We had an opera surprise when a spat from a recent dinner party returned to life within the opera performance. As one of the more than 400 participants pointed out at the event, it’s maddening. Here’s what she was angry about—a remark the speaker had made weeks before, at a cocktail party.
The mood quickly became charged as she stormed back into the opera house a few minutes after the show had started. Concerned about the new speaker’s presence, she expressed her concerns publicly. This led to an impassioned debate that continued to engage the other community members in attendance.
For us, the keynote speaker’s throwaway remark at the dinner party seemed like a light bulb going on for her. This comment was the flashpoint for the dispute. She brazenly declared that she would never have the speaker in her house again. She promised not to return to any subsequent receptions hosted by the speaker in his home. The audience’s disagreement only deepened the emotional stakes of the speaker’s comment and the hurt it caused, triggering her powerful retort.
As the two ladies engaged in their heated exchange, other audience members began to turn around, intrigued by the unfolding drama. Their relationship put the intended escape and cultural experience of the opera to volatile use, often with the opera itself as a backdrop for their ugly quarrels.
Beyond the verbal sparring, the speaker was still able to enjoy the second act of the opera. This performance was especially special for her thus complicating an already fragile relationship further profound layers of complexities. After the event, she was eager to get back in touch with that woman. She wanted them to know that they would never stop loving and missing her.
And the speaker noticed, in their history of interactions, how easy it was to remember the favorite times, which had created the bedrock for their partnership. She had faith that these experiences would move the pendulum from the polarization caused by the recent war.