Life's a Stage

Life’s a Stage

Sound tracks :  

I chose the following songs:

1.  For times when the family feels stress about their lives, especially after their trials at the end of the story:

We Shall Overcome

 

Lyrics derived from Charles Tindley's gospel song "I'll Overcome Some Day" (1900), and opening and closing melody from the 19th-century spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me" (a song that dates to before the Civil War). According to Professor Donnell King of Pellissippi State Technical Community College (in Knoxville, Tenn.), "We Shall Overcome" was adapted from these gospel songs by "Guy Carawan, Candy Carawan, and a couple of other people associated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, currently located near Knoxville, Tennessee. I have in my possession copies of the lyrics that include a brief history of the song, and a notation that royalties from the song go to support the Highlander Center."

 

1.	We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day

CHORUS:

Oh, deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day

2.	We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand some day

CHORUS

 

3.	We shall all be free We shall all be free We shall all be free some day

CHORUS

 

4.	We are not afraid We are not afraid We are not afraid some day

CHORUS

 

5.	We are not alone We are not alone We are not alone some day

CHORUS

 

6.	The whole wide world around The whole wide world around The whole wide world around some day

CHORUS

 

7.	We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day

CHORUS

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SOURCES:

Eileen Southern, The Music of Black Americans: A History, Second Edition (Norton, 1971): 546-47, 159-60.

2.  When the family heads off to their annual weekly revival at the Church:

Happy Days Are Here Again
Music and Lyrics by J. Yellen and M. Ager
So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again
Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on ...
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics)

3.  For times the family is working in the yard/ fields or the children walking to school:

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,

 Chorus:
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan,
And WHAT did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home,
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home.

Repeat chorus:

If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I'm comin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University.

Characters:

Big Ma- Oprah Winfrey

Mama- Halle Berry

Papa- Will Smith

Uncle Hammer- Denzel Washington

Stacey- Jaden Smith

Lawyer- Clint Eastwood

TJ- Michael B. Jordan

Cassie- Willow Smith

Stage: 

          The stage would change at different times throughout the play:

Main living area of the Logan’s house

Yard with woods in back with a clearing

A classroom with  church/ school yard