Il Sogno di Henry Hay - Opera Libretto - 2. Part Two – Carpe Diem

Part Two – Carpe Diem

Scene One: “Fallen Too Soon”

(Arlington National Cemetery. Clear starlit sky. Identical white tombstones fill the forestage, and on the hill behind are the column and pediment of Arlington House. As the lights come up, Champ is heard singing offstage)

 

No. 11 – Canzona

 

CHAMP:

(chorus section)

In fields of honor,

Or through grain or pasture,

One heart sought delight

In hand and heart of another.

 

(verse one)

For Corydon

A Shepard pined:

‘Come live with me and

Be my love.’

 

For Patrocles

A soldier wailed:

‘Fallen too soon,

I’ll fight no more.’

 

(recap: ‘In fields of honor,’ etc.)

 

(verse two)

Yet, in our day,

No cowboy or farmhand

Can hold the hand

Of him he loves.

 

Yet, in our day,

A veteran cannot reveal

The fallen gone

As men he loved.

 

(recap: ‘In fields of honor,’ etc.)

(as the Canzona finishes we see Gerber and Hay enter from stage right)

 

 

[Recetetivo]

HENRY HAY:

Now to Arlington you bring me?

 

HENRY GERBER:

The peaceful fallen yet have

Tales to give the living.

 

HENRY HAY:

(looking up the house)

They seized the house and property

From Lee’s family. It belonged

To his wife, not him, but she

Was forced out nonetheless.

To loose everything – I can relate.

(turns earnestly to Gerber)

Tell me about your darkest hour –

When they arrested you for…

For, making a difference.

 

 

No. 12 – Intrada con Scena

(set darkens as Gerber becomes lost in the dark memory. The music of the Intrada speaks of a still night, and then squeaking car breaks in the distance. Offstage Champ, Hoover and Merman provide sounds of muffled shouting, sounds of someone being beaten with painful groans, and breaking furniture, glass, etc.)

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

They shouted –

Ear-splitting shrieks

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

Two AM, and my

Landlady lets them in.

They knock me to my

Knees, slapped my face

To the wall.

They ransacked my closet,

Picked up papers by

My typewriter.

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

They shouted –

Ear-splitting shrieks

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

‘This is all we needed,’

They gloated, in their hands

The newsletter crumpled,

‘This will convict

A pervert like you –

Twenty years, easy,

A hanging though

Wouldn’t be too good

For the likes of you.’

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

They shouted –

Ear-splitting shrieks

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and CHAMP: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

(a dark shadow appears stage left, slowly the lights come up on Champ. He slowly raises his hands, first to his face, and then pulls them away to stare trembling at them. The lights come up and we can see his face is bloodied and swollen. Blood stains his tee-shirt and is smeared all over his hands. He makes a slow pleading gesture towards Gerber before the lights fade on him again. He exits in the dark)

 

HENRY GERBER:

In my minds eye –

Thy picked up Champ

As he left my room.

(looking towards the apparition of the boy)

He curled bloodied

In the hall, for what had he done?

Been with me,

Been in love with me –

A kid too young to know

Danger stalked the streets

The night we met.

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and ETHEL MERMAN: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

They shouted –

Ear-splitting shrieks

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER and ETHEL MERMAN: (offstage voicing angry police officers)

‘Where’s the boy!?!

 

HENRY GERBER:

Champ slipped them

After they came for me.

My landlady helped him

Escape out the back door.

My typewriter and papers

Were not enough to convict.

Trumped charges failed to stick,

But I lost all,

Including Champ.

 

 

Scene Two: “Do Unto Others”

(Same as above. Enter Merman and Hoover in a chatty bickering mood from stage left. Both hold half-full highball glasses with fruit and paper umbrellas in the rims)

 

[Recitetivo]

ETHEL MERMAN:

It hits the spot.

God Bless the shaker!

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER:

(to Gerber)

Just a quick stop

At the office.

(to Merman)

Where did you get

That frock?

Dior!?!

 

ETHEL MERMAN:

You old fashion plate,

You can spot Dior

Quicker than a Mobster!

 

(Gerber clears his throat loudly)

 

No. 13 – Recitetivo ed Rondo

 

ETHEL MERMAN:

(hands her glass to Gerber, who has a drink. Then goes to Hay)

Now! Let’s get you

On the right course.

