Organization

Stage director

Sam Helfrich

Singer

MaKayla McDonald

Soloists

Patrice Eaton

Jordan Rutter

Eliam Ramos

Conductor

Jeremy Chan

Gileann Tan

Nathaniel Sullivan

Shafiq Hicks

American Opera Project

Poets Of New York

New York City

United States

Poets Of New York: The Walt Whitmans Of Fort Greene Park Zachary Catron (+2 More)

Public

The Walt Whitmans Of Fort Greene Park

West Love '89

The People Vs American Cheese

Approved

About this event
AOP - NYU/Tisch Opera Lab presents POETS OF NEW YORK: Operas inspired by Audre Lorde & Walt Whitman. Join us for the premiere of three 30-minute operas inspired by the lives, histories, and geographies of Audre Lorde and Walt Whitman—two queer poets with deep roots in New York City who lived a century apart.

THE OPERAS:

THE WALT WHITMANS OF FORT GREENE PARK

MUSIC by ZACHARY CATRON / LIBRETTO by PEYTON MARION

DIRECTION by SAM HELFRICH

Set Design by Joyce He

Costume Design by Camille Charara

Lighting Design by Andre Segar

This piece is a contemporary opera buffa that explores Walt Whitman's legacy, hero worship, and what lengths people are willing to go to for an extra buck.

WEST LOVE '89

MUSIC by SEAN HAVRILLA / LIBRETTO by TROY DEFOUR

DIRECTION by SAM HELFRICH

Set Deisgn by Charlotte Shi

Costume Design by Camille Charara

Lighting Design by Andre Segar

In 1989, West Berlin, A Black-German woman named Baharnabé discovers Audre Lorde's ADEFRA activist group and her self identity through writing poetry. But, Baharnabé feels she is no writer or poet. In learning how to write her own story, she travels through time and memory while losing love and falling in love. But, ultimately she discovers her identity in what Audre Lorde has called 'Afro-German'.

THE PEOPLE VS AMERICAN CHEESE

MUSIC by DURRA LEUNG / LIBRETTO by CLARE FUYUKO BIERMAN

DIRECTION by SAM HELFRICH

Set Design by Brian Bernhard

Costume Design by Siena Zoë Allen

Lighting Design by Andre Segar

Audre, Walt, Durra, and Clare wake up surrounded by rubble, their gay cruise under attack. The culprit? The greatest danger of all— heteronormativity (in the form of American Cheese). As our unlikely heroes battle cheese slices, they must also battle one another for cultural relevance and icon status. Chaos reigns in this gay fantasia on gayer themes.

English

Poets Of New York by Catron, Havrilla, Leung, D., From (2023/2023), Directed by Sam Helfrich,, Conductor Jeremy Chan

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues