IN A GROVE

The Opera Project and ArtYard are pleased to announce the world premiere of a one-act chamber opera “In a Grove” with music and libretto by Richard McIntyre.  The opera will be followed by a screening of Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1950 film “Rashomon.”  Both works are based on a short story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, first published in 1922.  “In a Grove” and “Rashomon” are meditations on subjectivity, innocence, empathy and guilt, presenting the narrative of a fatal crime in the testimony of several witnesses whose differing stories make the truth impossible to discern. 

The opera will be staged by Walter MacNicoll of The Opera Project, with costumes, scenery and lighting provided by ArtYard’s talented staff.  The music includes solo, duet, and full ensemble passages sung by a professional cast featuring treble singer Janki Namboodiripad, tenor John Villemaire, bass James Ofalt, mezzo-soprano Susan Rheingans, baritone John Andrew Fernandez, and soprano Alejandra Garrido.  A number of these fine singers are also regular performers with The Opera Project (www.theoperaproject.us), the organization responsible for the initial idea for this piece.  The accompaniment is scored for a trio of flute, marimba and cello, performed by Andrea Maurer, Andrew Bambridge, and Peter Lewy. 

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 at ArtYard, 62 Trenton Avenue, Frenchtown, NJ. For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com. The full link is:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-premiere-of-the-opera-in-a-grove-screening-of-the-1950-film-rashomon-june-10-tickets-46014111446