“A short, feminist opera about social change” is how composer Marie Incontrera describes her new project. In short, it’s a “riot girl opera.”
“At the Other Side of the Earth” is scheduled to debut May 18 at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in New York. The cast features Layla Jasmine Presson, Katherine Cardin, Monica Harte, Scottie Roché and Lisa Difiore. J. Julian Christopher directs.
Here’s the synopsis:
Aurora is forced to face who she truly is when she meets Layla, an out-and-proud “riot grrrl” with a bold and brazen demeanor. Layla’s radical political activism and boyish charm cause Aurora great inner turmoil and conflict until she comes out, gaining confidence and proudly declaring herself.
When the two women begin their affair, their love clashes with an oppressive, conservative society where same-sex relationships are against the law. Their struggle with a George Orwellian law enforcer, appropriately named The Man, and his silent, trickster Wife, prove to be both terrifying and hilariously futile, as the two women attempt to follow their hearts to great risk.
