About the Show
Hold the phone…
“A mouth is not for talking / A mouth is for tasting this Sweetness” professed Rumi, and yet from the telephone’s invention to the smartphone’s revolution, society has replaced the sweetness of human presence with an illusion of connection. Using this theme as inspiration, Poulenc and Cocteau’s cautionary tale La voix humaine receives a reflective update when soprano Laura Bohn and pianist Mila Henry’s conversation forces listeners to ask: in this age of technology, can we connect with others without losing ourselves? Directed by Mary Birnbaum. Projection design by Hannah Wasileski.
“LA VOIX HUMAINE”
Lyrics: Jean COCTEAU
Music : Francis POULENC
© Ed. Ricordi S.A.
A Mouth is Not for Talking about recycling…it’s for doing! We want YOUR old cell phones (or any small tablet) for our very own “Cell Phone Graveyard”. Feel free to bring them with you to the show, and watch as Elle lays each to rest. Afterwards, we’ll recycle your devices for you, FREE of charge! (Owner is responsible for removing all personal data and SIM card from the device before submitting.)
“Laura and I have always loved the music of Francis Poulenc, from the moment we took a class together on his life and works, so when brainstorming projects to collaborate on, La voix humaine was an obvious choice. While originally scored for orchestra, the intimacy and cinematic colors of Poulenc’s piano reduction provide a unique opportunity to hold multiple conversations all at once– whether between Elle and the telephone, singer and pianist, or performers and audience. Given Laura’s fierce stage presence and my desire to be on the stage as much as alongside it, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of our musical partnership in an opera we truly adore.”
“We are struck by the epidemic of smartphone addiction we see around us and find a mirror in Cocteau’s La voix humaine. Here is a woman at her breaking point, holding the phone as her only lifeline and connection to human love. She represents the modern day soul, unaware that she’s woven herself into a cocoon of attachment and denial, and waiting for someone else to save her. Her journey begins by acknowledging there is a greater truth than what she’s allowed herself to see and ends with her cutting the cords of her old attachments and embracing herself as she is. The desire to stretch the boundaries of the traditional singer/pianist relationship is a driving force behind our storytelling, as is our passion for the timeless music of Poulenc.”
About the Artists
Mila Henry (Pianist)
Mila Henry is a New York-based pianist and music director who specializes in music theater projects. Lauded for her “sublime” playing (Feast of Music) and heralding orchestral scores of “incredible range and color” (OperaPulse), Mila is an integral member of the contemporary opera community, frequently collaborating with Beth Morrison Projects, HERE and their PROTOTYPE festival, as well as American Opera Projects, American Lyric Theater and Opera on Tap. Her versatility ranges from appearances on VisionIntoArt’s FERUS Festival (The Stone) and OPERA America’s Creators in Concert (Missy Mazzoli, Anthony Davis) to performances at 54 Below and the New York Musical Festival.
Laura Bohn (Soprano)
Soprano Laura Bohn, “an amazing blend of vocal splendor and physical virtuosity” (S.F. Chronicle) is making her mark as a dynamic presence on international stages. Recent performances include The Duchess in Adés’ Powder Her Face at West Edge Opera, the monodrama Black Water with the Center for Contemporary Opera and Ino in Händel’s Semele at Operadagen Rotterdam with the Hague Philharmonic. Other recent highlights include Lucha in The Industry’s Hopscotch mobile-opera in LA, the premiere of DJ Moz’art, a dance opera which toured the Netherlands and Belgium in 2014, and Nerone in MonteverdISH, a hiphop breakdance adaptation of L’incoronazione di Poppea which toured Europe in 2013 and 2011.
Mary Birnbaum (Director)
Mary Birnbaum is a director of opera and other things in NYC. Most recent: Sandbox Aida in Orange County, CA. Upcoming: world premiere of Kristin Kuster’s opera KEPT in Norfolk, VA, Oklahoma! at Ashlawn Opera. For more: www.marybirnbaum.com
Hannah Wasileski (Projection Design)
Hannah is a visual artist and projection designer whose work spans theater, opera, music and installation. Recent designs include: The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World (Signature NYC), A Proust Sonata (Wortham Center), Angel’s Bone (Prototype Festival), The Wreckers (Bard SummerScape Opera). Albany Symphony’s American Music Festival (EMPAC), architectural projection design for La Celestina (Metropolitan Museum), The World is Round (BAM; Obie Award), Dear Elizabeth (Yale Rep & Berkeley Rep), Strange Tales of Liaozhai and My Life in a Nutshell (HERE Arts Center). Her video installations have been exhibited in London, Brighton, Glasgow, and Prague. MFA: Yale School of Drama.
This performance was sponsored in part by the Village Voice.
