ONE DROP
One drop
an opera in three acts
Composed and adapted by Thomas Cabaniss
Adapted from the 1931 play “Brass Ankle” by DuBose Heyward (Porgy and Bess)
In a small rural outpost of South Carolina in the early 1930s, Ruth & Larry Leamer await the birth of their second child. As a segregationist, Larry is part of a group of white men who seek to exclude those with even “one drop” of mixed race blood from their local school. Unaware of the complexity of their own family histories, and much to the expectant parents’ surprise, their second child, a son, is born with black features. Realizing that they are suddenly potential outcasts from white society, Ruth and Larry reel from the stunning reversal that the boy represents. Unable to find another solution that would preserve her six year old daughter’s status as a white person, Ruth falsely confesses to sleeping with a black man, knowing it will provoke a drunken Larry, who, in a blind rage, murders his wife and son.
Read more about the One Drop workshop here: AOP Newsletter
Link to One Drop November 2 program here: Program
Composer
Thomas Cabaniss (composer) The first volume of his string quartets, Four Elements, was released earlier this year; Volume 2 will be released on November 8th. His works for Carnegie Hall’s orchestra education program (LinkUp!), are performed every year by over 120 orchestras in the U.S. and around the world. Recent commissions include a new piece for the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra and an opera for children ages 0-2, both of which will premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2025. His operas include The Sandman and Denmark Vesey. He has written several works for The Young People’s Chorus of New York City, including “Heaven Is,” which is part of This Time Round, a film about choral singing during the pandemic. He teaches at The Juilliard School and serves as a consultant for the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, where he helped to create The Lullaby Project, collaborating with young parents in shelters, hospitals, and prisons. More at: http://www.thomascabaniss.com
CAST
Inna Dukach (Soprano) — Ruth Leamer
David Freides (Tenor) — Lee Burton
Pedro Sequera (Tenor) — Reverend Latterby
Daniel McGrew (Tenor) — Larry Leamer
Daniel Klein (Bass) — Pink Jones
Philip Stoddard (Baritone) — John Chaldon/Luke Jackson
David Adam Moore (Baritone) — Dr. Wainright
Thomas Meglioranza (Baritone) — Jake Darcy
partners
Bare Opera is alternative opera company in New York City reinventing the opera experience. Founded in 2014 by three women—Min Lew, Laetitia Ruccolo, and Kirsten Scott—the company has only evolved its mission and broadened its artistic base. With minimalist, modern aesthetics, our exceptional emerging and established artists bring you the bare essentials of opera—a candid, immersive theatrical experience with breathtakingly beautiful music at its core. Taking place in unconventional spaces like galleries and warehouses, we strive to strip opera of its clichés and create a visceral and intimate experience for audiences, experienced and new alike. Bare Opera is keeping opera alive in the 21st century, one fresh production at a time.
Information
Duration 100' / one intermission
Commission One Drop is currently in development with American Opera Projects (AOP) and Bare Opera.
Premiere TBD
Roles 9 Singers (1 soprano, 1 treble, 3 tenors, 3 baritones, 1 bass)
Instrumentation Piano