(The curtain opens on a dead-end alley off a busy street. On one side of the alley a new, modern office building stands. On the other side of the alley stands an old, broken-down tenement. The alley is littered with piles of trash and debris. There is a large commercial trash bin somewhere in the alley, which serves as a place for actors to get costumes and props while on stage. It also serves as an entrance during dream sequences. It is morning and there is mist lying close to the ground. Sounds of the waking city can be heard: traffic, shrill police whistles, jack-hammers, construction equipment backing up. This cacophony of sound eventually becomes more rhythmic. The orchestra picks up and melds with the city sounds, which diminish to the point where they are barely audible. As the orchestra begins the overture, several homeless figures rise from what appeared to be piles of debris just moments ago. They sing Homeless Souls led by WARD, the protagonist and storyteller, who appears a little too pale, almost translucent. Ward and the cast sing…)

This was my life, a pitiful expression

Full of excuse for what might have been

This is my story, a product of illusion

A victim of genetics, superstition and gin

Homeless Souls, condemned to wander

Homeless Souls, nowhere to rest

Homeless Souls, meandering forever

Never finding rest

So here am I destined to wander

Telling my story I forever roam

Until the day that the madness has ended

Only then will I find my home

Homeless Souls, condemned to wander

Homeless Souls, nowhere to rest

Homeless Souls, meandering forever

Never finding rest

(At the end of Homeless Souls, while the rest of the cast enters some form of theatrical slow motion, WARD moves down stage and delivers the prologue, during which, WARD transforms from a homeless person dressed in rags to a somewhat shabbily attired businessman.)

WARD: Welcome to my world, or rather what's left of it. Tonight you will hear the story of my life. Well, part of it, anyway. I was once like many of you, prosperous, happy - contented with my place in life. But sometimes life takes unexpected turns. We make our plans and then life happens. Tonight I will lose my job and my home. This is the story of how I joined the ranks of the disenfranchised, the outcasts - the invisible mass of humanity that we refer to as "the Homeless".

We are everywhere. We live near you no matter where you are.

We are the specters of our former selves, condemned to retell our stories until we find our homes. Like ghosts we walk the earth, unheard, unseen, unknown. But we are there. If you wish to see us you can. But unlike lonesome spirits we are unable to rest until we have all found our homes. Until all of us have found our homes. Who among us has a home until we all have homes? For what is home? Home is that place where we are contented and loved. Who among us is content with what they do not have? Who among us feels truly loved? When we walk through a strange neighborhood who feels comfort instead of fear?

It's time for me to rejoin the action. The other actors are getting restless and would like to get on with it. (General noise and agreement off-stage.) So, now, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Scene - 2

(The cast resumes normal activity. WARD appears normal but somewhat disheveled. He looks as though he hurriedly dressed for work. BILL, WARD's boss, enters looking for WARD)

BILL: Ward! Where have you been I've been looking all over for you? Hurry up, that building inspector will be along any minute. Geez, just look at you! Where have you been, anyway?

WARD: I jus' stayed up late that's all. (Yawning) I couldn ged up this morning.

BILL: Are you drunk again? My God, you smell awful...

WARD: Naw, I just had one to get me going this morn....

BILL: Would you shut-up and listen for once in your life. Look at yourself. What’s happened to you? It’s like I don’t know you anymore. You have a family and a home and what do you do? You screwed it up because of your drinking. How long has it been since Phoenix threw you out? What, six months, a year?

WARD: Almos’ a year... But it wasn’t the drinking I just couldn’t ged along with that damn boy of hers. She was always takin’ Diego’s side agains’ me tellin’ me that I was wrong that I shoulda listen ta his side. Hell, I just drank a little to take the edge off.

Anyway, she didn’t throw me out. I left ‘cause the situation was startin’ to get out a’ hand.

BILL: What do you mean “out of hand.”

WARD: Last year after I got laid off it was getting hard to make ends meet. Diego started staying out late. Sometimes he wouldn’t come home for days. Finally, I laid down the law. I told him that he could no longer come and go as he pleased, Told him we had to know where he was goin’ and when he would get back. He told me I wasn’t his father and couldn’t tell him what to do. I told him I was all th’ father he had and he took a swipe at me. Caught me pretty good too...

BILL: So what did you do.

WARD: (Mumbles) I guess I hit him...

BILL: What did you say?

WARD: As I was trying to block his next punch. Well, I guess I kinda hit him accidentally and, well, I guess I broke his nose...

BILL: You guess you broke it!

WARD: Yeah, I broke it. OK. I’m not proud of it. But I don’t need a social worker to tell me what’s wrong. That boy has problems, he’s just plain bad. Prob’ly somethin’ in his genes from his ol’ man.

