Unseal Unseam: An Electroacoustic Opera

“Hair-raising” and “paralyzingly beautiful”
— New Classic LA

Unseal Unseam is a retelling of Béla Bartók’s classic opera, Bluebeard’s Castle, viewed through the eyes of his wife, Judith. In this piece we examine the too-often invisible world of domestic violence in order to hold space for healing and solidarity. Using a combination of extended vocal techniques, noise and electronic music, composer Sharon Chohi Kim and sound artist Micaela Tobin create a lustrous cacophony of amplified objects and operatic singing. Director Shannon Knox and librettist Cordelia Istel reimagine Judith travelling through her own psychological purgatory to reclaim her life.

Original composition and sound design Sharon Chohi Kim and Micaela Tobin

Libretto Cordelia Istel

Featuring:
Sharon Chohi Kim and Micaela Tobin as Judith
Lauren Davis, Tany Ling, Kathryn Shuman, as the Wives
Shannon Kennedy, Cello + additional sound design
Lenka Moravkova, The Bohemian Cristal Instrument
Prudence Rees-Lee, Cello + Percussion
Director & Scenographer Shannon Knox
Lighting & Projection design Kerstin Hovland
Assistant Lighting Design Lauren Sego
Stage Manager Susan Kim
Produced by Highways Performance Space (Artistic Directors Leo Garcia + Patrick Kennelly)

“Hands-up-don’t-shoot-horns” sculptural instruments featured in this performance were created by artist Elana Mann