cast 

Jill Suzanne Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Macaria

Madison Holtze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pina

Victoria Vargas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Señora / Santa Muerte

Jess Felton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Carla

Andrew Wilkowske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary

Music direction by Lara Bolton

Piano accompaniment by Jordan Buchholtz

What is an opera workshop?

The workshop is an important step in the development of new opera – or theater of any kind – as it allows the creators to experience the real-time impact of their work. Up until this point, this work has largely lived on the page and in the creators’ imaginations. But theater doesn’t truly become theater until it is brought to life by performing artists and until its meaning has been received and understood by an audience. The workshop is where the creators and their collaborators can ask questions of themselves and their work: Does this musical line work well for this voice type? Does the rhythmic timing of this text sound awkward, or does it successfully convey the discomfort of the character? Is the emotional intensity of this moment clear, or is it muddled by the music happening around it? Or, put more simply, is what the creator intended actually happening, and if not, does something in the work itself need to change?

     When a composer and librettist release their opera for the first time to other artists in this kind of setting, where new voices can bring their creative and interpretive energies to bear against the work, discoveries might be made along the way that had not occurred to the composer and librettist on their own. Opera is an inherently collaborative art form that brings together multiple creative disciplines to the completion of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, and the workshop is a microcosm of that collaboration. 

     While supporting the development of new works has been the lifeblood of the operatic artform throughout its history, it feels especially critical now that we continue to do so, with opera so often being perceived as – and being relegated to – that same history as a thing of the past. As ORP’s Artistic Director Lara Bolton shared recently, new works give us the “chance to speak directly from and reflect the time and space that we live in, for it is born out of that place… It has a particular immediacy, breath, and sense of rejuvenation in building connection and community.” This week’s workshop of Ofrenda, which concludes with today’s performance, is perfectly emblematic of this building of connection through the creative process. Your presence as an audience is just as much an important piece of this puzzle of community, and we are grateful for your participation as a recipient of the meaning we hope to convey. 

What is “día de muertos”?

Jorge Sosa describes Ofrenda as a “día de muertos” story, linking the opera to a rich tradition of celebration from Mexico that honors one’s dead ancestors on the date when their souls are believed to return to Earth. The word “ofrenda” itself refers to the central altar that is one of the most easily recognizable aspects of the Day of the Dead celebration: a typical ofrenda consists of items that will identify the person to whom it is dedicated, such as photos or personal possessions, alongside traditional foods. As the opera unfolds, you will see how the sharing of food – both as an offering of old favorites to the spirits of loved ones as well as an act of generosity between oneself and others – provides a focal point for the opera’s core themes of love, connection, and healing. 

program note by Elena Stabile

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.