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Past Artist Calls

Below are examples of past artist calls. Click on the text to learn more:

  1. “MONKEY: A Kung Fu Puppet Parable”
  2. Let’s Celebrate! Living Holiday Traditions in America
  3. Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices

Casting Puppeteers for White Snake Projects’ “MONKEY: A Kung Fu Puppet Parable”

White Snake Projects is casting experienced puppeteers, physical theater performers, and Kung Fu practitioners to animate puppet characters and perform as a movement-based ensemble in a new opera, MONKEY: A Kung Fu Puppet Parable inspired by the epic Chinese fable Journey to the West. Composed by Jorge Sosa with libretto by Cerise Lim Jacobs, this adventurous production will feature three life-scale puppet characters:

Monkey – A Bunraku-style puppet performed by 1 to 3 puppeteers

Zhu, a pig-man – A wearable backpack/body puppet performed by 1 puppeteer

Sha, a sand-spirit – An ethereal mask-and-fabric puppet performed by 1 to 3 puppeteers

The characters will be voiced by opera singers (already cast) and brought to life by the puppetry ensemble in full view of the audience. The puppets are designed and built by Tom Lee and the Chicago Puppet Studio with stage and puppetry direction by Roxanna Myhrum and Kung Fu choreography by Calvin Chin.

We are seeking to cast a diverse ensemble of performers with a wide range of performance experience, body types, and movement skills. In addition to established professionals, we welcome submissions from individuals with a passion for the subject matter who bring unique perspectives and skills to the project. While not required, prior experience with theatrical-scale puppetry, music/opera, dance, Kung Fu, and/or Chinese cultural performance styles are welcome and should be noted in application materials. Ensemble members should all bring a willingness to learn, play, experiment, and work collaboratively with members of a team.

Location & Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will take place in Boston and Brookline August 21-September 21, with calls in the afternoons and evenings. Performances will be September 22, 23, 24 at the Paramount Theatre in Boston. An additional 1-day movement workshop will take place before the rehearsal period, targeted for late spring 2023.

Fee Range
$2500-$3500, depending on the role, rehearsal availability, and experience.

While performers outside of Greater Boston are welcome to apply, please know we are unable to provide housing as part of the contract.

To Apply
To be considered, please fill out the brief form below by March 20th expressing your interest, skills, and availability. If selected, additional application materials may be requested by e-mail. Selected candidates may be asked to participate in a movement-based audition / interview either over Zoom or in person. Casting decisions will be made by the end of April 2023.

White Snake Projects is an equal opportunity employer. As an activist opera company, we encourage BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals to apply

 

 

SING OUT STRONG: Remembered Voices 

White Snake Projects is excited to announce the fifth commissioning Call for SING OUT STRONG, a community-based project that sets stories to music on activist themes to amplify underrepresented voices. In 2019, we launched this song series with SING OUT STRONG: Immigrant Voices. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 virus, we took these concerts online for SING OUT STRONG: DeColonized Voices and SING OUT STRONG: Essential Voices to great acclaim.

White Snake Projects has curated texts written by people who’s lives have been affected by the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19. We are seeking to remember and honor the lives of those who have battled COVID-19 by commemorating their spirits through song.

To apply, please fill out the online form here: https://forms.gle/gSgzp1eN8queZGFC9

  • Composers, please submit two (2) links to recorded samples of your work on hosted audio or video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Studio-quality recordings are not required. Due to the ongoing pandemic, SOS: Incarcerated Voices will be a virtual concert.  Please bear that in mind when composing your piece.  Musical Forces:  Piano, cello and Soprano or Baritone. Length: 2-5 minutes of music.
  • Any questions, email us at [email protected] with SING OUT STRONG: Remembered Voices, as the subject.
  • The applicants selected will be paid an honorarium.
  • Deadline: November 30th, 2021. Selected writers and composers will be notified by mid December, 2021.
  • Final songs are due January 30th, 2022.

PLEASE NOTE:  SELECTION AS AN SOS COMPOSER DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR WORK WILL BE PERFORMED OR PRESENTED BY WHITE SNAKE PROJECTS.

I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams

White Snake Projects is an activist opera company founded and led by an immigrant woman of color. We’re committed to integrating social activism with original opera, partnering with other activists to cross-promote important social issues and opera, and redefining how opera is made by involving young people from our community.  There is no better way to bridge the chasms of race, national origin, and gender than through a reimagined art form combining cutting edge technology, music, theater, and dance. We kicked off our ambitious strategy with Ouroboros Trilogy, a trio of grand operas, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Madame White Snake, in September 2016 and continued with REV. 23 (2017), PermaDeath (2018), I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams (2019), Alice in the Pandemic (2020), Death by Life (2021), and A Survivor’s Odyssey (2021).

 

SING OUT STRONG: Incarcerated Voices

White Snake Projects is excited to announce the fourth commissioning Call for SING OUT STRONG, a community-based project that sets stories to music on activist themes to amplify underrepresented voices. In 2019, we launched this song series with SING OUT STRONG: Immigrant Voices. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 virus, we took these concerts online for SING OUT STRONG: DeColonized Voices, and SING OUT STRONG: Essential Voices to great acclaim.

White Snake Projects has curated texts written by people who have experienced or are currently experiencing incarceration. These writers are figuring out life strategies every day when they wake up in their cells; they are working to reassimilate into society; they are mothers who become “lifers” because their children are lifers; poets, philosophers, activists . . . The stories that emerge show the humanity and brilliance of those experiencing incarceration as they forge new bonds, reconcile themselves with their actions, and move beyond mere survival to redefine what it means to live life fully within the constraints of the US penal system. It is humbling, frightening, and eye-opening. It is powerful, moving, and unapologetic. It is a call to action to those of us who have never experienced incarceration to make the changes necessary to break the cycle of poverty, discrimination, devaluation of black and brown lives, and incarceration.

We’re seeking composers who are moved by the times we live in and who want to collaborate to lift up the voices of people who have or currently are experiencing incarceration, and their families.

To apply, please fill out the online form here: https://forms.gle/HqkxEH5QWS3tK6SD8

-Composers, please submit two (2) links to recorded samples of your work on hosted audio or video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Studio- quality recordings are not required. Due to the ongoing pandemic, SOS: Incarcerated Voices will be a virtual concert. Please bear that in mind when composing your piece. Musical Forces: Piano, cello and Soprano or Mezzo. Length: 2-5 minutes of music.

-Any questions, email us at [email protected] with SING OUT STRONG: Incarcerated Voices, as the subject.

-The applicants selected will be paid an honorarium.

-Deadline: July 2nd, 2021. Selected writers and composers will be notified by mid July, 2021.

-Final songs are due September 7th, 2021

PLEASE NOTE: SELECTION AS AN SOS COMPOSER DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR WORK WILL BE PERFORMED OR PRESENTED BY WHITE SNAKE PROJECTS.


White Snake Projects Call for Visual Artists: VIRTUAL ART EXHIBIT

White Snake Projects is proud to present the world premiere opera, A Survivor’s Odyssey, which addresses inter-partner violence (IPV) issues through the lens of the women (Penelope and Circe) in Homer’s Odyssey. To accompany the opera, we are curating a virtual art exhibit showcasing the works of those who have experienced IPV (regardless of gender). We’re seeking artists who have experienced IPV and are comfortable sharing their artwork. There is no obligation to share the details of your story by any means, but you are welcome to if you’d like.

We will choose approximately 1-3 pieces per artist, and approximately 10 artists. If you are sending a physical copy of your artwork, please mail it to the address below, and include instructions on how to return it to you. If you are submitting digital images of your work, please send them to [email protected] .

Timeline:

  • Call for artists opens July 1, 2021
  • Deadline to apply: August 25, 2021
  • Virtual Exhibit: The virtual exhibit will be published online in October-September of 2021 (TBD). There will be a live Zoom during this time with a panel discussion on using art as a means of healing for IPV survivors.
  • Opera premiere: A Survivor’s Odyssey will premiere virtually on September 24, 26, and 28, 2021. These works may also be used as a pre-show for our audience.

To apply, please fill out this form:  WSP Call for Artists and Survivors and mail to the address on the form or email to [email protected].

 


“Let’s Celebrate! Living Holiday Traditions in America”

White Snake Projects, an activist opera company, is soliciting applications from composer/librettist teams to write short original operas based on their culture’s living holiday traditions as they are celebrated in the US. 

