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FIRST MOVEMENT
[a. Overture]
CHOIR: Itch, dash, suffer, suffer, cry, dash.
b. [Hell is Here and the Devil Close By/I Prosper]
TEMP: I run, exit, enter.
Where’s Mr. P?
CHOIR: Hell is here and the devil close by.
TEMP: I hear his cell.
CHOIR: Hell is here and the devil close by.
TEMP: I hear him storm.
Am vex’d, am wreck’d
there’s more work, more toil.
CHOIR: Hell is here and the devil close by.
TEMP: I hear his cell.
CHOIR: Hell is here and the devil close by.
TEMP: I run, exit, enter.
PROSPER: I’ll bring thee to the present business:
I. Prosper. I prosper.
People bore me with their rotten rat instinct.
Mine the key and office, the revenue.
Business is a good thing, as is more power.
My power, ambition.
I shall turn all to silver! My thousands pile up.
A thousand thousands!
My project charms me. I shall turn all to silver!
CHOIR: Itch, dash, suffer, suffer, cry, dash. [Improv]
[c. It Goes On and On]
PROSPER: Where is my cell? Fetch me my cell!
TEMP: Before you can say
‘come and go,’ I will be here.
PROSPER: What have we here? A man or a fool?
Log in. Order the hour’s bids, be attentive.
TEMP: Here I am.
PROSPER: Take suggestion as a cat laps up milk.
TEMP: Certainly, sir.
PROSPER: Bend towards the project.
Work swiftly. Go to
the bank with my riches!
TEMP: Certainly Sir!
But your conscience?
PROSPER: Conscience candied be!
TEMP: Pardon, Mr. Prosper. Please sir,
do you believe me sensible and nimble?
You laugh at me.
PROSPER: Ding-dong, remember this is
business, it goes on and on, ok?
TEMP: I am nothing to you—
Invisible, weak.
I am wreck’d, changed.
PROSPER: I am all you have.
Go to the office—there’s
Other business for thee.
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SECOND MOVEMENT
[a. No Hope]
CHOIR: Our eyelids sink together.
It is foul weather in us all
When you are cloudy.
There is in this business
Some knowledge—the office,
‘tis a chronicle
Of day by day:
No hope, no hope, no ambition.
No hope, no hope, no ambition.
TEMP: Remember, I have done
thee worthy service, served
without grudge or grumbling.
[b. Have You a Mind?]
PROSPER: Have you a mind?
(I make his firm reason play tricks.)
I have done nothing
but in care of thee, my ignorant.
How now? Moody? Come, come.
Thou didst vent thy groans.
Go hence with diligence!
TEMP: Grant me my discharge.
PROSPER: There’s other business for thee!
Where did you leave my cell?
Fetch me my cell, quickly!
The company—be not afraid—
Shall be paid, will prosper.
Unemployment is serious.
Answer me, temp.
TEMP: Grant me my discharge.
[c. He Thinks Me Incapable]
TEMP: He thinks me incapable.
I run the business.
You eat my dinner.
I had people, purpose.
You taught me profit,
How to curse.
I wish for a comforter,
rest and wondrous drowsiness.
I sleep with eyes wide open,
Snore as I stand.
No hope, no hope, no ambition.
Grant me my discharge.
Get a new man!
[d. The Prince of Power]
TEMP: The prince of power
is in the study in a perfect suit,
new created.
PROSPER: What fools.
Mark my suit of midnight dark.
TEMP: Work is no art.
PROSPER: What fools.
I love rich garments.
TEMP: We are cheated of
our lives by this rascal.
PROSPER: What fools.
Look how well
my garments sit upon me.
TEMP: Mercy on us!
PROSPER: Sometimes the clouds
Open and show riches ready
to drop upon me.
TEMP: The Mr’s have millions.
He has a house, a great bed.
Our comfort—cold porridge,
A dollar.
PROSPER: Ha! So you're paid.
Compensation I have given you.
CHOIR: Hell is empty and all the devils
Are here, close by.
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THIRD MOVEMENT
[a. What Shall I Do?]
TEMP: What shall I do? Let's leave him.
I swear, this is a very shallow man,
Methinks his complexion a little low.
What shall I do? Let's leave him.
His eyes fade into something strange.
I begin to have thoughts of my own.
What shall I do? Let's leave him.
Shortly shall all my labours end—
Freedom! Charge your cell yourself.
[b. Mr. Jerk]
CHOIR: Mr. Jerk. You are like
To lose your jerk rewards.
The business project dies.
Tis best we quit this place.
