A New York Times Critic’s Pick!
Castor and Patience
World premiere!
July 21, 28 & 30, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
July 23 & 24, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
Scpa’s Corbett Theater
Music by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Tracy K. Smith
Sung in English with projected lyrics
A long overdue family reunion finds two African American cousins at odds over the fate of a historic parcel of land they have inherited in the American South. Castor is eager to sell the land to pay off his crushing debt, but Patience is determined to fight off overzealous investors and preserve her family’s legacy. Deeply relevant to ongoing calls for racial justice, Castor and Patience probes historical and continuing obstacles to Black land ownership in the U.S. With powerful, soaring music by Gregory Spears, composer of our acclaimed 2016 commission Fellow Travelers, and an original libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith, this timeless and topical premiere is the buzz of the opera world.
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Talise Trevigne sings "Think you know this man?" from Castor and Patience, with Marie-France Lefebvre and Michael Lewis on piano.
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Cast & Creative Team
Patience Talise Trevigne
Castor Reginald Smith Jr.
Celeste Jennifer Johnson Cano
Wilhelmina Victoria Okafor
West Benjamin Taylor
Judah Frederick Ballentine
Ruthie Raven McMillon
Clarissa/Ensemble Amber Monroe
Jane/Ensemble Zoie Reams
Nestor/Ensemble Victor Ryan Robertson
Cato/Ensemble Phillip Bullock
Second Man/Ensemble Earl Hazell
Composer Gregory Spears
Librettist Tracy K. Smith
Conductor Kazem Abdullah
Stage Director Kevin Newbury
Scenic Designer Vita Tzykun
Costume Designer Jessica Jahn
Image Designer Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Projection Designer S. Katy Tucker
Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase
Wig & Makeup Designer James Geier
Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
New production from Cincinnati Opera
NEWS & REVIEWS
A New York Times Critic’s Pick! “[The cast’s] outpourings are so fervent, the melodies so sweet, that you can find yourself moved nearly to tears by more or less random lines ... by the second act, the tension inexorably rising, resistance to a work so openhearted, tender and plain-spoken seems futile.” Read the full review
The New York Times: Best Classical Music Performances of 2022 - “In a … deeply satisfying vein, Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s Castor and Patience, which premiered at Cincinnati Opera in July, was an unshowy, restrained, warmly tonal exploration of a Black family and the land it owns.” Read the full story
NPR: “Castor and Patience opera explores systematic barriers to Black land ownership”
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Cincinnati Business Courier: “The hallmarks of the opening night performance were its evocative, poetic libretto, gorgeous orchestral score and powerhouse cast of singing actors.” Read the full review
Opera News: “To turn so complex a libretto into a musically satisfying opera requires a gifted composer, and Spears is undoubtedly that.” Read the full review
I Care If You Listen: “Spears’ lush score supports the dialogue-driven libretto with percolating syncopation, ebulliently hurtling forward until blossoming, nostalgia-imbued lyricism offers moments of repose… Smith’s libretto — her first ever — is the undeniable star of the production.” Read the full review
Parterre: “The cast is superb… The final aria is breathtaking.” Read the full review
I Care If You Listen: 5 Questions to Tracy K. Smith
Cincinnati Business Courier: Cincinnati Opera explores racial justice in new world premiere
CityBeat: Cincinnati Opera’s Fierce and Castor and Patience Give Voice to Underrepresented Stories
Suggested Reading
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Opera Insights
Enhance your Castor and Patience knowledge with a pre-curtain lecture one hour before each performance in SCPA’s Corbett Theater. Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director, provides overviews and insights into the opera's history, music, and production. Free to all ticket holders. No reservations required.
Support Provided By
Thomas W. Busse Trust
Center Stage Board Associates
Keller Williams Seven Hills
The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation