BRING IN THE MORNING Adaptation and lyrics by Herb Schapiro; Music by Gary William Friedman; Based on and inspired by contributors to Poets in Public Services, Inc. and other material Variety Arts Theatre, Off-Broadway - April 23, 1994 (51 perfs) SYNOPSIS Bring In The Morning celebrates adolescence with the music of the 90s and the poems, stories and writings of the youth of today. It chronicles a multi-racial universe of kids aged from 13 to their early 20s -youth filled with the joy of life as well as its all too early burdens and heartache. With children growing up faster than ever, this musical celebrates their amazing resilience and enthusiasm with humour, pathos and a score that ranges from reggae to rap, from gospel to contemporary pop. SYNOPSIS & CAST Cast: 5 men, 6 women COUGAR, the central character of this piece, announces at the outset, "This is the ghetto of my mind." As such, this work represents a collage of impressions, a montage of emotions, evoking more of the inner lives of our characters, and taking us beyond the familiar literal realities of the TV Late News, and audience preconceptions. He is joined by the rest of the cast who comment on the sorry state of life as it exists today. They all wish that things could change and they could get away from things like AIDS, crime, poverty, etc. All the characters in this revue-like show dream of a better time and place - though they have to face the harsh realities of life around them. There is a great sense of irony with the situations here - a promising life for everyone in contrast to the harsh realities at hand. These kids only have their imagination to see them through - that is their only hope. However, in the end, imagination can do quite a lot! Cougar is strong-minded, sensitive. He is a twenty-year-old African-American, something of a loner who is now drifting, angry at the conditions around him and at this own inability to accomplish, as head of a household, what needs to be done for his younger sister, Alicia; for his working mother; for his own son in foster care; and for his girl, Lakesha. He knows the drug scene inside and out - as a user, then as a pusher, and as a reformed dropout. He is trying to help his friends, Roberto and Jamal, from getting caught in its snares. ALICIA, a fifteen-year-old African-American girl, is already beginning to wonder, after the death of her father in a factory accident and the recent changes in Cougar's mood and manner, whether she's a kid any more. She is aware and questioning, and holds on to her capacity to dream of better things. Her most active concerns are her brother, Cougar, and her membership in the church choir, where she is a standout performer. Others appreciate her studious and playful nature, and the freshness she has managed to hold on to. LAKESHA, an eighteen-year-old African-American, is spirited, talented, and speaks her mind - no matter what. She is determined to be herself and knows that she can be with the divas on the charts, and she is not modest about proclaiming it. She is sustained in her ambition by Cougar, who also takes care of her need for flashy clothes and jewellry in keeping with her image of herself. Her anxiety regarding her boyfriend and his now apparent coolness towards her will not stand in the way of her driving determination to be somebody. ROBERTO, a seventeen-year-old Hispanic, is actually very feeling and is even somewhat of a dreamer who will risk anything for his girl and his friends. This is all beneath his very street-smart demeanor. He
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