Looking Back
The happily coupled Charley and Hugo are saying their good-byes to the last of their departing guests—except for one, Claire. Inebriated, and fancying herself a medium, she suggests a séance to discover the answer to the mysterious re-appearance of a photograph of Michael, Charley's deceased ex. Claire passes out during the séance and the trio consider it a failure. Claire, once revived, finally wishes her hosts a good night. After a jealously tense moment inspired by all the reminders of Charley's deceased ex, Hugo goes to bed while Charley stays up, contemplating the photograph. Michael's ghost appears (the séance not being quite the failure they assumed). Despite a touching reunion, Charley doesn't buy into Michael's seductive words ("It could be like it was--always. Come with me and find out.") and walks away from the ghost and back into the arms of Hugo, his living love. Drawing on Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit for inspiration, I chose the image of the “ghost” to represent our tendency to idealize and fixate on the past—especially in the face of loss. But we all know that ghosts aren't real and letting them seduce us back into the past is a dangerous illusion. Charley realizes this and makes the difficult, but necessary, choice of looking forward rather than back.
Characters:
Claire, soprano
Micheal, counter tenor
Hugo, tenor
Charley, bass-baritone
Duration: 30 minutes
Piano score available now. Score and parts for chamber ensemble accompaniment (flute doubling clarinet, vibraphone, harp, piano, violins 1 and 2, viola, cello and bass) also available.
Looking Back is one of a trilogy of three short operas, each exploring, in a different way, the theme of loss. The other two are Anniversary and The Painter. Each stands on its own or they can be performed as a triptych in this order: Anniversary, The Painter, Looking Back.