"Suddenly Last Summer" Opera: A Duel of Song and Speech

Tennessee Williams's "Suddenly Last Summer" has been transformed into a compelling opera, featuring a libretto by Gideon Lester and music by Courtney Bryan. The production, directed by Daniel Fish, magnifies the play's core conflict: two women, Sebastian Venable's mother and cousin, present dueling, unreliable accounts of his death.

Mrs. Venable, a New Orleans matriarch, insists her son was a chaste poet, while her niece, Catherine, sings a harrowing account of Sebastian's predatory behavior and his gruesome end on Cabeza de Lobo island. The opera employs a multifaceted approach to storytelling, weaving together speech, song, visual art, choreography, and film.

Bryan's score, lauded for its smooth eclecticism and emotional immediacy, provides a rich soundscape that complements the dramatic tension. The production, currently at the Fisher Center at Bard, explores the nature of truth and memory through its ambitious staging. It previously played in the Hudson Valley and is set to travel to Opera Philadelphia.

The opera highlights the complexities of memory and truth-telling, as both women vie for dominance in their narratives. The mother, played by Tina Benko, uses powerful speech, while Mikaela Bennett embodies Catherine's sung revelations. The staging incorporates various artistic elements, including projections of artwork and film, and features the Young People's Chorus of New York City.