THE PIECE

On August 22, 1986 while at the Supreme Court of Nevada doing research on a different subject for an opera; I was given the opportunity to go see the maximum security prison on the following Wednesday. At one point while going through the prison, quite by accident, I found myself looking into Strunk’s Sealed cell. The following Conversation ensued.

He: "Ryan’s next door." (he thought that I thought that he was Ryan).

Me: "Your Strunk?" (he was in his underwear wearing a skullcap and smoking a cigarette. He was much fatter than in the video.)

He: " Yup," glad to be recognized.

Having at that point become part of this horrible history, August 27, 1986 –Carson City" is my attempt to try to understand a situation completely removed from my own sense of reality. The piece breaks down as such:

1^st Movement – The perspective of a third party objective observer (myself). A reaction to all the events and information as it is presented.

2^nd Movement – The victim’s commentary after the fact.

3^rd Movement – The murderer’s point of view starting at the time of 4 minutes before the time of death, including a realization of the present.