ENSEMBLE
WOMEN
Stay alive…
HAMILTON
Stay alive... Where’s my
son? DOCTOR
Mr. Hamilton,
come in.
HAMILTON
They brought
him in a half
an hour ago.
He lost a lot of
blood on the
way over.
Stay alive.... Is he
alive?
DOCTOR
Yes. But you have to understand
the bullet entered just above his hip and
lodged in his right arm.
HAMILTON
Can I see him please?
DOCTOR
I’m doing ev’rything I can but the wound was
already infected when he arrived–
HAMILTON
Philip.
PHILIP
Pa.
I did exactly as you said, Pa.
I held my head up high.
HAMILTON
I know, I know. Shh. PHILIP
I know, I know. High.
Shh. I know you did
ev’rything just right.
Even before we got
to ten–
Shh.
I was aiming for
the sky.
I know, I know.
I know, I know.
I know, I was aiming for
the sky.
Save your
strength and
stay alive… ENSEMBLE MEN
Stay alive…
ELIZA
No!
HAMILTON
Eliza.
ELIZA ENSEMBLE MEN
Is he breathing? Is
he going to survive
this?
Stay alive…
ELIZA
Who did this, Alexander, did you know?
PHILIP
Mom, I’m so sorry for forgetting what you
taught me.
ELIZA
My son—
PHILIP
We played piano.
ELIZA
I taught you piano.
PHILIP
You would put your hands on mine.
ELIZA
You changed the melody every time.
PHILIP
Ha. I would always change the line.
ELIZA
Shh. I know, I know.
PHILIP
I would always change the line.
ELIZA
I know, I know.
ELIZA
Un deux trois quatre PHILIP
Cinq six sept huit
neuf.
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf.
Good.
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept Un deux trois…
Huit neuf.
Sept huit neuf–
Sept huit…
18. IT’S QUIET UPTOWN
ANGELICA
There are moments that the words don’t reach.
There is suffering too terrible to name.
You hold your child as tight as you can
and push away the unimaginable.
The moments when you’re in so deep,
it feels easier to just swim down.
ANGELICA/ENSEMBLE
The Hamiltons move uptown
and learn to live with the unimaginable.
HAMILTON
I spend hours in the garden.
I walk alone to the store,
and it’s quiet uptown.
I never liked the quiet before.
I take the children to church on Sunday,
a sign of the cross at the door,
and I pray.
That never used to happen before.
ANGELICA AND WOMEN
If you see him in the street, walking by
himself, talking to himself,
have pity.
HAMILTON
Philip, you would like it uptown.
It’s quiet uptown.
ANGELICA AND WOMEN
He is working through the unimaginable.
ALL MEN (EXCEPT HAMILTON)
His hair has gone grey. He passes every day.
They say he walks the length of the city.
HAMILTON
You knock me out, I fall apart.
COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND
ELIZA)
Can you imagine?
HAMILTON
Look at where we are.
Look at where we started.
I know I don’t deserve you, Eliza.
But hear me out. That would be enough.
If I could spare his life,
If I could trade his life for mine,
he’d be standing here right now
and you would smile, and that would be
enough.
I don’t pretend to know
the challenges we’re facing.
I know there’s no replacing what we’ve lost
and you need time.
But I’m not afraid,
I know who I married.
Just let me stay here by your side,
That would be enough.
COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND
ELIZA)
If you see him in the street, walking by her
side, talking by her side, have pity.
HAMILTON
Eliza, do you like it uptown? It’s quiet uptown.
COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND
ELIZA)
He is trying to do the unimaginable.
See them walking in the park, long after dark,
taking in the sights of the city.
HAMILTON
Look around, look around, Eliza.
COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND
ELIZA)
They are trying to do the unimaginable.
ANGELICA
There are moments that the words don’t reach.
There is a grace too powerful to name.
We push away what we can never understand,
we push away the unimaginable.
They are standing in the garden,
Alexander by Eliza’s side.
She takes his hand.
ELIZA
It’s quiet uptown.
COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND
ELIZA)
Forgiveness. Can you imagine?
Forgiveness. Can you imagine?
If you see him in the street, walking by her
side, talking by her side, have pity.
They are going through the unimaginable.