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9/
24/
BOOK BY LAWRENCE D. COHEN
MUSIC BY MICHAEL GORE
LYRICS BY DEAN PITCHFORD
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY STEPHEN KING
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(R&H.9/24/2012.RS) COPYRIGHT WARNING
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CAST OF CHARACTERS CARRIE WHITE MARGARET WHITE SUE SNELL TOMMY ROSS CHRIS HARGENSEN BILLY NOLAN MISS GARDNER MR. STEPHENS
REVEREND BLISS (can be played by the same actor as Mr. Stephens) FRIEDA NORMA HELEN GEORGE STOKES FREDDY
MUSICAL SYNOPSIS
Chamberlain, a small town in Western Maine. The present. ACT I
Prologue: Interrogation Space Scene 1: Chamberlain High School
IN ... Kids Scene 2: Girls’ Locker Room/Guidance Counselor’s Office
CARRIE ... Carrie Scene 3: Streets of Chamberlain/Carrie’s Private World
CARRIE (continued) ... Carrie Scene 3A: Interrogation Space
Scene 4: Town Park
Scene 5: White Bungalow Living Room
OPEN YOUR HEART ... Reverend Bliss, Margaret, Carrie & Choir AND EVE WAS WEAK ... Margaret & Carrie Scene 6: Interrogation Space/Chris’ House
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS ... Chris, Billy, Sue, Tommy & Kids Scene 7: White Bungalow/A Street in Town
EVENING PRAYERS ... Carrie & Margaret Scene 8: Fourth Period English Class
DREAMER IN DISGUISE ... Tommy ONCE YOU SEE ... Sue Scene 9: Soccer Field/Girls’ Locker Room
UNSUSPECTING HEARTS ... Miss Gardner & Carrie Scene 10: School Library, Other Locales
DO ME A FAVOR ... Sue, Chris, Tommy, Billy & Kids Scene 11: Library Stacks
Scene 12: Principal’s Office
Scene 13: White Bungalow Front Porch Scene 14: White Bungalow Dining Room
ACT II Scene 1: Interrogation Space/School Courtyard
A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET ... Kids, Sue, Tommy, Chris & Billy Scene 2: Interrogation Space/School Hallway
Scene 3: Gymnasium
YOU SHINE ... Tommy & Sue Scene 4: Limbo/Carrie’s Bedroom
WHY NOT ME? ... Carrie STAY HERE INSTEAD ... Margaret & Carrie Scene 5: White Bungalow Front Porch
WHEN THERE’S NO ONE ... Margaret Scene 6: The Gym
PROM ARRIVAL ... Kids, Tommy & Carrie UNSUSPECTING HEARTS (REPRISE) ... Carrie & Miss Gardner DREAMER IN DISGUISE (REPRISE) ... Tommy & Carrie PROM CLIMAX ... Chris, Billy, Carrie, Tommy & Kids ALMA MATER ... Kids THE DESTRUCTION ... Carrie & Ensemble Scene 7: White Bungalow Living Room
CARRIE (REPRISE) ... Margaret & Carrie EPILOGUE ... Sue & Ensemble
CAST BREAKDOWN
OVERALL NOTE: with the exception of three adult actors, our cast consists of high school seniors living through the intense final weeks leading up to Senior Prom and graduation. Notwithstanding that these kids are all highly iconic figures in the adolescent landscape, they should also very much be individuals.
CARRIE WHITE: a painfully shy outsider who, in spite of her best efforts to belong, has been the victim of her classmates' cruel jokes since childhood, as well as her mother's strict, biblically-ordained control at home. She transforms from ugly duckling into graceful -- and then vengeful -- swan. Vocally, she must be capable of lyrical sweetness as well as fierce power.
MARGARET WHITE: A woman of visceral extremes, she balances her fervent religious convictions with equally sincere true-believer spirituality and tender, maternal love for Carrie. Like Carrie, with whom she shares several duets, her voice must range from expressive and melodic to ferocious and frightening.
SUE SNELL: a straight-A student who's been popular her entire life, she’s remarkably level headed for her age. Her unthinking participation in a cruel act of bullying causes a crisis of conscience that leads her on a journey to try to right things. Vocally, she has a great pop ballad voice that delivers sweet sincerity and strength.
TOMMY ROSS: Popular star athlete, valedictorian, and all around stand-out, he's the boy that all the girls want to be with, and all the boy want to be. Yet he also has unexpected, quirky sensitivity and is just starting to mine his personal life and feelings –- a budding poet. His voice should have an effortless pop quality.
CHRIS HARGENSEN: Rich, spoiled-rotten, and wickedly funny, Chris is a popular beauty whose arrogant self-assurance makes her believe that the rules don’t apply to her. Loaded with sexual dynamite, she has serious daddy-and-anger-management issues. Her voice is pop-rock percussive and powerful. BILLY NOLAN: Now in his sixth year in high school, Billy's a sexy, stupid-like-a-fox bad boy whose wise mouth troublemaking has led him to spend more time in detention than in the classroom. All these qualities make it easy for his girlfriend Chris to manipulate him to do her bidding. His voice is that of a wailing rocker.
MISS GARDNER: Mid-30s, this girls' P.E. teacher can be a strict disciplinarian if necessary, but when Carrie arouses her maternal instinct, she surprises herself by also revealing a protective "fairy godmother" side. Her voice is warm and strong, just like the woman.
MR. STEPHENS: Late-30s, this well-intentioned English teacher and guidance counselor struggles to help his students realize their potential. A dedicated educator, he’s stretched thin in his duties, woefully underpaid, and a bit overwhelmed as to how to handle the Billy Nolans of the classroom combat zone. NORMA: Bitchy, gossipy and a shameless suck-up to authority, Norma is second-in-command to Chris' queen bee.
FRIEDA; Sue's brainy pal, she's an easy-going, get-along follower and a tireless extracurricular committee volunteer.
HELEN: Giggly and easily shocked, her immaturity and need to belong make her the perfect example of the herd mentality.
GEORGE: Tommy's jock wingman since childhood, George idolizes him. Perhaps a little too much... STOKES: A bit of a nerd, he's happy to be included as one of Tommy's posse.
FREDDY: The wise-cracking class clown and official yearbook photographer, he can't believe any girl would ever give him the time of day.
AUTHOR NOTES
“On Broadway these days, being facetious is easy (Rock of Ages, Book of Mormon). Being serious is the real daredevil challenge. The few musicals that succeed at it (Miss Saigon, Spring Awakening) usually protect themselves from ridicule by setting their stories in distant times and places. Carrie
tries to turn ordinary, all-‐too-‐familiar high school angst into the stuff of tragedy. The show has guts.”
Richard Zoglin, TIME MAGAZINE
TONE: From the moment we began writing Carrie, our intent as authors was to tell a dramatic fable about a girl whose very name has become synonymous with high school bullying. As a poster-child for cruel victimization that’s unfortunately grown to epidemic proportions, Carrie and the stage musical that bears her name deserve to be treated with respect and dignity -- her story staged and acted with emotional conviction.
We were never interested in seeing our show done in a campy or kitschy style; we’ve been offered that opportunity, and have never chosen to go down that road. Treating the material seriously, however, doesn’t mean that it should be performed without humor, excitement, or fun; on the contrary, it absolutely needs these elements. Between us, we always considered Sweeney Todd -- Stephen
Sondheim’s gripping, often wickedly funny musical tragedy –- one of our inspiring models.
STAGING: Stephen King’s 1974 debut novel and Brian de Palma’s 1976 film both used the vocabulary of their distinct media -– the page and the screen -- to tell this tale. Our Carrie is a piece for the stage, and we strongly encourage you to imagine it –- as we have -- in theatrical terms. Unpack every bit of
stagecraft at your disposal to bring it to life.
With that in mind, let us share a few thoughts:
THE SET, as described in the libretto, is deliberately non-naturalistic; whatever their differences, our show’s first two productions shared this perspective. The original 1988 Broadway version was set within the confines of a classic black box –- a theatrical term referring to a simple and unadorned performance space, which our designer gave a spin by painting white. The stripped-down 2012 off-Broadway production, written to frame and tell the story in Sue Snell’s mind, featured an eerie, ever-present
backdrop of a burnt-out gymnasium with doors -- a versatile landscape on which a shifting mosaic of time, place and memory could be enacted.
