SPA to present Opera Workshop on Dec. 2

The University of Maine School of Performing Arts will present the fall Opera Workshop showcase at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 in Minsky Recital Hall.

The performance will include a sample of scenes from famous operas that highlight the vocal talents of the students involved, including works by Wolfgang Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Benjamin Britten and Engelbert Humperdinck.

Students in the Opera Workshop participate in all aspects of the performance, including designing the costumes, lighting and sets.

One of the many ensembles offered by the School of Performing Arts, Opera Workshop allows students to develop their stage presence as well as their vocal talents.

“Not only are we challenged to sing very intricate and complex music, but we are also challenged to act and remember staging,” says music major Dana Douglass, who has been involved with the workshop for four years and will be performing in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” on Saturday.

“It’s helped me grow so much as a performer,” Douglass says.

Isaac Bray, voice instructor at UMaine and director of the workshop, thinks that audiences will find the opera scenes showcased still relevant.

“Opera is a beautiful, timeless art form that speaks to many of the social issues that we experience and deal with today,” Bray says.

Admission is free for all. For more information or to request a disability accommodation, call Bray at 581.1254.