1 They Came to the Castle: Immigrants, a Tenor and Lola Montez By Barbara Kahn © 2019 Place: (Act One) In and around Castle Garden Landing Depot, New York City: an office on Canal Street, a room in a rooming house, a park bench. (Act Two) Castle Garden as entertainment venue. Time: 1850-1855. Cast of characters: Act One New York residents: Rose. African American. Freeborn. Employed by the city to assist newly arrived immigrants. Romina “Mina” Castello. Italian American. Came to the US as a child. Lives on the Lower East Side. Arrivals from Europe: Jimmy Rogan. Newly-arrived Irish immigrant. Aldo. Italian worker on transatlantic ship. Clara. Newly arrived Russian immigrant. Lily. Newly arrived Polish immigrant. *Lola Montez. Dancer/actress notorious in Europe. *Lorenzo Salvi. Italian opera star, arriving for a U.S. tour. *Real life characters Act Two Lorenzo Salvi. Lola Montez. **American Musical Fund Society singer. **N. Holman. singer **Announcer **Two actresses. **Played by actors doubling from Act One. There are suggested simultaneous sets. UL and UR are platforms. In front of the platforms is the exit from the Landing Depot, the entry point for arrivals to the Port of New York. A sign reads “Castle Garden Emigrant Landing Depot” at the top and “State of New York” underneath. On L is a table and chair, the checkout place for arrivals. On R is a small bench. DL is a park bench in the park area. Act One: The Arrival (Prologue) When houselights go down, there is the sound of ship’s horn, followed by the sound of a smaller boat’s horn. Lights come up on a tableau of all the characters. The immigrants are posed with their various belongings—valise, suitcase, duffel bag, trunk, etc. Rose sits at the table. Mina sits on the park bench DL. Lights go down. All immigrants exit.
They Came to the Castle: Immigrants, a Tenor and Lola Montez (excerpt) by Barbara Kahn
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