{"id":2838,"date":"2020-04-04T09:45:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T13:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/?p=2838"},"modified":"2023-04-07T14:11:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T18:11:07","slug":"performing-the-peace-corps-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/performing-the-peace-corps-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Performing the Peace Corps Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

During the fall of 1965, Anne Williams was part of a group training for service in India at Columbia University. Two of her trainers, Murray Frank and Peggy Gruenbaum, had just gotten married, and of course, the trainees and staff of India Urban Community Development Group XXIII wrote and performed a play to express their congratulations\u2014and worries over the coming assessments.<\/p>\n

The play contained six scenes\u2014with volunteers playing the parts of other volunteers\u2014and several original musical numbers. Various scenes played off of common tropes about the Peace Corps, anxiety over placement, and teasing of other volunteers. Some scenes are reproduced here:<\/p>\n

Scene 1<\/u>
\nOpening Song (sung by the entire cast) to the tune of Hello Dolly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hel-lo trainees, and hel-lo staffers,
\nIt’s so nice to have you both with us tonite,
\nWe\u2019re so tired, but we\u2019re still tryin,
\nSpeaking Hindi till we\u2019re just about to drop.
\nWe feel the room swayin, with the trainees stayin,
\n\u2018til assessment sends them on their way back home,
\nSooooh, grab a seat fellas, ready yourself for a treat fellas,
\nTraining will never be like this again.<\/p>\n

Hel-lo Murray, and hel-lo Peggy,
\nIts so nice to surprise you both this very nite
\nYou\u2019re still smiling, with your wedding brewin\u2019,
\nAnd the trainees wish to toast to you tonight.
\nWhile Murray Franks livin, we\u2019ll have a short Thanksgiving,
\nWhile he\u2019s away on his long honeymoon.
\nSo take your wife Murray, it\u2019s late in life Murray,
\nBombay will never be the same again!<\/p>\n

Cast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Roles<\/strong><\/td>\nActors<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Narrator<\/td>\nTaradash \"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Barda\"\"<\/td>\nLoren\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Linas\"\"<\/td>\nFalstein\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Langdon\"\"<\/td>\nKevin\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ryan\"\"<\/td>\nNelson\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ladd\"\"<\/td>\nGrear\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Narrator: Sets scene, composite room introduces characters. Scene opens as the alarm goes off. Ladd, Ryan and Linas come staggering in, wine bottles in hand, singing \u201cIrish Eyes.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barda: Jumps up with a start and says \u201cAp kaun hair? (Short pause, then) No good man, no good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Ryan, Linas, and Ladd staggering and trying to sing \u201cIrish Eyes.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ladd: \u201cGotta go to goddam Hindi class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linas: \u201cNo let’s go get another beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barda: \u201cNo good man, no good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Langdon: \u201cReaches in the laundry bag, pulls out a shirt, smells both pits, grabs the can of Right Guard and sprays it down, and says while putting the shirt on \u201ccough, cough, mumble, mumble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone sings Sixteen Words and Exits. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSixteen Words\u201d<\/u>
\nYou learn sixteen words,
\nAnd whaddya get;
\nAnother day of Hindi
\nAnother day of sweat.
\nDon\u2019t push us Mr. Carr
\n\u2018Cause last night we spent in a bar.
\nWe hope you don\u2019t expect us to get very far.<\/p>\n

\u201cOfficer Doris\u201d<\/u>
\nChorus:<\/span>
\nGee Officer Doris, we\u2019re very upset<\/span>
\nWe never had the chances that the others did get<\/span>
\nAnd now that assessment\u2019s about to take place<\/span>
\nNow is the time to set forward our case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Solo:<\/span>
\nDear Officer Doris, you must understand,\u00a0<\/span>
\nMy local draft board is getting way out of hand.<\/span>
\nThey want me to fight, the Vietnam way,\u00a0<\/span>
\nHo-ly Mo-ses, must get to Bombay!<\/span><\/p>\n

Chorus:<\/span>
\nGee loveable Doris, there\u2019s much more to say,<\/span>
\nThere are other reasons we must get to Bombay.<\/span>
\nSo therefore you mu-st heed our pleas,<\/span>
\nAnd when selection comes, no ginahis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solo:<\/span>
\nWell Officer Doris, I\u2019m sure up a tree<\/span>
\nThe girl I thought I\u2019d left behind is now chasing me.<\/span>
\nI don\u2019t want to marry her, she\u2019s really a pig,<\/span>
\nHo-ly, Je-sus, my plight you must dig!!<\/span><\/p>\n

Solo:<\/span>
\nDear Officer Doris, we\u2019ve had all our shots<\/span>
\nOur arms are all aching, and hurting a lot<\/span>
\nWhat good will the typhoid, plague and jaundice do,<\/span>
\nIf we\u2019re all cut and sent back to school?<\/span><\/p>\n

Chorus:<\/span>
\nWell Officer Doris, our fate\u2019s In your hands.<\/span>
\nWe\u2019ve tried to get across, our various stands<\/span>
\nHave nothing left to say that we feel we should,\u00a0<\/span>
\nGol-ly Do-ris, you must believe we\u2019re good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scene VI<\/u><\/p>\n

Cast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Roles<\/strong><\/td>\nActors<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Murray<\/td>\nLoren\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peggy<\/td>\nMorey\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nNarrator- <\/span>sets scene, after a hard day\u2019s work Peggy and Murray finally get a chance to relax together.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cHo, Murray, I love to sit her and run my fingers thru your head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cYeah, they used to call me Furry Murray.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cMurray, do you think we\u2019re too old?\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cNo, we\u2019re not too old. (Pause) Too old for what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cWell let me articulate it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cOh, no, I can\u2019t stand it when you articulate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cWell, let me try anyway. I love you\u2026hmmm?\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cYou love me? Hmm. I hadn\u2019t thought of it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cWill you Murray me? (Wistfully)<\/p>\n

Murray Frank:\u00a0 Let me ask the Panchayat [village council, in Hindi]. I usually let them make the important decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: Pats him on head. \u201cOh, angel lambie pie cutie, honeydoll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cOh moonie Grunie\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: Pats him on belly. \u201cHow\u2019s your tankie\u00a0 Frankie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray Frank: \u201cListen Peggy, I understand your name is Gruenbaum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy: \u201cThat\u2019s right, Murray, but I\u2019ll be Frank with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Entire cast comes out and sings \u201cTonight.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tonight<\/u>
\nTonite, Tonite, is not just any nite,
\nTonite, is the eve of assessment.
\nTonite, tonite, our fates with you tonite,
\nAnd for some, dreams will stop where they are.
\nSometimes the reading goes so slowly,
\nThe Hindi drags along, yet still our hopes are high,
\nPeace Corps, our life, and the goals we
\nSeek tonite, may go-on, to-nite.<\/p>\n

So thus tonite, we hope you like tonite,
\nCause tonite, we had to let off some steam.
\nAnd Peg and Murray, we toast with you tonite,
\nFor your love, to go on, for ever more,
\nNow we\u2019ll end our little skit, and
\nDrink and dance along, with
\nOur hopes in our hearts,
\nO staff, think twice, and let
\nOur goals to go to Bombay, Gi Ha!<\/p>\n

Before donating her materials to the Peace Corps Community Archive, Williams briefly noted where her fellow volunteers ended up.<\/p>\n

Most of the cast members finished their training and departed for Bombay (now Mumbai), including Joseph Barda, Richard Falstein, Daniel Grear, Linas Jurcys, Kevin Kane, Michael Ladd, David Langdon, Kathleen Morey, Joseph Ryan, and Alan Taradash. In India, they did a mix of urban community development and traditional social work.<\/p>\n

For information about all the the India 23 trainees see the Biographical Sketches booklet<\/a> (kindly scanned by Eric Souers).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  During the fall of 1965, Anne Williams was part of a group training for service in India at Columbia University. Two of her trainers, Murray Frank and Peggy Gruenbaum, had just gotten married, and of course, the trainees and staff of India Urban Community Development Group XXIII wrote and performed a play to express […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":2858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,15,524,51,56,89],"tags":[120,126,134,149,212,221,243,282,314,325,327,329,347,349],"class_list":["post-2838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1960s","category-arts","category-blog-post","category-india","category-language","category-training-materials","tag-assessment","tag-biographical-profiles","tag-bombay","tag-columbia-university","tag-hindi","tag-india","tag-marriage","tag-performance","tag-satire","tag-singing","tag-skits","tag-songs","tag-theatre","tag-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2838"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5694,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838\/revisions\/5694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}