Most opera houses are huge. The smallest opera houses have around 1000 seats! Our venue seats 100 - ten times smaller. This intimacy creates an atmosphere impossible to achieve in a larger space. The experience of being so close to the singers is thrilling.
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Our first mandate is to provide opportunities for local singers to perform great operas, multiple times in a stress-free environment.
Our second mandate is to remain as close to the intentions of the composer as possible in our productions. We do not alter or update these operas in an effort to draw a larger audience, or to make them more "palatable", or easier to understand. Changes we do employ are simply to make it possible for us to perform the operas in the first place.
Our sets are simple, we "suggest" the settings, rather than trying to accurately portray them. This concept is also employed in our costuming. We don't attempt to create historically accurate costumes, we simply don't have the resources. Our costumes "suggest" the time period and social status of the characters. The imagination of the audience does the rest!
