KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Angst, jealousy, rumors, back-stabbing, lies, exclusion, passion, anger, depression, drug and alcohol abuse—is it Grand Opera or the life of a modern teenager? Young women all over the world cope daily with social aggression from many sources, including the mental anguish they afflict upon each other. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City education department with collaborative partners The Willow Domestic Violence Center and the GaDuGi Safe Center in Lawrence are co-producing the opera One False Move, by Susan Kander, as a way to reach out to young girls whose lives have been affected by Bullying and Female Relational Aggression. The performance, which includes a cast of 20+ local teen agers, will be presented January 29^th at the Lawrence Art Center Theatre at 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. There will be a post performance discussion with professionals and the cast and group rates are available for youth groups and other organizations.

Megan Browne Helm: How did the idea of commissioning an opera about female social aggression come about?

Paula Winans, Education director for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City: In August 2001, I was feeling very sad that we had so many wonderful talented young teens who wanted to audition for our children's chorus for Puccini's La bohème. We were told by our director of production that they were too tall to play children. At the very same time, I also was reading the Rachel Simmons’ New York Times best-selling book Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls. As I was taking my morning walk one day, thinking about the girls and also thinking about the book, the idea came to me that we should invite author Rachel Simmons to visit us in KC and participate in an opera education project. I also invited composer Susan Kander to KC and work with us. Rachel and her friend, drama teacher Mimi Stauber, came and worked with our girls in a three-day weekend workshop. Susan took notes as the girls did role-playing and acted out the kinds of emotional drama that occurs in our schools today. Susan then took all of her observations back to New York City and created our opera One False Move. When we did the world premiere in March 2002, Rachel Simmons returned to KC and led the audience discussion.

MBH: Why do you think this is an important topic to tackle at this time?

PW: As you know, many young people have taken their lives because bullying has been such a painful challenge that they felt they had no other way out. It is so disturbing that in our culture we have so many bullies. We have adults who model this behavior with young people, too. It was a problem in 2001 when we began. It's still a problem now. And as long as it continues to be a problem, we will continue to work with young people and present this opera.

MBH: How and where did you find your talented cast? What are their ages and motivation for participating?

PW: We have serious, intensive vocal and dramatic training programs through Lyric Opera, including our two-week summer camp, a spring break opera camp, and our Ginger Frost High School Honors Artists, who receive free voice lessons. Our programs are for everyone who loves to sing and act. Many singers return year after year, and we always open our programs to new participants. 

William Crisman High School senior Emma WitbolsFeugen, plays Bonnie, the girl bullied by her childhood best friend, says of her motivation to participate, "It was another opportunity to perform through the Lyric, but it also was special because it was a girls' opera and bullying was also something that I had experienced for a long time. I keep coming back because I had a good time being with my peers the first time that I did it, and I wanted to do it again."

 Truman High School freshman Sicily Mathenia, plays Joanne, the new girl who wants to join the "in" group, "I wanted to be part of something that could change the people watching, and of course, the musical experience and education that I would get. I came back because the issue still hasn't gone away, and it's still important the people hear about it. And I like the piece (meaning the opera)."

 Liberty High School junior Anna Kain, plays Amy, the bully, she participates "because my voice teacher told me that it would be a good way to get to know some of the girls who would later be going to summer opera camp. This time around, I think I wanted to participate because with every new group of girls there's a different story. It's also therapeutic to be able to channel some of those experiences you've had with aggression and exclusion by girls, and share those experiences with the audience." 

Emma and Sicily have performed in the opera three different years. Anna has performed in it two different years.

MBH: What other collaborations and/or outreach events is the Lyric Opera planning?

PW: Next year, I will be starting my twentieth year with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and we will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of our education programs with a new commission from composer Susan Kander based on the Newbery award-winning young people's book The Giver, by author Lois Lowry. It will star professional adult opera singers and our young people, and once again, it will be open to all young people who love to sing and act.

PREVIEW:
Lyric Opera of Kansas City Education Department, The Willow Domestic Violence Center, the GaDuGi Safe Center in Lawrence
One False Move: An original all-girl opera about bullying
Written and composed by Susan Kander
Directed by Linda Ade Brand
The Lawrence Arts Center Theatre
940 New Hampshire, Lawrence, KS
Performances at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.
For more information call 785-843-2787
or online at http://www.lawrenceartscenter.org/family-theatre.html#one-false-move

Photos courtesy of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Front Row: Olivia Lesley, Sarah Evatt, Sarah Biegelsen, Iris Wheatley

Row Two: Mosha Clyma, Sicily Mathenia, Lizzie Whitney, Elizabeth Cozart, Julia Brand, Kesandra Fischer

Row Three: Taylor Batson, Hannah-Belle Ahlenius, Emma WitbolsFeugen, Anna Kain, Madeline Clem, Lanie Schirck, Tessa Hake

Top Row: Elizabeth Eaton, Amanda Enyart, Amanda Tyler

Not pictured: Kelsey Marjorie Kallenberger, Grace Vedock, Madaline Walter-McCrary, Nyla Wofford

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.

More Featured Articles