UMaine School of Performing Arts to present selections from ‘Until the War Is Over’ — an opera in one act

Selections from an opera in one act, “Until the War Is Over,” will be presented by the University of Maine School of Performing Arts June 23.

The free public event will feature a pre-performance lecture by poet Jennifer Moxley at 7 p.m., followed at 7:30 by performance of selections from the opera, which is based on “Bid Me to Live” by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle). It will be held in the Black Box Theatre in the Class of 1944 Hall on campus.

The opera workshop is part of an ongoing collaboration between Moxley of the UMaine Department of English and composer Beth Wiemann, chair of the Music Division in the School of Performing Arts. The two professors wrote the chamber opera.

“Until the War Is Over” will feature Moxley, Wiemann and other UMaine artists performing with Boston-based vocalists Lindsay Conrad as H.D. and Stefan Barner as D.H. Lawrence.

The performance is directed by UMaine theatre professor Tom Mikotowicz and conducted by Patrick Valentino, based in Boston. Funding was provided by the Maine Arts Commission, UMaine’s Humanities Center and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In 2014,  selections from the opera were performed by UMaine students. In addition, “Until the War Is Over” was selected for performance in Hartford Opera Theater’s New in November festival in 2015.

For more information about the June 23 performance or to request a disability accommodation, call 207.581.4703.

Contact: Meg Shorette, 207.581.3129