Chapter 9

Our cast got up and applauded as we moved directly into Scene Two, which now included the Bohlenders, while Norma went from being 7 to 9 years old.

Again, the scene was marvelous – people were remembering their lines and blocking, as the non-speaking roles of the people taking Gladys to the Mental Institution appeared as Maurice started up ‘Stupid Little Girl’...

GLADYS
“All I ever wanted
Was to have a little girl
A little girl to call my own”

“All I asked of Norma
Was to get her homework done
But she was always left alone.”

(Gladys and the men left upstage right)

BOHLENDERS
“Gladys asked us a while ago
to watch her little girl
Then Gladys blew a gasket –
and was gone
We took Norma in and
was paid by the state
But every day the
poor girl was withdrawn.”

NORMA
“All they ever called me,
Was a stupid little girl
Stupid little girl -- named Jeane”

“All they ever wanted
Was for me to do their chores
And all they ever were ... was mean”

BOHLENDERS
“We couldn’t go out,
anywhere together
Or we had to
bring ‘that girl’ along.
Our life had gone into –
a downward spiral
We tried to tell her
that she did not belong”

NORMA
“All they ever called me,
Was a stupid little girl
Stupid little girl -- named Jeane”

“All they ever wanted
Was for me to do their chores
And make sure everything was clean.”

(Key change up a fifth)(Her big voice kicked in)

“All they ever wanted
Was a stupid little girl.
To get money from the state.”

“But I knew the moment
I was left with these two people.
That my life was going
to be -- full of hate!”

Starting with her mother, everyone in the audience whooped over this young lady with the big voice.

The next scene was just a new Norma coming out to sing ‘What’s My Name, ‘ as Maurice started the long intro that really set the scene, and the music...

NORMA
“I hope that I
was someone’s dream
On a cold and glorious morn
A precious little girl,
maybe walking through
a field of corn”

“I know that life is funny;
I know it isn’t fair
But someone please tell me,
what’s going on
Because ... nobody...
seems to care”

“Is it Baker or Mortenson,
What’s my Name?
It all seems like
a silly little game”

“I’m left at all of
these foster homes,
With people I don’t know
They put me here...
they put me there
With no place else to go”

“Is it Baker or Mortenson,
What’s my Name?
It all seems like
a silly little game”

“I guess when you get lemons,
you just make lemonade
But I’m just a kid --
and I’m so afraid
With all of my life,
being passed around
I just need some place
to put my feet firmly
on the ground”

“Is it Baker or Mortenson,
What’s my Name?
It all seems like
a silly little game”

“They call me ‘kid, ‘ or ‘you’ –
that’s awfully mean
I know that my first
name is Norma Jeane?”

“Is it Baker or Mortenson,
What’s my Name?
It all seems –
like - a – silly ... little – game!”

I started the applause this time; Cora was so good, getting the emotion to the same level as both Ruth and Caitlyn.

There was a small expositional scene next, going into the three young Norma’s singing ‘Isn’t It You?’ I had spotted Ruth stage left, Cora stage right and little Caitlyn, up center, as the music started.

RUTH
“Someone once told me,
that dads are important, but...”

CORA
“Nobody said –
just how important...”

CAITLYN
“That everyone else –
has a daddy, isn’t it true?”

CORA
“I need a daddy,
a nice to me daddy,”

CAITLYN
“A really astonishing...
Fab-u-lous daddy;”

RUTH
“Tell me please,
I need a daddy,
Isn’t it you?”

(Key change)

ALL THREE
“It’s time that I move on,
looking for my next daddy,
Its so important,
I - have - a – daddy, and
A really remarkable,
full of it daddy...”

CAITLYN
“Please mister –
I need a daddy;
Isn’t it -- You?”

I cried when Caitlyn cried, when it was over. That was a remarkable moment those three girls have together. They’ve become good friends since we first began.

“Everybody take 10!”

I got a whole bunch of, ‘Thank you, 10s,” in return.

At the end of the evening, Maurice who had with him a very distinguished looking couple, who he introduced as Bill and Nancy Zeckendorf, approached me.

“Hello,” Bill said, “We’ve been listening in this evening and you certainly have a remarkable show. Those young ladies certainly know what they’re doing.”

“Thank you very much, there is a lot of raw talent there, and I got wonderful emotions from them all, don’t you think?” I countered.

“Maurice tells us that you and your wife wrote the script and all of the music – is that true?” Nancy asked.

“Every note,” Audrey said, coming up and grabbing my arm.

“I’m sure you noticed that our little theatre holds over 800 people. Would you be interested in performing on this stage instead of your own?” Bill asked.

“We wrote this with the means of the Musical Underground Group, for at least the initial performances, it needs to be their production,” I stated emphatically.

“We know your Board President John Briscoe, Richard – if we can work it out with him and the Board – would you be interested?” Bill asked.

“Excuse me for a moment. I need to discuss this with my wife,” I said pulling Audrey a distance from them. “Is there a downside to this idea, Audrey? I don’t see one.”