I think you are stuck

Thinking that things

Are now as they ever were,

And will ever be.

Not so. Difference is

As difference does –

(gesturing to the tombstones)

The brave do what’s required,

(gesturing to Hoover)

The shallow, slowly follow

Thinking they made things move.

 

[Rondo]

Softly glow the campfires’ own,

That ever so in history,

Huddled battle-watch before dawn,

In light of men’s bravery.

More eagerly than the watchmen,

Soldiers await the break of day,

With those they love, their fellow men,

And many are brave pairs, they say.

But martyrs equal their visions

When love of others is first choice –

The false fire of divisions

Purifies every hero’s voice.

 

 

No. 14 – Recitetivo ed Aria

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER:

(rushing to Hay in a huff. Backtracks slightly to Gerber and shoves his drink in his hand. Gerber shrugs and takes a drink from the second glass too.)

Poo Poo on everything she says!

(pulls Hay to one side. Merman joins Gerber and they have a discrete toast)

In this country, there’s no future

For anything but ‘The Good Old Days!’

Politically, speaking retrogressively sells.

Give the people something to fear,

And you can lead them by the nose!

 

[Aria]

Do Unto Others

(vindictively)

Before they Do Unto You!

Throw dirt. Divide and win –

Pit one 'gainst the other

And roll back the clock.

Dig the crap on others

(his robe slips open to show fishnet stocking, garter and bustier)

Before they can bury you

Knee-deep in your own shit!

 

Scheisters!

(turning darkly on the audience laughing at him)

Shit-eating Grinners,

Blackmailers,

Mobster thugs

With snapshots –

Ruthless users

Of hard-won authority –

Spying on their enemies

And making them hatful too.

(defiantly ripping off his robe and striking a ‘glamorous’ pose. He's wearing high heels, fishnet stockings, a garter belt, panties and a red satin bustier.)

Scheisters!

Shit-eating grins

Smeared across

Hateful faces –

Waiting,

(growing introspective; Merman helping him dress)

Counting on

A slip of your own.

(emphatically to Hay)

Throw the dirt on others

Before they can bury you.

Roll back the clock,

Now, or in a hundred years,

Things will only be worse.

 

Do Unto Others

(growing more and more angry)

Before they Do Unto You!

Throw dirt. Divide and win –

(Hay crumples to the ground and tries to cover his ears)

Pit one on the other

And roll back the clock.

Dig the crap on others

Before they can bury you

Knee-deep in your own shit!

 

 

No. 15 – Recitetivo ed Aria

 

HENRY HAY:

(rising with slowly building resolve and righteousness. To Hoover)

You say the closet is safe –

I say it is a death trap.

You say it opens up inside –

I say it snaps you in two like a spring.

 

[Aria]

You’d be the arbiter

Of the whole world,

But don’t dare pretend

Mastery over

A soul that’s fearless,

Or (over) a noble heart!

 

Let villains adore you,

(striking a pose like Hoover)

You tyrant Diva, you.

Those who only treasure –

Those who only fancy –

The base metal favor

Of your lowly reward.

 

(recap: ‘You’d be the arbiter,’ etc.)

 

 

Scene Three: “Five Hundred Faces”

(During the recap of the preceding number, Arlington fades and Hay’s bedroom reappears. By the end of it, Hay is standing at the foot of his bed, which has risen to a vertical position. Hay leans back and the bed returns to the floor with him on it. Gerber, Merman and Hoover move to the flanks of the stage. The Intrada reestablishes the opening chords of the opera and Hay’s waking-dream music. The window curtains begin to flap in the breeze again)

 

 

No. 16 – Scena – Intrada, Recitetivo ed Cavatina

 

HENRY HAY:

(sitting up in bed)

Do I sleep, or do I wake?

Did I wake, or did I dream?

(jumping out of bed – resolute)

Never mind the which! I will live.

I will not deny the truth –

Of who I am,

Of what my movement

Is all about –

Of what my efforts

Can achieve!

 

[Cavatina]

A convention was called –

The first group of Gay people.

The Spring muggy that morn –

Weighed down with doubts of success.

 

I walked into the church,

Five hundred faces faced me –

The first ever Gay group

Assembled in the open air.

 

We as Gay folk gathered

As sick loners, but we left

As a Community –

Downtrodden fighters for our cause.

