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 upcoming 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