Neither production was bound by naturalism; there were no sets lumbering on and off with literal furniture. We would encourage a similarly creative and abstract approach.
One additional note: from the show’s earliest days, we considered the possibility of staging the piece in a site-specific space instead of a theater –- a high school gymnasium with bleachers, for example, or perhaps an empty warehouse or old factory -- and we offer up that kind of out-of-the-box thinking for your consideration as well.
SUE’S INTERROGATORS: Our approach to dramatizing Carrie, inspired by an idea in the King novel, was to tell the story from the perspective of Sue Snell, the lone survivor of the tragedy that claimed the lives of her classmates and teachers. So we’ve always imagined that the voices she hears are in her head. In this libretto, the source of the voices questioning her is deliberately unspecified. Whether they’re pre-recorded and handled as sound cues -- or coming from the shadows onstage or off –- or even from somewhere else -- that’s up to you. Combining these disembodied voices with the harsh cone of light which glares down on her (as noted in the script) will convey the unrelenting loop of haunting memories that Sue is forced to re-live.
CARRIE’S POWERS: King’s story is about a girl with the gift of telekinesis (TK) –- the ability to move objects with her mind. Carrie’s power is first glimpsed following the traumatic onset of her period and her cruel hazing by the other girls -–- events that are capped by a light bulb exploding overhead in the girls’ locker room. The power surfaces a second time when Carrie, upon being taunted by Billy Nolan, unwittingly causes him to go sprawling off his skateboard.
These beats build to the critical moment when Carrie, locked alone in her prayer closet, experiences a rush of emotion that causes a figurine of Jesus to levitate. It is only, however, after researching the subject of telekinesis in the library that Carrie starts to truly harness and hone her ‘gift’.
All of these occurrences build to a climactic confrontation with Margaret at the end of Act I. At the height of a raging thunderstorm, Carrie consciously uses her mind to slam the windows in the house and demonstrate her newfound powers in this life-and-death battle of wills with her mother.
With the help of our sound designer, we created a distinctive sound –- an eerie, hollow
WHOOSH! –- which accompanied each occurrence of TK, so that Carrie’s power had an aural as well as a visual component. We recommend you do a similar exploration for your production. When these
audio/visual moments are delivered in striking, memorable ways, Carrie’s horrific display of power in the Destruction will feel emotionally earned, rather than simply a gratuitous display of special effects.
THE BLOOD: Perhaps the show’s most controversial element is the bucket of blood that Chris and Billy dump on Carrie as a vengeful prank at the Prom. It’s essential that this organic story point be executed onstage in a way that the audience accepts it and finds it satisfying.
As for stage blood, there’s no getting around it –- like any liquid, it’s wet and comes with all sorts of potential challenges. It can stain a dress and clog a body mic. It can make the stage difficult to
navigate. If, however, you can figure out a smart and effective way to work with liquid, by all means go for it. But don’t overlook other possible elegant, stylized solutions to convey the dropping of the blood. Lights? Fabric? Shadows? Projections? You get the idea….
Always remember that this is theater, where imagination is your greatest asset. Then challenge yourself to find a workable, imaginative, and ultimately thrilling solution.
Finally, a word about CAST SIZE: On Broadway, Carrie featured a cast of 27 and an orchestra of 23. The off-Broadway production was re-scaled for a cast of 14 and a band of 7, and that number –- which is reflected in this libretto and score and on the CD* -- seems to us the minimum number for the show to work. Don’t feel obliged to use more than 14, but it’s worth noting that enlarging the ensemble offers the opportunity to make the school and the classrooms and the Prom feel more populated. It also gives Billy and Tommy, and Chris and Sue the chance to each have more of a ‘posse.’
As authors, the writing –- and rewriting -- of Carrie has been a remarkable journey, and we’re thrilled about having this version to send out into the world. We hope you have a great time exploring this timely and timeless story, and we can’t wait to see what you do with it!
*Available at www.sh-k-boom.com
Lawrence D. Cohen Michael Gore Dean Pitchford 2012
"Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow."
– Stephen King, CARRIE *
"Atonement is a process that never ends." – Teddy Kennedy
*
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
ACT I
1
Prologue: Interrogation Space
(We see what appear to be the burnt-out remains of a high school gymnasium. The site of some terrible disaster, it emanates palpable dread. It’s both realistic and abstract – a landscape of truth and memory.)
(A faint, ghostly overture of sounds grows louder and more distinct: a school bell, the shriek of a whistle, cries and screams, 911 calls, fire sirens, etc. They culminate in a booming explosion. BLACKOUT!)
(WHOOSH! A CONE OF HARSH WHITE LIGHT suddenly illuminates a lone figure in a chair, causing her to flinch and cry out as if waking from a nightmare. It’s SUE SNELL, haunted witness and tour guide to our story. FIGURES from SUE’s memory are silhouetted in shadow behind her. A MALE VOICE, startling her, demands:)
MALE VOICE Name, please. State your full name.
SUE You already know my name. It’s Sue – Susan Snell.
MALE VOICE And you were born in the town of…?
SUE Chamberlain, Maine. I was born and raised there.
FEMALE VOICE When did you first meet Carrie White?
(The FIGURES let out a collective exhale.) SUE
In elementary school. We were in the same grade. I don’t think I’d said a hundred words to her before this all began –
(squinting up at the light)
Could you turn that down, please? I can’t see.
MALE VOICE
Tell us about the night of May 28 – about the occurrences that led up to the alleged event. SUE
“Alleged event?” Why do you keep asking the same thing over and over? (silence)
You want to catch me in a lie, is that it?!
MALE VOICE We need the truth.
SUE
I’ve already told you what I know. How many times do we have to go through this? MALE VOICE
Until it makes sense…
FEMALE VOICE Until we understand.
SUE What you need to understand is that we were just kids...
MUSIC 1: IN
…kids trying to do our best. We were kids.
(The FIGURES in the shadows start to move.)
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS STOP
GO
WHO AM I? MOVE – HA!
COME ON, COME IN
FATHER, MOTHER, PREACHER, TEACHER FAILURE! AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? NO! AM I STUPID? AM I HOPELESS? VIOLENCE! SILENCE!
BROKEN, USED, BLACK, BRUISED WHAT ABOUT ME?
WHAT ABOUT ME? I DREAM!
I DROWN! I WAIT!
(LIGHTS bump up as SUE joins her CLASSMATES for a day in the life.) Scene 1: Chamberlain High School
KIDS EVERY DAY
I JUST PRAY
EVERY MOVE I MAKE IS RIGHT
TOMMY & SUE WHERE I GO
SUE & CHRIS WHO I KNOW
SUE, TOMMY, CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS WILL I BE ALONE ON SATURDAY NIGHT?
NORMA, HELEN, FREDDY & STOKES AND I WORRY
FRIEDA, HELEN, GEORGE & FREDDY WHAT IF I STAND OUT ONE BIT?
CHRIS, FRIEDA, BILLY & TOMMY I WORRY
SUE, TOMMY, CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO TO FIT
IN?
(LIGHTS return FIGURES to shadows.) HELEN, CHRIS, GEORGE,
STOKES & BILLY PERFECT CLOTHES
NOSE
THE PERFECT…
SUE, NORMA, FRIEDA, FREDDY & TOMMY AM I? AM I? AM I?
AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? SUE, TOMMY, CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS
…SKIN FACE ALL ACE!
(LIGHTS bump back up.)
NORMA, SUE, BILLY, HELEN, GEORGE & FREDDY BOTH MY FOLKS
ALL TOTAL JOKES
CHRIS & BILLY ALL THEY DO IS CHEW MY ASS
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH
BLAH BLAH BLAH
HELEN, FREDDY & STOKES THEY SHOULD JUST BE GLAD I MAKE IT TO CLASS
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS I DON’T WORRY
CHRIS & BILLY IF I BLOW MY S.A.T.s
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS I WORRY
WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO TO SQUEEZE IN?
POW!
WHY NOT NOW?
WHEN WILL I BELONG? LOOK WHERE I AM – DAMN!
MY WHOLE LIFE FEELS WRONG WHAT IF I DO
SNAP?
HOLY CRAP!
I’D CRAWL OUT OF MY SKIN AND SO WOULD YOU
CUZ
LIFE JUST DOESN’T BEGIN UNTIL YOU’RE
IN!
(The KIDS band together in CLIQUES – SUE with b.f. TOMMY ROSS; her best friend CHRIS HARGENSEN with bad-boy BILLY NOLAN – as Phys Ed teacher MISS GARDNER appears in her gym outfit, whistle around her neck.)
MISS GARDNER Don’t you all have somewhere to be?
BILLY (flirty and provocative)
Well, there’s somewhere I’d like to be, Miss G…
MISS GARDNER What are you, Mr. Nolan – twelve?
(spotting TOMMY kissing SUE)
Tommy Ross – watch those hands – and definitely no tongue. TOMMY Yes, ma’am.
CHRIS (to TOMMY and SUE)
Hey, you two – get a room!
MISS GARDNER And you, Chris Hargensen, lose the gum before class.
CHRIS Where should I put it, Miss Gardner?
MISS GARDNER Anywhere you like. Just get it out of your mouth.
(CARRIE, arriving late, does her best to be invisible.) Carrie White, get a move on! Gym class in two minutes!
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS HA AH AH AH
HA AH AH AH
(The GIRLS exit to change.)
BOYS GOD, IT’S ROUGH
STAYIN’ TOUGH
WOND’RIN’ WHAT THE WORLD WILL SAY “MAKE A PLAN!”
“BE A MAN!”
ALL THIS FRICKIN’ BULLSHIT GETS IN THE WAY
(CARRIE and the GIRLS return in their gym clothes and begin a competitive game of volleyball. CARRIE, eager to join in, finds herself excluded.)
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS I GO CRAZY
NOBODY CARES WHAT IT DOES TO ME IT’S CRAZY
I WOULD GO OUT OF MY MIND TO BE SUE, CHRIS, GARDNER & GIRLS IN
SHIT! IN IS IT!
WHAT COMES CLOSE TO THAT? UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN
TOMMY, BILLY & BOYS AM I?
AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I?
CHRIS, SUE, NORMA, GEORGE, HELEN, GARDNER,
BILLY & STOKES IN
FRIEDA, TOMMY & FREDDY AM I? AM I?
YOU AIN'T WHERE IT’S AT CUZ WHEN YOU'RE OUT – WELL!
LIFE IS HELL
YOU CAN NEVER WIN THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT
LIFE JUST DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL YOU'RE – AM I? AM I? AM I? AT— AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? AM I? DOESN’T BEGIN UNTIL YOU’RE – (The ball is passed to CARRIE who fumbles and drops it.)
ALL Awwwwwww…
NORMA Way to go, Carrie!
FRIEDA Yeah, way to blow the game!
(CARRIE recoils, accidentally bumping into SUE.) SUE Hey, watch where you're going!
CHRIS (to CARRIE)
Loser!
MISS GARDNER Hit the showers, girls! Go change up!
(ALL exit. Alone now, CARRIE kneels.)
CARRIE
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
(She heads off to shower as the KIDS re-enter.)
SUE, CHRIS & GIRLS AND SOMEDAY
IF I DON'T STAND OUT ONE BIT
SUE, CHRIS, TOMMY, BILLY & KIDS OH, SOMEDAY
I MAY BE NORMAL ENOUGH TO FIT IN!
JEEZ!
SHOOT ME, PLEASE! PUT ME OUT OF MY PAIN
AM I A MESS? YES! TOTALLY INSANE IF I AM NOT MISSED I DON'T EXIST
THAT'S THE GREATEST SIN I’D RATHER BE SHOT CUZ
LIFE JUST DOESN'T BEGIN DOESN'T BEGIN— DOESN'T BEGIN— DOESN'T BEGIN— DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL YOU'RE IN! CARRIE (SCREAMS!!!!)
(Wrapped in a towel, CARRIE bolts from the SHOWER into the locker room – a ribbon of blood dripping down her leg, her bloody hand extended.)
NORMA What the hell?
CARRIE Help me! Please help me!
FRIEDA Oh my God – that’s blood!
HELEN What's happened?
CHRIS It’s Carrie.
NORMA What’d she do now?
SUE She’s hurt.
CARRIE (reaching out to CHRIS)
I'm bleeding!
CHRIS Yuck – get away from me!
CARRIE (frantically running to SUE)
I'm dying – !
SUE (laughs – exasperated and revulsed)
For God’s sake, Carrie – you've just got your period! CARRIE What...?
(HELEN mimes throwing-up, to much laughter.) CHRIS Hey, everybody – Carrie’s got her period! Period! Period!
CHRIS & GIRLS Period! Period! Goddamn retard! Dumb bitch, (etc.)
(in unison) Period, period, period!
(NORMA films the event on her smart phone.) CHRIS (rallying the troops)
Carrie’s got the cur-rse! Carrie’s got the cur-rse!
CARRIE I'm bleeding!
SUE Well, clean yourself up!
(She grabs a tampon and throws it at her. CHRIS hurls more.) CHRIS
Per-iod! Per-iod!
(The chant spreads as the GIRLS (SUE included) bombard CARRIE with tampons, towels, socks, etc.)
CHRIS, SUE & 2 GIRLS Per-iod! Per-iod! Per-iod! Per-iod!
(moving into)
REST OF GIRLS (interweaving)
Plug it up! Plug it up! Plug it up! Carrie! …. CARRIE! (MISS GARDNER rushes in.)
GARDNER What the hell's going on?
GIRLS Carrie! Carrie! CARRIE!
(As they close in, CARRIE backs up, howling and flailing.) CARRIE
Stop!
(At that moment, an overhead LIGHT suddenly explodes! [FLEX SOUND] The GIRLS scream.) CHRIS
Shit! Didja see that?!
SUE Oh, my God!
(As they laugh in nervous release, GARDNER yanks SUE back.) MISS GARDNER
What are you doing?
(SUE stops in mid-laugh – the spell broken.) Carrie? Hey, what’s going on?
CARRIE It … hurts. My stomach…
MISS GARDNER Stand up and take care of yourself.
SUE I think this must be the first time she’s ever had her period.
MISS GARDNER (to CARRIE, incredulous)
Oh, my God, you don't know? (arms around her)
You’re okay, Carrie – you're going to be all right. I'm sorry, I didn’t know. HELEN
NORMA Talk about clueless…
MISS GARDNER All right – show’s over! Clean up this mess and get to class!
(As she sends CARRIE off, the GIRLS begin to disperse.) CHRIS
(to SUE)
Can you stand it? She never knew –
MISS GARDNER Chris!
SUE But Chris is right, Miss Gardner.
MISS GARDNER Sue, what’s gotten into you?
SUE Oh, c’mon, it's just Carrie.
MISS GARDNER Shame on you!
(With a glance up at the remains of the shattered LIGHT, she shakes her head at its bizarre occurrence and exits.)
MUSIC 2: SHOWER AFTERMATH (UNDERSCORE)
Scene 2: Girls’ Locker Room/Guidance Counselor’s Office SUE
(stung by GARDNER's disapproval) Do you believe her, going off on me like that?
CHRIS (imitating GARDNER)
“Sue, shame on you! What's gotten into you…?” (unable to resist the dig)
…besides Tommy Ross’ tongue!
SUE (laughing)
Stop it!
(still smarting, though)
CHRIS
Screw her. Who gives a damn what some lezzie gym teacher thinks, anyway? SUE
She’s not a lesbian. At least I don’t think so. She’s not. Is she? CHRIS Who cares? Details, details…Oh, my God –
(showing SUE her smart phone) Norma’s already posted about it!
(In another space, MISS GARDNER updates guidance counselor and English teacher MR. STEPHENS:)
MR. STEPHENS
It's hard to believe any girl today could still be ignorant of the facts of life. MISS GARDNER
That’s just it: when I tried to explain it to Carrie, she didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. MR. STEPHENS
I mean, what are the odds?
MISS GARDNER You’d have thought her mother would have told her.
(CRISSCROSS between the two conversations.) CHRIS
And that mother of hers, always ranting how everybody's going straight to hell – except her and her precious little Car-rie.
(SUE eyes CARRIE passing by, head down and miserable.) SUE
Oh, my God, remember that time in third grade when she got down on her knees in the cafeteria? CHRIS
Prayin’ – with that bible!
SUE And that dress! Remember?
(a sing-song chant) PRAYIN’ CARRIE
SUE & CHRIS UGLY, SHORT AND HAIRY
ALL HER FRIENDS ARE (bumping hips)
(UH!)
(They howl at the childhood memory.)
MISS GARDNER As usual, Chris Hargensen was the ringleader.
MR. STEPHENS No surprise there.
MISS GARDNER But even Sue Snell was doing it.
MR. STEPHENS I'd expect a stunt like this from Chris, but Sue…
MISS GARDNER All the girls were doing it.
MR. STEPHENS Well, you'll have to take care of it, Lynn. Read them the riot act.
CHRIS And that light bulb: did you love it?
(As CARRIE, head down, passes by, CHRIS yells:) Pow!
(SUE sees CARRIE flinch.)
SUE Her mother should have told her.
CHRIS (catcalls CARRIE)
Like mother, like daughter!
SUE Shh – she'll hear you!
CHRIS
You care too much what people think. Oh, I almost forgot – my folks are away. Party at my house tonight!
(CARRIE reaches MR. STEPHENS and MISS GARDNER.)
MUSIC 3: CARRIE
MISS GARDNER Carrie, go home and rest for the remainder of the day.
MR. STEPHENS We’re all terribly sorry about this, Carrie.
MISS GARDNER Skip gym this week. Take study hall instead.
CHRIS
You know what Norma calls her? Scary White! I just call her dumb bitch! CHRIS (CONT'D)
Scary White! Do you love it!
KIDS Scary White...Scary White...
SCARY WHITE! SCARY WHITE!
(As the KIDS encircle CARRIE in shadows, the cacophony of real and imagined insults she's endured build in her mind until she explodes.)
CARRIE THAT'S NOT MY NAME!
(LIGHTS change.)
DOESN’T ANYBODY EVER GET IT RIGHT? CARRIE!
WHY DON’T THEY REMEMBER I AM CARRIE WHITE? CARRIE!
IS THAT ANY HARDER TO SAY THAN GODDAMN TOAD AND SPASTIC AND WEIRDO AND DUMB BITCH?
DOESN’T ANYBODY THINK THAT I CAN HEAR? I HEAR!
’SPECIALLY WHEN I GOT ’EM SCREAMING IN MY EAR I HEAR
EVERY DAY THEY MOCK ME AND PUSH ME AROUND ’TIL I DROP IF I HAD A WISH, GOD, I WISH THEY’D STOP!
CARRIE (CONT'D) WHEN WILL THEY…? I WISH THEY'D…! WHEN WILL THEY…? WHEN WILL THEY…? WHEN WILL THEY…?
KIDS Scary White…
Scary White…
CARRIE (CONT'D) SOMETIMES THEIR HATRED IS OUT OF CONTROL GOD, HOW THEY HURT ME!
MOMMA SAYS SUFF’RING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL BUT THEY HURT ME!
AND IF I COULD I’D BRING THEM ALL DOWN TO THEIR KNEES
CARRIE CARRIE CARRIE.
(The FIGURES recede.)
Scene 3: Streets of Chamberlain/Carrie’s Private World
(CARRIE's journey takes her through this small town, as well as through the shifting moods and colors of her own inner life.)
CARRIE (CONT'D) I WILL NOT CRY
I’M OKAY I TRY SO HARD TO PLAY THEIR WAY
WHY DO THEY FIND IT SO HARD TO SAY ‘CARRIE?’
WHY DO THEY ALWAYS TREAT ME SO BAD? THEY ALL KNOW MY NAME
IT'S CARRIE
I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY ALL GET SO MAD IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME
(Stricken by a cramp, she winces and clutches her stomach.)
WHAT'S GOING ON DEEP IN ME?
ALL OF THESE FEELINGS SUDDENLY
IF I AM CHANGING, WILL I STILL BE CARRIE?
OR WHAT IF I AM SOMEBODY NEW? IMAGINE
THE THINGS I MIGHT DO I MIGHT TAKE A CHANCE I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED HOW MAYBE I’LL DANCE
AND TRY HARD TO LAUGH MORE THAN I DO NOW AND THE WORLD WILL OPEN ITS EYES
AND FOR ONCE THE WHOLE WORLD WILL RECOGNIZE CARRIE!
THEN ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SCREAM NIGHT AND DAY: ‘POOR, PRAYIN’ CARRIE!’
THEY’D SEE THE NEW ME, AND THEY MIGHT EVEN SAY: ‘LOOK, IT'S CARRIE!’
AND FINALLY
I'D HEAR THAT WORD SOUNDING SO SWEET
THOUSANDS OF VOICES FOREVER REPEATING: ‘CARRIE!’
‘CARRIE!’ ‘CARRIE!’
I AM THE SOUND OF DISTANT THUNDER THE COLOR OF FLAME
I’M CARRIE
I AM A SONG OF ENDLESS WONDER THAT NO ONE WILL CLAIM
BUT SOMEDAY OH, MY! SOMEDAY
SOMEONE WILL KNOW MY NAME! Scene 3A: Interrogation Space
(WHOOSH! That CONE OF WHITE LIGHT finds SUE again.) MALE VOICE
What exactly was Tommy Ross’ involvement in all this? SUE Forget it! I’m not going there.
MALE VOICE Surely, there’s something.
FEMALE VOICE Please, Sue –
(gentler, cajoling) Tell us...
SUE (struggling to get her emotions in check)
He… he was an amazing athlete, but he was good at whatever he did. On or off the field. He… he was my –
(searching for the word) – Tommy.
Scene 4: Town Park
(TOMMY enters, tossing a ball around with best bud and wingman GEORGE, gangly brain STOKES, and class comic FREDDY.)
FREDDY, STOKES & GEORGE Heads-up, Ross! Hey, Tom-my! (etc.)
FREDDY Yo, Ross, you psyched about Prom?
TOMMY
Yeah, right. You ever seen me in a tux? I look like a freakin’ penguin. GEORGE
Shut up, Tommy, you’re gonna look great! (seeing the others react)
What? Girls eat that shit up.
STOKES Anyway… You invited Sue yet?
TOMMY Tonight. I've sort of been waiting for the right moment.
GEORGE Dude, you wait much longer, Prom’s gonna be over.
(BILLY zooms in on a skateboard, narrowly missing TOMMY.) BILLY
Yo, suckers! Beep-beep – coming through!
TOMMY Jesus, Billy – watch it!
BILLY So what are you girls up to?
(CARRIE passes by.) Well, if it ain’t Prayin’ Carrie!
(circling her on skateboard)
Wonder who’s taking her to the Prom…her mother? TOMMY Leave her alone, Billy.
(Ignoring him, BILLY fiddles with CARRIE’s long skirt.) BILLY
Hey, baby, I bet you're a real hottie under all ... that! TOMMY You're such an asshole.
BILLY C’mon, church-girl, dance with me. I'll make you see God!
(She glares at him [FLEX SOUND]. His skateboard flies out from under him, and he goes sprawling.)
Oof! What the hell?
GEORGE Good one, Nolan!
STOKES How’s your pussy, princess?
(BILLY jumps up and shoves STOKES.)
BILLY What’re you laughing at, huh? The goddamn bitch tripped me!
(Angry and embarrassed, he storms off.)
TOMMY (to CARRIE)
Hey, you all right?
(She nods shyly. The BOYS snicker.)
GEORGE Hey, Tommy – you coming or what?
STOKES Yeah, leave the freak, and let’s go.
TOMMY
Don’t pay any attention to those clowns. They’re just messing around.
