Sankaram | Interstate by Just a Theory Press

A Chamber Opera in One Act for Soprano and Speaking Pianist

Music by Kamala Sankaram

Libretto by Jennifer Cresswell and Kathleen Kelly

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Interstate

a Chamber Opera in One Act for Soprano and Speaking Pianist

Music by Kamala Sankaram

Libretto by Jennifer Cresswell and Kathleen Kelly 2021

Performance Notes

Sections using contemporary chant notation are intended to be sung as close to natural speech as possible

Vertical arrows indicate cueing

Piano

Each note is mapped onto a latter from the alphabet

“Typing” sections can have some rubato to them

Characters

Olivia (Soprano) – On death row for multiple murders

Diane (Speaking Pianist) – Low/middle income housewife

Instrumentation

Soprano Speaking Pianist

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Duration: 55'

First printing, March 2024

Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

V. That'showIfoundout. So. I hopeit'sOK - forme towrite.

Youdon'thavetowriteback. I

Girl, you're famous. - Youalways - didgo big.

Andhereyou are

Maybe - youwereakid. I wasthegoddamn - queen. q=120 rall.

kids. No

doubt, Liv, no doubt.

I'm sure you re-mem-ber. Why

else would you write? You re mem

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if you knowwhatImean. For him itcouldnever - be too darktosee.

Thegod

Just likeyou remem-ber.

Thegod-damn queen

Just like I remem-ber.

Puttin' - theMitten - intherear-view.

Thingssurewouldbediﬀerent - if shewasalive. - She always - keptyousafe.

You should have told someone - sooner. -

You'reno Nancy - Drew. Myblack

-y.

Howwasthataclue? Youweren'ttheonly - onegetting - knockeda-

Mitten - intherearview. - Youhelpedmegeta way.

walkedrightup tothat driver.

girl,where'syourmom-ma?" "I'mjustlookin' - fora ride." A faded - musty -

righthandformythighs. The yellow - lines re peat - -ing.

LIV DI Pno.

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Iheldaknife against - herbreast. andin-tomyarmsshe

mine. Innoother - armsentwine. - Downbeside - wherethewaters - ﬂow. Downbythe LIV DI Pno.

banks oftheOhi - -o. Iheldaknife against - herbreast. andin-tomyarmsshe

pressed. Shecried,"OhWillie, - don'tmurder - me I'mnotpreparedfore-ternit - -y.

- inthewoodsbehindtheschool.Youmadeusdinner - while

meetunder - -neath the stairs. So maybe - fora ciga --rette awarmbed or a

beer I'll dowhate --ver'saskedofmetil I getoutof here.

Exceptthekindyou'retooexhaustedtolive.

is that why?

Huh. atthedocks comesundown. -

Fishnets - andhighheelsina sequined - line. Bunchofsluts, not my style.

maybe - she will take me in. The door un-locks, I

hope in-side, we let the games be gin. -

Whenyoucameback fordad's fun-'ral...

as col la - t'ral. - Thereweretimes things

Soundslike you hadit allworkedout.

didn't - work out. Buthey, life throwsalotofshitatyou. It

Youdisap - -peared, wehadnochance.

Shooting - pool at

Youcouldhave let people - know, you couldhavecomehome.

Meand Rand-y, wecouldhavehelpedyou out.

YouandRandy. - Wow.Okay.

Youknow wewouldhavebeentherefor you, right? Randy is agoodman.

Howniceforyou.Guess

Agoodman. you'vehadallthe luck.

Youthinkit'sluck?

Goodthingsdon't just hap-pen, Liv, youhave tomake them work. Why

didn'tyousaysomething - atDad's fun'ral? - We weren't kids then, wecouldhave

talkedtoeachother - like a-dults.

thatconcertinDe-troit... Oh,waitasecond, wewerekidsthensoIguessthatdoesn'tcount.

Waitingonthatcorner - forfucking everbefore - hedroveup. Agood man.

Heunlocks - yourdoor, buthe'sstaring - atme. Says,

mycar." Your eyes met mine forjusta se cond. -

Your eyes met mine forjusta se cond. -

Iwatchedyou turn. I watchedyouwalkrightuptothatvan

Hands inyourback pockets, - cold assteel. Your stancesaid,fuckyou, Di-

ane. I heard a-bout yourbab-y.

Ididn'tsayaword. Igotinthecar. Wedroveaway.

Ev'ry - -body - placing - betsonwhothefath-er

Is thistalking - toeachother - likea

dults? askmewhathappened? - Didyoueven - wanttoknow?

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Youweresogod

and... ev'ry - -body - knew why. Iknewwhy. Liv, Iknew.

Di-ane, what gives? Ihaven't - heardfromyouin

Ev'ry - morning - there'snewsabout - yourlast appeal. - That picture - ofyou

standing - atthetable, - big,wide,insane - smile... Doesn't - looklikeyou.

When

saidthatoneguyhad. Youalways - didhaveastory, - Liv.Youalways - didhaveapose.

my time comes, it'll - beway more excit - -ing all strapped down in

I'vegotanoth - -ereightmonths, maybe - ayear. Whoknows, right?

Hey, down. dinner - thenightbefore. -

Butyou'rein-vit ing - metothelast goddamn - supper - andthosemen are dead.

Life ishard for lots of people - andthey don't take o-therlives.

yourface. You'resosurprised, - right? time.

Therewas no thing - youcouldhave done? grateful - foryour

luck y. - I wanted - to remem - -ber the wayweusedto be. But

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Pno. lan guid - -lyparting - her thighs. Like that she'sbewitched - him, our

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man's in adazed, no choice buttoclaim heras prize.

Song ofThis is What You Wanted. - TheSong ofShe De -

served it. TheSong ofWhy'd YouGet In? The

Did youdeserve - it? Why didn't - Randy - letyouin?

served it. The Song ofWhy'd YouGet In? The

ev'ry - -onelovesthemin death. ButI'm themurder - -er,right? Me andnot him?

So I'dbetter - pay,right?

truckstop john be-fore my cover's - blown. I didthethingsthatkeptmesafe. I

home. Any --way, Pressittothe light. Tapethis eagle - tothe window. - By q=100

midaf - -ternoon - it'll - looklikethewingsare stained glass. Acheapblue

pendoesﬁne ifyou'rewilling - to takeyourtime.

kay.Just... happy - birthday, - Di-ane, and thanksfortaking - the q=90

DearLiv, it's hardtoknowwhattosay counting - downtothebigday.

I'llbethereinthenext room, Ipro-mise. I'llbetheretotakethecremains.LIV

But after, Liv, Iwanttoknow... Willyouletmebringyou home?

Yes. Home. Please.

Backtothe pit. WhereI wasthe goddamn - queen...

Backwhereweshouldhavekeptyou safe, whereyoushouldhavewanted - to be.

Mitten - muststayintherear view. - Bringmeouttosomebeauti --fulbeach. Send me

You'llnever - restwhereyou

home. Under - aquiet - tree. You'llrestinshade. No needtobe afraid. -

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Gradually,thenewsreportsgrowsoloudtheycompletelyoverwhelmthetwowomen.Themythhas swallowedthemup.