The Living Libretto

THE LIVING LIBRETTO - OPERA IN EDEN gives audiences a first glimpse at two new one-act operas being written by resident artists in American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP).
FOURTH WAVE BEAUTY QUEENS
Composer: Kathleen Tagg
Librettist: Laura Barati
FOURTH WAVE BEAUTY QUEENS delves into the relationship between Délia, a feminist academic researching extreme beauty treatments, and her mother, Flora. When Délia receives rare prototypes of the latest, miracle anti-aging and weight loss treatments as a gift, she and Flora are forced to face their ultimate temptations. A darkly comedic mother-daughter story, FOURTH WAVE BEAUTY QUEENS explores the competing desires and gordian knot of living within the female gaze.
THE SHADOW
Composer: Ivette Herryman Rodríguez
Librettist: Samuel Norman
A simple experiment goes terribly wrong. A man accidentally detaches himself from his shadow, which flits off into the night. No matter how hard he tries, he’s unable to recover it, and eventually he is forced to move on… until the evening he receives an unexpected visitor. Adapted from the twisted tale by Hans Christian Andersen, THE SHADOW explores the fragility of identity, and how easily reality itself can be usurped by a good story.

The two libretti will be read by professional actors, followed by discussion with the writers. Moderated by ALT’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, these discussions between the audience, composers and librettists explore dramatic structure, characterization, and timing of action in opera vs. spoken drama, providing audiences with a unique perspective into the early stages of each opera’s development.

Join us for an exciting afternoon of discovery, with an incredible group of artists who are changing the face of American opera!

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher American Lyric Theater