Executive Producers: Ethan Gans-Morse, Tiziana DellaRovere, Richard Gordon, Lisa Brazelton Librettist: Tiziana DellaRovere | Composer: Ethan Gans-Morse
September 5th & 6th World Premiere
Anima Mundi Productions PRESENTS
A Soldier’s Journey from the Desolation of War to the Healing Embrace of Love
Do Something
Dramatic Theater. Dance. Music. Find news and reviews of the most thrilling performances to come out of Portland’s performing arts scene. Fridays & Sundays in a&E. Every day on OrEGONLiVE.
OREGONLIVE.COM/performance
2 Canticle of the Black Madonna
A Soldier’s Journey from the Desolation of War to the Healing Embrace of Love
An Opera in Two Acts
Music composed by Ethan Gans-Morse Libretto by Tiziana DellaRovere Stage Director: Kristine McIntyre Music Director: Ryan Heller Assistant Conductor: Vincent Centeno Producer: Bruce A. Hostetler Assistant Producer: Thomas Prislac Scenic Designer: Larry Larsen Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson Costume Designer: Susan Bonde Video Designer: Omar Ramos Production Manager: Eric Lyness Fight Choreographer: Kendall Wells Chorus Master: Ethan Sperry Principal Accompanist: Janet Coleman Production Stage Manager: Jon Wangsgard Supertitles: Jessica Crawford
Executive Producers Ethan Gans-Morse, Tiziana DellaRovere, Richard Gordon, Lisa Brazelton
WORLD PREMIERE September 5th & 6th, 2014
Artists
Artists
Michael Mayes Lindsey Cafferky Gwendolyn Brown André Flynn Rachael Marsh Timothy Galloway Kristine McIntyre Ryan Heller Vincent Centeno Ethan Sperry Benjamin España Susan Bonde Larry Larsen Robert Peterson Omar Ramos
Adam, Baritone Mara, Soprano The Black Madonna, Contralto Paul, Bass Female Angel, Soprano Male Angel, Tenor Stage Director Music Director, Conductor Assistant Conductor Chorus Master Assistant Chorus Master Costume Designer Scenic Designer Lighting Designer Video Designer
Anima Mundi Productions
THERE WILL BE ONE INTERMISSION. TOTAL RUNNING TIME IS APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE SEATED UNTIL INTERMISSION. PATRONS LEAVING THE THEATER DURING PERFORMANCE WILL BE RE-SEATED AT INTERMISSION. RECORDING EQUIPMENT, CAMERAS AND PERSONAL PHONES PROHIBITED.
4 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Notes
Notes from the librettist I wrote the libretto of this opera with a passionate abandon that sprang from the depths of my heart. I wanted to speak of modern themes that people from all walks of life could relate to. I started to create the narrative of The Canticle of the Black Madonna in 2010 when the headlines were bringing to our attention the issues of combat PTSD, the related stories of domestic abuse, the staggering statistics reporting 22 veteran suicides per day, and the devastating effect that PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) had on their spouses and children.
to the earth, her empathy with our human struggles, and her power to soothe and transform our deepest wounds, as well as the destructive aspect of the shadow of the world, through her fierce and tender love.
At the same time, the BP oil spill on the coast of Louisiana was destroying ecosystems, killing pelicans and dolphins, poisoning marine life, and dislodging entire communities that lived off the fruits of the sea. I intertwined these two themes because I saw a connection between the shattering of the soul of the veterans caused by the war and the ravaging of the environment caused by the oil spill. Both of these issues are larger than life, and opera—through the passionate intensity of music and the grand spectacle of theater— lends itself perfectly as a medium of expression and transformation.
In The Canticle of the Black Madonna, I wanted to express different realities: the reality of the spirit, the reality of the deep unconscious that acts through psychological archetypes, and the reality of our everyday life. I wanted to show how these three dimensions intersect and affect each other profoundly.
In The Canticle of the Black Madonna, I didn’t want only to point to the problems, but also to create an experience of catharsis and healing, much in the tradition of the Greek theater. In the opera such healing comes from the power of love embodied by the Black Madonna. The Black Madonna is part of my lineage. Throughout Europe we find over 350 sanctuaries dedicated to the Black Madonna. My own grandmother went to daily pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Black Madonna of Oropa nestled in the Italian Alps to pray for the healing of my mother when, as a child, she was hit by a car and remained in coma for two weeks. Indeed, the Black Madonna belongs to the people. She is not the transcendent, blue-eyed, blond-haired celestial Mary. Her blackness indicates not only her ancient African origin but most significantly her belonging
In the opera she represents the emerging feminine spirit that awakens the motherly love within ourselves. It is through such compassionate powerful motherly love that we learn to care for all forms of life and we find the solution to our greatest challenges.
