HANDFUL OF RAIN by Jon Oliva and Paul O'neill / Savatage APPROACHING OF THE STORM by Thomas Lipschultz Cast: Barmaid, Patron, Death, *Blues man, *Smoking man. Marked * sit in consecutive corners of the room throughout. Handful of Rain Approaching of the Storm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The night is growing dark Barmaid is sitting at the From somewhere deep within bar. Patron enters [slow] at It shelters like an ark <--- "shelters" and sits down. That always takes you in He orders a drink. And the mind goes numb <--- Patron drinks. Till it's feeling no pain And the soul cries out <--- Patron starts to slowly look For a handful of rain up upon "soul," finishing at "out." Looks down [slowly] at Wash your women <---+ "rain." In your whiskey : When your future's +---- Patron drinks, converses with In the past Barmaid [no voice!]. And you're staring <---+ Up at Heaven +---- Looks up QUICKLY at "and." From the bottom Looks down at glass QUICKLY Of a glass at "from." And you need <---+ Some insulation +---- Stares at barmaid and From the years you've lip-synchs lyrics until Had and lost "lost." Barmaid nods sym- And you feel <---+ pathetically with small The perspiration : nods the whole time. As you're adding : Up the cost +---- Patron stares at lap and shakes head until end of And the night rolls on <-+ verse. Like a slow-moving train : And the soul cries out +- Takes BIG drink until "out." Sets down glass. There'a a land <-------- Patron turns toward door. Beyond the living There's a land <-------- Door begins to open [Death]. Beyond the dead If it's true that <-------- Patron stares on intently. God's forgiving Of the lives <-------- Patron slowly gets up off That we have led of chair, STILL HAS GLASS In the distance in one hand. There's a thunder <-------- At "thunder," Death enters, And the air is begins walking toward Patron Thick and warm in time with music. And the patrons <-------- At "patrons," Patron starts Watch with wonder walking backward slowly, w/ The approaching of free hand in front of him, The storm fear on his face, shaking head, shunning Death. And the night rolls on <--- The Patron continues slowly Like a slow-moving train distancing himself from Death And the soul cries out in time to the music, so the For a handful of rain distance between them remains the same the whole time. Ooh, alright <--- At "alright," Patron turns and frantically walks toward There's an old man <---+ Smoker's corner. In the corner : And he's smoking +---- At "There's," Patron turns All the time toward Death in horror, And his smoke shakes head and mouths "no." Is drifting upward and It's twisting in my <-------- At "twisting," Patron grabs Twisting in my mind head with free hand (holding My mind glass in other hand). Whiskey's getting deeper <--- At "Whiskey's," Patron drinks And I use it like a moat from glass [quick swig] and There's a blues man runs to Blues man's corner. In the distance and he's Lost inside his <--- At "Lost," Patron grabs head Lost inside his note with both hands, dropping His note glass, and falls to knees. HIS NOTE <-------- When "NOTE" ends, Death has The night is growing dark just caught up with Patron From somewhere deep within and has one hand on his It shelters like an ark shoulder. At "From," they That always takes you in both walk toward the door in And the night rolls on time with the music. At Like a slow-moving train "night," Death opens door And the soul cries out and motions for Patron to For a handful of rain <---+ leave. Afterward, slowly : closes door. +---- At "For," Death begins to look up and put hands in the air. At "rain," hands are spread apart and formed into claws. Remain in this state until song ends.