Abstract
A House Divided is a modern opera reflecting the 21st-century American political divide. Created to be presented as a web series, exploring the ever-expanding landscape of innovative lyric theatre production in an effort to engage diverse audiences. The opera explores the complicated and often-controversial topics of faith and politics, inviting conversations around contemporary music, society, and modern-day life. Composed by tenor Philip Seward and developed with soprano Tammie Huntington, the premiere production features the two vocalists with collaborative pianist Lori Lyn Mackie Hewelt and electronics. Synopsis: Tom and Amanda arrive home from a medical fundraiser arguing about the American healthcare system. Amanda, a Republican, holds divergent views on the matter from her husband, Tom, a Democrat. The argument expands to other topics and continues through the night in multiple scenes. The next morning, the couple cannot speak much to one another as the day begins. Amanda hopes to reconcile with the idea that the whole thing will blow over, while Tom cannot come to terms with the deeper issues at stake. Seward and Huntington are committed to exploring creative methods and means for advancing the lyric theatre into the 21st century with relevance to current issues, engaging diverse audiences through modern technology. We discuss the creative process of exploring diverse political views through a lyrical set-theory compositional approach, in addition to the recording, filming, and editing that culminated in the final production. Excerpts from the webisodes are presented with time for Q & A.
Presenters
Philip SewardProfessor of Instruction, Music, School of Audio and Music, Columbia College Chicago, Illinois, United States Tammie Huntington
Professor of Music, Division of Music and Theatre, Indiana Wesleyan University, Indiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Diversity, Lyric Theatre, Opera, Politics, Society, Webisode