While Christmas is an important holiday tradition for many Americans, there are many other holidays celebrated in the United States today. With the beginning of the American “holiday season,” we want to hear about the celebrations that are important to you, your family, and your culture. Some examples of diverse cultural celebrations a composer/librettist team could write a story about are Hanukkah, the Spring Festival, O-Bon, Diwali, etc. The holiday you choose may take place any time of year. We emphasize that we’re looking for stories of lived experiences, not just an exposition of what the celebration is or how it originated. The holiday story must be set in America as we are showcasing how different cultural and ethnic groups celebrate their special holidays in America.

Requirements:

  1. No more than 20 minutes of music
  2. Ensemble: Violin, Cello, Piano
  3. Vocal Forces:  Soprano, Mezzo, Baritone
  4. Family friendly story and music
  5. Demonstrated ability to create theatrical works for voice, and instrumental ensemble. Previous experience writing for opera is not required.
  6. Willingness to work with dramaturgical and composing mentors
  7. At least three commissions will be awarded. These works should suit a diverse group of singers who will be singing all the chosen pieces and who may not necessarily represent the selected works’ ethnic or national origins. For example, a work celebrating the Day of the Dead may include non-Mexican-descended performers. If you feel that a particular holiday has to be represented by performers from a specific religious or ethnic background, please note that we will not be able to provide such specific casting.

Honorarium:

$800 per Composer/Librettist Team

Composer/Librettist Teams, please submit the following materials in the online application: https://forms.gle/AnGVSyps9KhzqMkB8

  1. Bios of 200 words.
  2. A short statement of no more than 500 words on why you chose your particular celebration for this commission.
  3. A Treatment of the proposed story/libretto which should outline, scene by scene, the dramaturgical progression of the opera.  No more than 1,200 words, please. Composers can be their own librettist and should submit their proposal accordingly.
  4. A 500-word synopsis of the plot.
  5. Work Samples:
    • For Composers:  Two samples (hosted audio or video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud) with at least one sample featuring a human voice or voices.  Neither sample should exceed 10 minutes in length.  Please include the scores.
    • For Librettists:  Two samples (written and/or audio or video) that demonstrate your story telling abilities.  These may include poetry, short stories and excerpts of plays, operas or music-theater works.  Neither sample should exceed 10 minutes or 10 pages, if written.

Timeline:
Application Deadline:  April 11, 2021
Adjudication:  April 2021
Notification:  May 15, 2021
Piano/Vocal Score Due: March 1, 2022
Workshop: Jun 2022
Full Score Due: September 1, 2022
Performance: December 2022

NB:  There is no guarantee that a commissioned work will be selected to be workshopped and/or performed.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] with the subject: Let’s Celebrate!


1. Call for Composer-Librettist Teams for “Let’s Celebrate! Living Holiday Traditions in America”

White Snake Projects, an activist opera company, is soliciting applications from composer/librettist teams to write short original operas based on their culture’s living holiday traditions as they are celebrated in the US. 

While Christmas is an important holiday tradition for many Americans, there are many other holidays celebrated in the United States today. With the beginning of the American “holiday season,” we want to hear about the celebrations that are important to you, your family, and your culture. Some examples of diverse cultural celebrations a composer/librettist team could write a story about are Hanukkah, the Spring Festival, O-Bon, Diwali, etc. The holiday you choose may take place any time of year. We emphasize that we’re looking for stories of lived experiences, not just an exposition of what the celebration is or how it originated. The holiday story must be set in America as we’re showcasing how different cultural and ethnic groups celebrate their special holidays in America. 

Requirements:

  1. No more than 20 minutes of music
  2. Ensemble: Violin, Cello, Piano
  3. Vocal Forces: Soprano, Mezzo, Baritone
  4. Family friendly story and music
  5. Demonstrated ability to create theatrical works for voice, and instrumental ensemble. Previous experience writing for opera is not required.
  6. Willingness to work with dramaturgical and composing mentors
  7. At least three commissions will be awarded. These works should suit a diverse group of singers who will be singing all the chosen pieces and who may not necessarily represent the selected works’ eithnic or national origins. For example, a work celebrating the Day of the Dead may include non-Mexican-descended performers. If you feel that a particular holiday has to be represented by performers from a specific religious or ethnic background, we will not be able to provide such specific casting.

