AnnaMarie Laforest White
Stories, Poems, Art
(one-act opera)
Music by Audrey Laforest White
Libretto by Anna Marie Laforest
Cast:
Moon
Dreamer (old man)
Steed from the Sky
Hero
Young Woman
Dream Characters (5 or 6, abstractly dressed, blue hues and silver, half of them nightmarish)
Moon is high above, dressed in black with a white quarter-cape to represent a waning quarter moon.
Dreamer is upstage, perched in a tree, wearing a leafy green cape and mask. Hero and Young Woman are downstage at opposite ends, in their own worlds.
Moon:
Ishtar, Isis, Ixchel, Lune
You may call me Moon
Without me there’s no water
Rhythm, tides, or moods –
Dragon fruit, night lilies,
Or green ribbon ringlets
Of evening dew.
Your dreams become my tears
My tears make your dreams bloom
Illumining the deepest you. Dreamer:
Huh, huh, huh
Your dreams are here
Your dreams are brief
But if you dream enough
Your thoughts
Become new Huh, huh, huh
And I remember every one,
Every single dream.
The Dream Characters and the Steed of the Sky enter and dance around the stage. The Steed hovers around Hero.
Moon: Dream Characters:
Kai, kai, kai,
Luxurious moon!
I bring water, tides, and mood,
I ring you with green ribbons,
I bring your deepest you… Effervescent moon!
(pointing to Dreamer) Dreamer:
Ah, my brother’s tired Huh, huh, huh
He won’t reflect
He can’t reflect Steed of the Sky:
If only he were free F-r-e-e- !
Dream Characters:
Kai, kai, moon…
The Steed approaches Hero and tries to pick a fight, sparring.
Hero fights but keeps looking over his shoulder at the Young Woman.
Hero: Dream Characters (dancing variously):
Ah! I wish she’d dream of me!
If only she would dream of me!
She is my night sky, Kai, kai, kai…
She is… poetry!
Young Woman:
Ah! I’ve never dreamed of love!
Oh, Moon! Luxurious moon…
Send me your warm embrace
I never dreamed of love, why? Kai, kai…
I have dreamed of witches
Dreamed of doves
Of riches, and of rain
I have traveled to the sky –
Where I would remain Steed of the Sky:
Where I could be free… F-r-e-e- !
Hero: Dreamer
Ah, Moon, She must (climbing down):
I have never dreamed of love She must Huh, huh, huh
Is love illusory? Dream of me…
The Dreamer leads or pushes the Dream Characters, including the Steed, off the stage, his “huh, huh, huh” punctuating the other singing. Then the Dreamer climbs back in his tree. The Young Woman goes to sleep. A moment of silence, then Hero makes an appeal to the moon.
Moon: Hero:
Moon! She must dream of me!
I can arrange that but
You must free my brother’s Steed
What do you mean?
Every night you fight and conquer
The Steed –
A nice heroic dream –
Dreamer:
Huh, huh, huh
But when night is dark
And I become New Moon
You must not fight the Steed Hero:
But yield to him - Yield?
Yield and free him
Then love is what she’ll feel
…she will feel Yield? Steed (returning):
He’ll never do it
He won’t give me up
Listen, Hero,
There’s more
More you can do
You’re wrong! Your thunder’s strong
You don’t need me
You’re wrong! Your thunder’s strong
You don’t need me
To fight more battles
Use your thunder
To tidy your world
You see? What do you mean? You don’t need me
Unsaddle that dream, To fight your battles
That Steed’s not yours
He’s my brother’s Oh, my Love,
Free him You don’t need me.
Yield and free him
And your Love will dream of you. How can I get to you!
Dreamer:
Huh, huh, huh.
Suddenly all singing and motion stop. Moon takes off her white cape and becomes the dark New Moon.
Moon:
Hero, the night is dark all night
Hero, the time is NOW. Hero (mesmerized):
I-must-free
The Steed of the Sky
Under this-New-Moon
Steed:
Fight, fight, Hero
Ha, ha, ha! You do not
Have the courage
To yield.
Hero’s urge to fight is strong, but -
Hero:
Ahhh! I yield! You’re free!
Immediately the Steed drops to his knees and leads Hero to the other side of the stage to the Young Woman.
Young Woman: Hero:
What is this new dream Ah, Love, you may dream
Come to me Come to me
Under the silver mist of stars Under the silver mist of stars
This wild fragrance of night blooms …wild fragrance of night blooms
Is it the embrace of the new moon? I embrace you in the new moon
What is this new dream? I am your new dream!
During a pause in the lovers’ duet, the Dreamer comes upstage, casts off his cloak and mask, and bows to the Steed. We see that the Dreamer is a very old man.
Dreamer:
Noble friend, Steed of the Sky,
Let’s go home.
They leave/rise to the sky, unnoticed by the Hero and the Young Woman.
Young Woman and Hero: Dream Characters (returning, separating the lovers):
Who has not dreamed
Will surely dream tonight- Kai, kai, kai
Bold stars
And all these fragrant blooms - Dark and fragrant Moon!
Soon the Dream Characters swarm around the Young Woman, trying to give her nightmares. Hero runs to her rescue, but they crowd him out. Looking around for aid, he sees the abandoned cloak and mask on the upstage floor, puts them on, and waves the Dream Characters off the stage. Young Woman gently falls asleep.
But Hero finds he cannot remove the Dreamer’s cape or mask, nor can he sing in words.
Hero:
Huh, huh, huh.
Huh, huh.
Hero slowly climbs up the Dreamer’s tree and sits, his arm bent over his masked face. Dawn breaks.
Moon:
Hero,
You are my brother now
Dream now
Dream and your dreams will become my tears
My tears
make your dreams bloom Hero:
Illumining the deepest you… Huh, huh, huh…
Without me there’s no water
Rhythm, tides, or moods –
Dragon fruit, night lilies,
Or green ribbon ringlets Huh…
Of evening dew.
Huh.
The End.
Reflections of a New Moon
