The story of Starship begins in 2020, on the busy downtown street where the GeoTec Corp. has its home office. It is a fairly non-descript building, most notable for the full-color posters announcing the soon-to-be-unveiled Starship Jefferson, the country's first interstellar craft, being constructed by GeoTec. In the opening song, "Volunteers," Ben and Caroline lead a group of young people in a protest against the company. After the protest, the denizens of the street take over in "Shadowlands" - a poignant depiction of life in the shadows of the big company.
Back in Caroline's Tattoo Parlor, the young people decide to escalate their attack against GeoTec by hijacking the new starship. This idea develops further in "Let's Go Together" as the young people recognize their spiritual and political brotherhood and envision a new society where they may “wave good-bye to Amerika and say hello to the Garden.” The plan is implemented that Saturday at a rally in the park. In "Amerikon," Ben draws everyone together in opposition to the establishment.
Put your old ladies back into bed,
Put your old men into their graves,
Cover their ears so they can't hear us sing,
Cover their eyes so they can't see us play.
In "Hijack," the people in the park describe their new mission:
People with a clever plan can assume the role of the mighty
And hijack the starship, carry 7000 people past the sun
Ginger, a 13-year old runaway, expresses the utopian vision proposed by the young people in "The Baby Tree," a folk song about an imaginary island where babies grow on trees and are collected by happy couples when they fall in love. Back in the Tattoo Parlor, the group relaxes for the rest of "Saturday Afternoon," and into the evening. Thanks to the Doktor of Space, the group grows closer. They explore a different state of awareness "In Time" that leads to the revelation of "Universal Copernican Mumbles." Caroline reveals to Ben that "A Child is Coming" to the two of them, as the dawn breaks in all of its glory. The couple resolves to free their child from the government's "files in their numbers game.".
The final song of Act I, "Sunrise" describes the literal sunrise as both a symbol of Caroline's unborn child and the dawn of a new Utopian civilization.
The protesters, who now refer to themselves as Gypsies, gather outside the space station that will transport them to the starship. Rose leads them in a pagan ritual that defines their "Frontera Luminosa" (Frontier of Light). The gypsies board the starship through the awe-inspiring photon elevator, and explore their new "Home" on board the spacecraft. Couples enjoy the vistas of space, as they stroll around A-Deck in "Have You Seen the Stars Tonite." While enjoying their new-found freedom, the lyrics hint at both the joy and responsibility of their new mission.
We are free
Any place
You can think of
We can be
After the ship's engines and systems are readied in "XM," the revolutionaries settle in for the jump to hyperdrive. The gypsies debate their newfound mission in "Crown of Creation," and Ben discovers hidden talents in "Caroline." The play reaches a dramatic - and somewhat humorous - climax when a traitor is discovered amongst the crew, threatening to prematurely end their voyage.
The title song, "Starship" brings the show to a close.
