THE RIGHTS OF SPRING

First Part


Contra dance with everybody
[appeal for kids for suns and ice dragon]

Summer in New York – she’s hot, hot, hot!!!!!
Short Tango

She is courted by Mr. Corporate Ice
Tango

[banners cross, drop off baby and pick up Ice]

She calls Cheap Nannies, Inc. the pigeon sitting service
[Bird(s) in]

And now Mr. Corporate Ice takes Summer to his Corporate Headquarters in some suburban industrial park in the Arctic!
And now Mr. Ice has her, winter is forever!! Winter, winter, winter, winter.....
Galumphing Music, stomp, stomp

Second Part


Meanwhile, in a cave in Central/Prospect Park
(Just over there, see the big tree, the one next to it, not that one, the other one, just to the right of that, there's a small opening under the roots,....) That's where the pigeon nannies raise her, on a diet of bagels with a worm schmear, and they educate her as best they can.
[Toddler Spring from around big banner, sits]

The Bird Nanny teaches her reading
Spring reads that when Summer was there, the living was easy, and she sees that when Winter sees a plant,
[plant in]

he freezes it
Winter stomping music,

[plant out]

The Bird Nanny teaches her writing

[writes in book]

And Sring writes how, When winter meets a sweet little furry rat, he terrifies it
The Bird Nanny teaches her arithmetic

[big calculator]

and she adds up all the miseries of endless winter, and she sees that When winter meets a student, he expels him/her... and he'll still have to pay off his student loans, and he'll never get a job, and he'll have to live with his mother...Forever!

Interlude


And now, our Spring is ready for finishing school! The wisest of the wise old birds teaches her the secrets of the universe, etc. He teaches her to walk with weight and dignity, like a bird.
Some little tune, or instrument for bird walk

They grow up so fast!

[around curtain, toddler swithces to big Spring]

And when she has learned all the secrets of the universe, she is ready. He sends her forth to break the grip of Mr. Corporate Ice on this world here. Treat the world with the respect it deserves! If ever you are in desperate straits, call upon the Spirit of New York!
And this is how you call the Spirit of New York:
“Hey You, commere!”

[teach "Hey You" to the audience]

New York "Waddaya want? Just testing? I'm busy! Gotta take a meeting with New Jersey! Call me when you really need something!

Interlude 2


Flower-tossing run

Opera singing

So off she goes into the world.

Third Part


First she meets a plant, frozen stiff. She teaches it how to walk like a bird,
Bird walk tune

That warms it up, and it teaches her to bend like a plant in the summer breeze
little plant tune or instrument - bending

and the plant Comes along with her
Then they meet a poor little furry Rat, all scared and cowering.
They teach it how to walk like a bird
Bird walk tune

and how to bend like a plant in the summer breeze,
plant tune

and as it regains confidence, it teaches them how to snarl and show their teeth.
Rat jittery tune

Then they meet a student, all sad and out of school.
They teach it how to walk like a bird,
Bird walk

how to bend like a plant is the summer breeze,
plant tune

how to snarl and show his teeth
Rat tune

and with this new knowledge, he easily passes the GED and shows them how to make plenty of noise.
boombox

Fourth Part


And now, finally, at last, she is ready to tackle Mr. Corporate Ice.
Out he comes.
Tango

He tries to expel the student, but he just bends like a plant in the summer breeze, and lets it just wash over him.
Plant tune

[student to back of line, with high-fives]

He tries to freeze the plant, but it shows its teeth and acts mean.
Rat tune

He tries to scare the Rat and make it scurry away, but it walks with dignity like a bird.
Bird walk

He tries to scare our Spring, but she makes plenty of noise, and so do the rest of them.
Boombox

So he calls in the Ice Dragon.
Dragon noise

Ice Dragon has them cornered.
Call for the Spirit of New York
“Hey You, commere”

Bird calls in suns to melt dragon.

Wise Old Bird calls
“Hey lady, lookit this!”

dance music

Mother Earth in
Suns and dragons shake hands.
Dance

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