montepío - the musical

Act 2, Scene 5, "The Peasant Boy Who Mistook his Finger for a Gun"

ACT 2: Eden
Scene 5: The Terrible Knowledge of Good and Evil

"The Peasant Boy Who Mistook his Finger for a Gun"

SANTIAGO: I ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO MISTOOK HIS FINGER
FOR A GUN.
I ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO SHOT EVERYONE
YET THEY DIDN'T DIE
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY.

DIEGO &
SANTIAGO: PEACE IS WAR.

(SANTIAGO puts a pistol to DIEGO's head.)

SANTIAGO: GIVE ME YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: GIVE ME YOUR GUN.

(SANTIAGO gives him the gun. In exchange, DIEGO gives him a handful of dirt, some of which disappears through SANTIAGO's fingers. DIEGO puts the gun to SANTIAGO's head.)

DIEGO: GIVE ME YOUR LAND.

SANTIAGO: GIVE ME YOUR GUN.

(The appropriate exchange is made and this time the amount of dirt is a little bit less. SANTIAGO puts the gun to DIEGO's head.)

SANTIAGO: GIVE ME YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: GIVE ME YOUR GUN.

(Exchange. Still less dirt. DIEGO puts the gun to SANTIAGO's head.)

DIEGO: GIVE ME YOUR LAND.

SANTIAGO: GIVE ME YOUR GUN.

(Exchange. Virtually no dirt at all. SANTIAGO puts the gun to DIEGO's head.)

SANTIAGO: GIVE ME YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: NO...

(DIEGO raises his hands in the air, empty except for the dark stain in his palm where dirt used to be. SANTIAGO fires into the air.)

BOTH: PEACE IS WAR.

(They shake hands.)

DIEGO: I ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO MISTOOK HIS GUN
FOR A FINGER.

BOTH: WE ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO POINTED TO HIS HEART‑
AND HE DIED
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY.

         PEACE IS WAR.

(All the CONTRAS aim their guns at DIEGO. SANTIAGO puts his gun to DIEGO's head.)

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: TAKE IT.

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

REVOL'S: SHARE IT.

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: PLOW IT.

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

CAMPESINOS: PLANT IT.

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

DIEGO: TEND IT.

CONTRAS: GIVE US YOUR LAND.

REVOL'S: REAP IT.

CONTRAS: HERE, TAKE OUR GUNS.

DIEGO: BURY THEM.
YOU'LL USE THEM AGAIN.

(The CONTRAS and REVOLUTIONARIES begin to pile their guns and masks onto the cart around SALAMÓN's feet. DIEGO points his finger at SANTIAGO's chest. From somewhere in the crowd, a gunshot goes off. All of the CONTRAS and REVOLUTIONARIES fall down, dead.)

SANTIAGO: AND THEY DIED
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY.

ALL: PEACE IS WAR.

(One by one, the dead rise to continue placing their weapons and masks on the cart.)

DIEGO: I ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO KNEW A GUN WAS A GUN
AND A FINGER, A FINGER.
I ONCE KNEW A PEASANT BOY
WHO POINTED A GUN TO HIS HEART
AND A FINGER AT EVERYONE‑

DIEGO &
SANTIAGO: WHO POINTED TO HIS HEART
AND HE DIED
AND OF COURSE HE KNEW WHY.

         PEACE IS WAR.

(The cart is full and a portion of the crowd moves to push it and its cargo offstage. The MISSIONARY swaggers up to the podium.)

MISSIONARY: (Coughs) Can I have your attention? (The microphone screeches with the whine of feedback, as if protesting against his words.) Can I have your attention for a moment, por favor?

(A threatening silence descends. The MISSIONARY continues, undaunted.)

♩♫ ♬  MUSIC ♬ ♫♩

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