Stephen Flaherty - Look What You've Done lyrics

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Stephen Flaherty - Look What You've Done lyrics

WOMEN AT VIGIL A day of peace A day of pride A day of justice We have been denied Let the new day dawn Oh, Lord, I pray! (We are outside the impressive facade of the Morgan Library. 36th and 37th streets have been cordoned off form Madison Avenue to Park There is a cluster of POLICE and REPORTERS J.P. MORGAN trying to impress a flustered DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES S. WHITMAN of the gravity of the situation. Also present Is a thoroughly wretched WILLIE CONKLIN who is being made to repair COALHOUSE'S car, and FATHER.) WHITMAN (raises a megaphone) Mr. Walker. This is District Attorney Charles S. Whitman. Do you hear me? I have Fire Chief Willie Conklin with me He is restoring your car. Will you come out, sir? WILLIE CONKLIN You gonna let me be a martyr! WHITMAN Mr. Conklin will receive due process. You both will! MORGAN How much longer are you going to stand for this? Give him his car and then hang the savage! WHITMAN I'm doing my best, Mr. Morgan CONKLIN This is a conspiracy of n*gger lovers, that's all it is FATHER Sir, if I might suggest WHITMAN Who the hell are you? FATHER You sent for me. I know Mr. Walker and I believe there's one man he'll listen to Mr. Booker T. Washington VIGIL WOMEN Justice! Ah! (The focus now goes to WASHINGTON, as the people on the street move away. It should seem as if he has been admitted to the Library, and is now addressing COALHOUSE directly.) BOOKER T. WASHINGTON For the sum of my life I have lived in hope We might all be Christian brothers I have worked to persuade Every white-skinned man That he need not fear our race What has your selfish recklessness cost us We who work so hard To still the white man's hate Look what you've done VIGIL WOMEN Day of peace... Day of pride... Justice! Justice! (As the conversation continues, and escalates, the lights dim on the library and come up on the people outside. Over the Following, the VIGIL WOMEN continue to hum.) WHITMAN You are surrounded by militia. They are cutting off your water even as I speak J.P. MORGAN Four Shakespeare folios! A Gutenberg Bible on vellum The treasures of civilization are at stake! You've got to do something! WILLIE CONKLIN White people should be grateful for what I done! EMMA GOLDMAN I deplore the taking of human life, but I applaud Mr. Walker's capture of the Morgan library. His actions speak for all Oppressed people. It is the cry of revolution VIGIL WOMEN Justice! (Lights come up inside the library) BOOKER T. WASHINGTON With guns and dynamite, you are destroying everything I have fought for, sir COALHOUSE Despite the respect I have for you, Mr. Washington, you have come in vain WASHINGTON Had you been ignorant of the tragic struggle of our people, I could have pitied you this adventure. But you are a trained Musician, an educated man COALHOUSE It is true, sir. But I hope that I might suggest to you the solemn calculation of my mind We are both men of colour who insist on the truth of our manhood, and the respect it demands! (Lights come up outside the library.) MEN, FATHER Hours pa**ing by and Not a sign from Coalhouse! Hours pa**ing by The situation hopeless! Hours pa**ing by... Hours pa**ing by... WOMEN Hours pa**ing by and Not a sign from Coalhouse! Hours pa**ing by The situation hopeless! Hours pa**ing by... (Lights dim on the chaos outside the library, and come up inside again. It is apparent that time has pa**ed. They are tired They are disheveled. The guns have been lowered.) WASHINGTON Your situation is hopeless. And you will be responsible for the d**h of these young men COALHOUSE FOLLOWER #1 Don't listen to him, Coalhouse COALHOUSE FOLLOWER #2 They're using him to get to you COALHOUSE FOLLOWER #3 We're not giving up WASHINGTON And you dare to teach your lessons To these wild, unthinking youths Yet your own son, you abandon To be raised on white men's truths Look what you've done Think of your son (COALHOUSE reacts to this blow. All at once he hears SARAH's VOICE, humming "Your Daddy's Son".) SARAH (offstage) Oooh... WASHINGTON Is this the legacy you would bestow upon him? Are these the shoulders you would have him stand upon? Let him be the son of a Man who had the courage to tell the truth in a court of law. Make your case, and if the verdict is d**h, go to it proudly Knowing that you have been heard. The truth is all. If you do this, you will have the thanks and respect of every decent man Of colour and of all those children of our race whose way is hard and whose journey is long Think of your son COALHOUSE I would need a hostage and safe pa**age for my men WASHINGTON It is done YOUNGER BROTHER You can't change your demands. You are betraying us. You said we would all go free or we all would die! COALHOUSE And the promise of a fair trial YOUNGER BROTHER No! WASHINGTON You have my word. I am their mediator, sir, not their fool COALHOUSE Then they will see me come out with my hands raised, and no further harm will come to any man from Coalhouse Walker, Jr WASHINGTON God bless you sir (WASHINGTON and COALHOUSE shake hands. WASHINGTON exits. The FOLLOWERS and YOUNGER BROTHER surround COALHOUSE in furious Agitation.) FOLLOWER #1 You said we'd fight to the finish FOLLOWER #2 Yeah, you can go out there, man. We ain't FOLLOWER #3 We're all ready to die as Coalhouse FOLLOWER (leaping toward the detonator) Push the plunger! Blow it all up! FOLLOWER We're not going. You've lost, Coalhouse. We've all lost COALHOUSE I don't believe that

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