Red Dead Redemption and its characters are owned by Rockstar Games.
Rent is owned by the estate of Jonathan Larson.
Lights then come back up as Joanne is reexamining the cable connections for the umpteenth time. Mark then makes his entrance.
Tango: Maureen
(Arthur/Mark)
And so into the abyss…the lot. Where a small stage is
Partially set up
(Tilly/Joanne) (playing with some wires)
"Line in"…
I went to Harvard for this?
(Arthur/Mark)
Close on Mark's nose dive
(Tilly/Joanne)
"Line out"…
(Arthur/Mark)
Will he get out of here alive…?
Joanne then notices Mark approaching.
(Tilly/Joanne)
Mark?
(Arthur/Mark)
Hi
(Tilly/Joanne)
I told her not to call you
(Arthur/Mark)
That's Maureen
But can I help since I'm here
(Tilly/Joanne)
I've hired an engineer
(Arthur/Mark)
Great!
Well, nice to have met you
He says as he turns to leave but Joanne stops him.
(Tilly/Joanne)
Wait!
She's three hours late
The samples won't delay
But the cable
(Arthur/Mark)
There's another way
Say something – anything
(Tilly/Joanne) (speaks into the mic)
Test – one, two, three
(Arthur/Mark)
Anything but that
(Tilly/Joanne)
This is weird
(Arthur/Mark)
It's weird
(Tilly/Joanne)
Very weird
(Arthur/Mark)
Fuckin' weird
(Tilly/Joanne)
I'm so mad
That I don't know what to do
Fighting with microphones
Freezing down to my bones
And to top it all off
I'm with you
(Arthur/Mark)
Feel like going insane?
Got a fire in your brain
And you're thinking of drinking gasoline?
(Tilly/Joanne)
As a matter of fact
(Arthur/Mark)
Honey, I know this act
It's called the 'Tango Maureen'
The Tango Maureen
It's a dark, dizzy merry-go-round
As she keeps you dangling
(Tilly/Joanne)
You're wrong
(Arthur/Mark)
Your heart she is mangling
(Tilly/Joanne)
It's different with me
(Arthur/Mark)
And you toss and you turn
'Cause her cold eyes can burn
Yet you yearn and churn and rebound
(Tilly/Joanne)
I think I know what you mean
(Both)
The Tango Maureen
(Arthur/Mark)
Has she ever pouted her lips
And called you 'pookie'
(Tilly/Joanne)
Never
(Arthur/Mark)
Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?
(Tilly/Joanne)
This is spooky
Did you swoon when she walked through
The door?
(Arthur/Mark)
Every time – so be cautious
(Tilly/Joanne)
Did she moon over other boys?
(Arthur/Mark)
More than moon
(Tilly/Joanne)
I'm getting nauseous
They then begin to dance the Tango, with Mark leading.
(Arthur/Mark)
Where'd you learn to tango?
(Tilly/Joanne)
With the French Ambassador's daughter in her dorm
Room at Miss Porter's
And you?
(Arthur/Mark)
With Nanette Himmelfarb. The Rabbi's daughter at the
Scarsdale Jewish
Community Centre
They then switch, and Joanne now leads.
It's hard to do this backwards
(Tilly/Joanne)
You should try it in heals!
She cheated
(Arthur/Mark)
She cheated
(Tilly/Joanne)
Maureen cheated
(Arthur/Mark)
Fuckin' cheated
(Tilly/Joanne)
I'm defeated
I should give up right now
(Arthur/Mark)
Gotta look on the bright side
With all of your might
(Tilly/Joanne)
I'd fall for her still anyhow
(Both)
When you're dancing her dance
You don't stand a chance
Her grip of romance
Will make you fall
(Arthur/Mark)
So you think, 'might as well'
(Tilly/Joanne)
"Dance a tango to hell"
(Both)
At least I'll have tangoed at all
The Tango Maureen
Gotta dance till your diva is through
You pretend to believe her
Cause in the end you can't leave her
But in the end it will come
Still you have to play dumb
Till you're glum and you bum
And turn blue
(Arthur/Mark)
Why do we love when she's mean?
(Tilly/Joanne)
And she can be so obscene
(Arthur/Mark)
Try the mike
(Tilly/Joanne)
My Maureen…
(Arthur/Mark)
Patched
(Tilly/Joanne)
Thanks
(Arthur/Mark)
You know I feel great now!
(Tilly/Joanne)
I feel lousy
The pay phone then rings. Mark answers it and hands it to Joanne.
Honey, we're… Pookie?!
You never call me Pookie…
Mark laughs at her. He abruptly covers his mouth with his scarf when she starts glaring at him.
Forget it, we're patched
She hangs up, and then continues glaring at Mark
(Both)
The Tango Maureen
Lights then dim down. Joanne and Mark exit. Roger remains sitting on the metal table with his guitar and his back to the audience.
Life Support
Angel and Collins are attending the AIDS Life Support meeting. Paul, the support leader, sits on the downstage railing above.
Gordon, one of the members of the group, is standing downstage left, facing the audience. As the members enter, they introduce themselves and form a semicircle. (Author's note: The names of the support group members are named after Jonathan Larson's friends who sadly died from AIDS.)
