Behrman's Masterpiece - Tulane Opera Workshop

Behrman's Masterpiece
An opera in one act

music and libretto by
Maxim Samarov
after "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry

Synopsis

Joni is a talented artist, who is struggling with finding professional success and with mental health issues. She shares a Greenwich Village apartment with Liz, her supportive and protective girlfriend and is estranged from her conservative parents. Joni meets Behrman, an older man, also an artist, who makes a living as a handyman; they bond over their common plight as struggling artists. When Joni gets the news that Mark, her closeted gay twin brother who has recently joined the Marines has died in what is presumably a firearms accident, she suffers a nervous breakdown. She refuses food and counts the falling leaves on the tree outside of her windows (it is late fall), believing that she’ll die when the last leaf is gone.

While Joni is asleep, Behrman paints a leaf on the wall. After seeing the last leaf improbably remain on the tree for two days, Joni has a change of heart, asks Liz to make her breakfast, and subsequently recovers. As the couple departs for a long-dreamed-of trip to Italy, Behrman tells Joni that he is leaving NYC, quitting painting—the recent events made him reevaluate his life choices and he will now prioritize reconciling with his estranged daughter over the futile pursuit of fame. As the happy couple walks away, Behrman presents them to the audience as his masterpiece.