"Renegade Opera's penchant for bold and original programming continued unabated with their most recent outing, a chamber opera called Waking the Witch by Ashi Day. Originally written for a solo countertenor, RO reimagined it for two women's voices, so the roles of Serafina and Gertrude were sung by Abigail Krawson and Madeline Ross respectively. There was also shadow puppetry performed by Becca Wirta and Claire Aldridge of Basement Stair Collective,"
"The Chapel Theatre - a cool little hole-in-the-wall place tucked away in a residential neighborhood in Milwaukie - was the venue, and the stage was such that there were two white sheets with bright lights behind them bracketing the orchestra. Krawson and Ross were on the floor, roving in and out amongst the patrons. It was immersive in the sense that we, the audience, were the accused, with Serafina and Gertrude in the role of witchfinders."
Renegade Opera presented Waking the Witch by Ashi Day, reimagined from a solo countertenor work for two women's voices performed by Abigail Krawson and Madeline Ross. Shadow puppetry by Basement Stair Collective complemented a sizable chamber orchestra conducted by Danielle Jagelski. The performance took place in the intimate Chapel Theatre, with two backlit white sheets framing the orchestra and vocalists moving through the audience. The staging made the audience assume the role of the accused while hooded, plainchanting witchfinders stalked and interrogated them. The witchfinders chanted 'Death to heretics!' and framed witchcraft as a temptation for the weak, lonely, and jealous poor.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]