[Single violin, high and sweet. Almost pretty. Almost.] I open my mouth And the room goes still I point my finger And grown men kneel [Percussion enters, subtle, under the strings] I say I saw you Dancing with the devil I say I saw you And they believe [Full stop. She looks at the audience directly.] Do you know what that feels like For a girl like me [Music drops to almost nothing. Just cello. Low.] I used to be invisible I used to be the girl That no one looked at twice That no one’s world I used to sit in meeting house And keep my eyes down I used to know exactly What I was worth in this town [Beat. Something shifts in her face.] And then one night in the forest We were only playing We were only girls We were only— [She stops.] [Violin returns. Higher now. Tighter.] It doesn’t matter what we were doing It matters what I said next [The percussion returns, stronger] I said I saw I said I saw I said I saw them And the room Went Still [Full orchestra explodes] I AM BELIEVED God himself is in my voice I AM BELIEVED And I did not have to beg or plead or hide I AM BELIEVED Every face turned toward me Every eye I AM BELIEVED And I will not go back To being invisible I will not go back To being nothing I will not go back [Orchestra cuts. Silence. Just her.] [Spoken, quiet, to herself, to God, to no one] I will not go back. [The violin returns. High and sweet. She looks at the audience one more time.] [Sung, almost a whisper, almost a smile] I open my mouth And the room goes still I point my finger [Beat] And I will point it Until they make me stop [Beat. She knows they won’t make her stop.] [Strings hold] And I am not done. [Silence]
