Take a Break (2014 Workshop)

[ELIZA]
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf

[PHILIP]
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf

[ELIZA]
Good! Un deux trois quatre
Cinq sept huit neuf

[PHILIP]
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf

[ELIZA]
Sept huit neuf—

[PHILIP]
Sept huit neuf—

[ELIZA]
Sept huit neuf—

[PHILIP]
Sept huit neuf—

Sept huit neuf—

[ELIZA AND PHILIP]
One two three four five six seven eight nine!

[HAMILTON]
My dearest, Angelica
“They have tied me to a stake, I cannot fly
But, bear-like, I must fight the course”
I trust you’ll understand the reference to
Another Scottish tragedy without my having to cite the source
Yes, I’m Macbeth, and ambition is my folly
I’m a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain
Madison is Banquo, Jefferson’s Macduff
And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane

[HAMILTON/ANGELICA]
And there you are, an ocean away
Do you have to live an ocean away?
Thoughts of you subside
Then I get another letter
I cannot put the notion away…

[ELIZA]
Take a break

[HAMILTON]
I am on my way

[ELIZA]
There’s a little surprise before supper
And it cannot wait

[HAMILTON]
I’ll be there in just a minute, save my plate

[ELIZA]
Alexander—

[HAMILTON]
Okay, okay—

[ELIZA]
Your son is nine years old today
And he has something that he’d like to say
He’s been practicing all day
Philip, take it away—

[PHILIP]
Daddy, daddy, look—
My name is Philip
I am a poet
I wrote this poem just
To show it
And I just turned nine

[PHILIP] [HAMILTON] You can write rhymes But you can’t write mine What! I practice French And play piano with my mother Uh-huh! I have a sister, but I want a little brother Okay! My daddy’s trying to start America’s bank Un deux trois quatre cinq! Bravo!
[ELIZA]
Take a break

[HAMILTON]
Hey, our kid is pretty great

[ELIZA]
Run away with us for the summer
Let’s go upstate

[HAMILTON]
Eliza, I’ve got so much on my plate

[ELIZA]
We can all go stay with my father
There’s a lake I know…

[HAMILTON]
I know

[ELIZA]
In a nearby park

[HAMILTON]
I’d love to go

[ELIZA]
You and I can go when the night gets dark…

[HAMILTON]
I will try to get away

[ANGELICA]
My dearest Alexander
I hope this letter finds you
Prolific, productive, wherever you may be
Your fav’rite older sister
Angelica, reminds you
There’s someone in your corner all the way across the sea

In a letter I received from you two weeks ago
I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase
It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?
One stroke and you’ve consumed my waking days
It says:

[HAMILTON/ANGELICA]
“My dearest, Angelica”

[ANGELICA]
With a comma after “dearest.” You’ve written

[HAMILTON AND ANGELICA]
“My dearest, Angelica.”

[ANGELICA]
Anyway, all this to say
I’m coming home this summer
At my sister’s invitation
I’ll be there with your fam’ly
If you make your way upstate
I know you’re very busy
I know your work’s important
But I’m crossing the ocean and I just can’t wait

[HAMILTON AND ANGELICA]
You won’t be an ocean away
You will only be a moment away…

[ELIZA]
Alexander, come downstairs. Angelica’s arriving today!

[ELIZA]
Angelica!

[ANGELICA]
Eliza!

[HAMILTON]
The Schuyler sisters!

[ANGELICA]
Alexander

[HAMILTON]
Hi

[ANGELICA]
It’s good to see your face

[ELIZA]
Angelica, tell this man John Adams spends the summer with his family

[HAMILTON]
Angelica, tell my wife John Adams doesn’t have a real job anyway

[ANGELICA]
…you’re not joining us? Wait

[HAMILTON]
I’m afraid I cannot join you upstate

[ANGELICA]
Alexander, I came all this way

[ELIZA]
She came all this way—

[ANGELICA]
All this way—

[ELIZA AND ANGELICA]
Take a break

[HAMILTON]
Washington is staying in the city

[ELIZA AND ANGELICA]
Run away with us for the summer
Let’s go upstate

[HAMILTON]
Which means I have to stay in the city

[ELIZA AND ANGELICA]
We can all go stay with our father

[ELIZA] [ANGELICA] There's a lake I know I know I'll miss your face In a nearby park "Screw your courage to the sticking place-" You and I can go Eliza's right Take a break Take a break and get away Run away with us for the summer Let's go upstate Let's go upstate Where we can stay We can all go stay with our father Look around, look around If you take your time At how lucky we are to be alive right now You will make your mark We can go when the night gets dark Close your eyes and dream
[ANGELICA AND ELIZA]
Take a break

[HAMILTON]
I will be in the city
Write to me in the city