​Shakespeare to Shepard
Sam Shepard's Savage/Love
"Beggar"
Could you give me a small part of yourself
I'm only asking for the tiniest part
Just enough to get me from here to there
Could you give me something
Anything at all
I'll accept whatever it is
Could you just put your hand on my head
Could you brush against my arm
Could you just come near enough
So I could feel as though you might be able to hold me
Could you touch me with your voice
Blow your breath in my direction
Is it all right if I look straight into your face
Could I just walk behind you for a little while
Would you let me follow you at a distance
If I had anything of value I'd gladly give it to you
If there's anything of me you want just take it
But don't think I'm this way with everybody
I almost never come to this
Infact usually it's the other way around
There's lots of people
Who would love to even have a conversation with me
Who even ask me if they can walk behind me
So don't get any ideas that I'm completely alone
Because I'm not
In fact you're the one who looks like you could use a little company
Where'd you get off thinking you have anything to give me anyway
I have everything I need
And what I don't have I know where to get it
Any time I want
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the afternoon
Five o'clock in the morning
In fact I'm wasting my time right now
Just talking to you
Hums
A capella, melody line only
no words
"I'm in the mood for love"
PERSON 1:
Could you give me a small part of yourself
I'm only asking for the tiniest part
Just enough to get me from here to there
Could you give me something
Anything at all
I'll accept whatever it is
PERSON 2:
Could you just put your hand on my head
Could you brush against my arm
Could you just come near enough
So I could feel as though you might be able to hold me
Could you touch me with your voice
Blow your breath in my direction
PERSON 3:
Is it all right if I look straight into your face
Could I just walk behind you for a little while
Would you let me follow you at a distance
If I had anything of value I'd gladly give it to you
If there's anything of me you want just take it
PERSON 4:
But don't think I'm this way with everybody
I almost never come to this
Infact usually it's the other way around
PERSON 5:
There's lots of people
Who would love to even have a conversation with me
Who even ask me if they can walk behind me
So don't get any ideas that I'm completely alone
Because I'm not
In fact you're the one who looks like you could use a little company
Where'd you get off thinking you have anything to give me anyway
PERSON 6:
I have everything I need
And what I don't have I know where to get it
Any time I want
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the afternoon
Five o'clock in the morning
PERSON 1:
In fact I'm wasting my time right now
Just talking to you
Savage/Love can be described as "...common poems of real and imagined moments in the spell of love." The director is in charge of rearranging the poems, divvying up lines, and blocking. In this poem, titled "Beggar," the lines were divided into six parts for six people. Additionally, the song at the end was cut out completely.