Disruptive Stages

Director Jennifer Williams interviews composer Ricky Ian Gordon. A leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera and musical theater, the GRAMMY-nominated and OBIE Award-winning composer’s work has been performed and recorded by such internationally renowned singers as Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Stephanie Blythe, Denyce Graves, Judy Collins, Kelli O’Hara, Audra MacDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, among many others. We discuss the role art plays in healing a community, composing authentic voices, and the relationship between musical theater and opera.

Jennifer Williams interviews Sharrell D. Luckett, Ph.D., acclaimed theatre director, professor, actor, scholar, and author of the book Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches – a groundbreaking anthology which is the first book to highlight diverse acting and directing methods rooted in Afrocentrism. She is the Director of the Weinberger Center for Drama & Playwriting and professor of Drama and Performance Studies at the University of Cincinnati. We discuss Afrocentric approaches to acting and acting pedagogy; why colorblind casting is problematic and better practices for inclusive casting; and a sneak peek at future editions of her book and the future work of the Black Acting Methods Studio.

Jennifer Williams interviews composer Sarah Kirkland Snider. Deemed “one of the decade’s more gifted, up-and-coming modern classical composers” (Pitchfork), “a potentially significant voice on the American music landscape” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “an important representative of 21st century trends in composition” (New York Classical Review), she has received commissions and performances from the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra, among many others. We discuss her reimagining of mythology in her recent work, Penelope, her inter-genre music – and how the artistic impulses the classical world tells you to repress might just be the very inspiration that defines your unique and important work.

Jennifer Williams interviews composer, pianist and educator Niloufar Nourbakhsh – winner of the 2nd Hildegard Competition, recipient of a 2019 Female Discovery Grant from OPERA America, and a founding member and co-director of the Iranian Female Composers Association. We discuss the unwilling hero in her new work, “We the Innumerable;” her new perspectives on the future of technology in music; current developments in Iran’s opera scene; and her vision for the future of the Iranian Female Composers Association.

Jennifer Williams interviews performer, teacher and activist Dr. Derrell Acon. A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Acon received an Andrew W. Mellon grant for his work on Verdian scholarship and performance. His most recent scholarship on Blacktivism and the power of performance education has been presented around the country, and he is well-known for his groundbreaking work as an activist on the subject matter of race and equity. He also enjoys an active performance career as an acclaimed bass-baritone, including recent appearances at The Glimmerglass Festival and LA Master Chorale. We discuss an overlooked avenue in Verdian scholarship, Blacktivism as scholarship and in practice, his experience as Long Beach Opera’s Director of Engagement and Equity and Black Opera Alliance’s leader, and his advice for young performer-activists.

Jennifer Williams interviews Kamala Sankaram, acclaimed composer of the first Zoom opera (All decisions will be made by consensus) as well as commissions from Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and Beth Morrison Projects, among many others. The diverse media for which she has written include virtual and augmented reality; multimedia installations; and her operatic Bollywood surf ensemble, Bombay Rickey. We discuss the creation of her innovative works and the multifaceted relationship between technology and live performance.