Whats the process for visually imagining the scenes of an opera?
I had read the script, which Terrence had written. And Terrence and I had done work together a long time ago. And then we’ve just recently done Central Park together up at Glimmerglass Opera. And he gave me the final pages while I was up there. And just reading it almost as a play, the first thing that you notice is this kind of incredible tension. You feel like you’re holding onto the book and your knuckles are getting white. It’s almost like heading toward a car wreck. Because you know what is coming, or what might not come, but the suspense of it is unbelievable. And then hearing Jake play through it for me. It just knocked my socks off because he starts with very, very lush music combined with the rock and roll of the radio at the murder scene, which is the prologue to the whole piece. Then you’re thrown immediately into this tight spotlight, that should just be the brightest light you’ve ever seen, on Sister Helen’s face and into this little spiritual with the children around her.