Proving Up
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A chilling, surreal look at the American Dream, where the requirements for survival can take your sanity.
Join WTAMU Opera for a powerful and haunting production of "Proving Up," a groundbreaking chamber opera from two of the most celebrated and innovative voices in contemporary opera, composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. Based on a short story by Karen Russell, this opera has been hailed as "harrowing...powerful...a true opera of our time" (The Washington Post) and "a tense and creepy journey into the heart of Manifest Destiny's darkness" (The New York Times).
The Story: Set on the brutal, unforgiving plains of 1870s Nebraska, "Proving Up" follows the Zegner family as they strive to "prove up" and claim the deed to their land under the Homestead Act. The government has strange requirements, including a sod house, five years of harvest, and perhaps the most elusive and symbolic element of all: a single glass window. With their eldest son incapacitated, the family sends their youngest, Miles, on a perilous mission to share this one precious window with distant neighbors who are expecting a government inspector. Miles' journey brings him face-to-face with past tragedies and a sinister figure known as "The Sodbuster," as the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a true masterpiece of our time, performed by the talented students of the WTAMU Opera program in an intimate setting that amplifies the story’s visceral emotional power.
Join WTAMU Opera for a powerful and haunting production of "Proving Up," a groundbreaking chamber opera from two of the most celebrated and innovative voices in contemporary opera, composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. Based on a short story by Karen Russell, this opera has been hailed as "harrowing...powerful...a true opera of our time" (The Washington Post) and "a tense and creepy journey into the heart of Manifest Destiny's darkness" (The New York Times).
The Story: Set on the brutal, unforgiving plains of 1870s Nebraska, "Proving Up" follows the Zegner family as they strive to "prove up" and claim the deed to their land under the Homestead Act. The government has strange requirements, including a sod house, five years of harvest, and perhaps the most elusive and symbolic element of all: a single glass window. With their eldest son incapacitated, the family sends their youngest, Miles, on a perilous mission to share this one precious window with distant neighbors who are expecting a government inspector. Miles' journey brings him face-to-face with past tragedies and a sinister figure known as "The Sodbuster," as the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a true masterpiece of our time, performed by the talented students of the WTAMU Opera program in an intimate setting that amplifies the story’s visceral emotional power.
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Where is it happening?
Mary Moody Northen Hall, 2398 Sgt Cal Johnson, Canyon, TX 79015, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherWTAMU Opera
