The Black Parade, The Musical (Famous Last Words)

A Stage Play by Krista Franks

Famous last words scene from The Black Parade, The Musical

Famous Last Words

[Lights up to the trial cells. It’s a dark place, and FENDER’S cell is center stage. In his cell is a window that leads to the City of the Damned, or Purgatory. In the six other cells, people of all ages await for their trial with The House of Wolves. One person is in each cell, although there are many others. They’re just not onstage.]

[FENDER wakes up on his bench, his hands shackled as well as his ankles. His ear-length, black hair tangles with the dust on the bench, and he blinks away the old tears from his eyes. With his shackled hands, he wipes away the dry tears. He wears a white T-shirt and black shorts. He’s bare footed.]

Fender

[His voice cracking]

What time is it?

Prisoner #1

[moaning from his cell, tired]

There is no time here.

Prisoner #2

[yawning]

Go back to sleep, kid. This is the fifth time you’ve asked us what time it is.

Prisoner #3

[pacing back and forth in his cell]

You’re just pissing all of us off.

Fender

[Sits up on the bench and stretches]

Where’s the security?

Prisoner #4

[annoyed]

There is no security, either. Just bars.

Prisoner #5

Only the wolves outside.

Prisoner #6

And they’ll rip your a*s apart.

Fender

How long has it been since I’ve come? Does anyone know?

[All of the PRISONERS groan, annoyed. They shout scattered replies of ‘shut ups’ and ‘go back to sleeps.’ FENDER throws his face into his hands and moans, frustrated.]

[Sounds of cheers and laughter, some screams come from outside. It’s coming from the City of the Damned. FENDER stands, looking out the window hopelessly. He whimpers quietly and then sighs, knowing that there’s no way to escape. He’s not used to being locked up like this. He has never done anything wrong in his life to be thrown behind bars.]

Fender

What is that city over there?

Prisoner #4

City of the Damned.

Prisoner #1

Lucky sons of b*****s who made it out of Purgatory once their time was finished. Kind of like a retirement community.

Prisoner #3

But it’s far from heaven.

Prisoner #1

They suffer just like the rest of us. It’s an inescapable project.

Fender

No one ever comes out?

Prisoner #1

Not unless they have a meeting with Death himself. They’d spend the rest of their own eternity in Hell.

Fender

[Listening to the distant sounds of bombs and shattered glass. Cries of people can be heard.]

That sounds like a lot of people over there.

Prisoner #6

Well, s**t, kid! You could make a whole Black Parade--

[The other PRISONERS shush PRISONER #6 angrily. PRISONER #6 apologizes and lays back down on his bench.]

Fender

Black Parade? What’s that?

Prisoner #5

It’s supposed to be some kind of rebellion against the House of Wolves. It overthrows all judgment and Purgatory.

Prisoner #1

Dude! Don’t tell him! You’ll give him ideas!

Prisoner #5

It’s not like the kid can do it. I mean, look at him. Scrawny little thing. Probably no older than twelve.

Fender

Fourteen--

Prisoner #5

Whatever. My point is, no one has ever had the guts to overthrow The House of Wolves. I doubt you do.

[Fender walks up to the barred window in his cell and wraps his fingers around the bars. He watches the city longingly, seeing the explosions and hearing all of the excitement. It made him wonder.]

Fender

[Amused]

I bet I could get out of here if I wanted to. Nothing will ever keep me from trying.

Prisoner #1

Famous last words, kid.

[The bass riff of “Famous Last Words” begins to play as FENDER walks over to the cell door. He grabs the bars and begins to shake them angrily.]

Fender

[Shaking his head.]

I’ll lead that Black Parade if I have to.

NO I KNOW,

THAT I CAN’T MAKE YOU STAY.

BUT WHERE’S YOUR HEART?

BUT WHERE’S YOUR…

[FENDER shakes the bars to the beat briefly.]

AND I KNOW,

THERE’S NOTHING I CAN SAY,

TO CHANGE THAT PART.

TO CHANGE…

[Lights begin to flash to the riff of the guitar solo. Fender shakes the bars a couple more times before kicking the cell wall and throwing his head back, singing passionately and angrily.]

Fender

SO MANY

BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT CAST A SHADOW.

BUT CAN I SPEAK?

IS IT HARD UNDERSTANDING

I’M INCOMPLETE?

A LIFE THAT’S SO DEMANDING.

I GET SO WEAK.

A LOVE THAT’S SO DEMANDING.

I CAN’T SPEAK.

[FENDER grabs the bars again and sings louder and begins to grow angrier and angrier.]

Fender

I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING.

I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD ALONE.

HONEY IF YOU STAY, I’LL BE FORGIVEN.

NOTHING YOU CAN SAY

CAN STOP ME GOING HOME!