On a personal note, writing the libretto was also a quest for my own healing because, as I was researching PTSD, I realized that my own father, who was an officer of two wars and retired as a general in the Italian Air Force, also suffered PTSD back before anything was known about that condition. This discovery explained his erratic behavior, which alternated between loving care and violent rage, and created a personal reconciliation with my father, 10 years after his death. Art and love truly heal, and I hope this opera brings healing to all who witness it. Tiziana DellaRovere CBMopera.com 5
Notes
Notes from the composer
W
hen civilian society refuses to accept the emotional and spiritual burden of our nation’s wars, when we are unable to take on the guilt and shame that results from the horrors of war, we condemn our veterans and their families to bear that burden alone. Then, instead of treating them as heroes, warriors, and guardians, we
relegate our soldiers to the margins of society, projecting our own discomfort onto them. As a result, many vets feel alienated, having come in contact with the Warrior Archetype through combat and camaraderie, only to be denied the warrior’s, appreciation, healing, and respect after their return home. The Canticle of the Black Madonna is our gift of healing to all who experience it, both military and civilian, in an effort to restore and reintegrate military and civilian societies through the media that we know best: art, music, literature, and poetry. Art works through the interconnectedness of the human race. As artists we strive to create a portal through which any interested au-
dience can feel what it’s like to live the human condition. I hope that The Canticle of the Black Madonna opens the hearts of civilians to the plight of combat vets and their families, just as I hope it provides veterans with the reassurance that they are not alone, that they are cared for and cared about by the larger American society and ultimately by a larger human family to which we all belong. In this way, the ultimate purpose of The Canticle of the Black Madonna is to transport us into that paradoxical union of the singular and the collective, where we feel understood as individuals and simultaneously as belonging to the universal experience that unites all of humanity. Ethan Gans-Morse
If this opera has touched you, please visit www.CBMopera.com and sign up to receive updates about future performances via email and social media
6 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Notes
Notes from the director “At the bottom of the abyss comes the voice of salvation. The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light.” Joseph Campbell The Power of Myth
T
here are many ways that grace and healing can come into our lives. We may seek them through a specifically religious experience—ritual shared in a community. We might see them in the love and caring of our family and friends, colleagues and comrades. We may even find solace in art . But for some, the journey to healing begins within, in the darkest passages and deepest memories of the human soul. On the surface it may seem strange to have a troubled war veteran and his wife visited by two angels and the Black Madonna. But the Louisiana Bayou is a strange and magical place—a place where the barrier between our reality and the spirit world feels very thin. It is a place where anything can happen, where multiple realities can coexist and even thrive. Many vets like Adam who suffer from PTSD report that they feel trapped between two different worlds: they hear voices, see hallucinations, and live constantly with the feeling that the dead have returned home with them from war. And with these dead come the feelings of shame, of unfath-
omable loss and unbearable guilt that drive many veterans to suicide. In Paradise Lost, Milton wrote “The mind is its own place, and itself /Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” Adam is living in the hell of his own mind, haunted by his experiences during the war. But there is heaven inside him as well— and he may discover that the journey is not as long or as impossible as he may have feared. Kristine McIntyre
CBMopera.com 7
Madonna
Who is the Black Madonna?
T
his opera employs longstanding icons of faith and mysticism firmly established in the European musical tradition in order to dramatize the perfect mother-love that comes to us in our moments of greatest pain and despair, regardless of our religious convictions or lack thereof.
Throughout Europe since ancient times, the Black Madonna has been worshiped in many famous sanctuaries and has been known by different names, such as the
Madonnas of Tindari, Montserrat, Częstochowa, Einsiedeln, and many others. She has been an object of devotion and the destination of sacred pilgrimages from as early as 500 AD. Some scholars link her to the tradition of the mother goddess that originated in Africa. The color of her skin has a profound, rich meaning. Her darkness represents the mystery of life, the cosmic womb where all things are created, the beauty of the night, and the fecundity of the soil. Indeed she belongs to the sacredness of the earth, and dwells in the innermost realms of our psyche. She stands by us in our imperfect human lives, not in the transcendent perfection of the heavens. Most of all, she is the embodiment of the power of love. Love that is devoted, fierce and at the same time, tender. A central theme of The Canticle of the Black Madonna is that when we are faced with challenges too large to overcome as ordinary individuals, we reach for the realm of the sacred, and long for the healing embrace of the Universal Mother,
8 Canticle of the Black Madonna
the mysterious, merciful love of the Black Madonna. Many of us, during our darkest nights, discover a sense of inner grace, a mysterious force that saints and mystics have explored, which we can only express through art and poetry. This ineffable presence ultimately holds the key to true, lasting healing and the revitalization of the human soul.
Important note: Even though in this fictional story, the character of Mara decides to stand by her husband, Adam, in spite of his dangerous PTSD outburst, and she becomes the vehicle of his healing, this in no way implies that remaining in a dangerous relationship is always the right course of action. In fact, the opera depicts the one condition under which Mara could remain with Adam: He is able to open his heart, get in touch with his trauma and suffering, and share it openly with her. If Adam had not been willing to open up, it would have been a much more dangerous scenario and it may have been necessary for her to leave. This discernment is particularly important where children are involved.
Synopsis
Synopsis
wo angels invoke the Black Madonna, a force of healing love. Adam and Mara enter, fighting. Adam has just returned from Afghanistan and his erratic and violent behavior is a threat to their marriage. Mara does not know how to help him and the Black Madonna tries to inspire her. Late one night, Adam returns home drunk with his friend Paul but rejects the older man’s attempts to console him. Alone, Adam begins to toast each of the men who died under his command. Mara comes home frantic and describes the onset of the Louisiana Gulf Oil Spill. She is devastated by the state of her failing marriage and the effects that the oil spill will have on Adam’s family’s oyster farm.
T
The Black Madonna offers hope as Mara struggles with the disastrous effects of the oil spill on the family oyster business. Adam is overwhelmed by what he perceives to be his failures as a man and decides to go back to war in order to support his family. He is interrupted by the arrival of a violent seasonal hurricane which triggers another flashback. He is so shaken that he finally confides to Mara the depths of his trauma in Afghanistan. Mara begins to understand the horrors Adam has endured and comforts him tenderly. Adam sleeps deeply for the first time since returning home and he and Mara have a shared dream in which they undergo a profound ritual of healing.
Mara tries to comfort Adam in his sleep, but as she touches him he wakes with a violent outburst. To her surprise, he describes a vision of the Black Madonna calling out to him. Adam comes out of his vision deeply disturbed, takes his gun, and disappears into the bayou. Mara sends Paul to find Adam and bring him home. Realizing that her husband is no longer the same man she married, she struggles with whether to leave him. Adam contemplates taking his own life, but is stopped by Paul. Adam vows to return to war and tells Mara he is leaving to reenlist.
Paul arrives with food that he has grown on his farm. He tries to convince Adam and Mara to move out to his land further inland by the Mississippi and start a new life. Adam is intrigued but Mara struggles with the idea of giving up the oyster farm and the bayou life they have always known. Eventually, Mara agrees to the move and announces that she will grow roses, echoing the Black Madonna’s final words: “Let my roses blossom.”
“In my career as a professional opera singer, I have premiered countless new works, but none has moved me so deeply as The Canticle of the Black Madonna. This important story of extreme loss and profound love is both timely and timeless. I applaud every note of this opera.” Pamela South, rammy award-winning, soprano G
CBMopera.com 9
About
About Anima Mundi Productions
F
ounded by The Canticle of the Black Madonna creators, Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere, Anima Mundi Productions is a 501(c) (3) non-profit arts initiative dedicated to creating and producing original projects that harness the power of art to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social problems.
Art is much more than entertainment. It reconnects us with ourselves, restores our wounded self-image, and reaffirms our passion and our sense of belonging. The arts are the ideal vehicle for social change and the healing of the wounds of the world because they speak directly to the human unconscious through symbolism, ritual, and shared communal experience.
Anima Mundi Productions
Ethan Gans-Morse & Tiziana DellaRovere, Co-Founders Richard Gordon, Board President Ethan Gans-Morse, Executive Director Stacy Bannerman, Director of Oregon Operations Hannah Grace, Accounting Sean Davis, Veterans Service Coordinator Echo Townsend, Veterans Outreach Coordinator With additional staff support from Pamela South, Thomas Prislac, Emily Tyler, Amanda Kulmac, Cindy Bauman, Donnie Maclurcan, and Monique DuprĂŠ.
Anima Mundi Productions P.O. Box 1323, Phoenix, Oregon 97535 www.AnimaMundiProductions.com
10 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Artists
Artists & Crew
About the Librettist Author, artist, mystical poet, and teacher Tiziana DellaRovere created the original story behind The Canticle of the Black Madonna. Tiziana’s libretto (written text of the opera) draws on classical elements such as the Greek Chorus, Jungian archetypes, and current events, including the effects of war, PTSD, and the destruction of the environment. In addition to her work as a creative artist, Tiziana has dedicated more than three decades to creating, developing, and practicing a psycho-spiritual methodology called the “Descent” for healing the wounding of the deep psyche. Through the countless workshops, courses, private sessions, and organizations she has founded, Tiziana has facilitated the healing of thousands of people.
Born in Milan, Italy, Tiziana studied at the the University of Milan (Law), the California College of Arts and Crafts (Painting and Sculpture), San Francisco State University (Clinical Psychology), and seminary at the Liberal Church of Antioch, where she was among the first women ordained as a priest. She is the author of Adorata: The Path of Enlovement, The Adorata Codes of Love, and Sacred Fire: Rites of Passage and Rituals of Worship. About the Composer Composer Ethan Gans-Morse is the Executive Director of Anima Mundi Productions and the founder of the Ambrosia Ensemble. His works have been performed by numerous ensembles, including the Portland Vocal Consort (winner of the 2010 Composer Competition), Chorus Austin, the American Creators Ensemble, Quartetto Indaco, the Fireworks Ensemble, and the Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, and his music has been presented and premiered at numerous concert series, including the Music Today Festival, the Vanguard Concert Series, the Oregon Composers Forum, the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium (Eugene, Oregon), the highSCORE Festival (Pavia, Italy), the Instrumenta Oaxaca Festival (Oaxaca, Mexico), and the Ashland Winter Fine Arts Festival (Ashland, Oregon). His work brings together his love of Renaissance and Baroque music with his passion for new, socially relevant works of art that inspire a sense of human connection. Ethan holds a Masters degree in music composition from the University of Oregon and a Bachelors degree in music and linguistics from Macalester College.
CBMopera.com 11
Artists
Artists and Crew
Kristine McIntyre, DIRECTOR Stage Director Kristine McIntyre has directed more than 50 operas across the U.S. with a focus on new and contemporary works, including Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for Des Moines Metro Opera and Madison Opera, Jonathan Dove’s Flight for Pittsburgh Opera and Austin Lyric Opera, the world premier of Kirke Mechem’s John Brown as well as Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair for Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry for Tulsa Opera. Other recent credits include Peter Grimes, Eugene Onegin and La Bohème (Des Moines Metro Opera), La Cenerentola, Tosca, Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria and La Clemenza di Tito (Pittsburgh Opera), Of Mice and Men (Utah Opera), Lucia di Lammermoor and Madama Butterfly (Arizona Opera), Cosi fan Tutte, Norma and The Turn of the Screw (LOKC), Un Ballo in Maschera (Madison Opera), Don Giovanni, Cav/ Pag, Carmen and Werther (Kentucky Opera), La Bohème (New Orleans Opera), Rigoletto (Tulsa Opera), Hansel and Gretel (Skylight Opera Theatre), Tancredi (Opera Boston), Un Giorno di Regno (Wolftrap Opera) and Béatrice et Bénédict (Tacoma Opera). At home in Portland she has directed The Return of Ulysses, Lucia di Lammermoor and La Traviata for Portland Opera and Die Fledermaus, A Little Night Music, Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and 7 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas for Mock’s Crest. Kristine spent 8 years on the staff of the Metropolitan Opera where she directed revivals of La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Luisa Miller. Upcoming projects include Heggie’s Three Decembers, Otello, Of Mice and Men and Jenufa. Ryan Heller, MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR Maestro Ryan Heller serves as Chorus Austin’s Conductor and Artistic Director, where he is currently entering his sixth season. From 2003-2013 Mr. Heller served as Artistic Director/Conductor of the Southwest Washington Symphony. He is Co-founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Portland Vocal Consort, one of Portland’s premier professional choirs, and also serves as Artistic Director of the award-winning Pride of Portland Chorus. From 2001 to 2009, he was Artistic Director/Conductor of the Columbia Chorale of Oregon, a group he co-founded. He has appeared with the Austin Symphony, Orange County Youth Philharmonic, and Rose City Chamber Orchestra, among others. Mr. Heller has led ensembles across the United States with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. He has toured internationally in Italy, Germany, Estonia, Sweden and, most recently, China, where he led ensembles from Texas in Beijing and at the World Expo in Shanghai. Among his honors, Mr. Heller is the recipient of the 2013 Alice Parker/ASCAP award from Chorus America, and along with Chorus Austin, was a finalist for the American Prize for Outstanding Choral Performance in 2012 and 2010. 2015 will bring Heller to New Zealand and Australia.
12 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Ryan has led a wide variety of regional productions including Venus and Adonis, Brigadoon, H.M.S. Pinafore, Sweeney Todd, Annie, and Into the Woods. He has prepared choruses for La Cenerentola, Die Zauberflote,and Die Fledermaus, as well as for the Astoria Music Festival. An active performer, he has appeared with groups such as the Portland Opera, William Hall Master Chorale, Oregon Symphony, Choral Cross-Ties, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and the Broadway Rose Theater Company. Upcoming performances include the Beethoven Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah, both with Chorus Austin and the Austin Symphony. Vincent Centeno, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Vincent D. Centeno is a versatile musician and music educator. He has conducted productions of Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and The Impresario, Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, Wolf-Ferrari’s Il segreto di Susanna, and Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. He also conducted two major works at the University of Oregon: the workshop of The Canticle of the Black Madonna by Ethan Gans-Morse, and the world premiere of Vistas of America, a fivemovement symphonic poem by the three-time Grammy Award Winning composer, Billy Childs. Vincent has conducted different genres including symphonic, choral, operatic and wind band works. Other conducting credits include movements from Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Ibert’s Flute Concerto, and Prism Rhapsody for Marimba and Orchestra by contemporary Japanese composer, Keiko Abe, Piston’s Symphony No. 2, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Additional professional credits include the positions of guest conductor for the Astoria Music Festival Orchestra and accompanist for the Astoria Music Festival Apprentice Artist Program, conductor and music director for Genesis Opera of Chicago, and music director of the Philippine Performing Arts Chorus of Chicago where his Choral Overture to San Lorenzo for Chorus and Two Pianos was premiered. Ethan Sperry, CHORUS MASTER Born in New York City, Ethan Sperry began studying conducting at the age of eight, cello at the age of twelve, and singing at the age of eighteen. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Harvard College and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern California. Ensembles under his direction have toured to Bermuda, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guadeloupe, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Puerto Rico, Russia, and Taiwan, and have performed at major venues in the United States including the Kennedy Center, The Washington National Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, The Nassau Coliseum, Cincinnati’s Music Hall, and Boston’s Symphony Hall. Cont. CBMopera.com 13
Sperry is currently a Professor of Music at Portland State University and director of the Portland State Chamber Choir, which he recently led to win the first-place “Grand Prix” award at the 52nd annual Seghizzi International Choral Competition in Goriza, Italy. Benjamin España, ASSISTANT CHORUS MASTER Benjamin España is a conductor, performer, and award-winning composer currently residing in Portland, OR. His choral works—both arrangements and original compositions—have received performances all across the Pacific Northwest. He is the associate conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers, and currently sings with the St. James Collegium Musicum, Cantores in Ecclesia, Coro in Scuola, and the Portland State Chamber Choir. España obtained his BA in Music Education from Pacific University, receiving awards as an Outstanding Vocalist and an Outstanding Senior in the Arts. He is currently earning an MM in Choral Conducting at Portland State. Janet Coleman, PIANIST An accomplished and versatile pianist, Janet Coleman has been presented with recitalists in Europe, Central America, and across the United States. Here in the Northwest, she has collaborated with hundreds of singers and instrumentalists, and has shared the stage with such artists as Marilyn Horne, Richard Stoltzman, Janos Starker and Charles Wadsworth. As featured soloist, Janet has appeared with the Salem Chamber Orchestra, the Southwest Washington Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony; as chamber musician, she has performed with the Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Fear No Music, Beta Collide, 45th Parallel and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Coleman’s colorful, collaborative support has been a factor in several first place awards at the MTNA and ASTA national competitions, three national concerto competitions, and the Gold Medal at the Stulburg International String Competition. Janet has been a staff pianist for the Portland Opera, the Eugene Opera, and the music departments of Willamette University and Linfield College; currently she is on staff at Pacific University and Portland State University. She can be heard in the critically acclaimed, nationally televised concert/documentary Verdi’s Defiant Requiem and the recently recorded Das Lied von der Erde with the Martingale Ensemble.
14 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Artists
Artists & Crew
Michael Mayes, ADAM Known for his consummate portrayals of iconic characters in the operatic repertoire, baritone Michael Mayes has performed with opera companies throughout the United States. The 2013-2014 season brought his much anticipated role debut as Rigoletto with Boston Lyric Opera and his debut with Gotham Chamber Opera in Baden-Baden 1925, as well as reprisals of his Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking with both Madison Opera and Central City Opera, a role he debuted with Tulsa Opera in a performance described by Tulsa World as “an experience those who saw it will never forget.” Mr. Mayes received critical acclaim for his recent return to Ft. Worth Opera as Elder Thompson in Glory Denied. Additional recent highlights include the premiere of Photo-Op with UrbanArias, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Pensacola Opera, and the title role in Don Giovanni with both the Green Mountain Festival and Nevada Opera. Mr. Mayes joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in the 20092010 season. Upcoming engagements for the 2014-2015 season include Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers with UrbanArias, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with Syracuse, a return to Michigan Opera Theater for his role debut as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and a reprise of his acclaimed Joseph De Rocher with Opera Parallèle in San Francisco. Lindsey Cafferky, MARA Lindsey Cafferky has been an active performer in the Northwest for the past 8 years in opera, concert, and oratorio. Operatic performances include the role of Rosalinde in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with Mocks Crest, Venus in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and Papagena in Mozart’s Magic Flute with Eugene Opera, Anne Page in Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor with Rogue Opera, and Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Portland Opera’s Educational Outreach Program, Opera to Go.
Lindsey has been featured as the soprano soloist with Bravo! Vancouver performing Handel’s Messiah, John Rutter’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Brubeck’s To Hope: A Celebration, and Bernstein’s Mass. Last winter, Cafferky performed with the Beaverton Symphony Orchestra in a concert of Verdi and Donizetti arias and the year before she was the soloist with Big Horn Brass performing holiday favorites. Past performances include the Faure Requiem and Haydn’s Paukenmesse with First Congregational United Church of Christ, Orff ’s Carmina Burana with Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Oregon Chorale and Haydn’s Creation with Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra. Continued on Page 18 CBMopera.com 15
“The Canticle of the Black Madonna opened my heart and brought new healing to me, 44 years after I returned from Vietnam. This is a gift that should be shared with the world.” Bill Ritch, combat veteran, Silver Star recipient, former West Point instructor
“The Canticle of the Black Madonna is that very special kind of art that grabs you and says, ‘You’re not alone; you’re not misunderstood after all; there’s still hope.’ This is the kind of art that saved my life.” Sean Davis, former SFC, U.S. Army Infantry
“You honor me, and my brothers and sisters in arms, with this opera. Please know that as a combat veteran I am truly and deeply touched that you have undertaken such an elusive and misunderstood issue. I am thankful to you all for what you do, and I know my fallen friends would be as well.� Miah Washburn 1SG, U.S. Army Infantry
Artists
Artists and Crew
Gwendolyn Brown, THE BLACK MADONNA Contralto Gwendolyn Brown possesses an instrument of rare richness, color and versatility, which shines in traditional, 20th Century, and American opera. In 2012, Ms. Brown performed the lead role of Marie Laveau in the world premiere of Anne LeBaron’s opera Crescent City as the celebrated inaugural production of Los Angeles new opera company The Industry, led by noted director Yuval Sharon. Ms. Brown’s “deep contralto” was hailed as “a transfixing force of nature with a rich, beautiful tone that galvanized attention throughout.” Ms. Brown’s signature role of Maria in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess has made her one of the most sought-after and renowned artists to perform the role. Opera News has declared that Ms. Brown “was a Maria with an ample voice to match her vivid personality,” and has praised her “dramatic power and vocal depth.” Ms. Brown has also gained critical acclaim for her performances with the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Symphony, Boston Symphony and the Toronto Symphony, as well as staged performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, and other major opera houses in the United States and overseas. She has also performed a variety of roles including Baba in Menotti’s The Medium, Kabanicha in Janáček’s Katya Kabanova, Filippyevna in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Queenie in Jerome Kern’s Show Boat. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Ms. Brown currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Brown’s 2014-2015 season include performances of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for Madison Symphony Orchestra. André Flynn, PAUL Bass André Flynn has been an active performer in the Northwest for more than 30 years in opera, oratorio, concert and recital. His appearances with Portland Opera include Don Prudenzio in Il Viaggio a Reims, Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata, Montano in Otello, Angelotti in Tosca and many others. Recent credits include Cadmus in Semele in the Baroque Opera Workshop, 2nd Handwerkbursche in Wozzeck in the Astoria Music Festival and Ferrando in Il Trovatore with the Portland SummerFest Opera. With Eugene Opera, he has performed Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Simone in Gianni Schicchi. Most recent oratorio performances include Dvorak’s Stabat Mater and Handel’s Messiah with Boise Master Chorale and Mozart’s Requiem with Oregon Repertory Singers. He has been a featured soloist with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra and The Basically Bach Festival. Mr. Flynn was the winner of the 1981 Alaska District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and the 1979 and 1981 Alaska Biennial Competitions.
