THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
OFFICERS
One has no rules
Is not precise
One rarely acts
The same way twice
One spurns no device
Practicing the art of the possible
One always picks
The easy fight
One praises fools
One smothers light
one shifts left to right
It’s part of the art of the possible
EVA (on the air)
I’m only a radio star with just one weekly show
But speaking as one of the people I want you to know
We are tired of the decline of
Argentina with no sign of
A government able to give us the things we deserve
OFFICERS
One always claims
Mistakes were planned
When risk is slight
One takes one’s stand
With much sleight of hand
Politics–the art of the possible
One has no rules
Is not precise
One rarely acts
The same way twice
One spurns no device
Politics–the art of the possible
VOICES
Peron! Peron! Peron!
CHARITY CONCERT / I’D BE SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR YOU
MAGALDI
On this night…
CHE
Luna Park Stadium, Buenos Aires, January 22, 1944
MAGALDI
On this night…
CHE
A concert in aid of the victims of an earthquake that
devastated the town of San Juan, Argentina
MAGALDI
On this night of a thousand stars
Let me take you to heaven’s door
Where the music of love’s guitars
Plays for evermore!
CHE
Ladies and gentlemen! Agustin Magaldi!
Any minute now –the man of the hour!
EVA
Your act hasn’t changed much
MAGALDI
Neither has yours
PERON
Tonight I’m proud to be the people’s spokesman!
You’ve given help to those who’ve lost their homes,
but more than that conclusively shown
that the people should run their affairs on their own!
Make sure your leaders understand their people!
CROWD
Peron! Peron! Peron!
EVA
Colonel Peron?
PERON
Eva Duarte?
EVA and PERON
I’ve heard so much about you!
I’m amazed for I’m only an actress (a soldier)
Nothing to shout about (One of the thousands)
Only a girl on the boards (Defending the country he loves)
EVA
But when you act, the things you do affect us all
PERON
But when you act, you take us away from the squalor of
the real world
Are you here on your own?
EVA
Yes
PERON
So am I–what a fortunate coincidence.
Maybe you’re my reward for my efforts here tonight
EVA
It seems crazy but you must believe
There’s nothing calculated, nothing planned
Please forgive me if I seem naive
I would never want to force your hand
But please understand
I’d be good for you
I don’t always rush in like this
Twenty seconds after saying hello
Telling strangers I’m too good to miss
If I’m wrong I hope you’ll tell me so
But you really should know
I’d be good for you
I’d be surprisingly good for you
I won’t go on if I’m boring you
But do you understand my point of view
Do you like what you hear, what you see, and would
you be
Good for me too?
I’m not talking of a hurried night
A frantic tumble then a shy goodbye
Creeping home before it gets too light
That’s not the reason that I caught your eye
Which has to imply
I’d be good for you
I’d be surprisingly good for you
PERON
Please go on–you enthrall me!
I can understand you perfectly
And I like what I hear, what I see, and knowing me
I would be good for you too
EVA
I’m not talking of a hurried night
A frantic tumble then a shy goodbye
Creeping home before it gets too light
That’s not the reason that I caught your eye
Which has to imply
I’d be good for you
I’d be surprisingly good for you
EVA and PERON
There is no-one, no-one at all
Never has been and never will be a lover
Male or female
Who hasn’t an eye on
In fact they rely on
Tricks they can try on
Their partner
They’re hoping their lover will help them or keep them
Support them, promote them
Don’t blame them, you’re the same
ANOTHER SUITCASE IN ANOTHER HALL
EVA
Hello and goodbye!
I’ve just unemployed you
You can go back to school–you had a good run
I’m sure he enjoyed you
Don’t act sad or surprised, let’s be friends, civilized
Come on little one!
Don’t sit there like a dummy!
The day you knew would arrive is here–you’ll survive
So move, funny face!
I like your conversation–you’ve a catchy turn of phrase
MISTRESS
I don’t expect my love affairs to last for long
Never fool myself that my dreams will come true
Being used to trouble I anticipate it
But all the same I hate it–wouldn’t you?
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall
MISTRESS
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
CHE
You’ll get by, you always have before
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
Time and time again I’ve said that I don’t care
That I’m immune to gloom, that I’m hard through
and through
But every time it matters all my words desert me
So anyone can hurt me–and they do
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall
MISTRESS
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
CHE
You’ll get by you always have before
MISTRESS
Where am I going go?
Call in three months time and I’ll be fine I know
Well maybe not that fine, but I’ll survive anyhow
I won’t recall the names and places of this sad occasion
But that’s no consolation–here and now
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall
MISTRESS
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
CHE
You’ll get by, you always have before
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
CHE
Don’t ask anymore
PERON’S LATEST FLAME
CHE
At the watering-holes of the well-to-do
I detect a resistance to…
ARISTOCRATS
Precisely!
CHE
…our heroine’s style
ARISTOCRATS
We’re glad you noticed
CHE
The shooting sticks of the upper class
ARISTOCRATS
Give her an inch…
CHE
Aren’t supporting a single ass
That would rise for the girl
ARISTOCRATS
…she’ll take a mile
Such a shame she wandered into our enclosure
How unfortunate this person has forced us to be blunt
No, we wouldn’t mind seeing her in Harrod’s
But behind the jewelry counter–not in front
CHE
Could there be in our fighting corps
A lack of enthusiasm for…
ARMY
Exactly!
CHE
…Peron’s latest flame?
ARMY
You said it brother
CHE
Should you wish to cause great distress
In the tidiest officer’s mess
Just mention her name
ARMY
That isn’t funny!
Peron is a fool, breaking every taboo
Installing the girl in the army H.Q.
And she’s an actress! The last straw
Her only good parts are between her thighs
She should stare at the ceiling, not reach for the skies
Or she could be his last whore
The evidence suggests
She has other interests
If it’s her who’s using him
He’s exceptionally dim
Bitch! Dangerous Jade!
ARISTOCRATS
We have allowed ourselves to slip
We have completely lost our grip
We have declined to an all-time low
Tarts have become the set to know
ARMY
It’s no crime for officers to do as they please
As long as they’re discreet and keep clear of disease
We ignore, we disregard
But once they allow a bit on the side
To move to the center where she’s not qualified
We should all be on our guard
She should get into her head
She should not get out of bed
She should know that she’s not paid
To be loud but to be laid
Slut! Dangerous Jade!
CHE (in the guise of a reporter)
This has really been your year Miss Duarte
Tell us where you go from here Miss Duarte
Which are the roles that you yearn to play
Whom did you sleep–dine with yesterday?
EVA
Is that the extent of your interest in me?
It shows how futile acting must be
CHE
Can we assume then that you’ll quit?
Is this because of your association with Colonel Peron?
HEAVIES
Goodnight and thank you
ARMY
She won’t be kept happy by her nights on the tiles
She says it’s his body but she’s after his files
So get back onto the street!
She should get into her head
She should not get out of bed
She should know that she’s not paid
To be loud but to be laid
The evidence suggests
She has other interests
If it’s her who’s using him
He’s exceptionally dim
ARISTOCRATS
Things have reached a pretty pass
When someone pretty lower class
Graceless and vulgar, uninspired
Can be accepted and admired
A NEW ARGENTINA
PERON
Dice are rolling, the knives are out
Would be presidents are all around
I don’t say they mean harm, but they’d each give an arm
To see us six feet under ground
EVA
It doesn’t matter what those morons say
Our nation’s leaders are a feeble crew
There’s only twenty of them anyway
What is twenty next to millions who
Are looking to you?
All you have to do is sit and wait
Keeping out of everybody’s way
We’ll–you’ll be handed power on a plate
When the ones who matter have their say
And with chaos installed
You can reluctantly agree to be called
PERON
There again we could be foolish
Not to quit while we’re ahead
For distance lends enchantment
And that is why
All exiles are distinguished
More important they’re not dead
I could find job satisfaction
In Paraguay
EVA
This is crazy defeatist talk
Why commit political suicide?
There’s no risk, there’s no call
For any action at all
When you have unions on your side
WORKERS’ VOICES
Peron! Peron!
CHE
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people cannot be denied!
EVA
There is only one man who can lead any workers’ regime
He lives for your problems, he shares your ideals
and your dreams
He supports you for he loves you, understands you,
is one of you
If not–how could he love me?
MOB
A new Argentina!
The workers’ battle song!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people rings out loud and long!
EVA
Now I am a worker I’ve suffered the way that you do
I’ve been unemployed and I’ve starved and I hated it too
But I found my salvation in Peron–may the nation
Let him save them as he saved me
CHE
A new Argentina!
A new age about to begin!
CHE and SECRET POLICE
A new Argentina!
We face the world together and no dissent within
INDIVIDUAL WORKERS
Nationalization of the industries that the foreigners
control
Participation in the profits that we make
Shorter hours
Higher wages
Votes for women
Larger dole
More public spending
A bigger slice of every cake
PERON
It’s annoying that we have to fight elections for our cause
The inconvenience–having to get a majority
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause
There are other ways of establishing authority
SECRET POLICE
We have ways of making you vote for us,
or at least of
making you abstain
EVA
Peron has resigned from the army and this we avow
The descamisados are those he is marching with now!
He supports you for he loves you, understands you,
is one of you
If not–how could he love me?
ALL
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people cannot be, and will not be,
and must not be, denied!
PERON
There again we could be foolish
Not to quit while we’re ahead
I can see me many miles away
Inactive
Sipping cocktails on a terrace
Taking breakfast in bed
Sleeping easy, doing crosswords
It’s attractive
EVA
Don’t think I don’t think like you, I often get those
nightmares too
They always take some swallowing
Sometimes it’s very difficult to keep momentum if
It’s you that you are following
Don’t close doors
Keep an escape clause
Because we might lose
The Big Apple
But–would I have done, what I did
If I hadn’t thought, if I hadn’t known
We would take the country?
ALL
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people cannot be, and will not be,
and must not be, denied!