Organization

Conductor

Viswa Subbaraman

Set designer

Misha Kachman

Stage director

Roya Sadat

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Karin Mushegain

Mariam

Soprano

Maureen McKay

Laila

Bass-baritone

John Moore

Rasheed

Tenor

Rafael Moras

Tariq

Lighting designer

Jen Schriever

Tess Altiveros

Nana

Market woman

Wajma

Ashraf Sewailam

Hakim

Driver

Sarah Coit

Fariba

Wife 3

Sarah Mattox

Wife 1

Market woman 3

Ibidunni Ojikutu

Wife 2

Market woman 2

Martin Bakari

Jalil

Wakil

Guard

Bass

Andrew W Potter

Mullah

Sharif

soldier

Costume designer

Deborah Trout

Stage combat master

Geoffrey Alm

Costume cultural and historical consultant

Rika Sadat

Sound designer

Robertson Witmer

Lorenzo Jose Boado

zalmai

Grace Elaine Franck-smith

Seattle Opera

English

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Seattle

United States

McCaw Hall

A Thousand Splendid Suns Silver

Public

Approved

Beauty. Sacrifice. Resilience. Seattle Opera World Premiere. Set against Afghanistan’s volatile history, this new opera tells the breathtaking story of Maria...

Tess Altiveros—Mariam's Act 1 Aria—A Thousand Splendid Suns (2023)

Beauty. Sacrifice. Resilience. Seattle Opera World Premiere. Set against Afghanistan’s volatile history, this new opera tells the breathtaking story of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women. Brought together under the brutal Taliban rule, the bond between Laila and Mariam leads to unthinkable sacrifices and ultimately, one family’s survival. Based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel, this story has captured the hearts of millions including American composer Sheila Silver and librettist Stephen Kitsakos who adapted the novel for the opera stage. Directing the production is Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat, whose trailblazing work as one of Afghanistan’s first female film directors has garnered more than 20 international film awards, including the 2021 Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Film Award and the 2018 International Women of Courage Award presented by the United States Department of State.

“The locations in this novel are near to my heart; I grew up in Herat and live in the Kabul neighborhood where the protagonists, Mariam and Laila, lives intersect. Afghanistan’s women have shown strength and resilience in the face of war and an ever-changing political environment. There has never been a more important time for this story to be taking the stage and shared with American audiences." (Roya Sadat)

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew