LBO to Present THE DIFFICULTY OF CROSSING A FIELD, 6/22-29

"Is it an opera, is it a play, is it a musical?" Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang answers, "It is hard to locate precisely what world the music is in. Somehow this lack of precise location seems very true to the meaning of the story."

Based on American writer Ambrose Bierce's short story, The Difficulty of Crossing a Field is a tale about a farmer in pre-Civil War Alabama who takes a walk across his field in full view of his family, neighbors, and slaves, then suddenly vanishes from sight. Lang and Obie Award-winning playwright Mac Wellman explore the implications of unresolved disappearances and human perception. Hauntingly powerful, the work mixes arias with spoken text and emotional melodies with intense drama, all intimately accompanied by a lone string quartet.

In keeping with this operatic case study on perspective, LBO will reverse the traditional arrangement of viewers and performers. Convention is upended as audience members take their seats on the stage of the Terrace Theater in Long Beach and watch the mystery unfold in the vast recesses of the auditorium. The Difficulty of Crossing a Field Sunday, June 22, at 7:00 PM; Saturday, June 28, at 8:00 PM; and Sunday, June 29, at 2:00 PM.

Los Angeles native David Lang has made an indelible mark on the national and international music scene. In the words of The New Yorker, "Lang, once a post-minimalist enfant terrible, has solidified his standing as an American master."

An audience favorite, LBO is bringing back its original 2011 production of this work due to popular demand. The matinee performance on June 29th is already sold out and ticket buyers interested in the June 29th date should check back later with LBO's Box Office or the online ticket link for possible cancellations.

Single tickets are $29-$160 and can be purchased by calling the LBO Box Office at 562-432-5934 or online at www.longbeachopera.org/tickets.

To post a comment, you must register and login.