The Mesopotamian Opera Company, Inc.
has had to cancel its production slated for May 2020 due to the Covid Pandemic.
We hope to reshedule for May 2021.
Conducted from the piano by Galina Barskaya
with percussion, clarinet and violin
Costumes by Karolyn Kiisel
Sets by Claire Fraser and Kirsten Taylor
An Urbanist re-telling of an ancient Japanese tale.
The spirit of a centuries-old oak tree on a ridge outside a small town falls in love with a poetic young man from the town. She comes out of her tree and marries him when his first marriage falls apart. They move to the big city where he will pursue his dream of becoming an architect. His ex-wife, taking custody of their son, marries again, this time to a local developer. When, years later, the developer decides to build a mega-mall outside the now growing town it becomes clear that he plans to cut down the old tree. The town is instantly polarized and the son joins with a band of tree-sitters to protest the construction. The architect and the tree spirit watch helplessly as the situation deteriorates. When the tree is finally felled she dies but in the process he receives the gift of a vision that will enable him to transform the world.
Inspired by the works of Jane Jacobs, tying together themes being addressed by broad world movements such as New Urbanism and Extinction Rebellion, The Tree is a timely work of operatic theater.
The Tree **** Synopsis
The Narrator proclaims the importance of cities in our life (The City Is Our Joy) and sets the background of the story in the little town of Edgeville and at the great oak tree a mile or so out of town. He explains how Frank LaTalle, who has visions of building new cities, had been married to Patty Grandy, daughter of the Mayor, and how, shortly after the birth of their son, Robert, she divorced him and married Buck Sparks, a contractor. When Frank confides his sorrow to the Tree and weeps into her bark, she falls in love with him. In a wind storm (We Are The Trees) Jessica, the Tree Spirit, seeks permission from Red, Chief of the Council of Trees, to leave her tree and live a human life with Frank . Red agonizes (When You Cross) but finally grants permission. He sends Tolorosa, an experienced Juniper with a Hollywood past (I Loved the Cary Grant) and Bramble, a young Blackberry, to watch out for her. He warns Jessica that if a human being should see her enter back into her tree, he or she would instantly die and gives her a bell to summon him in an emergency.
Scene Two takes place in Edgeville. Jim Grandy, the Mayor, and Frank argue about the new mall being built (We’re Building a Mall). Patty, the ex-wife, sings (Dream House) about her love of the suburban life. Buck and Jim enthuse about cars and malls while Frank details his vision of a new city (The Impossible City). Frank announces he is going to Temple City to study architecture. Jim predicts “You’ll come crawling back!”
Scene Three finds Jessica, Tolorosa and Bramble at the bus station in their new bodies. They don’t know how they’re going to survive in the human world until Tolorosa hits on the idea of turning Jessica into a movie star (When You’re a Star) with Bramble’s help (Come Forth). Frank enters and finds he has new friends who seem very familiar. They invite him to come live with them in their house on Orchid Street (An Old Aunt Died and Left Us a House). In Scene Four they arrive at the great house in Temple City owned by the Council of Trees (there’s one in every city). Tolorosa expains the facts of human life to Jessica (Every Human Has One Springtime). Bramble warns Frank about oak mating customs then Frank and Jessica sing of their hestitations and their love, culminating in a hasty marriage presided over by the Trees.
ACT TWO, is 16 years later. Frank has a job at top architectural firm Quick, Browne and Foxe. Robert is dating a dancer named Sparrow. Scene One opens at the now decaying Edgeville Mall with Patty shopping. (We Shop and Shop) Robert and Sparrow enter and perform a Tree Dance. Jim casts them out (The Mall is a Place for the Public). Then Buck announces his plans to build a new mall with golf course condominiums and a new highway. Robert is shocked to discover that this entails cutting down his Dad’s tree, the Tree. He pledges to go sit in the Tree.
Scene Two is set in the garden of the house on Orchid Street. Jessica, now movie star J-Marie, and Frank, who has just lost his job, receive an envoy from avant-guard architecture firm The Lazy Dogs. Frank is very upset. The fabulously wealthy guests arrive and sing about the houses they have all over the world (Down the Road from Angkor Wat). Jessica sings of the fullness of life (Garden of Plenty), The party is in full swing when Robert, Bramble and Sparrow burst in with the news about the Tree (Go At Once). Tolorosa begs Jessica to get back in her tree before Robert can get there. But she refuses.
Scene Three opens at the Tree on the day of the final vote. Robert is in the Tree. Patty sings of her irritation at the situation (Far Be It From Me). Tolorosa and Bramble sing of the lost trees (Jungle of Trees). Despite all attempts to save it, the town votes to cut down the Tree. In Scene Four Frank finds Jessica dying in her bedroom. When Bramble and Tolorosa try to push him out, Jessica rings the bell and summons Red who tells the truth to Frank and pledges to support him in the chorale (Truth Against The World). Before Jessica dies she urges Frank to keep his sights on his cities. (When the Sun Comes Up Each Morning)
In the Epilogue the Narator tells of how Frank succeeded in realizing his dream.
* an earlier version of The Tree was produced in 2006 by The Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Jenny Krusoe, Executive Director