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COVID-19
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Covid-19: Written during isolation for the covid-19 pandemic. The work has two versions; one is about an hour and a half the other is just under 2 hours. I am actively looking for a choreographer and company with the resources to produce this work.
The work uses about 50 of the 1890 poems of Emily Dickinson that are in the public domain. Set in 2020, "Covid-19" is the story of two lovers, who are referred to simply as A and B.
Part I: Love: The couple meets and they fall in love. A is extremely taken with B. However B is wildly flirtatious (with C and perhaps other dancers) and B acquires covid-19. How far this "flirtation" goes I leave to individual producers.
Part II: Nature: B is asymptomatic and transmits the virus to A.
Part III: Immortality: A eventually dies as a result, but returns as an Angel. Along the way, the couple deals with betrayal, redemption and resurrection.
The Singers and Dancers: B may be sung by a man or a woman; A, the poetry reader, may also be likewise be male or female. Both A and B co-respond to the two dancers that they represent; with C (who can be either gender) taking the other roles. The cast would benefit from the use of additional dancers. The timings and instrumental forces are listed below:
Covid-19a: 1 hour and 50 minutes for a poetry reader (the character called A) with chorus; vocal soloist (the character called B); small to medium sized orchestra:
2 2+ 2+ 2+ 1/1/1/1 percussion, timpani; harp; and strings,
Covid-19b: piano vocal version of 19a.
Covid-19c: 95 minutes (55 shorter movements); for vocal soloist (B) with vocal trio and or small chorus; English horn, clarinet doubling on bass clarinet, bassoon doubling on contrabassoon; D. B. string quartet and piano.
Covid-19d. piano vocal version of 19c; This is the original version.
See "Ample Make This Bed" IV/IV/1 and VII/III/1: which uses the same music and story but takes place during the A. I. D. S. pandemic and is set the 1980s.