MUSIC 4: OPEN YOUR HEART
(As he exits, she dares to look up after him. LIGHTS fade as the scene shifts and we hear, as through a radio…)
Scene 5: The White Bungalow Living Room
(...a CHURCH CHOIR and radio pastor MATTHEW BLISS.) REVEREND BLISS
Welcome, fellow travelers in the darkness – welcome, and fear no more! This is the Reverend Matthew Bliss, coming to you across the blessed airwaves of W-O-R-D radio, bringing you the true Gospel of the Lord across the land.
CHOIR OOH – OOH –
OOH – OOH –
OPEN YOUR HEART LET JESUS IN
(At her sewing table, MARGARET sings along as she works.) CHOIR
OPEN YOUR HEART LET JESUS IN
MARGARET, REV. BLISS & CHOIR LORD YOU HAVE FOUND ME,
A-WANDERIN’ IN THE DARKNESS
LIGHT MY WAY WITH YOUR TRUE FAITH AND I’LL SING WITH JOY OF MY NEW FAITH
MARGARET JESUS, POSSESS ME
SWEET SAVIOUR BE MY SHEPHERD
REVEREND BLISS & CHOIR OOH –
OOH –
MARGARET, REV. BLISS & CHOIR BLESS EACH ENDEAVOR
MARGARET ’TIL I FINALLY JOIN YOU FOREVER.
REV. BLISS & CHOIR OOH… OOH…
(CARRIE enters.)
CARRIE Hello, Momma.
MARGARET Ah, Carrie – there’s my sweet girl!
(She extends a hand and CARRIE reluctantly joins her. As the music swells, the radio reality is transformed by MARGARET’s heightened true-believer rapture.)
MARGARET & CARRIE LORD, I WILL SEE CHOIRS
OF SAINTS AND ANGELS SINGING FIN’LLY FREE FROM TEMPTATION
AND THE FLAMES OF HELL’S DEVASTATION THEN HE WILL TAKE ME
AND WASH ME IN THE RIVER I WILL MAKE CELEBRATION IN THE JOY OF FINAL
THE LIGHT OF FINAL
THE FIRE OF FINAL SALVATION!
REVEREND BLISS & CHOIR OOH – OOH… OOH – OH – AHH – JOY FINALLY FINAL SALVATION! (CARRIE and MARGARET embrace.)
CHOIR OPEN YOUR HEART
LET JESUS IN…
CARRIE I love you, Momma.
MARGARET
I love you, Carrie. Now, go wash your hands, and set the table for dinner, please. I have a lot of work to finish.
CHOIR OOH –
CHOIR OOH –
(She turns off the radio and busies herself with a pile of clothing.) CARRIE
Momma?
MARGARET
Just as the laundry was about to close, Eleanor Snell brought in some last-minute alterations. I think the Snells are having a graduation party for Sue. She’s in your class, isn’t she?
CARRIE Momma, listen –
MARGARET
Anyway, Eleanor said she’d pay double, so I’ll be up all night trying to get it all done. Heaven knows, we can use the extra money.
CARRIE
Momma, please – something happened at school today. Something terrible. MARGARET
Terrible things are the Lord’s way of testing us, Carrie. CARRIE I know, but the other girls –
MARGARET You’re not like the other girls.
CARRIE But I am, Momma – I am. I never thought so, but –
MARGARET You’re not, Carrie – you’re special. Special.
CARRIE You’re not listening to me, Momma.
MARGARET I’ve heard all I want to hear. Now go set the table.
CARRIE Momma, in the shower –
MARGARET What have I told you about showering with the other girls?
CARRIE I know, but –
MARGARET What have I told you?
CARRIE Sin. It’s a sin.
MARGARET And as such, it is forbidden.
CARRIE But Momma – MARGARET Forbidden. CARRIE I started to bleed!
MUSIC 5: AND EVE WAS WEAK
(MARGARET takes in this news: her worst fear actualized.) CARRIE (CONT’D)
Momma, I started to bleed, and the other girls, they laughed at me and called me names, and I was so scared.
(seeing her mother’s face)
Momma, why are you looking at me like that?
MARGARET (whispers)
The Curse of Blood....
(She takes a Bible from a drawer.)
CARRIE Momma, you’re frightening me.
MARGARET Bow your head and pray, woman.
(reading from the Bible)
“And God made Eve from the rib of Adam. And Eve was weak and loosed the raven on the world.” CARRIE
Momma, it wasn’t my fault!
MARGARET
“And the raven was called Sin. So God visited Eve with a Curse, and the Curse was the Curse of Blood.” Say it, woman!
MARGARET (CONT’D)
AND GOD MADE EVE FROM ADAM’S RIB AND EVE WAS WEAK
AND EVE WAS WEAK
AND EVE WAS WEAK AND GOD MADE EVE TO BEAR THE CURSE: THE CURSE OF BLOOD
THE CURSE OF BLOOD THE CURSE OF BLOOD
CARRIE
Momma, how could I know? Why didn’t you tell me?
It’s not a curse!
Miss Gardner said it’s something all girls go through!
(CARRIE breaks free of her grip.)
CARRIE You should have told me!
(MARGARET uses the Bible to force CARRIE to her knees.) MARGARET You’re a woman now. Pray to heaven for your wicked soul!
MARGARET (CONT’D)
THE RAVEN CAME TO PLAGUE THE WORLD, ITS NAME WAS SIN.
ITS NAME WAS SIN.
ITS NAME WAS SIN – Begin!
AND LUST WAS HOW THE SIN BEGAN THE SIN WAS MAN
WELL, UNDERSTAND! THE SIN WAS MAN
CARRIE IT’S NOT A SIN
OH, MOMMA, IT’S NOT A SIN I DON’T UNDERSTAND NO!
WHAT HAVE I DONE? MARGARET (CONT’D)
GOD HAS SEEN YOUR SINNING JUST BEGINNING
PRAY FOR YOUR SALVATION FROM DAMNATION
PRAY OR
HE WILL BURN YOU! HE WILL BURN YOU!
MARGARET (CONT’D) THE SEED CONVEYS THE POWER AND IT’S COME AGAIN
IT’S COME AGAIN IT’S COME AGAIN
CARRIE
MOMMA, WHAT IS THIS SEED? DON’T YOU CARE THAT I
STARTED TO BLEED? MARGARET (CONT’D)
UNTIL THE SEED IS CRUSHED THE POWER NEVER ENDS IT NEVER ENDS
IT NEVER ENDS
CARRIE MOMMA, I WAS SO SCARED AND THEY ALL STARED!
THEN I STARTED CRYING
I THOUGHT I WAS DYING! MOMMA! MARGARET
HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF SHAME? PRAY FOR MERCY, GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES
SATAN’S STAKING HIS CLAIM ’CAUSE YOUR SOUL IS A HOLE OF DISEASE
I CAN SEE YOU INSIDE FULL OF SIN, FULL OF PRIDE THAT’S HOW LUCIFER FELL AND YOU’RE HEADED FOR HELL I WON’T LET YOU GO!
CARRIE (CONT’D) PLEASE, DON’T
HURT ME PLEASE DON’T HURT ME
DON’T BELIEVE WITH YOUR EYES THOSE ARE LIES, MOMMA, LIES MOMMA, HOW COULD I KNOW? MOMMA, LET ME GO!
(MARGARET drags a desperate and resisting CARRIE across the room and flings open the door to a small, eerily lit PRAYER CLOSET.)
MARGARET (CONT’D) HEAVEN HATES A SINNER HATES A SINNER!
SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM BURNING GOD, SHE’S BURNING!
PRAY OR
HE WILL BURN YOU! HE WILL BURN YOU!
CARRIE (CONT’D) I’M NOT A SINNER
MOMMA, STOP THAT’S BURNING! STOP! IT’S BURNING!
MOMMA
NO! NO! PLEASE! MOMMA, STOP!