 

 

No. 17 – Terzetto

 

HENRY HAY:

I am not alone now,

What I face, they face with me.

As I too stand by them –

We face what may come together.

 

ETHEL MERMAN and HENRY GERBER:

You are not alone now,

What he faces, we face with him

As he too stands by us –

We face what may come together.

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER:

(aside)

Clyde and I face it alone.

Their dreams will never be,

But if, only if it could be –

We face what may come together.

 

(a tre at recapitulation)

 

(recap from ‘We as Gay folk gathered,’ etc.)

 

TUTTI:

Someday love will be love –

Like two hands within the same glove.

Someday love will see love –

Peace alighting gently as a dove.

 

 

Scene Four: “Those Dead are Ours”

(Same as above. Lights come up on stage left as the Poet enters. He holds a script and makes motions with his hands to signal ‘Cut.’ He comes stage center front and address the audience. The others gather at his sides. During the following aria, the light outside the windows slowly rises and morning birds are heard. The breeze says it’s going to be a fine summer’s day)

 

 

No. 18 – Licenza – Recitetivo Narrativo

 

POET:

Forgive me gentles all, but see,

Sunlight approaches for Henry,

And I, the Poet, will tell the rest.

Called to testify, Hay was glib,

And a comedy of errors ensured.

Asked about Party membership,

A quiet ‘No’ enraged a GOP

Who rose and slammed a desk straight

Into his own face. Laughter rang,

And as he, Commendatore-like,

Rose from the floor, Hay cracked a joke.

But see there, at the feet of he,

The un-assuming Gay typist,

The bunch of paper transcripts where,

He just couldn’t manage to find

Hay’s last remarks. Hay was dismissed.

Bravely he stood our ground

And in the best Gay fashion,

Saved himself through humor.

Forgive me gentles all, but while

This history was written

By inspired history past,

The animus comes from

Everyday bravery lived now.

I see you, dear ones, now linked

Hand in hand before me,

And do give me hands before we’re done,

For though Hay is on my lips,

It is you who is in my heart!

 

 

No. 19 – Licenza – Aria

 

POET:

All you who struggle,

From broken hearts,

Thinking you are alone –

All of you of rash acts,

Contemplated,

Attempted, done –

All you waiting, as I was

Just for a hand

To take yours in equal bliss,

I take it now –

You were never alone.

 

History belongs to us.

Those dead are ours

If ever they live on

In our accepting hearts.

The better we learn

From our past,

The better we teach

To our future.

 

(recap: ‘All you who struggle,’ etc.)

 

 

No. 20 – Licenza – Finale

 

HENRY HAY:

I am not alone now,

What I face, they face with me.

As I too stand by them –

We face what may come together.

 

ETHEL MERMAN and HENRY GERBER:

You are not alone now,

What he faces, we face with him

As he too stands by us –

We face what may come together.

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER:

(aside)

Clyde and I face it alone.

Their dreams will never be,

But if, only if it could be –

We face what may come together.

 

(together)

 

POET:

Someday love will be love –

Like two hands within the same glove.

Someday love will see love –

Peace alighting gently as a dove.

 

 

TUTTI:

(joyous)

As time moves on apace,

We should go off and rejoice.

Together our fears face

With the sunlight of one voice!

 

 

(Darkness – Fine di Opera)

 

 

 

 

 

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Appendix:

 

1) Unused Scena for Henry Gerber –

 

HENRY GERBER:

Gay arises in every

Human generation –

In all times, in all places.

Why? Because every human

Generation needs a DaVinci,

A Shakespeare, a Melville –

Every generation needs Queers

Simply to advance,

To show the Hets what it means

To be human, beyond

The animal/accidental

Lust to sex up some babies.

 

[Aria]

They make the

Children of humanity.

We create the

Children of being human.

Their offspring wither,

Our art ravishes beyond all death.

 

‘A rose by any other name'

’We two together cling'

‘A marriage of true minds’

‘Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs’

‘All the world's a stage’

‘I am, as I am’

‘Quench the fire of love with words’

 

They make the

Children of humanity.

We create the

Children of being human.

Their offspring wither,

Our art communicates through death.

 

 

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1. This is my performance translation of Metastasio’s text. I leave it up to the composer to decide if Mozart’s setting of this number should be used. I think wonderful effect could be made with the Master’s music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM8DdUoEDzg