Join us for our 2022-2023 season
Trouble in Tahiti Music & Libretto by Leonard Bernstein
Gallantry: A Soap Opera Music by Douglas Moore,Libretto by Arnold Sundgaard
October 28-30, 2022
Trouble in Tahiti is Leonard Bernstein's brilliant examination of suburban life. The opera draws upon popular song styles to deliver an uncompromising critique of post-war American materialism. Beneath the couple's marital discord is a profound longing for love and intimacy. Their spiritual emptiness, in contrast to a veneer of happy consumerism, creates the heart of the drama and is emphasized by sudden stylistic shifts in the music.
Gallantry: A Soap Opera is a farce centering on a television soap opera set in a hospital. A surgeon has fallen in love with the anesthetist, who in turn loves the patient on the operating table. Critical moments are, to be sure, interrupted by commercials.
Little Women
By Kate Hamill
Adapted from the novel by Louisa May Alcott
November 18-20, 2022
The heartfelt story of Jo and her three sisters comes to life in this new adaptation by Kate Hamill. This brand-new version honors the spirit of Alcott’s original while freshly interpreting it for a new era. “As the nation is torn apart by civil war, Jo and her sisters struggle with what it means to grow up. Restrictive gender roles, political beliefs, poverty, and even love itself threaten to break family ties, as the March sisters try to reconcile their identities with society’s demands. How do you stay true to yourself when the world wants you to become a perfect little woman?
Cabildo Music and Libretto by Amy Beach
Cendrillon Music and Libretto by Pauline Viardot
February 17-19, 2023
Cabildo tells the story of a group of tourists, including the newlyweds Mary and Torn, who tour the cell where the notorious pirate, Pierre Lafitte, was imprisoned during the War of 1812. The Barker tells the story of Pierre and his beloved Lady Valerie, then leads the group to another part of the Cabildo. Tom and Mary, however, linger in the cell to sing of their happiness. Tom rejoins the tour group while Mary remains, pondering the means of Pierre's escape. She falls asleep and dreams the answer.
Cendrillon is a retelling of the Cinderella story full of wit and charm. The plot remains relatively faithful to Perrault's original fairy tale, but takes a much more lighthearted approach than the other operatic adaptations The evil stepmother is replaced with a bumbling and clueless stepfather and the Fairy Godmother actually appears as a guest at the party and entertains the guests with a song.
Twilight Bowl
By Rebecca Gilman
March 24-26, 2023
After graduating from a small Wisconsin high school, Sam heads to college on a bowling scholarship—but her cousin Jaycee’s future isn’t looking as bright. In the bar of their local bowling alley, Sam and a few friends attempt to celebrate Jaycee’s last night in town before she goes to prison the next morning. Cake is eaten, gifts are opened, pitchers of beer are finished … but it’s hard to find the right words. In a stirring portrayal of a cross-section of rural America, a very real group of young women struggle with the pressure to “make something” of themselves while navigating their own and one another’s evolutions. As they face adulthood, the bowling alley becomes a place to celebrate triumphs, confront challenges, and forge new identities. Twilight Bowl questions the blueprint for a successful life and embraces the unknown of the road ahead. Contains adult content and language.
Festival of Short Plays 2023: Commedia dell ‘arte and Molière
April 20-22, 2023
Find ticketing information here.