RAINDANCE

RAINDANCE.family

RAINDANCE

The Play

by Uncle John

Raindance.one

Art Work by Michael Waters

Music by

Uncle John & Tobey Stein & Gary Sangervasi

Grateful Dead

& Bob Dylan

Special Thanks to Playwright Lauren Gunderson

 Spanish translation by Tania Carrasco

Characters

Storyteller

Sundance

Raindance

Lady Liberty

The Joker

The Purple Sage

The Hermit

Daniel Rafael

Michelle

Pretty Peggy

Ida Red

Billy Dee

  Jesse 

Freya Chanteur

Johnnie Walker

Harry Jardiniere

Maria Bonita

Seven Gypsy Women

Bobby “Sugarfree” Sugaree

Rainbow

The Magician

 

Raindance.family

The Raindance family tell their story in tales, through poetry, songs, art, and dance.

 RAINDANCE

Acts and Scene descriptions in development

Here are some  EXCERPTS from the play

 

SUNDANCE

 Vision Of The Dance To Make It Rain

Lyrics by Uncle John & Music by Uncle John & Gary Sangervasi

Born in the American hills
Raised in a desert cave
It wasn't until he was twenty-one
He met Jesus and was saved
He can move like a mountain lion
Smell like a bear for snakes
Sundance is so bold and strange
 As he is strong and brave
 
He has half a diamond for an eye
And an eagle to guide his way
And he lived ten years inside the city
And he learned the cityīs ways
He had a love for the game
A taste for whiskey
A weakness for pretty women
But he couldn't understand the cruelty
To lock up so many people inside prisons
He is a man who loves his freedom
 
He picked up a simple stone
And at night his would shine
Reflected on the city
Illuminated the road in the sky
They say he has ten thousand brothers
And all of them believing men
And ten thousand sisters
And many children
 
He has vision for a river of time
Who can stop the rain at will
When you find him he can make it rhyme
And get even better still
He walks inside the cities teaching ecology
He painted a rose for a masterpiece
And helps the blind to see
 
He had a love for the game
A taste for whiskey
A weakness for pretty women
But he couldn't understand the cruelty
To lock up so many people inside prisons
He is a man who loves his freedom
 
Sundance is clever
And a man with many faces
But heīs the only one I know
Holding all four aces
Now some say he is a prophet
And some just one man
But I know him as a friend of Jesus
And a child of the desert sand
Asking
How can the most advanced
Civilization of all time
be so far behind
be so far behind?
 
Now Sundance is among you

Who helps the four-winged beast to fly
Those who live to see
Half diamond for an eye
Shall see

Golden Rain fall from the sky
Sky roses
Raining from the sky
Roses from the sky

Roses from the sky!

 

The Golden Record VOYAGER - NASA

 

Storyteller:

Stories and the people in them are true inspiration. A band of musicians gather together as family, known as Raindance. Their famous and well known guitar player is Bobby Sugaree, they call "Sugarfree". His closest friends call him Sundance. The Purple Sage is riding with Bobby Sugaree in San Francisco who suggests they stop for tea. Bobby puts on a hat and sunglasses and they walk into a busy bakery and there are two counter chairs together available, and they sit down there. They order tea.  Suddenly, Bobbyīs hit song "Around and Around" plays on the loudspeakers, and as soon as someone spots him, the whispers and pointing begin. They notice at one table are the clique known as The Gypsy Women. They are the only ones who get up and dance in the bakery aisle. There are seven of them, and The Sage points them out and ask Bobby if he recognizes them as the dancers in his audience.

 

Bobby (Sugarfree) Sugaree:

Sirens of Titan

 

Storyteller:

Titan is a moon of Saturn

Purple Sage:

That spurs my memory of the recent moment I had dancing with them. They are a tight clique who hang out and dance exclusively with one another.

One night I am able to speak with one of them and ask her name,

Gypsy Woman

Gypsy

Purple Sage:

And then I ask her, "What do you do?".

Gypsy Woman:

Astral Navigator

Purple Sage:

She responds quickly and tersely.

"Where are you from?" I ask and she answers,

Gypsy Woman:

From the future. We listen to the Golden Record and that made us come.

 

The music stops and the dancers sit down. The place is lively with conversation.

Purple Sage:

Our tea arrives, and I take a couple packets of sugar and offer it to Bobby.

He grabs the sugar and stands up and slams the packets on the counter.

Sugaree:

"I hate sugar!"

 

Purple Sage:

He says in a loud and booming voice that silences the rest of the room who are all staring. Bobby sits down and I whisper to him,

"Bobby, weīre in a bakery!"

