Journey to the West Notes

Journey to the West

Prologue:

Pages 3 - 5

Characters: 

Creation Myth

Characters: Jade,  Guanyin, Buddha

The Buddha is sitting in silence before a roll of parchment.  Jade and Guanyin enter; Guanyin is smoking a cigarette. They stand behind the Buddha as he dips his brush in the inkwell and begins to write. 

Music

“There are four continents, but we are only concerned with the East.
Beyond the ocean, there was a mountain. On the top of the mountain was an immortal stone nourished for a long time by the seeds of Earth until”  - 

The Buddha inhales - 

“Quickened by divine inspiration” 

The Buddha exhales across the manuscript. The Monkey King enters and crouches down. 

“The stone gave birth to a stone egg. Exposed to the wind, it was transformed into a stone monkey.   A monkey made of stone who hatched from an egg and has just now bowed to all four  corners of the earth.”

The Monkey King is bowing to all the corners of the earth. 

Jade - Ah, well, I am not surprised. These creatures of the world below are made of the essence of both Heaven and Earth, and therefore with them, anything might happen.” 

Notes: 

Music

As Guanyin says “Humans and beasts and birds all came into being and the world was divided into four great continents…” the cast came running and dancing on stage as various creatures and then freeze. 

Monkey's Story
Pages 5 - 
Characters: Jade, Emperor, First Monkey, Second Monkey, Third Monkey, Guanyin, Woodcutter, 
Music
All the monkeys are running about playing and jumping. 
Change in music
The Monkey king is depressed and reveals to the other monkeys that he is sad because one day he will grow old and die. 
The Second Monkey imparts that there are three types of  beings who are not subject to death - the Buddhas, the immortals, and the holy sages! 
The Third Monkey, coached by the other monkeys, figures out that the Buddhas, the immortals, and the holy sages live on the earth in mountains and caves and things. 
The Monkey King decides to get on a boat, sail across the ocean, and find these people in the mountains and caves.
Page 8 
Lights change
Music change 
Actors form a boat: a patch of light or a cloth is thrown on the floor. Actors are stationed on the side of the boat with long poles with the Monkey King in the front.  
The Monkey lands on an island with a city. Actors hustle and bustle past him as if in a big city.   Monkey is trying to find an enlightened person but  despite his pleas, the city people all ignore him.
Speakers: 
Guanyin, Jade, Monkey 
Guanyin whispers in Monkey's ear "Go out!" Monkey immediately says as if he just thought of it, "I think I'll go out!"
Everyone exits except Jade, Monkey
A wood cutter enters singing, with an enormous bundle of wood.