Guerilla Opera to Close Season with World Premiere of BEOWULF

Guerilla Opera, in conclusion of their ninth season, presents the world premiere of Beowulf with music and libretto by Hannah Lash, stage direction by Andrew Eggert, and scenic design by Julia Noulin-Mérat. Lash's Beowulf is a modern-day adaptation of the well know epic poem, in which Beowulf is a doctor caring for his elderly mother and suffering from post-traumatic stresses upon his return from a recent war. He discovers that his mother is being abused by the nursing home staff and removes her, determined to care for her himself. In discussing the opera, composer Hannah Lash said:

My opera, 'Beowulf,' is not an adaptation or retelling of the original legend. I used the title and the name for the main character to evoke the archetype of a hero who struggles to overcome a monster. It is a story about a former army doctor who suffers from PTSD, experiencing a haunting flashback from his days in combat. Now as a civilian doctor, he cares for his aging mother. It is a story about love, loss, and the sometimes unbearable burden on those who take care of others.

Beowulf is approximately 70 minutes in duration, sung in English and plays for five performances: Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 and Friday-Saturday, May 27-28, 2016. An audience talk-back will directly follow the Sunday, May 22 performance. There will be no late seating for these performances, because of the scenic design installation. All performances are in The Zack Box Theater at The Boston Conservatory at 8 The Fenway, Boston, MA. Tickets are on sale and are $15 for general admission and $10 for senior citizens. All tickets are subject to a $2 fee. Tickets are free for students, as available, on the day of with a valid ID and must be claimed at the door via student rush beginning one hour prior to the scheduled performance start time. To purchase tickets, visit bostonconservatory.edu/tickets or call The Boston Conservatory Box Office at (617) 912-9222 (Wednesday-Friday, 12-5 p.m.).

Featured Ensemble and Creative Team:
Andrew Eggert, stage director
Julia Noulin-Mérat (director of design and production), resident scenic designer
Daniel Chapman, lighting designer
Neil Fortin, resident costume designer

Brian Church, baritone as Beowulf
Aliana de la Guardia, soprano as the Mother
Brendan P. Buckley, tenor as the Nurse
Amy Advocat, clarinets
Phillip Stäudlin, saxophones
Lilit Hartunian, violin
Mike Williams (artistic director), percussion

SPECIAL EVENTS

Live Streamed Performance (Saturday, May 28, 2016 at 8 p.m. EST)
Guerilla Opera will live stream the world premiere of Beowulf by Hannah Lash on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at 8 p.m. EST from The Zack Box Theater at The Boston Conservatory. The live stream can be viewed athttps://livestream.com/guerillaopera and is free of charge to watch. Courtesy of Ball in Square Films.

Talk-Back with the Creative Team (Sunday, May 22, 2016)
Join in a conversation with the composer, director, cast, and creative team from Beowulf directly following the performance on Sunday, September 20, 2015. Talk-backs are included with ticket purchases and are held in The Zack Box Theatre at The Boston Conservatory.

This production is made possible through the generosity of Timothy and Jane Gillette and The Boston Conservatory Ensemble-in-Residence program.

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