The Dream Catcher
Synopsis | DOWNLOAD
Act 1
Scene 1
The Musical opens with The Dream Catcher (An Indian Shaman, wearing full Indian head dress & feather train ) enters the center aisle of the theater as “The Overture” begins. (“The Overture” you hear as you read the synopsis, will be followed by “The Dream Catcher”. Enjoy!)
The actors rise from the audience, responding to the indian flute, as a Pied Piper, taking their places on stage to play the roles of their life. Hank (A Freshman medical student) is greeted by Charlie (bartender) and cast, singing “Welcome”. Jo, (a promiscuous i.v. drug user and owner of a Georgia country western bar) enters and sings, “Honkey Tonk Woman”, , dancing with the medical students who frequent her bar. Gilly (her 8 year old son) awakens to meet The Dream Catcher in his bedroom who sings “The Dream Catcher”. Gilly talks about his nightmares and is given his own dream catcher to soothe his fears and catch his nightmares in its’ web. Gilly calls his mother, Jo, to share this new vision with her. She berates him for his childhood nonsense, destroys his Dream Catcher, and returns to the bar to flirt.
Brett, a medical neurology resident laments his long ago affair with Jo when she stole his “virginity” as a college freshman. He produces some old under shorts, a gift from Jo, and sings “These Are The Shorts That Bind Me.”. Jo laughs at Brett’s unrequited love and sings seductively, “These Are The Shorts My Men Wear”, asking who else has under shorts from Jo. The men drop their pants revealing their shorts, a gift from Jo, as they join the chorus. Gilly watches his mother flirt with the men. Brenda, a motherly nurse, breaks the tension and sings “Ev’rybody Texas Two Step”, as the cast learns to dance the two step. Jo grabs Hank, a medical student, to dance and seduce. She shoo’s Gilly off to bed, wanting to party with the students, singing, “Chug -A-Lugga”. She angrily grabs a pipe from a freshman who wants to get high, saying, “That’s the only thing I have from Daddy. He ran off with that drunken whore he met in a bar, leaving me when I was only 8 years old. My Daddy loved me. Why did he have to leave me? . . for her?
Gilly returns crying about the monsters in his dark room. The angry Jo abuses Gilly because he interrupted her love making. Disturbed by her angry behavior, the others leave the bar, leaving Gilly alone with his mother. Gilly standing unwanted and alone at one end of the bar sings “Does Anybody Want Me?”Jo, lost in her own world stands at the other end of the bar and joins Gilly in singing. The Dream Catcher, watching the mother and son searching for love, responds with “I’ll Always Love You”. The three voices echo in a touching trio. Each looking for love, and someone to want them, unaware that the Dream Catcher holds all of their dreams . . in his hands.
Scene 2 (next day)
Brett befriends Gilly, often visiting him in the bar. Brett discovers Gilly has no dreams. Jo has convinced him that no one has a future. Brett believes dreams are the most important thing in life, and sings, “You’ve Gotta’ Have A Dream”, giving Gilly a new Dream Catcher that Brett made, to catch the nightmares. Gilly does have one dream. To find his unknown Dad, and sings “All Of My Life”, a song about this unknown father. Jo, alone in her bedroom, lighting the pipe, gets high and sings, “All Of Jo’s Life”, about her lost father.
Scene 3 (next week)
Hank confides in Brett that he is gay and has the AIDS virus. Terrified, Brett removes himself as Hanks’ Medical “big brother”. Angry, Hank sings “Damned You, Anyhow”. Brett responds in a duet, singing “I’m A Doctor”, rejecting Hank’s plea for help.
Scene 4
Brett expresses his fondness for Gilly, chastising Jo for not being a better mother and for being a drug using alcoholic. “If he were my child, I’d love him and care for him.” “Oh really?” Jo resonds. “But, he is your child. The night you lost your virginity was the night Gilly was conceived. You want him? Take him, he’s yours”. Shocked and surprised, Brett sings “My Son!”, reflecting his thoughts and fears of Fatherhood as the Dream Catcher appears. As he commits himself to being a Father, Jo adds, “One more thing you should know. Dad. Your son is H.I.V. You want a kid with AIDS?”
They fight over an unwanted pregnancy, an unknown son, and Brett’s fears that he may have contracted the virus from his unsafe sexual practices with Jo, blaming her for his not using a rubber. Frightened, Brett sings the dissonant, “My Son??”, but re-commits to being a father after talking with The Dream Catcher. Brett and Gilly approach one another and sing the duets of All Of My Life” and “My Son!”, meeting center stage in a joyous celebration.
Act 2
Scene 1 (Christmas at the Mall)
Brett and Gilly are at the mall, awaiting Santa’s arrival. Unable to see over the crowd, Brett carries Gilly on his shoulders for a better view. Gilly sings “When Santa Claus Comes”. Drunk and hiding in the crowd drunk, Jo is touched by the scene and sings “Child Of Mine”, reflecting her own love and pain. The Dreamcatcher appears, offering Jo the dream of Brett’s love and a family. Her father’s ghost appears telling her not to abandon her son as he did her, and warns Jo of the tragic end she will face, dying as he died. Alone, and high on drugs, she rejects the dream for her new drinking partner.
