Organization

Conductor

Michelle Rofrano

Stage director

Kevin Newbury

Set designer

Daniel Meeker

Costume designer

Alison Heryer

Lighting designer

Connie Yun

Video designer

Greg Emetaz

Singer

Tenor

Martin Bakari

Roderick Usher

Baritone

Timothy McDevitt

William

Soprano

Hannah Cosenz

Madeleine Usher

Bass

Gregory Brumfield

Servant

Scot Crandal

Physician

OrpheusPDX

English

The Fall of the House of Usher

Portland

United States

Lincoln Hall

Public

Private

Approved

From the Artistic Director, Christopher Mattaliano
That which is unspoken in Poe’s work is what makes it so powerful and thrilling, especially in this story. The character and plot details that remain undefined become so engrossing, strange, and unbearably suspenseful. Glass is the perfect composer to capture the inner world of Poe. His music – riveting and hauntingly beautiful – captures the powerful, claustrophobic atmosphere that eventually overwhelms the characters. This is the fourth Glass opera that I’ve produced in Portland. The Fall of the House of Usher has been on my “short list” for many years. I feel it’s one of his greatest works and am thrilled to finally present it.

From the Stage Director, Kevin Newbury
Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a timeless psychological thriller about the intersection of shame, madness, and imagination. In our new production of Philip Glass’ 1988 opera of the same name, the action takes place in Palm Springs, CA in the summer of 1969. When two boyhood friends reconnect, they are forced to confront their own internal demons in a production that marries film noir cinema, mid-century modern architecture, and the pervasive forces of repression raging both outside and within the walls of the house of Usher.

From the Conductor, Michelle Rofrano
Glass’s compositional style is perfectly suited to musically recreate the dark, pervasive atmosphere of Edgar Allen Poe’s iconic tale of horror. The seemingly incessant repetition of melancholy minor chords played by the orchestra, interrupted by unnerving interjections of solo instruments, create a suffocating atmosphere that engulfs the singers and audience in a way that mirrors the dread within the haunted House of Usher. This opera production will evoke audiences’ imaginations, forcing them to wrestle with the duality of pitying the characters onstage while simultaneously being horrified by their actions. I am greatly looking forward to delving into this fantastic score and to sharing the musical world of Philip Glass’s striking work with Portland audiences.

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew