Such a busy time for the ballet at the Kennedy Center! I saw Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake last week (read that blog post here), and yesterday I saw the National Ballet of Canada for the first time. I saw a mixed repertoire of four different pieces. Those kinds of performances can be hit-or-miss: there's no one story line to follow, and chances are you'll prefer one of the pieces over the others. Here's what I thought:
I did like how classic this piece was; the program said it was created as, "an homage to traditional classical and neo-classical form as perfected by Petipa and Balanchine." It was graceful and beautiful to watch. I liked the backless (looking) outfits, but I was not a fan of those stiff tutus. I was thinking they looked like lily pads, or the chargers you put around a plate when setting the table for a fancy dinner. But I certainly got a good look at the super-strong legs of the two male dancers, Naoya Ebe and Harrison James! All in all, I thought this was a good piece to use for the beginning of the performance. It's the kind of dance that ballet fans are expecting to see. Below is a video so you can get a taste of this dance:
Not the same company, but you get the idea. Image found here.
2. Approximate Sonata 2016
This was probably the most modern of the evening, which is probably why it wasn't my favorite. The music was a recording, and much of the time it wasn't so much music as it was noise, like a heavy bass beat that you would expect from the intro of a rock song (except it kept going on and on). I was thinking how difficult it must be for the dancers to keep time to sounds rather than music, but honestly, how could we as the audience have noticed if they were off anyway? The dancing was very similar to contact improv, except it was clearly highly choreographed. The set was also very strange: there was a blue and black background with a mesh screen that would go up and down throughout the dance (quite distracting), with the word "yes" popping up. Yes to what? Honestly, my favorite part was the very end, when Sonia Rodriguez is talking to Spencer Hack and still dancing while the curtain was falling. At least that was kind of different and unique; and it was over.
I was most looking forward to this piece! I first learned about it when I was watching the TV show Breaking Pointe. One of Ballet West's dancers at the time, Ronnie Underwood, was talking about it, and it sounded so cool. "Petite mort" means orgasm in French, so I was expecting a really sexy dance. At first there was no music, and the male dancers were on stage playing with swords; different, but I could get behind that (especially the "whoosh" noise the swords made in the air). But once the music started playing, I lost interest. The piece is set to two piano concertos written by Mozart; the music is beautiful, but forlorn, depressing classical music does not make me think of sex at all. And even though the dancers were touching, it wasn't necessarily in a sexy, passionate way. And when the moves were "sexy," they were a little cliché, like the women spreading their legs widely or the couples rolling on the floor next to each other. My favorite part was when the women had large dresses on wheels that they would roll across the stage, popping in and out behind them as if they were getting dressed or undressed. But overall I was underwhelmed, and the piece did not live up to my sexy expectations. Watch the video below and see if you agree:
I liked this piece, but it was long and at the end, so I definitely fell asleep. There was a long musical intro of Shostakovich's "Concerto #1 for Piano," which was a little annoying since I was there to see the ballet, not a concert. I figured the long intro allowed the team time for a set change (see below), but the celestial bodies hanging from the ceiling took longer to set up than I would have expected. But the set as well as the two-toned onesie costumes made me think of Star Trek, which was kind of fun. I did like the dancing, but again, it was late and I honestly can't remember specifics about the piece.
PS: Before the show, my friend and I checked out the Chinese New Year lantern exhibit in the Kennedy Center's new REACH area. They were so cool! Here are some photos:
I knew of the animal signs for the Chinese Zodiac, but I didn't know that each of the cardinal directions had a mascot, too!
I thought this blue dog was so cute!
Some of the lanterns were so detailed. Check out this sea turtle!
My friend and I both really liked these whimsical flowers.
It makes sense that there would be a panda as part of this exhibit, but I wasn't expecting such a colorful one!
This mushroom and flower garden made me think of old school Nintendo games.
Such a special exhibit to enjoy before a performance!
I had seen other versions of Swan Lake before, including the Mariinsky Ballet in 2014 and ABT last summer. But this one has the biggest twist: men play the swans! From what I read, Sir Matthew Bourne, the founder of his company New Adventures, did not create this idea in satire to the original ballet, but more as a re-imagined loved story; while he's fine with people calling it "the gay Swan Lake," that's not all the story is about. This version debuted with his old company (Adventures in Motion Pictures) in 1995, and while the show has toured around the world throughout the years, I think this is the first time the piece came to the Kennedy Center.
I wasn't sure how much I would like this version of such a classic ballet. I wasn't a huge fan on his take of Cinderella (I wrote about that last year), so I was a little wary at first. But in the end I thought it really worked! I especially liked the humor in this piece. For example, when the prince (James Lovell) wakes up, he has an entire entourage of servants (who walked like Barbies and soldiers) to help him get out of bed (which is huge, like a Princess and the Pea situation), brush his teeth for him, change his clothes, etc. And the girlfriend character (Carrie Willis, who looks just like Heather Graham) was hysterical, acting completely inappropriate with the queen mother (Nicole Kabera) and making a scene in public.
I loved all of these black outfits, from the sparkles and lace to the velvet jumpsuit and sheer tops! Image found here.
And the modern costumes were so fun that I honestly didn't even miss the tutus (and certainly not those silly feather head-pieces from the traditional Swan Lake). The maids' pillbox hats and bumper bangs were to die for, and all of the different outfits from the guests at the royal ball made quite the 'cohesive collection' as Tim Gunn would say (my friend said this and I told her, "That's definitely going in the blog!"). And while the swans' trousers were made of fine loops of string (almost like a flapper dress) rather than feathers, they still had the effect of feathers.
The dancing itself of course was amazing. The swan dancers have to be so athletic! They were sweating so much on stage. I was especially impressed by Max Westwell, who played the main swan. Perhaps it may have been a little less graceful with men instead of women, but I still really liked it, especially when they used their arms to mimic swans' wings or necks (they even hissed like swans!). Some of the dances felt a little nostalgic for The Nutcracker, like the Spanish dance at the ball or some of the men dancing like the Russian dance from the other beloved ballet. But Tchaikovsky wrote the music for Swan Lake first, so I guess he borrowed some of his own ideas for the later ballet.
The other swans attack the prince, and then the main swan swoops in to save him. Image found here.
This piece did leave me with many questions though, both about the story itself and my perspective of it:
Is the swan real? There are many points when the prince is dancing with the male swan, but then the latter disappears, leaving the prince alone and a bit crazy.
In the show I saw, Lovell and Westwell have very different body types. Were they cast this way on purpose, the prince being small and meek while the swan is strong and ultra-masculine? And if the dancers had been of the same body type, would I have interpreted the relationship between the two characters differently?
I have been watching Sex Education on Netflix, and Westwell reminded me so much of the character Adam Groff (played by Connor Swindells), the tough guy in high school who is secretly gay. I couldn't help thinking of the resemblance the entire time I watched the performance! So did that impact how I viewed that character in this ballet?
Why does the role of the private secretary (Jack Jones) exist? I feel like his only purpose is the escort the queen and reel-in the girlfriend character.
The prince goes a little insane at the Royal Ball (he pulls a gun out!) and he's taken to a psych ward where the nurses all wear masks to look like his mother. At first I thought this was a Shutter Island experience, like none of this had been real. But then he ends up in his bedroom and the queen really is his mom (not just a nurse), so I wasn't really sure what was going on. Was there some sort of Oedipus complex happening, or did the prince just have mommy issues?
Does the prince die of suicide? A broken heart?
I was definitely impressed by this show and really appreciated all the artistic changes that were made to revamp this old classic. A ten out of ten for sure!
Here's a video so you can (sort of) feel like you were there!
After the show, there was a party in the Russian Lounge inside the Kennedy Center, which I had never been to before. It's a beautiful space upstairs with a built-in bar where we could enjoy sparkling cider and some bubbly. AND we got to hear from some of the dancers! Willis, Westwell, Kabera, and Jones spoke about their experiences in the show, when they decided they wanted to be dancers, etc. It felt like we had backstage passes to an awesome concert! It was so cool; I hope I get to go to one of these meet-and-greets again!
MLK Day was the last day of the Interfusion Festival! I like how the last day is just a half day, so you still have time to get back to your routine before returning to work the next day. Plus, I was so exhausted (in a good way) from the festival that I really could only take a few more workshops!
The first workshop of the morning was with Chandra Bliss called, "Spinal Decompression Yoga: Neck and Shoulder Nirvana." I took a similar class with her last year, and it really is a great way to end the weekend. You get to stretch out and focus on using your bones rather than your muscles to move you. This wasn't a flow yoga class; it was more like therapeutic stretching. I did feel better afterward. I wish I remembered more of the stretches!