(Sean/Steve)
Steve
(Kieran/Gordon)
Gordon
(Karen/Ali)
Ali
(Mary-Beth/Pam)
Pam
(Sadie/Lisa)
Lisa
(Javier/Angel)
Hi, I'm Angel
(Charles/Collins)
Tom. Collins
(Lenny/Paul)
I'm Paul. Let's begin
(All)
There's only us
There's only this…
Mark then blusters in noisily.
(Arthur/Mark)
Sorry… Excuse me… Oops
(Lenny/Paul)
And you are?
(Arthur/Mark)
Oh – I'm not
I'm just here to
I don't have
I'm here with
Um – Mark
Mark – I'm Mark
Well – this is quite an operation
(Lenny/Paul)
Sit down Mark
We'll continue the affirmation
(All)
Forget regret or life is yours to miss
(Kieran/Gordon)
Excuse me Paul – I'm having a problem with
This
This credo – my T-cells are low
I regret that news, okay?
(Lenny/Paul)
Alright
But Gordon – How do you feel today?
(Kieran/Gordon)
What do you mean?
(Lenny/Paul)
How do you feel today?
(Kieran/Gordon)
Okay
(Lenny/Paul)
Is that all?
(Kieran/Gordon)
Best I've felt all year
(Lenny/Paul)
Then why choose fear?
(Kieran/Gordon)
I'm a New Yorker
Fear's my life
Look – I find some of what you teach suspect
Because I'm used to relying on intellect
But I try to open to what I don't know
(Kieran/Gordon & John/Roger) (who's singing from his loft)
Because reasons says I should have died
Three years ago
(All) (except John/Roger)
No other road
No other way
No day but today
Lights then dim down on the support group. Lights then fade up on Mimi as she's shown to be in her apartment.
Out Tonight
(Abigail/Mimi)
What's the time
Well it's gotta be close to midnight
My body's talking to me
It says "time for danger"
It says "I wanna commit a crime
Wanna be the cause of a fight
Wanna put on a tight skirt and
Flirt with a stranger"
I've had a knack from way back
At breaking the rules once I learn the
Games
Get up – life's too quick
I know someplace sick
Where this chick'll dance in the flames
We don't need any money
I always get in for free
You can get in too
If you get in with mee
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna play?
Let's run away
We won't be back before it's Christmas Day
Take me out tonight (meow)
When I get a wink from the doorman
Do you know how lucky you'll be
That you're on line with the feline of Avenue
B
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna prowl
Be my night owl?
Well take my hand we're gonna howl
Out tonight
In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels too damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry
So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
And all the scars from the
Nevers and maybes die
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You're sweet
Wanna hit the street?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight
Mimi then makes her way to Roger's door.
Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me – out tonight
I'll let you make me – out tonight
Tonight – tonight – tonight
Another Day
Mimi then kisses Roger passionately, but Roger recoils.
(John/Roger)
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar
Little girl hey
The door is that way
You better go you know
The fire's out anyway
Take your powder take your candle
Your sweet whisper
I just can't handle
Well take your hair in the moonlight
Your brown eyes goodbye, goodnight
I should tell you I should tell you
I should tell you I should
Mimi then places her hand on Roger's shoulder
No!
Another time another place
Our temperature would climb
There'd be a long embrace
We'd do another dance
It'd be another play
Looking for romance?
Come back another day
Another day
(Abigail/Mimi)
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today
(John/Roger)
Excuse me if I'm off track
But if you're so wise
Then tell me why do you need smack?
Take your needle
Take your fancy prayer
And don't forget
Get the moonlight out of your hair
Long ago you might've lit up my heart
But the fire's dead ain't never ever gonna start
Another time another place
The words would only rhyme
We'd be in outer space
It'd be another song
We'd sing another way
You wanna prove me wrong?
Come back another day
Another day
(Abigail/Mimi)
There's only us
Only tonight
We must let go
To know what's right
No other course
No other way
No day but today
Lights slowly fade up on the Life Support group.
(Abigail/Mimi & others) (Roger, to himself, talking out loud)
I can't control (Control your temper)
My destiny (She doesn't see)
I trust my soul (Who says that there's a soul)
My only goal is just (approaching Mimi who tries to take his hands)
To be (Just let me be)
There's only now (Who do you think you are?)
There's only here (Barging in on me and my guitar)
Give in to love
Or live in fear (Little girl, hey)
No other path (The door is that way)
No other way
(Abigail/Mimi)
No day but today
(John/Roger)
The fire's out anyway
(All) (Roger)
No day but today (Take your powder, take your candle)
No day but today (Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile,
Your silhouette)
No day but today (another time, another place, another
Rhyme, a warm embrace)
No day but today (another dance, another way, another chance,
Another day)
No day but today
Mimi and the Life Support group members exit. One person, Steve, remains at stage right, above.
(John/Roger)
I'm writing one great song before I?
Will I?
As each character starts to sing, they appear at different places on the stage. The company forms each group.
(Sean/Steve)
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
(Group #1)
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
(Group #2 and John/Roger)
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
(Group #3, Arthur/Mark, and Tilly/Joanne)
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
(Group #4, Javier/Angel and Charles/Collins, and Mimi) (in her apartment)
Will I lose my dignity
Will someone care
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?
As the song ends, Roger puts on his jacket and exits the loft.