One Act Theater
One Act Theater is a song that I wrote the lyrics to over 20 years ago (circa 1986). I was listening a lot to U2’s Joshua Tree release and, as I often do, wrote my own lyrics to several of their tunes… or actually, just used the rhythm and flow of the song to direct my words.
I tried several times unsuccessfully to get music written for the song and figured it would be like most of the other songs I’ve written that mildew in my files with nothing else ever being done with it (I have a long list of song lyrics that are there now).
Then, when putting songs together for the “Job” project, I read over the words to One Act Theater again and realized it could serve very well as a theme song. I showed Suzanne (la composer extraordinaire) how I thought the song should go and she picked up on it and wrote an amazing tune that is actually quite close to what I thought it should be.
If it works out as currently planned, One Act Theater will appear twice in the opera. The first time it will be played as a ballad with acoustic guitar accompaniment, sung by the narrator during the seven days and seven nights that Job sits in silence with his friends. The second time will be at the end as a finale, with full stage band, drums, and electric guitars, sung by the whole cast. I’m very much looking forward to hearing the full treatment!
This song did not come from the text of Job, but rather from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
“Man’s life is just a shadow, passing through
this one act theater on the stage of earth.
You live your lines - no rehearsal -
a one night stand that tests the substance of your heart”
— from One Act Theater; copyright 1986 Donald Paul Harris
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- Posted in : Job: a Postmodern Opera
- Author : admin
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