18 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Rachael Marsh, FEMALE ANGEL Soprano Rachael Marsh is a recent graduate from Portland State University with a Bachelors in Vocal Performance. While at Portland State she was the recipient of the Ruth Dobson award for Outstanding Operatic Achievement and had many leading roles. Leading roles such as Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Anna Maurant in Street Scene, and Hanna Glawari in The Merry WIdow. Rachael has had the privilege of working with Internationally renowned directors such as Tito Capobianco and David Edwards. She has also been the featured soloist for the Cascadia Composers Concert, Mt. Hood Pops Orchestra, and Portland State Chamber choir. Currently she is a featured soloist and soprano section leader with Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Portland. She is honored and privileged to make her professional opera debut as the Female Angel and as the understudy for the role of Mara in The Canticle of the Black Madonna. Timothy Galloway, MALE ANGEL Praised by The Oregonian for his “striking countertenor voice,” and for having a voice “like steel dipped in chocolate,” Tim Galloway is an alto countertenor and high tenor recognized for his interpretation of English Renaissance music and musical versatility. His past credits include alto solo work in Handel’s Messiah with Portland Baroque, Orff ’s Carmina Burana, and the operatic roles of Pane in Cavalli’s La Calisto, the Witch from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Jenny Diver in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and Bertha in a modernized production of Rossini’s Barber of Seville. He has also ventured into operatic film with Opera Theater Oregon. Tim is a rostered artist as both a countertenor/tenor and multi-instrumentalist (recorders and Renaissance winds) for Cirque du Soleil and performs regularly with Cappella Romana, Portland Baroque Orchestra, along several other ensembles along West Coast. Tim is a regular recording artist for Oregon Catholic Press and has done voice-over work for film. He can be heard every week as Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Choir’s staff alto soloist.
CBMopera.com 19
Sue Bonde, COSTUME DESIGNER Originally from Chicago, Sue Bonde taught Theatre Design at the College of DuPage and worked as a freelance costume designer and technician for the Goodman Theater and Chicago Light Opera Works. In Portland, Oregon she was the shop manager and resident designer for The New Rose Theatre and Portland Repertory Theater. In 1993 she opened Bon Design Studio with her husband. Clients include: Imago Theatre, Fred Meyer, US Bank, and Sears. Film and video credits include: Wee Sing children’s videos, Disney’s Incredible Journey II and The Temp. Sue joined Michael Curry Design studios working on the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Super Bowl Half-Time, Disney’s Epcot Millennium Parade, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Veggie Tales stage show, and the original build of The Lion King on Broadway. Bonde has designed shows for Portland State University, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Artist’s Repertory Theatre, and Mock’s Crest Productions. Her costume design credits for Portland Opera Association include The Return of Ulysses, Albert Herring , La Calisto , Il Ballo delle ingrate/Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda/Trouble in Tahiti, L’heure espanogle / L’enfant et les sortileges, Galileo, and Postcard from Morocco. Recipient of two Willamette Week Excellence in Theater Awards and two Portland Drammy Awards, Sue is a full-time faculty member and fashion show director at The Art Institute of Portland. Omar Ramos, VIDEO DESIGNER Omar Ramos Video Designer is keenly interested in emerging technologies, real-time design for aleatoric stage performances, and works that question perceptions of reality and undermine prevailing ideas about how humanity and the world function. Recent projection designs include: Into the Woods, Cocoanuts, The Tenth Muse (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (Claire Trevor School of the Arts, UCI). Omar is currently the Video Supervisor at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR. Robert Peterson, LIGHTING DESIGNER Robert Peterson has designed over 60 shows at the following Regional Theaters: Old Globe Theatre (San Diego); American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco); Seattle Repertory Theatre; Goodman Theatre (Chicago); Alliance Theatre (Atlanta); Indiana Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Repertory Theatre of St Louis, Alaska Repertory Theatre; Arizona Repertory Theatre; Berkeley Repertory Theatre; San Jose Repertory New Mexico Repertory Theatre, Theatre; Portland Center Stage; Intiman Theatre (Seattle); and PCPA Theatrefest. For years he was Resident Lighting Designer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, designing over 140 shows in all three theatres. His other credits include: Vice President Craterian Performances Company – Medford OR, Associate Artist at Indiana Repertory Theatre; Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet International, concert lighting provider for Bonnie Raitt, Miranda Lambert, Melissa Etheridge, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Tony Bennett, ZZ Top, and hundreds of others.
