We Might Be Struck By Lightning

Run Time: 120 minutes

We Might Be Struck By Lightning, conceived and directed by Rebecca Herman with choreography by Rebecca Whitehurst. Director of Cinematography - Eric Graham of ic Pictures. Performed at Ground Floor Theatre.

Arranged for voice, piano, cello, and violin, We Might Be Struck By Lightning weaves together movement, voice, and music in an intimate, electric harmony. Through the expressive power and intimacy of art song and the physical language of dance, the work explores themes of vulnerability, connection, grief, and the deep complexities of the human experience.

This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

Act I (Present Day)

Prelude - (arr. B. Tibbetts)

Scene 1 – While on a work trip, Joanne receives news that her mother is dying (Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer – Mahler). As she waits for her flight home, memories of her mother flood in (Songs My Mother Taught Me – Dvořák).

Scene 2 – At home, Annisha struggles to get out of bed while her fiancé works nearby (Romance – Debussy). Unable to express what she’s feeling, Annisha retreats inward. Her fiancé eventually goes to bed alone, leaving Annisha with her spiraling thoughts (Die Nacht – Robert Owens).

Scene 3 – Joanne arrives at the hospital. Her mother is resting fitfully, and Death is already present (Asturiana, Nana – de Falla).

Scene 4 – Annisha and her fiancé attempt to reignite their spark, but Annisha realizes she can no longer fake it. She admits to herself that she is deeply depressed (Recueillement – Debussy). Later, she confides in her fiancé about her struggles. (Die Nacht – R. Strauss).

Scene 5 – Joanne contemplates mortality and all the things left unsaid between her and her mother. As Death leads her mother away, they offer Joanne the chance to follow (Steh’ still – Wagner; Der Tod und das Mädchen – Schubert).

Scene 6 – Feeling trapped in a heteronormative life, Annisha grows restless (The Heart of a Woman – H. Leslie Adams). She and her fiancé argue while preparing for Joanne’s mother’s memorial (Instrumental Interlude – Mahler arr. B. Tibbetts).

Scene 7 – At the service, Annisha notices a woman—Girl—and feels something stir inside her (Vous m’avez regardée avec toute votre âme – Lili Boulanger). Joanne delivers her eulogy (Grief – William Grant Still). As others offer condolences, Annisha remains preoccupied by Girl (Qu’importe que l’hiver – Massenet). Meanwhile, Death watches Joanne closely. Joanne searches for a glimmer of hope, and Death senses she is not yet ready (Um Mitternacht – G. Mahler).

Act II (Three Months Later)

Scene 8 – Joanne remains consumed by her mother’s death. She calls out to Death while drawing a bath (Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben – Wolf). Death and Mother confront each other, as Joanne recoils from the final step, frightened by what she almost embraced.

Scene 9 – Annisha nervously awaits her first date with Girl (Parfois, je suis triste – Lili Boulanger). Girl arrives, and a new chapter begins (Instrumental Interlude – Fauré, arr. B. Tibbetts).

Scene 10 – Joanne, further unraveled, welcomes Death at last (I Want to Die While You Love Me – Rosephanye Powell). That same night, Annisha and Girl share their first night together. (Ständchen – Schumann).

Scene 11 – Joanne's mother, powerless to intervene, watches Death and Joanne draw closer. Meanwhile, Annisha’s fiancé finishes moving out and faces the aftermath of their breakup (Instrumental Interlude - Debussy arr. B. Tibbetts).

Scene 12 – On a beach getaway, Annisha proposes to Girl (Extase – Amy Beach).

Scene 13 – Joanne visits her mother’s grave and prepares to die surrounded by nature (Erntelied – Alma Mahler).

Scene 14 – Death returns to embrace Joanne, just as Annisha and Girl celebrate their wedding (Du bist die Ruh – Schubert).

Cast and Creative Team

Cast :

Joanne Evans – Mezzo-soprano

Annisha Mackenzie – Soprano

EG Gionfriddo – Death

Sarah Navarrete – Girl

Mari Akita – Mother

Matthew Sommers – Fiancé

Orchestra:

Joey Choi - Music Director and Piano

Beth Johnson - Violin

Barbara George - Cello

Ben Tibbetts - Arranger

Creative Team:

Liz Cass – Executive Producer

Rebecca Herman - Show Creator and Stage Director

Rebecca Whitehurst - Choreographer

Natalie George Productions - Lighting and Scenic Design

Desiree Humphries - Costume Design

Wendy Sanders – Hair and Makeup Design

Director of Cinematography - Eric Graham of ic Pictures

Lisa Goering - Production Coordinator & Stage Manager

Music By:

Gustav Mahler

Antonín Dvořák

Claude Debussy

Robert Owens

Manuel de Falla

Richard Strauss

Franz Schubert

H. Leslie Adams

Lili Boulanger

William Grant Still

Jules Massenet

Hugo Wolf

Rosephanye Powell

Robert Schumann

Amy Beach

Alma Mahler