Act One
In the opening, a danced Prologue, two rival teenage gangs, the Jets
(Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) enact their conflict over
who will control the neighborhood. Accented by police whistles and
taunting phrases, the Prologue establishes the fierce rivalry between
the two groups.
Following a brief exchange with the ineffective policeman, Lt. Schrank
and Officer Krupke, Riff, the leader of the Jets, devises a plan to
gain control of the street (When You’re A Jet”). The members of
the gang boast of their strength, restate their bond to one another
and declare their intention to protect their turf.
Riff has a harder time getting his best friend Tony to re-join the
gang. Riff convinces Tony to join the Jets at the neighborhood dance
where the Riff’s plan will be put into motion. Tony agrees out of a
sense of loyalty to Riff, but expresses his unhappiness with his
current life. He feels himself growing away from the gang and
envisions a different and better future (“Something’s
Coming”).
Maria, the sister of the Shark leader, Bernardo, has only been in
America a short time. She works with Anita, Bernardo’s girl friend, in
the bridal shop. Anita is making Maria a dress to wear to the
neighborhood dance. Maria sees this dance as the official beginning of
her life in this country. Like Tony, she is full of hope. Bernardo
arrives with Chino, a quiet, intense member of the Sharks. Maria’s
family has selected Chino to be her future husband.
A social worker, Gladhand, introduces the rival gang members and their
girls; they dance sociably for about two minutes. Then a challenge
dance erupts. Tony and Maria, however, suddenly see one another. In a
moment of romantic suspension, they dance together, oblivious of the
tension around them. They fall in love. The romantic idyll is
interrupted when Bernardo roughly pulls Maria from Tony’s arms. Maria
is sent home, as Riff and Bernardo arrange a War Council at the
drugstore.
Unaware of the plan between the two leaders, an ecstatic Tony sings
“Maria.” As he sings, Maria appears on a fire escape above
him. They profess their love for each other (“Tonight”).
Anita and her friends are gathered on a city rooftop, where they
express conflicting views about their lives in “America.”
At the Drugstore, the proprietor, Doc, tries to convince the Jets not
to have a rumble (an all-out fight) with the Sharks. The gang
expresses their pent-up tension in “Cool.” Ignoring Doc,
Riff and Bernardo set up the rumble for the next day and agree on
weapons. Tony suggests a less dangerous fist fight. After the others
leave, Tony dismisses Doc’s fear with his conviction nothing can go
wrong because he is love with Maria.
The next day, Maria learns about the rumble from Anita at the Bridal
Shop. When Tony arrives, Anita leaves. Maria begs Tony to stop the
rumble and he promises her he will. They enact a mock marriage
ceremony (“One Hand, One Heart”) swearing that “even
death can’t part us now.”
Tony tries to stop the rumble in progress under a highway. In the
midst of insults, pushing, and shoving, Bernardo stabs Riff. In blind
fury, Tony stabs Bernardo. The sirens scream; everyone runs except
Tony, who stands transfixed. Anybodys, a tomboy whose dream is to
become a Jet, has followed the gang, and prods Tony to escape, just in
time. The curtain comes down on a stage which is empty except for the
bodies of Riff and Bernardo.
Unaware of the tragedy under the highway, Maria sings to her girl
friends about how beautiful she feels (“I Feel Pretty”). She
speaks of marriage, and her friends assume she is thinking about
Chino. Chino enters with the news Tony has killed Bernardo. Left
alone, Maria is praying; Tony enters through the window. He explains
why he killed Bernardo in a moment of anger over Riff’s death. Maria
forgives him, and they declare their determination to be together.
Shark and Jet couples dance together in a dream-like, peaceful, sunlit
world – the “Somewhere” where Maria and Tony are allowed to
love one another. At the end of the dream, Tony and Maria are in her
bed, in each other’s arms.
In an alley, the bumbling Office Krupke is questioning the Jets about
the murders. The gang ridicules him as they sing “Officer Krupke,”
a put-down of the social workers, cops, psychiatrists, and judges who
fail to understand what motivates their behavior.
Anita arrives at Maria’s apartment. Tony escapes through the window,
telling Maria to meet him at the drugstore so they can run away
together. Anita realizes Tony has been with Maria and turns on Maria
in fury for making love to the boy who killed her brother (“A Boy
Like That”). However, when Maria explains (“I Have a
Love”), Anita realizes Maria loves Tony as much as she loved
Bernardo. She warns Maria Chino has a gun and is planning to kill
Tony. When Shrank arrives to question Maria, Anita agrees to go to the
drugstore to tell Tony to wait for her.
Anita is prevented from reaching Tony by the ethnic prejudice of the
Jets. The gang’s verbal taunting of Anita gets physical and is turning
into rape when she is saved by Doc. In her fury and humiliation, Anita
lies and tells Tony’s buddies Chino has killed Maria.
Doc tells Tony, who is hiding in his cellar, Maria and his dreams for
the future are dead because she is dead. Tony runs out to find Chino.
On the street, Tony sees Maria. Chino appears and kills Tony. As Maria
kneels over Tony’s body, the Jets and Sharks enter. Maria takes
Chino’s gun, but is unable to bring herself to fire it. The cycle of
violence ends with her.
Gradually, members of both gangs assemble on either side of Tony’s
body. Maria kisses him gently. The Jets and Sharks form a procession
and together they carry Tony offstage while the adults stand by, still
helpless. The lights fade.