAGELLAN WITH STEVE PERRY
Strangers waiting…
STEVE PERRY
Up and down boulevard…
BOTH
Their shadows…
MAGELLAN
Searching in the night…
BOTH
Streetlight people, living just to find
emotion…
STEVE PERRY
Hiding somewhere in the NIIIGHT!
The
music stops. STEVE PERRY steps down from
the stage and joins MAGELLAN at the bar.
STEVE PERRY
Come
here often?
MAGELLAN
No,
I’m just passing through. I’m on my way
to— (she becomes emotional)
STEVE PERRY
Is
everything all right?
MAGELLAN
Yes,
yes it’s just—Oh it’s not fair, none of it!
STEVE PERRY
What isn’t?
MAGELLAN
Life. The
cycle. The
repetitiveness of it all. The futility.
STEVE PERRY
I
know what you mean. (Begins singing
again) Working hard to get my fill, everybody wants a thrill. Payin’ anything to
roll the dice just one more time…
MAGELLAN
Exactly! But then I come in here and hear your song, and it—it gave me hope.
STEVE PERRY
I
felt the same way when I saw you.
MAGELLAN
You
did?
STEVE PERRY
I
felt a connection from the very beginning.
MAGELLAN
So
did I. Could it
be?
STEVE PERRY
I
don’t even know your name, yet I love you.
MAGELLAN
No,
it can’t be!
STEVE PERRY
(Singing) Don’t stop believin’,
hold on to the feelin’…
MAGELLAN
Streetlight people—No!
STEVE PERRY
No? But why? I love you.
MAGELLAN
And
I love you, but—
STEVE PERRY
But what?
MAGELLAN
But
I—I’m pregnant!
STEVE PERRY
But
who—who’s the father.
MAGELLAN
Another sea turtle. He
doesn’t mean anything to me, really!
It’s just the way it goes. Our
species has to reproduce, and I have to travel back to the beach in
STEVE PERRY
Don’t stop believing, ooohaaahoooohhhh—I’ll wait for you.
MAGELLAN
Streetlight people, ohhohhhahhhh—You will?
STEVE PERRY
If you promise to come back to me.
MAGELLAN
Oh,
I will!
STEVE PERRY
I’ll
drive you to the airport. My Delorean’s parked outside.
MAGELLAN
Don’t stop believing…
STEVE
PERRY escorts MAGELLAN through door, both still singing. The BARTENDER continues to polish glasses,
unchanged.