Dani Gagnon
Features Editor
Calling all Holy Grail fans: the theatre & dance department has a treat for you! Sangreal, an electronic opera, will debut its premier full production from April 14-16 at 7:30 p.m. in Freedlander Theatre. Peter Mowrey of the music department has written the libretto and score for the opera and has worked in collaboration with director Shirley Huston-Findley of the theater and dance department in addition to a myriad talented artists who were drawn to the production.
For this level of interdepartmental collaboration between music and theater you should carve out a space of your Friday evening to witness this truly rare and tremendously exciting spectacle. In the past the departments would collaborate every two years to produce a musical but as professionals transitioned, expertise lessened, and curriculum was revised the tradition ended, and the opportunities for connection between departments have become infrequent.
Mowrey and Findley, however, have worked together before. Five years ago at the Ingenuity Arts festival in Cleveland, they staged the first act of Sangreal. “That was an amazing experience, and I’m so glad we get to finish the job with most of the original cast and do a full premiere together here,” said Mowrey.
Another unusual feature of this production is the cast, which is composed of a group of professional opera singers from throughout the northeast Ohio region.
“The theatre folks are incredible; so creative, talented and experts at their craft — true artists,” said Mowrey. Because of this new components to the production process were taken in stride and met with calm and coordinated confidence.
Furthermore, while numerous successful mid-career professionals are involved, there remains student involvement. Helen Rooker ’18 is the stage manager for the production and works alongside a highly competent production team composed of assistant director Tashiyanah Hutchins ’17, and management assistants Ji In Yoo ’17 and Summit J. Starr ’16.
“[The opera singers], like Peter, bring a beautiful attitude which brightens up the space every rehearsal” said Rooker, looking back on the process and inclusion of additional participants to the production positively.
“Peter Mowrey has brought an air of excitement and collaboration to the process that I don’t see very often because most of the people in the department are either used to the experience of working a production or just don’t get excited in the same way. Having a fresh pair of eyes has made me look at this show more like I used to when first starting to work in theatre,” Rooker said.
Mowrey also cited the mutual benefits of inter-departmental works. “There is a natural symbiosis between our fields, and we love working together,” said Mowrey. “I am very hopeful that we will continue to do projects like this; it has been an amazing and unforgettable process.”
Ultimately, the opera itself and its production process has already offered and continues to offer opportunities for interdisciplinary attention as the content, the mythology of the Holy Grail, is unquestionably widely accessible to many discourses various departments.
Mowrey cited Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, as one of his favorite scholars on the subject for his emphasis on the relevance of metaphors found in human mythology, psychology, society and art.
“I’m not interested in a grail as any kind of physical object, but as a metaphor it’s pretty potent, and has represented different things in different versions of the grail myth. So when I started thinking about writing an opera, it was a good jumping-off point — the opera is about the grail in a sense, but the grail is really just a vehicle through which I can explore other issues: compassion, sacrifice, beauty, and the arts and sciences,” Mowrey explained.
Technically, this production incorporates new media. An electronic opera is enough to make anyone listen up. “The most obvious benefits are practical ones: first of all, I have access to a huge range of potential sounds; and second, an electronic opera is much easier to get performed when one does not have to involve an entire orchestra of musicians,” Mowrey said.
“But in this case, I also think an electronic accompaniment serves the surrealistic flavor of the opera very well — it is supposed to seem a bit otherworldly, and using electroacoustic sounds fits that well.”
Tickets and pricing are available at the box office in Freedlander Theatre Lobby and can be reached by phone at 330-263-2541.