Swing For The Fences - Episode One

SWING FOR THE FENCES - EPISODE ONE By William E. Spear

Two Plus Plus Productions LLC Clinton, New Jersey www.TwoPlusPlus.com [email protected]

Swing for the Fences - Episode One

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Summary Jake Alston’s entire world is playing baseball with his father. But when his dad is killed in World War One, Jake’s world is destroyed. Characters (in Order of Speaking) Announcer Sets the tone and tenor of the series. Chorus

Sings and hums “Over There.”

Narrator One

One of two storytellers who provide exposition, transition, and background throughout the “Swing for the Fences” series.

Narrator Two

One of two storytellers who provide exposition, transition, and background throughout the “Swing for the Fences” series.

Conductor

Conducts train into and out of Bellewood Park in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

Jake Alston

Protagonist of the “Swing for the Fences” series. He first appears at the age of 12 in 1914. His passion for playing baseball with his father ultimately blossoms into a professional pursuit.

Mr. Ted Alston

Jake’s father and Edna’s husband. He pitched on the Chicago Cubs World Series championship team of 1908. He is a retired military officer but is called back to active duty when World War One begins.

Grandfather

Ted Alston’s father and Mrs. Alston’s father-in-law. He is a balancing influence for events.

President Wilson

His desire for a diplomatic resolution to the hostilities of World War One keeps the country out of the war until 1917.

Swing for the Fences - Episode One

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Mrs. Edna Alston

Jake’s mother and Ted’s wife. She is fearful of her husband joining the battle in Europe.

Single Voice

Sings “Over There.”

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Swing for the Fences - Episode One

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Beat 1)

CHORUS:

Establish year - 1914

(ROBUSTLY) Over there, Over there;

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Send the word, Send the word over there;

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That the Yanks are coming, The Yanks are coming;

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The drums rum-tumming ev’rywhere;

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So prepare, Say a pray’r;

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Send the word, Send the word to beware;

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We’ll be o - - ver, we’re coming o - - ver;

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And we won’t come back till it’s over Over There.

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NARRATOR ONE:

From the moment Austria-Hungary’s Archduke

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Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, events of the

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First World War began to entangle Americans “Over

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There.” His murder, by the Serbian nationalist

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group known as the Black Hand, ignited a series

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of complex relationships.

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NARRATOR TWO:

Ancient treaties shaped the colliding

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powers. Germany and Austria-Hungary were locked

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in battle with Serbia, Russia, and ultimately

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France and Great Britain. However, America

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traveled along a course of neutrality set out by

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President Woodrow Wilson on August Nineteenth,

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Nineteen-fourteen.

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PRESIDENT WILSON:

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The people of the United States are

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drawn from many nations, and chiefly from the

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nations now at war. Some of our citizens will

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wish one country, others another, to succeed in

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the momentous struggle. The United States must be

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impartial in thought, as well as action, so as

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not to be construed as having preference of one

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party over another.

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NARRATOR TWO:

Germany interpreted this as American support

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for the British. England pressed for direct aid

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from the U.S. Nonetheless, America’s tactics

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struck her out on a path clear of the war.

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NARRATOR ONE:

Nine months later and an ocean away from

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Europe’s combatants, a young boy named Jake

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Alston tossed a baseball with his father and

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grandfather at Bellewood Park in Roberts County.

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Beat 2)

SFX:

Jake, Mr. Alston and Grandfather

COME UP: SOUNDS OF BELLEWOOD PARK AMUSEMENTS –

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RAILROAD ENGINE GRINDS TO HALT.

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CONDUCTOR:

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ALL:

(WALLA-WALLA OF AN AMUSEMENT PARK ATTENDEES)

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SFX:

SHOOTING GALLERY, ROLLER COASTER, DANCE PAVILION

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This stop – Bellewood Park.

MUSIC.

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JAKE:

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I’ll catch dad. You pitch like you did for Chicago.

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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All right son.

Grandpa, you be the umpire. Already ahead of you Jakey.

Okay dad. Here’s the scene. It’s the World Series.

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

The World Series? On the fourth of May?

It’s just pretend. We’re Chicago and we’re

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playing Detroit just like in Owe-eight. It’s the

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bottom of the ninth and we’re winning.

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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MR. ALSTON and GRANDFATHER:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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Two. Any base runners?

One’s on third and one’s on second. Who’s batting?