And finally my last workshop was another AcroYoga class with Jean-Jacques Gabriel. I really enjoyed the other class I took with him earlier during the weekend. First we did some Thai massage; I was partnered with someone who had based me in a previous AcroYoga class, so at least he was familiar. Then we learned more AcroYoga poses that would stretch us out with the help of a partner. Again, I partnered with someone from an earlier class, and she was really great to work with. I was able to base our male third a few times (not very well, but at least I could hold him up!). I will definitely continue taking classes with Jean-Jacques as long as he keeps participating in Interfusion.
Next up for 2021 is Interfusion Festival: Ascension! You know I'll be buying early bird tickets as soon as they go on sale!
I started my third day at the Interfusion Festival with the WORST workshop I have EVER taken in all my four Interfusions. "Clearing Chakras & Blocks" was nothing more than a hundred or so of us sitting in the dark doing nothing! Zee Kong mostly sat on stage in silence, every once and while waving his hands down his face and torso. When he did say anything, he spoke like a surfer dude stoner, saying things like, "Well, you know, it's like...yeah...maybe like...you know?" And I'm thinking, "No, I don't know, because you haven't actually said or done anything." He actually said things like, "Don't pay attention to what I'm doing up here," even though he was supposed to be leading a workshop! One woman was very nice about it, saying, "I am feeling anxious since I am not sure how I should participate in this workshop," and he replied, "Well, it's hard to explain what I'm doing." YOU ARE A TEACHER! Explaining things is what you are supposed to do in this role! The only time he did ask people there to participate was when he asked people what their fears were. For EVERY person who gave an answer, he without fail psychoanalyzed them with this phrase, "That probably comes from your childhood, like your mom or your dad." He's not a psychiatrist, and that's not what we were there for! The whole thing was so ridiculous that I left early and read my book until the next workshop started.
I was supposed to take a Kundalini Yoga class afterward, but the location had changed from the old schedule, so I couldn't find it. Instead, I did some more AcroYoga, this time with Bassam Kubba from Om Factory and Mendel Romanenko. Their energy was amazing! They were so much fun, and they joked around with "commercial breaks" for New York AcroFest, which they are organizing for this summer. We did a lot of exercising beforehand just to warm up and get the blood flowing, which was great for someone like me who usually works out in the morning. Once we got into the actual Acro part, it was much harder than other classes I've taken. Trying to get into poses by jumping, or just doing star pose at all, was pretty much impossible for me. But it's always fun to try, and if you're a successful base for a flyer, that's just as much fun.
Here's an amazing video of them performing AcroYoga together a few years ago:
Next was the workshop I was looking forward to most: "Foundations of Crystals" with Joseph Adams. I have always been curious about crystals and their supposed powers, so I was looking forward to learning more: different names of crystals and what they look like, what each one is used for, etc. Adams did give us some of that in the beginning, teaching us that crystals themselves are consciousness, they reflect/amplify our own vibrations, and they help us reach harmony with our surroundings (i.e. nature). But the class was mostly just a 30-minute nap while crystals were laying on top of your body. While I did feel like I had an out-of-body vision for just a moment (I could actually see a yoga class taking place as if I were looking down from the ceiling), that was the only interesting thing I experienced. At least I learned that moldavite is good for opening the third eye; I have a ring with that stone, so maybe I should wear it more!
At one point Adams said, "You don't need to know anything to succeed. You just have to want it." Of course this is absurd, but it also reminded me of this hilarious SNL skit:
After my little nap, I needed to start moving again. Ann Kite's "5 Rhythms" was not on the original schedule, so thank goodness my friend Courtney said it was happening. I loved trying this several years ago, so I was excited to do it again. At first I wasn't sure how comfortable we would all be dancing in the middle of the day in a well-lit room (we were in a sky-lit area, which I wouldn't recommend for future festivals). But once the music got going, we all flowed into it. This is similar to ecstatic dance, and it's so freeing to just let your body move however it feels like it! I especially liked when we got to the "chaos" stage, when we were supposed to let our head and neck move while we were traveling; it's definitely a crazy, dizzying sensation! Dancing for 90 minutes is a great workout, too! It felt so good to just let go and dance it out!
Here's a video to show you what 5 Rhythms can look like:
Next up I took another class with Kelly Marburger and Eric Sipes. But this time it was Thai massage, not AcroYoga, and I didn't realize they taught both! This was a huge class, and we ended up separating into four circles (eight I guess if you count inner and outer circles). Then we took turns doing some Thai massage techniques around the neck and shoulders of different partners. It was really relaxing, and I met a woman named Melissa who was really nice. One thing I love about Interfusion is that you get to meet so many wonderful, nice people!
I ended my day with another Thai massage class, "Vedic Thai Yoga Bodywork: Part II." I was glad that my friend Courtney and I could partner again, since we took the first class together. I was still impressed by Dr. Debmalya Nandy as a workshop leader; both of his classes were great! During this class we focused on more of the back body, and I was so relaxed I actually fell asleep! I think my favorite part was when Courtney would step on the backs of my feet; you never think to stretch your feet!
That was my last full day of Interfusion. It went by so quickly!
I started my day at a meditation workshop with Yonah Levy. I took a similar class with him last year and really enjoyed it. He is a wonderful instructor, and his deep voice is very peaceful and serene. The workshop only lasted for 40 minutes when it should have been an hour, but I find it hard to even meditate for five minutes, so maybe that was okay. It was certainly hard to meditate with laughing yoga happening next door!
Then my friend Courtney and I partnered up for "Vedic Thai Yoga Bodywork: Part I." This was a 90-minute Thai massage class, so it was wonderful to already have a trusted partner to work with. Dr. Debmalya Nandy was a great instructor: he gave clear, simple directions, and he had a quiet friendliness about him. I really like how Thai massage focuses on stretching with "traction," and I was so relaxed. Sometimes the pressure is a little too much for me in massage, but as the receiver, we could let the giver know how much pressure to use.
After a quick lunch, I took a yoga class with Alena Interrupted. I took a yoga class with her last year and remembered how calming her voice was. The class was good, but probably better for beginners (I thought the yoga practice itself was pretty easy). One of her techniques is to go through flows super-slowly, which is a little different than my usual yoga practices.
And of course I signed up for another class with Monique Darling and Peter Petersen! This one was called "Conscious Sexuality: Understanding Energetic Connection." We started with some seated qi gong, and then we used those "energy bubbles" to share different energies with partners around the room. We even pretended to use "energy ropes" to tie up a partner (I had never done that before; I didn't feel anything when I was being "tied," but it was fun to do it to the other person!). At the end we had to dance for a partner in different ways (it was almost a little too much dancing). I love to dance and think of myself as a very good dancer, so I'm never nervous for this kind of thing; I usually assume my partner will love my dance, and I will smile but inwardly cringe as my partner dances awkwardly for me. BUT my partner could really dance! I was so impressed! He said he felt like he could let out his "inner diva," which I could totally see. What a pleasant surprise!
I didn't know what to expect from my next workshop, but "A Sense of Dance: An Exploration in Sensuosity," was quite interesting! Now I'm not sure "sensuosity" is a real word, but the first half of the class was exploring the differences between our ideas of sensuosity and sexuality (we all agreed they aren't the same thing). Marc Brewer was the main instructor, and I appreciated how well-spoken he was and how well he presented information and prompts to the group. After we discussed, we moved around the room, changing our speeds, directions, where our eyes were looking, all the while trying not to run into each other. And once we partnered up, we danced in a way that is very similar to contact improv (he never used that term, but that's really what it was). It was a fun way to move!
I was going to take a dance class afterward, but I was so tired that I just headed home. I needed to shower and paint my nails anyway. Sometimes you need a night of alone time after touching so many strangers during Interfusion!
This was my fourth Interfusion Festival (I wrote several blog posts about my previous experiences, but there are simply too many of them to try to include here!). I look forward to it every year, and this time was no exception!
My experience this time around had a rocky start, because I didn't know that the venue had changed! I never received any specific messaging about that! I feel like every email leading up to the festival should have started with "NEW LOCATION!" at the top of each message. And, since I am a "regular" of the festival, I would have thought I would have received a dedicated message about the change, since I clearly was used to a routine. So that was awkward arriving at the first hotel to see no one was there! Luckily the new location wasn't too far, and I only missed the first workshop. But not a good start to things!
Since I missed the Thai bodywork workshop, my first real workshop was an AcroYoga class with Kelly Marburger and Eric Sipes, both from AsanaRoots in Baltimore. Interfusion is the only place I ever practice AcroYoga (I've never been to a studio), so it was fun to play around with this again. The "throne" pose was new to me, and I was glad that I felt more and more comfortable basing as time went on. After the class, we all laid together in a "puddle" and did a big belly "ohm" together. It was great! (The video above features Kelly and Eric; skip to the 2:00 minute mark.)
I'm at the very bottom with my mouth hanging open. I hope I'm in the middle of "ohm" and not just sleeping!
Then I actually had a real lunch break! This time around, the festival offered a mix of 60-minute and 90-minute classes, with thirty-minute breaks in between. That was fantastic! It meant I had plenty of time to go to the restroom, have lunch, visit the vendors, etc. I never had to feel rushed. Bravo!