Look, Bill, I really owe you for this job I was gettin’ desperate. I promise I’ll do good I won’t mess up. I promise.

BILL: Ah, pull yourself together. What good is it to have friends if you can’t take advantage of them? Look, I really put myself on the line for you. If Crumb were to see you like this, well, hell! I'd probably get fired.

WARD: It's OK. It's OK. Nobody's gonna get fired. I got everything under control. What's the big deal, anyway?

BILL: The big deal is just that this is the first step in the company's next big renovation project. Everything hinges on what happens today. If anything gets screwed up today...

(Enter CRUMB, the big boss, on his way to work. He sees BILL and WARD.)

CRUMB: Mornin' Bill. (CRUMB, noticing WARD's appearance, eyes him with mild disdain.) What's going on here?

BILL: (attempting to smooth things over) Well, sir, I was just explaining to Ward here how important it is for everything to go well today with the building inspector.

CRUMB: Well? That's an understatement if ever I heard one! But, not to worry. I don't think we'll have any problems with this. No. We'd be hard pressed to find anybody who wouldn't want this eyesore out of the way! People will thank us for improving the neighborhood.

WARD: What's this place used for now?

BILL: It's some kind of shelter, I think.

CRUMB: Well, it won't be for long. I know, I know. You're thinking we might run into a few snags with the bleeding hearts on the council. They spend so much time worrying about today that they can't see tomorrow. Well, like I said, I don't think we'll run into any problems. But just in case, I made sure that the inspector is someone who is on our side. Yes sir, Jack and I go way back.

BILL: Sounds like we've covered all the bases.

CRUMB: Well, there are one or two details we need to discuss. If you're finished here...?

BILL: Sure, Mr. Crumb. Ward has this situation under control.

(BILL and CRUMB exit, but in so doing they nearly knock over two women who have entered. One of the women, FAITH, is a social worker who has brought PHOENIX, a homeless woman, to the shelter. WARD, who is still on stage, recognizes PHOENIX as his ex-wife. He turns his face away so as not to be recognized but PHOENIX recognizes him anyways.)

PHOENIX: Well, well, well, look what just crawled out from under a rock. What are you doing here? I don’t care what you say I’m not taking you back. Where have you been for the last two months, as if I didn’t know? How dare you show up now when I have finally found a new place for us to live? Do you know what it’s like to not know from day-to-day whether your babies will have a roof over their head at night or whether they will have enough to eat?

WARD: Look, babe, I’m sor...

PHOENIX: Oh no, that’s right, I forgot. You left before things got that bad. So, naturally, you wouldn’t know. What the hell have you been doing for the last six months? And where is the money for the children? Don’t you care about your own flesh and blood? You should be ashamed to come crawling back and show your face here.

WARD: What are you doing here?! I had no idea you were going to be here today.

PHOENIX: Oh yeah. I believe that...

WARD: No, really. I work here. Bill got me a job here with CrumbCo. I’m waiting here for the building inspector to check out this building with him. I’m sorry about the money but I could barely make ends meet. I didn’t have a job. I had no money. I have a job now though and as soon as I get paid I promise I’ll pay. I promise you everything will get better. I’ll stop drinking and ...

PHOENIX: Ha!

WARD: maybe someday we can be together again. I miss our family. I miss the girls, how are they? I even miss that son of yours.

PHOENIX: I'll tell you, I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know that the kids and I are going to stay together.

FAITH: Of course you are. And I'll go pick them up from the agency while you register and get settled in. You're lucky that a place in the shelter opened up. They're usually full. If you hadn't called when you did...Oh, here it is. The south-side shelter.

(FAITH and PHOENIX stand in silence, looking at the building for a moment. They both have private reservations that become apparent as they sing No Place Like Home.)

FAITH: Here is the place I was telling you about. There's a room and a bathroom down the hall.

PHOENIX: Is this a joke? There's needles in the street! I tell you I really am appalled.

FAITH: I know that it's not much, but it's all that I could find Go on--they're saving you a space.

PHOENIX: How can I keep my babies safe 'n sound? With the rats and all the filth, it's a disgrace!

FAITH PHOENIX

Please try... I can't try anymore

to understand. Can't stand being poor!

I want... Want my old life back again.

to lend a hand. A hand over all the pain.

PHOENIX: If this is it, I suppose we'll have to stay, even though it somehow seems so cruel.

FAITH: I know in my heart there should be a better way, but I'm not the one who made the rules.

PHOENIX: It's just so damn hard to get through every day I don't even know where to begin.

FAITH: Tomorrow we'll try to figure out a plan, but for now, you need to go on in.

PHOENIX FAITH

Please try... I try to do some good.

to understand. Take a stand where I should.

Don't want... I want to fix it quick.

to need a hand. Hand-outs never do the trick.

(Both PHOENIX and FAITH)

This is no place like home,

Oh, there's no place like home.

Yes, there's no place like home for me.

PHOENIX: So you'll be back, and it's only for a while? Well, alright, we'll stay here for today.

FAITH: How could she know there's nowhere else for her to go? She's not buying it but she's the one who'll pay.

PHOENIX: My life's become a twisted, dirty rag, That I keep in a plastic garbage bag.

This is so far from the way my life began. I'm not even sure of who I am.

(Duet)

You struggle because there must be a better way ‘though in your heart you know you have to stay.

You know you have to stay.

This is no place like home,

Oh, there's no place like home.

Yes, there's no place like home for me.

(PHOENIX exits into the building. WARD discretely follows. FAITH moves downstage and is assisted by the chorus as she sings What Can One Person Do?)

Alarm sounds. I stay down. Trying to postpone another ringing phone.

No rooms. Dread looms. And families filter in.

There's no room at the inn. What can one person do?

Phone rings. Reckoning. Try to buy some time. A beggar's paradigm.

Court stays. Cold days. There's no way they can win.

There's no room at the inn. What can one person do?

Past noon. More ruin. I have no miracle. The shelters are all full.

Sit tight. Dark night. No magic to put in.

There's no room at the inn. What can one person do?

Drive home. Guilt's known. Because I have a roof. It's hard to stay aloof.

Self-blame. Who's shame? I can't get past the sin.

There's no room at the inn. What can one person do?

(FAITH exits)

Scene - 3

(WARD comes out of the tenement. The building INSPECTOR, enters, clipboard in hand.)

INSPECTOR: (to WARD, who is still looking after PHOENIX) Hey! You the guy from CrumbCo?

WARD: Yeah. And you are...?

INSPECTOR: Building inspector. Here to do an inspection on this place for the city.

WARD: (slowly pulled back to the present) Inspect? Oh yeah. Right. Uh, nobody called you, I guess. Uh, see, there's been this mistake. Crumb changed his mind. He doesn't need you.

INSPECTOR: What are you talkin' about? I just had dinner with him last night! He didn't say anything about any change!

WARD: It came on real sudden - this morning in fact. Someone was supposed to call. I came down just in case.

INSPECTOR: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This isn't right. We sewed things up last night. And now he wants to pull this stuff on me? No way! Something's not right. I stick out my neck to come down here and now he doesn't need me. Well, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind right now.

(INSPECTOR exits in the direction of the office building to talk to CRUMB. WARD follows to attempt some damage control. PHOENIX emerges from the tenement as DIEGO, a young street punk comes forward. He is a teenager and has followed PHOENIX to the shelter. When PHOENIX comes out into the street, DIEGO hangs back, stalks her, then grabs her from behind.)

DIEGO: (spinning PHOENIX around to face him) I got you now!

PHOENIX: (alternately terrified, shocked, relieved, angry) Why! Who...! (recognizing DIEGO as her son) Oh, dear God in heaven! What's the matter with you? Don't you have any sense!

DIEGO: (laughing and trying to sooth her) Momma, calm down. Your boy's here to protect you now!

PHOENIX: Protect!? Someone's gonna need to protect you in a minute here! You scared me half to death!

DIEGO: I had to check out where you and the little kids were staying. Not exactly the Ritz, is it?

PHOENIX: It's not exactly the street either. What about you?

DIEGO: Don't worry about me. I got some friends close by.

(DIEGO sings Momma, If You Could Only See, about his rise in a gang.)

It used to be I didn't care

Never felt like I belonged

Wasn't going anywhere

Felt like I was being conned

Then one day I found this crowd

And suddenly I felt the fit

I moved up fast and did them proud

Now I don't have to feel like shit.

Momma, if you could only see

Their eyes when they look at me

You'd know I found my destiny

And you'd be proud of me

They look up to me

I didn't know where it would lead

But now I'm leading 20 guys

I didn't think that I'd succeed

Wait! Before you criticize

I know it's not what you would choose

I know that it won't last too long

But I had nothin' left to lose

Don't tell me that you think it's wrong.

Momma, if you could only see

Their eyes when they look at me

You'd know I found my destiny

And you'd be proud of me

They look up to me

PHOENIX: (Spoken) But, Diego, a gang...?

DIEGO: (Sings)

If it bothers you, then change the name

To "party", or to "company"

It is really all the same

Whether club or clan or family.

One day I might hit the ground

But for now I'm gonna fly.

Won't give up this thing I've found.

Nothing's ever made me feel this high.

So for now I'll just stay right here.

I'll sit back and bide my time.

Hide the strain, forget the fear.

'Cause this is all I got that's mine.

Momma, if you could only see

Their eyes when they look at me

You'd know I found my destiny

And you'd be proud of me

They look up to me

PHOENIX: Diego, I could see if you could stay here. They'd probably let you stay if I told them about you.

DIEGO: If you told them about me, you'd lose the only roof you've seen in a long time. They'd see that you lied on your application about the number of children you've got and that would be it. Course, if you told the truth, you'd never get a place at all. Not with three kids. It's better this way. I'm OK where I am and so are you.

PHOENIX: You know I still do worry.

DIEGO: And you're so good at it! But, really, I’m fine. And I'm never far away. One day we're all going to live together again. And it'll be just like the old days practically. And until then, I'll visit - a lot.

PHOENIX: Just be careful.

DIEGO: I will, Momma. Promise. Now go spread some of that worry to the little kids.

PHOENIX: Yeah, I don't want to leave them alone too long. Take care, Diego, and come around often.

DIEGO: I will, Momma.

(Exit PHOENIX into the building. DIEGO watches, then turns and sees DANNY, a friend of his offstage.)

DIEGO: Hey! Dann-NEE!

Scene - 4

(Enter DANNY, a teenager.)

DANNY: Diego! What's up!

DIEGO: Not much. Hey, I haven't seen you much lately. Tell me what's been happening.

(DANNY sings I'm Just Sixteen.)

Well I'm just sixteen and my parents don't understand me.

My father and I got into a fight

And he hit me again for the very last time

So I packed my bag and left that night

I'm living on my own though I'm just sixteen.

So I'm just sixteen and my parents don't understand me.

I'm living with a friend that I met on the streets

He's taken me in under his wing

He's teaching me all about the tricks and the treats

I'm learning about life though I'm just sixteen.

Mom and dad don't worry 'bout me, I'm OK

No, I don't think that I'll be coming home today.

Well I'm just sixteen, I'm just sixteen, yes I'm just sixteen

And living on my own.

Well, I'm just sixteen and my parents don't understand me.

And I got this bruise that won't go away

And nothin' I eat wants to stay down

It's getting harder to breath every day

I hope I live through the night 'cause I'm just sixteen.

Mom and dad don't worry 'bout me, I'm OK

No, I don't think that I'll be coming home today.

Well I'm just sixteen, I'm just sixteen, yes I'm just sixteen

And living on my own.

(Exit DANNY. From the opposite direction another teen-ager enters. DIEGO sees him and moves toward him.)

DIEGO: (a little annoyed) What you doing here? This ain’t anywhere you're supposed to be, Alvin.

ALVIN: (carrying a paper bag) Look home, I'm doing you a solid.

DIEGO: The only favor you're doing me is leaving.

ALVIN: Listen, Bro, there is trouble going down. A lot of the club don’t believe you got their best interests at heart. Know what I mean?

DIEGO: No, I don't know what you mean because you ain't making any sense.

ALVIN: It's like this. You been spending a lot of time at this end of town and some of the crew see that as reason for concern. Like maybe you're scoping out a new territory for yourself. Or like maybe you just don't like their company anymore. Or maybe you're just getting soft.

DIEGO: You're talking like a foo.

ALVIN: They ain't my words. I been trying to straighten them out, but they won't listen. They say they need proof of your...loyalty.

DIEGO: Yeah? And I'm sure they come up with just the right test, am I right?

ALVIN: They want you to use this. (He hands DIEGO the paper bag.)

DIEGO: (Opens the bag and takes out a Saturday Night Special). Oh, right! (angrily) And just where am I supposed to use this? Or haven't they figured that all out?

ALVIN: They got it figured. It can't be too near our turf. We can’t have cops breathing down our necks. And it can't be against any of the other clubs or we'll have a war on our hands that we ain't ready for yet. So, they want it to be here.

DIEGO: Here?

ALVIN: Yeah. This is neutral.

DIEGO: And just who am I suppose to off?

ALVIN: That kid who was just here. The runaway punk, you know.

DIEGO: Danny?

ALVIN: Yeah, that's the name. He won't join any of the clubs. It’s the price you pay. No one's missed him so far. No one’ll miss him later.

DIEGO: (stunned but still angry) Well, they can forget it! Besides, they don't run me! I run them! I can see I need to go down and help them get some sense about this. (DIEGO starts to leave.)

ALVIN: (grabbing his arm) You can't do that, man.

DIEGO: And just why is that?

ALVIN: (looking at the gun) ‘Cause you ain't the only one with one of those. (looking at DIEGO) You're just the only one who don't want to use it. (Pause.) It's you or him, man.

(ALVIN exits as the lights go down.)

Scene - 5

(It is the same day, inside the office building. Through some piece of theatrical magic, we are able to see into the sleek office building into a conference room. CRUMB and BILL are in conference.)

CRUMB: Look, BILL, it's your call but he's also your responsibility. I'd just hate to see him screw things up for you. I think he showed just how unstable he is today when he screwed up a very simple assignment. Look, I like to have a drink as well as the next guy but when it gets to the point that it affects your ability to perform your job, well, I think it's time to cut him loose.

BILL: But he told me that his wife just moved into the building that we're having condemned. Maybe we ought to cut him a little slack...

CRUMB: That's exactly my point. He should have kept his cool, gone through with his assignment, and then taken care of his wife. Wouldn't you agree that he's just too unstable to be a reliable team player?

BILL: Yeah, you're right. I just feel like we should do something for him. I don't know maybe get him into some kind of program or something.

CRUMB: Look, you and I both know that he won't change until he has to. In a way we'd be doing him a favor by letting him go. Maybe then he'd take a closer look at himself and see that he has a problem.

BILL: It's just that he's my friend. I never fired a friend before.

(We hear two gunshots from the tenement side of the stage. The two react momentarily and then continue the discussion as this is an everyday occurrence.)

What's so important about this particular building, anyway? Why do you want to build in this neighborhood? You couldn't have picked a less desirable area. There's so much crime here that nobody will move in when you’re done. The streets are full of riff-raff. I just don’t understand.

CRUMB: (grinning) Bill, my boy, once this area has been redeveloped these people won't be able to afford to live here anymore. The property values will go sky-high and I stand to become very wealthy. It’s a waiting game. And time is on my side.

BILL: But what will happen to all the people that live here now? Where will they go?

CRUMB: Son, that's just not my problem.

Look, I know these bums better than anyone. My dad was a bum and a boozer. He never had time for his kids or his family. Hell, I hardly knew him. He left home when I was just a kid.

Most of these people are just irresponsible bums, like my dad. A couple of guys came here the other day to ask if I would contribute to their fund to help the homeless. Putting good money after bad if you ask me. (Crumb sings My Old Neighborhood.)

This is my old neighborhood

This is where I first was weaned

When my father left us cold

I was a boy of fourteen.

With four mouths at home to feed

Our poor family was broke

And no means to meet our needs

I quit school to go to work.

And I swore to myself that one day I would get away

That I would never live like that again

That I'd do what it takes and learn from his mistakes

Build upon the broken rubble,

Hide the scars, forget the troubles

But I remember mama

And the lights in her eyes when she smiled

And how late at night she would hold us tight

And say everything would be all right.

So I clawed and I fought

On my way to the top

And my heart turned to ice

And my guts turned to knots

Do you think that they ever thought to give us one small break?

Do you think that there was anyone who cared?

So I'll do what it takes

And build on Dad's mistakes

Cash in on the broken rubble

Hide the scars ignore the trouble

Still, I remember Mama

When the lights in her eyes went to grey

And how I made the vow

That someday and somehow

I'd make all the trouble go away.

This is my old neighborhood

This is where I first broke ground

And I will not rest at all

'Til the past has fallen down.

Your work is cut out for you. Best to do it quick and be done with it.

Scene - 6

(Evening, Same day. On the street. BILL wanders onto the stage and sings If That's What It Takes, a song about having fired WARD. At the Same time, DIEGO wanders on and joins in singing about how he shot his friend today.)

BILL:

I shot my old friend today

And he just got up and walked away

He didn't say a word

He just smiled

I warned him this would happen

If he didn't clean up his act

But he just kept on drinking

What makes him act like that?

I knew I had to do it

He was starting to pull me down

I covered up for his mistakes

Until I felt like I would drown

And I almost didn't do it

I almost let him ride

But I had to think of my future

So I had to decide

That if that's what it takes to be a man

If that's what I've gotta prove

If that's what it takes to get ahead

Then that's what I have to do.

DIEGO:

I shot my old friend today

And he didn't get up, he couldn't walk away

He laid there in the alley

And he smiled.

I warned him this could happen

If he didn't join with the pack

Who'd'ave thought I'd be the one

To have to do the act.

They said I had to do it

Because the word was going round

They said that I was getting soft

So I had to put him down

And I almost didn't do it

But I have nowhere to hide

I had to think of the future

So I had to decide

That if that's what it takes to be a man

If that's what I've gotta prove that's what it takes to get ahead

Then that's what I have to do.

(After the song, BILL and DIEGO exit and WARD comes back on stage. He stands in the alley, searching the windows of the tenement for a sign of PHOENIX, his wife. He is a little tipsy and has a bottle in a bag in his hand. Frustrated and lonely, he sings Where Are You Tonight? PHOENIX, unaware of him, is wondering the same thing and joins him in a duet.)

WARD:

I could have had it all but I blew it.

Had the world on a string and I knew it.

But I couldn't keep away from the booze.

And you were the hardest thing I ever ad to lose.

Where are you tonight?

Are you safe and out of harm?

Do you think of me from time to time

As time keeps moving on?

And I wish I may, I wish I might

See you again someday.

Where are you tonight?

PHOENIX:

I had it all until I blew it.

Held the world within my palm and I knew it.

Though now I see what was happening to you.

Way back then I refused to see the truth.

Where are you tonight?

Are you safe and out of harm?

Do you think of me from time to time

As time keeps moving on?

And I wish I may, I wish I might

See you again someday.

Where are you tonight?

(duet)

If only I could turn back time and live my life again.

If only I hadn't blamed you for the fix that we were in.

I know that we'd be better now if only we could try.

If only. If only. If only. If only we could try.

Where are you tonight?

Are you safe and out of harm?

Do you think of me from time to time

As time keeps moving on?

And I wish I may, I wish I might

See you again someday.

Where are you tonight?

(At the end of the song, WARD finally notices PHOENIX and hides to avoid her. VET, one of the ever present homeless, comes forward to WARD.)

VET: That your old lady?

WARD: Used to be.

VET: Well, I don't blame you for ducking her. I don't want my family to know where I am either. Say, you got any left in the bag?

(WARD hands him the paper bag and they share a drink.)

No, this is all the family I need. These people right here. They kinda remind me of my buddies in Nam. You always know where you stand with 'em, but you best not stand too close. Later on you'll probably see the Ryans. Bobby Ryan’s been workin' steady construction for the past six months, but it don't do no good. He wasn't working for awhile before that and they lost the apartment. Makin' ends meet with two kids ain't easy when everything goes right. And Bobby's good, but he ain't no magician.

WARD: Who's that over there?

VET: Oh, that’s his wife Mary. (he yells to her) Hey, Mary, come on over here. Got someone for you to meet.

(MARY crosses to the two. She is a young, modestly attractive woman.)

MARY: Hi, Vet.

VET: This is....

WARD: (staring) Ward.

VET: And this is Mary.

MARY: Good to meet you. (WARD nods but continues to stare.) What's the matter? Is my slip showing?

WARD: (coming around) Oh, sorry. I'm just a little surprised. I mean, I thought all homeless women were just bag ladies. Not pretty like you.

VET: (to MARY) New boy in town.

MARY: It's ok. I used to think the same way. But that was back in my "Housewife Phase". In those days, I had a lot of wrong ideas about “The Homeless." (finger quotes) Not homeless people, mind you. Just "The Homeless." And I cared about the problem - a little. At least, that's what I told myself.

(MARY sings Not My Job.)

I really feel sorry for those on the street

With little to wear and nothing to eat

I'd like to do something to help end their

Though I haven't a clue what to do tonight.

And it's not my job. I've got plenty to do.

What with house work and home work and bills that are due

Why, my nine-to-five

Barely keeps me alive

Besides it's not my job

There must be people we pay to insure

That these poor souls not suffer discomfiture

Professional people know better than me

What to do with the poor urban refugee

See, it's not my job. I haven't the wisdom to try

My training's in business, not people, not I

I haven't the skill

This task to fulfill

So still, it's not my job.

Who are these people anyway?

Certainly no one I know

They don't live on my street

They're not that discreet

I'd never touch one,

Don't know where they've been

Though the way that we treat them

Is really a sin.

I really feel sorry for those on the street

With little to wear and nothing to eat.

I'd like to do something but haven't the nerve

And secretly feel they get what they deserve.

So it's not my job. It's just that I'm not so inclined

It isn't my problem. I don't think I'd find

The right motivation

To fix up the nation.

Oh well, it's not my job.

It's just not my job.

It's just that it isn't my job.

Thank God it's not my job!

WARD: (buoyed by the levity of the song) Well, I appreciate your understanding. In fact, I appreciate all of you. And I want to celebrate my new-found appreciation with a drink. I'd appreciate it if you'd all join me, courtesy of the one bit of plastic money I still have.

(They move off stage. PHOENIX comes to the window of the tenement and sings Dream Your Own Dreams, half for her sleeping children, half for herself.)

I look outside this window

Then I look back at you two

Sleeping there so carelessly

Trusting me to get us through

I used to trust a someone

Way back once upon a time

And this is where it got me

With no home, without a dime.

This wasn't s'posed to happen

But it happened anyway

And now I'm feeling all used up

Like some old throw-away

I'm tired of doing programs

And taking just what's free

You can take but just so much

Till you give your dignity.

Dream your own dreams, babies.

I'm out of dreams to give.

My wishes all got washed away.

My hopes were all short-lived.

I wish that I could give you

Some kind of guarantee

That your lives will be different

And you won't end up like me

But all I have to give you

Is the glass out in the sun

Broken dreams, like broken bottles,

Ain't no use to anyone.

(At the end of the song, VET has returned to the stage and has moved down stage and is talking to himself. He segues into Who Goes There? As the song progresses and he moves deeper and deeper into his flashback, we see shadowy figures entering the set from unusual entrances. One or two climb out of the trash bin. Although it is dark, we get the impression that these shadowy figures are the Viet Cong that VET is imagining in his trance. The shadows move more quickly as VET begins to panic. They begin to close in on him. At the very end of the song one of the shadows appears to be beating VET. Abruptly, the lights come up and we see it is DIEGO beating up VET out of his anger and frustration over having shot his friend.)

(Spoken) Sometimes on nights like this, when the fog rolls in from the water and the choppers fly in from the airport, it almost seems like I'm back in 'Nam. I close my eyes sometimes and catch a whiff of that smell...

(Sung)

I was just about as cherry as a cherry could be

The day we went on ambush on hill 223

I was adding the time to the end of my hitch

When he put me on point, that son-of-a-bitch.

They can train your body and they can train your mind.

But they can't prepare you for that very first time.

My heart was racing; I was pumped up with fear

And all I could think was - I shouldn't be here.

Who goes there, friend or foe? How much longer until I go home?

Somebody tell me because I don't know.

Who goes there, friend or foe?

I cut through the jungle my eyes like a knife

And stare as the elephant grass comes to life.

I look at him as he looks at me

And both of our bodies fire instantly.

I'll never forget that look in his eyes

As his chest explodes and his bullets whiz by.

In a flash it's over. I am in the clear.

Why am I alive? I shouldn't be here.

Who goes there, friend or foe?

Am I crazy? I just want to go home.

Somebody help me because I don't know.

Who goes there, friend or foe?

I'm salty now, got one under my belt.

But where are the feelings that I should have felt?

The perimeter's set. We're tucked in for the night.

I drew first watch. Now I'm sitting tight.

(Crouched, staring intensely.)

Searching the darkness and I'm looking for signs,

But all I can see is the look in his eyes.

Is that something moving? Is somebody there?

I want to go home. I shouldn't be here.

(Stage whisper, slowly building)

Quiet now, the night has grown still.

Something's going to happen. I know it will.

Deathly calm all around, time for the kill.

God help me. Now I live for the thrill.

(Frozen in place, but searching blindly with his hands.)

Gotta get my weapon... (realizing) God, no. Not again!

I'm trapped inside this nightmare like a mannequin.

I need my weapon, it's my only chance.

It's the only way I can break out of this trance.

(Frantic now)

They're coming soon, I know it. Like they always do!

I'm frozen here with fear. I can't move!

Locked to the dark with my ten thousand mile stare

I see that look in his eyes. I shouldn't be here!

Scene - 7

(The next evening. WARD and VET are lying in the alley, side by side. Both are just coming into consciousness.)

WARD: (Moaning) Oh, God! What time is it?

(VET is coming to. He is bruised and shows signs of the previous night’s battle. He automatically lifts his arm to look at his wrist watch, though it was pawned long ago.)

WARD: (Noticing VET's bruises) What happened to you?

VET: I don't know. Bad dreams, I guess.

(WARD starts to stand but suddenly is overcome by his hang over and sits back down.)

VET: Rough night? (WARD nods in reply, causing himself more pain.) Nothing like a good time to make you feel this bad.

(VET sits partially up and notices one of the homeless people doing an odd, spastic dance to no music.)

VET: (Nodding toward the dancer.) Here comes your wake- up call.

WARD: (Noticing the dancer.) What's with him?

VET: (Shrugs.) He won't hurt you, it’s just kinda weird to watch. He used to live up on the hill.

WARD: Up on the hill?

VET: Yeah. You know - where the jackets tie-up in the back. I guess they decided he wasn't crazy when his insurance ran out. He was ok for awhile after that. Then he took the last of his meds and now--he's like that.

(WARD and VET watch. The lights slowly dim as the music that the dancer hears becomes more apparent to us. It is a busy falling sound that the dancer twists and turns to. Suddenly the song turns into I'm Mad,)

Some people say that I'm enthusiastic, foolish some say or inane.

But I've been declared non compos mentis.

The fact is I'm mildly insane.

Touched, some would say, or even quite cracky,

Mindless or cuckoo or nutty or whacky.

I'd like to say that I'm crazy for you love

But the fact is that I'm simply mad.

Reason you see means nothing to me. I live in a world all my own.

You'll find me waiting just around the bend.

