FELLOW TRAVELERS Quartet

In the Act Two quartet of FELLOW TRAVELERS, Tim, stationed in France with the US Army, communicates by letter with his friend Mary and his ex-boyfriend Hawk. Mary has gone home to New Orleans to get an abortion in secret; Hawk has married Lucy and moved to the suburbs of Washington DC. His wife is vaguely aware that something is wrong with their domestic set-up. TIM (letter to Hawk): Billy Graham dropped in, I didn’t go. I’m eating lots of cheese and baguettes. I miss you. HAWK (letter to Tim): You have been on my mind a lot. I bought a house in Chevy Chase...lawn and everything. Time to be an adult, I guess. Ike had a heart attack, I’m sure you heard. Your man Nixon’s waiting in the wings. MARY (letter to Tim): Getting your letter was the happiest part of my week, Timmy. Loved your doodles, Beetle Bailey. LUCY (aloud, to Hawk): Honey, promise we’ll look at carpets tomorrow. MARY: I hope the Army is treating you well. Or as well as the Army treats anyone. Lonely here in New Orleans. I haven’t told anyone I’m here. Not even my mother. LUCY: Sweetheart, I’m seeing a crack. MARY: I stay in the hotel room, incognito. I’m headed back to DC on Sunday. I’ve no idea what I’ll do there. It’s not the same city without you. LUCY: Sweetie, I’m seeing a crack—it might be a leak, maybe it’s nothing. It looks like they slapped some paint on, hoping we wouldn’t notice. I’ll phone the inspector tomorrow. We’ve got enough roast for tonight… With Colin Aikins (Tim), Jarrett Ott (Hawk), Amber Monroe (Mary), Elisa Sunshine (Lucy), and the orchestra of Seattle Opera conducted by Steven Osgood. Photos by David Jaewon Oh.