Returning: The Ordeal of Olive Oatman at Opera America's National Opera Center

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2. Returning: The Ordeal of Olive Oatman

Tribeca New Music presents a concert reading of Returning: The Ordeal of Olive Oatman, a new 90-minute opera in three acts. Based on the true story of a Mormon girl taken captive by Native Americans, the drama takes place in the Southwestern USA in 1851. The score is by Edmund Cionek, libretto by Maryanne Bertollo, musical director is Gerald Steichen, stage direction by Jessica Medoff. 

Synopsis: The opera depicts the struggles of Olive Oatman (Natalie Ballenger) once she is returned to white society. Encouraged by charismatic charlatan Reverend Royal B. Stratton (Markel Reed) and her brother Lorenzo (Edward Washington II), Olive tours America speaking of her time as an adopted daughter of the Mohave. But are her words her own? Olive must learn to regain her true voice, and heal the fractures in her soul, as she goes from popular concert speaker to wife of respected rancher John Brant Fairchild (Christopher Job). Only when she is reunited with the Mohave Chief who acted as her father does Olive have the courage to reclaim what her heart truly values. Along her life's journey she is helped by down-to-earth madam and feminist Sarah Bowman, aka "The Great Western" (Jeanette Blakeney).  The haunting score combines Western music inspired by the period, with Native American influences.