'Jonesopolis' -- A Guide

JONESOPOLIS

A Jonestown Operatic Requiem In 3 Acts
With Incidental Music For Voices, Orchestra, & Unorthodox Instruments

(Done in collaboration with Krzysztof Penderecki)

PERFORMANCE NOTES

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS (& THEIR LATINIZED NAMES)

Jim Jones (Jim Jones)
Hyacinth Thrash (Hyacintha Thrasha)
Stanley Clayton (Stanlius Claetonus)
Leo Ryan (Leo Ryanus)
Donald "Ujara" Sly (Donaldus "Ujaras" Slius)
Jackie Speier (Jacquia Spiera)
Monica Bagby (Monica Bagbia)
Vernon "Vern" Gosney (Vernonus "Vernus" Gosnius)
Annie Moore (Anna Moora)
Sharon Cobb (Sharona Cobba)
Carolyn Layton (Carolina Laetona)
Jocelyn Carter (Jocelina Cartera)
Gloria Carter (Gloria Cartera)
Malcolm Carter (Malcolmus Carterus)
Christine Miller (Christina Millera)
Sharon Amos (Sharona Amosa)
Christa Amos (Christa Amosa)
Liane Harris (Liana Harrissa)
Maria Katsaris (Maria Katsarissa)
Claudia Bouquet (Claudia Buchaetta)
Annie McGowan (Anna MacGowana)
Sherwin Harris (Sherwinus Harris)
Martin Amos (Martinus Amos)
Timothy "Tim" Carter (Timotheus "Tim" Carterus)
Michael "Mike" Carter (Michael "Michus" Carterus)
Stephan Jones (Stephanus Jones)
Jim Jones, Jr. (Jim Jones Junior)
Timothy "Tim" Jones (Timotheus "Tim" Jones)
Agnes Jones (Agnes Jones)
Lewis Jones (Luis Jones)
Kimo Prokes (Kimo Prochsus)
Juanita Green (Joanita Grena)
Patricia Parks (Patricia Parcissa)
Brenda Parks (Brenda Parcissa)
Tracy Parks (Tracia Parcissa)
Dale Parks (Daelus Parcis)
Gerald "Jerry" Parks (Geraldus "Geri" Parcis)
Charles Garry (Carolus Garrius)
Marcus "Mark" Lane (Marcus "Marc" Lanus)
Marceline "Marcy" Jones (Marcelina "Marcia" Jonesa)
John Stoen (Johannes Stoenus)
Jack Beam (Jackus Beamus)
Pierre Bouquet (Petrus Buchaettus)
Jim McElvane (Jim MacElvanus)
Rita J. Tupper (Rita J. Tuppera)
Edith Parks (Editha Parcissa)
Robert "Bob" Brown (Robertus "Bobbus" Brownius)
Richard Dwyer (Richardus Dwyerus)
Judy Houston (Judia Hustonia)
Patty Houston (Patricia Hustonia)
Thurstan (Thurstanus)
Donald "Don" Harris (Donaldus "Don" Harris)
Grover Davis (Grover Davis)
Odell Rhodes (Odellus Rhodus)
Terry Carter (Theresa Cartera)
Dr. Larry Schacht (Medicus Laurens Schachtus)
Marshall Kilduff (Marshallus Kilduffus)
Steve Sung (Stephanus Sungus)
Tim Reiterman (Tim Reitermanus)
Gregory "Greg" Robinson (Gregorius "Greg" Robinsonus)
Deanna Wilkinson (Deanna Wilkinsonia)
Alvin Simon (Alvinus Simon)
Bonnie Simon (Bonnita Simona)
Crystal Simon (Crystalla Simona)
"Little" Alvin Simon, Jr. ("Juvenis" Alvinus Simon Junior)
Thomas Kice, Sr. (Thomas Kysus Senior)
Thomas Kice, Jr. (Thomas Kysus Junior)
Thomas Grubbs (Thomas Grubbius)
Larry Layton (Laurens Laetonus)
Lovie DePina (Lovia DePina)
Marcus "Mark" Gosney (Marcus "Marc" Gosnius)
Chaeoke Jones (Chaeoccheus Jones)

"ENSEMBLE" / "COMPANY" GROUPS:
Concerned Relatives
Journalists, TV news reporters, & camera-crew members
Jonestown residents
Defectors

