Act I: Every Movie's A Circus

ALL:

Every movie's a circus

On the wire without a net

JOANNA

Coffee?

MYRON:

I'm up too early

Shooting at seven

I gotta go

ALL:

Movies

BOY:

What's wrong?

GIRL:

Can't get a screen test

Don't you hate it

When a yes-man says no?

ALL:

Movies

GIRL:

Good part?

BOY:

I'm a policeman

"Hands up, punk!"

That's all I say

ACTOR:

First time you've worked on the lot there

ACTRESS:

I must say R.K.O. are O.K.

ALL:

Movies

BOY:

Then what?

GIRL:

He pressed a button

Out of the wall

Fell a four-poster bed

ALL:

Movies

MYRON:

Busy?

JOANNA:

They shot my screenplay

MYRON:

Isn't that great?

JOANNA:

No, they shot the thing dead

ALL:

Every movie's a circus

On the wire without a net

BOY:

Lonely?

GIRL:

That's how I like it.

BOY:

Can't you be nice?

GIRL:

Why? We're not on the set.

ALL:

Movies

ARTIE:

Hey, Joe

What are you, slumming?

JOE:

Here for a meeting

ARTIE:

This time of night?

ALL:

Movies

JOE:

Yeah, it's some studio smartass

You know I'm famous for being polite

ALL:

Movies

ARTIE:

Guess what?

I'm getting married

JOE:

Congratulations

ARTIE:

She'll be right back

ALL:

Movies

ARTIE:

Fact is, we were just leaving

She's been stood up by some uppity hack

ALL:

Movies

JOE:

Married. Who would have thought it?

Why don't you look happy?

Come on, be brave

ALL:

Movies

ARTIE:

It's this movie I'm shooting

JOE:

You first assistant?

ARTIE:

More like a slave

ALL:

Every movie's a circus

ARTIE:

But this is a circus movie as well

Problems, nothing but problems

Animals, actors

Two kinds of hell

ALL:

Every movie's a circus

On the wire without a net

BETTY:

Well hello, Mr. Gillis

ARTIE:

You two have met?

JOE:

I'm the uppity hack

ARTIE:

And she's the studio smartass

BETTY:

What's going on here?

BARMAN:

Artie, they're calling you back.

BETTY:

I just reread "Blind Windows"

It needs some real re-working, of course

If we fixed up the opening

ARTIE:

Call up the wrangler

Pay off the horse