PROSPER: The suck-ups set upon me like hedgehogs
Like hedgehogs which prick my foot,
Prick my foot, wound, torment me.
CHOIR: This is strange work,
Thin, baseless, insubstantial.
Mr. Jerk. You are like
To lose your jerk rewards.
PROSPER: Why this ghastly look? What’s the matter?
The matter - My fortunes droop
Droop, incline to dullness.
CHOIR: Mr. Jerk. You are like
To lose your jerk rewards.
The business project dies.
Tis best we quit this place.
This is strange work,
Thin, baseless, insubstantial.
PROSPER: I find you solemn and strange. The credit report?
Report now? You puppets rejoice
Rejoice to hear me dimm’d.
CHOIR: Mr. Jerk.
[c. Guide Us Out]
TEMP: Merrily, merrily, I shalt
have freedom presently.
Presently. Merrily, merrily.
CHOIR: Guide us out this company.
Freedom.
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FOURTH MOVEMENT
[Loss/Not Nobody-I Set Me Free/Oh Good Beauteous World]
[a. How Sharp Is Loss]
PROSPER: How sharp is loss.
I must ask forgiveness.
Untie your tie.
I shall retire.
Be well. Gild my bones.
I resign.
I resign, retire, gild my bones.
Untie your tie, be well.
How sharp is loss.
Pardon me my wrongs.
[b. Not Nobody/I Set Me Free]
CHOIR: I am a not a picture of Nobody.
I find my heartbeat. I have no fear.
I am a not a picture of Nobody.
Rather break my back, than call you friend.
[repeat]
TEMP: I am a not a picture of Nobody.
From your project
I set me free.
CHOIR: I set me free! [Many repeats]
[c. Oh Good Beauteous World]
TEMP: Oh good beauteous world! [Many repeats]
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about
The Temp
Composed by Taylor Ho Bynum
Libretto by Matthea Harvey
Conducted by Taylor Ho Bynum & Filippo Ciabatti
CAST
The Temp – Kyoko Kitamura
Mr. Prosper – Michael Mayo
The Temp Choir – Grace Carney, Lucas James, Nashe Mutenda, Andra Pantelimon, Bryan Robinson, Laurel Semprebon
INSTRUMENTAL SOLOISTS
Temp – Jim Hobbs (alto saxophone)
Prosper – Bill Lowe (bass trombone)
Choir – Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Erica Dicker (violin)
THE COAST & DSO (aka the DSOast)
Violin 1 – Betty Kim (concertmaster), Erica Dicker, Alyssa Gao
Bryan Shin, Ida Claude, Sophia Chang Stauffer, Joy Miao, Elliott Tang
Violin 2 – Kimberly Tan, Anna Kolln, Grace Lu, Jackson Spurling, Jonathan Chiou, Jessica Wang
Viola – Jehan Diaz, Anaïse Boucher-Browning, Raymond Hsu, Marcia Cassidy, Leslie Sonder, Katie Hoover
Cello – Richard Lu, Sherrina Hwang, Woojin Chung, Elaine Young, Jack Ryan, Owen Eskandari, Hannah Spindler
Bass – Eli Hecht, David Vargas, Paul Horak
Flute – Laura Jeliazkov
Clarinet – Armond Dorsey, Elias Rosenberg
Bassoon – Christopher Damon
Alto saxophone – Gray Christie
Tenor saxophone – Noah Campbell, Everett Magnuson
Baritone saxophone – Dillon Ford
French horn – Michael Huang, Amy Norton
Trumpet – Ryan McClure, Nick Samel, Noel Siegert
Trombone – Lucas James, Jack McGary, Ted McManus
Percussion – Brandon Chen, Jason Wang
Steel pan – Shania Smith
Piano – Eva Legge, Wending Wu
Guitar – Matt Keating, Carson Peck
credits
released February 17, 2021
Produced by Taylor Ho Bynum and the Hopkins Center for the Arts
Recorded February 22, 2020 at Spaulding Auditorium, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
Front of house sound and recording engineered by Jean-Louis Thauvin
Mixed and mastered by Greg Dicrosta
Funded in part by the Don Glasgo Fund and a gift in memory of Alan Gottesman (Dartmouth class of 2013)
This recording is made available to the public free of charge thanks to the generosity of the Hopkins Center. The artists urge those moved by the music to make a charitable donation to an organization of their choice fighting income inequality (such as the Poor People’s Campaign) or helping artists through the current crisis (such as the Artist Relief Fund or the Jazz Foundation of America), or support the work of the featured soloists by purchasing their own albums.
license
all rights reserved