VOICE CASTING FOR MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE OPERA

17 tenors (representing Jim Jones, Vern Gosney, Tim Carter, Mike Carter, Stanley Clayton, Don Sly, Greg Robinson, Larry Layton, Stephan Jones, Jim Jones Jr., Tim Jones, Lewis Jones, Charles Garry, Pierre Bouquet, Odell Rhodes, Steve Sung, & Dr. Larry Schacht)
4 baritenors (representing Sherwin Harris, Jerry Parks, Marshall Kilduff, & Thomas Kice Jr.)
8 baritones (representing Congressman Leo Ryan, Don Harris, Bob Brown, Tim Reiterman, Jim McElvane, Mark Lane, Richard Dwyer, & Alvin Simon)
4 basses (representing Jack Beam, Grover Davis, Thomas Kice Sr., & Thomas Grubbs)
2 castratos (representing Martin Amos & Thurstan)
1 mezzo-soprano (representing Marceline Jones)
12 altos (representing Christa Amos, Crystal Simon, Alvin Simon Jr., John Stoen, Monica Bagby, Sharon Cobb, Jocelyn Carter, Sharon Amos, Patricia Parks, Terry Carter, Deanna Wilkinson, Bonnie Simon, & Dale Parks)
14 sopranos (representing Jackie Speier, Maria Katsaris, Carolyn Layton, Mark Gosney, Kimo Prokes, Annie Moore, Gloria Carter, Liane Harris, Claudia Bouquet, Agnes Jones, Brenda Parks, Tracy Parks, Judy Houston, & Patty Houston)
7 contraltos (representing Christine Miller, Hyacinth Thrash, Annie McGowan, Rita J. Tupper, Edith Parks, Juanita Green, & Lovie DePina)

(Additional notes: The "ensemble / company" cast members will all have a wide variety of vocal types, & the rule of vocal diversity applies to both child & adult actors.)

ORCHESTRA INSTRUMENTS

(Strings) Violins, violas, cellos, double basses, harps, harpsichords, lutes, mandolins, hurdy-gurdies, zithers, dulcimers, crwths, psalteriums, balalaikas, ouds, sitars, Queen Mary Harps, rebecs, zezes, adungus, xalams, endingidis, enangas, kabosys, valihas, begenas, krars, kotos, shamisens, guslis, ehrus, pipas, guzhengs, a
(Percussion) Snare drums, kettle drums, bass drums, cymbals, maracas, gamelans, gongs, celestas, glockenspiels, xylophones, marimbas, tubular bells, chimes, triangles, wooden blocks, Ondes Martenots, glass harmonicas, cristal Baschets, waterphones, pianos, synthesizers, electric keyboards, pipe organs, tambourines, bongo drums, mbiras, udus, African talking drums, rakataks, castanets, agogos, rock gongs, marimbulas, calabashes, balafons, taishogotos, ilimbas, ralé-poussés, kayambas, sistrums, rainsticks, theremins, Vaughn Williams quarter-tuned pianos, omnichords, tamburias, hand bells, sarawaks, Jew's Harps, clavichords, glass harps, a
(Winds) Flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, piccolos, saxophones, whistles, kazoos, mirlitons, recorders, ocarinas, panpipes, cornettos, bagpipes, musettes de cour, hornpipes, shawms, didgeridoos, tambins, sodinas, Chinese bamboo flutes, heckelphones, tarogatos, pommers, Rauschpfeifes, racketts, shofars, shakuhachis, contrabass clarinets, melodicas, conch horns, piczalkas, bishgurs, Native American flutes, a
(Brass) Trumpets, trombones, tubas, horns, French horns, baritones, bugles, cornets, sackbuts, bazookas, clarions, euphoniums, Firebird trumpets, flugelhorns, flumpets, helicons, mellophones, ophicleides, Sousaphones, piccolo trumpets, posthorns, a

UNORTHODOX OR UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTS

Glasses filled with water (used to evoke the sound of rainfall)
Wooden mallets (used to evoke the sound of rainfall by being struck against the water glasses)
A saw
Whips (used to evoke the sound of gunshots)
Leather-bound books (used to evoke the sound of bodies hitting the ground)
Butter knives (used to evoke the sound of a switchblade knife popping open, & also used as percussion instruments)
An empty vat
10-gallon containers filled with water (used to fill the vat with liquid, evoking the sound of Kool-Aid being poured into the oil drum)
Metal mallets
Hammers
Empty metal pots, pans, & bowls of various sizes
An anvil
Tuning forks
Washboards
Wind-chimes
Sheets of aluminum (used to evoke the sound of thunderclaps)
Shoes (used to evoke the sounds of footsteps)
A full can of coffee beans
A bicycle wheel
A large phone book
Large sheets of cellophane paper (used to evoke the sound of jungle foliage rustling)
Wrapping paper (" ")
Towels (used to evoke the sound of birds' wings flapping through the air)
An iron bar
An electric fan (used to evoke the sound of plane propellers)
A bowl of cake batter (used to evoke the sound of mud puddles being sloshed about)
A toy pistol
A crankable siren
A basketball
A box of empty syringes
A motor engine (used to evoke the sounds of a flatbed truck & a tractor-trailer)
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TECHNIQUES TO USE IN PERFORMING THE INCIDENTAL MUSIC

