Artist

Admin

Conductor

Benjamin Makino

Stage director

Karen Tiller

Mezzo-soprano

Maya Hoover

Linda Morales

Baritone

Ian McGuffin

Abraham Fleischman

Sarah Lambert Connelly

Linda Larsen

Video designer

David Hunt

Hawaii Opera Theatre

English

Hometown to the World

Honolulu

United States

We are not that far removed in history from the events of Hometown to the World, and immigrant rights remains a painful point of division for many countries. On May 12, 2008, Postville, Iowa was the site of the single largest workplace raid in US history at the time. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) agents arrested 398 employees at the largest Kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in the country, for suspected undocumented immigrants, aggravated identity theft, and child labor law violations. Those numbers represented 25% of the population at the time, and another 25% left the town in the days and weeks following the raid, devastating the town’s economy which had seen a resurgence with the establishment of the plant.

Local favorites Sarah Lambert Connelly and Maya Hoover are joined by newcomer Ian McGuffin as three individuals whose lives are turned upside down yet find a path for healing. Karen Tiller returns to direct and Benjamin Makino makes his HOT debut as conductor, leading six musicians from the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. While the pair share connections to Memphis Opera and HOT, this is their first time working together. The production was filmed by Dave Hunt of Sky Legend Films, who has brought to life all of the HOT Digital productions this season

Hometown to the World Kaminsky

Public

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading