Schedule
The Magic Flute
Second Lady
October 27 & 29
Follow the harrowing journey of Prince Tamino and his quirky comrade Papageno on an expedition to rescue his true love Pamina from the wrath of dark mystical forces. Armed only with a magical flute and bells, they join together to triumph over powers beyond their understanding. Featuring some of Mozart’s most recognizable melodies, The Magic Flute will bring joy to audiences of all ages.
Iphegénie en Tauride
Priestess
January 20, 23, 26, 28
In the aftermath of the Trojan War, the priestess Iphigénie is tasked to kill any strangers who land on Scythia’s shores. But as Fate would have it, her brother Oreste is the first to be shipwrecked on the peninsula and brought to the sacrificial altar. Will they discover the truth before it is too late?Showcasing the transition from baroque to classical opera, Christoph Gluck reimagines Euripides’ great Greek drama and reignites it in true operatic form.
Proving Up
Littler Sister
January 20, 23, 26, 28
With their eldest son incapacitated, Ma and Pa send their youngest living child Miles on a mission to share the valuable commodity with their distant neighbors who are expecting a visit from a government inspector. Miles’ journey brings him face to face with the remnants of a shattered past—the ghost of a neighboring farmer driven mad by the requirements of "proving up." The willowy figure knows all too well the cost of the American Dream, and the coveted window soon becomes a broken mirror reflecting great tragedy.
“A tense and creepy journey into the heart of Manifest Destiny's darkness” – The New York Times
The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson
Phoebe
April 27, 30 & May 3,5
In 1943, the National Negro Opera Company is set to perform on a floating barge to evade racially-segregated venues. But when bad weather threatens—pushing the performance to a segregated performance hall—visionary impressaria Mary Cardwell Dawson must find a way forward. Mary Cardwell Dawson’s dream to provide access for African Americans to perform on stages for all audiences changed the future of opera. Having founded the longest-running, all-Black opera company here in Pittsburgh and organizing opera guilds in the country’s biggest cities, Mary Cardwell Dawson would go on to train hundreds of African American youth to sing.