As One
Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
January 25-28, Longy School of Music of Bard College
A Chamber Opera
for Two Voices and String Quartet
January 25-28, 2018
PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LONGY SCHOOL OF MUSIC OF BARD COLLEGE
by arrangement with Bill Holab Music
commissioned and developed by American Opera Projects (AOP)
This production was made possible in part by a Creating & Presenting Grant from Cambridge Arts and the Mass Cultural Council.
One of the most timely and in-demand operas in America today. Accompanied by a string quartet, a mezzo-soprano and a baritone share the journey of a sole transgender protagonist -- Hannah before and Hannah after transition -- as she strives to reconcile the discord between her identity and the outside world. From her childhood inklings that she is different to her first steps toward transition and the deeper discoveries of herself, As One tells Hannah’s story with compassion and humor, through a powerful libretto and a pulsating, harmonic score.
Trailer from world premiere at Brooklyn Academy of Music
Critical Acclaim
“As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy…[with] winning humor and a satisfying emotional arc.”
The New York Times
“Two Voices, one human experience.”
The Salt Lake Tribune
“… a piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.”
Opera News
“The finale … is as uplifting as any operatic ending could be.”
Seattle Times
On this Page
Pre- and Post-Show Events
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Discussion with Creative Team, Cast, and Guest from the Community
Join composer Laura Kaminsky, co-librettist Mark Campbell, the cast and guests from the community in a talk-back after the show. We'll discuss how and why the show was written, the challenges of two singers portraying one character, and much more.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Social Action Discussion
Wondering how you can make a difference? Join us after the show as we speak with David Topping, Field Director for Freedom for All Massachusetts, about the campaign to preserve MA’s transgender-inclusive public accommodation laws, which is currently the subject of a repeal effort scheduled to be voted on the November 2018 elections.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Explorations of Identity
Join us for a post-show discussion that explores gender, identity and the voice with members from the community led by guest speaker Dr. Helen Lewis, Assistant Professor of Theater and Queer/Gender Studies at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Empowering Youth through the Arts
Pre-show screening of The Year We Thought About Love, a 68 minute documentary film which celebrates the powerful work of a Boston LGBTQ troupe, True Colors: OUT Youth Theater, as they write a play about love. Conversation to follow with youth leaders from the film and representatives from the Theater Offensive. Limited tickets available. ($10 adults and $5 students)
Community Engagement
In addition to their own presentation of this ground-breaking opera, BOC will participate in a two-semester project lead by Dr. Judith Hill Bose. Longy students will study the work, produce a student version, and facilitate community engagement workshops across the Greater Boston area.
Meet Co-Librettist Kimberly Reed
The story of As One is loosely based on the life of co-librettist and filmmaker Kimberly Reed. Listen to part of her story as she told it on NPR's The Moth.
Cast & Creative Team
Cast
American baritone, Scott Ballantine, has returned to Boston for the 2017-2018 season after a summer with the Utah Festival of Opera and Musical Theatre, where he rehearsed and performed for twelve weeks in four productions. The day he returned to the east coast, he jumped immediately into a new performance schedule--joining the Southern Vermont Lyric Theatre as Schaunard in La Bohème. Now, Ballantine is thrilled to join Boston Opera Collaborative (BOC) as a member for the season.
California native mezzo-soprano Jaime Korkos has been singing on the east coast for the last 8 years. In that time, she has sung the title roles in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, Hoffman's La Perichole, Massanet's Cendrillon, and Dvorak's Rusalka. Other role highlights include Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) and La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi). Ms. Korkos has also sung with Odyssey Opera and sings regularly with Boston Lyric Opera.
Rebecca Krouner’s performances as Carmen have been praised as “fiery and sultry” with a “luscious, powerful voice of wide range and dynamics.” Resident Artist at Opera San Jose and MM from Manhattan School of Music. Past roles include Azucena, Orlofsky, Komponist, Abbess, Cherubino, Meg Page, and Dritte Dame. Local performances with Panopera, Lowell House Opera, MetroWest Opera, Boston Civic Symphony, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Radcliffe Chorus, Odyssey Opera.
American Baritone, Andrew Miller, is a native of Arlington, TX. Known for his "warm, mellow baritone" and "fine comic sensibilities", Andrew made his BOC debut as Vicomte de Valmont in The Dangerous Liaisons. Previous credits include: Boston Midsummer Opera, OperaHub, NEMPAC Boston, The Boston Conservatory, Janiec Opera Company and Fort Worth Opera. Andrew trained as a young artist at the Brevard Music Festival and is currently finishing his B.M. at The Boston Conservatory.
Ensemble
Marie Oka, first violin
Liubomyr Senyshyn, second violin
Hayley Murks-Abdikadirova, viola
You Kyung Kim, cello
Creative Team
Andrew Altenbach, conductor
Jean Anderson Collier, vocal coach
Greg Smucker, stage director
Andy Nice, scenic design
Chris Bocchiaro, lighting design
Tazzy Cole, costume design
Mitchell Girgasky, production manager
Resources
Online
Books
Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen
by Arin Andrews
Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family
by Amy Ellis Nutt
Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue 1st Edition
by Nicholas Teich