The Warriors' Duet: Don't miss The Warriors' Duet!

Reviewing two years of labor on Labor Day 2013

My labors over the past two years mostly had to do with the work of my late daughter Laura Jeanne Morefield. The fruit, so far, includes the realization of Laura's poetry chapbook titled The Warrior’s Stance, and most recently a theatre work, The Warriors’ Duet, which had a sellout run at the inaugural San Diego Fringe Festival in July and is being remounted by Circle Circle dot dot at the White Theatre, Liberty Station later this week, September 5-8.

Samantha Ginn and company
Photo by Manuel Rotenberg

First, you must read Samantha Ginn’s wondrous essay on performing in The Warriors’ Duet. Then you must watch a few scenes from Circle Circle dot dot’s beautiful realization of the text, staged by Artistic Director Katherine Harroff and choreographer Anne Gehman. The full production utilizes music by American composer Jake Heggie.

Sam's essay elicited the following note from Greg Santilli, who came down with his family in July, saw the performance, and met Sam, who plays Laura and Kathi Copeland, who portrays the mother.

The Santilli faily with Samantha, and Kathi
July 2013 at the Fringe

Happy Labor Day weekend to you!

I just read what Samantha had to say - just beautiful! It's amazing to me that even now, Laura continues to affect the lives of others, in a positive and hopeful way, just like she did when she was alive. You must be so proud! And thank you so much for what you are doing to honor her memory and her wishes! It's truly awesome!

I fondly look back at the three plus years that I had the privilege of working with Laura at the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry. It was a true honor! In one of the e-mails that Laura sent me after her diagnosis, she stated, "God never forsakes us." I can't tell you how often I think about her saying that, and how it helps me transgress the seemingly never-ending challenges that life throws our way. In fact I just shared Laura's quote recently with my son Robert to help him with some issues that are causing him stress at work. I know it helped him, and will continue to help him.

Please know that Laura is in our hearts and minds forever, and will never be forgotten!

God Bless!

Fondly,

Greg Santilli

As you can well imagine, my hope is that Warriors will live on and bless many others. I will do what I can to promote other productions, but truly it is in God's hands. I must be patient. Try telling that to one who is 79 years old. Being human, I want everything to happen NOW. Then I realize I must pray for more years so that I can continue to be the shepherd and caregiver. Already, seeing and reading Laura’s works have changed people’s lives in ways that we may never realize or know.

Samantha Ginn and Kathi Copeland
Photo by Manuel Rotenberg

The writing of The Warriors’ Duet blessed me in many ways. Personally, it brought me catharsis and peace. The revelation at the end of the work was surprising and comforting to this bereft mother. And of course the work was the direct result of Laura’s finagling in my dreams. Then seeing its effect and knowing that through it people know Laura is the gravy.

When I told a friend of the work’s surprising denouement yesterday, she asked, “Do you believe that?” and I said yes, adding that the important thing is that Laura believed it.

At some point this year composer Jake Heggie will come down to play his Laura-based work for me. I simply must be there when his commission, a concerto for soprano, cello and orchestra that incorporates Laura’s text "The Work at Hand," is premiered by Pittsburgh Symphony in the fall of 2014. Now, that is REALLY gravy. Laura must be chuckling, for it came about through her own bravery in sending Jake her ten favorite poems. She seldom sent her work to anyone. Miracles do happen when we are brave.