2012 Hampton Celebration - Appomattox

APPOMATTOX AROSE… I GOT TO KNOW IN THE 90s PHILIP GLASS VERY WELL. HE HAD A COMMISSION FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA HOUSE, AND HE’D ALWAYS WANTED TO DO AN OPERA ABOUT THE LAST WEEK OF THE CIVIL WAR. I ACTUALLY REALLY ENJOYED THE WORK ON THE OPERA, AND I LOVED THE OPERA, BUT AFTERWARDS I THOUGHT, WELL, IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO DO A PLAY IN TWO ACTS IN WHICH THE FIRST ACT TOOK PLACE IN 1865 AND THE SECOND ACT TOOK PLACE IN 1965, AND YOU COULD THEN USE THOSE TWO PERIODS TO REFLECT UPON ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS A VERY EXCITING PROJECT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, WHEN HE MENTIONED IT TO ME, I THOUGHT IMMEDIATELY WE NEEDED TO COMMISSION THIS. AND TO TAKE THESE TWO PERIODS, THE VERY END OF THE CIVIL WAR IN 1865 AND THEN 1965 AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY, AND TO LOOK AT IT, AS HE WILL DO, BECAUSE HE’S NOT AMERICAN, HE WILL LOOK AT IT WITH AN OBJECTIVE EYE, AND ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK REALLY STILL NEED TO BE ASKED ABOUT HOW MUCH SINCE THE CIVIL WAR HAVE THINGS CHANGED, HOW PROFOUND WAS THE CHANGE THAT OCCURRED? WE NEED TO HAVE NEW WORK OF THIS KIND THAT ACTUALLY ASKS SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SOCIETY, ABOUT THE CULTURE, ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH WE LIVE TODAY, AND WE WILL COMBINE THAT WITH TWO OF HIS PREVIOUS PLAYS SO IN ALL THREE THEATERS THERE WILL BE SOMETHING EXCITING.