Scraping the bow of a violin against the tailpiece
Hitting the head of the anvil with metal mallets
Sliding the wooden mallets against the ridges of the washboard
Whipping the towels through the air
Crinkling the cellophane & wrapping paper
Slapping the body of a particular instrument
Playing on the opposite side of the bridge
Plucking the strings of a violin or related instrument
Striking an iron bar with things like a hammer or a saw
Striking the strings with the wood of the bow
Tapping the fingers between the bridge & tailpiece
Striking the strings with the palm of the hand
Tapping on the sound board with the fingertips
Playing four-stringed arpeggio
Using rapid tremolo
Playing glissandos on quarter tones
Playing on "dead" or low pitches
Thumping or tapping the wood of the violin
Playing vibrato at different wavelengths at once
Slicing the blade of one butter knife against the other
Dribbling the basketball on the ground
Sloshing the cake batter about in a bowl with a large wooden spoon
Rapidly flipping the pages of the phone book
Letting the leather-bound books drop to the floor
Cracking the whips through the air
Spinning the bicycle wheel, while letting a metal rod or wooden mallet slide across the spokes
Striking the wooden mallets against the glasses of water
Opening the 10-gallon bottles of water, & simultaneously filling the empty vat with their contents
Pulling the trigger of the toy pistol to "fire" it
Shaking the full can of coffee beans
Tinkling the wind-chimes
Pinging the tuning forks
Waving the sheets of aluminum through the air
Making the siren wail by turning the crank on the side
Thudding the shoes against the ground
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MUSICAL FORMS THAT WILL BE USED IN THE ORCHESTRAL SCORE

Fugue
Bacchanale
Ballade
Ballet
Cantata
Capriccio
Fantasia
Humoresque
Intermezzo
Light music
Nocturne
Scherzo
Quodlibet
Rhapsody
Romance
Serenade
Sinfonietta
Toccata
Pavane
Waltz
Passacaglia
March
Chaconne
Gavotte
Gigue
Minuet
Sarabande
Mazurka
Polka
Rondo
Symphony
Concerto
Tone poem
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MUSICAL STYLES THAT WILL BE USED IN THE ORCHESTRAL SCORE

Medieval
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
Impressionist
Neo-classical
Modernist
Experimental
Minimal
Atonal
Contemporary classical
Electronic
Jazz
Funk
Rhythm-&-blues
70's-era pop
Disco
Soul
Psychedelic rock
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VOCAL TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE USED BY THE SINGERS

Sprechgesang
Recitative
Singspiele
Text-painting
Melismata
Vibrato
Yodeling
Belting
Sotto voce
A capella
Prosody
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PROGRAM NOTES

SCENE LISTING

OPENING SEQUENCE:
-Overtura | (Overture)
-Preludium: Alba Nox | (Prelude: White Night)

ACT 1:
-Scena Unum: Illi Duces Jonesopolis | (Scene 1: The Leaders Of Jonestown)
-Scena Duo: Matutinae Preparationes | (Scene 2: Morning Preparations)
-Scena Tres: Illi Adventores | (Scene 3: The Visitors)
-Scena Quattuor: Festivitas In Illo Pavilione | (Scene 4: Party At The Pavilion)
-Scena Quinque: Signa De Tribulatione | (Scene 5: Signs Of Trouble)
-Scena Sextus: Illi Defectores | (Scene 6: The Defectors)

ACT 2:
-Scena Septus: Iter Per Jonesopoli | (Scene 7: Tour Of Jonestown)
-Scena Octo: Familiaris Reunio | (Scene 8: Family Reunion)
-Scena Novem: Illa Ira Jime Jonis | (Scene 9: The Wrath Of Jim Jones)
-Scena Decim: Illa Tempestas, Et Abitio | (Scene 10: The Storm, & Departure)
-Scena Undecim: Insidia In Illo Aeriportello, Et Sharonae Sacrificium | (Scene 11: Ambush At The Airstrip, & Sharon's Sacrifice)