Ty Cobb. Oooohhhh.

He’s the best. If he gets a hit we lose.

That’s the situation. (CALLS TO MR. ALSTON) Start with a curveball dad.

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How many outs?

Beat 3)

MR. ALSTON:

All right Jake. Here’s the first one.

Ball one

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SFX:

BEAT. THUMP OF BASEBALL INTO JAKE’S MITT.

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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MR. ALSTON:

Too high.

Ball one.

Another curve. Okay.

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Beat 4)

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SFX:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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BEAT. THUMP OF BASEBALL INTO JAKE’S MITT. Still high. Ball two.

Time out ump. Let me talk with my pitcher. (CHUCKLES) Go ahead Jakey.

Hey dad. You’re doing it again. What?

Dropping your shoulder. Your pitches always stay high when you drop your shoulder.

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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Ball two

Are you sure?

It’s practically scraping the ground. Try the curve again.

MR. ALSTON:

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All right Jake. Here it comes and I’m

keeping my shoulder up.

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Beat 5)

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SFX:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

One strike, two balls

BEAT. THUMP OF BASEBALL INTO JAKE’S MITT. Stee-rike one.

Great pitch dad. Bring your fastball.

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GRANDFATHER:

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since it’s working? JAKE:

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Don’t you want him to stay with the curve

Batter’s looking for the curve. The fastball’ll catch him off guard.

MR. ALSTON:

Here’s my best.

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Beat 6)

SFX:

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BEAT. EXTRA LOUD THUMP OF BASEBALL INTO JAKE’S MITT.

JAKE:

Holy schmoly was that fast.

GRANDFATHER:

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Two strikes, two balls

Stee-rike two. Great pitch son. Old Ty Cobb

never would’ve hit that one. MR. ALSTON:

Thanks dad. Okay Jake, we’ve got the batter

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right where we want him. Let’s close out the

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Series and go home.

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JAKE:

Bring the curve one more time.

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MR. ALSTON:

Everything’s on this pitch Jake. Get ready.

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Beat 7)

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SFX:

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GRANDFATHER:

Three strikes, they win

BEAT. THUMP OF BASEBALL INTO JAKE’S MITT. Stee-rike three. The batter’s out and the

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Cubs win the World Series. Just like in Owe-

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Eight.

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JAKE:

Absolutely beautiful pitch.

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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MR. ALSTON:

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No more low shoulder?

No more. Let’s tell your mother we won the World

Series.

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JAKE, MR. ALSTON and GRANDFATHER:

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WORLD SERIES)

(WALLA-WALL OVER WINNING

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Beat 8)

NARRATOR ONE:

Torpedoes elsewhere

Jake’s Chicago Cubs celebrated their

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imaginary World Series victory. But in President

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Wilson’s world, torpedoes were wreaking havoc and

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taking lives. In Nineteen-fifteen, his path of

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neutrality was straining.

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NARRATOR TWO:

German warcraft were sinking ships with

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Americans on board. In March, the Falaba went

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down. In April, the Cushing was sunk by a German

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aeroplane. On May First, the Gulflight was

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attacked and sunk.

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NARRATOR ONE:

But on May Seventh, the Lusitania was sunk

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with the loss of one hundred American lives. The

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country’s neutrality was fraying and President

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Wilson’s words were blunt.

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Beat 9)

PRESIDENT WILSON:

The President speaks

These attacks constitute a series of

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events which this Government has observed with

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growing concern and distress. The United States

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is loathe to believe that these acts have the

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sanction of the Imperial Government of Germany.

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This Government and the people of the United

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States look to the Imperial Government of Germany

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for prompt and swift action on this vital matter.

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Beat 10) Bumper

MUSIC:

BUMPER.

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Beat 11)

NARRATOR ONE:

Back in Roberts County

But Germany rebuffed President Wilson’s

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diplomacy and stated that the Lusitania was armed

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with wartime munitions. To their eyes, the

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Lusitania was a war vessel. To Wilson, the

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chances of averting the war were sinking.

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NARRATOR TWO:

Back in Roberts County, in the midst of the

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Nineteen-fifteen baseball season, Jake Alston’s

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beloved Cubs were trailing further behind the

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National League leaders. One day, after rushing

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home to read about his Cubbies, his Mother had

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some strange news.

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JAKE:

Mom the Cubs lost again.

