THE FALLING AND THE RISING

Zach Redler and Jerre Dye’s The Falling and the Rising is an opera that tells a powerful and uplifting story, highlighting the indomitable spirit of the U.S. military. Conceived by Staff Sergeant Benjamin Hilgert of the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus, the opera is based on real-life interviews with activeduty and veteran soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. The Falling and the Rising is impactful wherever it is performed, but a special collaboration between DMMO and the Iowa National Guard allows the story to come to life in the very space where members of the Guard—our own Iowa friends and neighbors—train, conduct drills and mobilize when they are called for deployment.

The experience will be immersive. From the moment guests step into the Freedom Center they will find themselves pulled into the story, surrounded by military artifacts, Humvees, equipment and personnel— the chorus will be comprised entirely of Iowa veterans—and captivated by the story’s protagonist, a strong female hero known simply as “Soldier.”

The partnership is a meaningful one for both DMMO and the Iowa National Guard. Jackie Schmillen, Director of Public Affairs for the Iowa National Guard, shares “people form bonds through shared experiences. Collaborating with DMMO assists in telling the story of the Iowa National Guard. There is so much more to our organization than people realize, and opportunities like this one help to show a different side of who we are.” For DMMO, it is an opportunity to fulfill the company’s programmatic goal to feature stories of our own time and to create performance environments in which our work generates more meaningful and engaging experiences for audiences.

A community talkback session after each performance will allow all audience members—active duty servicemembers, veterans and civilians alike—to engage with the thematic content of the opera more deeply. Audience members will also have the opportunity to enjoy the impressive collections at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum.

All together, this summer’s The Falling and the Rising is an ideal example of what DMMO’s 2nd Stages Series— and operatic storytelling as a whole—can be: powerful, collaborative, engaging and community-centric.

Performance Venue: Freedom Center at Camp Dodge