Honorarium:

$800 per Composer/Librettist Team

Piano Vocal Workshop Housing and Travel provided

Composer/Librettist Teams, please submit the following materials:

  1. Bios of 200 words.
  2. A short statement of no more than 500 words on why you chose your particular celebration for this commission.
  3. A Treatment of the proposed story/libretto which should outline, scene by scene, the dramaturgical progression of the opera.  No more than 1,200 words, please. Composers can be their own librettist and should submit their proposal accordingly.
  4. A 500-word synopsis of the plot.
  5. Work Samples:
    • For Composers: Two samples (hosted audio or video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud) with at least one sample featuring a human voice or voices.  Neither sample should exceed 10 minutes in length.  Please include the scores.

that demonstrate your story telling abilities.  These may include poetry, short stories and excerpts of plays, operas or music-theater works.  Neither sample should exceed 10 minutes or 10 pages, if written.

Timeline:

Application Deadline:  December 15, 2019

Adjudication:  January 2020

Notification:  January 2020

Piano/Vocal Score Due: June 15, 2020

Workshop:   July 2020

Full Score Due: October 1, 2020

Performance: February 2022

There is no guarantee that a commissioned work will be selected to be workshopped and/or performed.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] with the subject: Let’s Celebrate!




 

Call for Writers and Composers for Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices

White Snake Projects is excited to announce the second year of Sing Out Strong, a community-based project that sets stories to music on activist themes flowing organically from our mainstage operas. Last year was the inaugural launch with SING OUT STRONG: Immigrant Voices, as part of our 2019 new opera, I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams. In 2020, it’s Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices, as the companion piece to our 2020 mainstage opera, Cosmic Cowboy, with its themes of colonization.

2020 is the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing on Plymouth Rock, marking 400 years of colonization of our First Nation Natives. Cosmic Cowboy and SOS: DeColonized Voices will be a counterpoint to the many celebrations of this event anticipated to take place in Massachusetts. More broadly, it will give us the opportunity to explore the human instinct to dominate and/or subjugate people unlike oneself by looking at colonial history. It also looks into the future, as today’s scientists research the possibility of one day colonizing Mars. Colonization has made the political world map look as it does today, drawing up borders with no regard for local sensibilities and realities. It has created a legacy of conflict, precipitating the mass migration of people from Central and South America, the Middle East, South East Asia, and Africa.

We are collecting stories from writers about their experiences of the effects of colonization and will commission composers who have experienced, witnessed, and/or who identify strongly against the negative effects of colonization, to set these stories to music. These songs will be presented in free public concerts in May 2020, as well as on WSP’s mainstage as the prologue to Cosmic Cowboy.  

  • Writers, please submit the writing (songs, poems, text or stories told predominantly in English) that you wish us to consider as the lyrics to a song on themes of colonization. Do not worry whether your writing is “singable.” White Snake Projects will assist the selected writers to rework the lyrics, if necessary. Short stories should be no more than one page. Composers can be their own lyricists and should submit their lyrics accordingly.
  • Composers, please submit two (2) links to recorded samples of your work on hosted audio or video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Studio-quality recordings are not required.
  • Any questions, email us at <ahref=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] with Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices, as the subject. </ahref=”mailto:[email protected]”>
  • The applicants selected to be part of the songwriting teams will be paid an honorarium.
  • Deadline: February 7, 2020. Selected writers and composers will be notified by the end of February, 2020.
  • Final songs are due April 15, 2020.

NB:  SELECTION AS AN SOS COMPOSER OR WRITER DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR WORK WILL BE PERFORMED OR PRESENTED BY WHITE SNAKE PROJECTS. 

You may write whatever comes to mind, or respond to one or more of the following prompts:

  • Have you felt like a “second class” citizen in your own homeland?
  • Does a culture other than your own seem superior to your own ethnic heritage? In what way? How did you develop this mindset?
  • Are you new to living in this country? What challenges do you face living somewhere new?
  • Do you consider yourself “American”? What does being “American” mean to you?
  • What does “freedom” mean to you?
  • Has colonization changed part of your heritage, e.g., food (chop suey which is not part of Chinese cuisine), the modern belly dance costume (a Hollywood invention), etc.?
  • How do you feel about cultural appropriation (when someone outside of your culture or ethnicity practices an aspect of your culture)? For instance, when a white person wears braids they may be considered trendy, but when you do this, it may be considered unprofessional?