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EDNA:

I heard. But your Father’s friend, Mr. Schulman,

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hit a home run.

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JAKE:

I’ll tell dad when we play catch.

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EDNA:

He went to Washington.

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JAKE:

To see the monuments?

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EDNA:

To talk with the President. Bad things are

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happening and he wants a briefing from the Armed

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Services.

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JAKE:

But dad retired.

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EDNA:

All the officers have been called to Washington.

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President Wilson wants to hear more about Europe

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from a military perspective in case of...

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JAKE:

(BITE CUE) In case of us going to war?

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EDNA:

Yes Jakey. In case of us going to war.

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Beat 12) Mr. Alston sees war

ANNOUNCER ONE: America did not enter the War in Nineteen-

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fifteen or Nineteen-sixteen. But circumstances

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were changing. On a raw, blustery March day in

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Nineteen-seventeen, Jake, his father, and

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grandfather were playing catch at Bellewood Park,

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again, but with different results.

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GRANDFATHER:

Ball three and no strikes.

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JAKE:

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That was way high. Go back to the curve but don’t drop your shoulder.

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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MR. ALSTON:

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

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JAKE:

Let’s finish another day.

But we’re playing in the World Series. Not today.

But it’s the World... (GENTLY BITE CUE) Jakey.

Okay Grandfather.

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Beat 13) It’s war

ANNOUNCER TWO: Jake would not play catch with his father

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again in Nineteen-seventeen. One week later, on

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April Second, President Wilson petitioned

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Congress for a declaration of War and four days

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after that, the United States was at war.

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ANNOUNCER TWO: For many months, Jake’s father spent more

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time in Washington and less time at home in

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Roberts County. His mother was sad and cried

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often. Grandfather spoke very little.

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Beat 14) Last holidays

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MUSIC:

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ANNOUNCER ONE: The holidays came dreadfully and frightfully

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BED: SOMBER HOLIDAY MUSIC.

fast. Thanksgiving was a solemn time.

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ANNOUNCER TWO: Christmas had many gifts under the family

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tree but not the usual sparkle and laughter. On

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New Year’s Eve, Mr. Alston’s toast, in past years

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a promise for the future, was more of a hope.

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MR. ALSTON:

As we gather to end this year, with loved

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ones drawn together, we reflect upon our joys and

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sorrows of the past twelve months. As we look

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forward to Nineteen-eighteen, and if it is the

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will of our Lord, we pray that we will be

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together to celebrate twelve months from tonight.

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Happy New Year everyone.

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JAKE:

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GRANDFATHER:

Happy New Year son.

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MR. ALSTON:

(BEAT) Happy New Year Edna. (BEAT) Edna?

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EDNA:

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MR. ALSTON:

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SFX:

OFF MIC: DOOR CLOSES.

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JAKE:

Mom’s been crying alot lately.

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GRANDFATHER:

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Happy New Year dad.

(GO OFF MIC: SOBBING) (GO OFF MIC) Edna come back.

The world’s gone crazy Jakey. And your dad’s

sailing into the middle of it.

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JAKE:

Happy New Year Grandfather.

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GRANDFATHER:

Happy New Year Jakey.

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Beat 15) Mr. Alston – Casualty of war

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MUSIC:

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ANNOUNCER TWO: Three weeks later, Jake’s father left for

RISE AND ESTABLISH: SOMBER HOLIDAY MUSIC. OUT.

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the First World War. Mr. Alston and over two

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thousand American soldiers and officers boarded

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the Tuscania - a converted luxury Ocean Liner.

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The ship left Hoboken, New Jersey out of the same

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birth previously reserved for the Lusitania.

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ANNOUNCER ONE: The Tuscania met a similar fate. On the

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night of February Fifth, Nineteen-eighteen, she

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was sunk by German Submarine U-B-dash-Seventy-

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seven near the Scottish Island of Islay. Two

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hundred U-S soldiers were killed - including Jake

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Alston’s dad.

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SINGLE VOICE:

(SOLEMNLY) Over there, Over there;

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Send the word, Send the word over there;

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That the Yanks are coming, The Yanks are coming;

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The drums rum-tumming ev’rywhere;

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So prepare, Say a pray’r;

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Send the word, Send the word to beware;

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We’ll be o - - ver, we’re coming o - - ver;

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And we won’t come back till it’s over Over There.

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Beat 16) The End