Blood Brother

’s Synopsis Essay, Research Paper

Blood Brothers Synopsis by Bryan Rucker Act OneA council chamber. Two dead bodies of young men are covered andtaken away. People exit the room, leaving a grieving mother. Thenarrator explains the story. We find the woman is Mrs. Johnstone(Overture). The story begins: Mrs. Johnstone explains how she has come to be asingle parent of 7 and expecting (Marilyn Monroe). Mrs. Johnstone has found a job cleaning house for Mrs. Lyons, anupper class woman. She learns she is expecting twins, and realizessome of the children might have to be taken from her by the welfare.Mrs. Lyons, unable to have children, expresses her need for a baby,and has an idea (My Child), which she cons Mrs. Johnstone intothinking is a good one. She promises that Mrs. Johnstone will be ableto see her baby anytime. Her husband (Mr. Lyons, who has beenaway for nine months) will believe the baby is truly hers. Mrs. Johnstone gives birth to two boys, Michael and Edward. Shecomes home from the hospital to find men taking away ordered itemsshe couldn’t pay for, and sings of how everything slips away from her,even one of her sons which she is about to give away (Easy Terms). Meanwhile, Mrs. Lyons comes to take her baby, Edward. Mrs. Johnstone is at work, playing with Edward on her break. Mr.Lyons is told a lie by his wife: Mrs. Johnstone’s work is deterioratingand she must be fired. Mrs. Lyons fires Mrs. Johnstone, and tells herthat she will never see Edward again because if the twins are evertold what they are, they will die, according to superstition. Mrs.Johnstone, highly superstitious, leaves, afraid and upset (Shoes Uponthe Table). The plot has advanced seven years. Mickey Johnstone meets anupper class boy, his age, who introduces himself as Eddie Lyons. Thetwo “decide” to be best friends, and discover that they share thesame birthday. Not knowing anything, they assume it’s a coincidenceand believe they were meant to be brought together. They prick theirfingers and mix the blood. The are now Blood Brothers (July the18th). Mickey is playing games with his friends, his older delinquent brother,Sammy (Kid’s Game), and his best friend Linda. Both of the mothers are now aware of the boys’ budding friendship,and inform their children they cannot play together. Disobeying,Eddie leaves to play wit hMickey and Linda, leaving Mrs. Lyons in aworried state (Gypsies in the Wood). Cold-hearted Mrs. Lyons, who has her husband wrapped around herfinger, decides they must move away to the country to escape theJohnstones. Her husband agrees, and they inform Edward, who issad he must leave Mickey. Mickey says his goodbyes to Eddie and leaves. Mrs. Johnstone saysa private goodbye, unable to bear that her other son will be gone.She gives him a locket with a picture of herself and Mickey in it formemories. Mickey, alone, sings of his loneliness (Long Sunday Afternoon) andthen sings of his very best friend. At the same time, Edward, upsetand lonely in his new house, sings of Mickey (My Friend). Mrs. Johnstone is informed that the government housing that they willlive in is to be torn down. She will be moved to the country. She isoverjoyed, knowing she can start over afresh. She and the childrensing of the new life (Bright New Day). ACT TWO Mrs. Johnstone sings of the new life they are enjoying. Shere-introduces Mickey, now 14, Sammy, 16(who is still atroublemaker), and her other children (Marilyn Monroe 2). Mickey and Linda are suspended from school for being loud in class.

We find that Linda, now 14 as well, is in love with Mickey, whodoesn’t know how to tell her he feels the same way. Edward is suspended from his private boarding school as well,because he refuses to remove his locket for the teacher, who believesit is inappropriate attire for a boys school. At home, Mrs. Lyons isfurious, and wants to know what’s in the locket. She finds out who itis, and demands to know how Mickey and Mrs. Johnstone’s pictureswere given to him (Secrets). He confronts his mother, saying shemust have secrets, too, and the Narrator reminds her of what she hashidden. Edward, now home, is in the country, and meets with Mickey. Atfirst, they don’t realize, but within a few minutes, recognize eachother. They sing of how they wish they were the other (That Guy). Edward is reunited with Linda as well, and the three of them spendglorious years together (Summer Sequence). Edward realizes thathe is falling in love with Linda. Now 18, he doesn’t want to leave herwhen he goes to university. But putting that aside, he is reasonableand tells Linda how her and Mickey should be together, and hints athow he would treat her (I’m Not Saying a Word). Edward brings Linda and Mickey together and they spend one nighttogether before Eddie leaves for school. It has been a couple of months and now Linda is pregnant. Mickeytells his mother, and she says she will give them her blessing formarriage (One Day in October). After the wedding, Mickey is fired from his job (Take a LetterMiss Jones). He is going crazy trying to find a job. He meets Eddieagain on Christmas break, and Eddie offers money to the stillunemployed Mickey. Mickey refuses, telling Edward to grow up andface miserable reality, the one without fun and games. Edward leaves;both men are mad at each other. Edward meets up with Linda, proclaiming his love for her. Sheexplains she has always loved him in a way, but she is now married toMickey, and very much in love. They say goodbye. Meanwhile,Mickey meets up with his delinquent brother, Sammy, also out ofwork, who shows him a gun and says they will go and hold someoneup for some money. Mickey is reluctant, but wants to be able to buyLinda something nice, and agrees to stand guard. In the roberry, Sammy accidentally shoots and kills the man. Heflees, leaving Mickey the accused (The Robbery). Mickey is put in jail for seven years and is depressed. He is givenpills, which make him low and tired (Marilyn Monroe 3). He finallygets out, after many visits with Linda. He refuses to work, and isalways tired. Linda, upset and very frustrated, calls Edward for moralsupport. She and Edward start out as friends but a romance buds(Light Romance). Mrs. Lyons, still in a rage because Mrs. Johnstone “followed” her tothe country years ago, has nothing but spite for the Johnstones, andgoes to Mickey’s work, and informs him of Linda and Edward. Mickey is still delirious from his pills and in a rage because of what hehas heard. He takes a loaded gun to the courtroom, where Edward isa councillor (Madman). He accuses Edward of getting everything, even Linda now. And heasks if his baby is Edward’s. He is deeply upset, and breaks down,crying and screaming and pointing the gun (The Council Chamber).Mrs. Johnstone and Linda, accompanied by the police, ask Mickeyto surrender, but he doesn’t listen. Mrs. Johnstone doesn’t knowwhat to do, so she tells him not to kill Eddie because they arebrothers. Mickey, even more jealous now, cries out, and as thepolice ask once again, he shootes Eddie. The police, in turn, shootMickey. As the superstition says, both twins died immediately andsimultaneously. We are back where we started. The two dead bodies lie there; theNarrator recaps the events. Mrs. Johnstone sings through her tears,asking the sad reality not to be true (Tell Me It’s Not True).