Cue the orchestra. Dim the lights. Everyone please silence your cell phones. Tonight, you’re in for the treat of a lifetime. Tonight, ladies and gentleman, you are part of the show.
This entire opera will be performed by incredibly talented IMPROV actors. As you were walking into the theater tonight, they were the ones dressed in red, scanning your tickets. They were sorting through the crowd and picking people to imitate. Once they chose their character, they returned backstage and with the help of our makeup artists and costume designers, transformed. None of the actors were allowed to speak to each other. Prior to role selection, they drew straws. The one with the shortest gets to perform first. Everyone else must follow their lead.
So, let’s see where this goes.
Act I
Scene I
Two rooms can be seen – a dark bedroom and a small, open-concept living room/kitchen. A spotlight flickers on, and a woman is seen sitting at the table. Her head is bent and she’s pulling at her hair. Suddenly, with bright eyes, she looks up and begins to sing.
“I’ve been dreaming of…. I’ve been dreaming of…. I’ve been dreaming of… Actually, if I’m being quite honest, I haven’t really been dreaming. My daily glass…”
She is interrupted by a man’s voice.
“You mean bottle”
“No. I mean glass. Of red. It knocks me out so well that I don’t dream.”
“Surprise. Surprise.”
“Cool it will you.”
“No. My wife is an alcoholic who can’t acknowledge her issues.”
“That’s not even close to true.”
“Karen, you knock out every night on the couch, or on the floor, with a bottle of wine in front of you. Every night, you drink an entire bottle and fall asleep out here.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. Tell me, when was the last time you fell asleep beside me in bed. When was the last time, you woke up smiling at me, instead of with a pulsing migraine.”
“I don’t lie in bed with you because you’re a lousy man.”
“How am I lousy? I’ve been trying to take care of you.”
“Bullshit. You ignore me.”
“Is that what I’m doing right now? Talking to you, telling you how I feel, is that all me ignoring you?”
“Go away.”
“No. I love you.”
“You don’t love me.”
“I do. And I know you love me too.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You heard me. I don’t love you.”
Scene II
The stage is bland – one single bench is situated in front of a monochromatic green background. There is no one in sight. In the distance, laughing children and barking dogs can be heard. Suddenly, the stage grows three times brighter. The lights come on and a man appears on stage. He is dressed in a t-shirt, khaki shorts, yellow converse, and a Houston Astros cap. He walks over to the bench and sprawls out on it. He pulls the cap, down and covers his face. A young boy walks over and nudges him.
“Sir, please move. Sir, wake up. Sir!!! Okay, that’s it. If you don’t budge, I’m going to sit on you. And I’m pretty heavy.”
“Shut up kid. You look like you weigh five pounds.”
“HEY! How can you see me with that hat covering your face?”
“So, I was right? You’re a skinny little one. Your voice gave it away.”
“Your logic doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does. And I’m not moving. So, goodbye kid. Get lost.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no? Scram.”
The boy climbs up on the bench rail and sits on the man’s legs. He smirks. The man removes his hat and lifts up his head, less than an inch, to look at the child. The boy is grinning right at him. Before the man can say anything, a petite brunette runs onto the stage. She goes straight for the child and pulls him off the man.
“Hi Mom.”
“Don’t hi mom me. You just ran off and sat on a strange man.”
The man sits up. The woman turns her eyes to apologize to him and they lock eyes. A sense of familiarity washes over both of them.
“Ben?”
“Jessica?”
Scene III
The stage is illuminated by tiny little string lights. Two teenage boys are sitting on opposite ends of a room, both strumming their respective guitars. One has a harsher sound. It sounds like it is being plucked, rather than played. The other is gentle. Like a harp.
The spotlight focuses in on the boy with the softer melody. He sings “If only…” He stands up and walks to the middle of the stage. The boy with the harsher sound sings “Why?” He walks toward the middle of the stage as well. The boys are facing, yet they cannot see each other.
Intermission
As Act II commences, we see the marriage of the first two individuals crumble. The wife enrolls in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), but after a few months, her husband leaves her. As for the young boy, his mother, and the man on the bench, a huge secret was revealed. They weren’t former lovers, as many would suspect, but rather brother and sister, who due to family complications, lost touch over the years. In regards to the two teenage musicians, they eventually meet. After being put in an English class together, they bond and fall in love.
It’s important to note that while these characters were inspired by members of the audience, it is no way a true and accurate representation of their lives. This opera is not rehearsed. It is 100% IMPROV. This performance is designed to be different. It is designed to be interactive. A different show every night. No one sees the same thing. A show is never duplicated.
I believe that is the future of opera. Like everything else in our society is subject to evolution. It is subject to change. A performance that is never repeated, that always offers something different, perfectly represents that.
-Alyssa Motilal