[Lights go down slowly on the jail scene. On the backdrop, we see a projection of 21-YEAR OLD GRETCHEN sitting at her vanity in Hell. She’s wearing a wedding dress. She watches herself in the mirror, her back turned to the audience, but she turns around to reveal her face on the lyric, ‘SAY?’.]

Gretchen

CAN YOU SAY

MY EYES ARE SHINING BRIGHT?

‘CAUSE I’M OUT HERE ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF A JET BLACK HOTEL MIRROR.

AND I’M SO WEAK.

[ARTHUR (DEATH) appears behind GRETCHEN, touching her shoulders softly. She’s preparing herself for their wedding. ARTHUR begins to sing with her, watching her through the mirror.]

Arthur

IS IT HARD UNDERSTANDING?

I’M IMCOMPLETE.

Gretchen and Arthur

A LOVE THAT’S SO DEMANDING.

I GET WEAK.

[Lights out on Hell. Lights back up on the jail scene. Fender is still in his shackles. The other six prisoners begin singing with him as backup.]

ALL

I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING.

I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD ALONE.

HONEY IF YOU STAY, I’LL BE FORGIVEN.

NOTHING YOU CAN SAY CAN STOP ME GOING HOME.

[FENDER falls to his knees on the first count, followed by the TWO PRISONERS on either side of him, then the ones after that, and so on. They slam their fists onto the ground. FENDER scrambles up to his feet and screams on the third eight count of the instrumental. Then they all follow the same routine, falling to their knees, pounding the floor and crying in agony.]

[The lights flicker, the “power going out” a couple of times as the PRISONERS sing. FENDER flails about until the lights finally go out on the lyric, “SAY.”

PRISONERS

THESE BRIGHT LIGHTS

ARE ALWAYS BLINDING ME.

THESE BRIGHT LIGHTS

ARE ALWAYS BLINDING ME,

AND I SAY!

[While OLDER FENDER begins to sing, lights up on the outermost PRISONERS, their backs turned to the audience. They’re older now, and much stronger. Then, lights up on the second set of PRISONERS. They examine themselves after five years of suffering. Then, lights up on the PRISONERS on either side of FENDER’S cell. They do the same thing. Finally, on the lyric, “DEAD?”, lights up on FENDER’S cell, his back still to the audience. We see that he has grown much taller and more built. His hair is cut shorter and is white now, resembling that his time awaiting his trial has definitely taken its toll on the young boy, who is now 19.]

Fender

I SEE YOU LYING NEXT TO ME.

WITH WORDS I’D THOUGHT I’D NEVER SPEAK.

AWAKE AND UNAFRAID.

ASLEEP OR DEAD?

[Lights up on FENDER. He examines himself in his older body, five years later. He balls his hands up into fists and then releases them, amazed with his growth. He may be even taller than OLDER MUNRO.]

Fender Prisoners

I SEE YOU LYING I GOTTA SEE

NEXT TO ME. I SEE YOU LYING,

WITH WORDS I’D THOUGHT I GOTTA SEE

I’D NEVER SPEAK. I SEE YOU LYING,

AWAKE AND UNAFRAID. I GOTTA SEE

I SEE YOU LYING,

I GOTTA SEE!

Fender

[Turns to audience, his arms outstretched, a hopeful expression on his face.]

ASLEEP OR DEAD?!

[FENDER and the PRISONERS are all turned to the audience now. The PRISONERS grab the bars and shake them as FENDER sings. FENDER reaches out with one hand occasionally, longing for his friends and family, and overall, freedom. He has been locked up for five years, and is ready for rebellion.]

Fender

‘CAUSE I SEE YOU LYING NEXT TO ME.

WITH WORDS I’D THOUGHT I’D NEVER SPEAK.

AWAKE, AND UNAFRAID.

ASLEEP, OR DEAD?

‘CAUSE I SEE YOU LYING NEXT TO ME.

WITH WORDS I’D THOUGHT I’D NEVER SPEAK.

AWAKE, AND UNAFRAID.

ASLEEP OR…

Fender Prisoners

DEAD? I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING

OR DEAD? I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD

OR DEAD? ALONE

OR DEAD? HONEY IF YOU’LL STAY, I’LL BE FORGIVEN.

NOTHING YOU CAN SAY

CAN STOP ME GOING HOME. (2x)

[Lights out.]

My Review

Would you like to review this Stage Play?
Login | Register

Reviews

Sapientiam

Is this an actual musical? If not, then you have done such a wonderful job! I'm not a big fan of screenplays of any kind (except CATS), but I found this exceptionally intriguing. The despair and hopelessness conveyed in the beginning allowed me to come closer to Fender. As young as he is, he seems so mature and willing to take on the world, despite it's fault. And then the singing. What amazing lyrics! It's so powerful and brimmed with determination. If those were his last words, then they surely did him justice. Well done, indeed!