Boston Opera Collaborative Presents Dialogues of the Carmelites July 28-29 and August 4-5, 2007: Marc Astafan Directs

Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, August 5, 2007 at 3:00 PM

(BOSTON) Boston Opera Collaborative (BOC) presents Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, July 28 and August 4 at 8 p.m. with matinee performances at 3 p.m. on July 29 and August 5, at Theodore Parker Church, 1859 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA. Marc Astafan directs. Michael Strauss conducts. Tickets are $22 general admission and $17 for students and senior citizens ($2 discount for purchasing online). Tickets may be purchased online at www.bostonoperacollaborative.org or by calling the box office at 617-517-5883.

The second of Poulenc’s three profound operas concentrates on the powerful themes of faith. Set in a Carmelite convent near the end of the French Revolution, the opera follows the trials of the timid and fragile Blanche de la Force, a young woman of noble birth, who, weary of the world, decides to devote her life to the order of Carmel. There, she struggles to evaluate her religious piety when she and her sisters are ordered to give up their vocations — or face death. Using the profound and intimat backdrop of Theodore Parker Church in West Roxbury, director Marc Astafan explores the role of faith as both a means of support and denial when faced with life and death decisions.

Marc Astafan (Stage Director) has been on the opera faculty of The New England Conservatory as Resident Stage Director since 1994 and on the Directing Staff at The Metropolitan Opera since 2000. He has directed critically acclaimed productions for many opera companies around the US. Upcoming engagements include operas for Central City, Center City Opera of Philadelphia and he will also return to the MET next fall to assist on a new production of Macbeth.

Michael Strauss (Conductor) for the past ten years has been active in and around the Boston area as a performer, accompanist, conductor and vocal coach serving on the staff at both The Boston Conservatory and The New England Conservatory. He has toured worldwide with The Boston Music Theater and his conducting credits include the New England premier of Bizet’s The Pearlfishers.

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Boston Opera Collaborative is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for emerging artists — including singers, directors, conductors, and theater technicians — to bridge the gap between higher education and a career in the arts.

Members of Boston Opera Collaborative share in the management of the organization, developing their own skills as artists and administrators through productions and professional development.