(She thrusts CARRIE into the CLOSET and locks the door.) MARGARET (CONT’D) AND GOD MADE EVE FROM ADAM’S RIB
AND EVE WAS WEAK AND EVE WAS WEAK AND I WAS WEAK
I PRAYED THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN NOW I’M ALONE
AND SO AFRAID
OH, LORD, I’VE SEEN THIS POWER BEFORE THE FLESH IS WEAK AND I IMPLORE: FATHER, DON’T FORSAKE HER FATHER, TAKE HER
CLEANSE AND PURIFY HER WITH THE FIRE
AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER
AND EVER AND EVER AMEN!
Scene 6: Interrogation Space/Chris’ House
(US in shadow, CHRIS and the KIDS lounge and horse around at an impromptu party.) (WHOOSH! DS, the CONE OF WHITE LIGHT bumps up on SUE.)
SUE
Chris and I were best friends. Our mothers had grown up together and were still incredibly close. We were the two most popular girls – everyone just assumed we’d be friends forever.
(The tableau behind her breaks.)
CHRIS Suze – hey, Suze!
(SUE turns to see CHRIS approaching with a bottle of champagne.) Let’s celebrate! I’ve got some great news!
SUE What’s up?
CHRIS It looks like we’ll be going to college together after all!
SUE But I thought Brown turned you down.
CHRIS
Yeah, well, Daddy pulled a few strings, and now I’m in, so we can be roomies. Is that perfect or what? (BILLY arrives waving a bag of weed.)
BILLY Party’s here, bitches!
CHRIS Hey, Billy! Bill-ee!
(She opens her arms and puckers up for a kiss. He crosses to her and obliges.) BILLY
(then, without a beat)
Man, I’m starved. What’d’ya got to eat?
(He saunters off to join the other KIDS.)
SUE (sotto voce to CHRIS)
No offense, but you – you could have anyone. What do you see in him? CHRIS
Easy – he totally freaks out my old man. Daddy’s already offered to buy me a new car if I promise to stop seeing him.
(with a grin)
I’m holding out for a Beemer. (to the KIDS)
So, did you guys believe that stunt in the showers today? NORMA Oh, my God!
BILLY What happened?
CHRIS
Carrie White happened. Seventeen-freaking-years-old, guys, and this stupid spazz just stands there, having her very first period!
BILLY Gross! In the shower?
NORMA “I'm dy-ing! I'm dy-ing!”
CHRIS
The blood was dripping down her leg like – like, “Yo, mom, I'm on the rag!” (BILLY, munching on a bag of chips, stops, disgusted.)
BILLY Hey – I’m eating here!
CHRIS Standing there squealing like a stuck pig.
SUE Chris! Enough already! It’s not funny.
CHRIS Guys, wait.
(the KIDS stop laughing) Sue’s right. It’s not funny.
(a beat) It’s hilarious!
MUSIC 6: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS
(to SUE)
Oh, sweetie, there’s always a runt in every litter – a nobody. And our nobody is Carrie. (sings)
GUESS WHAT?
EVERY SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN SAME PLOT!
EVERYONE’S BEEN DUMPING ON THEIR FELLOW MAN POUNDING PEOPLE THEY FEEL BETTER THAN
I HOPE YOU’RE TAKING NOTES CUZ YOU FEEL
EVERYONE DESERVES A SHOT GET REAL!
SOME OF US HAVE GOT IT, GIRL, AND SOME GOT SQUAT THAT’S THE TRUTH, OH, HONEY, LIKE IT OR NOT
I HATE TO BREAK IT TO YOU
MY DADDY TAUGHT ME YOU GET NOWHERE BEING NICE SO NOW I’M SHARING HIS ADVICE
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS IS
BETTER TO STRIKE THAN GET STRUCK BETTER TO SCREW THAN GET SCREWED YOU’D
PROBABLY THINK IT’S BIZARRE BUT THAT’S THE WAY THINGS ARE
SUE
But that doesn’t mean it has to be that way. I mean, what does it cost to be kind? CHRIS
“What does it cost to be kind?” Ewww. What have you done with my best friend? Billy, you’ve been in high school, like what – seven years?
(He offers up six fingers.) So tell me: am I right, or am I right?
BILLY Trust me –
I SWEAR
THERE’S A DICK IN EV’RY CLASS NOT FAIR!
EACH AND EV’RY TIME I FAIL, THOSE LOSERS PASS HEY, EV’RY ONE OF THEM CAN KISS MY ASS
CHRIS (to SUE with a shrug)
YOU WONDER WHY I LOVE HIM?
BILLY ONE YEAR,
THERE WAS THIS GOOD-LOOKIN’ GUY SO QUEER!
AND, ON TOP OF THAT, HE HAD A WAND’RING EYE ONE DAY HE LOOKS AT ME AND
BILLY (punch!)
BYE-BYE!
GEORGE & STOKES Unh!
CHRIS I BET HE GOT THE MESSAGE
CHRIS & BILLY (to SUE and TOMMY) WE’RE HERE TO TELL YOU HOW THIS WHOLE DAMN FREAK SHOW WORKS IF YOU DON’T LISTEN THEN YOU’RE JERKS!
KIDS OH. OH. OH.
OH. OH. OH. OH OO YEAH YEAH
CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS (NO SUE OR TOMMY) THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS
IS
BETTER TO PUNCH THAN GET PUNCHED BETTER TO BURN THAN GET BURNED LEARN
THAT AND YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR CUZ THAT’S THE WAY THINGS ARE
CHRIS HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH
(She leads the crowd in dance.)
CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH
(SUE pulls TOMMY aside.)
SUE Do you believe her?
TOMMY C’mon, she’s just being Chris.
SUE No, you weren’t there. It was awful. We were hurting Carrie.
TOMMY I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.
SUE TOMMY, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
WHAT WAS JUST A JOKE GOT OUT OF HAND WE KEPT ON SCREAMIN’ TIL SHE HIT THE FLOOR
TOMMY Everybody was doing it.
SUE HEY! I WAS IN THERE, TOO!
WHAT CAME OVER ME WAS SOMETHING NEW I DID THINGS I’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE
CHRIS (calling from the group)
SUE
AND NOW I WISH THERE’S SOMETHING I COULD DO OR SAY I’VE NEVER EVER FELT THIS WAY
TOMMY LOOK, SUE!
DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF
YOU CAN TELL ME TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT BUT
WANNA KNOW WHAT I’D ADVISE?
SUE What? TOMMY (shrugs) APOLOGIZE SUE “Apologize”! Tommy, that’s genius!
CHRIS (crossing to her)
OOH, SUE!
I CAN TELL YOU’RE FEELING SAD
CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS BOO HOO!
SO WE CLOBBERED CARRIE, AND THAT’S TOO DAMN BAD CHRIS
THIS IS WHY YOU GOTTA LOVE MY DAD
BILLY & KIDS HE’S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA
CHRIS
MY DADDY TAUGHT ME WHO’S ON TOP AND WHO’S BELOW
AND NOW IT’S TIME I LET YOU KNOW
BILLY & KIDS OH OH OH
OH OH OH OH OH OH WHO’S BELOW CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS
(to SUE)
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO
CHRIS CHRIS
SUE You’re joking, right? You can’t possibly mean all this.
CHRIS Why are you being such a buzzkill?
SUE Chris, grow up.
(She exits with TOMMY.)
KIDS HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH
BILLY Let’s party, people!
(Stoking the group’s frenzy as he leads them off) FRIEDA, NORMA
STOKES & GEORGE ACCORDING TO CHRIS HER WORLD
ACCORDING TO CHRIS HER WORLD
HER WORLD
FREDDY & HELEN HA NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH
HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH
BILLY THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS KIDS HER WORLD
(…leaving CHRIS alone onstage.)
CHRIS (unexpectedly vulnerable)
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS IS
BETTER TO WHIP THAN GET WHIPPED EVEN IF SOMEBODY BLEEDS
PLEASE!
NOBODY DIES FROM A SCAR
AND THAT’S THE WAY THINGS ARE (LIGHTS fade. MUSIC segues.)