My next workshop was probably my favorite of the entire festival. I LOVE Monique Darling and Peter Petersen (their "Foundations of Ecstasy" workshop in 2017 changed my world), so I immediately signed up for their "Intimacy Practices: The 5 Senses of Touch." This was like an ASMR video but in real life! We all got into groups of three, and then we took turns being the receiver while the other two people engaged our five senses. For smell, tissues that had been sprayed with citrus and lavender essences were wafted across our faces. Our partners whispered in our ears for sound, and of course touch was with hands (or a rose that we were given). We were each given a piece of vegan chocolate for taste, and finally for sight, we danced for our partners so they could watch. I felt tingles all over; it felt SO good! And my male group partner was LOVING it; he was so squirmy! This workshop was such a high; I would definitely do it again!
This is the only professional picture from Interfusion that I'm in where I don't look like a complete idiot. I loved our trio!
Next up was another AcroYoga class, but with a twist. Usually those classes are just about doing cool poses. But Jean-Jacques Gabriel uses AcroYoga as a type of therapy, almost like massage. Lifting the flyer could release tension and pressure in parts of the body, and then a healing touch could be used to help stretch and massage. I thought he was a great workshop leader, and I loved his perspective on this kind of healing art. I was paired with an older woman who had never done AcroYoga before, and she was having a hard time getting into the poses and was getting frustrated. But eventually I was able to show her some easier poses and some tips for helping to get in and out of positions, and she was finally able to fly! It's always hard to be partnered with someone new, but it was also fun and satisfying to help her get the experience she wanted.
Here is a video of Jean-Jacques doing some AcroYoga:
Then I took a Kundalini yoga class. Daniel Rahayel was the teacher, and he was a very good public speaker and meditation guide. We focused mostly on the "breath of fire," which is a very rapid breathing technique. I never really got the hang of it; we were supposed to do it for 30 minutes, but I could barely do it for a few seconds before gasping for air! So clearly I wasn't doing it right. The class was definitely more of a mediation rather than an active yoga session, so it wasn't really what I was looking for. Maybe Kundalini yoga just isn't for me.
I'm the one in blue near the back. My hands aren't up like everyone else, so clearly I wasn't listening!
I took a class last year with Timaree Schmit, so when I saw she was coming back to the festival, I knew I wanted to work with her again. Her workshops are more lecture-based, which I like; they are very educational, and you get to learn more an expert. This class was called, "The Science of Sexuality, Desire and Relationships." I did learn some new things, like the fact that the categories of "homosexual" and "heterosexual" were not written down and acknowledged in a scientific way until 1868. She also talked about the Kinsey Scale, which I had heard of but didn't know too much about. But some of what she said were repeats of last time, like her tape/dollar bill metaphors. And unfortunately, when we broke into small discussion groups, an old boomer was with me and just took up most of the time talking about his own experiences (as old, white men are wont to do). So I didn't have as good of an experience this time, but I still think she's a wonderful resource and a great person to have at Interfusion.
I haven't seen many operas, but the idea of seeing a mini-opera at the Kennedy Center intrigued me (as did the $15 ticket). This was the eighth season of the American Opera Initiative 20-minute commissioning program. Different pairs of composers and librettists (i.e. the people who write the words to go with the music) apply to the program, and the finalists are matched up with mentors as they go through the writing process. There's "something academic about the exercise" of staying within the 20-minute limit; that timing doesn't allow for a long, unfolding story, but you still want your audience to connect and feel something.
While this is the eighth year of this, I only just learned about it! Clearly I have been out of the loop. The set-up is very simple: the orchestra played on stage while the actors (in casual clothes) sang, and two screens on the sides of the stage had subtitles so you could read what they were singing. This seemed a little strange because the songs were in English, but just the style of opera singing is difficult to understand at times. My first thought was, "What good is an art form that needs to be translated in its own language to be understood?" But then I thought about the notes you read about piece of art when you visit a museum. They ARE helpful and bring more meaning and understanding to the artwork.
I saw three of these mini-operas, all of which were somewhat biographical (one of the participants said, "We have to write what we know."). They also took place in the last century-ish, so it was like watching a new genre of contemporary opera. The creators did have the opportunity to meet during a workshop this past fall, which gave them the opportunity to talk, brainstorm, and give and get feedback from their mentors (and I assume each other). The creators were given notes about the singers and their voices, too. Some of them already knew a few of the actors, so that helped in inspiring the music. I also liked that there was a Q&A with the creators after the show so you could look behind-the-scenes and learn more about the creative process.
Summary: A first generation immigrant is a janitor trying to give his daughter a better life, and he brings her books to read and help educate her. In doing so, she has applied and been accepted to a program overseas. There is a struggle between wanting to support her dreams but also wanting to keep her close.
Creators: Ugay and Svay actually knew each other years ago when they met through a mutual friend from Yale. They studied opera separately, bur reconnected afterward. This piece was several years in the making for the two of them. The lyrics are mostly based on Svay's childhood. Her father is an immigrant from Cambodia, and some of the lines in the songs are things he used to say; she had wanted to leave home and become a singer, so the daughter and Dara sort of play this role (The daughter wants to leave home, and Dara is already chasing her dreams of becoming an opera singer. How meta.). Even though the piece is very personal, Svay said she "wanted it to be universal" where all people could connect to the story.
Cast: Samuel J. Weiser played the father, Marlen Nahhas played the daughter, and Alexandra Nowakowski plays Dara (a friend? a cousin? I was confused about her role other than her part as comedic relief.). I was impressed by both of the women singers especially.
My thoughts:
The music felt very Disney to me, like a musical conversation. The music around the daughter made me think of the Disney princess movies, while the music for the father felt a lot like The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The lyrics for me were disappointing. The father is speaking (ahem, singing) in broken English, and yet he uses contractions like "I'm," which would not be common for someone who doesn't speak English well. The lyrics also include things that simply aren't poetic: there is no art-worthy way of including the word "toilets" in a song. And the words didn't fit the actor: he was singing about his janitor uniform's shirt being too big, but Weiser is a large man who in fact was wearing a shirt that was a little too tight for him that night.
The most moving part of the piece was when the father tells the daughter, "I see you." It felt very much like The Joy Luck Club, when the mothers and daughters are really understanding each other for the first time. I definitely got teary-eyed!
Summary: Two rich parents get caught in a scandal of bribing colleges to accept their children into the schools. The piece was definitely inspired by the recent events of Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, and other celebrities doing just that. The writing team's first ideas had been rejected, and then they wrote this piece just after the scandal broke, and it was accepted!
Creators: Lanci had never written music for a comedy before. Once he received the lyrics from Davies, he was inspired by Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. He purposefully made the music overly-dramatic to emphasize how trivial the complaints and comments were of the characters (for example, the daughter is talking about social media, etc.). Davies had historically written for theater and TV, which was a less collaborative process. They described this piece as an "onion unfolding," with details of the scandal coming out one by one as time passed.
I like that the title has a double meaning: the admission of their children into school, but also the admission of their crimes.
Again, lyrics for me should be poetry. Mentioning In-N-Out Burger in a song is not poetic.
Meinert's character at one point is supposed to be driving a car, but his arms were stick straight right out in front of him. Is that how he drives a car in real life?
During the discussion, someone said that you have to find a story that needs to be told in this opera art form or genre. This story for me doesn't fall into that category.
Summary: In 1958, two uncles pick up their 16-year-old niece to take her from Chicago to Tennessee; her mother has given them money for the trip. When they stop for gas, a crooked cop engages with them and takes their money, rattling the family and the girl's dreams.
Creators: Seaton had written plays before, but she always loved opera music and would listen to the radio on Saturdays to hear the operas performed at The Met. She feels that, "opera gives you the freedom to just let go." She wrote the lyrics to relay the true story of an incident that happened to her Aunt Mary. Simon said, "Her words were packed with emotion...I used her words for guidance," when composing the music for this piece. He was also inspired by Gospel music, since the family was headed to Tennessee. When describing the piece, Simon said, "Each moment is revelatory," and it combines several musical styles and is quite intricate.
This piece had less dialogue, which I thought was better. In my opinion, opera lends itself more to soliloquy rather than conversation.
The actors were able to include a southern accent in their singing to reflect the origins of their characters, which I thought was very fitting to the piece.
Conyers' driving was a lot more realistic looking!
While the creators at first had doubts about the line, "Leave that girl alone!" when one of the uncles is protecting his niece, it is by far the most powerful line of the entire show.
What hit me hardest about this piece is that, while we specifically are told that the story takes place in 1958, this easily could be 2020. It is frightening that this sort of hatred and racism still exists, and this period piece is actually a story of the present.
*DC Theatre Scene's review is here. I actually met the writer at the event! It sounds like she and I had similar views (but her writing is much better than mine!).
