My Undying Love: An Amusement
Play is serious business
"What do you think of when you hear the word “play”? Something frivolous? Silly? A waste of time? But remember, when children play, they take it seriously. A stick IS a sword, an empty room IS a royal chamber. The stakes are high, the consequences critical, at least for as long as the game is played. And a game can be more real than the most concrete of realities, and is often more true.
Games require imagination, commitment and trust. We now invite you into the Girl’s game. Don’t judge, don’t analyze, just . . . play."
From the Director's notes – Andrew Joffe
Videos
Trailer
Full opera
Reviews
This hour-long opera in English, composed by the talented Melissa Shiflett, unites all kinds of subjects: a mother/daughter's love and struggle as the daughter reaches her teenage years; a romantic love between a man and a woman, true but full of fear and doubt; the meaning of true friendship and how a child's life affects her games. At the end of the opera, the composer even found a way to add a moral story that was thought-provoking.
It was a perfect way to spend an evening with friends and family. The adults will understand the subtitles of the story while having a great time, and the children will love and connect with the humor and story, which is easy to understand. And, even if you are not an opera fan, you will love this mix of a play, comedy, and music sung by talented singers."
Diane Cavero
"Melissa Shiflett's My Undying Love: An Amusement is a small, intensely personal opera. It's peopled by the sorts of playmates we all imagine as children. Based primarily on our stuffed animals and puppets, they all talk or sing in English; they are married, or not, depending upon one's immediate understanding; they can be any sort of animal and still be friends (a bear and a robin, a bear and a little girl), and they're not always nice....Ms. Shiflett has combined these almost universal elements in a simple tale that takes place in the garden of a child's mind, one afternoon, long ago..."
Jan Ewing - Hi Drama
Synopsis
Prologue:
“Real Time”: The Girl and her Mother state their views on dolls and stuffed animals. Mother threatens to throw all the dolls out. Separate spotlights for each, downstage, emphasize their remoteness to each other.
Scene One:
The Girl’s fantasy play with her toys begins. The setting is a clearing in a forest. The Witch has a soliloquy about being alone in the meadow and loving it. Bear, Robin, Goatherd, Milkmaid and Girl defend their right to be there also. Milkmaid and Goatherd pledge their undying love to each other.
Scene Two:
Bear and Robin have a comradely conversation about blackberries and worms.
Scene Three:
Bear and the Girl practice dying from poisoned blackberries. They sing their own epitaphs. They are play-acting. The Witch doesn’t approve of the game and spies on them.
Scene Four:
The Witch prophesizes the downfall of the Goatherd and Milkmaid’s romance. As a result, they split up.
Scene Five:
The Witch plans to poison Bear. He really bugs her, and she doesn’t like his influence on the Girl. She wonders where the Girl is.
Scene Six:
The Girl describes her ideal best friend. The Milkmaid eventually joins her and they have fun imitating the Witch.
Scene Seven:
Robin tells the Goatherd how to build a nest in order to protect his sweetheart from the elements, and the Witch poisons Bear’s blackberries. (It’s really just a sleeping potion.)
Scene Eight:
Bear “Dies”. The Girl, Goatherd and Milkmaid sing an elaborate epitaph with a New Orleans Style funeral dance. The Girl accuses Witch of poisoning Bear. Witch throws her sparkly dust on all and they instantly forget what just happened (for a while).
Scene Nine:
The Prophecy Witch tries to seduce Robin (the family man/bird). Bear switches places with Robin and fools the Witch into singing him a love song. They all trick the Witch into apologizing for poisoning Bear. She distracts them with a sudden street game of “Cat Wants a Corner”. The Girl and Witch have a rapprochement which leads to the singing of “The Ditty” about the rustics, which leads to the rustics actually getting back together and once more declaring their undying love for each other and for all.
Epilogue:
The Girl and Mother (formerly the Witch) recap the events but in “Real Time”. They strike a truce with a fair amount of affection for each other.
Music and Libretto by Melissa C. Shiflett
A one act, one hour opera for six singers and three instrumentalists.
Setting: Most of the action takes place in a clearing inside a forest.
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List of Characters
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Girl Soprano
Mother/Witch Mezzo-Soprano
Milkmaid Mezzo-Soprano
Goatherd Tenor
Robin Tenor
Bear Baritone
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Instrumentation
Piano -- Clarinet in B-flat -- Violoncello -- Taos Standing Drum
(or any drum that can sound woodsy and deep, to be played by pianist)