 

Storyteller:

Suddenly, one by one, each of the seven gypsy women stand and sing a line to Bobby Sugaree

 

Gypsy Woman #1:

When they come to take you down

Gypsy Woman #2:

When they bring that wagon around

Gypsy Woman #3:

When they come to call on you

Gypsy Woman #4:

And drag your poor body down

Gypsy Woman #5:

Just one thing that I ask of you

Gypsy Woman #6:

Just one thing for me

Gypsy Woman #7:

Please forget you knew my name

All Seven Gypsy Women (in harmony):

My darlinī Sugaree

 

All Seven Gypsy Women (dancing):

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

 

Gypsy Woman #1:

You thought you was the cool fool

Gypsy Woman #2:

And never could do no wrong

Gypsy Woman #3:

Had everything sewn up tight

Gypsy Woman #4:

How come you lay awake all night long?

Gypsy Woman #5:

Just one thing that I ask of you

Gypsy Woman #6:

Just one thing for me

Gypsy Woman #7:

Please forget you knew my name

All Seven Gypsy Women:

My darlinī Sugaree

 

All Seven Gypsy Women (dancing):

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

 

Gypsy Woman #1:

You know, in spite of all you gained

Gypsy Woman #2:

You still had to stand out in the pouring rain

Gypsy Woman #3:

One last voice is calling you

Gypsy Woman #4:

And I guess itīs time you go

Gypsy Woman #5:

Just one thing that I ask of you

Gypsy Woman #6:

Just one thing for me

Gypsy Woman #7:

Please forget you knew my name

All Seven Gypsy Women:

My darlinī Sugaree

 

All Seven Gypsy Women (dancing):

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

 

Gypsy Woman #1:

Shake it up now Sugaree

Gypsy Woman #2:

Iīll meet you at the jubilee

Gypsy Woman #3:

And if that jubilee donīt come

Gypsy Woman #4:

Baby, Iīll meet you on the run

Gypsy Woman #5:

Just one thing that I ask of you

Gypsy Woman #6:

Just one thing for me

Gypsy Woman #7:

Please forget you knew my name

All Seven Gypsy Women:

My darlinī Sugaree

 

All Seven Gypsy Women (dancing):

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

 

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

Shake it, Shake it Sugaree

Just donīt tell them that you know me

 

All Seven Gypsy Women

now standing behind Bobby and hovering over him, shout together in one voice:

 Take us to your leader, Johnny B. Goode!

 

The bakery now is jam packed with people, and outside looking through the big plate glass is a large crowd.

 The loudspeaker is playing the mellow Workingmanīs Dead album:

"It's the same story the crow told me, it's the only one he knows
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait
Wo-oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?"

Storyteller:

As soon as Bobby stands up, the crowd and loudspeakers go quiet.

Sugarfree turns to each of the seven gypsy women and sings loudly

 

Sundance:

Just like Jack the Ripper
Just like Mojo Hand
Just like Billy Sunday
In a shotgun rag-time band
Just like New York City
Just like Jericho
Pace the halls and climb the walls
And get out when they blow

Storyteller:

It is the blowing of the ramīs horns, the sound of musical trumpets, accompanied with loud choral voices that bring the walls of Jericho down. Following Godīs instructions accomplish the unexpected.

Sundance:

Did you say your name was Rambling Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose


Just like Jack and Jill
Mama told the sailor
One heat up and one cool down
Leave nothing for the tailor
Just like Jack and Jill
Papa told the jailer
One go up and one come down
Do yourself a favour

Did you say your name was Rambling Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose


I'm gonna sing you
A hundred verses of ragtime
I know this song
It ain't never gonna end
I'm gonna march you up and down
Along the county line
Take you to the leader
Of the band

 

Just like crazy Otto, just like Wolfman Jack

Sittinīplush with a royal flush, aces back to back.

Just like Mary Shelley, just like Frankenstein.

Clank your chains and count your change and try to walk the line.

 

The Joker, Raindance, & Liberty, join their brother Sundance

and in perfect harmony sing together a capella

 

Did you say your name was Rambling Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose


I'm gonna sing you
A hundred verses of ragtime
I know this song
It ain't never gonna end
I'm gonna march you up and down
Along the county line
Take you to the leader
Of the band

 

Good-bye mama and papa

Good-bye Jack and Jill

The grass ainīt greener

The wine ainīt sweeter

Either side of the hill

Did you say your name was Rambling Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose

 

The Joker, Raindance and Lady Liberty toasts the gypsies and say to them & each other

The Joker:

I want your world

Raindance:

Would you settle for the country?

Liberty:

Fuck the country, I want to be a star!

Liberty turns and sings:

"Take my hand and run with me

Out of the past of yesterday

And walk with me

Into the future tomorrow........"

 

Next Act: THE SECRET BOOK

 

 

SUGAREE, RAMBLE ON ROSE

 Songs by the Grateful Dead

Lyrics by Robert Hunter & Music by Jerry Garcia

 

Excerpts from the science fiction musical Play "RAINDANCE"

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