A New Musical
Hear the Music
Three demos from SHOCKED: the opening number, an imagined trial, and the company finale.
Music & lyrics by Ernest Ebell
The comic opening
Social Psychology 101
Characters: Stanley, Sasha and ensemble
An irreverent introduction to the question behind Stanley’s work: why do people behave as they do? The ensemble’s playful questions give way to Stanley’s concern about human cruelty.
Prelude and dark satire
Prelude und Die Eichmann Polka
Character: Eichmann, in Stanley’s imagined trial
News of Eichmann’s capture leads Stanley to imagine his trial. An instrumental prelude gives way to a polka, using a dance form to frame Eichmann’s refusal to accept responsibility.
The company finale
What Will We Do?
Characters: full company
After Stanley’s death, Sasha reflects on his life and her work with Holocaust survivors. The company brings the story’s questions into the present, asking what each of us will do.