Orange County School of the Arts' Classical Voice Conservatory Presents Digital Production of THIS IS THE RILL SPEAKING

Orange County School of the Arts is capping off the 2019-2020 school year with a groundbreaking digital rendition of the charming and comedic opera, Lee Hoiby's "This is The Rill Speaking." The Classical Voice Conservatory, led by Director Ryan Reithmeier, has reimagined the one-act "play for voices" as a series of 14 vignettes. The presentation beautifully captures the character of each scene as it would in the stage production. Written in English, the play feels like a musical and is accessible for all audiences. The production has been a collaborative effort by Stage and Video Director Mark LaManna, Music Director Izumi Kashiwagi, Conductor Stephen Coker, Producer Reithmeier and a double-cast of 13 Classical Voice Conservatory students.

After receiving a call from Lamanna asking permission to move forward with this new video presentation, the opera's librettist Mark Shulgasser gave his "blessings for the project" and commented, "It's so great to be able to believe that something wonderful is to come out of the midst of, even strange to say, because of this terrible situation."

"This is the Rill Speaking" is a 39-minute, one-act opera based on the play by Lanford Wilson and adapted by Shulgasser. The poignant story follows a family of four and their friends, sharing their everyday concerns, hopes and dreams over the course of a hot June Day in 1953. A rill - another word for a small stream or a brook - meanders and flows across a landscape. Similarly, this story visits the lives of its characters in a non-linear and fluid fashion.

The cast and directors are excited to bring this show to audiences in a fresh way that opens up opportunities to explore different themes and techniques.

Lamanna commented, "One of the things I'm most proud of in the video is that the scenes feel like the characters are in the same space relating to each other. The show is beautifully intimate."

He continues, "In this new digital format, the camera picks up all the emotional changes each singer experiences as they breathe and sing. When recording, the singers didn't have to worry about projecting their voices to the back row of the theater, because the microphone was only two feet from them, which allowed them to sing more intimately. We rehearsed with all this in mind. The students allowed themselves to be beautifully open, knowing that the audience would be able to see, hear and feel everything that they were feeling. It's exciting that every person watching will have, in effect, a front-row seat."

Reithmeier, director of the Classical Voice Conservatory, further comments on the uniqueness of this production. "The opera will be distilled down to its most essential elements and focus the drama and the musical content on the actors, their interpretations and the directorial guidance that helps to propel this story. The audience will be immediately drawn into the novel idea of singing actors in different places, relating to each other in very real ways as they envision this story together, while apart."

In this way, Classical Voice's performance of "This is the Rill Speaking" feels very relatable considering the current restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the limitations on live performances. Evan Richards, a sophomore in the conservatory who plays Tommy in the opera, said he has found the experience fulfilling despite the hurdle of working remotely.

"The most rewarding part of working on this project was the final product: all of my favorite scenes coming together, all the laughs of my friends put aside, and seeing the amazing work that students at our school can achieve, even from home," said Richards. "Frankly, virtual coachings just aren't the same. You do learn a fair bit, but the hands-on experiences we get from our teachers in class can't be replicated the same way we would have expected before the quarantine. That was a huge hurdle for all of us. The fact we achieved what we did in the time we had is awesome, and I can't wait to see what we have accomplished!"

"This is the Rill Speaking" features music that is both challenging and dramatic, and the story provides some much needed emotional respite for audiences. Its themes of love, compassion and empathy are universal and remain relevant and impactful no matter what's happening in the current world.

Reithmeier added, "The narrative is not intended to be a spectacle or to make a dramatic statement, but rather it exists to tell a story of simple human interaction. I think we need that today more than ever. This show provides the audience with a sense of calm, as well as joy, laughter and care for the characters they encounter."

"This is the Rill Speaking" premieres on OCSA's YouTube channel on June 25, at 10 a.m. and can be viewed through the end of the day on June 30. An introductory teaser video can be viewed now. The production is generously underwritten by the Samueli Foundation.

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