Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Page #5

EPHRIAM:

Hey Milly, what'd I do wrong?

MILLY:

Well first of all, if you want to impress a girl, you've got to talk to her right. Here, I'll show you. I'm a lady, just coming out of church. You raise your hat...

The boys, minus ADAM and CALEB, raise their hats.

What's the matter, Caleb?

CALEB:

My hair ain't combed.

ADAM chuckles quietly.

MILLY:

Oh well. Gideon, say something nice.

GIDEON (hesitantly)

Nice night for a 'coon hunt.

ADAM roars with laughter.

MILLY:

Alright, you get out. Git!

Adam gets up and looks at Milly.

ADAM:

You're beatin' your head against a stone wall, Milly. You won't make jackdandies out of 'em.

ADAM exits.

MILLY:

You pay him no mind; you'll all do just fine. Tomorrow's the barn dance, and I just know y'all can learn etiquette before then.

GIDEON:

Etti-what?

MILLY:

There's just one thing you've gotta remember. You're gonna have a lot of competition. Those town boys are stakin' their claims on these girls quicker than South Dakota.

BENJAMIN:

We'll clean them out easy.

DANIEL:

Yeah, the whole lot of 'em.

MILLY:

No, no! That's the one thing you musn't do! If they wanna act like a pack of hyenas, let them. You have to be... above that sort of thing. You've gotta be gentlemen, well-spoken and kind.

FRANK:

Well how do we do that?

MILLY:

Like I showed you at breakfast. When you meet a girl, you don't grab her like a flapjack! Hold off for awhile, offer her your arm... then put your arm around her like she means everythin' to you. Call her "my darling", "my precious"... "my love..."

SONG #4 - "GOIN' COURTIN"

Just Milly having fun with the boys. Lights dim, BOYS exit, MILLY goes into bedroom to change. ADAM enters in bedroom, lights go back up.

ADAM:

Erm, Milly?

MILLY:

Yes?

ADAM:

About the barn dance...

MILLY:

What about it?

ADAM:

Well, it's just... these boys haven't left the mountain since their christenings. They ain't ever been to town before.

MILLY:

I dare say that's not true. I just took them yesterday.

ADAM:

Why on earth would you do that?

MILLY:

I needed help at the General Store. Gideon offered, then the rest of them decided to come along.

ADAM:

I don't believe you.

MILLY:

Just ask the boys. They'll tell you the same thing.

ADAM:

They're all under your spell; they'll do anything you tell 'em.

MILLY:

I'm their big sister, why shouldn't they respect me?

MILLY finishes changing, then goes to sit beside him.

ADAM:

It's just...

BENJAMIN enters.

BENJAMIN:

Sorry, Adam. Milly, we're ready.

MILLY:

Oh good!

MILLY gets up, kissing ADAM's cheek. The BOYS line up in the parlour, and Milly admires them. ADAM exits, sighing.

My, such handsome young men. Those townsmen don't have a chance.

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