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Our Own Lives - an Opera in One Act
To be premiered Feb. 7, 2008 at Oberlin College's Wilder Main Space.
The story, lyrics, and music were all written during the rehearsal period - 31 days. There are heavy pop-music influences in several of the songs, and the famous Australian song "Waltzing Matilda" is quoted.
Libretto by Lydia Gordon
From the program:
"SYNOPSIS
Following her carefree half-sister Sophie’s unfortunate Australia-related hospitalization, repressively responsible Sasha Russell is called to Sydney and away from their ailing father to take care of her older sibling. Through the course of Sasha’s visit, together they deal with their father’s mental illness, personal responsibility, and the search for self and love.
PROGRAM NOTES
Every so often, bad things happen to good people. And every so often, good people do something stupid that lands them in a heap of trouble, but it’s how they conduct themselves once in these situations, not what they did to get there, that truly speaks to their characters. Our Own Lives deals with the inherent conflict involved when two very different people approach one such situation from two very different angles.
In all encounters, be they physical, mathematical, or emotional, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence. For Sasha and Sophie, the encounter is emotional. Both women emerge with perspectives they had not anticipated, but which are still inherently resultant of the direction from which they came to the situation. Throughout the space of one act, the sisters come to new terms with not only each other, but also with the way each defines and interacts with the concepts of maturity, responsibility, burden, and history in terms of her own person.
—Program notes by Lydia Gordon"
THE CAST
Sophie – Caitlin Donnelly, soprano
Sasha – Alexandra Roth, soprano
THE ORCHESTRA
Nelson Wong, flute
Sundari Birdsall, violin
Robin Jenkins, piano
SCENE LIST:
Prologue
I. How Do You…?
II. Connections
III. What About That Time?
IV. Taking Care
V. Checkers
VI. Goodbyes/Connections II
Approx. performance time: 25 minutes
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