Santa, seeing Gilly on his father’s shoulders, invites him to sit on his lap. Gilly asks for his own drum major hat and baton to lead the marching band at half-time for the Green Bay Packers. When Santa asks, “What else?” Gilly replies “To be cured of AIDS”. The shocked Santa pushes Gilly from his lap, saying, “You shouldn’t be here on Santa’s lap, little boy.” Brett and Santa have a loud shouting match, exposing Gilly and his illness to the crowd, which disappears leaving Brett and Gilly alone. Gilly laments his future and Brett sings a reprise of “You Gotta Have A Dream”.
Scene 2 (Collage of Offices for Help)
Brett seeks help from 5 different groups for Gilly, singing “Help Me”. First asking “the church” who rejects his request on sin and moral grounds. Then the “Medical Establishment”, who rejects on fear and ignorance. Then his family rejects, followed by “Social Security” who rejects because his i’s are not dotted and t’s are not crossed properly. A Verde style quintet. The last person he asks is the local AIDS task force. Shocked, he discovers the leader is Hank, who gives Brett help and support he seeks and sings the heart rending song, “His Name Is Gilly”.
Scene 3 (That Night in Gilly’s Bedroom)
Brett and Gilly sing their evening prayer “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep”, a. moving duet between father and son. Gilly falls asleep as the monsters appear in his nightmare, pulling him from his bed, threatening his life as they sing “Horsemen of Apocalypse”. The Dream Catcher appears, waving his web, chasing the monsters away. The frightened Gilly is soothed by The Dream Catcher who reminds Gilly of “The Dream Catcher” above his bed. That he will always be in Gilly’s life, whenever he needs him.
At the same time, Jo, having the worst nightmare of her life, now sees the bottom of her life and sings the mournful, “Dark Night Of The Soul”, crying and asking the Universe for help. Feeling unwanted, she methodically prepares to end her life with a drug overdose as she tries to sing, “Does Anybody Want Me?” “No. Nobody wants me”, she cries out as she administers the drug in a vein and collapses in a coma. The Dream Catcher appears, calling softly to her, “Jo! I want you. I’ve always wanted you since the day you were born. I hold the finest dreams ever. Here, in my hand. Come. Join me on a journey and discover your dreams. Taking his hand, Jo rises as the two exit the darkening stage.
Scene 4 (Christmas Eve)
Hearing bells, Santa enters along with the cast. Gilly on I.V.’s, easily recognizes Hank as Santa, pulls the beard off, and laments Santa as a fraud with no band to lead. Brenda shares the importance of Santa, Gilly’s dream and the extended loving family he now has and sings, “Family”. Gilly opens his presents, finding the Drum Major’s Hat and Baton. Brenda explains that life is a parade, and Gilly is the leader. Placing the hat on Gilly’s head sings “Hep, Hep Hooray!” Gilly begins to believe the truth in the song as members of the cast join in the singing and all march around the room as the transformed Gilly leads his parade.
Seriously ill, Gilly is in a hospital bed, hooked up to I.V.’s. The cast surrounds his bed. Gilly asks questions about God, life and death. Jo, now in recovery, returns to Gilly, expressing her remorse as a failed mother and wants to make amends to those she’s harmed and be the mom Gilly never had. Gilly’s dream is now complete. He has a Mom and Dad who love him. He has a family.
The Dream Catcher appears to Gilly, Brett and Jo, saying, “Come with me Gilly. I hold the greatest dream ever.” As Gilly rides on the shoulders of the Dream Catcher leaving the theater, he calls back, “Mom! Dad! You otta’ see this. You won’t believe what I can see from up here. This is cool! This is the best dream ever!” Picking up Gilly’s drum major hat, Brett tries in vain to catch the pair, crying, “Gilly! You forgot your hat”. Saddened at their loss, Brett and Jo sing the very moving, “When It Gets Dark Enough”, as Brenda frantically works to revive the failing Gilly.
Gilly looks back and asks, “What’s going on”. “Your heart has stopped”, replies the Dreamcatcher. The two discuss the options: to leave? or to return? Gilly wants to return and runs down the center aisle of the theater calling, “Mom! Dad! Wait. I’m coming back”, as Brenda cries out. “We’ve got him. We’ve got Gilly back”. The Dream Catcher reappears, saying, “There is much more to Gilly’s dream than any of you will ever comprehend.” He gives Brett a “Dream Catcher”, saying “This will catch the best dream you will ever have.” Brett asks, “What Dream?” The Dream catcher responds, “The cure. You now hold the cure. It is now within your hands.” Brett laments his inadequacy for the task, saying, “But, I’m only one”. The Dream catcher replies, “But, you are one. Every dream begins with one.” He touches Jo. “And you are one”. Touching other cast members, he repeats, “And you are one.” And, to the audience, “Each one of you is a one. Together, you are much more than any one of you could ever be alone. Together, you hold the dream in your hands. Follow the dream Believe in it. Live your dream” The Dream Catcher sings “The Dream’s In Your Hands”. Gilly puts on his hat and begins “Hep, Hep Hoo-ray”,and is joined by the cast and crew to sing “The Finale'”.
End of The Dream Catcher
Songs Highlighted will play automatically when clicked
My music is recorded in MP3 format and can be found listed in the synopsis or below for downloading and playing thru your computer or using an MP3 player. Several songs can be obtained with orchestra to be sung in karaoke, clubs or production.
Other songs shall be on this site as they are recorded.
I shall be providing sheet music on the internet for your review, or in midi or Finale’ format.
My life goal is to find a stage to produce “The Dream Catcher”
I hope you can help. Thank You.
E-mail for more information.
