Video Design, NYC 2018
ἐπὶ δὲτῶν
κύκλων αὐτοῦ
ἄνωθεν
ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστου βεβηκέναι
Σειρῆνα
Kate Soper's Here Be Sirens is a new opera exploring the identities - both personal and historical - of the Homeric Sirens.
Peitho, Phaino, and Polyxo are eternally marooned on their island prison, stuck in a loop of time and legend as they strive to remember their past and understand who and what they are.
The projections provide an important connection for the sirens, rooting them in historical context and associating them with their modern identities. As the sirens meander through the endless cycles of daily life, they struggle to remember who they are and how they got there. The images realize the mythos and pathos of their existence – reflecting both their role in history and myth and their own feelings about their fate.
Victoria Benson, soprano, “Polyxo”
Claire Myers McCormick, soprano, “Peitho”
Devony Smith, soprano, “Phaino”
Amber Treadway, director
Liene Dobraja, costume design
Matthew Wasser, projection design