The Book of Joy

Written byAndrea BandoniDavide DulcettiJoana Meroz

Illustrated byRafael Ramos

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The Book of Joy

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Preconceptions

Fear and anxiety inside the taxi on the way there.

Student 1: “Student 2 what are you wearing under your coat?

Take out all of your jewelry. Leave here all of your money.

Don’t take your mobile phone.”

At the same time, Student 3 is thinking of all that they heard

before about that place, and imagines something dark, dirty,

and dangerous...

They start singing: “Dark, dirty and dangerous! Dark, dirty

and dangerous! Dark, dirty and

dangerous!”

Dark, dir - ty and dan - ge - rous! Dark, dir - ty and dan - ge - rous! Dark, dir - ty and dan - ge - rous!

Pianississimo

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The Book of Joy

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In The Living Room

A woman enters. And another. And another. And another. Who

are they? Why are they here? What do they want?

They enter and sit. They start sewing together with the stu-

dents. It becomes so cozy we think we are participating in a 5

o’clock tea.

The women start singing: “A tree, a dog and a husband! A tree,

a dog and a husband! A tree, a dog and a husband!”

A tree, a dog and a hus - band! A tree, a dog and a hus - band! A tree, a dog and a hus - band!

Allegretto

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The Book of Joy

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Madame Joy

She enters as if she was the Lady of the house. It is as if a spot

light shines upon her. She commands all of the attention. She is

the focus of everything.

The students tremble in her presence, she is not at all l ike what

they had heard about. She speaks French, Arabic, and Russian

fluently. She is the one who controls the conversation.

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The Banquet BeginsMadame Joy: “I cannot work while I’m starving to death, in an

empty stomach”.

Out of nowehere, thirteen Nannies appear out of thin air

singing: “Soup, tosti and coffee! Soup, tosti and coffee! Soup,

tosti, and coffee!”

Nanny #1: “Tomato soup!”

Joy: “I don’t l ike that.”

Nanny #2: “Chicken soup!”

Joy: “I don’t l ike that.”

Nanny #3: “Meat soup!”

Joy: “I l ike that.” “And I want a tosti.”

One Nanny whispers to the other: “But don’t forget: she does

not like ham! It must be without any ham!”

The Nannys bring the food: “Soup, tosti and coffee! Soup, tosti

and coffee! Soup, tosti, and coffee!”

Sou - up, tosti, and cof - fee! Sou - up, tosti, and cof - fee! Sou - up, tosti, and cof - fee!

Cantabile

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The Book of Joy

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Joy’s ChoiceMadame Joy points at Student 1 and says: “I l ike that!” “I like a

man sewing!” And all of a sudden, a dialogue and a connection

are established between Madame Joy and the students.

The 3 students bring their homeworks on a silver tray.

Student 2: “I brought you postcards to write on.”

Madame Joy: “I don’t l ike that.” “When I’m clean I write books

and read philosophy, social sciences, and literature.”

Student 3: “I brought you pixels to make pictures with.”

Madame Joy: “I l ike that.” “I l ike colours! I l ike improvisa-

tion!” “But I need to be alone, and there are too many people

here.”

Student 1:”I brought you cloth to make a laundry bag.”

Madame Joy: “I don’t l ike that.”

By the sound of these words, all the Nannies fall on the ground

in utter despair.

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The Book of Joy

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Student 1 (in worried haste): “But Madame Joy, you can stamp

words and express yourself!”

Madame Joy: “I l ike that!” “Freedom! Creativity!

Improvisation!” “Bring it to me now!”

Big collectieve relief, order and peace return to all.

All start singing: “Freedom! Creativity! Improvisation!

Freedom! Creativity! Improvisation! Freedom! Creativity!

Improvisation!”

Madame Joy does not move except for the slight smile on the

corners of her big mouth.

The 3 students bring stamps, ink, and a laundry bag, each on a

shiny silver tray.

Madame Joy casts an infuriated look upon the students, and

shouts: “You just brought me black ink?!?”

“I d o n ’ t l i k e t h a t!”

Nannnies: “Oooh!” By the sound of these words, all the Nan-

nies fall on the ground in utter despair, again.

Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation! Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation! Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation!

Con fuoco

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The Book of Joy

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Restoring Madame Joy’s Good Mood

Student 3: “Look Madame Joy, but we have a colourful

activity!”

Madame Joy: “I l ike that!”

Students 2 and 3 bring postcards and pixels in shiny silver

trays.

Madame Joy: “This is too conventional for me.”

She takes the postcards and pixels and throws them on the

table. Magically, the pixels combine perfectly with the colour

scheme of the cards.

Madame Joy: “You ask me to draw a straight line - why? I l ike

curved lines, my life is l ike this, l ike many curved lines.”

Big collectieve relief, order and peace return to all.

Students sing: “Freedom! Creativity! Improvisation!

Freedom! Creativity! Improvisation! Freedom! Creativity!

Improvisation!”

Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation! Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation! Free - dom! Creativity! Improvisation!

Con fuoco

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The Book of Joy

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The Clock Strikes Eight

Madame Joy: “It’s all over now.”

The Nannies panic: “Oooh!”

Madame Joy: “I will take my coffee and go.”

The thirteen Nannies bring the coffee singing: “Soup, tosti, and

coffee! Soup, tosti, and coffee! Soup, tosti, and coffee!”

Madame Joy drinks her coffee, unexplicably swinging her cup

on her pinky.

Madame Joy: “Ooops. I made a mess. Someone has to come

clean it up.”

The thirteen Nannies jump to come clean up with a batalion of

cleaning implements, singing: “Scrubbing! Washing! Cleaning!

Scrubbing! Washing! Cleaning! Scrubbing! Washing! Cleaning!”

Scrub-bing! Wash-ing! Clean-ing! Scrub-bing! Wash-ing! Clean-ing! Scrub-bing! Wash-ing! Clean-ing!”

Brillante

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Joy’s Final WordsAfter everything has been cleaned up, the Nannies turn to the

students and say: “Let us show you how to sew what Madame

Joy really l ikes.”

Madame Joy, about to leave, hears this and turns around: “You

wanna see creativity? I’l l show you creativity.” She shows her

left breast. “THIS is improvisation, THIS is real creativity.

THIS is FREEDOM.”

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The Book of Joy

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The End