Madama Butterfly
You love the story of Madama Butterfly. The curtain rises. The young, naive geisha has fallen completely in love with, and marries, the handsome American naval officer. He returns to America as she patiently awaits the return of her love. Unknown to him, she has given birth to their child, and when he does return, it is with his beautiful American wife. Heartbroken, Butterfly takes her own life. Curtain down. End of opera.
You know how the characters linger in your mind? How you wonder… They become part of your heart and soul as you journey with them, hoping, maybe this time the story will turn out differently. They play on your mind for days in anticipation of seeing the opera, and after final curtain. Come explore these beloved people around Butterfly, her world, their stories. Her faithful servant, Suzuki; the American’s good friend, Sharpless; the boy she named Sorrow. Their three lives intertwine as they circle Butterfly., filled with joy and sadness. They experience betrayal and bloodshed. There share love and laughter.
And, just maybe, the next time the curtain rises on Madama Butterfly, your heart will fill – not just for the tragic geisha – but for the ones who loved her who get left behind.
Join The Circling Butterfly Tour
A Taste of What You Will Discover
Young Innocence
Long before Suzuki became part of Madama Butterfly, she was an innocent child. Follow with her as she leaves her safe family home that cold and misty morning, setting off through sights, sounds, perils unknown. Stay with her as her loyalty and love for Butterfly grows, the complexity of her relationship with Sharpless, and her overwhelming heartbreak when Butterfly takes her own life….
Sharpless, The Quiet Man
You know him as the seasoned Consul for the United States, and his respect for his position in Nagasaki. Discover his love for the Japanese people, and his struggle to maintain his sense of honor in the face of unspeakable acts and circumstances with these two women & what they must endure. What place does the delicate Suzuki live in his heart? And, Butterfly – witnessing excruciating events, powerless to change them. Thomas, perhaps the most painful of any of them….
Thomas, Sorrow
What becomes of this child? Born from the purest love & innocence of his mother, yet thrown into utter aloneness at her suicide…follow with him as his life continues its painful twists and turns. What kind of man can he possibly grow into, from the very troubled boy abandoned so young….
About the Author
Sandy Cumberland
Author of “Circling Butterfly”, Sandy Cumberland, brings her own unique blend of history and talent to bring these characters to life.
Very young, in her twenties, she entered a prestigious contest for writers, submitting a short play. The play was not selected, instead she received the all time greatest rejection letter possible. Her subject was dark, sinister. Players well drawn. The readers found the submitted play so disturbing they actually suggested the playwright seek mental help.
So a writer was born. She’s been ‘the lady in black’ behind the scenes in stage management, not only for world class opera, but the best of performance theater. Sandy has been everything from proofreader to editor for other author’s published works.
With this, her first short read, she combines her great loves – opera, and storytelling. By meeting the people who are circling Madama Butterfly in the great opera – Suzuki, her loyal maid; Sharpless, the man who must keep composed while events unfold around him; and Butterfly’s son, Thomas – who she calls “Sorrow” – they will slip into your heart, and your love of the great opera will only be enriched by adding their stories.
Read on any device
Circling Butterfly will be released in different formats for any device. On-the-go connected whether on your mobile, tablet, or desktop. Auto-bookmark feature also makes sure that you never forget where you left off. Also buy the paperback to attend an event with the author and have her sign your copy.