Overture: The Lady

[spoken word, Heather Dale & S. J. Tucker simultaneously]
A girl is nothing
That's what they tell you, is it not?
Oh, not in those words of course
But in your castles, your kingdoms
No girl is allowed to question
To argue
To decide for herself what life she will live
That is not true here in Avalon
Your parents have sent you here to be trained
They want their daughters to be even more graceful and obedient
And one day, when you are grown, they will marry you to men of their choosing
And you will become such perfect queens, quiet and meek
Ha! Oh, how we will surprise them, my dears!
I am lady of this place. My will reigns supreme!
Oh, girls, you will not learn obedience here
Instead, I will teach you the magick of Avalon
Because a queen, a true queen, protects her people with more than simply a man's sword
For ten summers, I will teach you about the stars, the earth, the dangerous secrets of the world
You are now under my protection
And while you are here, I give you your freedom
To learn, to question, and to simply be yourself
Your true self
Not what the world wants you to be
Use that gift wisely