At a recent visit to the hairdresser, when I had my head upside down in the sink, the apprentice washing my hair said she’d seen me on TV last year. I’d been on NECN talking about the Ouroboros Trilogy. A crowd of young women with blue hair, purple streaks, body piercings, and tattoos immediately surrounded me. They wanted to hear about REV. 23. They’d never been to an opera before and maybe never would but for the fact that I said, “How would you like to come to REV. 23 as my guest? We have a free ticket program.” Their whoops of excitement were deafening! The entire salon will be coming to the show on Saturday after work. And I thought, “This is White Snake Projects!”
As a new opera company, we’re still feeling our way into our identity. Our fundamental mission is to combine the creation of original new opera, produced at the highest level, with social activism. No one living in America today can escape what is transpiring in our society. Politics infects/divides every aspect of our lives, from global warming, health care, immigration, education, housing, social justice, to law enforcement, and on and on . . . No artist is immune.
White Snake Projects has heard the call to action. We’re uniquely situated to engage in public discourse of inclusion through the prism of art, by telling socially relevant stories grounded in universal myths, not didactically, but with artistry, creating an experience that should be shared by all.
We’re working with City Councilor-At-Large, Ayana Pressley, to reach constituencies which have never been touched by opera; we’re giving away free tickets so that no one who wants to go the opera will be denied access. We’re rolling out our Free Ticket program, our way of contributing to the social discourse that’s happening now.
Photo: Kathy Wittman