Scene 7: White Bungalow/A Street in Town
MUSIC 7: EVENING PRAYERS
(CARRIE prays in her tiny closet full of religious icons.) CARRIE JESUS WATCHES FROM THE WALL
BUT HIS FACE IS COLD AS STONE IF HE LOVES ME
WHY DO I FEEL SO ALL ALONE? BABY SAVIOUR, MEEK AND MILD WHAT DO YOU DO WITH MY PRAYERS? IF YOU HEAR ME
WHY DO I FEEL THAT NO ONE CARES? (MARGARET prays in a separate space.)
MARGARET FATHER ALMIGHTY, SHE’S ONLY A CHILD BUT THE WOMAN IS WAKING INSIDE HER SHE WILL BE LOST IF HER PASSION RUNS WILD SO I CAN’T LET HER STUMBLE AND FALL AS YOU HELPED YOUR CHILD DIVINE GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO HELP MINE
(FADE on them and reveal TOMMY walking SUE home.) SUE
I feel sick about what happened with Carrie.
TOMMY I’m telling you, this whole thing will blow over.
SUE I don’t think so. I mean, what is going on with everybody?
TOMMY Hey-hey-hey – shh…
(beat)
Listen, what if instead of going to all those parties after Prom, you and me drive out to the beach, and watch the sun come up together – just the two of us?
SUE (staring at him in wonder)
TOMMY What?
SUE Make everything better?
(LIGHTS fade on their embrace and come up on CARRIE.) CARRIE
MOMMA SEES INSIDE MY SOUL BUT HER FACE IS COLD AS STONE IF SHE LOVES ME
WHY DO I FEEL SO ALL ALONE? SO ALONE
THERE’S A MOVEMENT IN MY HEAD SAINTS AND ANGELS, WHAT CAN IT BE? IT’S GROWING
IT’S STIRRING
IT’S CHURNING! SHIFTING! BENDING!
(As her emotions intensify, [FLEX SOUND], a figurine of Jesus levitates before her eyes. CARRIE watches, awestruck – only for it to drop back into her hands.)
CARRIE (CONT’D) What’s happening to me?
(Hearing MARGARET unbolt the lock, she hurriedly replaces the figurine just as the door opens.) MARGARET
You can go to bed now.
CARRIE Yes, Momma.
MARGARET You must forget what happened today.
CARRIE Yes, Momma.
MARGARET God will protect you.
CARRIE Yes, Momma.
MARGARET God will forgive us.
CARRIE Yes, Momma.
MARGARET It’s getting late. Say your prayers.
CARRIE Now I lay me down to sleep.
CARRIE & MARGARET Pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake
Pray the Lord my soul to take.
(CARRIE heads off to bed, but is stopped by:) MARGARET I NEVER WANTED TO CAUSE YOU SUCH PAIN BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN
MY LIFE IS SO FRIGHT’NING
MAYBE I DO THINGS THAT I CAN’T EXPLAIN BUT MY FEELINGS FOR YOU NEVER CHANGE YOU ARE STILL MY PRECIOUS ONE
CAN YOU FORGIVE WHAT I’VE DONE? CARRIE
MOMMA, YOU DON’T NEED FORGIVENESS FROM ME OH, I KNOW THAT YOU DO WHAT
YOU HAVE TO
I WANT TO DRY ALL YOUR TEARS SO YOU’LL SEE
THAT I’M SORRY FOR LETTING YOU DOWN
WON’T YOU BLESS ME NOW? CAN YOU LOOK INSIDE YOUR
HEART?
SHOW ME THE MERCY THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS SHOWN WE HAVE NO ONE EXCEPT EACH
OTHER
I’M SO AFRAID THAT YOU’LL LEAVE ME ALONE
AND I’D DIE IF YOU PUSHED ME AWAY
PROMISE ME YOU’LL BE HERE YOU’RE THE REASON I’M ALIVE
MARGARET I WAS WRONG
IT HURTS ME TO HURT YOU
I’D RATHER DIE THAN SEE YOU SUFFER
ONE DAY YOU’LL BLESS ME FOR LIGHTING THE WAY
LOOK INSIDE YOUR HEART
THAT’S WHERE FORGIVENESS MUST START
AFTER ALL
WE HAVE NO ONE EXCEPT EACH OTHER
THE WORLD OUTSIDE CAN’T UNDERSTAND YOU
WHEN THEY BETRAY YOU I’LL ALWAYS BE HERE
YOU’RE THE REASON I’M ALIVE YOU’RE THE ONLY REASON I
YOU’RE MY SURVIVAL
IN MY LIFE THERE’S ONLY ONE THING TRUE
I LOVE YOU
SURVIVE
IN MY LIFE THERE’S ONLY ONE THING TRUE
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU Scene 8: Fourth Period English Class
(MR. STEPHENS addresses his unruly class.)
MR. STEPHENS
Okay, okay – settle down now, people – settle down. Now that many of you have been accepted into college, I know you think that you can coast through the rest of the term, but you are sorely mistaken.
(BILLY makes a farting sound, which MR. STEPHENS ignores.)
As I was saying, the abysmally low quality of your assignments this week was only exceeded by Mr. Nolan –
BILLY (bowing, waving proudly)
Thank you – thank you all very much!
MR. STEPHENS
– who couldn’t even be bothered to turn one in. I don’t suppose you’d care to offer an explanation. BILLY
(pretends to think, then shrugs) I got nothin’.
MR. STEPHENS
Surprise, surprise. And for the record, Mr. Nolan, it’s “I haven't got anything.” BILLY
You ain’t got nothin’, neither?!
(He hoots at his own joke, but MR. STEPHENS forges ahead.) MR. STEPHENS
There is, however, one ray of light – one composition that touched me with the authenticity of its emotion. I’d like that person to recite his work for the rest of you. Tommy Ross.
BILLY Yay, Tammay-boy – way to go!
MR. STEPHENS
One more word out of you, Mr. Nolan, and you can repeat this class for the third time, which, God knows, is one more time than either of us can survive.
(turning from BILLY) Tommy –
TOMMY Do I have to?
MR. STEPHENS Yep. Stand, please, and read your poem.
GEORGE (cheering him on)
Go, Cap!
TOMMY (good-naturedly)
Shut up.
(deep breath, then)
"Dreamer in Disguise" by Tommy Ross.
BILLY Oh, my God!
MUSIC 8: DREAMER IN DISGUISE
TOMMY An eagle’s just another bird
Until he can spread his wings.
(As some KIDS snickers, FREDDY flaps his arms.) FREDDY (SQUAWK! SQUAWK!)
MR. STEPHENS
Hey, guys, c’mon! Freddy – that looks like a plane, not a bird. Now shut up. TOMMY
A river is just a sheet of ice Til winter turns to spring.
(he sings)
AND THOUGH THE CLOUDS MAY BLOCK THE SUN DON’T MEAN THAT IT’S LEFT THE SKY
JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN IT ALL THERE’S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
LIKE THINGS I DREAM AND THINGS I FEEL THERE’S MORE TO ME THAN I REVEAL AND CUZ I SHINE IN QUIET WAYS I’M SOMEONE YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE I AM A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH A DREAMER IN DISGUISE
AN EAGLE’S JUST ANOTHER BIRD UNTIL HE CAN SPREAD HIS WINGS
(As the GIRLS sigh, BILLY stomps his feet, razzing.) MR. STEPHENS Thank you, Tommy. All right, class – comments?
(no one responds)
Well, don’t all raise your hands at once. Come on, anyone – anyone at all? CARRIE
... beautiful.
MR. STEPHENS (surprised and pleased)
Carrie White? Excellent! Speak up, please, Carrie, and share your thoughts with the class. CARRIE
It was beautiful. Just beautiful.
BILLY
“Beautiful?” Like, “oh, beautiful, for amber waves of gay”? Nice one, Period Girl! (KIDS laugh.)
TOMMY Shut up, Billy.
MR. STEPHENS Go on, Carrie. How did the poem speak to you?
CARRIE
I think ... I think it says that just because something – or somebody – seems one way, it doesn’t mean it is that way.
CHRIS (scornfully)
And I think I’m gonna hurl. (The bell rings.)
MR. STEPHENS
Quiz next time, class. If I were you, I’d brush up on your "Moby Dick" – the book, not the movie. Now, get out of here.
(SUE, hanging back, eyes CARRIE.)