Fruity as a nutcake at home.

So you ignore me but I'm not impressed,

Depressed or happy or glad

I'd like to say that I'm crazy for you love

But the fact is that I'm simply mad.

I used to be in an institution

The place with the soft padded cells

Where they pilled me and stabbed me and soaked me in solutions

Until I had gotten quite well.

They put me on meds and they put me on the street.

And so for a time I did swell

But once upon a time I forgot my medication

Now here I am as crazy as hell.

Not angry nor seething nor irate nor wrathful though maybe I'm fit to be tied.

Not ireful nor sore nor hot under the collar

If so I said then I'd say that I'd lied.

Crazy as a loon, mad as a hatter.

I'm totally out of my head.

I'd like to say that I'm crazy for you love.

But the fact is I'm stark raving,

The reason's I'm depraving,

Who cares what the facts is I'm mad!

(BILL and the INSPECTOR come out of the tenement. VET and WARD hide in the alley and eavesdrop.)

INSPECTOR: Well, they have 30 days to move out. We can't just put these people on the street without notice. (Posts notice on front door.)

BILL: CRUMB will be pleased. Thanks. (Shakes INSPECTOR's hand and exits to office building.)

(VET and WARD go to look at the notice.)

WARD: He did it! That son of a bitch went ahead and did it! What can I do to help her now?

VET: Looks like it's pack-it-up time again. Seems like there’s fewer and fewer places left for people like us.

WARD: What do you mean "people like us"? I'm not like you! I can take care of myself! I'm not like you! (WARD exits angrily.)

VET: (Calling after him) Oh, yeah! Well, I'm not like you either! I just got a few problems, that's all! (VET exits in the other direction.)

(Enter FAITH to check on PHOENIX. PHOENIX is coming on behind her.)

PHOENIX: Faith! I got it! I got the job!

FAITH: That's wonderful! Which one?

PHOENIX: You know, the great one! The one at the company, where they have daycare and health benefits and tuition assistance and....

FAITH: (laughing) Whoa! Slow down. This is wonderful...I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it.

PHOENIX: I couldn't have done it without you.

FAITH: We did it together!

(They sing Together)

FAITH:

When we gather together no problem is too great

There is nothing we can't do together.

PHOENIX:

Through storm or foul weather even

Through bad luck even fate

Both:

There is nothing we can't do together.

Together we will climb to heights unknown

Together we will help to build a home

Together we can do most anything

One plus one is more than two alone.

When we open our hearts and let each other in

There is nothing we can't do together

Then we can start and once again begin

There is nothing we can't do together.

FAITH: Look, Phoenix. There's an eviction notice on the door! Your building has been condemned.

PHOENIX: It's a good thing I got that job today! I'll be able to afford a better place - but what about all the others? Where will they go?

FAITH: One step at a time, Phoenix, one step at a time.

(They go into the building. WARD comes on, the lights change, and he addresses the audience directly.)

WARD: Heartwarming, isn't it? Oh, it happens. It really does. The only trouble is, it doesn't happen often enough. Phoenix was lucky. She found a job that provided her with an opportunity to get ahead. But even more important, Phoenix had no substance abuse problems and suffered only mildly from depression. What do we do with all those on the streets that do have these problems? Do we warehouse them in institutions and shelters? Or do we provide them with a home of some kind? A place where they can receive the basic courtesy and consideration that all people deserve as their birthright? We are ill and need your help. Whether the problem is alcoholism, drugs, depression or neurosis, we all deserve a life with respect.

Speaking of disease, don't you experience some level of dis-ease whenever you encounter a homeless person on the street? "Do unto others" is written on your heart. And that heart aches every time you become aware of homeless people and our responsibilities to each other. Your heart aches sometimes even when you are not aware of them.

In this sense we are all homeless. We are connected by our hearts to each other. No amount of advertising or sensationalizing can change this. If this were not true, then there could be no hope. And who can live in a world without hope? We must refuse to live in a hopeless world and create hope where it does not exist. We must defy hopelessness and learn to lift each other up.

Only then will we find our home.

But this is a play. And I must return to the action. It's later that evening.

Scene - 9

(It is the day after. We see the flashing lights of an Emergency vehicle offstage. BILL enters from the lighted area, obviously upset, on his way to work. BILL comes downstage and sings But for the Grace of God. In the middle of the song, WARD comes back out on the stage and stops the music.)

WARD: Hold it! Cut! Stop everything! (Addressing the audience) Sorry about that, folks. Don't worry about me. No unhappy endings here. No, I am still very much among the living. If you can call this living.

You are listening to the "Overture" from Homeless Souls.

Scene - 2

Scene - 3

Scene - 4

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Scene - 7

Scene - 8

Scene - 9