The Presidio Theatre Performing Arts Center will conclude its season with the world premiere performance of the one-act chamber opera “Both Eyes Open.” The opera, which is about 90 minutes long, will be given three performances, co-presented by First Look Sonoma and Paul Dresher’s New Performance Traditions, along with The Presidio itself. The libretto is by playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, set to music by composer Max Giteck Duykers.
Baritone Suchan Kim and soprano Kalean Ung (photograph by Robbie Sweeny)
The libretto tells the story of the fictional hero, Jinzo Matsumoto, a Japanese-American farmer who is taken from his home in Stockton and incarcerated at an American concentration camp in Rohwer, Arkansas, during World War II. What unfolds is a haunting, hyperreal tale of love, ambition, injustice, and betrayal. The role of Matsumoto will be sung by baritone Suchan Kim, and his lover will be sung by soprano Kalean Ung. The other vocalist will be tenor John Duykers as the voice of a Daruma Doll.
The performance will be staged by Melissa Weaver, working with Movement Director Shinichi Iova-Koga. The setting will also involve the participation of Video Designer Kwame Braun and Visual Alchemist Matthew E. Jones. Benjamin Makino will conduct the vocalists and instrumentalists Marja Mutru, Joel Davel, Cory Tiffin, and Emanuela Nikiforova.
There will be three performances. The first of these will be a Matinee Preview beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 24. This will be followed, at 3:30 p.m., by a panel discussion and opportunities for talk-back from the audience. The premiere will then take place the following night, beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, followed by one more performance at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. Admission to the preview will be $10 payable at the door. Ticket prices for the other performances will be between $20 and $45. The Presidio Theatre has created a single Web page for online ticket purchases for both Saturday and Sunday. The venue is located in the Presidio at 99 Moraga Avenue. Those wishing further information about purchasing tickets can call the Box Office at 415-960-3949.
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