Dave Malloy
Midnight
[GELSEY]
Side 4, Track 2. “Midnight.”

(Dave plays “’Round Midnight.”)

[GELSEY (Pearl)]
So David,
Why didn’t Monk just go to heaven?
Why would he still be hanging around here?

[DAVE (Driver)]
Um.
Well maybe he lost his way.
Or didn’t know he was dead?
Soul wasn’t at peace,
Had unfinished work to do,
Wanted to watch over someone...
I mean there’s all sorts of reasons.

[GELSEY] (to Brittain)
Are you remembering now?
Coming back to you?

[BRITTAIN (Rose)]
I think so.
Who all am I?
[GELSEY]
Oh Rose.
You’re my sister,
And you’re my lover,
And you’re my child,
And you’re my best friend.

And,
And Rose don’t you recognize me?
It’s me,
It’s me, it’s me, your little girl.
I’m your little girl.

[DAVE]
Or, maybe there just isn’t a heaven.
I mean actually that’s pretty likely, so…

[BRITTAIN] (to Dave)
Do you remember when we used to go up in your treehouse?
Look at the stars through your telescope?

[DAVE]
I don’t actually think that that’s happened yet.

[BRITTAIN]
Dance with me?
[DAVE]
Okay.

(Brent takes over the tune. They dance.)

[BRITTAIN]
Do you ever think about kids?

[DAVE]
Uh—
Uh, I don’t know.
I mean, I guess in the abstract, yeah, but—
I don’t really make a lot, down at the MTA, so...
What about photography, doe sthat pay pretty well, or...?

(They keep dancing.)

[GELSEY]
They had kids you know.
Sisters.

[BRENT (Brent)]
Weird.

(Brent plays for a bit.)
[GELSEY]
That’s really pretty.
You’re a really good cello player Brent.

[BRENT]
Thanks.
I practice a lot.