[Capdist-auditions] TWO BY TWO

[lwandruski at aol.com]

TWO BY TWO

Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Book by Peter Stone
Opened November 10, 1970 at the Imperial Theatre, New York and ran for 
343 performances

Presented by the Not So Common Players of Clifton Park
Laura W. Andruski, director
Pat Douglas, music director
Auditions:  Sun., Jan. 29, 1-4pm; Mon. Jan. 30, 7-10PM
at the Locust Lane Clubhouse, 5 Birchwood, Clifton Park  12065 (email 
LWAndruski at aol. com for directions).
Performance Dates:  April 28-30; May 5-7

Synopsis

Imagine Noah as your average 600-year-old, working-class guy from the 
Bronx, somehow transported back to the days of Genesis. He has a loving 
wife, three sons, two daughters-in-law and a chicken farm. One day, God 
pays a visit, informs him that the world is going to be destroyed and 
gives him the job of saving two of every living species, along with his 
own family. Noah reacts as many of us would, he calls his family 
together: his long-suffering wife, Esther; his eldest son Shem and his 
wife Leah - they're the materialistic ones, successful in the olive 
business; his second son Ham, the prodigal one, who gambles and 
neglects his wife Rachel; and the youngest son Japheth, the idealistic 
one, an angry young man who still lives at home. When Noah explains 
what God has told him to do, they too react as many of us would.

Noah can't convince them; it takes the intervention of God, with the 
aid of a "gitka," a magical Old Testament creature that would sing in 
the presence of God. Together Noah and the gitka win over the family. 
As pairs of animals begin to gather around them, Noah and his family 
follow God's instructions in building a boat from gopher wood, but 
Japheth is outraged at the supreme being. How can He destroy the entire 
world? Doesn't He like something, somewhere?

The construction continues, but very soon religious faith and 
engineering conflict. Noah finds no mention in God's plans of a rudder 
with which to steer the boat. Japheth, also the practical one and 
family engineer, can't believe God intends them simply to drift. An 
argument ensues between father and his sons, one which Noah wins.

More problems: Japheth can't board the ark without a mate; there are no 
obvious candidates. And of the existing marriages, at least one, Ham's 
and Rachel's, is in trouble, as she confides to her mother-in-law. 
Noah's attempts to lead his family only seem to fail. Japheth says he 
would rather stay behind and drown, as a final protest against a God 
who would destroy his own creation.

With the ark not yet complete, Japheth walks out, leaving Noah to 
finish the job, but, as Esther observes, Noah is an old man. God, 
observing the crisis, makes a miracle, and Noah reappears 510 years 
younger.

Japheth returns, out of loyalty, but is taken aback by the change in 
his father, who has now acquired an unseemly interest in matters 
sexual. Noah, to his credit, more readily accepts the change in 
Japheth, who has brought home a woman named Goldie. Japheth, it seems, 
had gone to town to warn his countrymen about their impending doom, 
which only served to enrage them, and he would have died prior to the 
flood had not Goldie saved his life. On the other hand, she is Not of 
Our Persuasion -she's a Golden Girl from the nearby Temple of the 
Golden Ram - but Noah, at least, is glad to see her. With the storm 
approaching, she joins the family on the now-completed ark.

But there is another complication: Japheth's real reason for running 
off, we learn, was that he has been secretly in love with Rachel, his 
brother's wife. Alone with her for a moment, he confesses, then tries 
again to run away. Noah knocks him out and has him carried aboard, then 
begs God once more to reconsider. But the rains are already falling.

Noah and his family emerge after a forty-day downpour to see a vast 
ocean and a sunny day, and they make plans for the future. Japheth 
remains estranged, but Noah's attention is now directed to his wife, 
who feels ill and needs reassurance from her now much-younger husband. 
Elsewhere on the ship Ham has become infatuated with Goldie. In her 
unsuccessful defence against his advances, she reminds him about her 
sacred untouchable status as a temple girl.

Relationships in a jumble, the family watches the rudderless ark 
collide with floating debris from the old world. Again Japheth wants to 
install a rudder, but Noah refuses. Immediately the ark hits something 
and begins to sink, and Japheth takes charge, while Noah goes off to 
get drunk.

Japheth and Rachel now understand that they can't live without each 
other. Across the boat, Shem and Leah are conversely looking for 
reasons to stay together, which they decide to do, grudgingly.

When Noah returns as an old man again, he finds the family in turmoil. 
Ham wants to divorce Rachel and marry Goldie. Japheth and Rachel want 
to marry. Esther is on their side, but Esther is dying. Noah resists, 
but as Esther dies in his arms, he finally agrees.

With the earth dry once more, Noah must now say goodbye to his 
children: each couple goes off in a different direction, each wife now 
big with child. His work is completed, but Noah is not content. He 
demands that God give him a sign, a promise not to destroy the world 
again. Noah offers God a deal: if God will preserve the earth, people 
will remember His name. God signals agreement and a rainbow appears as 
the curtain falls.

Info

Original cast starred: Danny Kaye, Marilyn Cooper, Madeline Kahn, 
Walter Willison, Harry Goz, Joan Copeland, Michael Karm and Tricia 
O'Neil

Characters

Noah, the biblical patriarch.  Baritone.  50s+

Esther, his long-suffering wife.  Alto-Mezzo.  50s+

Shem, the oldest son.  Materialistic; successful in the olive business. 
 Bass-baritone. 30s-40s

Ham, the prodigal middle son, who gambles and neglects his wife Rachel. 
 Tenor.  20-30s

Japheth, the youngest son.  The idealistic one, an angry young man who 
still lives at home.  Tenor.  20s

Leah, wife to Shem.  Greedy and a bit shrewish.  Mezzo-soprano. 20-30s

Rachel, unhappily married to Ham.  Soprano.  20s

Goldie, a Golden Girl from the nearby Temple of the Golden Ram.  
Soprano.  20-30s

For more information call (518) 383-8277 or email LWAndruski at aol.com