ACT 3:
-Scena Duodecim: Ille Finalis Congressus | (Scene 12: The Final Meeting)
-Scena Tredecim: Occidio | (Scene 13: Massacre)
-Scena Quartadecem: Epitaphium | (Scene 14: Temple Prayer)
-Scena Quindecim: Lamentum Pro Illis Defunctis | (Scene 15: Lament For The Dead)
-Scena Sedecim: Lamentum Pro Un Perdita Causa | (Scene 16: Lament For A Lost Cause)
-Scena Septendecim: Lamentum Pro Un Perdita Anima | (Scene 17: Lament For A Lost Soul)
-Scena Octodecim: Guianae Lamentum | (Scene 18: Guyana's Lament)

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LIST OF IMPORTANT MUSICAL NUMBERS
(Aside from recitatives, "singspiele", & "sprechgesang")

-The third & final part of the "Overture" (mostly ensemble, with some solo parts)
-"Abbas, Abbas, Abbas" ("Father, Father, Father") (ensemble, perf. by Chorus)
-"Marcia, Mea Jarcia" ("Marcy, My Lamb") (duo, perf. by Jim & Marceline Jones)
-"Audite Bene, Mei Liberi" ("Listen Well, My Children") (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Salvete" ("Welcome") (ensemble, perf. by Chorus)
-"Caenatoria Oratio" ("Dinner Prayer") (ensemble, perf. by Jim Jones & the Jonestown residents)
-"Amo Creat Orbem Rotare" ("That's The Way Of The World") (aria, perf. by Deanna Wilkinson)
-"Ego Debeo Loqui..." ("I Have To Say...") (aria, perf. by Leo Ryan)
-"Libera Me, Domine" ("Deliver Me, Lord") (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Nos Numquam Discessissemus Franciscopolim" ("We Should Never Have Left San Francisco") (ensemble, perf. by the Defectors)
-"Ego Etiamnum Credo" ("I Still Believe") (aria, perf. by Christine Miller)
-"Nos Laboramus Pro Un Honesta Causa" ("We Work For A Noble Cause") (aria, perf. by Marceline Jones)
-"Ille Finis Est Propinquum" ("The End Is Nigh") (ensemble, perf. by Jim Jones, Marceline Jones, & the members of the Inner Circle)
-"Omnes Sunt Perditos / Ibi Fuit Un Aquariam Turrem..." ("All Is Lost / There Was A Water Tower...") (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Father's Final Speech, Part 1" (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Argument Between Christine Miller & Jim Jones" (duo, perf. by...well, it's obvious, really!)
-"Father's Final Speech, Part 2" (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Pater Noster / Sequentia" ("Our Father / Sequence") (ensemble, perf. by Chorus)
-"Hostias Et Preces" ("Prayers & Praise") (ensemble, perf. by Chorus)
-"Vinus Satanicus" ("That Satanic Wine") (aria, perf. by Tim Carter)
-"Vos Scietis" ("You Shall Know") (aria, perf. by Jim Jones)
-"Epitaphium" ("Temple Prayer") (ensemble)
-"The Four Laments" (ensemble)

SECTIONS OF THE "PARTY AT THE PAVILION" BALLET SEQUENCE

Dance Of The Children
Dance Of The Teenagers
Dance Of The Couples
Dance Of The Seniors
Final Dance (featuring the entire cast)

SECTIONS OF THE OVERTURE

Medley Of Major Themes & Motifs (Traditional Instrumental Portion)
Macabre Mood Music (Avant-Garde Instrumental Portion) *
Psalms, Prayers, & Poems For The Dead (Chorale Portion) **

THEMES & MOTIFS USED IN PART 1 OF THE OVERTURE

Jim Jones' theme -- first half (key of C minor)
Marceline Jones' theme -- first half
"Congressional March" -- main fanfare
Jim Jones' theme -- first half (key of Bb)
Holy, Holy, Holy -- chorus
Welcome
Jim Jones' theme -- first half (key of A minor)
Vinus Satanicus
Dear Land Of Guyana, Of Rivers & Plains -- first two verses
Jim Jones' theme -- first half (key of G minor)
"Waltz For Jim & Marceline" -- first few bars
Christine Miller's theme -- first half
Jim Jones' theme -- first & second half (key of F#)

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* Really atonal, "modernist" section (borrowing themes from Penderecki, Berg, Bartok, Buchner, Schoenberg, Ligeti, etc.)

** Partially echoes the "overture" to the movie "Elizabeth"