20 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Artists
Artists & Crew
Larry Larson, SET DESIGNER Larry Larson has been designing shows locally for the last 25 years. Recent design work includes this past summer’s production of Iolanthe for Mock’s Crest Productions, for which he is also the Artistic Director, last year’s productions of Ten Chimneys at ART, A Bright New Boise for Third Rail Repertory, The Velvet Sky for Theatre Vertigo and The Bohemian Christmas Revels for Portland Revels, where he has been the resident set designer since 2001. Larry has also designed for the Haven Project, Portland Repertory Theatre, Tygres Heart Shakespeare Company, Northwest Children’s Theatre, Summer Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa, Portland Actor’s Conservatory, Portland Civic Theatre, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival/Portland, where he was the Design Associate for 6 seasons. Larry has an MFA from the University of Washington in Scenic and Lighting Design. He teaches Design and Theatrical Production at the University of Portland, where he is the Chair of Department of Performing and Fine Arts.
“We will be soldiers, so our sons may be farmers, so their sons may be artists.” Attributed to Thomas Jefferson
CBMopera.com 21
Artists
Artists and Crew
SUPERNUMERARIES Jarrett Brown Brother of Navy Seaman and Iraq/Afghanistan War Veteran Candace R. Charleston Navy Veteran Sean Davis Army Infantry, Purple Heart Recipient Zechariah Dirdak Oregon National Guard Melody R. Frye Navy, First Gulf War Veteran John S. Gilbert Major USMC Ret. Afghanistan War Veteran James Sherman Army Corps of Engineers Echo Townsend Former Army Wife, Operation Enduring Freedom, Daughter of WWII Veteran and sister of Vietnam Veteran
ORCHESTRA PIANO FLUTE ENGLISH HORN, OBOE CLARINET HORN TROMBONE BASS TROMBONE PERCUSSION HARP VIOLIN I VIOLIN II VIOLA CELLO BASS
Janet Coleman GeorgeAnne Ries Kelly M. Gronli Louis DeMartino Michael Hettwer David Bryan Jack Quinby Gordon Rencher, Brian Gardiner Jenny Lindner Margaret Bichteler, concertmaster; Lucia Atkinson, Lucia Conrad, Janet George Nelly Kovalev, Lisbeth Dreier, Jenny Estrin Hillary Oseas, Lauren Elledge, Adam Hoornstra Hamilton Cheifetz, Dieter Ratzlaf Michelle Lindberg
MUSIC LIBRARIAN Jessica Crawford
22 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Artists & Crew CHORUS
Ethan Sperry, Director Benjamin Espa単a, Associate Conductor SOPRANOS Lily Breshears Ellyn Culmsee Hanaa El-warari Saori Erickson Lisa Riffel Elizabeth Soper ALTOS Emmalyn Fox Haley Maddox Joanna Meline Elizabeth Winship Anna Patterson Emily Skeen TENORS Jonathan Green Gareth Hauser Aaron Lange Anthony Nguyen Justin Peters Ian Timmons BASSES Grant Edwards Ben Espa単a Darian Hutchinson Jonathan Roberts Colin Shepard Tom Swafford
CHORUS REHEARSAL Colin Shepard ACCOMPANIST
CBMopera.com 23
Artists
Artists and Crew ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
REHEARSAL PIANIST CHORUS MANAGER ORCHESTRA MANAGER VOCAL AND CASTING CONSULTANT
Janet Coleman Benjamin Espa単a Jessica Crawford Pamela South
PRODUCTION PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Jon Wangsgard ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Brianna Ooms ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Christopher Wilkerson TECHNICAL PROPERTIES MASTER PRODUCTION MANAGER SCENERY CONSTRUCTED SUPERTITLES
Em Douglas Eric Lyness Oregon Ballet Theatre Jessica Crawford
COSTUMES COSTUME BUILD MANAGER/DESIGN ASSISTANT FIRST HAND/STITCHER WING SCULPTOR HAIR & MAKEUP
24 Canticle of the Black Madonna
Jason Bray Susan Morgan Dan Luce Jessica Carr
Thank Thank You
Special thanks to Pamela South Naomi Segal & Jonathan Deitz Jacqueline Magner John & Linda Cummens Bereniece Jones Robert Kyr Sean Davis Jeremiah Washburn Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, and all the soldiers portrayed in their documentary Restrepo
Echo Townsend William Ritch Steven Alexander Belle Landau Central City Concern Rocky & Shelley Ma’nos Portland Opera Costume Shop Paul Dyer and all the soldiers portrayed in the documentary Shepherds of Helmand
A special dedication from Tiziana DellaRovere I dedicate this opera to my father Marino, a veteran of two wars, my mother Elsa, my sister Marina, and to all families coping with PTSD, and to the people and the animals affected by the devastation of the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill.
CBMopera.com 25
Supporters Our Supporters
26 Canticle of the Black Madonna
CORPORATE SUPPORT
Ashland Springs Hotel ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM
Sentinel Hotel
Six Days Art Gallery
Classic Pianos
4 Spirits Distillery
Paschal Winery
Rising Sun Farms
Portland Metro Veterans Connection
UPS Store #5792 Oregon City
CBMopera.com 27
Supporters Our Supporters
DIAMOND ($50,000+) Richard Gordon EMERALD ($25,000+) Lisa Brazelton SAPPHIRE ($10,000+) Haines Charitable Trust Anonymous RUBY ($5,000+) Barry & Kathryn Thalden Karen & Bill Early FIRE OPAL ($1,000+) Scott & Jessica Parker Marci Shimoff Bob Morse TOPAZ ($500+) Don Hastler & Dan Bergsvik Jolie Johnson Renee Shahrok Nancy Johnson Anonymous
28 Canticle of the Black Madonna
INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS
TURQUOISE ($250+) Robert & Kathryn Scholl, Jean MacTarnahan, Barbara Summering, Miah Washburn, Mary & John West, Light Touch Chiropractic (Robert Medeck), Kathleen Hall, John Gilbert, Marshall Mueller, Peter Sage, Pamela & Thomas Prislac, Jeffrey Morgan, Bill & Kate Lockwood, Igor Levental AMBER ($100+) Gisela & Fritz Brune, John & Joanne Rudoff, Michelle Matthews, Rocky & Shelley Ma’nos, Clarke Donelson, Debbie Levin, Lori Henrickson, Rhea Arthur, Donnie Maclurcan, Jodine Cognato, Shoshana Alexander, Inara Miyake, Ralph Morse, Gary Ferrington, Peter Cheesebrough, Meg Kaufman, Evelyn Gans, Lindsey Cafferky McMahon, John Shonerd, Charmin Moore, Carol Morse, Rhonda Meals, Margita LaGrotta, Danae Steele, James Sugarman, Melissa Gats, Alchemy Botanicals (Tricia Acheatel), Amanda Kulmac, Steve Lyons, Thomas & Sonya Prislac, Thomas Brinson, Rose Gagne, Hannah Grace, Greg Eicher, Dr. Suzanne Best, Dolores & Fernando Leon, Deanna Wilson/Windermere Real Estate, Rebecca Roberts Svetlev AMETHYST ($50+) Tena Olson, Carl Backstrom, Sean Davis, Wendy Fountain, Susan Scorso, Evelyn Tretwold, Margaret Englestad, Amelia Goodyear, Sam Keller, Vaughn Ball, Peg Ball, Mary Staffa, Jill Slansky, Vicky Dallmann, Christopher Morse, Jill Rothman, Lorie Anderson, Darlene De La Plata, Misa Hopkins, Rhonda Busby, Colin Kennedy, Billie Barton, Margaret Englestad, Jamie & Warren Damon, Karen Hilsander, Mary Church, Marilyn Hedlund, Meg & Dustin Ward, Brian Haskins, Lilli Ferguson CORAL ($25+) Ken Deveney, Ron Lazar, Joan Weiss, Tim & Sue Cate, Sam Handlin, Susan Flanagan, Fahad Siadat, Laurel Dantas, Casey Galusha, Boca Raton, Gail Goodrick, Yvonne Capouch
CBMopera.com 29
It will devastate two countries It will topple the President It will kill two million people And one man will try to stop it before it begins
The based on real events Ghosts of Tonkin by Steve Lyons Directed by Mark Kuntz September 27, 7:30pm $20 Lincoln Performance Hall Portland State University www.BellinghamTheatreWorks.org
Returning Veterans Project is a nineyear old Oregon nonprofit that asks licensed and insured mental health practitioners, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors and naturopaths to open a pro bono slot in their practice to provide free confidential services for Iraq & Afghanistan War Veterans, active duty service members and their families. We welcome your financial support and providers who want to volunteer to help heal our newest generation of war zone Veterans and their families. For more information please visit:
www.returningveterans.org
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
10% discount to all military families and woman entrepreneurs
Olive
a boutique graphic design studio
EISENSTEIN FINANCIAL SERVICES
Personal service with a global vision
MARK EISENSTEIN, Owner WEALTH MANAGEMENT • $250K MINIMUM INVESTMENT STRATEGIES • FEE BASED
541-842-4405 835 Alder Creek Dr. #B • Medford, Oregon www.eisensteinfs.com Investment Adviser Representative offering securities and advisory services through CETERA ADVISOR NETWORKS LLC Member FINRA/SIPC Cetera is separately owned from any other named entity
Veterans Cohort
Student Support Team Classes Designed for the Academic Success of Veterans and Current Service Members ›› A structured pathway to ease the transition into college. ›› Personalized learning with smaller classes limited to current service
members and veterans. ›› Access to personal academic advising and peer mentoring to enhance the student’s college experience and plan for future success.
VETERAN.SERVICES@MHCC.EDU
◆
503-491-7346
◆
MHCC.EDU/VETERANS
People, animals and the earth: better together
Visit Us ~ Tours are available Wednesdays and Saturdays by reservation through October 25th
Sanctuary One,
a nonprofit care farm located in southern Oregon, provides a safe place for animals, a healing place for people, while promoting environmental stewardship.
Stay with Us ~ Make a reservation to stay in our farm suite Work with Us ~ Volunteer opportunities in animal care, gardening, education, and much more Adopt from Us ~ Farm animal and pet adoptions
Help make a difference. Please donate today.
Shop from Us ~ Sample and purchase our organic produce this summer at the Jacksonville Farmers Market
www.SanctuaryOne.org i n fo @ s a n c t u a r yo n e . o r g
•
541-899-8627
Ad sponsored by an anonymous donor.
•
w w w. s a n c t u a r yo n e . o r g