Zelda's World

Who is Zelda? Zelda Jean Opplemeir is an earthy, honest, crazy bag lady , whose life
has not turned out the way she dreamed it would. However, instead of feeling sorry for
herself, she has met her situation head on , and is ever eager to share the faith lessons
she has learned from living in adversity.

The Word is Love is the first of four musical vignettes in which Zelda shares those lessons.
This skit has been written to deal with our relationships with others. The other three
remaining vignettes in the series are, Did You See Him?, Christmas Memories, and
Where Do You Stand?

I pray that you will be guided by the Spirit in each performance.

In HIS dervice-

Judith A Helms
 The Word is Love
Composed by Judith A helms

A q = 68
    

Dialogue begins- " I heard what you told.....

      
       


                        
    

 

    

         
   
       
      


    

9 B
    
(In unison)"All I want to be is

       
   


 
        
           
        
 
   
    
Copyright © 1998
3
C

 
13 CŒ„Š9 C

        
espress.
     
ac-cept-ed!" So dif f'rent and yet, the same. We

                  


          
    

   
  

       
17 CŒ„Š9 C G‹7 C7 F FŒ„Š7

         

could be friends, yet we re - frain. From dif - f'rent worlds, with dif - f'rent

                 
   

  



   
     
  
 

20 D‹7 D¨Œ„Š7 G7 CŒ„Š7 C

              
    
lives, both try- ing hard to sur - vive. Two yearn - ing souls up- on a

        
   
      


 





   
   
    


 
 
  
 4

    
24 FŒ„Š9 C G‹7 C7 F FŒ„Š7

  
             

quest. Both seek- ing life at its ver - y best. With dif- f'rent dreams yet, much to

     
      
   

    





  
      
     

28 D‹7 D¨Œ„Š7 G7 C

              
share. If but our hearts were made a - ware. But no

      

   
     


       
       
  

  


31 F E‹ F

                      

mat - ter where the paths of life may lead us. Or what our cares and trou - bles day by

 
            


                  
     
5
34 E‹ E¨ B¨

                  
 
day. I/we know the great - est joy we have in liv ing, is when we're

 
            

                        

       
37 D¨ G7 CŒ„Š9 C FŒ„Š7 F

 
          
   
giv ing our love a - way. To - ge ther, though miles a - part. One

   
            
       
             

   




        
41 CŒ„Š9 C G‹7 C7 FŒ„Š7

 
       
spi - rit cries from the heart. The an - swer lies up s -

                
    
   




      
    
  

  6
44 D‹7 D¨Œ„Š7 G7 To Coda C

                  
bove, through doubts and fears, through veils of tears, the word is love.
   
    
    
   
 





 




 
 
  
   



 

As piano solo continues, Z and W take a seat on the

bench busying themselves with their reading materials,
until Z looks up and says...
48 CŒ„Š7 C F CŒ„Š7 C6 G‹7 C7

    

              3 3

              
   
  
    
  
    

D
52
D‹7 D¨Œ„Š7 G7(“4) G7
    
FŒ„Š7


" You know, I'm really sorry......

    
           
             

       
       
    

7 E
56
C FŒ„Š7 CŒ„Š9 C G‹7
    
CŒ„Š9 C7

"Do ya think maybe we need....

     
3

      
3
           
 

 
         







    
       
      
  

60 FŒ„Š7 D.S. al Coda

 
D‹ D¨Œ„Š7 G7 C
     
But no

          
                 





 
  
     
     


  

 
The four bars of the Coda section can be repeat
as needed to fade out music. You can also use portions of the intro.

 CODA F
64 C CŒ„Š7 C6 C D‹7 G7 C

      
love................ "By the way, my name's........

         
  

                 
     
 

Copyright © 1998
 The Word is Love
8
Written by Judith A Helms
CO 1998

The purpose of this skit is to reinforce the message that no matter our station in life,
we all have the need to be accepted and loved.

Characters:

Zelda Jean = Z
Woman = W
Friend = F

Setting: Park bench/Bus stop

Props: Bench or two chairs; garbage basket, next to which Zelda will sit. Grocery basket/cart filed with
bed roll, foam, blanket, coffee pot, toilet paper roll, paper bags, old back pack, etc-all Zelda’s earthly
processions.

Scene: Zelda Jean pushing her cart toward the park bench. She has just overheard a woman speaking
about “her kind” to a friend. She is furious, and begins a dialogue with herself, discussing the situation.

Z: Zelda Jean, did you hear what that lady said about you? It wasn’t very nice!
I think I’ll just go back over there and give her a piece of my mind.

(Shaking her head) No, you can’t do that Zelda Jean. Besides, it wouldn’t do any
good anyway.

But she’s hurt my feelings! How can she talk about me when she doesn’t even
know me?

[Just then W approaches the bench, and Z decides to confront her, beginning at “A” of music as indicated]

Z: I heard what you said about me!

W: What do you mean?

Z: I heard you telling’ you friend over there, how you think I just want people to feel sorry for me.

W: Well,…. I hate to hurt your feelings, but it’s true, isn’t it?
Z: How would you know what’s true, “Miss Goooo….dy Two-shoes?”
You’ve got you nose so high in the air that you can’t even see me, let alone , know how I feel.

[ Zellda expects a clipped response to her remarks, but instead finds that she has opened a real wound
in the woman’s heart.]

W: What do you mean, “Miss Goody Two-Shoes? I hate that. I‘ve heard that ever since I was a kid.”

[Frustrated] - If you only knew how tired I am of hearing that phrase!

 [ Timidly] Well…., if the shoe fits…..
9
W: How do you know the shoe fits??? Just because I try to do everything right? How would you
like it if you felt as if you were on stage 24 hours a day, with every member of the audience just
waiting for you to make a mistake so they could applaud?

Z: That’s nothing! How would you like it if you were totally ignored as if you didn’t even exist?
Or, better yet, feared, because you don’t fit in.

[ Then each, turning away, begin to think about what the other has said. Turning back to face each
other at the same time, both proclaim]

Z/W (In unison) You don’t understand, all I want is to be ac..cep…ted!

[ Realizing at that moment that they have just verbalized the same desire, they begin to sing at “C”]

SONG- THE WORD IS LOVE

Z: So different, and yet the same.

W: We could be friends, yet we refrain.

Z/W: From different worlds, with different lives, both trying hard to survive.

Z: Two yearning souls upon a quest,

W: Both seeking life at it’s very best.

Z/W: With different dreams, yet much to share, if but our hearts were made aware.

Chorus: Z/W
But, no matter where the paths of life may lead us
Or what our cares and troubles day by day.
We know the greatest joy there is in living,
Is when we’re giving our love away.

Z: Together, though miles apart,

W: One Spirit cries from the heart.

Z/W: The answer lies up above,

Through doubts and fears,
Through veils of tears,
The word is love.

Piano Solo interlude-

[ At “D”, both women retire to the bench, each busying themselves with reading materials; (Z finds hers
in the waste container, and W pull hers from her bag). Each, in turn, peaks at the other, though
pretending to be engaged in reading. Finally, feeling badly about their original confrontation,
both decide to make amends as they resume dialogue *as indicated in score at "E"]
Z: You know, I’m real sorry I got all steamed up like I did. 10

W: Oh….don’t feel bad. I’m sorry, too. I haven’t spouted off like that in ages. And…., as far as
what you heard me say to that lady, I realize now, that I spoke without thinking. It was a very
unkind thing to say. Especially about someone you don’t even know.

Z: Ah.. Forget it. You don’t have a corner on that one.

Say,…I’ve got an idea. Maybe we could start this “howdy doody” over.
Ya know-get to know each other. Who knows I might even like ya.

W: (Grinning) Who knows……….

Z/W REPEAT FROM CHORUS

[ At “E”, Z and W resume dialogue as music fades]

Z: By the way, my name is Zelda Jean Opplemeir.

W: How do you do, Zelsa Jean Opplemeir. My name is_____________________

[both shake hands]

W: Zelda, how about a cup of coffee?

Z: You buy’n?

W: Of course!

[Both exit, as Zelda adds]

Z: Do ya think I look OK?

W: Of course!

Z: How 'bout these ears bobs I found yesterday? Aren't they the cats meow!

W: Why they're lovely.

Z: Did you know I was the queen of my high school prom?

W: Oh………really?

[ The remaining conversation on the way out can be as involved as you like. Keep it funny, keeping
in mind that Zelda might be living in grandest moments.]

The End
11