FRIEDA C’mon, Sue – we’ve got a Prom Committee meeting.
SUE Start without me. I’ll be there in a minute.
FRIEDA You got it.
(FRIEDA exits. Curious, CHRIS hangs back.) SUE Hi, Carrie.
(CARRIE quickly glances up, then stares back down.)
That was nice – really nice – what you said about Tommy’s poem. I thought it was beautiful, too. (She takes CARRIE’s silence as a sign that it’s okay to proceed.)
Look, um, about yesterday – you know, what happened. I don’t know, things just sort of got out of control, and I just wanted you to know—
(CARRIE, spotting CHRIS, assumes it’s a prank.) CARRIE
Haven’t you had enough?! Do you think you can just go on tricking me forever?! (She runs out, leaving SUE stunned and bewildered.)
CHRIS My, my – little mousie’s got a temper.
(SUE doesn’t answer.) Suze?
(No reply. Shaking her head at her friend’s strange behavior, CHRIS exits, leaving SUE alone.)
MUSIC 9: ONCE YOU SEE
SUE FOR YEARS
YOU LOOK
YOU LOOK AT SOMEONE PASSING BY AND THEN ONE DAY YOU SEE HER ONE DAY YOU FINALLY SEE HER MY GOD!
SHE SHOOK
AND THEN SHE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE I’D NEVER SEEN HER ANGRY
I HATE I MADE HER ANGRY. SHE
SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN THERE I
I NEVER KNEW I FELT
AS THOUGH
AND NOW I KNOW
THAT ONCE YOU SEE, YOU CAN’T UNSEE Scene 9: Soccer Field/Girls’ Locker Room
(As the bell rings, GARDNER runs the GIRLS ragged.) MISS GARDNER C’mon, you hotshots – I want to see you sweat! Faster – faster!
(spotting NORMA faking it) Norma, move it! Get those knees up!
NORMA (whining)
I don’t like running.
(As SUE joins them, GARDNER blows her whistle.) MISS GARDNER Okay, line up – eyes front!
(They comply. GARDNER paces before them.)
Well, aren’t you just the bunch to send off to graduation and out into the world? Oh, my, yes. And Prom’s next Saturday. Sue, you’ll be going with Tommy Ross, I imagine. And Chris, well, I bet you can take your pick. Who’s the lucky guy?
CHRIS Billy Nolan. MISS GARDNER Who? CHRIS Billy Nolan. MISS GARDNER
Well, isn’t that perfect? Do any of you stop to think that Carrie White has feelings? Do any of you ever stop to think? Wipe that smirk off your face, Norma.
(trying another tack)
You know, ladies, life is all about choices – about making the right choice. I just want you to know that yesterday you made the wrong one, and did a really shitty thing.
(HELEN giggles; GARDNER’s glare stops her cold.)
So this is how it’s going to go down. You’re each going to apologize to Carrie. CHRIS, NORMA, HELEN (etc.)
Whaaaat?!
MISS GARDNER Apologize to her in front of everyone.
CHRIS Forget it. I won’t.
MISS GARDNER That’s up to you, Chris. That’s up to all of you.
CHRIS And if we don’t?
MISS GARDNER Do you really want to find out?
(She goes off to get CARRIE.)
CHRIS (furious)
That goddamn Scary White! This is all her fault! SUE Let it go, Chris.
CHRIS Why are you taking her side?
SUE
This isn’t about sides. What did Carrie ever do to you? Or to any of us? CHRIS
Well, well, aren’t you getting to be the Joan of Arc around here? Oh, wait, remind me: who was that in there pitching with the rest of us?
SUE I was. But I’m sorry.
CHRIS You’re sorry. Oh, Little Miss Perfect is sorry. Hey, everybody –
(poking SUE’s shoulder, she chants:) Su-zie is sor-ry! Su-zie is sor-ry! Su-zie is sorry!
(NORMA, spotting GARDNER returning, hisses:) NORMA Chris – zip it!
(GARDNER enters with CARRIE.)
MISS GARDNER
Okay, girls, you’ve all got something to say to Carrie. Who’s going first? (A beat. Then SUE step forward.)
SUE Carrie... Carrie, I’m sorry.
MISS GARDNER Frieda... FRIEDA (shrugging) Sorry, Carrie. MISS GARDNER Your turn, Norma.
NORMA (busily texting, she walks past CARRIE)
Sor-ry.
MISS GARDNER Helen ...
HELEN Sorry.
(CHRIS is the lone holdout.)
MISS GARDNER Okay, Chris – let’s hear it.
CHRIS (under her breath)
When goddamn pigs fly…
MISS GARDNER We’re waiting, Chris. I can’t hear you.
CARRIE Please, it’s okay...
(Seeing no choice, CHRIS sighs deeply and puts on her "sincere" face.) CHRIS
Carrie – Carrie, I –
CARRIE You don’t have to do this!
(At this sign of pity from CARRIE, CHRIS stops, then crosses until she’s in CARRIE’s face.) CHRIS
(The GIRLS explode in shocked laughter.)
MISS GARDNER That’s it, Hargensen – you’re out of the Prom!
CHRIS What?!
MISS GARDNER You heard me. You’re out. End of story.
CHRIS You can’t get away with this!
MISS GARDNER Watch me.
(as CHRIS storms past her, she grabs her arm) The period’s not over yet. There are still ten minutes left.
CHRIS Stick them up your ass!
(CHRIS shoves GARDNER, and GARDNER shoves her back. In their altercation, CHRIS trips and falls to the ground. The GIRLS gasp and giggle at her.)
MISS GARDNER Class dismissed!
CHRIS (jumping up, humiliated)
My daddy’s a lawyer! He’ll sue your ass!
MISS GARDNER Shut up!
CHRIS You’ll never get another job teaching!
MISS GARDNER (to the other GIRLS)
Get moving! All of you – now! (They begin to exit.)
CHRIS (to the GIRLS)
MISS GARDNER Go, go, go!
CHRIS (desperate now)
Helen... Norma... Sue!
SUE Shut up, Chris – just shut up! Not everything’s about you.
CHRIS (calling after them, enraged)
You can all go to hell! (She storms out.)
(GARDNER crosses to CARRIE in the locker room.) MISS GARDNER
Carrie? Oh, Carrie, if I’d had any idea it was going to turn out like this, I’d never – CARRIE
Miss Gardner, you’ve got to let Chris go. You’ve just got to! MISS GARDNER What are you talking about?
CARRIE Prom – it’s very important to her.
MISS GARDNER And what’s right is important to me.
CARRIE But Prom is everything to those girls.
(haltingly)
It’s the one night, they all get dressed up… and they look beautiful. It’s like a dream – a perfect dream. MISS GARDNER
And what about you?
CARRIE Me? Oh, no, I’m not going. I’m different.
MISS GARDNER Not that different.
CARRIE Yes, I am. They’ve all got someone.
MISS GARDNER So will you. One day, you’ll see. Things change.
(trying another approach) I’ll tell you what. Let’s pretend –
CARRIE Oh, Miss Gardner –
MISS GARDNER
– just for a minute – pretend that the right someone comes up to you, and says, “Carrie, will you be my date for Prom?”
(A pause as CARRIE is almost caught up in the fantasy.) Well, what would you say?
CARRIE No.
MISS GARDNER Carrie! Why not?
CARRIE I’m… not pretty.
MISS GARDNER Sure, you are.
MUSIC 10: UNSUSPECTING HEARTS
Come over here.
(taking her to a mirror) See there, now, that’s a pretty girl.
SO MANY YEARS
YOU FACED THE WORLD ALONE
FRIGHTENED THAT LIFE MIGHT PASS YOU BY THEN HE APPEARS
SOMEONE WHO SMILES AT YOU THIS IS NO TIME TO QUESTION WHY
LOVE CAN FIND YOU WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT FUNNY HOW TWO LIVES CONNECT
THAT’S HOW IT STARTS TWO UNSUSPECTING HEARTS LET YOURSELF GO
GIVE SOMEONE HALF A CHANCE MAYBE HE’S WAITING JUST FOR YOU YOU NEVER KNOW
