Thompson Street Opera Company Opens Their 11th Season with A Groundbreaking Double Bill
The 2022-2023 Season is TSOC’s 11th, and as usual, the company is taking risks and breaking new ground– producing their first work in Spanish, presenting seven company debuts, and working in a new venue.
REDENCIÓN, by Puerto Rican composer Johanny Navarro, has a poetic Spanish-language libretto by José Félix Gómez Aponte inspired by real events. A man in prison for murder begins a correspondence with an anonymous woman, who later reveals herself to be the mother of the woman he killed. Their mutual vulnerability with each other presents a unique opportunity for answers, redemption, and peace. In a cast of all company debuts, soprano Alejandra Villarreal Martinez appears as the woman, Agnes, with baritone Anthony Jones as the man, Léon. Covering Martinez is Hillary Esqueda, and covering Jones is Roosevelt CCPA senior Charles Butler. At the helm of this first production is returning favorite Ross Matsuda. His affinity for intimate two-person operas was last on display with TSOC in their much-lauded production of I will fly like a bird, which saw Matsuda’s work praised as “accomplished” and “resourceful” by Chicago Classical Review.
Following an intermission, the company presents the Chicago premiere of THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A ROBOT by Portuguese composer Pedro Finisterra, created in collaboration with librettist and playwright Edward Einhorn. This darkly funny and deeply moving work takes place in a post-apocalyptic future when humans can no longer procreate. In a last-ditch effort, robots create a boy named Orgo to continue the human race. However, Orgo wants to be a robot, like his friends, and when the robot king brings in a woman named Sally to teach Orgo to be human, he resists. Where can he find his place when he fits in neither human nor robot society? Starring as Orgo is Ash Hurtado, last seen with the company as Marie Schumann in their 2020 film production of Ghost Variations. Appearing as his robot friends Calco and Cleano are soprano Ariel Downs and tenor Brian Pember, and baritone Ian Murrell makes his company debut as the ominous-yet-comical Kingo, the robot king. Returning to the company after a fantastic debut earlier this year is mezzo-soprano Hailey Cohen in the role of Sally, the desperate human teacher. Leading this quirky work is director Paige Dirkes-Jacks, whose experience with children’s theatre and puppet/toy theatre infuses their vision of this bizarre and joyful land at the end of the world.
Returning to the conductor’s podium is Gregory Tufts. Bringing these two worlds to life with design are company Executive & Artistic Director Claire DiVizio (costumes/hair, set), Sarah Thompson Johansen (costumes), and Erik Tylkowski (lights, set).
Redención//The Boy Who Wanted to be a Robot plays Nov 11-13 and 17-20 at the Otherworld Theatre. Please visit the venue’s website to reserve tickets in advance.