FOREST COLLECTIVE
presents

BLACK WATER

There is a moment where I catch my breath, imagining the horror of gulping dark, cloudy water and realising that no help was coming. Along with the description of Mary Jo Kopechne’s lonely death, it’s achingly cruel to imagine that she had hoped he would come back – that U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy wouldn’t have abandoned his humanity as he freed himself from that black watery grave. But what does it matter about the darkness of his thoughts when it was her light that dimmed?

Where Joyce Carol Oates’ novella, Black Water, describes the real and imagined events of that night from the perspective of the voiceless Mary Jo, Jeremy Beck’s libretto of the same name captures the tragedy of her death in music. It’s a jarring work, and a hard piece to sell as a one-woman opera, but the Forest Collective, under artistic direction by Evan J Lawson tackles the dark subject matter with energy and sensitivity.   

For a soprano, it’s a taxing role, but Aleise Bright is earnest and evocative in giving voice to Mary Jo. Credit for the catch in my breath is certainly Bright’s doing. Accompanying Bright on piano is Danae Killian, who brings an electric energy to the piece. I found myself often turning to watch Killian perform – a directed rage permeates her performance, a rage I feel too. Mary Jo needn’t have died. The same power that compelled her into Kennedy’s vehicle that night could have also extended its hand to save her, but instead turned inward to save itself.

For this production of Black Water, costume designer Jane Noonan pared it back in black, a solemn but fitting choice for the subject matter. There was also little done with Jesse Matthews’ staging – two chairs shift around the space for Bright to work with, but this may have had more impact in a smaller, darker space to add to the claustrophobia. However, the chosen space of St Stephens Anglican Church carries Bright’s voice far, adding a ghostly quality as she steps beyond the audience for a brief moment.

I ultimately found myself wondering how Oates’ work would have fared in a full stage theatrical production. Would we have lost her singular voice? Alone it is a clarion call in the dark. I suppose that makes the most sense, yielding to the tragedy of her lonely death.

To learn more about the Forest Collective, visit their website here.