OFF LABS Performing Arts
Five short opera productions created by groups of student composers, directors, dramaturgs, scenographers, composers and production managers. As part of the LABS Performing Arts programme, these arts and culture students have set to work with the art form in their own unique way.
AER
The love between two young men is stronger than death – but is it stronger than fear?
The relationship between two young lovers, Sonus and Avir, grows beyond death. They converse vividly but Sonus’ fear of being judged for it by society runs deep. AER combines an interactive electronic music installation on stage with a composition of floating rhythms and modal harmonies, interrupted by dissonance.
Stage director Harmen van Liemt
Composer Sophia Bardoutsou
Dramaturges Lea Hegemann & Noa Appelman
Production Maud Bruggeman & Jessy Martens
Countertenor Sean Haid
Cello Irene Cancer-Navarro
Flute Nicola Stevenson
Horn Janire de Paz Rivas
Violin Anastasia Koukioglou
Clarinet Mathilde Lettinga
Percussion Davide Montagnoli
Chorus Mantas Jarasunas, Hanna Aïlane, Mathilda Herbeaut, Edurne Ruiz Garcia, Puck van Eijk & Ambro Golachowski
Zoetrope
Experiencing the most important interview of one's life.
A man is being dropped into an unfamiliar space, facing a strange character. In this liminal maze he finds himself in, he is suddenly participating in the most important interview of his life. Zoetrope is a contemporary opera about trying to move on, figuring out what's important, and finding reconciliation with one’s decisions.
Stage director Caroline Geiser
Composer George Demetriou
Dramaturges Nona Wallerbosch & Juliette Georges
Production Fleur van der Lugt & Irine Kleiweg
Actore Eli Thorne, Alexandre Dondelot, Agat Sharma & Naomi Collier Broms
Percussion João Guerra
Violin Camille Rabot
Viola Alkistis Misouli
Cello Yiannis Constantinou
Planet Obsolescence
Ursula travels through different sociotopes in search of a place where she belongs, before being turned into a bowling ball.
In an alternative universe where Ursula resides, it is governmentally issued that you have to find a place to belong to. If you don't manage to do this before the age of 30, you will face the fate of obsolescence: you get turned into an inanimate object. Ursula tries to satisfy her inner desire for a place to belong, be seen, and make meaningful connections. Can she fathom and follow the rules of the surreal games so she can win the ultimate game of belonging or will she feel like another pawn on the planet on which her desires and qualities are quickly becoming obsolete?
Stage director Ludwig Sander
Composer Kavid Do
Dramaturges Marija Androiç & Charlotte van Nee
Production Lieve de Boer & Danique Schörnstadt
Singers Cyprien Crabbé, Ieva Gorda & Madeline Saputra
Double bass Pietro Elia Barcellona
Mime Clotilde Cappelletti & Winter Wieringa
CLUSTER
In a dystopian world where collectives are essential for survival, how do we find ourselves in a landscape where everything looks and feels the same?
Stage director Julija Filipovic
Composer Alice Yeung
Dramaturges Alessandra Tom & Biba Vergouwe
Production Megan Rietvelt
Conductor Eric So
Clarinet Giuseppe Sapienza
Oboe Doriana Gorbuleac
Violin Melody Lau
Cello Katia Milano
Singers Viola Chong, Yulietta Quevedo, Carolina Andrade, Julius Lavallée, Oscar Sajous & Bruna Pereira
Dancers Bo Nijssen, May van Leeuwen, Layla Miño & Pepe Rollema
Love You Forever and Ever and Ever
An ecstatic worship of Dutch National Opera, disguised as a lament about climate change.
Drip drip drip. A cataclysmic storm of sound, music and movement is building. An individual is overwhelmed by this intensity and struggles to stand her ground, held back by an internal monologue trying to convince her that this feeling of darkness may just last forever. Finally, as the atmospheric pressure builds, she searches for the light to break and a voice to call her own.
The ensemble of CLUSTER examines the way we wade through darkness in search of light during times of loneliness. Finally, as the downpour peaks, we ask: who are we and where do we belong?
Stage director Kaya Korabiowska-Dean
Composer Isaac Barzso
Dramaturges Meike Ducrot
Production Sascha de Jong & Mats van der Hulst
Librettist Silver Drewes
Singers Vanessa Guinadi, Rosalyn Stürzer & Gunda Leine
Guitar Hugo Ariëns
Saxophone Chang-Han Huang
Percussion Robert Nettleship
Violin Arie van de Ven
Dancer Tanya Moiseeva
Scenography and design
Scenographers Myckelle van Weverwijk & Selina Losa González
Licht Jurre Pöpping
Productie Lucy Walvisch
Dramaturgen Annika Hilger & Marieke van Schaik
Kostuums
Simone Bakker
Marinka van der Voort
Pauline van der Meer
Sophie Blanchard
Lilli Turner
Diana van Haren
Zarina Batyrbekova
Mathilde Groothedde
The costumes were made by students of the Master Tailor Institute.