One of my outstanding writers, who has a wry sense of humor, informed me that he's written the libretto and manuscript for a comic opera that will be produced in Maine in April. I asked him to send me a couple hundred words about it, and he did. In the third person. Read on! While Thomas Cleveland Lane has been patiently waiting to be somebody’s ghost, he has written the libretto for an opera, in conjunction with a skilled composing partner. The opera is based on a short story by Edgar Allen Poe, and, Poe notwithstanding, it is a comic opera. As with the story, they have titled the work Some Words with a Mummy. You can go to a site like Gutenberg and probably find the original story, but if you want a far more irreverent and amusing version of the tale, then the opera is what you want. Now here comes the good news: if you are willing to hie yourself up to Freeport, Maine, this coming April, you can actually see a performance of said show. That should be no problem if you live in Portland, Maine, but maybe a bit of a commute if you live in Portland, Oregon. On the other hand, if the opera is the success it richly deserves to be, you may be able to catch it in a theater near you. Keep in mind, this is not classical opera as you may think of it, with five acts in a language you can’t understand, that goes on and on until the fat lady finally sings. This is two acts in English. We will have you out of there in no time. Mr. Lane notes that, even if the run at the Footlights Theatre sells out and makes him big bucks deluxe, when you break it down, it will have worked out to a very sub-minimum minimum wage. Writing libretti ain’t easy, but it can be a lot of fun. Having an excellent libretto credited to you can also be a lot of fun. The same goes for any other poetry or narrative prose. Why not give it a try? Phone (207) 747-5434 for more info.