(It was the early 2000s in Haiti. In the darkness, we hear the sounds of a violent storm. Thunder roars, and lightning flashes to reveal a group of peasant storytellers huddled together in fright around a fire. A child cries out in terror and the adults welcome us to the show in order to soothe her.)

[STORYTELLER 1, spoken]

Welcome to an island where rivers run deep

[STORYTELLER 2, spoken]

Where the sea, sparkling in the sun, earns it the name Jewel of the Antilles

[STORYTELLER 3, spoken]

An island where the poorest of peasants labor

[STORYTELLER 4, spoken]

And the wealthiest of the grand hommes play

[STORYTELLER 5, spoken]

Two different worlds on one island!

[STORYTELLER 6, spoken]

The grand hommes with their pale brown skin and their French ways, owners of the land and masters of their own fates

[STORYTELLER 7, spoken]

And the peasants, black as night, eternally at the mercy of the wind and sea, who pray constantly... to the gods

[STORYTELLER 1]

Asaka, grow me a garden

[STORYTELLER 2]

Please Agwe, don't flood my garden

[STORYTELLERS 3 & 6]

Erzulie, who will my love be?

[STORYTELLERS]

Papa Ge, don't come around me

[STORYTELLER 1, spoken]

Ah, such powerful, such temperamental gods rule our island

(Four storytellers step forward to play the parts of the gods.)

[ASAKA, spoken]

Asaka, Mother of the Earth

[AGWE, spoken]

Agwe, god of water

[ERZULIE, spoken]

Erzulie, beautiful goddess of love

[PAPA GE, spoken]

And Papa Ge, sly Demon of Death

[WOMEN]

Asaka, grow me a garden

[MEN]

Please Agwe, don't flood my garden

[WOMEN]

Erzulie, who will my love be?

[STORYTELLERS]

Papa Ge, don't come around me

Please, Agwe, don't flood my garden

Asaka, grow me a garden...

[WOMEN]

We dance–

[MEN]

We dance–

[STORYTELLERS]

To the music of the gods

The music of the breezes

Through the green plantain

The murmur of the river

And the roar of rain

And if the gods decide to send a hurricane

[WOMEN]

We dance–

[MEN]

We dance–

(Two storytellers lift the Little Girl high, encouraging her to join the dance.)

[STORYTELLERS]

To their everchanging moods

[STORYTELLER (ASAKA)]

We know the gods are happy

When the green things grow

[STORYTELLER (AGWE)]

They're angry when the river

Starts to overflow

[STORYTELLERS]

And since we never know

Which way their winds will blow

We dance to the earth

We dance to the water

The gods awake and we take no chance

Our hearts hear the song

Our feet move along

And to the music of the gods

We dance!

(Two storytellers separate themselves from the group and assume the elegant postures of "grand hommes." They will play the parts of Daniel Beauxhomme and Andrea Devereaux)

[ANDREA, spoken]

On the other side of the island, safe behind High walls and iron gates, the grands hommes (Grand-DOME) dance to a different tune

[STORYTELLERS]

La la la la la la la la!

[DANIEL, spoken]

They drink champagne, entertain tourists at their fine hotels, and tell their servants, "Polish up the Mercedes!"

[STORYTELLERS]

La la la la la la la la!

[STORYTELLER 7, spoken]

Two different worlds

Never meant to meet

[STORYTELLER 2, spoken]

The peasant's labor

[STORYTELLER (ASAKA), spoken]

The grands hommes eat!

[ANDREA & DANIEL]

How fine our clothes are!

How fast we drive!

We dance at parties...

[STORYTELLERS]

We dance

We dance

While we are dancing just to stay alive

(Andrea and Daniel rejoin the group, becoming peasant storytellers again.)

[WOMEN]

We dance–

[MEN]

We dance–

[STORYTELLERS]

What else is there to do?

[STORYTELLER 2]

But plant the seed

And pull the weed

And chop the cane

[STORYTELLERS 6 & 8]

And bear the child

And bear the load

And bear the pain

[STORYTELLERS]

And as the rich go racing

To their own refrain

We dance to the earth

We dance to the water

The gods awake and we take no chance

Our hearts hear the song

Our feet move along

And to the music of the gods

We dance to the earth

We dance to the water

The Gods awake and we take no chance...

(The storytellers who will play Daniel and Ti Moune separate themselves from the group and begin to move slowly toward one another. The storyteller who plays Papa Ge steps between them.)

[PAPA GE, spoken] [STORYTELLERS]

Two different worlds (Vocalizing)

Never meant to meet

But if the gods move our feet

(Ti Moune and Daniel embrace.)

[STORYTELLERS]

We dance!

We dance!

We dance!